We started a vintage shop in the midwest and it's working out [View all]

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.)