On Hudson Street, tucked away at the northernmost boundary of Ward 3, is Vintage Vibe Finds, a clothing and collectibles store.
Opened in December, the shop is two businesses operating in one brick-and-mortar location. Owned by Alison Wilson and her partner, Matt Chapman, the couple combined their interest in thrift stores into a business.
“I saw an interest for people to come to my house [in Annapolis] to set up appointments … to shop. And so, after doing that for about a year with appointments, I quickly outgrew my space. I realized that there was a need for this in Annapolis to have a vintage shop and a place where people could come during our more open business hours,” Wilson said.
The couple met at a Goodwill store around three years ago, looking to buy inventory for their respective ventures. Now, they often visit thrift stores together.
“We wanted to keep our business names and be able to work together, but separately,” said Chapman, who sells vintage and eclectic art pieces under the name ‘Artfully Acquired.’
Walking into the store, the space is small but thoughtfully arranged. Chairs, tables and other furniture are set up outside. Leather and suede jackets hang from a movable rack. Inside, shelves of knick-knacks, purses and clothing guide customers to the back, where jewelry and art decorate the walls.
Curating the shops is about constant trips to the thrift store and knowing an item’s worth.
“[It’s] knowing how it’s made, knowing who’s made it, and knowing when it was made. And then looking at like the actual quality and time that it took to make it, just the overall visual look of it,” Chapman said. “I kind of always knew the value of things, you know, clothes, cars, all different things.”
Wilson owns several small businesses. She nannies and takes photographs, but her retail experience and love for dated relics led her to start selling furniture on Facebook in 2023.
Chapman, who began reselling art on eBay in 2010, painted cars before he decided to pursue his eBay venture full time. Having owned two businesses before, he established “Artfully Acquired” in 2019 and has over 2,000 listings ranging in price. His collection ranges from folk and fine art to pottery and collectibles.
The couple held a vintage market in May and plan to make it a seasonal event.
“Annapolis was in need of a curated vintage market,” Wilson said. “I’ve done shows in Baltimore, like BMore flea [a vintage and craft market] and things of that nature and we need to bring something to Annapolis.”
The shop is open Thursday through Sunday with private shopping appointments available. vintagevibefinds.com
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