A Loft Filled With Treasure

X Marks The Spot for vintage treasure at Pits Edge

Thrifting has quickly become all the rage in fashion. Although true thrifting is a skill; sifting through bins at surplus stores or picturing the potential of a wrinkled dress on a hanger is no easy feat.

For Amelia Wood, owner of The Rummage Rats and co-owner of Pits Edge, located in ReCreative Denver, thrifting isn’t just collecting new clothes to add to their ensemble. It’s treasure hunting.

Finding treasure all began when Wood was young, accompanying their mom to thrift stores. “She had a shopping/treasure hunting habit that she would soothe by going to thrift stores and filling up her basket,” Wood said.

The Rummage Rats pieces. Photo Courtesy of The Rummage Rats on Instagram.

At age 12, they were joining the treasure hunt. By age 20, Wood was working at the Buffalo Exchange Boulder and picking pieces.

The Rummage Rats began in 2019 when Wood returned to Denver after living in South Korea, Thailand and Vietnam for several years. Heavily influenced by their time in Asia, they decided to once again search for treasure. Wood sold their finds on Instagram during the early days of The Rummage Rats until the pandemic hit. Selling vintage proved to be difficult, but it was in 2021, “when people started to emerge from their living rooms,” Wood noted, that The Rummage Rats began calling ReCreative home.

“It was always a dream of mine to have a little store, and I couldn’t be more lucky to have had the opportunity to be in ReCreative,” said Wood. “Every artist here makes me a better creative, and I’m truly grateful to be in proximity to them, as well as the makers that frequent ReCreative for their materials.”

ReCreative is a nonprofit that advocates for community and environmental stewardship by developing a space with thoughtfully recycled materials for artists and creatives. Wood’s mission aligns with ReCreative’s to make use of what already exists, intentionally and creatively.

“Our consumer culture has created many things that are simply existing now – and it’s important for places like ReCreative to gather them for reuse,” Wood added.

To shop secondhand in a well-curated space is a dream for fashion lovers, so once you venture up the stairs in the emporium for artists, X marks the spot. In the beginning, Wood had the treasure and the space. Although more obstacles began to arise. They needed racks for the clothing but didn’t have the means to buy them.

Luckily, that didn’t stop Wood. The outcome was a wonderland of treasures fit for a loft like that in ReCreative.

From the racks to the decor, everything about The Rummage Rats is treasure.

“Near my dad’s place in Evergreen, the city had cut down an aspen grove, so my ex and I pulled them out of the forest and brought them inside Recreative and drilled them to the ceiling and floor. It is probably the thing I am most proud of,” Wood said. “We also have a 100-year-old puppet theatre that my mother found in Florida and 70-year-old umbrellas from New York.”

The Rummage Rats truly began to flourish after Wood met Andrea Dolter and Nate Fleege of To Hell and Back Vintage & Repairs, where conversation led to a collaboration: Hell & Rats was worn.

“I am a collaborative person by nature and believe that more brains are better than just mine.  It is the collaboration but also the unique perspective that each person brings to the table that is special to me,” Wood said.

While To Hell and Back is now based in Milwaukee, Wood’s collaborative efforts have not faltered. Tobi Luna of Cloaked in Clown joined the space, and the two rebranded to Pits Edge.

Luna “brings a particularly unique clown show to my sometimes preppy-leaning style,” Wood said.

From left to right: Tobi Luna, Andrea Dolter, Nate Fleege and Amelia Wood.

Wood also refers to their style as “Pajama Chic,” defined as a combination of vintage pajama and lingerie pieces paired with knits or masculine pieces. The Lingerie Section at Pits Edge is extensive; featuring a variety of textures that embody a genderless style.

“Androgyny and free gender expression is a very important part of Pits Edge. We want people to be able to wear whatever they want, and present what feels most comfortable,” Wood explained.

“This is a safe space to try on your first dress, skirt or slacks and oxfords. We organize our shop based on the item, not gender.”

Pits Edge is welcoming new vendors to the space to bring even more perspective and opportunities for customers to find their next valuable treasure. Vintage vendors Creep Thrift and Channel Eclectic are now calling Pits Edge home, along with energy healer and candle maker CuriosNatureCo. 

Wood hunts for treasure at garage sales, estate sales, thrift stores and in the closets of their friends and family.

Wood in Pits Edge.

“It takes time and dedication to find the pieces that make us tick – each of us are trained onto different styles and that’s what I love about having many vendors in the space,” Wood said. “Every picker has something unique to offer, and we have some great ones at Pits Edge.”

Housed in a creative wonderland, Pits Edge is an outlet for Wood’s creativity. To be creative is to express oneself and for Wood, curating treasure allows them to encapsulate their creative self while simultaneously connecting with others.

“I believe that ReCreative brings creative humans of all types and it’s an honor to be able to meet them and chat about whatever project they are working on. We have lots of fabulous regulars from kids to more wise individuals, and they all have a special perspective to offer to the world,” they said.

Wondering where you’ll end up on your next vintage treasure hunt? Meet us at Pits Edge, where X marks the spot.