Pop-up shop 'blkmktplc.' selling vintage goods in Downtown Fresno while creating jobs

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- Fans of vintage clothing and accessories now have a new place to shop in Fresno.

At blkmktplc. (pronounced "black marketplace") vintage clothing and accessories are on display and up for sale.

The pop-up holiday store is located in Downtown Fresno near Broadway and Amador and is the work of Neighborhood Industries. AP Armour is the Executive Director of the non-profit organization, which also operates the Neighborhood Thrift store in the Tower District. He says blkmktplc. complements their thrift store and caters to shoppers who love vintage goods.

"In the thrift store, we can capture a certain value, and someone else is going to find that item and resell it on Etsy, online, or their own pop-up," said Armour. "So, we thought, 'How can we capture that ourselves?' I think that's how the incarnation of the blkmktplc. came to be."

Merced resident Robin Geyer found a blouse at the shop.

She said she came to, "Just hunt and look for vintage things. It's not really the garage sale aspect, but it's in a store, and I like that better."

Every purchase is helping put people to work.

"All of this creates jobs," said Armour. "Drivers have to pick this stuff up; there is an entire production team that has to grade it, sort it and touch it. There is another pricing and quality assurance team that's making sure it's getting on hangers."

Armour says the non-profit's Neighborhood Thrift store sells up to 20,000 items a month, and 20 to 25 percent of people resell those items online. At blkmktplc. the profits from those items will stay in Fresno and help create more jobs.

"It's not just finding unique things that are collecting dust in someone's closet, but it is helping people who are collecting dust on our streets and giving them an opportunity to contribute," said Armour.

Neighborhood Industries hopes to have a permanent brick and mortar blkmktplc. store up and running sometime in the spring of 2019.

LINK: blkmktplc. Website

For now, you can find a treasure at the pop-up location until December 20. The store is open Wednesday through Saturday from 11 am until 6 pm.