We started a vintage shop in the midwest and it's working out

[democraticinsurgent]

Last edited Wed Aug 15, 2012, 03:23 AM - Edit history (2)

In May of this year, my fiancee and I opened up a vintage shop in a large Midwestern city. We have a wide array of stuff, with a focus on vinyl records and pop culture collectibles along with more traditional glass, art, vintage clothing, books, toys, etc. We positioned it as "vintage" instead of "antiques" to reflect a more contemporary mix.

The nifty thing is that it's actually going fairly well. We're a little off the beaten path so we have to work extra hard to get people to know about us, but the feedback's been pretty good and business, while spotty at times, is enough to keep us going. Most of our items are under $50. We scrounge for cheap but cool finds and keep our prices reasonable. Stuff is moving, and bills are being paid.

I'm sharing this in case any of you are thinking along the same lines and wondering if it's crazy. Based on our experience, it's doable, especially if you can resist trying to pocket cash in the early stages. We're trying to live off other part time work and reinvest as much as possible, but I think by next year we should be able to pull out some decent $ each month.

Thanks for reading!

(edit--deleted some specifics to protect privacy. If anyone wants more info, please PM me.)

[grasswire]

1. congratulations and best wishes!

How did you amass enough merchandise to open up? And do you buy on the spot from people who bring stuff in?

[democraticinsurgent]

2. Years of pack-ratting I'm afraid...

Thank you!

We still have two storage units and a garage full of stuff...too many years of collecting for collecting's sake, I guess.

Naturally, we are still out and about looking for new stuff anyway because it's more fun than not looking. And yes, we do buy from people who bring things in. In fact we're encouraging people to bring stuff in because that's sometimes where the real treasures come from. But we're pretty picky because we have enough to fill three stores the size of the one we have, which is about 1200 sq ft...lol.