Trash? No that’s Gen Z’s treasure.

Polly Blythe, 56, opened Polly Ann’s Vintage Market in Mount Vernon in 1991.

Since that time, Blythe has navigated through many different circumstances, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, and seen trends come and go. Now she’s seeing how Gen Z shoppers are driving a revival of vintage goods, such as antiques and collectibles, but especially clothing. Generation Z — born between 1997 and 2012 — isn’t just doing this for the nostalgia.

A 2023 report from ThredUp revealed 47% of Gen Z shoppers refuse to buy from brands that don’t sell non-sustainable clothing.

“Save the world, buy vintage,” is Blythe’s motto. She adds: “People are really starting to realize what we already have, what we need. It’s already out there.”

As an owner of a vintage goods store in her hometown, Blythe stressed the importance of sustainability with our shopping options. Blythe’s store contains many different items that can be used for everyday use, ranging from kitchen supplies to board games.

“We don’t have to cut down more trees,” Blythe said. “We don’t have to, you know, make more things out of plastic. There are really great dressers that are already here and we can give them new life”.

When curating the items that go in her store, Blythe said she is aware of her audience. There are the regular customers who love the store because of her creativity. Blythe loves to display her creative mind for her customers at her store and mentions it’s one of the favorite aspects of her job.

“I can change it as much as I want or leave it as much as I want,” Blythe said.

“It’s a way for me to express myself creatively, that’s gotta be what keeps me going.”

Stores across the country are experiencing a wave of Gen Z vintage shoppers.

Blythe has been able to witness this firsthand in her store. Polly Ann’s Vintage Market is only two minutes away from the heart of Cornell College and students come into the store almost every day. Blythe said she tries to buy more jewelry and vintage clothing to appeal to the Gen Z crowd.

“It’s always fun when I have parents that used to come in here every time that they were in town, come back ten years later and say, you’re still here, this is my favorite place,” Blythe said of former Cornell students and current Cornell parents.

Family has been a huge part of connecting and building with customers of Polly Ann’s Vintage Market which is staffed by Polly’s family, including her husband, son, and dad.

Although she has multiple dealers that help bring in vintage goods, her family are the only ones working in the shop.

Polly’s husband and co-owner of Polly Ann’s Vintage Market, Bob Blythe, has been by her side through it all to assist in whatever she needs.

“I do most of the grunt work,” Bob Blythe said. But “I really enjoy creating stuff, whether it’s tables, kitchen islands, cupboards, whatever, and then seeing people buy them, I guess, and really, you know, enjoy them.”

Part of Bob’s job is repurposing and recreating furniture, but he has also had to adapt to trends in the furniture side of the shop.

He mentioned that people don’t want good oak and walnut furniture anymore. When they first started, they would be able to get around $500 to $600 for a good oak dresser. Now, Bob says you’d be lucky to get $100 and people sometimes prefer painted furniture.

Polly and Bob Blythe have welcomed these trends over the more than three decades that they have been open. They have found ways to cater to new customers, while also sticking to themselves and their unique creativity. Whether it’s GenZ or any other generation buying their vintage goods, the Blythes are happy with helping the world.

“I want to share just all the great vintage yumminess that’s out there,” Polly Blythe said. “There’s a lot of cool out there.”