BATU PAHAT: The desire to own a unique vintage Nike Geisha T-shirt priced at RM10,700 drove Amirul Shazali Azman to make the purchase two years ago.
The 24-year-old from Kampung Parit Jelutong said the 1970s garment was acquired from a second-hand clothing dealer during a live session on social media.
He said he used the savings from his used clothing business to make the purchase.
"I hesitated a little because it was not cheap, but my strong desire led me to buy the T-shirt.
"I made the payment through bank transfer because I knew the seller could be trusted.
"Those who watched the live broadcast were also surprised but as a vintage clothing enthusiast, I am very happy to have it. Although vintage clothing is available in the country, not everyone sells them, so it's not something everyone has."
The second of three siblings said he still keeps the T-shirt to this day and has never considered selling it.
"For now, I'm keeping it, but who knows, if one day I might need money and I'll just sell it then."
Amirul Shazali revealed that he once bought another T-shirt for RM14,000 that someone else had sold for RM18,000.
Before becoming a second-hand clothing seller, he worked as a gardener at Universiti Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia (UTHM) after completing school.
He also did cleaning jobs to support himself.
He had always liked selling unique vintage clothes. He had initially started selling second-hand clothes during his school days to earn extra pocket money.
"My father used to work as a bus driver with a modest salary, so I felt embarrassed to ask him for money. But through this business, I can wear the clothes and get returns from the sales," said Amirul Shazali, who has been in the business full-time since the Covid-19 pandemic's Movement Control Order (MCO) four years ago.
He said in the beginning, his family was less than supportive about his decision to go into this type of business and even ridiculed him.
There were some other people who also claimed that he would not be able to make money from selling used clothes.
But when life gives you lemon, you make lemonade, as the saying goes. Amirul Shazali turned negativity into his own success story.
"With my parents' blessings later on, I managed to further expand my business. With the profit, I bought a car, a piece of land, and now I have three offices," he said, adding that he plans to open a boutique and take his parents on a pilgrimage to the Makkah later this year.
