Heather Solomon always knows when there’s a party going on. Depending on the season, either fluorescent one-piece ski suits or feather-adorned costumes are flying off the racks at her downtown Tahoe City shop, Pass It On Thrift.
Pass It On Thrift’s reputation as the place to find the perfect party getup has spread by word of mouth until legions of locals and tourists alike make the store their first stop before heading to an ’80s ski party, music festivals, or Burning Man.
‘We try to keep unique stuff — urban stuff, feathery stuff, ethnic stuff,’ said Solomon.
While vintage clothing and unique costumes form the backbone of Pass It On Thrift’s identity, there are plenty of other reasons that draw people to the store. One-dollar T-shirts and a wide selection of books bring customers back over and over again.
Last year, Solomon had her best business year in her 10 years owning the store. She attributes the success to a combination of tough economic times and a growing re-use ethic.
‘I think part of it is more people are thrift shopping because they are discovering environmentalism or they are broke, or both,’ said Solomon.
In an area where high-priced tourist boutiques abound, Pass It On Thrift has carved out a unique niche serving a local population of lifties, waiters, and ski instructors.
‘Not only can they not afford the mall, they can’t get there,’ said Solomon.
Located next to the downtown Tahoe City bus stop, the store’s dollar T-shirt rack has become a staple of the wardrobe of Tahoe locals and seasonal employees, who land in Tahoe for a few months without transportation and with a job that leaves little cash for clothing.
But the store has also become a go-to destination for tourists who discover the shop’s colorful costumes and ethnic clothing, and keep coming back each time they visit Tahoe.
The vibe in Pass It On Thrift is what you might expect from a place where burners mingle with ski bums and hip out-of-towners.
‘The music is loud; sometimes it smells like incense,’ said Solomon.
The vibe, the bargains, and the selection of one-of-a-kind festival and party garb has given Pass It On Thrift a loyal and growing customer base. It’s a business model that has not been hurt by the recession, and will thrive as long as Tahoe continues to be a place where partyers, scrounging ski bums, and bargain-hunting tourists intermingle.
Info: Pass It On Thrift, 265 North Lake Boulevard in downtown Tahoe City, (530) 581-3117. Open Monday to Saturday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Sunday until 4 p.m.
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