"For me and my sister and my husband, we grew up with secondhand [items] more of necessity," she says. "We were like other kids; we wanted to have whatever anyone else had, but now it's become a choice — I prefer it. The thrill of finding something that fits a spot perfectly and knowing nobody else has it is very addictive."
Raised in Fort Worth and Nashoba, Oklahoma, the Lakota native credits her mother for making the hunt for the perfect item a "magical" experience. Meanwhile, her husband-to-be was raised by his grandmother, a Cuban immigrant who took him to yard sales and sewed all his clothes by hand.
After the couple married and moved to El Paso, they had a typical newlywed budget to shore up this shared philosophy. With a baby on the way, they furnished their first home with finds they sourced everywhere, from Facebook marketplace to the side of the road.
"I'd go on building pickup days and find stuff I thought was cool, " says Jesse Iglesias. "I was the quote-unquote 'dumpster diver' because I knew when everyone would throw away the cool stuff."
Soon, the couple were selling extra finds on Facebook. They quickly realized that specific styles, like coveted mid-century furniture, brought in hundreds of requests. They started learning more about different types of wood while schooling themselves on how to restore items.
The couple returned to Fort Worth right after their daughter was born, and by her first birthday they "literally risked every penny" to purchase a truckload of finds from the Midwest, selling it all upon their return.
"When we brought that trailer of furniture back, it all went in our house; it was very chaotic," Dancing Iglesias says with a laugh. "My husband wanted a brick-and-mortar because most of the house was a store. Our house was 2,700 square feet, so we got an RV to move into, and that's when COVID happened."
Then called Flipstone Furnishings (a nod to The Flintstones mashed with "flipping" furniture), the Iglesias' nascent business pivoted to appointment only, with added sales happening on Instagram. Ultimately, the couple settled on a five-acre spread in Weatherford, shifting their stock to a warehouse on their property. At the same time, they contemplated creating a "thrift-savvy" spot that could run the gamut from really cool vintage clothing to a curated selection of furniture.
"I've always been a business-minded person," says Dancing Iglesias. "Finally, I told my sister, and we wrote a business plan and started looking at buildings. Me and her had actually done this as kids, so Lily knew once I latched on to an idea and started pitching it, she would agree to it."
"I didn't feel like we were doing enough when it comes to fighting fast fashion and the world's overconsumption," she adds. "There's not enough access for people to live secondhand. My sister [a Kim Dawson Agency model] has been in the fashion industry for 10 years, so she's seen firsthand how much is actually produced on a weekly basis. There's enough clothing already for the next six or seven generations!"
With Jesse Iglesias in the mix to do the heavy lifting, they were ready to find the perfect place to open shop. Last spring, a former Berry's Office Furniture came up for grabs on White Settlement Road, just west of downtown Fort Worth. The spot felt like kismet to Flipstone's owners.
Originally a trail that led from Fort Worth's military outpost into territory inhabited by members of the Comanche, Cherokee and Seminole tribes, Flipstone's address was a reclamation of sorts for the entrepreneurs, who hope it will spark conversation about the area’s history.
Uncut Gems
Because the Iglesiases wanted to offer a little something for everyone in their shop, they devised two very different rooms. The Gem Room has a more curated vibe — you'll find furnishings, accessories and vintage jewelry selected for their quality of design and craftsmanship. The Thrift Room has more of a traditional thrifting feel, with constantly shifting racks offering clothing at $10 and under. The longer they stay on those racks, the cheaper pieces become, with prices dropping $1 week by week. Items that make it past the dollar day are donated. The shop also takes donations such as clothing and décor but won't accept kitchen appliances.
"I wanted to keep the nostalgic value of thrifting when we were younger," says Dancing Iglesias of her approach. "You could go in and find a lot of stuff. It changed because they're pulling a lot of items and putting them on auction sites, so when you go into thrift, it's picked over. I wanted to bring back that ability to find things that have nostalgic value. There's still stuff in [the Gem Room] that's $5, but we keep it staged so it doesn't look like a typical thrift store."
In the three months since Flipstone opened, the shop (@flipstone_vat) has already racked up 18+k followers on Instagram. Still, it's the IRL fans who have made the company a local success. Planning to take their "reuse, recycle, renew" philosophy to a new level, their ultimate ambition is to expand on a program Dancing devised called "Thrifted Home," working with local craftsmen such as seamstresses, upholsterers and restorers to keep their traditions going.
"We are a for-profit thrift, but the community loves that we want to help small businesses grow," says Dancing Iglesias. "My goal is to pull all these people together nationwide. I'd love to be able to do this for other communities and for Native Americans. I want to be a voice so other Native Americans can see owning a business and being a success is for them because growing up, I didn't see that."
Flipstone Vintage & Thrift, 2700 White Settlement Road, Fort Worth. Sunday – Monday, noon – 7 p.m.; Thursday – Saturday, 10 a.m. – 7 p.m.
