Hi. Ok, so the rumors are true. Football season is back, which means a few things. A) I get to watch my favorite person continue to make NFL history every week (go off 17). B) We’re just a few weeks away from drastic temperature drops (California girl speaking) where you’ll find me drinking hot chocolate bundled in vintage Bills gear.
For weeks I’ve wanted to tell you about 3 of the coolest guys I’ve met here in Buffalo, the owners of Queen City Vintage, the local vintage store where I’ve found my favorite game-day pieces - the pre-loved Bills gear of my dreams. I had this whole vintage fashion issue written up before Sunday’s home opener, but I spent most of the game thinking about 1) how lucky I am to get a front-row seat to the magic that is JA17, the entire Bills team and the stadium energy. 2) The people who make up Bills Mafia are second to none.
To witness the most dedicated, kind, and…enthusiastic people, of all ages ~ shout out to the little lady holding the “it’s my 10th birthday and all I want is a Bill’s win” sign ~ show up to support the Bills no matter the conditions and no matter the outcome is extraordinary. I could go on about the people that make up this community — they shovel the field after a snowstorm, they let you park in their driveway on gameday — and now, to introduce you to a few…
Nick, Kai, and Mike are the co-owners of Queen City Vintage here in Buffalo. I met the guys last year at their old location and spent hours in the store in awe of everything they’d spent the entire offseason sourcing and collecting. I’m fascinated by the process because vintage shopping is a hobby of mine. At home, I’m constantly scrolling eBay looking at archival runway pieces, and whenever I’m in a new city I find a vintage store to poke around in. Some people seek out the local coffee shop; I don’t drink coffee so I find the nearest vintage store. It’s a comfort thing. Here in Buffalo, Queen City is like home. As I do, I found myself in there the other day before our home opener and asked the guys a few questions/got super carried away talking about our mutual love for vintage, and my fascination with their fast-growing business and their direct connection to the Bills Mafia. Welcome guys!
Hailee: First of all, how did you get into vintage collecting?
Kai: I grew up in thrift stores. I would buy the funkiest, weirdest stuff and wear it to school. People would ask where I got something, I would say a thrift store and they would try and buy it off of me. It turned into a side hustle I used to pay my bills in college. I started selling on eBay and to local stores
Then the three of us connected in 2019 and opened up the first brick-and-mortar store in Buffalo. We outgrew that store within a few months and moved into a space twice the size.
H: You have an insane inventory! Where do you find everything? Is it eBay?
K: Yeah, we’re on eBay all the time, but we have great local connections and a customer base that knows we’re on the hunt.
Nick: It's been a lot of relationship-building, too. I'll be on the phone with someone in Asia or Eastern Europe to get Bills stuff sent over. It's taken years, but we've built up relationships with people who know what we do and can help us get all the Bills stuff back in Buffalo.
H: Just curious, how much laundry are you guys doing?
K: It's about 300 or 400 pounds of laundry every week. My car is always filled with laundry.
H: What is a typical Friday around here when the Bills play Sunday?
N: Today’s going to be nuts. All the out-of-towners traveling in for the game are coming in over the weekend. Yesterday we had a family in from Wyoming. They’re going to their first Bills game. We were telling them where to tailgate, where to eat, and all that stuff. Maybe a few Buffalo people will come in to get a t-shirt, but they probably already have their stuff.
H: What’s the most expensive vintage piece in the store?
N: We keep our prices reasonable because we know what people will pay. But probably the Cliff Engle sweaters. Those are the sweaters they used to give the cheerleaders. Marv Levy [former Bills head coach] wore a Cliff Engle sweater to every game. Now they’re iconic and pretty expensive for a sweater. We have them priced at $300 or $400, but on eBay, you’ll see them for $800 or $900.
H: Which vintage piece has the best story?
N: About a month ago, someone came in and was like, ‘My dad recently passed away. He always wore this bright-pink Bills cap, but it’s been lost for years.’ He showed us the picture of his dad wearing the hat and we had it. That was special.
H: Okay so, tailgating in Buffalo…
M: It’s the Buffalo thing. You go tailgate for the Bills game, you can walk up to anyone's porch and they'll give you a beer. Other teams tailgate in a parking lot, but we tailgate in people’s backyards. That's what's different around here. You’ll have to come tailgate with us this season.
H: I definitely will. What’s your No. 1 tip for vintage shopping on eBay or resale site?
N: Find what feels nostalgic to you. Like with sportswear, search within the year you were born. If you were born in 1996, get a ‘96 Super Bowl t-shirt. Or, if you have a specific, sports-related memory from the year 2000, get a 2000s jersey. Or get a Y2K crewneck.
If you find yourself in Buffalo, you must go to QCV. You’ll have the best experience — and you’ll meet my friends! If you can’t make it in person, they have hundreds of pieces on their site. Find something you love, wear it during a game, and tag us @BeauSociety. I can’t wait to see what you find!
love,
Hailee (Beau)
