Puerto Vallarta's Thrift Scene: Navigating 20.33° and 99% Humidity for Vintage Gold
so i'm down in puerto vallarta, mexico, and the weather here is a character in itself. 20.33 celsius with 99% humidity? i just checked and it's like breathing water, hope you like that kind of thing. my vintage cotton dresses are clinging to me like second skins, and not in a chic way.
i'm here to pick through the thrift stores, of course. puerto vallarta might scream beach holiday, but underneath, there's a thrift scene that's raw and real. i heard from a local that the best spots are in the zona romántica, behind the tourist traps. someone told me that 'tienda antigua' on basilio badillo has unreported prices, meaning you negotiate from a place of desperation-their desperation, not mine. i went, and the owner tried to charge me 200 pesos for a polyester shirt from the 90s. i laughed, said 50, and walked out. she called me back at 80. victory?
that map? yeah, those coordinates-20.5945, -118.0335450-are for some spot in the pacific. probably where my hopes of finding mint condition 70s maxi dresses are sinking. but it's a reminder: treasure isn't always on land.
for neighbors, if you tire of puerto vallarta's vibe, sayulita's just a short drive away, and their sunday market is a vintage dream-if you can stand the crowds. i read on Yelp that a stall called 'retro reyna' is overpriced, but i found a wool poncho from the 60s for 300 pesos. steal.
i also spent hours on TripAdvisor and found a forum thread where people argue about whether puerto vallarta has any real vintage. one guy said, 'it's all recent junk,' but another shared a photo of a 1950s guayabera he got for 20 pesos. so it's out there.
this humidity-99%-means i'm constantly airing things out. i use this trick from this blog on vintage care in humid climates of hanging clothes in the bathroom with the fan on, but it's a losing battle. my silk blouses feel like wet noodles. oh, and check out this guide to caring for vintage in tropical climates-saved my leather bags from molding.
i'm thinking of heading to guadalajara next. i heard the flea market there is massive, and the humidity is lower. but for now, i'm in puerto vallarta, sweating through my finds and loving every minute. someone told me that the best finds are when it rains, because people clear out their closets. so when it downpours-which, with this humidity, is soon-i'll be out there.
if you're into this, join the facebook group 'pv vintage swap'-it's chaos but full of leads. i posted about needing a 70s band tee and got three hits. one was a fake, but the other two? gold.
and about that map-maybe those coordinates are for a sunken ship full of vintage band tees. a girl can dream, right? meanwhile, i'm here, in puerto vallarta, where the humidity is 99% and my soul is 20.33 degrees of pure adventure.
i started vintage picking back in austin, texas, where the humidity is also high but not this bad. check out my old post about Austin's thrift scene for comparison. but puerto vallarta? it's a whole different lesson in patience. every time i open a bin, i'm met with that damp smell that tells me someone's grandmother stored these in a cellar for decades. or maybe it's just the ocean air.
i also follow this blog that specializes in mexican vintage fashion, and they say that puerto vallarta has a lot of american expat donations, which means 80s and 90s stuff, but occasionally you hit the jackpot with pre-70s pieces. i've been here a week and found a 1960s day of the dead dress-delicate, lace, and now slightly mildewy. but i'm working on it.
for practical tips, always carry a portable lint roller-the humidity makes everything sticky. and wear flip-flops you don't love, because these floors are gross. i learned that the hard way. here's a guide to thrift store etiquette that might help.
oh, and the reviews! on google maps, a store called 'vintage por vida' has 4 stars, but the comments say 'overpriced' and 'smelly.' exactly what you want. i went, and found a perfect 50s cocktail dress for 150 pesos. the smell? it's vintage, baby.
if you're planning a trip, check the weather like i did-20.33 c might sound cool, but with 99% humidity, it's deceptive. pack quick-dry clothes and a sense of humor. and maybe a dehumidifier for your hotel room-i brought one, and it saved my life.
so there you have it. puerto vallarta's vintage scene is a humid, 20-degree mystery, and i'm here to solve it, one damp blouse at a time.
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