Gabby Smith lives in a dentist’s office. Not an active one, sure, but the bones are there for those with eyes to see: former offices repurposed as a dining room or a studio, a pass-through layout flowing from room to room and internal windows where there may have once been a receptionist desk.
In other words, it’s the sickest garden-level unit any vintage-loving old soul could ever wish for.
In fact, Smith’s home is incredibly on the nose. Her vintage shop Goodkid was named after “being a good kid for Mother Earth,” and for Smith, that means breathing life into what some might write off – whether that’s a refurbished dentist office, a broken watch or various pieces made of vintage lace, collected over time and layered together to create a one-of-a-kind wedding look.
Goodkid is a master class in that practice. Just like their living space, Smith and her husband Andrew operate Goodkid with their business partners Mari and Sammy out of a building that was originally built for something else entirely. And while the single-family-home-turned-retail space, built in 1886, may have some quirks, – and perhaps one harmless but mischievous ghost – the charm of working out of a 140 year-old building coincides perfectly with Goodkid’s ethos as a brand, encouraging conscious consumerism, supporting local artists, treating the planet kindly and making good choices for a better future.
Not to mention – as the city that some call the best in the U.S. for thrifting, Denver has no shortage of secondhand shops. And yet, Goodkid stands out. Though they’ve only operated from their location on 32nd street since September 2025, they’ve been in business for much longer, an expertise that has allowed the shop to quickly becoming staple in the Sunnyside neighborhood. Just their online presence alone is enough to make that clear, host to regular vendor collaborations, event invitations and carousels of their customers’ recent purchases, highlighting the unique personality behind each person they meet and item they sell.
It helps that the inventory they’re selling is no joke. Their shop is all killer with no filler, a trove of high-quality vintage clothing, shoes and accessories spanning decades in every category across age, size and gender. The alcove beneath the stairs holds matchbooks, keychains and pins, while vintage decor, magazines and media fill the upstairs.
(Writer’s Note: As a proud tenured member of the Denver thrift scene, I typically walk into vintage collectives promising myself I’ll only buy something if I don’t think I can find something similar myself – and I usually hold myself to that with tremendous willpower. Goodkid’s selection was so good and so varied that I left with the following items: a lightweight Detroit Tigers baseball cap, a Sesame Street pennant banner, a Johnny Cash t-shirt for my best friend’s 2 year-old, a pack of Camel matches and one of the only fem shirts I’ve ever truly loved.)
Goodkid is a true “something for everybody” shop, curated for the hype grail collector and the fringe-and-sequins lover at the same time. It’s the kind of shop that shows the true skill behind vintage curation, the practiced eye and the expert patience it requires to dig, collect, clean, and mend quality pieces that would otherwise be lost to that one textile landfill you can see from space.
It’s the kind of shop that makes Team PG (Pink Garage, of course) wonder: if they’re selling this many Coogi sweaters, what’s in their closet? If this is what they’re letting go of, what do they keep?
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And like the nosy little fashion freaks we are, Team PG had to find out – and Gabby Smith of Goodkid was kind enough to take us behind the curtain in her own closet.
What Do Vintage Sellers Keep? Closet Tour with Goodkid Owner Gabby Smith
Upon entering Smith’s closet, we quickly learned that her wardrobe was an apt manifestation of her personality: playful with a tough edge, bright and light-hearted, sentimental and silly and — of course — cool as hell. Over time, Smith has collected pieces that make self-expression seem effortless, staples like graphic tees, versatile layering pieces and handmade items crafted by vendors from Denver to Kansas City.
This Roaring River crewneck sweatshirt may be the piece that Smith has owned the longest, as it used to belong to her mom. Even beyond that familial connection, the sweatshirt holds sentimental value in a couple of other ways, paying tribute to her home state of Missouri and her last name all at once.
No thrifter’s closet is complete without a solid collection of graphic tees. Smith’s t-shirts are a staple to her wardrobe, especially those with a little bit of irony.
“I like finding baby tees and also love finding silly shirts that are like — no, I haven’t worked at Hooters. No, I don’t really go to Hooters, so it’s hilarious to me,” said Smith.
These three are just a peek into her t-shirt collection, featuring a AlCATraz tee from the 1980s, a thrift-lovers staple in the form of Hooters merch and a memento from Kendrick Lamar and SZA’s latest tour together (not to mention the t-shirt that Smith was wearing the day of the closet tour, a Bill Venturini tee that’s nearly impossible to find online).
As Smith’s personal style evolves, she finds herself keeping items she might not have gravitated towards just a few years ago.
““I’ve always been a tomboy in a way, and now I’m trying to break out and finding more fem tops that speak to me,” Smith shared. “It’s fun to play around with the balance of gender.”
While she used to lean into unisex or masculine silhouettes inspired by style from the 1970’s and ’80s, Smith is currently expanding her collection of feminine tops. Her collection of baby tees and the cheetah print button-down are perfect examples of this evolution.
The cheetah print shirt in particular, Smith shares, is an underrated staple piece and one of the most versatile in her closet.
“It’s a good layering piece. Cheetah print is kind of a neutral in my closet,” Smith laughed. “It’s good to layer over things or help protect myself from the sun because it is 100% silk. So, I can wear it year-round, which is sick.”
Supporting local artists is a crucial piece of Goodkid’s brand — and one that extends to Smith’s own closet. So, when iconic upcycler Magg’s Rags was selling this pair of striped Swan trousers and playful horse hoodie, Smith jumped at the opportunity to support a friend in the scene and add even more whimsy to her wardrobe.
“I love her style, so I’m really happy to have a couple pieces in my closet now,” Smith shared.
Speaking of supporting community, this muscle tank printed by local artist Mara (@mara_the_great) is something from Smith’s wardrobe she’ll never get rid of. This print is from one of Mara’s first pop-ups at the Cheesman Park pavilion in February of this year. Now, Mara has popped up with Goodkid at the Secret Market, with Blucifer’s First Rodeo and with Rhyme Tyme Finds‘ regular Market in the Parket.
“I’m honored to have this piece from their humble beginnings and also a really rad design for something that stays true,” said Smith.
When asked about the piece in her closet that was the biggest investment, Smith spoke of the wedding outfit she customized for her September ceremony with Andrew. She sketched out her vision and began her search, finding seven unique pieces to make up her final look.
Smith sourced a number of pieces for her wedding look from Fever Dream Vintage, including a lace and ruffle blouse (left), sheer polka dot leggings and skirts she wore underneath the her main slip dress. The slip dress itself (right), Smith sourced from Wear It Again, Sam, a curated vintage shop in Ft. Collins, in a moment of well-timed fate.
“I wasn’t really even planning on going up there to shop, but I’m really glad that I looked because I found this and also found the corset that I wore with my wedding attire,” Smith shared.
if they ever make a Gabby Smith Barbie, that doll would be so well-accessorized. Smith’s staple accessories are typically colorful and almost always made by Denver artists or friends in the scene (if Smith didn’t thrift them herself). The jewelry she pulled for her Barbie doll
Adding to the jewelry, watches are one of Smith’s favorite items to thrift and make up a large portion of not only her personal wardrobe but of Goodkid’s accessory inventory. While the Casio she pulled for her Barbie’s outfit may be broken, she has a number of vintage watches, some functioning with battery, some she winds up at the beginning of the day and some, like the Casio, that just serve the purpose of looking cool.
The extensive hat collection she shares with Andrew lives on multiple racks across their home, serving as vintage decor in their own right. The collection spans the rainbow, each advertising a silly phrase or a business close to Smith’s heart and paying tribute to a crucial aspect of Smith’s style: adding bright colors and playful details whenever possible.
Ultimately, Smith’s closet feels like an extension of Goodkid itself. Much like the inventory she and the rest of the Goodkid crew keep stocked in the store, the items Smith keeps for herself refuse categorization in any particular aesthetic, leaving room for play, sentimentality and self-expression in its purest, straight-from-the-vein form.
And, of course, giving secondhand items a new lease on life — reducing waste and paying tribute to our beloved Mother Earth.
Goodkid is open 7 days a week, located at 3460 W 32nd Ave, Denver, CO 80211.
All photos by Logan Leeper Photography unless otherwise specified. Denver Dive’s Pink Garage series documents Denver through the lens of individual personal style, featuring street style photography, closet tours and in-depth feature stories . Follow The Pink Garage on Instagram for our full closet tour with Gabby Smith and more style content.
