Jennifer Rickard
The Oklahoma Daily
Nov. 1, 2005
Quaintness and vintage fashion lacing clothing racks and blanketing tables transform a typical college-student home into a vintage shop of limitless dress and accessories.
This household vintage sale is the idea and vision of two OU students, Dana Fisher, public relations junior, and Katie Mann, early education senior.
Their store -- christened Rose Rock Vintage, 1001 Classen Blvd. -- cleverly ties its name to Oklahoma roots. One of their friends helped them come up with the name, Mann said, and many of their companions have helped them along the way to creating and initiating their dream.
Fisher said the reality of their idea started when Katie moved in and the girls began talking endlessly about their visions and excitement for such a store.
"We always shared ideas," Fisher said. "And we finally decided we weren't going to be those people who just sit and talk about it."
The girls had their first sale a month ago in their backyard, where Mann said they had a greater flow of customers than expected, with sales more than tripling their original investment.
"It's fun to feel supported by friends and the community," Mann said. "And the vintage shop is kind of an outlet because we both have other jobs and, here, we learn the ins and outs of small business."
Fisher said opening and running the vintage store has been their attempt of doing that one thing they love.
"I've always wanted to do this, and for me, it finally gets to the point where your closet is so full that you just can't get anymore stuff."
Thriving on a passion for vintage and thrift shopping, Fisher said her growing and overflowing collection of vintage items has reached a point where it must be passed on to the next antique or vintage lover.
It's the process of passing on unique items from one owner to the next that makes buying vintage clothing and accessories so special to them.
"All this stuff has had some girl before who loved it," Fisher said.
Taking hold of a glimmering silver purse, Fisher added, "Some gorgeous girl carried this on a date." And that's what makes the items so unique. Mann said such items that are all so distinctively beautiful shouldn't just be tossed aside.
"Better these things to be passed on than get thrown away," Mann said.
Fisher said another reason for their sales is because in many vintage stores the items can be heavily overpriced, and they wanted to provide an alternative to that.
Their plans are to continue having vintage sales once a month when they are able to get a permit to sell out of their home, and Fisher said they also hope to continue collecting and then pack their things up to do sales in other towns.
"It's all so fun, but it's hard because you want to keep it all for yourself too," Mann said.
The sale will take place on Friday from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. and Saturday from 12 p.m. to 6 p.m.
Items at this weekend's sale will include shirts, blouses, jackets and skirts as well as luggage bags, ash trays, dishes and glasses.