Ten years ago, a man clad in tie-dye walked into the University Activities Board office and asked if they were looking for vendors to set up in the Union.
His question was met with an enthusiastic “Heck yeah!” and a deal was made.
Union vendor returns for a new semester
Bowling Green, Ohio, Tie Dye Thom discusses television shows with customer, kinesiology sophomore Alyssa Thornton in the Union on Feb 11, 2014. Tie Dye Thom’s “Enchanted Planets Sale” was set up by UAB and continues until Feb. 22, 2014. Casey Hull/The State News
Tye Dye Thom has returned to the Union every following semester with the Enchanted Planet Sale, formerly known as Wish You Were Here, to set up tables loaded with piles of vibrant and eye-catching clothing.
The self-proclaimed hippie offers colorful products such as gloves, scarves and dresses that are plucked from fashion merchandise shows in New York and Las Vegas.
He said their most popular items right now are flags representing various countries. He attributed the interest to the ongoing Winter Olympics.
When finding items, Thom said he specifically buys from companies that promote gender-fair trade.
“I advocate and promote equality in the work place,” he said. “I’ll try to find the highest ranking female in the company and I’ll buy from that company if a woman isn’t just a regular employee.”
Thom also makes hemp necklaces. He creates them in his downtime from caring for his mother, who has Alzheimer’s Disease.
Thom is also picky about which universities he sells his products at.
“I go to schools that put their students first,” he said. “I like walking into an office and the first person I see in there is a student.”
Throughout the years he has returned to MSU’s campus, Thom said all of the students he has encountered have started to lose their individual faces. However, he said many of them have helped shape the way he sees the world.
“I’m always willing to learn from the students I meet,” he said. “A lot of the time what they’ve taught me is that it’s important to always struggle and fight, but also important to know when you need to give up and start over.”
There was one thing Thom said he hoped students would learn from him.
“Think outside the box, don’t live a life defined by what others think of you,” he said. “Too many times I see people make decisions that lead to their unhappiness because they were doing what they thought was expected of them. Be who you want to be.”
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Thom and the Enchanted Planet Sale will be at the Union from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday until Feb. 21. He will be primarily selling winter wear. Prices range between $4 and $40.
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