Elaine @CurbVulture: Welcome to the Curb Vulture podcast, a show for vintage resellers of Home Decor who want to know the ins and outs of reselling vintage furniture and tchotchkes. I’m your host Elaine Mingus, founder of Curb Vulture, and we are located in the Austin, Texas area.
If you are interested in what I have in stock, you can check out my website at Curbvulture.com or you can check out my Instagram at Curb Vulture. Today, we’re going to be interviewing Sonia @RevivalVintage, the founder of Revival Vintage, a brick and mortar store located in the heart of Austin, Texas. Sonia has been in the Vintage reselling business for over 11 years, her shop and her Revival Sunday Markets have been a center point for so many local vintage resellers in Austin.
Sonia, welcome to the podcast. Just for the record, what is your name and Instagram handle or website?
Sonia @RevivalVintage: My name is Sonia Rice. The shop handle is @shop.RevivalVintage. Do you have a website? Yes, we’re at RevivalVintageTX.com. And how many followers do you have on whatever platform you have the most? We have 20,000 on the furniture account.
Elaine @CurbVulture: How did you come up with the name of your business?
Sonia @RevivalVintage: I had really wanted to incorporate the recycling sustainable aspect of business. Then this anniversary of this club I used to go to in Philadelphia popped up called Revival. It was at an old church and I was like Revival I was like, that’s it.
Elaine @CurbVulture: How long have you been doing this vintage retail business?
Sonia @RevivalVintage: I started in 2011, like I got my DBA doing it and I was at the Austin antique mall. And then in 2013, I opened my first brick and mortar, so that’s really a lot longer than a lot of us have been doing it.
Elaine @CurbVulture: What got you into reselling?
Sonia @RevivalVintage: My husband and I were deciding to have children. So we tried in vitro and it didn’t go through. And so I was just like, okay, well we’re not going to have kids. So let’s figure out like what I want to do before I really have to do like a 9 to 5 job. Long time thrifter, vintage lover. I just decided to go for it.
Elaine @CurbVulture: Were you scared to make that transition from the Austin antique mall to your own location?
Sonia @RevivalVintage: I just went for it. Like luckily having no fear and not overthinking it, I think it was probably better than like, let me do a business plan because all of that can really just take you down some crazy thoughts.
Elaine @CurbVulture: What is something you think is different about your business?
Sonia @RevivalVintage: Pretty much like the curation. I really tried to make it seem seamless. Doesn’t seem like there’s different vendors. Just try to make it flow very easily.
Elaine @CurbVulture: What is required of the vendors at your location?
Sonia @RevivalVintage: They come in and they do photos. I edit them, the email them like description so that we’re able to put it on the website, cleaning up their section. And, you know, it’s nice, when we’re all sort of there together, especially if like big pieces are coming in.
Elaine @CurbVulture: You also have an actual employee that works there, can you talk about that in your decision to hire an employee and not just have the vendors do the cashier and work the regular hours?
Sonia @RevivalVintage: Yeah, I have four employees right now and originally, when I’d started, I did have the vendors come in one day a week once a month. So it just didn’t really work out and I’m just like, you know, it’s fine. When will, you know, we’ve got this. I even brought somebody on when it was the tiny store because it’s a lot of work and when you’re still sourcing to have your own store, it’s a lot.
Elaine @CurbVulture: What is your advice for somebody who is thinking about opening up a store at a different location?
Sonia @RevivalVintage: Look for something similar and neighborhood that has, maybe it’s a record store or a flower shop or a coffee shop just something where it doesn’t have to be the designation spot. Being spot, make it into your own Community because, you know, like, once you have three cool stores, people are like, oh, that’s go. Get coffee and a record and look for vintage.
Elaine @CurbVulture: What is your store’s address and hours?
Sonia @RevivalVintage: We are at 5201 North Lamar. Currently, we’re 11:00 to 5:48 Monday through Friday, 11:00 to 6:00 Saturday and 12:00 to 5:00 on Sunday.
Elaine @CurbVulture: One of the things that really stood out to me when you were just talking was just because it’s five dollars, doesn’t mean you have to pick it up. If it doesn’t align with your brand, I really like that piece of advice.
Sonia @RevivalVintage: Yeah, I try not to take herself in this whole thing. So, seriously, try and like, step back when you can work hard when you have, when you feel it, take that weekend off to skip an estate sale now and then have fun with it.
Elaine @CurbVulture: Thank you, Sonia, for joining us today. I really appreciate your insights and advice.
Sonia @RevivalVintage: Thank you for having me.
Elaine @CurbVulture: That was Sonia, owner and founder of Revival Vintage. I hope you enjoyed listening to her talk about her journey into the world of owning a physical location. Join us next time as we interview mid-century Millennial whose vintage style has been featured in Atomic Ranch and Apartment Therapy. Until next time, head down, keep hunting, and keep posting those vintage items, and believe that you too can be successful at this amazing job.