Tag Archives: vintage

Thrill of the Find: At DaisyAge, what’s old is new again

November 29, 2023 | by Molly Pavlovich

Sandra Sharp

Sandra Sharp has been a collector of clothes through the decades, selling her finds online via Etsy for many years.

Regularly rooting through staple and statement pieces of the 1960s, ’70s and ’80s at estate sales and flea markets, she has had trouble choosing a favorite time or style—handpicking a little bit of everything from bold patterns to classic cuts to frilly details.

“It’s the thrill of the find,” she said.

Now, she’s sharing her eclectic finds with brick-and-mortar shoppers, recently opening DaisyAge, a modern-meets-vintage boutique in downtown Camp Hill.

Dabbling with vintage flea markets when she lived in San Diego, Sharp realized that digital browsing and buying wasn’t the end goal. It lacked the human-to-human elements of discovery and connection—the “eureka” moment, the gleeful glow when a shopper tries something on and can’t imagine walking away without it.

A little more than five years ago, Sharp retired from a career in graphic design and relocated from California to be closer to family, wryly admitting that she lugged with her significantly more clothes than furniture. With newfound time on her hands, she sought and found an open storefront, formerly an antiques store, where her aspirations and assemblage of unique textiles would have the space to grow beyond the digital realm.

“Based upon my interests early in life, I could have gone in the direction of fashion or graphic design, and I went with graphic design, but I always had fashion in my heart,” she said. “So, it’s nice to be able to come back to it and the ‘one-day’ ideas that I’ve carried with me over the years.”

Sharp credits her affinity for well-made garments to what she refers to as her “hobby from a past life,” sewing, which she’s been resurrecting recently. In fact, she’s often found working on a sewing project as customers browse—most recently, pillows.

“I just love the old clothes—the way they’re made, the styles, the fabrics,” Sharp said. “That kind of quality and attention to detail is lacking in many of today’s clothes.”

At DaisyAge, vintage wool garments, silks, genuine leather, velvet and other materials that have stood the test of time fill the shop’s racks with texture and color. Many of these pieces are also made by high-end designers such as Armani and Valentino.

“DaisyAge isn’t a vintage store full of natty items overlooked from decades past,” said Gail Coleman, a local artist and customer. “When you step inside and look around, it’s hard to believe that the items are well-loved and aren’t new, as everything is in excellent, like-new condition.”

Victoria Revene, owner of Refresh by Revene, plans to frequent DaisyAge for interesting clothing and accessories for her clients, helping them reach their home, wardrobe and life aspirations.

“The new owner has brought an inviting freshness to the beautifully renewed interior, breathing new life into an old space,” she said.

Beyond clothes, DaisyAge features jewelry, candles, hats and other one-of-a-kind items for sale, handmade by local artisans and creators across the country. Always in search of something new, Sharp plans to continue fostering connections with customers, fellow small businesses and other lovers and creators of well-made things—bringing community together to enjoy the new, the old and the company of one another.

“I’ve met so many interesting people in the short time since DaisyAge opened,” Sharp said. “Customers come in and chat with me while they shop, and I not only get to tell them about the pieces they’re interested in, but I get to learn about them and their life stories too. I’m loving every minute of it.”

DaisyAge is located at 2136 Market St., Camp Hill. For more information, visit www.shopdaisyage.com.

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Selling Memories: The Rummagers opens in Harrisburg with collectibles, unique finds

September 28, 2023 | by Maddie Gittens

Nipsey & Krista Harper

What do a cat clock, a bright pink jumpsuit and an E.T. figurine have in common?

They’re all among the many unique treasures to be found at Harrisburg’s newest vintage shop, The Rummagers.

Those items are just a few of the many, many… many toys, clothes, vinyl records and other collectibles that husband and wife duo Krista Harper and Nipsey, of Harrisburg, have hunted and curated over the years.

In 2019, the pair decided to make their hobby a business and opened The Rummagers, starting out by vending at nearby antique shops. Most recently, the business sold items in Funky Finds & Grinds in Lemoyne.

However, in mid-September, The Rummagers took the leap and opened their own shop. At their store, located on the 1400-block of N. 3rd St., they offer their one-of-a-kind-finds in Harrisburg.

“It’s our space, and we can finally do it the way we’ve always wanted to,” Harper said. “It feels fantastic.”

Harper has been collecting since she was young—her family always loved hunting down a good deal. The same goes for Nipsey, the longtime radio host of “The People’s Morning Show” on 105.7, The X. When he’s not on the air, he’s thrifting, and his collection has been growing for years.

“We’ve been collecting all our lives,” he said. “So, we didn’t necessarily have to go out and find a bunch of inventory because we had it.”

The pair believes that anyone can walk into their shop and find something of interest, whether it’s a nostalgic toy or item from their childhood, a baseball card or unique piece of clothing or home decor.

The whole idea behind The Rummagers is to save things from eras past, recycle them and give them new life, they explained. Harper and Nipsey love the idea of saving castaway treasures from the landfill.

“We want to make sure those eras aren’t lost,” Harper said. “We rummage so you don’t have to.”

Nipsey pointed out a pack of New Kids on The Block trading cards, as he talked about the feeling of nostalgia engrained in their business.

“It’s a lot of selling memories,” he said. “There’s a lot of people saying, ‘I didn’t know I even wanted this.’”

And while it can sometimes be hard for the pair to part with pieces of their collections, they love seeing the look on a customer’s face when something catches their eye. Although, Harper has been known to keep Michael Jackson-related finds for herself, she said with a laugh.

The pair feels that their new shop will bring a unique shopping option to the neighborhood. But outside of that, they also plan to immerse themselves in the community, showcasing local artists’ work in their shop each month and participating in events like 3rd in the Burg.

“Our biggest goal is being part of the local community,” Harper said. “This community really rallies around local businesses, and we are excited to be part of that.”

The Rummagers is located at 1419 N. 3rd St., Harrisburg. For more information, visit www.therummagers.com.

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Vintage & Vibes: Found Collab opens in downtown Harrisburg showcasing local businesses, unique wares

June 29, 2023 | by Maddie Gittens

Photos courtesy of Anela Selkowitz

In a world where anything you want can be ordered online and delivered to you in two days—local Harrisburg vintage retailers are promoting the “hunt.”

They love looking through clothing racks, peering at items on a shelf, and browsing displayed art. It’s the thrill of scouring a store and finding a hidden gem that they enjoy.

Customers can do just that at Found Collab, a new store in downtown Harrisburg, which opened in late May by retail business partners Andrew Kintzi and Anela Selkowitz.

Since 2018, Kintzi, owner of The Midtown Dandy, and Selkowitz, owner of Stash Vintage, operated a joint storefront on S. 3rd Street, in the city’s SoMa district. However, over the years they realized they’d outgrown their space and had a vision for something even bigger.

In May, they closed their shared storefront and moved operations just down the block, to the location of the former Walker’s Art & Framing.

Found Collab still features Stash Vintage and The Midtown Dandy merch—their unique and funky clothing, accessories and home goods, but with lots more to shop. The store sells work from artists, curators and makers locally and nationally.

“We want to be that place you are able to find cool things,” Kintzi said. “It’s a destination to come and hunt.”

There are racks full of men’s and women’s clothing—jean jackets, colorful dresses, trucker hats, vintage T-shirts, footwear and plaid blazers. A wall of shelves displays glassware, bars of soap, rings, mugs, candles, flasks with a map of Harrisburg on them and other hand-picked finds. The shop also features works from several local makers like polymer clay earrings from Earrings By Dee, naturally dyed clothing by Dirt Petal and ceramics by artist Tara Chickey, among others.

By providing a space for local businesses to sell their wares, Found Collab owners hope it helps them expand their reach.

“You can’t get anything we have here on Amazon,” Selkowitz said. “I hope it’ll be a place where artists and makers can succeed.”

Thrill of the Hunt

Selkowitz and Kintzi have been hunting vintage for years, but, in the past several years, the practice has taken off, trending especially among younger shoppers who want one-of-a-kind pieces.

“The vintage scene has gained such popularity as of late,” Kintzi said.

Found Collab owners are happy to see it and cite several reasons why the fad has stuck around. For one thing, during COVID, people started visiting thrift stores both for cheap finds for themselves and to sell during a tough economic time.

In the earlier days of the trend, someone might’ve hit the jackpot and stumbled upon a valuable piece, Kintzi said. But as the popularity of vintage grew, those odds dropped.

“A lot of it was that get-rich possibility of finding that Tupac T-shirt while sifting through the racks, and that doesn’t exist anymore,” he said.

While hunting down hidden gems may have become more difficult, Kintzi and Selkowitz are glad to see so many people pushing back against the fast fashion industry, opting for re-used and locally made items.

At Found Collab, they continue to promote this type of sustainable shopping.

“Whether you’re selling vintage or thrifted, used things, it’s all good,” Selkowitz said. “There’s no bad.”

Customer Rachel Delavan of Camp Hill has shopped at the business’ former location and came to visit Found Collab with her son on opening day.

Her teenage son loves the vintage T-shirts, she said.

“The new store looks amazing,” Delavan said. “I love all the little knickknacks. You don’t have to dig through as much to find the good stuff.”

Take a Chance

Found Collab is one of a small number of retail businesses in Harrisburg. In the city, there are restaurants aplenty, with almost every cultural cuisine at your fingertips. On the other hand, shopping is hard to come by. It was that way when the Stash Vintage and The Midtown Dandy opened downtown, and it is still that way today. But they’ve decided to stay in Harrisburg, on the same block even, with their new venture.

Even so, over the years, they’ve found and kept loyal customers of all ages.

It hasn’t always been easy to be one of the few, but the owners love the city and have a passion to see it thrive.

They hope their neighborhood in SoMa will become even more of a destination and that more businesses will move in. They pointed out several recent initiatives to drum up interest in the area, such as local marketer Sara Bozich’s summer block parties, Sip@SoMa events, and the finished construction of Harrisburg University’s new UPMC Health Sciences Tower. Also, just down the street, Tamara Boutique recently opened and, within the past few years, Boneshire Brew Works opened a taproom on the block.

Selkowitz hopes that Found Collab’s investment in the neighborhood inspires others.

“There are so many empty spots around here,” she said. “We already proved that something could sustain the neighborhood, so, hopefully, other businesses will take a chance. Maybe there can be some inspiration.”

Found Collab is located at 25 S. 3rd St., Harrisburg. For more information, visit www.foundcollab.com or find them on Instagram at @foundcollab.

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Thrifty Business: Boho Hoarder opens in Paxtonia with vintage, thrifted finds

June 6, 2022 | by Maddie Gittens

Owner Rebecca Babish of Boho Hoarder

When Rebecca Babish was a kid, she and her siblings were used to getting hand-me-downs.

“There was a stigma around it, but we never cared,” she said.

For Babish, it was exciting to hunt through the bags of clothes, outgrown by older family members and friends. Sometimes, she would even personalize the items, customizing them to fit her style.

As she got older, the hand-me-downs stopped coming, but her love for thrifting only grew.

Now, Babish owns Boho Hoarder, a new shop on Jonestown Road, where she sells her second-hand and vintage finds.

For a while, the business relied on online sales and pop-up shops, such as the HBG Flea, for exposure. But in May, Boho Hoarder settled into its first brick-and-mortar location.

The second-floor shop is stocked with clothing, home décor, accessories, glassware and other items that Babish has curated over years of thrifting. She describes her style as “dark eclectic.” There are racks of clothes—graphic tees, silky robes, cowboy boots and jean jackets. On a black accent wall hang pictures—one of Elvis, another of a tiger—and colorful candlesticks sit on top of a mantel. Purses, woven baskets, mirrors and small decorative objects fill any vacant space in the shop. Each piece was hand-picked by Babish.

“It sounds crazy, but I could tell you where I got each of these pieces,” she said. “It’s all stuff that I love.”

Babish has several storage spaces full of items she’s collected. The contents of the shop only amass to around half of what she has stored. While some items have been stashed in her collection for years, the shop is also a revolving door of new finds, Babish said.

In addition, she plans to host classes at the shop on topics like terrarium making, macramé crafting and jean distressing. Babish said that she will also soon open a photography studio in one of the shop’s rooms.

Babish has a love for fashion, which she believes she got from her grandma whose motto was, “If you’ve got it, flaunt it.” She’s happy to help advise customers on outfit selections at the shop and feels strongly about body positivity.

“I really believe in embracing your body,” she said. “I want this to be a place where you feel like you can be yourself.”

Boho Hoarder’s eclectic clothing selection has a range of styles and sizes for customers to choose from. Babish hopes that those who visit love the collection as much as she does.

“When you love something and see someone else love it—it’s awesome,” Babish said. “It’s a confidence thing.

Boho Hoarder is located at 5800 Jonestown Rd. Suite A, Harrisburg. For more information, visit the shop’s Instagram.

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Bright, Bold: Harrisburg vintage thrift business holds pop-up shop at Urban Snob boutique

March 10, 2022 | by Maddie Gittens

Alana Cornish in Urban Snob

Harrisburg native Alana Cornish is no stranger to style.

After years of working in the fashion industry in New York City, Cornish has returned home and brought her talent with her.

Last month, Cornish opened a pop-up shop in Midtown’s Urban Snob. Her business, NEON Vintage Thrifts, resells vintage and thrifted clothing items that Cornish sources.

“You should own some pieces that you won’t see anywhere else,” she said. “But not everyone wants to do the work of going through racks and racks of clothes.”

Cornish does the work for you, offering a small “collection” of unique items for purchase. As her business’ name alludes to, many of her pieces are bright and bold. On the rack are florals, stripes, lemon yellows and hot pinks. She aims to help customers achieve a “model off duty” look.

“It’s all about making a statement,” Cornish said. “We should stand out. It’s encompassing the idea of confidence and self-esteem.”

During her time in New York, Cornish worked in marketing and advertising for beauty and fashion brands. She currently works for media company Urban One.

Cornish returned to Harrisburg after her mother, Vera Cornish, passed away in 2020. Vera was the former publisher of the Harrisburg-based publication Urban Connection. Cornish had family in the city and wanted to be part of the community that her mom was so connected to. But the time following her mother’s passing was difficult, she explained.

“Thrifting became a way for me to find joy again, to find a passion that that made me feel like me again,” she said.

Dimitra Diggs, owner of Urban Snob, was ready to close down her storefront earlier this year. Her business had taken a hit during the pandemic, and she had already turned much of her focus to online sales.

“I was literally about to take the racks down,” Diggs said. “Then Alana came in and said she wanted to do a pop-up. She breathed life back into the store.”

Over the 10 years that Urban Snob has been in business, there were several times that Diggs changed her store’s hours and format. For the past few years, she had been operating on an appointment-only basis.

While just a few months ago, Diggs hadn’t seen a future for her storefront, she now envisions it as a space for more collaborations with local businesses.

Cornish plans to keep NEON Vintage open at Urban Snob through at least early April, but may extend the pop-up.

She welcomes the fashion-savvy, but for those who need a little extra help, Cornish will jump in with styling advice.

“I want to educate people on how to find their style,” she said.

NEON Vintage Thrifts is located in Urban Snob, 1006 N. 3^rd St., Harrisburg. Hours are Thursday through Saturday, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. For more information, visit their website, Facebook page or Instagram.

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Rad Fads, to Be Had: Nostalgia is for sale at New Cumberland’s Retro & Rad

October 29, 2021 | by Karen Hendricks

Photo by Jelani Splawn

Walking inside one of New Cumberland’s newest shops actually feels like a step back in time.

“That’s what people say all the time,” said Kelly Donnelly, owner of Retro & Rad. “I describe it as happiness—a lot of good memories.”

Located at 308 Market St., the small shop is big on pop culture. Inside, you’ll find video games, action figures, vintage toys and collectibles—” a little bit of everything,” Donnelly said. “I’ve been collecting video games the last 10 years—that’s kind of where it got started.”

Her video game hobby led to a side business on eBay, then a booth at American Daydream Antiques & Miscellanea in York. Everything was doing so well online and at the booth that she left her full-time job working with children with behavioral issues—something she describes as “very rewarding but taxing.”

“I thought I’d open a shop if I could find the right brick and mortar [location], and I was lucky to find this retail space,” Donnelly said.

She opened Retro & Rad’s doors earlier this year, on April 1—no kidding. The shop, although neatly organized, is an explosion of pop culture and color.

Lava lamps and a Strawberry Shortcake dollhouse decorate the shop window. Action figures from the ‘80s and ‘90s are carefully catalogued, labeled and bagged, ready for action once again: Star Wars and Disney characters, superheroes including Batman and He-Man, Scooby Doo and the gang, Sesame Street friends, even the pretty pastel Care Bears.

Video games, like books on shelves, are organized for gaming systems from Atari to Xbox, Nintendo and Wii. There’s a shelf of Troll dolls, their neon hair fluffed out in all colors imaginable. Bright plastic lunch boxes are lined up for fans of Mickey Mouse, Cabbage Patch Kids, Captain Planet and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Need a pair of Power Ranger sunglasses? A toy Ghostbusters vehicle? Remember the dancing California raisins? Furby?

“The ‘80s and ‘90s were the best eras to be a kid in,” said Donnelly. “You had some of the coolest characters, movies, TV shows, video games—it was very brightly colored, well made, fun looking, with well-done artwork.”

Just to be clear, Donnelly, age 30, was born in 1991. But, wearing a brightly colored ‘80s jacket (green and purple; one sleeve a hot pink, the other a bright yellow, finished in blue cuffs), she identifies with those decades because she grew up playing with her extended family’s hand-me-down toys.

Catching a Rad Wave, Dude

And Donnelly isn’t the only one riding a wave of nostalgia.

She said it’s a hot topic of conversation among collectors and experts right now—and there are a number of factors leading to nostalgia’s surge in popularity.

First, Donnelly noted, we’ve all been stuck inside a lot more than usual, driving demand for entertainment, movies and games.

“Nostalgia has always been key. When times are tough, everybody wants to be happy,” she said. “As in, I want to get that same feeling like when I was 6 playing Super Mario—everybody’s chasing that.”

While video game collectors search for specific games and systems, the hobby has attracted a lot of new followers because it’s affordable and accessible, Donnelly said.

Retro & Rad carries items with price points for everyone, from $1 slap bracelets and 10-cent trading cards to video cartridges for $2 to $3 or the extremely rare $160 Nintendo find.

It’s All About Recycling, No Duh

As inventory comes in (Donnelly buys or trades for cash), she posts pictures on Retro & Rad’s Facebook and Instagram pages. She also keeps a running list of customers by the cash register so she can notify them when she spots their wish list items.

Recycling old toys is totally awesome, to borrow an ‘80s phrase.

“It makes me feel better when people bring me stuff, instead of it going to a landfill,” Donnelly said. “People talk about toys they used to have, that probably got thrown out. Even if video game consoles or controllers get broken, I have someone who can fix them.”

She also continues to maintain her booth at American Daydream Antiques & Miscellanea, where nostalgia permeates all aspects of life, from kitchen to décor items—a framed Rolling Stone magazine cover featuring a cigarette-dripping David Bowie, Bohemian rattan furniture, a sparkling set of once-again hot hobnail glasses ready for a kitschy kitchen, even an old local license plate from the Red Lion Fire Department.

Retro & Rad is into community interaction, too. Once a month, Donnelly fills a bin with free toys for customers, there’s chalk for kids of all ages to decorate the sidewalk, and she regularly collects donations for local nonprofits.

One of the most exciting things to happen since Retro & Rad opened its doors is a partnership with The Nacelle Company.

“It’s a cool little partnership—we are one of 40 shops across the country that will be carrying their products,” Donnelly said. “Honestly, I have no idea how they found me.”

The Nacelle Company is purchasing intellectual property rights to old toys in order to remake them, spurred by the success of their popular Netflix documentary series “The Toys That Made Us,” which is in its third season.

Everything old is new again—a concept that’s driving Donnelly and Retro & Rad.

“It’s awesome to say I sell toys for a living,” said Donnelly. “And making people happy is the best part.”

Retro & Rad is located at 308 Market St., New Cumberland, with an online presence on both Facebook and Instagram.

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Style, History: Redeux–a shop with a past.

March 30, 2018 | by Rachel Jenkins

Alexandra and Avery Devoe.

Alexandra and Avery Devoe have a promise they mean to keep.

If you jump on I-83 down to York to visit their shop, Redeux Vintage and Handmade Marketplace, they’ll make it worth your drive.

“We’re not an antique store—we’re not a vintage store that never changes,” said Alexandra. “You come in here every week, and it looks completely different. We bring a piece in, it’s gone within two weeks if it’s really awesome.”

With more than 40 vendors showcasing their finds, Redeux’s a shop with style, personality and history.

Alexandra Devoe and her business partners bought the 8,000-square-foot building four years ago as part of a mission to help revitalize the city of York.

“For the past seven years, I have been engrossed in bringing downtown alive through culture, events and the arts,” she said.

After struggling to find the perfect tenant for such a large commercial property, Alexandra settled on the idea of doing her own project there. At the time, renting out artist studios was trendy, but it wasn’t quite up her alley.

But a quick search on Etsy revealed more than 100 online shops in the central Pennsylvania area, many of which had substantial sales and followings. With that knowledge—and her own background and interest in collecting vintage items—Alexandra had the idea to create a space for collectors to sell items to local audiences.

And what about the name, “Redeux?”

Alexandra said it’s in honor of the store’s previous owner, Red Klinedinst. A staple in downtown York, Klinedinst is best known for selling bikes—more specifically, the “Red Klinedinst specials.” When bikes weren’t being brought into the United States during World War II, he salvaged and repurposed old bikes for children to enjoy.

Now, Redeux is making its own mark in downtown York, with Alexandra backing off of her other commitments and projects to focus on the store.

“Our business has really evolved over the past year,” she said.

At 40 years old, Avery has a keen eye for what worked then and what works now, Alexandra said.

“He’s really good at buying stuff that people want to wear,” she said. “He’s been obsessed with pop culture his whole life. He’s seen every fashion trend since the early ‘80s, and, you know, what was actually hot and was not.”

Historical knowledge is very important when you’re selling vintage clothing and goods, she said.

“We constantly have to teach some of our vendors what’s good,” Avery added. “Even though it was good back then, doesn’t mean it’s good now.”

One interesting trend, the couple agreed, is how popular TV programs have affected their business. Customers often come in looking for pieces inspired by a hot show. For instance, last year, “Stranger Things” fans flocked to the store to find the perfect vintage item to mimic the Netflix series.

“People are doing shows from all decades, and it’s really bringing out the best from each decade,” Alexandra said. “People who didn’t know that the ‘80s were cool, know the ‘80s are cool now.”

But it doesn’t have to be the 1980s. It could be the ‘70s or ‘60s or ‘50s or whenever.

“One day, we’re getting a coat from an 85-year-old woman who kept it in mint condition her whole life,” Alexandra said. “It was her favorite coat when she moved to New York when she was 20. She gives it to us, and it’s an emotional experience for her.”

And the cycle continues.

“A week later, we’re giving it to the coolest babe within 100 miles,” she said. “And she’s buying it, and she’s wearing it out.”

And that speaks volumes to the mission of Redeux—dedicated to breathing new life into old pieces.

“What we’re doing is very trendy, but I think it’s going to be a long-lasting trend because we’re saving [things] from the dump,” Alexandra said. “And we’re finding stuff that you see when you’re watching TV, and we’re putting it in our store two weeks after the show comes out. Or it’s already here. It’s a good time to be doing what we’re doing.”

Redeux is located on 113 S. Duke St., York. For more information, call 717-850-8063 or visit www.redeuxyork.com or the Facebook page.

Tour de Stash: Some of Harrisburg’s most creative ladies join forces for new boutique.

May 19, 2013 | by Dan Webster

Don’t be confused by the name, midstaters: Pennsylvania has not legalized the goofy green. Stash is the newly minted name for a vintage boutique store co-owned and operated by four city residents: Anela Bence Selkowitz, Jessica Flynn, Haley Harned and Jen Merill.

You might recognize these women from their day jobs as photographer/events promoter of Studio A, spunky and agreeable barista of Little Amps, craft all-star and freelance journalist, respectively – and now they’ve combined their artistic passions to galvanize their love of second-hand attire. Spawned out of a conversation to begin a multi-level food/clothing co-op, they settled on part of the dream, Stash.

The store is a discussion of its own. Owned by Bill Andring, whose law practice once occupied the space, both the exterior and interior seem serendipitously suited for the Stash girls’ concept. Situated on the corner of Green and North, the storefront is defined by its black columns and large, oval windows with a wainscoated skirt of light blue panels outlaid by golden pinecones.

Flynn said they all walked and gathered at the Green Street location, marveling at this corner building, only to find that they were at the wrong place. The prospective landlord was up a few doors waving them down to a row house they ultimately decided against. Fortunately, the first floor of the 234 Green St. was tenant-less, and Andring was happy to lease them his former office.

Inside, as they prep the interior, Merrill points out that almost all the accoutrements are “sustainable and upcycled. The driftwood was gathered by Anela to make the clothing stands, and the bookcases were bought at auction,” so the ethos of recycling will be all encompassing. For the interview, they all sat on top of a recently purchased second-hand carpet.

When asked who their target market is, Flynn answers, “everyone,” and Bence Selkowitz says, “we hope to attract the vintage lovers as well as 50-year-olds,” before Harned adds, “and the 12-year-olds as well.” Their ambitious and synchronized goals are butting up against conventional wisdom that says clothing storefronts are a dying breed, much like the print publication you are reading. But Merrill sees the Etsy online model as overhyped and senses that people in this area are ready for a shop like this.

Situated in between the thriving, upscale restaurant operations of Home 231 and Mangia Qui, a stone’s throw from the Capitol complex and positioning themselves as a 3rd in The Burg destination, Merrill can at least justify the “location, location, location” mantra. Just as important, however, they will sell their clothing at a generous and democratic price point.

“The bulk of the items will be less than $50,” says Harned, “and most dresses will only cost between $20 to $30,” says Selkowitz. While they’ve decided against consigning, at first, they will offer men’s, women’s and children’s clothing along with some specialty items like furniture and accessories.

“This will be a clean operation, everything will be steamed and sanitized,” says Harned, so you won’t need to dig through racks and racks (i.e. thrift store style).

The paradigm of fashionable/vintage stores is evident in places like A Passage in Time located in Lancaster and various boutique joints in the Hampden neighborhood of Baltimore. What Bence Selkowitz and cohorts realize is, unlike those stores, they have to avoid price gouging, so they can cater to their market while Harrisburg can add to its growing compilation of valuable (and hip) entities in the Midtown and Uptown neighborhoods. The next evolution can be found in places like Stash.

Stash is at 234 Green St., Harrisburg. Hours are Wednesday to Friday, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and 4 p.m. to 7 p.m.; Saturday, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.; and Sunday, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

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