The Totally Rad Vintage Fest

I was hoping to start off the year with a bang, and having a chance to visit the Totally Rad Vintage Fest turned out to be just that. As a collector of vintage items myself, I knew it was an opportunity I could not miss out on. 

The Totally Rad Vintage Fest, for those who don't know, is an event that takes place every month in cities all around the country. This past January, they set up shop at the Monroeville Convention Center in Monroeville, Pennsylvania. Not only were there countless vendors offering their wares at the event, but hundreds of people came to shop there as well. Admittedly, this did make parking a bit of a challenge, so if you ever plan on attending the Vintage Fest, make sure to arrive early. 

Besides getting a good parking space, another benefit to arriving early for the Vintage Fest is having the privilege of browsing all the things available to purchase before they start disappearing. Being that the focus of the event is the 1980s through the 1990s, much of the items for sale there were made during that time period. As such, people are very eager to spend their money and for good reason. To use the cliche, there truly is something at the Vintage Fest for everyone. Vendors carry such things as vintage clothes, toys, collectibles, records, movies, video games, and much more besides. 

Both of the vendors that I visited specialized in vintage toys. The first vendor I saw goes by the name "Coop," and he is the proprietor of "CoopCapp's Closet" (see first photo at top-left). After making a purchase from Coop, I had a chance to interview him about his business. I asked him how long he had been in the buying-and-selling vintage market for, and he said it's been 4 years.

Coop also wanted to clarify with me that what he does isn't just a side hustle to coincide with another job. 

"It's a full-time gig; it can be tough, you know, because I've got a wife and kids to take care of too, and I'm on the road a lot, but it's a lot of fun," he said.

He was very forthcoming and eager when it came to discussing how he acquires all the vintage merchandise he has for sale: 

"It's mainly just through connections with other people. You know, I've got guys I know and I'll call them up to see if they have anything for me. I also go to thrift stores and flea markets and things like that too," he said.

Sean Kieffer, the other vendor I had a pleasure to speak with, told me that going to places like antique stores and flea markets is the main way he amasses his vintage collectibles. 

"I love going to places like that: thrift stores, flea markets, you name it, I've done it," he said. 

Kieffer is the owner of a local vintage store called "Steel City Flashbacks." Unlike Coop, Kieffer started his store about 3 years ago as a side hustle for his daytime occupation. It has proven to be very successful for him, too, as he told me that the amount of business he gets is sometimes overwhelming. 

I bought something from his stand as well, but before I spoke with him, he noted how much I had been ogling at all of the vintage finds he had for sale. He says seeing reactions from people in such a way is, by far, his favorite thing about being in the vintage business.

"Yeah, I always love seeing people light up whenever they see something that they like. It makes everything so much more worth it," he said.

Speaking of people, there was a lot more for them to do than buy items from the almost innumerable amount of vendors that were at the Totally Rad Vintage Fest. There were multiple retro-themed photo-ops for people to take pictures at. The themes included such topics as Y2K, Blockbuster, and even E.T. (see pics to the left). 

In the second room full of vendors, they also had a "Vintage Arcade" set up in the back, complete with real arcade machines and neon carpeting. Of the many games they had for patrons to play, there was Pac-Man, Super Mario Bros., Mortal Kombat, and many more. 

In the main room of the convention center, lined up against the wall, they also had a "Rewind Museum," which had all kinds of retro and vintage toys on display in glass cases. One such case that caught my attention was dedicated to the most dangerous toys of the 1980s and '90s (see pic on left-hand side). It was so surreal to see so many toys that were banned for being hazardous to the well beings of actual humans. 

While I am on the topic of hazardous events, I want to add that I managed to speak to a security guard patrolling the premises. I asked him how these types of events usually are in terms of the people and the atmosphere:

"Pretty good most of the time. Nothing crazy really happens, but that's why I am here in case something like that does happen," he said.

The guard, who preferred to have his identity redacted, told me that conventions such as the Vintage Fair never really lead to problematic or even life-threatening situations. 

"I realize it's all in good fun," he said, "But it's important to be careful."

Overall, there was a lot to see at the Totally Rad Vintage Fair: so much that I didn't even have time to look at everything. I would completely and unhesitantly recommend a trip there for anyone who loves vintage, the '80s, the '90s, and everything in between. If the Vintage Fest is ever in your area, buy tickets while you can. You will be guaranteed a good time.