For a journalism course, I wrote a feature article about a new thrift store from a BYU-Idaho alumna. This article is also on Scroll.

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With stores like Thrifted Lennon’s, Daisy Links and Superlame, thrift shopping is an easy way for students to connect in Rexburg. But for BYU-Idaho alumna Lily Galer, thrifting is more than just a hobby — it’s a way to use her degree.

“(After graduation) I was looking for a job in marketing,” Galer said. “But really, my dream jobs are all in major cities. It’s harder to find jobs here in Rexburg that are specific to what I want to do — I want to be a creative director.”

Originally from Washington D.C., Galer came to small-town Rexburg after serving a mission in San Diego, California. She graduated from BYU-Idaho as a communication major with an emphasis in social and digital media in December 2022.

After graduation, Galer met her husband while working as the marketing manager for the local artisan drink shop, Crush.

“After we got married, I was really struggling to find a full-time job,” Galer explained. “I’m really into buying clothes and finding thrifted stuff. Usually when I go thrifting, I think of a friend when I like a piece of clothing. I pick my favorite pieces, but I’m sad to leave the rest. I was trying to figure out how to make money, so, I started my thrift Instagram page.”

Two Names, One Mission

Galer’s Instagram thrift store is called ‘Lily’s Thrift Finds,’ with one exception.

“There are two different names,” Galer said. “I was trying to find a name on Instagram that I didn’t have to repeat a letter or put an underscore or dot in between, because that’s what businesses try to do — they stay original. I was trying to find that name, and that’s how I got the username ‘Lily’s Vintage Thrifts.’”

Galer uses the spare room in her apartment as her storefront for ‘Lily’s Thrift Finds.’ She has seemingly everything, from graphic tees to jean jackets to leather boots.

“It’s really cool to see how women can bond through something as simple as shopping,” Galer said. “I’m really into buying clothes, dressing up and just finding thrifted stuff. I really don’t ever shop at retail stores or online unless it’s something really specific that I can’t find. I like to shop at local stores.”

Womptober Music Festival

On Oct. 13, a chilly Friday night, Rexburg experienced its first Womptober Music Festival. The event featured 10 bands from the Eastern Idaho area and a variety of vendors attended the event.

Lily Galer was one of them.

“As I was unloading everything, a lot of the girls that were at the festival were curious,” Galer explained. “I hadn’t even finished unloading and girls were like, ‘Hey, how much is this?’ It was actually really crazy how people interested … It was retail therapy for them, but not like breaking the bank.”

Galer has not begun a physical marketing campaign; everything she does is completely on her Instagram. Having an in-person event was a new experience for the store, one that she claimed she was not prepared for until the event began.

“I was invited by a friend to sell at Womptober,” Galer said. “I didn’t realize that it’s so much work to bring all the clothes and everything that I own to sell.”

Because Galer’s brand focuses on staying affordable, her store has easily gained new followers on Instagram. This is what Galer feels sets her apart from other thrift stores in the area.

“I feel like what’s been lacking in Rexburg is a place where girls can go and shop,” Galer said. “There are places that increase their prices so they aren’t affordable for college students.”

In ‘Lily’s Thrift Finds,’ she focuses on having a wide range of clothing sizes. And that, Galer says, is what she loves about thrifting the most.

“In thrifting, you can’t really shop based on sizes,” she said. “You buy it and whatever size it is, it’s that size, you know? So, it’s cool to see that if I saw something that’s an extra small and someone can buy it … It’s hard to find specific sizes, but with this, people can find unique sizes and you can connect with them.”

Lily’s Vintage Thrifts can be viewed on Instagram.

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Lily Galer Podcast Narrative

Cue introduction.

Narrator: Hello listeners of BYU-Idaho Scroll Spotlight! Tonight, we have a very special topic, one that is quite popular among the girls here on campus. We are going to be talking about thrifting, specifically, a new shop called ‘Lily’s Thrift Finds.” Lily Galer is a BYU-I alumna, and she graduated in communication with an emphasis in social and digital media.

Lily Galer: It’s really cool to see how women can bond through something as simple as shopping.

Cue podcast theme music.

Narrator: Hello everyone! My name is Isabelle Justice, and this is the BYU-Idaho Scroll Spotlight. Thrifting is arguably a big part of the culture here in Rexburg, especially for the girls.  We have some thrift stores here in town like Thrifted Lennon’s and Daisy Links, but did you know there are thrift shops here without a store front? And one of them uses Instagram to sell her clothes. I want to introduce you to Lily Galer and her store, ‘Lily’s Thrift Finds.’

Lily Galer: We do have a couple thrift stores or retail stores here, but I feel like what’s been lacking in Rexburg is a place where girls can go and shop. There are places that increase their prices so they aren’t affordable for college students.

Narrator: With big-city dreams, Lily came to small-town Rexburg to get her degree in communication with an emphasis in social and digital media. But a degree was not the only thing she was able to gain by living in Rexburg.

Lily: My husband and I met in Rexburg. He’s from here, and I was just working at the local drink shop called Crush. We were just chatting and I was helping him take his order. And he just said, ‘Hey, do you know my friend?’ and then that’s when we met and started hanging out.

Narrator: Before graduation, Lily worked at Crush as their marketing manager for her internship. But after she received her diploma, she struggled to find a routine that fit her big dreams.

Lily: I graduated in December. Then January through June, I just planned our wedding. I also had to find a place to live because in Rexburg it’s harder to find apartments that are nice and affordable. I was kind of living by myself — it’s hard to find affordable housing that has all the features you want, you know? We’re really lucky to be able to find an apartment, and then I just planned our wedding.

Narrator: After the wedding, Lily struggled to find a job position that fit her new life.

Lily: I was looking for a job in marketing. But really, my dream jobs are all in major cities. It’s harder to find jobs here in Rexburg that are specific to what I want to do — I want to be a creative director. But here, I was just not finding the jobs I wanted, and then I applied to those jobs anyway and didn’t getting them. I just thought it was strange that it’s not working out, but I did end up finding a job. Before that, I was like, ‘If I don’t find a job here, what could I do to make money?’

Narrator: Part of the secret to Lily’s success was her new apartment, which was a gateway to new opportunities. Specifically, a thrift store.

Lily: I’m really into buying clothes, dressing up and just finding thrifted stuff. I really don’t ever shop at retail stores or online unless it’s something really specific that I can’t find. I like to shop at local stores. I usually find a lot of great things but I don’t buy it all. In my head, I usually think of a friend when I like a piece clothing. I pick my favorite ones, but then I’m sad to leave the rest. Like, ‘Oh, my friend would like this,’ or ‘My other friend would like this.’

Narrator: With women in mind, Lily began to piece together her perfect thrift shop.

Lily: When I started my mindset was, ‘Okay, who’s my target audience? It’s college students, that’s most people I know who live here, and what’s their budget?’ And so, I price my clothing based on that. I think it’s a bit more difficult because I don’t make as much money, but it’s more fulfilling for me. I don’t really know the future of what I’m doing, but hopefully I could have a storefront and then have college students come in and make it a place that they can go to.

Narrator: Lily’s shop is marketed completely on Instagram. She explained that it is expensive to do a physical storefront, and having an online store allows her more opportunities to be a vendor at different events. But price was not the only obstacle she ran into. While naming her store, Lily uses two different names.

Lily: I was trying to find a name on Instagram that I didn’t have to repeat a letter or put an underscore or dot in between, because that’s what businesses try to do — they stay original. I was trying to find that name, and that’s how I got the username ‘Lilys Vintage Thrifts.’”

Narrator: Fortunately for Lily, the Womptober Music Festival came to Rexburg on Oct. 13^th. There, she brought all her merchandise to sell, but the event did not come without a little bit of anxiety.

Lily: I was invited by a friend to sell at Womptober. Before, I thought, ‘I don’t think I would be able to sell like a vendor because I’m not prepared for that.’ So, when she asked me, I didn’t realize that it’s so much work to bring all the clothes and everything that I own to sell. But I brought it anyways because I just wanted to have it all so that people can see. It was really cool to see how many girls were interested in coming to my shop because I didn’t even have a tent. I haven’t really done anything with storefront or physical marketing, like a sign or flyers, stickers or business cards. It’s all been through social media that I’ve been doing marketing.

Narrator: Once the nerves settled, Lily couldn’t believe the amount of connection she saw at the event.

Lily: At first, I didn’t know how this is going to go. As I was unloading everything, a lot of the girls that were at the festival were curious. I hadn’t even finished unloading, and girls were like, ‘Hey, how much is this?’ It was actually really crazy how people interested. I saw that so many girls who were enjoying it. It was retail therapy for them, but not like breaking the bank. It was really cool because I felt like I could connect with all the people that I talked to.

Narrator: One way Lily has remained unique in her store is that she bases her brand on affordability and having a large range of sizes.

Lily: In thrifting, you can’t really shop based on sizes. You buy it and whatever size it is, it’s that size, you know? So, it’s cool to see that if I saw something that’s an extra small and someone can buy it. If someone is super tiny, there’s someone that can be interested in it. It’s hard to find specific sizes, but with this, people can find unique sizes and you can connect with them. At Womptober people were like, ‘I’ve been trying to look for this but I am like a weird size and like I haven’t been able to find it and I’m glad that you found it!’ And then a lot of girls asked if I sold clothes online and I showed them my page. It’s really cool to connect that way. And a lot of them talk to each other when they shop and it’s really cool to see how women can bond through something as simple as shopping. And then I really care about the people who shop, not because of money, but it’s so cool that someone can like the stuff that I like. It’s deeper. Like, ‘Oh, we like the same things as I do,’ and we can bond through that. It’s so cool because I’ve got gotten to meet a lot of girls through that and just like be friends with them, you know?

Narrator: For those who are interested in looking at Lily’s inventory, you can find her account on Instagram under, ‘lilysvintagethrifts.’ For BYU-Idaho Scroll Spotlight, this is Isabelle Justice, signing off. I will see you next time!