Meet Sandra Crespo and Bradley Mooney | Founders of Eight Bit Thrift

We had the good fortune of connecting with Sandra Crespo and Bradley Mooney and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Sandra and Bradley, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
Drawing from our own experiences as vendors, we recognized a need for a more supportive environment for young entrepreneurs and artists like ourselves. This realization was a key driver behind our decision to start Eight Bit Thrift. In the past, we had felt like mere “spots to fill” at events, rather than integral contributors. With Eight Bit Thrift, our aim was to establish an affordable marketplace where vendors could thrive. We wanted to create opportunities for everyone involved to grow their businesses, build valuable connections, and generate revenue. Recognizing that high vending fees at other shows often posed significant financial risks, we were determined to offer a more accessible model.

Our aim was to establish an event where vendors would feel truly appreciated as integral contributors, rather than mere occupants of designated spaces. To that end, we provide complimentary snacks and water for all of our vendors, and make an effort to get to know them and learn more about their businesses.

Additionally, we noticed a lack of effective marketing and promotion at the events we had participated in previously. Leveraging our graphic design skills and creative vision, we made a commitment to ensuring robust promotion for Eight Bit Thrift, knowing this could greatly benefit the vendors and enhance the overall experience for attendees.

Ultimately, our driving motivation was to create a different kind of event – one that would provide a welcoming, supportive, and affordable community for young entrepreneurs and artists to thrive. By addressing the pain points we had experienced firsthand, we hoped to empower vendors and deliver a truly enjoyable experience for all involved.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
Our business, Eight Bit Thrift, is a curated marketplace specializing in retro video games, vintage clothing and toys, local art, and an assortment of other whimsical, nostalgic items. The goal in creating this space was to cultivate an experience that you, your friends, family, and loved ones can all enjoy.

The events we host aim to provide a truly one-of-a-kind experience for our guests. We intentionally curate a balanced mix of vendors across the different product categories represented. Additionally, we incorporate interactive art installations that visitors can engage with and capture memorable photos. For example, at our recent Spring event, we featured an immersive 80s living room setup as well as a functional CRT-TV wall installation where guests could play video games.

Ultimately, the overall environment at our events is defined by a spirit of joy, friendliness, and nostalgia. We want Eight Bit Thrift to be a place where people can come to reconnect with cherished memories from their childhood, create new ones with loved ones, and simply relax and soak in the atmosphere – a place where you can come hang out and not have to just buy stuff.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Where we would eat:
Asia Market Thai Lao Food (Houston): Best Thai food EVER. Super fast service too. Be careful with the spice levels, don’t think you can handle what you think you can handle.

Tony’s Fish Gallery (Deer Park): Don’t let the name fool you. They sell THE BEST breakfast tacos in the area along with different aguas frescas daily!

Lazy Daze (Pasadena): An Amsterdam style coffee shop. Super delicious coffee, we recommend the hazelnut latte.

Where we would go:
The Houston Toy Museum (Houston): Ran by a husband and wife whom are amazing people with a great drive to bring back nostalgia to all that enter, such a nice place to hang out, explore and they have an amazing gift shop too.

Cidercade (Houston): A great arcade with an amazing selection of mostly older & some new arcades. Definitely a place you can spend more time there then you realize. That mixed with their tasty ciders it’s a fun place to be.

Sigs Lagoon (Houston): Hands down the best record shop you can go to in Houston. Immediately when you walk in you’re slapped in the face with how awesome the Decor is & how chill of a place it is. They have not only a massive selection of old records, their new selection is top notch with some great tunes to be found.

Notsuoh (Houston): A place that’s super unique, the best way we can describe it is a bar that’s a contemporary art museum.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
Friends, family, the vendors at Eight Bit Thrift, the people who come to our events, Basically everyone who’s helped us and supported us along the way. Without them we couldn’t have made it this far and we are extremely grateful for all of those who’ve believed in our vision.

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/eightbitthrift/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sandraxcrespo/