Entrepreneurship in Secondhand Clothing with Ali Acevedo of All Goods Milwaukee
written by Katherine Rubinstein
The concept of the vintage business All Goods MKE has been evolving for over 20 years, beginning with entrepreneur Ali Acevedo’s infatuation with the second-hand site eBay. Now, in 2024, Acevedo has gone on to sell over 100,000 pounds of clothing, naming All Goods as the Best Clothing (Men's) store in the city of Milwaukee. On April 10, 2024, he met with the members of the Vault to discuss the business and community in vintage fashion.
As a locally-owned, solo-pursued business, All Goods works to resell both vintage and modern secondhand pieces and collectibles. This is all an act of sustainable fashion, repurposing apparel and introducing it to a wider demographic. In addition to vintage pieces, Acevedo sells streetwear, including Supreme and Travis Scott merchandise in pursuit of promoting creativity in the future of fashion, “trying to balance the old and the new.” Whether from friends or markets like the Illinois Vintage Fest, the curated collection of material is put on display at his storefronts in West Dallas and Glendale.
Acevedo’s business remained online for sometime, slowly growing on social media and eventually becoming a physical storefront in 2019. He credits his presence in the store to be a good selling point – there’s something “special” about a locally owned business where the owner is inside. In hosting an annual “All Goods Fest,” a street festival that sells a plethora of vintage apparel – of which this year will be on July 27 –, he has been able to promote his operation and increase his sales significantly, catering to both those who are interested in vintage pieces as well as those who are new to the scene.
In pursuit of All Goods, Acevedo used entirely his own money – without any loans, he highlights – to fund his business. With familial encouragement, this risk eventually acted as a motivator, using it to drive him to advertise and sell as much as possible. He mentions how he continuously has to put himself out there, as he is supporting his family and a demand for his items. He went on to emphasize the importance of customer satisfaction and making sure his space was welcoming to all. Whether that is through censoring explicit music or making sure to hire a gender-inclusive staff, Acevedo makes sure that his store embraces many people at large to explore.
Superman syndrome is a common obstacle in entrepreneurship, Acevedo argues. This is the mental block that encourages a leader to believe that they can do all of their work by themself. Hiring employees and working with collaborators is essential to evolving as a business – “you can’t do it all yourself”. Acevedo used to hire his family, like his nephew or his wife, eventually going to social media to acquire more employees. Though he says that paying them all can sometimes seem like he is losing his investments, he argues that “at the end of the day, it make[s] sense.” In establishing collaborations with vintage dealers and various streetwear brands alike, All Goods has been able to “put on some of the best sneaker sales events in Wisconsin,” as well as design high-selling merchandise and gear for Milwaukee schools Marquette University and UW-Milwaukee. “Put in work now,” he preaches, “so when those companies start coming, it makes sense.”
Acevedo stressed the importance of advocating for his home, making sure to represent it in a nuanced, respectful and accurate way. In Wisconsin, he is part of a relaunch campaign for Visit Milwaukee/ West Allis to promote his business, as well as a part of the Art Committee in West Dallas. In fact, he’s the youngest on the downtown West Dallas board. There, he hopes to contribute a new perspective to the city, introducing more “creative, diverse, interesting, cool, and talented people.”
Upon receiving a hate comment via social media from a person he knew, Avecedo made sure to point out the importance of dealing with people on the other side of your business: it is essential to adapt to those who don’t understand. In order to sell a product, one must be willing to accept the discouragement from those who are unaccepting of the idea. It should not prevent you from pursuing your goals. “All goods, for me,” he says, “is really a way to make money so I can find other cool fun stuff. I’ll make this money and put it towards other fun stuff I have ideas for.” In this prioritization of quality and knowledge, Acevedo has been able to accomplish beyond his dreams and made a significant impact on the vintage clothing and local community. In addition to the store being named Best Clothing (Men's), it received awards for the Best Vintage/Thrift shop. Acevedo himself was voted Best Local Entrepreneur in the 2022 Shepherd Express "Best of Milwaukee”.
The Vault is immensely grateful for Ali Acevedo’s seminar and is incredibly inspired by his determination and philosophy. Follow All Goods on Instagram @allgoodsmke and make sure to check out their storefronts in West Dallas and Glendale!