Flashbacks Offers Fun, Recycled Clothing

If you are looking for metallic leggings, paisley dress shirts, multicolored fedoras, designer purses, neon wigs, or fur stoles, may be just the place for you.

Flashbacks, located on Highway 101, is a thrift store specializing in unique items from the ‘60s, ‘70s, and ‘80s.  It also carries modern clothing and costumes. 

Flashbacks offers customers the options of selling their own lightly worn items, or exchanging them for something in the store.

“It’s all about recycling fashion,” said Lesley, a manager at Flashbacks. “It’s all very funky. We have vintage clothing, designer clothing – kind of a mix of everything.”

“There are a lot of used clothes stores, but this one has a lot of funky things, more ’60s inspired. I like their old sequined shirts, and they have really funny old Christmas sweaters,” said Jennie Stodder, a former La Costa Canyon student now at UCSB.

“There’s a lot of variety of clothes and they’re not that expensive. The clothes are more vintage than other thrift stores. There’s a lot of crazy stuff, but cute stuff too,” said Lise MacPhee, a freshman at San Dieguito Academy.

Flashbacks has over 20,000 items in its inventory, according to Lesley. While this huge selection offers lots of variety, it can also make it difficult to find individual pieces.

Molly Hamon, of Carlsbad, says that the key to successful thrift store shopping is persistence. 

“It’s kind of hit or miss. If I go here with the intention to buy, I go through everything methodically,” said Hamon.

“I go in with an idea of what I want,” said Cody Dotson, of Carlsbad. “It’s very retro, very wacky.”

Flashbacks has been in Encinitas for 10 years. “We have something for everyone, but more of a younger crowd,” said Lesley. “It’s a fun environment, we see so many different people.”