Itching to go on a clothes-shopping spree, but feel guilty about spending the cash? Maybe it’s time you worked your way over to resale giant Jet Rag to check out the Sunday sale that’s always happening in their parking lot.
First you’ll see the tents, then the swarms of thrifty hipsters scrambling this way and that. At their feet is the treasure – piles and piles of clothes of every variety, all priced equally – $1.00. You think they’re gonna hang clothes that cost this little?
If you like hunting for that one-of-a-kind shirt at the lowest price this side of free, then let the games begin. Every Sunday, starting at the 9am hour, clothes are literally dumped into 4 long piles in Jet Rag’s parking lot. The loyal and devoted are already there, ready to jump in and start digging. There’s a rumor that the best items are dragged out at this time (though the piles are refreshed all day).
There’s a whole lotta fabrics in those piles – I’ve never felt so much nylon-polyester blends in my life. T-shirts, button ups, bellbottoms, prom gowns, track jackets – even to my friend’s horrified surprise once – underwear (a slip up, I want to believe). If you see something you are considering, hold on to it tight. Those in the know won’t dare leave their finds anywhere but clutched in their arms like a baby. Once, I witnessed a Levi’s tug-of-war break out as two hippie boys unknowingly each pulled a leg from the pile, then after sizing up their opponent, battled each other for the dollar denim. Fantastic.
If this style of second hand isn’t your thing, understood. Some of us do like dressing rooms and air conditioning. However, no matter your taste, I suggest all Halloween costume planning start here, as I’ve personally witnessed disco queens, 80’s rockers and zombie bride outfits all creatively resurrected from these vintage ashes.
For a year or so, my friend Ray and I would make a pit-stop here part of our Sunday routine. It was fun to dive in to the fray, and have no financial regrets about dumping a pile of shirts in front of the cashier. Then one day, when we both reached a certain age, we looked at each other, and with a nod, knew we were done. We had outgrown the thrill of the hunt…
Now I enjoy driving by, and observing that both hippies and hipsters, punk rockers and funky fashionitas, have carried on the thrifty circus without us.
The Jet Rag $1.00 sale happens every Sunday, rain or shine, 9am to about 5pm.
Jet Rag
825 N La Brea Ave
Los Angeles, CA 90038-3340
Phone: (323) 939-0528
Cost: All items in parking lot are $1.00. Sodas/water also $1.00.
Note: Metered street parking on La Brea is free on Sundays, and usually available between Melrose and Santa Monica blvd.
