Get the latest Syracuse news delivered right to your inbox.
Subscribe to our newsletter here.

For Ellie Walz, managing her thrift brand, LuckyGirl777, reminds her of working behind the scenes on a theater production. Informing her actors on what lines to say or where the lighting should be shining has transformed into deciding which clothes to feature in her brand.

“(The pop up) reminded me of directing because it felt, you curated all this stuff by hand. Every single piece you’ve thought of, and then you tagged it, and you’re like, ‘Okay, this is in my store,’” Walz, general manager at Bound Vintage, said.

LuckyGirl777 is one of the many brands showcased at Bound Vintage. The vintage market pop up store is making its first stop in Syracuse next month for ‘Cuse Bound Vintage. On their TikTok, they’re advertising to college students around the city. Started in 2024 by Lorelai Jonyer, Bound Vintage is not just for clothing vendors but local artists, tattoo artists and upcycled creations, too.

Jonyer, a vintage vendor herself, first launched the brand to close the disparity between vendors and thrift market owners, a current rising trend, Walz said.

While thrift shoppers enjoy the thrill of digging through $5 clothing bins or spending hours finding original Isabel Marant shoes at vintage clothing pop-up markets, some don’t realize the sacrifices thrift vendors make. Thrift markets often take place as a weekend event scattered throughout the year.

But, the limited number of thrift market events and inaccessible vendor prices can shy vendors away from the thrift scene. Often, owners don’t ensure their vendors are settled or comfortable with the space they are given, Walz said.

Jonyer wanted to change that. Bound Vintage makes it a point to close that gap for vendors to easily sell their clothes. In its first city in Brooklyn, Bound Vintage shrunk vendor prices down to rates starting at $100, Walz said. Other markets can charge upwards of $1000 for a two day event.

Lorelai Jonyer founded Bound Vintage in 2024, intending to close the disparity between vendors and thrift market owners. As a vendor herself, Jonyer noticed the disconnect with market owners. Courtesy of Ellie Walz

In two years, Bound Vintage has visited six cities, including Albany, Philadelphia and Baltimore. In April, Bound Vintage will be marking its seventh city in Syracuse. With space for 30 to 40 vendors, Jonyer and Walz wanted to bring Bound Vintage to Syracuse to introduce a proper, full pop-up market in the city. Walz also couldn’t help but notice the style the city exuded as well.

“I heard that the hottest people were in Syracuse. I heard that the style is there. It is the mecca. I mean, we bleed orange,” Walz said. “The highest demand by far for shoppers and for sellers was Syracuse.”

Since announcing its Syracuse stop on Feb. 27, Walz has received over 100 applications from different local and regular vendors. One of the regular vendors is Wave Thrift, hailing from New Haven, Connecticut.

Launched by Gabe Sebastian, Wave Thrift was started nearly two years ago and sells Y2K vintage clothes. Sebastian first started Wave Thrift in 2024 after collecting clothes that he purchased from thrift stores. Now, he relies on what he finds in thrift stores and his supplier.

When Wave Thrift first started out his brand, Sebastian tried to sell his clothes online on eBay and Depop. But, the monotonous cycle of uploading photos of his clothes online, waiting to see if anyone would purchase them and shipping was a boring process, he said. Sebastian then turned to pop-up markets where he could interact with different vendors and customers.

“I’m the type of person that needs constant stimulation, that needs to be around people. And these events I do like Bound Vintage, bro, I’ve been able to meet so many cool people and really discover myself or at the very least, find things that I never would have known about,” Sebastian said.

Sebastian first heard about Bound Vintage in February 2025 from an Instagram ad for their Brooklyn market. Since then, he has been to almost every Bound Vintage city. In each place, Sebastian curates his clothes based on the city’s customer base.

From hosting in Brooklyn to Baltimore, Bound Vintage will reach its seventh city, Syracuse, this April. Wave Thrift is one of the 40 vendors expected to sell at the upcoming ‘Cuse Bound Vintage pop-up. Courtesy of Ellie Walz

In Brooklyn, Sebastian curates more obscure pieces, since New York City has become a hub of versatile fashion profiles. In cities like Albany and Rochester, fashion is not as recognized, so Sebastian said he chooses a more streamlined collection.

At Brooklyn Bound Vintage, Alex Carroll was looking for a Juicy Couture bag, then stumbled on Jonyer’s booth. A year and a half later, Carroll is now a general manager of Bound Vintage, working alongside Walz.

By overseeing Bound Vintage’s locations, Carroll has seen how relationships develop between customers and vendors. Like Sebastian, Carroll also enjoys the interpersonal connections found shopping at pop-up markets compared to shopping online. The inclusivity of Bound Vintage was what prompted Carroll’s transition from a customer to a full-time general manager, they said.

“We stick out because we’re super inclusive. We are run by queer people. There’s so many of us there, and there’s so many different people who come to our events to not only shop, but to socialize, to make friends,” Carroll said.

At the upcoming ‘Cuse Bound Vintage pop up, customers can expect upwards of 40 vendors of various styles, all with a specific yet-to-be-announced theme, Walz said. For Y2K fashion, customers can look for brands like Sebastian’s and Jonyer’s. Walz’s brand, which specializes in plus-size fashion, will also be present. Additionally, the first three customers in line can expect a $50 cashback.

While ‘Cuse Bound Vintage offers a brand new pop-up market spot in the city, Bound Vintage also provides an affordable and accessible space for local vendors to sell their products. With Bound Vintage, vendors don’t have to worry about managing expensive and inaccessible rental costs.

Opportunities like the $50 cashback and stuffing a bag of clothes for only $25 creates an affordable shopping experience for customers. Also, the reasonably priced vendor rates gives vendors the chance to showcase their collection with a stress-free mindset, Carroll said.

“It’s just the little things like that where we love to keep things affordable,” Caroll said. “We love to keep it inclusive, and we love that there’s a community here.”

Published on March 25, 2026 at 11:51 pm
Contact Tara: tabintes@syr.edu