Before sending my son off to overnight camp this summer, he asked for some superhero t-shirts to bring along… little did we know that we would find enough for him, and me, and a whole lot of awesome vintage clothing right in lower Manhattan. A friend suggested we head to 14th Street, head west for just a block or two from Union Square, and visit Rags-A-GoGo.
Image Credit: Michael Kaufman
We arrived to find far more than the t-shirts we were expecting: racks of vintage street fashion that includes jackets, sports jerseys, dresses, and (of course) t-shirts… there is even a decent selection of pre-owned cowboy boots for men and women. If vintage is part of your personal style, or if you are just looking for the perfect outfit for a themed event, Rags-A-GoGo is probably your best first stop. The superhero hunt provided an awesome Reverse Flash, Hawkman, a cool American Flag Superman, and a “Wanted Poster” Harley Quinn for the eldest daughter.
Superheroes are a “thing” right now because we are looking for them, we need them in our lives.
— Joshua-Suzanne, Owner, Rags-A-GoGo
There were even more surprises tucked away at Rags-A-GoGo: an assortment of classic patches, an ample selection of ugly holiday sweaters (even in July), and a collection of vintage vinyl records. Incredibly, every vinyl is priced at only $5.99 – if you are enjoying the resurgence of appreciation of the sound of vinyl, it is worth the trip just to run through the bins.
If you live in New York City, or will be visiting, Rags-A-GoGo is open Monday through Saturday, 11am–8pm, and Sunday from noon to 7pm, at 218 West 14th Street, New York, NY 10011 (Google Map link). As a 20+ year resident of NYC, I cannot believe that it took me so long to find this NYC secret… and now you know about this classic piece of Manhattan too.
