For North Texas thrifters, Swap Con is the ultimate shopping journey

Posted by author February 5, 2025 Shopping

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At the Dallas Market Center on Saturday, hundreds of racks of faded t-shirts, leather jackets and colorful sneakers fills up the nearly 100,000 square foot main hall. The loud chatter of people negotiating prices echoes throughout the space.

“Are you buying or selling?” 21-year-old vendor Matthew Tugman asks shopper Josh Mason.

“Right now, buying,” Mason says.

Tom Fox

The Dallas Morning News

Gemma Tran, 7, of Grand Prairie looks for a Pokemon card bearing Pawmi, her favorite character at Swap Con, an event where vendors and thrifters go to exchange items and buy discounted items, in Dallas Market Center, February 1, 2025.

Swap Con, formally known as DFW Swap Meet, is where collectors, fashion enthusiasts and casual thrifters hunt for rare vintage items. Jason Don Won founded the full-day event in 2017. Held quarterly, Swap Con transforms the Market Center into a time capsule of cultural nostalgia.

“I used to go to thrift stores and find secondhand items just to see if I could find something that was from the ’80s and ’90s, and eventually I met people just like me. And they wanted a platform where they could sell, not online, not outside.” Won said.

Tickets range from $5 for general admission to a $25 VIP ticket that gets attendees early access and Swap Con merch. Vendors are split into five main categories: toys and collectibles, true vintage to Y2K clothing, sneakers and accessories, creative brands and miscellaneous. Items on sale are usually much cheaper than retail and range from $10 vintage t-shirts to $250 one-drop sneakers.

More than a good deal

For many, the thrill of vintage shopping lies in exclusivity, the chance to own something rare, a piece of history that turns heads. That’s what attracted first-time attendee Clay Cordova to this quarter’s event.

“It’s almost like a reward for the journey of searching,” he said. “Cause you got to go through so many pieces before you find something you’re like, ‘This is it,’ you know? That feeling of this is exactly what I was looking for.”

Adrian Dulley of Fort Worth buys a pair of 70’s western belts as he shops with his girlfriend Braelyn Moser at Swap Con, an event where vendors and thrifters go to exchange items and buy discounted items, in Dallas Market Center, February 1, 2025. They brought their dogs Piglet and Gucci along on their shopping journey.

Charlie Knight owns Clutch on Ross Ave. He’s been a vendor at Swap Con for six years selling vintage streetwear. Tired of the quality of clothes he found in larger retailers, he turned to thrifting.

“I don’t like stores like H&M, Urban Outfitters,” he said. “It’s not good, it’s a waste, and the stuff they sell breaks and tears and rips.”

Like Knight, Johnny “Stink” Van Horn also views thrifting as a more sustainable way to dress.

“A lot of stuff that’s made today isn’t made like it was used to,” he said.

Van Horn, owner of Trash by Stink, reworks vintage leather to create alternative handmade clothing. When Van Horn first started thrifting, he struggled to find clothes he truly connected with. That frustration led him to seek out like-minded people to learn how to rework pieces.

“My energy and my look kind of speaks for itself.” Van Horn said.

Vendor Johnny Van Horn (right) sports a studded leather vest and accessories as he and Edwin ‘Skelley’ Gallegos work their punk street wear booth at Swap Con, an event where vendors and thrifters go to exchange items and buy discounted items, in Dallas Market Center, February 1, 2025.

Clothing creates community

For Michael “Digital Dash” Connor, thrifting is more personal. He started his thrifting journey in 2019 by curating a collection of pieces from his parents’ closet. Inspired by ’90’s basketball players, he built a modern style that referenced ’90s Black American culture.

“Even after all these years, I still have pieces that my dad wore in college,” Connor said. “They aren’t expensive pieces, but it’s cool to have those pieces, ’cause my dad had them when he was my age.”

Trucmai Nguyen grew up thrifting with her grandma. For over 20 years, she’s been collecting women’s clothing. She sells her finds in her shop Unladylike Company and uses pieces to defy traditional gender norms.

“A lot of men come into my shop,” Nguyen said. “I just like to have my clothes be very funky, eccentric, very colorful patterns. I want everybody to be bold and pop out of their shell.”

Thousands of people attend Swap Con over the weekend. Many view thrifting as a way to bond and create community.

“I feel like no matter what style you kind of feel like you fit into. I feel like there’s kind of a middle ground for everyone to kind of find a level to connect and talk and get to know each other,” said seller Ky Fuentes.

It’s that sense of community that Knight said keeps many coming back.

“I feel like people will grow connections to clothing and the vintage stuff. You like what you like as a kid more than what you like now.” he said. “And seeing that nostalgia is really what brings a lot of people.”

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