For some, it’s the thrill of the hunt. For others, it’s a step to help the environment. Whatever the motivation, buying second-hand clothing or ‘thrifting’ has become a major trend for college students.

For local businessman Trevor Swift Hawk, thrifting has transformed from a simple hobby he started, into a downtown business he owns: 605 Vintage. 

“I love being able to offer people a unique and sustainable way to shop rather than ending it up in the landfill,” Swift Hawk said.

Last Saturday, 605 Vintage opened its new and renovated space back up to the Brookings community.

The shop, at 510 Main Ave, Suite No. 11, includes a retail space three times bigger than the original. This space is in the same building, but will allow Swift Hawk to expand inventory, offer a more diverse range of clothing and extend store hours. 

“I’m excited to share this new space with my customers and offer an eco-friendly way to shop,” he said.

These past few weeks, Swift Hawk has been planning and setting up the shop for its Saturday’s grand opening. At the event there were new products, as well as food from Salas Salsas. 

“I am very grateful for the turnout, even with all the other events going on in town,” he said.

Swift Hawk came to Brookings for college in 2013 and studied computer science for three years. But what started as a pastime became so successful that he stepped away from school to run his business. To help with the business, he plans to return to South Dakota State University to pursue a business degree.  

In the beginning, he’d give away his finds at thrift stores to his friends. His items were so popular that these friends encouraged him to try and sell the apparel he was taking home from second-hand stores. 

That was four years ago. Since then, 605 Vintage has grown thanks to online marketplaces like Instagram and Depop.

“It has become a trend, especially with the rise of social media,” Swift Hawk said.

As his business grew online, he decided to do some popup shops locally, holding them at local venues including Cottonwood Coffee. 

SDSU student Hayden White said he first found out about the 605 Vintage popup shops through a friend and has been a frequent customer since.

“Not only is thrifting an eco-friendly way of shopping, but you can always find pieces of clothing that you have never seen before,” he said. 

With the support of students like White, the 605 Vintage pop-up shops were so successful that Swift Hawk invested in a shop downtown last November to allow his business to expand. He set up shop at 510 Main Ave, Suite No. 7. 

Two things that solidified Swift Hawk’s decision to open the store was the community feedback he received and the fact that he wanted to add something different to the community. He said his most popular items are the iconic shirts or the graphic T-shirts. 605 Thrifts also sells vintage jeans, crewnecks, outerwear and hats. 

“I don’t just go for the clothing, but also for the wonderful company,” customer and SDSU student Lexy McElroy said.

Can’t wait to get your shopping fix? 605 Vintage has an online store at 605Vintage.com