DFW Vintage Swap Meet Celebrates 5 Years

Jason Won started the DFW Vintage Swap Meet in 2017 with some help from a few friends who shared an interest in exclusive shoeware and deadstock clothing.

By Malen Blackmon

August 11, 2022

For the fifth year in a row, vintage vendors will come together to swap their goods in DFW. ShotByLuna

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Jason Won started the DFW Vintage Swap Meet in 2017 with some help from a few friends who shared an interest in exclusive shoes and deadstock clothing. Since then, Won and his small team went from packing a small family-owned ballroom with a handful of dedicated vendors to connecting with over 200 vendors from across the country and relocating to Dallas Market Hall, which has been the home of the DFW Vintage Swap Meet since 2019. This weekend on Aug. 13, they will celebrate their fifth anniversary with their largest show ever.

Their vision for the swap meet extends far beyond hypebeast sneakers and old tour shirts. Vendors have everything: trading cards, exclusive action figures, apparel and paintings with all your favorite anime characters. Won says some friends who started out as vendors at the swap meet have now emerged as some of the top vintage dealers in North Texas.

You’ll see booths from popular brands such as Sneaker Politics, Human Dior and Dreads. The team from Private Selection at the Galleria might have a booth, but if they don't you can guarantee they'll be in the building getting content and attempting to be the biggest spender of the day. Last year they documented both visits to the DFW Vintage Swap Meet where they spent of total of $26,000. The videos accumulated over 200,000 views on YouTube.

Won won't reveal the event's special guests or surprises, but history has taught us to expect something — possibly pro wrestling matches organized by Won’s partner Roman Rose from DailyOoze or a Tay Money appearance and booth. It has to be good because it's a secret.

Attendance is expected to be anywhere between 3,000 and 6,000 people, so you'll want to arrive early to avoid being stuck in the line that usually wraps halfway around the Market Hall building.

With Vintage Swap Meet, Won helped to build the overall vintage clothing scene in North Texas. Patrons at his events include all age groups, from kids to grandparents, and feature DJs who turn it up like it's Deep Ellum on a Saturday night. The event's success has given Won the confidence to take the show on the road with vintage swaps in Houston, San Antonio and Austin.

In the next five years, Won plans to build something even more special. He calls it "Swap Con," an "all-inclusive new conceptual show,” Won says.

Presale tickets can be purchased for $5 from dfwvsm.com; they will be $10 at the door.

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Malen “Mars” Blackmon has been a contributor to the Observer since 2019. Entrenched in Southern California’s music and culture at an early age, he wrote and recorded music until he realized he wasn’t cut out for the music industry and turned to journalism. He enjoys driving slowly, going to cannabis conventions and thinking he can make sweatpants look good with any outfit.