Thrifter turns hobby into successful New Port Richey business

The Brass Cat: Thrifting in New Port Richey

Brandy Hunt transformed her hobby into a business. The Brass Cat is located at 6512 US 19 in New Port Richey.

NEW PORT RICHEY, Fla. - One woman's interest in old things transformed from a personal passion into a legitimate business venture.

Brandy Hunt was always a self-described "professional" thrifter as a hobby. But when the pandemic hit, she turned that hobby into a successful business.

"Just like my pure passion that I've done since I was a young child," Hunt shared. "So I was like, why not continue doing the thing that truly makes me happy."

She has the eye for collectible items and the flare to make the special items stand out.

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"Vintage is anything 25 years or older," she explained. "So these are like probably one of my favorite things that inspires the kind of vibe of the shop. It's the 1960s, 1970s novelty print."

Old photos, album covers, VHS movies, grandma and grandpa's clothes, all of those will give her pause at a sale.

"The mystery behind it, you literally never know what you're going to find at the yard sales, estate sales, thrift stores," she admitted. "My favorite is estate sales, being in like a different home, sometimes in a different town that you would never see."

Hunt had been going to local markets with a selection of her collections in a van, but having a base of operations was her ultimate goal.

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"The storefront was just like a dream. I really didn't think it would happen," she said. "The push for in general was to have a home base so I can build my collection."