DEWEY STREET DEALER. Downtown Eau Claire recently welcomed GSB Thrifting (224 N. Dewey St.), a secondhand fashion wheeler and dealer boasting '90s and Y2K threads for masc and femme styles. The shop's name, which stands for Grandma Sue's Basement, is an homage to owner Jake Weiss's grandmas, who instilled a love for thrifting in him as a child.

You know that two-tone ping sound that goes off when you collect a coin in Mario Bros.? If you apply that worldscape (the charming, pixelated landscape fitted with green pipes, a muted yellow backdrop and nostalgic sound effects in large supply) to downtown Eau Claire’s newest vintage shop, you’d be hitting the ping-ping-ping motherlode of fashion.

GSB Thrifting, which officially opened up shop at 224 N. Dewey St. on Saturday, June 13, is owned and operated by longtime local Jake Weiss. The 20-something-year-old deals in single-stitch T-shirts, graphic-front crewnecks, men’s denim and more; is likely familiar to those who frequent local vendor markets.

Now in its fifth year of operations, GSB Thrifting had been a market- and online-only fashion supplier – specializing in sourced vintage clothing, often revitalized through by-hand repairs – before the Dewey Street location came up for grabs (formerly occupied by Hive + Hollow, which now operates solely out of Menomonie).

Weiss said it was “always part of the plan” to have a brick-and-mortar location – it was just a matter of when.

A coupla guys perusing the front-of-house deals racks – $5, $10 and under $20 selections – in mid-June. Jackets, flannels, denim, skirts, hats, T-shirts, accessories, femme tops and more fill the shop.

Nearly every single item in the store – yes, even the T-shirts and jackets hung up on the walls – are up for grabs. During its June 13 grand opening, GSB Thrifting moved a ton of track pants and skirts, owner Jake Weiss said.

It may have been fortuitous timing, then, that the floral and vintage goods retailer had closed its doors in Eau Claire around the same time Weiss had looked at – and passed on – a few other potential storefronts along Farwell Street and Water Street.

“The fact that this building was built in the 1800s, there’s just that original flair that ties everything (together),” Weiss told me when I swung by GSB Thrifting after grand opening weekend.

Surely, the shop is its own; with help from family and friends (Weiss’ dad’s 50 years in construction came in handy), every wall was re-plastered, new light fixtures were hung up and the custom clothing racks – made by the Weiss family – were created and installed.

GSB Thrifting’s atmosphere is defined by its goods: organized by item category, racks of graphic Tees, denim and pants, skirts, hats, jackets and more line the space.

A local gear-only rack includes Leinenkugel's, area college, bar and businesses of years-gone-by attire; $5, $10 and $20 racks are at the front of the store, for those itchin' for a great deal; and more items can be seen hung up on the walls (a Veggie Tales classic and Harley-Davidson jacket caught my eye),  taking advantage of the shop's high ceilings.

Owner Jake Weiss, pictured, almost took a drastically different career path – he considered studying law or becoming a therapist, he said – before his own health led Weiss to pivot to a longtime passion: thrifting.

Personally, Weiss looks for comfort-meets-style pieces – reflected in the ample sweatshirts, T-shirts, track pants and more available. Yet, a little something for any ‘90s-style lover can likely be found – even if it’s not apparel.

GSB Thrifting, which still has some decor and a hangout area in the back yet to go up, has nostalgic and local ephemera on display: posters featuring Michael Jordan, Barbie, cars and Tweety bird are hung on the walls. Point-and-shoot cameras, a “Baby” era Justin Bieber purse and even an old VCR TV sit on shelves.

During the shop's grand opening, Weiss said skirts and track pants (some 15 or more pairs) were among the top sellers.

Sales weren't the memorable part of the day, though.

“I mean, one person could’ve showed up and I would’ve been thrilled,” Weiss said. “The fact that we had a line out the door – it was better than I could’ve asked.”

For all the success Weiss found operating GSB Thrifting via online platforms (gsbthrifting.com and Depop, primarily) – enough that it’s been his full-time job for years; mailing out 50 to 100 orders per week, he said – it’s the in-person moments that drive the entrepreneur.

Over the years, he’s made friends across the state and region – including the owner of Singlestitch, a popular vintage shop in Madison – who offered advice prior to Weiss’s store opening.

Besides the new learning-curve type things that come with managing a storefront – leaky basements, landlords, etc. – much advice Weiss received affirmed the things he had already been doing.

“(I’d been told) to do your own style; don’t try to base what you’re doing off of what other people are,” Weiss said, “which is what I feel like I’ve been doing since day one, so that also offered some reassurance to keep going.”

Weiss acknowledged the healthy thrift store scene in the Chippewa Valley and also, the real or perceived issues around reselling clothing. When it comes to pricing, the past five years' worth of experience has given him a healthy understanding of item value and reasonable retail pricing.

“I'm aware of the amount of clothes that are out there and I'm aware that, in Wisconsin, we're lucky to have a decent amount of thrift stores,” he said. “There's a lot of people who don't have those options or don't necessarily have the time (or desire) to go and really dig.

“I know I (undervalue) my time sometimes, but for me, I absolutely love seeing people when they find something they love, that I found,” he continued. “That is such a cool feeling. I'd rather do that than try to make an extra $5 off someone.”

For sake of transparency, I've bought a number of items from GSB Thrifting over the years. You'll find pieces priced anywhere from $5 or $10 up to $100 or so, depending on the age and wear of an item. 

Looking ahead, Weiss hopes to flesh out the rest of the shop's space by adding a lounge area and work space to the back half of the store. It's only a matter of time before his sister, Josanna Weiss, may be seen with her sewing machine, working on repairs for items on the sales floor.

GSB Thrifting may also start offering on-site repairs, when folks need a hole sewed up or quick hem completed, Weiss added. On top of it all, he hopes to bring thrift vendor markets to Dewey Street and increase community around secondhand clothing in town.

If the response thus far – and the past five years of market and online sales success – is any indication, GSB Thrifting is entering a new era with plenty of longterm potential.

GSB Thrifting (224 N. Dewey St., Eau Claire) is now open 11am-6pm, Thursday-Friday; 10am-5pm on Saturday, with plans to expand hours after settling into its first storefront • Keep up with the new brick-and-mortar biz on Instagram or shop online at www.gsbthrifting.com