Ankara: Freezing, Humid, and the 1792692469 Mystery

i landed in ankara with one thing on my mind: a 1970s turkish army jacket. the city was *freezing, like actually 7.56°C but feels like 4.68°C thanks to that insane 88% humidity. note to self: always check the humidity before you pack lighter. but hey, that's the thrift game.

first stop was the old copper market, çıkrıkçılar çarşısı, where the air smells of copper and history. i dragged my suitcase over cobblestones that felt like they've been there since the ottomans. the market is a maze of shacks selling everything from antique teapots to military patches. i was there for the jackets.

here's the general area i'm covering:

i'm crashing in a hostel near kızılay, which is basically the hip part of town with cafes and boutiques. but the real vintage is in the backstreets. i heard through the grapevine that a picker who goes by 298388 on instagram posts about a secret locker with unreleased stock. i slid into his DMs and he replied with a cryptic: 'bring a shearling and the code 1792692469.' i'm still trying to figure out if that's a price or a combination.

i just checked the weather app (again) and it's doing its whole rainy drama: pressure 1006 hpa, ground level 893 (whatever that means), but the forecast says the sky might clear later. hope you like that kind of thing.

if ankara's grey mood gets you down, cappadocia's fairy chimneys are just a quick domestic flight away. or you can catch a bus to izmir for that aegean vibe in like three hours. but i'm here for the finds.

someone told me that the guy at the stall near ankara castle sells counterfeit designer labels, but the vintage tees are legit and you can haggle down to 10 lira if you pretend to walk away. also, i overheard a local at a tea house warning: 'the comb in the back of that shop is stolen from a museum, so maybe don't ask about it.'

i've been scouring these boards for intel: this TripAdvisor thread on Ankara flea markets gives some tips, Yelp's list of best thrift stores is hit or miss, and this local blog Ankara Underground has a map of hidden spots. also, i follow @ankaravintagehunter for daily drops.

i snuck a photo of this insane leather coat that almost gave me a heart attack:

the coat was priced at 298,388 lira, which is about ninety bucks in my currency. i tried to haggle, but the old lady waved a comb like a weapon and said 'fixed price.' i bought it anyway.

the humidity here is no joke, it makes everything feel clammy. i had to use a lint roller like every ten minutes. later i met a tailor who showed me how to revive dead wool using a steamer. that's a pro tip right there.

i finally found the locker with the code 1792692469. it was behind a false wall in a shop that sells kilims. after entering the combination (which was actually the price of a rug i'd earlier refused), the door creaked open revealing a treasure trove: military jackets, denim from the 60s, and a silk scarf with the turkish flag. i scored a shearling for 200 lira. always check the seams before you buy, but this one was mint.

oh, and that lint roller? i left it on bus 298 on the way back. typical ankara chaos.

i fueled up with a simit and çay from a street vendor. the sesame ring was still warm, the tea bitter. recommended for any thrift fiends braving the cold.

i'm leaving ankara tomorrow with a bag full of threads and a head full of stories. the cold will fade, but the thrill* of the hunt stays.

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