Raiding the Racks: A review of Totally Rad Vintage Fest, a vintage convention with retro items for sale

I’ll admit, I’ve got a weakness for any vintage t-shirt or hoodie. If there’s an old-school University of Kansas crewneck or a faded Urban Outfitters graphic tee in sight, consider it already in my closet. So when I saw an ad on TikTok for Totally Rad Vintage Fest — an event held at the KCI Expo Center with thousands of vintage clothes, accessories and posters for sale — September 9 went from just another Saturday to the ultimate wardrobe expansion day.

Wallet in hand, I prepared myself to spend an unhealthy amount of money on vintage T-shirts, crewnecks and anything else I’d see. Getting in required a ticket, either $8 for general admission or $25 for early access. I chose the general admission option. Let’s be honest, nothing — not even a vintage fest — is worth waking up at 8 a.m. on a Saturday for.

Stepping inside the event was like entering a retro wonderland. There were hundreds of booths filled with vintage gear. Overwhelming? You bet. Where was I supposed to start in this vintage heaven? 

After a quick moment of contemplation, I realized it was practically impossible to tell if any booth had cute vintage gear, as most of the items were either on racks or inside of bins. If I wanted to find something good, I’d have to dig through every single item at every single booth. 

As soon as I got to the first booth, I sifted through the sea of tees. Nothing really stood out to me, except for a Billy Joel shirt that looked like it had seen more gigs than I’d ever attend, complete with a bold $80 price tag. No thanks.

For the quality, some items were flat-out overpriced. Case in point: a brown Nike crewneck I found with a $250 price tag. I had to check if it was woven with threads of gold. But don’t be fooled, among the high prices, there were still clothing items that didn’t break my bank account. I bought a $30 Yosemite crewneck and a $25 Fleetwood Mac tee — proof that not everything was out of my budget.

I was also surprised — but pleased — how willing some vendors were to negotiate once I haggled down the price. After buying a Mizzou T-shirt and a Maine crewneck, I was pleased that I spent a fraction of what I expected.

The steal of the day was by far a green-and-white Ski Aspen crewneck I bought for $20. I mean seriously, if there was ever a piece that deserved a high price tag, it was this one. The crewneck was practically screaming to be marked up. The vendors were practically giving it away. Negotiating? Not even necessary, it would’ve felt like I was taking candy from a baby. 

When I got tired of flipping through items, there were plenty of other vintage activities to keep me entertained. From the exhibit of 80s toys to the free vintage play arcade, I liked how there were more activities to enjoy besides clothes.

As I left the event, I was shocked at how I had only spent $110. I’ll definitely be attending Totally Rad Vintage Fest again the next time they come to Kansas City.