Forget about bar crawls. Thrift hopping is next big thing in Myrtle Beach area
The rain poured down Saturday as the shuttle bus pulled up to Paula B’s in Conway.
But the 24 women who were waiting to go inside the resale store weren’t going to let the weather dampen their participation in a new concept in the Myrtle Beach area for those who enjoy thrift shopping.
You’ve heard of bar crawls, but now there are thrift crawls.
They are both similar, but instead of going from bar to bar getting drinks all night, participants travel from thrift store to thrift store to score vintage finds.
It’s the latest trend in the Myrtle Beach area.
Candy McCallister is the Myrtle Beach resident who has been organizing such trips, including the Oct. 11, 2025, crawl that took the women to three shops starting in Myrtle Beach to Conway. It was the second one she hosted. Both were sold out, as are others scheduled through the end of the year.
Even Palmetto Goodwill has conducted thrift crawls at its stores, which have included several along the Grand Strand.
The crawls build on the larger trend of secondhand shopping, which since 2018 has grown by more than 143%, according to CapitalOne Shopping. Between 16% to 18% of Americans shop at thrift stores each year, and 93% shop online for secondhand items, research shows.
For McCallister, whose is known on social media platforms as “Candy Thrifts,” she gave up her accounting career for thrifting and reselling, which has grown tremendously. She now has nearly 200,000 followers on Facebook and more than 32,000 followers on TikTok.
And all of them “want to know where to shop,” McCallister said.
Crawls good for community
In Paula B’s, Melissa Brady is scanning the shelves filled with items while snacking on treats that had been set out for the shoppers. Brady had come to the Myrtle Beach area from Massachusetts as part of an annual girls weekend.
The group of five college friends, which include two from the area, wanted to “do something different” so they signed up for the thrift crawl.
Paula B’s, 2017 Highway 378, was the second stop on Saturday’s thrift crawl. The women started at Low Country Treasures in Myrtle Beach and then ended at Market 48, 2695 Oak St. in Conway.
Sylvia Ketron, owner of Market 48, was excited to welcome the women to her shop. Ketron, who has been a vintage reseller for years, opened her Conway shop two years ago after moving to the area from Tennessee. It is filled top to bottom, and in every small space, with amazing finds from her years of collecting.
McCallister makes videos of her trips to Myrtle Beach area thrift stores to post on her social media accounts, and while she said the videos show “what a fun day may look like shopping,” for her, it’s about “supporting the community.”
“There are so many secondhand stores” in the area, McCallister said. “I’m a big advocate for small businesses.”
But not only are the crawls great for finding treasures, it’s also a good place to connect with others, McCallister said. She said many people move to the area “and don’t know a soul.”
“Women,” McCallister said, “can make friends this way.”
Those who attend the thrift crawls often end up exchanging phone numbers at the end of the trip, she said.
The cost of the trips range from $75 to $89. Those interested can get more information at McCallister’s website.
This story was originally published October 17, 2025 at 6:00 AM.
