One person’s donation is another’s treasure. For Little Apple Vintage Shop owner Matthew Klassen, the hunt for treasure never ends.

From vintage K-State sweaters to one-of-a-kind T-shirts, Klassen has spent over six years supplying Manhattan with clothes that have stories to tell. After years of running his Little Apple Vintage Flea, a monthly clothing market made up of local vendors, Klassen gave his finds a permanent residence in Aggieville, opening his storefront in 2025. 

However, Klassen’s love for secondhand clothing came long before owning his own store.

“Since I was the oldest child, I always had to be the one to go to the thrift shop, and then my clothes were hand-me-downs for my little brother,” Klassen said. 

Growing up in Meade, Kansas, he developed a love for pieces that could set his wardrobe apart. Today, Klassen often elevates his comfortable style of Birkenstocks and casual pants with a cool T-shirt.

“I would always try to find a shirt that was a bit more unique, especially when I’d go on trips and travel; I’d bring back a few shirts just to have a different look,” Klassen said. 

His interest in unique, secondhand clothing eventually became a business when he came to Manhattan and discovered a local vintage pop-up selling old sports jerseys. Inspired, Klassen decided to give it a try himself.

“I found like 20 vintage items and started putting them on Depop,” Klassen said. “That was the start.”

Klassen quickly caught the reselling bug and started the Little Apple Vintage Flea in February 2020. The flea gained popularity quickly, outgrowing its small pop-ups and prompting Klassen to search for a larger venue. He then set up shop in an empty gas station, now home to Ziggy’s Pizza, where he hosted his biggest event yet.

“To this day, some of the vendors said that was their best day of sales ever,” Klassen said. “That’s when we knew it would work.”

Since then, Little Apple Vintage Flea has found its regular spot downtown at 404 Humboldt Street, where it has resided for the past three years.

The flea market’s success inspired Klassen to open his own storefront in Aggieville. From spending the week hunting vintage finds to washing and repairing countless garments, Klassen handles every part of the business himself.

“I’ve got some routes that I do on certain days of the week to hit a few thrift shops,” Klassen said. “And then I’ve got friends in Kansas City that hold wholesale stuff that they find, or someone in Lawrence that I know has a bunch of K-State. I’ll save the KU and trade it for that.”

With no employees and an inventory that Klassen sources and maintains himself, Klassen exclusively opens the shop on weekends.

“I think having a small space that’s open for the weekends does have its value,” Klassen said. “It kind of makes it special, like a weekend treat.”

Despite the limited hours, the shop has become part of the Aggieville community. The $5 rack in the back of the store frequently attracts students, while the recent addition of Green Tea Sushi next door has nearly doubled foot traffic. 

Beyond his customers, Klassen has found a sense of belonging among his fellow Aggieville business owners.

“Just going to Rock-A-Belly for lunch on a day I’m not open and seeing other owners or managers of other businesses and sharing stories of what’s going on,” Klassen said. “When I get off work on Sundays, I go to the bar at Tanner’s for a late lunch and they already know my order.”

Klassen has even gotten to know the woman who runs Dusty Bookshelf, who he discovered is also from his hometown, bringing a little bit of home to Manhattan.

“I was able to find out way more about my hometown and about Aggieville through her,” Klassen said. “Turns out you know more people than you thought.”

After many years of searching through thrift shop aisles and helping customers add unique items to their wardrobes, Klassen has turned his love for secondhand clothing into a growing business. And with the addition of his own storefront, the search is far from over.

“Part of the hunt is finding stuff you’ve never found, or finding that item that pays the rent,” Klassen said.