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It’s with great sadness that we share the passing of Buffalo Exchange’s founder, Kerstin Block. A visionary and originator of the buy-sell-trade model, Kerstin leaves behind an incredible legacy of sustainable style, individuality and empowerment that continues to guide Buffalo Exchange today.

Buffalo Exchange at the Beginning

Kerstin grew up in Sweden, where she developed a love of fashion and creativity from an early age. At 18, she boarded a boat to the United States on a scholarship to study anthropology at the University of Arizona. It was there she met her husband and lifelong partner, Spencer Block, who would go on to help her turn her passion into a new type of business. 

Drawn to flea markets and thrift stores, Kerstin delighted in the treasures she found and wanted to share that joy with others. “For some reason or other, I came upon the idea that there must be other people who are equally addicted to this kind of shopping,” she recalled. In 1974, Kerstin and Spencer rented a 400-square-foot space in Tucson and called it Buffalo Exchange. Coming from Sweden, she liked the name “Buffalo” because of how American it sounded, and the word “Exchange” simply described what they’d do. Her concept was to create a curated store with only the most desirable secondhand fashions and to give customers the opportunity to recycle their clothing for cash or trade on-the-spot—a revolutionary idea at the time. 

The idea quickly caught on. They soon doubled their space and, by 1976, opened a second location in Tempe. What started as one tiny shop, which many thought would fail, became the foundation of a movement. From the beginning, Kerstin and Spencer valued honesty, individuality and creativity. “We built our business on a lot of principles,” Kerstin said, “such as respecting people, treating everybody fairly and listening to them.” In the 1990s, as secondhand fashion gained popularity, Buffalo Exchange expanded across the West and beyond. Kerstin remained deeply involved, working hands-on in the stores to develop future leaders.

Kerstin’s Gift for Giving Back

Kerstin will be remembered as a trailblazer, style maven and philanthropist: along with her enthusiasm for clothing and bargain hunting, she was deeply passionate about supporting the community, the environment and our furry friends. Over the years, Buffalo Exchange has donated more than $2.5 million to nonprofits through our Tokens for Bags® program, annual Earth Day $1 Sale and Fund for the Animals while keeping millions of clothing items in circulation—not to mention over 20 million plastic bags kept out of the environment. Kerstin herself lived the values she championed, keeping a small, constantly rotating closet and personally contributing to many local organizations.

The Future of Buffalo Exchange 

Following five incredible decades, Kerstin retired in early 2024 around Buffalo Exchange’s 50th anniversary. After working together closely for nearly 30 years, Kerstin passed the torch to her daughter Rebecca, entrusting her to lead the company as CEO. It’s fair to say that no one knows Buffalo better: Rebecca grew up with the business from 9 years old and worked just about every position, from buying in-store to business management. Today, Kerstin’s vision lives on through over 40 Buffalo Exchange stores nationwide and a lasting spirit of sustainable style.

Kerstin never shied away from trying new things, speaking her mind or thinking outside the box. As a result, she built a company that redefined the secondhand clothing industry and inspired numerous others to follow. We’re eternally grateful for her leadership and her unwavering belief in the power of fashion and people. Thank you, Kerstin, for believing in each and every one of us and for creating a place that many of us call home.

“What I’m most proud of is how much we’ve been able to empower people — especially women. I would say it’s given meaning to my life beyond anything I ever thought possible. And besides that, it’s the clothes. It’s always been about the clothes.” 

— Kerstin Block, 1942 — 2025