Vintage Sportswear - For All To Envy
For all you heads that can't get enough of Starter, Ewing, OG Jordans and Chalkline jackets, this is the interview for you. Having hooked up with the peeps at through their ridiculously insane store, we came across a treasure trove of proddy that will leave you mean green with a full bout of envy. No wonder they call their store For All To Envy! Even Bill Bixby never turned this green! Hooking up with LA giants in 2009, FATE have become the most sought after vintage sports apparel connoisseurs around, leading the pack that has left so many high and dry. With an inventory to make you cream, we caught up with head honcho Kirk to delve deeper into his love for the vintage game. Take it from us, this is one cat you want to know!
Hey Kirk - tell us all about For All To Envy and how it all came to be?
What up Mafia, its been a minute. For All To Envy was essentially started a decade ago after I graduated from high school. It was then I found my first true love.......vintage. After years of thrifting and going to flea markets I started selling on eBay and as cliche as it sounds, the rest is history! Fast forward to July 2009, I moved cross country to LA and partnered up with Jeremy, owner of And Still vintage boutique on La Brea.
Your stockpile of vintage sportswear is ridiculous, and just looking at the images of boxes upon boxes of caps, jackets, tees - all still with tags on gives us a massive boner! Where do you generally scout for the good stuff?
I hope you guys weren't wearing these amazing vintage when you got those boners because they don't hide em well.....trust me! We dig everywhere and anywhere for vintage, if it's out there we will find it. I'm like Dog the Bounty Hunter but I hunt vintage and don't rock a mullet... brah!
You recently scored some Nike Air Pressures at a swap meet, right? Who does that? Was there much heckling going on?
To be honest there wasn't much heckling involved with this one. I asked how much they were (thinking she would say $300+) and she said $100. I counter-offered with $60 and she quickly came back with $80. I was cool with that but I said $79 just so I could win. They were size 11.5, deadstock with carrying case but were missing the pump and had some cracking on the heel. All in all I'd still say it was quite a steal and I was more than happy.
Did she have any clue as to what she was selling?
She had an idea but I had a better one! They weren't my size but I was going to keep them anyway for display but a week later I sold them for $500 - 'the art of the flip' - don't steal that line, it might be the title for my book.
How often do these flukey purchases happen for you?
In the words of Dr Dre 'It's not a fluke, it's been tried, I'm the truth!'
Does it astound you how fascinated heads are with the proddy you sell? It seems like crack for these cats!
I've never heard the word proddy but I'm assuming it's Australian for 'stuff'. I'm like a drug dealer and the drug of choice for my customers is vintage sports apparel. When they need a fix, they come see me - simple as that.
Do you feel the need to preach the historical background on the pieces you sell?
It goes beyond just the selling; I blog it, I teach it, I live it and that all comes to light when I'm selling my product. I love what I do and people can see the difference between me and some of the other vintage sellers who could care less about the product, they're just trying to make a quick buck. As the saying goes, 'the cream rises to the top'.
Starter have come back in a massive way the last couple of years and the snap back doesn't look like it's going to die anytime soon - have we finally seen the death of the New Era fitted?
Snapbacks were never gone, I think New Era did a great job at making people forget about them for a good 10 years. People were so caught up in the fitted movement that they had on blinders and saw nothing else as an option. Snapbacks just needed to be brought back to life and it's safe to say, I did my part. I think there's room for both to survive, it's just a matter of preference - two's company, three's a crowd. Hats in general aren't going anywhere, whether it's the snapback or the fitted, it's like Coke and Pepsi, both can thrive together - but I'd have to say right now its all about the snapbacks!
What does Starter mean to you?
Starter was the '90s and everyone had a Starter jacket and hat, from the geeks to the gangsters. I remember watching YO! MTV Raps and Ed Lover & Doctor Dre always rocked Starter gear as well as most of the guests on the show. I don't know what it is but that Starter logo just takes me back to the good ol' days. Starter will always be the king when it comes to vintage sports apparel.
We hear you've got some killer sneaker pieces from the ‘80s/'90s - do tell!
I was big into sneakers years ago but my focus nowadays is mainly the vintage apparel so I've sold a lot along the way. I still have stacks of vintage sneakers but it's like a random mix that includes: Ewings, rare Nikes, crazy Wilsons, Avia runners, BK Knights, LA Gear, Mutombo Adidas and Xavier McDaniels just to name a few.
Sweeeet! Where do you source them?
You gotta hit the pavement, go out and dig, get dirty and the vintage Gods will reward you. There's vintage sneakers and clothing sitting in basements all around the country right now, just waiting for me to rescue them and bring em back to life!
Does it ever upset you that most of these kicks will be resigned to the cupboard or on display rather than being worn?
I don't get upset, they're just sneakers. I'll always take vintage over retro but you can actually wear a retro unlike most vintage kicks. I do a blog post called 'Crack Kills', that people should definitely check it out but I must warn you it's not for the faint of heart.
Why do you think people jones so hard for vintage kicks?
Nostalgia is a big part of our business! Everyday people come in the store and they say 'I remember those' or 'I had those growing up.' It's basically a trip down memory lane and that never gets old.
You've got some amazing vintage NBA pieces as well - is it ever just too damn hard to part with this stuff?
If it's my size and I want it, I keep it. I have a secret stash that would make a grown man cry. The worst part is finding something I want that's not my size, then I gotta sell it.
Can you imagine a time when people will be fiending for FUBU or Shady Wear, like we do now with Starter and Cross Colours etc?
I just spit out my beer when I read that - FUBU & Shady Wear?!?!? If people start reselling FuBu in a few years I will retire, you can quote me on that! P.S. You owe me a beer.
Hahah done! How's the store pumpin' along?
We are the locomotive, we power the train that is vintage sports apparel and it's full steam ahead!
What's the most ridiculously rare piece you've seen come through your doors?
That's a tough one. For sneakers I'd say the Home Improvement 100th episode Nikes and for clothing I'd go with the sample Run Dmc Adidas sweatshirts. I don't think anyone will ever see either again in this lifetime, maybe not even in the afterlife!
How long do you predict this fascination with vintage sportswear to continue?
ESPN actually just released a commercial that sums it up. Love for certain things in life can wane over time. The one thing that doesn't change is the love for your team. That's how I look at vintage Sports apparel, it will always be relevant as long as sports are being played. 'It's not crazy, it's sports!'
Where can people cop your ish from??
Our new online store is going live soon so keep an eye out. Right now you can shop on our , on our (if you see something you like just email me and of course In-store:
And Still
114 S. La Brea Ave.
Los Angeles, CA 90036
What's next up with For All To Envy?
It's been ten years since I began this journey and I feel like it's just getting started. I have so many ideas for the future of the company and 2011 is gonna be full of surprises so stay tuned. Big thanks Mafia for always showing love and Sneaker Freaker for making it happen.....picture me rollin!