I little bit Morticia Addams, a sprinkle of My Little Pony, and a dash of voodoo doll. The recipe that makes up Thrift Witch is magic.
For thrifters in Lansing, Thrift Witch is a must. Located in the Old Town neighborhood, the store is divined of owner Tiesha King's brain, and features retro and goth clothing, local art, vintage toys, vinyl records, books and an assortment of other items oddities. And it's a bit spooky.
A lot of Thrift Witch is inspired by King’s own aesthetic, as well as her childhood. When growing up, she loved watching “Nick-at-Nite” where she picked up vibes from Bewitched, The Munsters, and The Addams Family.
King said she has three criteria in items she is looking to sell in her store: “If it looks weird, where it seems like no one’s ever seen it before– I kind of want it,” she said. “If it smells old and grimy, maybe I kind of want it. And if it scares other people.”
Thrift Witch is not King’s first store. For a while, she was running a vintage toy kiosk called “The Prancing Pony” in a Lansing mega mall. King said that it was a “concoction” of her love for old toys, My Little Pony, and the Lord of the Rings book series.
She said after running that store for a little while and getting good feedback from customers and after having a conversation with the “godfather of Lansing Thrift” Ted Stewart, about selling dresses. She said that Stewart asked if he could sell some of King’s vintage dresses in his store.
When King informed Stewart that she had an online store, Stewart said “What do you mean you have an online store? You need to open your own store[front].”
Soon after that, King opened up the first iteration of Thrift Witch Vintage in REO town in June 2018.
Eventually, after moving to Old Town, King opened The Dark Art Market, which allows for her to help show off new artists. Thrift Witch works with around 40 artists. When some of those artists decided to make a full-time job out of their artwork, Dark Art Market gave them a venue.
It's hard to describe the magic of Thrift Witch. You'll have to check it out next time you're in Old Town Lansing. Or you can go with us in today's pod.
GUEST:
- Tiesha King, owner and operator of Thrift Witch in Old Town, Lansing
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Music in this episode by Blue Dot Sessions.
