Meet Jessica Reed | Curator of second-hand clothing and housewares

We had the good fortune of connecting with Jessica Reed and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Jessica, Let’s talk about principles and values – what matters to you most?
Quality. I am very selective when I sourcing and inspect things three times over. I pass on anything with chips, cracks, scratches, holes or any other flaw unless it can be professionally repaired to like-new condition. I want these items to feel new to my customers and only bring home gently-used pieces. Some people have a stigma against second-hand or thrifted items and I want to remove the thought that it is just someone’s discarded ‘junk’. The truth of it is that there IS a lot of junk at thrift shops and it takes a lot of patience and a keen eye to sift through it all. There are days I thrift for hours and still come home empty-handed.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
There are so many styles that I am drawn to so the biggest challenge has been to distill it down and create a thoughtful collection of wares and clothing that all works together in its own way. This has been important especially in showcasing at in-person markets where you want there to be strong brand identity. It’s hard not to be influenced completely by other shops and instagram personalities and stay true to your style. Shopping second-hand has always been a passion of mine (for my wallet and for the planet) and for the first time I was given the gift of time to really give it a shot. (One silver lining of the pandemic.)

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Table 6 restaurant
Potager
Vert kitchen
Marzyk’s
Cheesman park
Horseshoe outdoor market
Assistance league thrift shop
The source

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
Ashley Youngswick with Birdy Creative Co. invited me early-on to join her in a series she did called ‘what do you bring to the table’. It was an absolute honor to be a part of this project featuring colorado creatives, makers and pandemic-born businesses. My regular customers who have made purchases from me since day one and continue to support my shop and the other shops who push the creative envelope and continue to inspire also deserve recognition.

Instagram: @polishedpennyco

Image Credits
Birdy Creative Co.