How These Young Entrepreneurs Are Changing Vintage Shopping!

In this episode of Behind the Business, host Gordie Tamayo sits down with two rising stars in the vintage clothing world—Cooper Jones of CJs Vintage Vault and Russel Bills of The Vintage Vault and Cache Valley Vintage Market. These young entrepreneurs are building real revenue and real communities by blending digital platforms like Whatnot with physical vintage markets across Utah. Discover how they got started, what tools they use to scale, and how the next generation is rewriting the rules of retail. 👕 Whether you’re a vintage clothing enthusiast or an aspiring reseller, this is your playbook for turning passion into profit. 🔔 Don’t forget to like, comment, and subscribe for more stories from modern entrepreneurs reshaping their industries. Timestamps: 00:00 – Intro: Why vintage is booming and who’s leading the charge 01:00 – Meet Cooper Jones: Building CJ Vintage Vault 02:00 – The 2-year full-time hustle: Finding the right platform 03:00 – Russel’s entrepreneurial roots & discovering vintage value 04:00 – Turning dad’s old Jordans into a business spark 05:00 – Early challenges in sourcing and pricing 06:00 – Why Whatnot became a game-changer for live selling 07:00 – Cooper on standing out in a saturated market 08:00 – The role of content, branding, and backdrop strategy 09:00 – Russel’s vision for the Cache Valley Vintage Market 10:00 – Community-first business: Building loyalty offline 11:00 – What makes a great vintage seller today? 12:00 – Favorite finds and best-sellers from the vault 13:00 – Strategies for consistency and inventory flow 14:00 – Monetizing nostalgia through storytelling 15:00 – The future of vintage retail: Hybrid online/offline 16:00 – Lessons learned: Mistakes, pivots, and progress 17:00 – Entrepreneur mindset: Building before you're ready 18:00 – Advice to new resellers and creators 19:00 – Cooper’s personal framework for growth 20:00 – The importance of hustle and daily habits 21:00 – Live selling tips and show structure on Whatnot 22:00 – How vintage culture bridges generations 23:00 – Building brand presence in a crowded niche 24:00 – Russel on managing pop-ups and vendor networks 25:00 – The art of the flip: When to hold vs. when to sell 26:00 – Trust, curation, and why details matter 27:00 – Final thoughts on youth-led commerce 28:00 – Where to follow Cooper and Russel 29:00 – Outro: The vintage hustle isn't slowing down