BROOKINGS – “Where in the world could I find a 1990 Neil Young ‘Crazy Horse’ World Tour shirt?”

Trevor Swift Hawk has you covered.

On Nov. 11, he held the grand opening for his new vintage store, 605 Vintage, located at 510 Main Ave. Suite #7.

605 Vintage is, in simple terms, a curated thrift shop. That’s not to say it is in any way similar to a Goodwill or a St. Vincent de Paul, as each item in the store has been handpicked by Swift Hawk himself. 

In store, Swift Hawk has accumulated a goldmine of retro finds, from ’90s Chicago Bulls championship T-shirts to late ’80s Patagonia jackets. All items, sans some Supreme New York beanies and Adidas Yeezy shoes, are used but remain in good, wearable condition. The shirts, jackets, jeans, flannels and sweatshirts in-store range anywhere from the ’50s to late ’90s.

Swift Hawk, who is originally from Mission, began getting into vintage wear three-and-a-half years ago after visiting a store in Iowa City. 

“I didn’t know what vintage was until I visited, but fell in love immediately,” Swift Hawk said. “Just with the history and uniqueness of everything because each T-shirt is basically a ‘one of one.’”

Swift Hawk said that he first started collecting vintage sweatshirts, and their connection to current fashion is what really hooked him in. 

“Current fashion uses vintage as references,” Swift Hawk. “You can walk into boutiques, stores or Wal-Marts, and they’re all taking inspiration from what I have in-store.”

Before opening 605 Vintage, Swift Hawk said he was collecting vintage items and then selling them online. Last year, he tested the waters to see if Brookings had an interest for vintage clothing by opening up a “pop-up” shop downtown. He was blown away by the response. 

“The response from customers was tremendous and kind of overwhelming,” Swift Hawk said. “That’s when I decided that Brookings needed a shop.” 

Because each item in store is handpicked by Swift Hawk, accumulating enough items to open up a full-fledged store takes time. Swift Hawk said that is “probably a three- or four-month endeavor to curate all this stuff.” 

Swift Hawk will acquire items a few different ways. The most common is by visiting giant, traditional thrift stores in bigger cities and digging through piles and piles of clothes to find the rarer, fashionable pieces that proliferate his store. 

Another way is by making home visits. Swift Hawk will pay people so he can look through their closets and old clothes to find some treasures that they may not appreciate (like he does) or care to wear anymore. 

Other ways include auctions or estate sales. In the past, Swift Hawk has even bought T-shirts off people’s backs that he has run into. He remembers a time he saw a Kurt Cobain Nirvana T-shirt on someone whom he offered cash to in exchange for the shirt.

Swift Hawk says that each week, he will cycle in loads of new items, while discounting some of the items from the previous week. Swift Hawk says people can also bring in their old vintage clothing, and he can either (possibly) buy it from them with cash or give them store credit. Further, he says if someone buys a T-shirt or jeans from him and in a couple months they no longer want it or if it doesn’t fit anymore, he will buy it back from them or give them store credit, as long as it still in wearable condition. 

Swift Hawk’s store has some exceedingly rare finds, including a 1950s South Dakota State College Champion sweatshirt, which he was able to repair and make wearable. 

Other pieces in store have an interesting history, like a Tupac Shakur crewneck that Swift Hawk said was sold at bodegas in New York and Los Angeles in the early 1990s, or a promotional movie T-shirt for Oliver Stone’s Natural Born Killers that Swift Hawk calls “one of his favorite pieces.”

Swift Hawk remembers when he started getting into vintage, there was an opinion that it was just “a flash in the pan.” Since that time, he has only seen it get bigger, and now, he says, everyone seems to be into it.

“The newer generation is more self-conscious about where they are buying stuff and how it’s effecting the environment,” Swift Hawk said. “I think this is a great way to shop second hand and build a sustainable closet financially and for the environment.”

The price ranges for items will vary; most T-shirts and sweatshirts will be in the $20-$25 range, but some rarer pieces will be a bit more. Swift Hawk says that people should think of the difference in prices similarly to antiques, as demand combined with the rarity will be greater for some stuff. 

Swift Hawk says his current space is a launchpad for a bigger store that he hopes to open next year. 

605 Vintage is open from 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Thursday and Friday and 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday or by appointment. The store can be found on Instagram under the handle “605_vintage.” Swift Hawk can be reached via email at 605vintage2021@gmail.com.

Contact Addison DeHaven at adehaven@brookingsregister.com.