On a sunny December Sunday, just a little off the beaten path in Northport, Ala., around 30 artists, collectors and vintage aficionados gathered under a small pavilion to sell their wares and bring a little vintage verve to the Tuscaloosa and Northport areas.
The collection of vintage vendors were a part of a new vintage market called 5th Street Vintage Market brought together by curators Lori Watts, owner of This Ol’ Thing Vintage; Sylvia Parker, also known as DJ Tom Kat Kitten; and Jamie Cicatiello, owner of Grace Aberdeen Habitat Alchemy.
“The market was extremely successful,” Jamie Cicatiello said. “We were surprised at how big of a turnout we had. We knew it was a success because we kept hearing the other vendors saying that they were having such a good time.”
After its success in December, 5th Street Vintage Market is returning Sunday, March 3, to Northport from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., featuring dealers from the region who specialize in vintage clothing, furnishings and vinyl recordings. The market will be at the Northport pavilion by Kentuck. Lori Watts said they are expecting around 40 vendors this time. Almost all 30 of the vendors from the December market are returning, plus an additional 12 new vendors.
Serena Blount is among the vendors ringing their praise. Blount is an English professor at the University and owner of Vintage Squalor, an Etsy shop where she sells mostly vintage clothes.
“The first market was tons of fun,” Blount said. “I enjoyed seeing what everyone else’s booths looked like and browsing their vintage finds. The day was gorgeous. Everyone was in good spirits, and, at the end of it all, everyone felt like the market was a grand success.”
Blount will be selling more of a variety of vintage items at the market than is in her Etsy shop.
“Once the market opened, I couldn’t believe how many people showed up – social media definitely did its work for us – and it was great fun to see lots of faces I knew from around campus and around town,” Blount said. “But what was even better was meeting lots of people who just saw our sign as they were driving by and pulled in to see what was going on.”
The 5th Street Vintage Market curators are making the market monthly eight months out of the year. The market seasons will be March through June and September through November.
Astri Snodgrass, a graduate student studying painting at the University, is another market vendor who is looking forward to this weekend. She will primarily be selling her knitting.
“It’s such a fun way to spend a Sunday,” Snodgrass said. “I’m excited to put out a lot of new things that I’ve made since the last market. I’m hoping that the weather will be as nice as last time.”
Blount said she definitely plans to keep participating in the market and is looking forward to the second market.
“The thing I’m looking most forward to on Sunday is the experiment of bringing out new items to see what people are interested in, what brings people into our booth and what sells,” she said. “It’s kind of like the thrill I imagine people get from gambling.”
Watts and Cicatiello both hope to see more of the college crowd this Sunday.
“[The first market] kind of brought both old and young alike,” Watts said.
But Cicatiello said she was hoping there would be even more UA students this weekend.
“We had a lot of people in the thirties,” she said. “But of course, we would like some 20-year-olds too!”
Snodgrass said an event like this is a great way for students to get more involved within the Tuscaloosa community.
“It’s so easy to stay inside that bubble of school without really experiencing the place you live in,” she said. “Anyone can benefit from finding some unique thing that you can’t go out and buy at Target or something. It’s a great feeling to find something one of a kind and well made.”
Blount said the market could be a good opportunity for students to stay fashionable and trendy by taking advantage of an opportunity to get real vintage clothing.
“Vintage style is in,” she said. “Lots of retail stores are capitalizing on the trend, but to me, buying ‘new vintage’ is like buying a fake – why not find the real deal? Vintage clothing can contribute to a unique wardrobe, as can furnishings and collectibles contribute to an apartment, dorm room or house that isn’t straight off of the aisles of Target and Pier 1. This is a fun way to branch out, discover people and parts of Tuscaloosa and Northport that they might otherwise never see and score some good finds while they’re at it. What’s to lose?”
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