Meet Staci Martin, a vintage seller from San Bernardino, California.
What attracted me to vintage? I have always been intrigued by fashion because it tells such a story about the time period in which it was created. You can trace the inspiration in modern clothing to vintage clothing. Vintage clothing is rare to find and it's inspiring to own unique pieces of clothing and provide them to others to make them feel confident in expressing themselves. No two vintage pieces are alike and the quality is so different from clothing items today. The attention to detail, craftsmanship and quality of the textiles is just above and beyond what we so often see today.
What inspired me to open my shop: Honestly, it was for a couple of different reasons. My love for collecting vintage clothing evolved from the time I was a child hanging out with my Mom when she would hunt for her own treasures. My passion became a career choice because of my love for the hunt and my dissatisfaction with my then current field of work, which was retail management. I realized fairly early in the game of retail that I was never going to be happy working for anyone but myself. Nevertheless I stuck with retail for a couple of decades. I was grateful for all it taught but knew in my heart that one day I would create my own business and surround myself with items I could sell that I truly felt connected to.
I have always known that to be truly successful you must be absolutely in love with your product and with vintage clothing it is a true love affair lol. So during a break from working retail I discovered that I could sell my beloved vintage items online, Facebook to be exact! I did that for some time and then started sourcing items more seriously. When I finally was ready to make my break from the corporate retail machine, I had my online presence established: my store was open online, my back office practices were in place, my inventory had grown, I had all my ducks in a row to go full time as a vintage seller. I was fledgling, don't get me wrong, I wasn't quite where I wanted and needed to be, but I had the tools and the passion to start working from a place of passion in my heart.
My collection is fairly decade specific if you consider late 1800s to 1990s specific lol. I have my favorite eras of course but if I see something I love out in the wild then I will buy it no matter if it fits a specific era. My favorite era is the 1970s by far. It is easy to incorporate with modern pieces and I adore the whimsy of it. I am and always will be a '70s girl.
If I could dress any celebrity it would be Timothee Chalamet. He has such a beautiful, brooding and sleepy-eyed look to him that I would love to style him. For him I would do something rakish and turn of the century. Another celebrity would be Zendeya. I would put her in the 1970s, no question! I can't think of anything she wouldnt look amazing in but in particular I would want to dress her in 70s Stephen Burrows. She would look great in a color blocked disco look. For someone so young she is certainly already a fashion icon. If I were a designer she would be my muse!
The hardest part about being a vintage shop owner is not keeping everything! I decided to join Thrilling because I love that they support small businesses and celebrate diversity. The support I have received from Thrilling is quite exceptional if I am being honest. They really do care about their sellers in a way I haven't experienced before. I have sold on many platforms and the attention and support I get here is just so above and beyond other sites. I have many seller friends that shared that with me prior to me joining and it really is true and what keeps me motivated to be here. To be a part of such a forward thinking and progressive platform is quite refreshing!