The sellers at the festival.
SANDAKAN: Sandakan is a town known for its huge amount of vintage clothing collectors. Used clothes or ‘bundle’ as the locals used to call it have been a trend in Sabah, especially in Sandakan the since early 90’s.
Vintage clothing collectors are willing to pay a large amount for clothing that increases value in time, and it has become a business opportunity to many of the locals.
Since last Friday, vintage clothing sellers from all around the country have joined a three-day Sandakan Bundle Festival held near Harbour Mall in town here.
An overwhelming huge number of people have visited the festival that was held for the first time here. The festival offered clothing and bags from the United States, Korea and Japan and these include vintage jeans, shirts and bags with prices ranging from RM1 to RM1,000.
Festival organiser Burhan Rustam said that he managed to gather sellers from all around Malaysia to set up 46 booths at the festival.
According to him, 70 per cent of youths in Sandakan are vintage clothing buyers, and the festival was a big opportunity for the people to shop.
“We have turned people’s hobby into a business. Sandakan has the most number of vintage clothing fans in Sabah, and therefore this festival, as expected is a huge success,” he said, adding that he was planning to have another Sandakan Bundle Festival in August this year. Burhan also told the Borneo Post yesterday that the whole festival cost around RM9,000 as it included musical performances and other festival gimmicks. Meanwhile, a young man from Mile 8 here spent RM2,900 on a vintage Iron Maiden T-shirt on the second day of the festival.
According to a visitor, Hoesni Sakki, the vintage clothing collectors were willing to spend more on vintage clothing than at regular clothing outlets in the market. However, he said that one could also get a really good deal out of bundle shopping and go home with cheap and top quality products.