Inside of the first Buffalo Exchange in Tucson. Photo by Gabi NelsonYesterday I took a mini road trip down to Tucson to see Jeff Mangum from Neutral Milk Hotel play a show at the Rialto Theatre. I never really go down to Tucson so I decided to spend the day there wandering around the countless number of vintage shops to treasure hunt.
As I was strolling I stumbled upon one of my personal favorite shops, Buffalo Exchange, to find out it was the first one ever created. I talked to a few of the workers to find out the story behind it.
Buy, sell and trade clothing at Buffalo Exchange. Photo by Gabi NelsonI learned that Buffalo Exchange was the first store that bought, sold and traded clothing items on consignment, which is now a concept in many stores all around the country. The shop opened in 1974 in Tucson and now has 45 stores across the country. My Arizona pride was proud to hear this.
If you’ve never been to Buffalo Exchange I will give you the lowdown on their concept. You can bring clothes in to trade or sell, so if you’re running low on cash and need some new threads but don’t want to spend the money this is a great place for you! They also have a great “token” concept where if you choose to receive a token instead of a shopping bag they donate the money they would spend on a shopping bag to a local charity.
Inside you will find a selection of vintage and new clothing. You can find Buffalo Exchange right down the street from campus, on University in between Farmer and Ash. Happy shopping!
If you have any suggestions, comments, or ideas for articles email me at gmnelson@asu.edu, or find me on twitter @gabinelsonlove.
