The World’s Worst Expo, a growing vintage clothing and goods event in Sacramento, draws hundreds of visitors and showcases the surge in sustainable shopping and small business connections post-pandemic.
The World’s Worst Expo, a vintage clothing and goods event, recently attracted hundreds of visitors at the Safe Credit Union Convention Center in Sacramento, marking a significant moment for the local secondhand shopping movement. The event, which was held on March 23, has grown substantially from its beginnings as a small gathering organized by two friends to bring local vendors together for selling clothing, shoes, and more.
The founder of the World’s Worst Expo, Casey Mann, shared insights about the event’s growth, especially since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. “Once COVID hit, it really just took off, and we had a line all the way around the block, which is unlike anything we ever saw before,” he said. Mann emphasized the expo’s role in connecting small business owners with customers face-to-face, a rare opportunity for many vendors who primarily sell online.
“A lot of these businesses, they just have online outlets, and they don’t really get too many opportunities to connect with customers, so it’s really cool to be able to host an event where it’s strictly small businesses getting that one day out of the month where they get to interact with all their customers and face-to-face,” Mann explained.
Among the vendors was Madyson Swanson, a vintage clothing seller who traveled from Stockton to participate. Although her college degree is not in fashion, Swanson has turned her passion for vintage clothing into a profession. She discussed the broader appeal of sustainable shopping, noting the cultural shift toward more environmentally conscious consumer habits. “Honestly, a lot is going on right now, and it feels good to try and make small strides to something more sustainably. And I feel like it’s a lot easier for other people to be inclined to shop sustainably, too, because it’s so popular. After all, everybody else is doing it and they feel like it’s a lot easier to, like, find this type of brand,” Swanson said.
The event featured many items priced between $10 and $20, attracting customers interested in affordable, sustainable fashion. Lydia Williams, who attended the expo from Lake Tahoe, shared her personal commitment to sustainability, explaining that for the past six months she has avoided buying new clothing. “I think it’s like a statistic that you use something 12 times when you buy it new and then you throw it away, essentially. Even clothes or stores when you donate them, they just kind of pile up,” Williams said.
Williams expressed enthusiasm about her expo experience and encouraged others, especially younger shoppers, to embrace secondhand fashion. “I think it’s amazing, but it should be a goal of people to use what we already have. And there are so many clothes here. Oh my God, I’ve never seen so many clothes. So it’s like, why not pick from things that are already there?” she stated.
The World’s Worst Expo event concluded at 6 p.m. on March 23, with organizers announcing plans for another show in Roseville scheduled for April 6. The expo continues to promote the evolving trend of sustainable shopping and provides a valuable platform for small businesses to connect with local communities.
Source: Noah Wire Services
