Fashion. Culture. Community.
Sydney Ralston's Official Guide to the Pinup Girl Clothing Yardsale
Whether it’s your first Pinup Girl Yardsale or you’re a seasoned pro, I’m here to talk you through what to expect when attending one of these stupendously awesome events...
But who the hell am I you ask? My name is Sydney Ralston. You may know me from that one time I modeled swimwear and prom dresses for Pinup Girl Clothing. Aside from that involvement with Pinup Girl, I am also a seasoned veteran of the infamous “Pinup Girl Yardsale” – going back to when it was a couple of racks of clothing under a pink easy up in what looked like one of the locations on A&E’s “Storage Wars”.
I haven’t attended every one of these events, but I know enough about them to type out a guide that I am confident enough about to be seen by maybe ten people. My status as a Pinup Girl Model also gives me some sort of authority (because I say so), so there you have it.
BEFORE YOU GO
For me, my Pinup Girl Yardsale success is determined by how well I plan before I even go.
What I mean by that is that I come mentally locked onto certain items. When I go, I know what I will be looking for. Perhaps you’re looking for dresses, perhaps you need separates, or shoes, or swimwear. Either way, come with an evil plan.
Make a “fantasy wishlist” – but don’t get your expectations too high. Most likely, there will not be any brand new styles at the event. If you want to make a realistic “fantasy wishlist”, I’d recommend taking a look at the sale section of the website and make a note of which styles have been around a while.
Finally – know your sizes. I’m not the kind of person to try things on at the event because then I’d be spending more time than I want to there and generally I know how I’m going to look in the clothes and what colors work on me. I go in knowing my size in EVERY item I can.
Maybe you like to try clothes on...
If you’re the kind of person who likes to see things on your body before you buy them, then at least know your size so that you know what to take into the dressing room – because if you grab the wrong size the first time, the right size in that EXACT item may not be there when you come out.
If you’re a ninja like me and yet you don’t own enough PUG to know what it looks like on your body – I suggest going to one of the locations in which its sold at a brick-‐and-‐mortar store to try things on in advance.
GETTING THERE
One of the most common questions is, “what time should I get there?”
In the past, time was of the essence – not so much as “get there before all of the what I consider good stuff is gone” but, “GET THERE BEFORE IT’S ALL GONE. EVERYTHING. THERE WON’T EVEN BE A PASTY LEFT”.
The Pinup Girl Yardsale has expanded in size with each event. At the last event, the PUG Team was still encouraging people to come by HOURS after the doors had officially opened because they had plenty left to sell in every size.
So really, this is personal preference. I get there way before the event because I like to get in and get out like Tommy Wiseau buying a dozen roses.
Some people get to the event knowing there is going to be a line because that’s their time to socialize with other lovers of the brand. Some people come and then stay until the end, enjoying the music and eating at the food trucks.
Seeing as this event has been touted as the biggest ever, you can rest assured that there will be something for you any time you show up.
ETTIQUITE
Another worry people often have is, “Am I going to be fucking trampled out there?"
The answer is a very reassured NO.
Again, in the past you may or may not have risked getting clawed over a dress or shoved away from a rack by a group of very impatient people. The good news is that times have changed and THAT SHIT ISN’T TOLERATED.
*Related, a picture showing how much that shit is tolerated*
Like seriously. If you’re caught behaving like a member of a Black Friday Walmart mob, you’ll be asked to leave without being able to purchase anything.
So don’t do it. If someone has their hands on an item you want, politely ask if you can be the first to get your hands on it next if it doesn’t work out for them in some way (doesn’t fit in the dressing room, they decide they want something else instead a minute on, etc.). If not, cut your losses and move on.
At the last Pinup Girl Yardsale, the team was staggering the number of people who could be in the room at one time – which was AWESOME because it basically assured that there was no way to be trampled and that everyone could be accounted for if shit did hit the fan.
It was also awesome because it limited the number of people in the dressing room (tent) at one time. I didn’t go into it last time, but I’ve gone into the dressing room in in the past and it was hard to move around with so many people in there and hard to
look at yourself in the mirror with others crowding around it. Also, I’m not shy about being naked in front of anyone, but I’m sure it was a little nerve-‐racking for some people to undress in a crowd.
On the topic of staggered entry into the Yardsale...when you’re done, get out of there so that someone else can come in. Seriously. Don’t loiter around and talk to your girlfriends inside – go outside where the food trucks are and loiter freely there so others can have their turn inside.
CHECKING OUT
When you’re ready to make your purchases and leave, there will be an area designated for you to pay and checkout.
At every Pinup Girl Yardsale I’ve ever been to, both cash and credit cards are accepted. I prefer to use cash because the transaction is faster, but that’s just me.
AWESOME TIPS
If you’re planning on trying things on, don’t wear makeup. Not all PUG articles of clothing are things you can step into...so please, for the sake of not only yourself and the time you took to cake that foundation on but also for the sake of the poor girl who is interested in the item that didn’t work out for you – don’t wear makeup and risk getting your foundation all over the inside of a dress.
Don’t know if something will fit and you don’t want to try it on because changing room waits/shy about undressing/extreme foot odor? That’s okay! Bring a tape measure and measure things out so you know ahead of time if they’ll work out or not.
In a couple of the Pinup Girl Yardsales I’ve been to, there has been a section of damaged goods. DON’T OVERLOOK THIS! At my very first yardsale I scored a Turquoise Erin and Black Jessica dress for under 80 dollars because I found them in the damaged goods bin. Their flaws? The Jessica just needed a new zipper and the Erin had a small spot that the cleaners managed to remove – if it wasn’t removable I planned on dying the dress.
As my Dad told me growing up – “There is very little in life that can’t be fixed”, so look through that bin if they have it out!
On that note, some items at the Pinup Girl Yardsale ARE slightly damaged (seams and stuff) be sure to REALLY CHECK everything you buy over one more time before you checkout because there are NO RETURNS at the yardsale. Like waste at Area 51, nothing that comes from the facility may ever return. Ever.
Have fun. Though I and many others plan their attendance at the Pinup Girl Yardsale with D‐Dayesque tact, doesn’t mean you can’t have fun in the process. Most of your planning will probably go wrong anyway and at the end of the day, this is supposed to be a fun event.
Make sure to buy one/all of the members of Team PUG a drink. Seriously. They’re putting up with our shit because they love the brand and love to share it. Treat them kindly, be polite and be patient. If they’re a bit on edge, don’t take it personally because they probably had to deal with someone being a complete ass.
At the very least thank them on the way out.
Happy shopping! I will be there (most likely without my makeup or hair done) bright and early because I’m going to most likely bike to the location from my apartment during my morning workout. If you know who I am you're free to say hi or something. I don't bite.
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Comment by Sammi on June 30, 2014 at 2:21pm
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Great blog, it's made me a little bit more determined to be there next year now ;)
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