Vintage stores join forces for weekend of open houses

Upon entering Jeff Scofield’s dimly lit antique store, The Warehouse, Saturday afternoon, shoppers were greeted with live piano music, tinsel–clad Christmas trees and trays of cookies scattered throughout the store.

The Warehouse was one of 14 stores in downtown Bloomington holding holiday open houses Saturday and Sunday, offering shoppers discounts, refreshments and maps to other vintage stores.

“A lot of times these stores have holiday open houses, but they’re all at different times,” said Scofield, who created the event last year. “I think it’s really important for us to work together.”

The holidays aren’t typically a busy time for antique stores. Most shoppers flock to major department stores for  holiday gifts, Scofield said.

But last year, the “14 Shops of Christmas” event significantly increased traffic and sales at The Warehouse, 426 S. College Ave,  which offers mid-century decorative art and furniture, he said.

Sara Harvey, owner of Vintage Wearhouse, 401 E. Fourth St., said the event helps publicize Bloomington’s vintage store scene.

“This gives us a chance to show them where the other places are,” Harvey said. “It’s a matter of sharing.”

The advertising provided is cheaper than the usual forms of publicity, Harvey said, because Scofield takes the cost of posters, fliers and radio ads and divides it among the 14 stores.

Vintage Wearhouse paid $40 for all event publicity, compared to the $76 a small advertisement in the Herald-Times  costs, Harvey said.

Amber Zaragoza, owner of vintage store Anatomy, 116 S. Grant St.,  said she supports the collaboration because it could bring new consumers to the thrift-shopping market.

“It’s important for people to know that if you shop at one vintage store you can shop at the others,” Zaragoza said. “We can spread the wealth.”

Zaragoza is a 2008 IU graduate who majored in painting and art history. She opened her shop a year and a half ago.

Zaragoza said she has seen a slight increase in sales during the holiday season, especially since the election.

“Everybody talks about how bad the economy is so we all hide,” Zaragoza said. “It’s a little rocky during election years. I’ve talked to a lot of other businesses and they all said it’s true.”

Anatomy provided shoppers with 20 percent off all store merchandise, which consists mostly of clothing and accessories. 

Sisters Betsy and Emily Winters, a junior and senior at IU, respectively, weren’t aware of the open houses until they arrived at Anatomy Dec. 8.

“I haven’t even heard of half of these, which is weird because they’re all near here,” Betsy Winters said.

The sisters said they planned to visit other stores on the list in the hopes of finding one-of-a-kind holiday gifts for their relatives.

“They’re unique,” Betsy Winters said. “Other people aren’t going to have them. I would rather support a local business.”

Emily Winters said she also appreciates the opportunity to reuse already-produced goods.

“At least this has already been made in a sweatshop,” Emily Winters said. “We can cut off the middle man a little bit.”

Zaragoza said Bloomington’s artistic and progressive community is a supportive and ideal market for vintage stores.

“There’s a big awareness about the importance of shopping locally,” she said.

Harvey said some of her store’s best customers are parents of IU students who come to drop off or pick up their sons and daughters.

They are often impressed by the number and variety of antique stores within close walking distance.

“They are really appreciative that this is here, and they can make a day out of it,” Harvey said.

For Bloomington resident Andrea Scheibel, the antique shopping extravaganza offered her a chance to try shopping vintage for the first time.

“It’s nice not always going to all the big stores,” Scheibel said, as she flipped through antique Life magazines at The Warehouse. “It’s been a fun, unusual holiday shopping day.”