"How can I make money so I can see more concerts?" That was the initial question that eventually led me to being a festival vendor.
Of course, it's a long and convoluted road on how it all actually came to pass but this was the driving force. My love of live music and the "scene" that always popped up at these gatherings.
I grew up with the Grateful Dead and Phish and catching shows whenever they passed through the Midwest. For those of you not familiar, both of these bands have a loyal following of people who set up a renegade vending area called Shakedown Street and sell clothing, arts and crafts and food in an attempt to fund their way across the country in hopes of seeing more and more concerts.
It all seemed very exciting and somewhat romantic. Almost like running away to join the circus or being a road bum like Kerouac wrote about in "On the Road". We always looked at these traveling Shakedown vendors with a bit of awe and jealousy. Of course we had no idea how hard life on the road could be, but damn it looked fun.
Well life has a way of moving you along and into the army I went and out of the army I came. A little bit of homelessness and petty drug selling came about but eventually I pulled my head out my ass long enough to head off to college.
This was a great time and of course I was still seeing the occasional concert here and there and would inevitably end up on Shakedown Street with the vendors listening to their stories
Well unfortunately as I moved my way through college I graduated from petty drug selling to some big boy charges and off to state prison I went for a few years to be straightened out and learned some lessons.
Upon release I finished my degree and decided to go travel through Thailand until my money ran out and then I would come back to America and begin my career.
Of course; life is what happens when you are busy making plans so instead of heading back and starting my career I ended up in Alaska, working a long summer job and saving every dime. When summer was over I would head back to Thailand... then India... then Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, China, Nepal, Malaysia, Indonesia, Bali, and always back and back to Thailand.
Eventually the traveling started to slow down and I started working as a dive master and then scuba instructor. So my summers were in Alaska and the rest of the year in Thailand. I did this for 15 years.
During all my travels and the poking around the markets I kept seeing things that I thought would be big hits in the world of shakedown vending. It was always there in the back of my mind but taking that first initial step and spending every last dime on inventory is a very hard step. It took many years for me to get the guts to give it a shot but about 10 years ago I finally pulled the trigger.
The very first thing I vended was the Raleigh, North Carolina flea market and while it was a very humble start, it wasn't a disaster and proved slightly profitable
That summer I skipped Alaska for the first time in 15 years and went on tour with Dead and Company for 24 shows and then a few days after that I went on to Phish tour for 28 shows. It was glorious!
I didn't get rich but I was making some money and the life I was living and things I was seeing made it worthwhile.
Eventually I started vending music festivals and in the beginning I tried every genre to see where we would do well. From heavy metal to bluegrass to EDM I was all over the place.
10 years later and I mostly vend EDM festivals across the country. From deserts to forests to blank farm fields; I have been across this country back and forth a thousand times. I still go see Phish when I can but that's mostly for fun now.
I've been living in Thailand now for 22 years. When I first left America I had 5 t-shirts and 3 pairs of shorts. Now I have TVs and sofas, dogs, and even an ex-wife. It's been a crazy ride but the great thing about living there is that I personally know the people who sew my clothing. Ive been to their houses, eaten at their tables, and played with their kids. I don't just jump onto Ali-baba and order a bunch of pre-made products. I have 4 different suppliers with whom I have grown relationships with over the last 10 years so I know the quality of their work and the quality of their character.
So that's the very short version of how Thai Express Clothing got its start. I could go into a lot more detail but I think only I find that interesting. Thank you for sticking around to read this and I hope that you enjoy our products!
Peace, Love, & Wubs
Neal Rosenthal
Owner
Thai Express Clothing Company
p.s. POSSUM!!!!
