Early yesterday morning, ST, Helene, and I rolled out to Williamsburg with our car stuffed to the brim with inventory.
The front seat was reserved for people who were over six feet tall…
While the lone back seat was occupied by the smallest person in the car.
Artists and Fleas is located in a residential neighborhood, inside a large industrial building that houses all kinds of goods.
Putting together a booth is a lot harder than it seems; I was a ball of nerves during the first hour.
Despite some setbacks, it all got done. ST was our handyman – he hung up the stuff on the wall and assembled our garment racks.
Ready, set, go!
I didn’t expect retail to be so hard. We were on our feet from 8 am to 7 pm, smiling, hello-ing, and trying to make sales. Julia (left) was one of our favorite customers of the day – she was so adorable and unique. She walked away with some great pieces. Helene’s sister, Evelyn, tried on vintage leather pants and men’s shirt and owned the look.
Fashion bloggers Candace Belle of The Style Climber and Lauren of Kurvayshus B came out to support us and picked up some goodies. These ladies are delightful.
My sisters also picked up some stuff and helped us clean up at the end of the day. Thanks hermanas!
I learned many important lessons yesterday, the foremost being that I don’t have a passion for vintage; I have a passion for sustainable fashion. I simply want to decrease the amount of crap I send to landfills and increase my personal awareness of mass consumerism.
I did meet a few great people with such enthusiasm for vintage treasures that it was practically contagious. I talked shop with Ricky and admired Wizetta’s prized horse. The management at Artists and Fleas has created such a positive, encouraging, and inspiring community of vendors. We were sad to leave them at the end of the day!
I’m so thankful that we were welcomed into Artists and Fleas and given the opportunity to be a part of it. Rock on, Artists and Fleas! I look forward to returning – I’m just not sure if it will be as a vendor or customer.
Oh, and a note about mixing friendship and business. I know many people advise against starting a business with friends, and wisely so. Going into this, Helene and I were a bit naive. This project really challenged our friendship. We laughed, cried, and screamed – but we made it. And our friendship is all the better for it.
