When 21-year-old Tara Scott moved from New Castle to attend Ball State after graduating from high school, her intent was not to sell classic clothes--it was to study music.
Her academic pursuits and her outlook on the fashion industry changed shortly after visiting a vintage clothing store in Indianapolis.
"The idea to start a vintage store came when my sister-in-law took me to one in Broad Ripple. I just thought it was the coolest place ever and got the idea in my head that I could do it, too," Scott said. "I go shopping all the time and get satisfaction from buying off-the-wall stuff and selling it to people."
The shop's name and outward appearance might initially seem humdrum, but inside, a storehouse of long-lost fashion favorites is anything but hackneyed.
Vintage Schmintage, located at the intersection of Ashland and Martin Streets, is the newest addition to the Village. It opened several weeks ago, and there are currently three rooms in the store filled with men's and women's clothing and accessories from generations past.
Scott purchases most of the items from local thrift stores and area Goodwill stores. She's even found some treasures at rummage sales.
"The day that I decided I wasn't going to go to school anymore was when I first started buying things for the store," Scott said. "That was a year and a half ago, back in January 2001, and I have been slowly gathering things since."
Currently, Scott is not buying clothes from people, because she spends most of her time away from the store shopping to find new items. While she is away, her six employees handle things at the store.
"I'm shopping all the time, and I don't really have the time to set up appointments with people. They would have to bring their things in first and let me look through them," Scott said. "So at the moment, I am just shopping on my own. I can get a lot more that way."
"It might get to the point where I have employees that know things well enough to take care of buying things from people who stop in whenever they want. But for now, I would just like to get settled in and see how things go."
Most of the store's selection ranges from $15 to $20. Some things are more expensive, such as the mint-condition jeans and the heavy, winter coats, but everything else is $20 or less, Scott said.
Scott realizes that her prices are more expensive than Goodwill's, but she has been told that her shop is reasonably priced in comparison to similar resale operations.
Although Scott would like to someday expand the store by selling home decor, she doubts the store will sell anything other than clothing.
"We are currently in the process of adding another room because we are running out of space," Scott said. "Because of that, I don't know if I could sell anything else."
Read More
Three Air Jam teams take home the win
October 12, 2012Nineteen teams shimmied, shook and flipped for a sold out John R. Emens Auditorium on Thursday night during the 25th annual Air Jam.
Bill Clinton Speaks at North Central High School
October 12, 2012Former President's Speech Could Have Effect on State Senate Race
