Totally Rad Vintage Fest
The Good, the Overpriced, and the Nostalgic
Totally Rad Vintage Fest has officially entered its popular era, and I mean that literally, because the line was LONG! Like, wrap-around-the-escalators long. But honestly? I loved seeing it. It made me genuinely happy to see how much the fest has grown and how many people are excited about vintage culture.
The good news: the line moved fast.
The better news: my partner and I spent the wait talking, joking, and wildly speculating about what we’d find inside.
I was on a mission; vintage sports merch for my dad (a loyal Chicago fan), plus maybe some accessories, oversized jackets, or comics for myself. My partner in crime was excited to see what the fest had to offer and was quietly manifesting vintage Minnesota gear. Spirits were high!
Drinks First. Always.
Once inside, the first move was obvious: grab a couple of drinks. Then we hit our first booth… and immediately found some genuinely cool vintage sports tees. Unfortunately, they were also astronomically priced, and not in a “museum-quality” way. We’re talking visible stains, holes, and wear that felt less patina and more survivor. That part was disappointing, but we laughed it off. The vibe was still fun!
The Cool Finds (and the Almosts)
At the next booth, I spotted two excellent Michael Jordan bobbleheads- one from his Bulls era and one from the baseball team he played on (the Barons?). Priced around $75–$80, which honestly felt fair. I didn’t grab them due to condition, but still… very cool finds.
I did pick up some Valiant comic books, because I always do. I love the art, and it’s fun reading about heroes in a universe that isn’t Marvel or DC. Fresh lore, new chaos.
We continued on and stopped at the Blockbuster “Radbuster” booth, where we did a mini photoshoot. Pure nostalgia. It instantly took me back to wandering the aisles for VHS tapes, then DVDs, then begging for one of those popcorn movie boxes with candy and snacks. A simpler time (*reminiscent sigh*).
The Good Stuff We Took Home
Along the way, we picked up more gems:
An oversized vintage Adidas jacket
A Paul Newman photo from The Sting- that iconic poker-table moment
Kevin described the photo as “a feeling”- the kind of confidence that just exists. I secretly bought it for him and surprised him later. He was thrilled!
He was equally thrilled when he found THE jacket: a vintage purple Vikings nylon-satin bomber. And listen, he looked very good in it. Win for the household!
The Vintage Electronics Museum (a.k.a. Forbidden Memories)
We stopped by the vintage electronics museum and immediately fell into chaos nostalgia. Recalled toys. Questionable decisions. Pure memories. We saw: Cabbage Patch Kids, Skip-It, Fairy Barbie, and Metal lawn darts (???).
Plus the evolution of cell phones…from brick phones to actual suitcase phones. Kevin is convinced the brick phone should come back. Not as a Bluetooth accessory. A real one. Big. Heavy. Commitment-based communication!
Honestly? He might be onto something.
The Reality Check
After about four hours of walking and exploring, we called it a night. And while we had fun, there was one thing that stuck with me:
I really wish there were more vendors offering something other than graphic tees and similar merch.
Vintage culture has kind of turned into a beast…one that feeds on nostalgia and the wallets of unsuspecting patrons. Prices ranged from present-day retail to hundreds of dollars, and it started to feel less about history and more about hype.
Thrift culture was supposed to be affordable and stylish. What I missed was the storytelling. The vendors who know their pieces, love them, and want to share where they came from. The laughter. The knowledge. The joy of discovery.
In my opinion, there was one vendor who nailed it.
I picked up an incredible oversized sweater with exaggerated sleeves in a bright cobalt blue. When I grabbed it, the vendor lit up and said,
“Oh my gosh, can I tell you a story about this?”
Obviously, I said yes.
She told me her mom made the sweater in the 70s and had held onto it all these years. That was the experience I was craving. The story. The connection. The soul of vintage. We chatted more about design and the incredible sleeves, not to mention her mother incredible taste.
Will I Go Back? Absolutely. I’ll be back next year.
But I’ll also be checking out other vintage festivals, shows, and markets, searching for what I really want: More variety, Niche and time-period-focused vendors, Knowledgeable sellers who love their inventory Prices that make sensen (!!), Nostalgia with context and not just a markup.
Totally Rad is still a good time. I just hope the future of vintage remembers that it’s about more than trends, it’s about stories.
