We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Tina Hudson-Beamer a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Tina, appreciate you joining us today. What’s the backstory behind how you came up with the idea for your business?
I have always had an appreciation of the vintage style. From as far as I can remember, I have always loved fashion and being different and unique in my style.. I would say my love of vintage happened without me even realizing I loved the vintage aesthetic or that there was even a true market for it out there. Even when I shopped the cookie cutter stores in the mall, I gravitated toward pieces that had the 50’s to 70’s look. When I realized that vintage stores existed, I made it a point to look them up anytime I went out of town and pretty much everywhere you go you can find a cool vintage store or antique mall that carries vintage clothing except in Dover/ Kent County. Other than your thrift stores we did not really have a vintage representation in the Kent County area. Even in the other counties throughout Delaware we really did not have actual vintage stores, maybe one in each county and nothing that combined the love of vintage and vintage inspired fashions together.
Taking entrepreneurial classes, working with local organizations that help small businesses get started and using my many years of retail management and visual merchandising experience, I opened Tina’s Timeless Threads on June 1, 2019 in Dover, DE. My goal for Tina’s Timeless Threads is being a one stop shop for all things vintage and vintage inspired, to help bring awareness of quality curated vintage and vintage inspired fashions to Delaware, and to continue selling my items world-wide. I would also love to acquiring a spot in being a source for movie productions. We have many great vintage sellers in Delaware and I would love to help get Delaware on the map as an it place for great vintage.
In addition to selling amazing curated vintage that does not come from thrift stores and vintage inspired pieces in small quantities from small businesses that use ethical practices, do not participate in fast fashion and offer unique pieces, I wanted to bring back some of the activities of times past such as pinup and swing dancing to the Dover area. I have been able to do this through offering pinup classes and pinup photoshoots as well as hosting dance lessons that are taught by world renowned instructors, such as Lindy Hop, Swing and many other dances that helped bring the community together and teach them something new.
The desire to get into wholesale, I sell curated vintage in bulk on several selling platforms and I am currently working on creating an exclusive Tina’s Timeless Threads vintage inspired brand with a local designer/seamstress. We have a few pieces already in production that you can custom order on my website at www.tinastimelessthreads.com. Because these items are made with vintage fabric and made to order there is 2 week turnaround time. My goal with my line is to slowly introduce it for wholesale to other vintage inspired boutiques.
Tina, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?
Tina’s Timeless Threads is a distinguished vintage and vintage-inspired boutique specializing in one-of-a-kind and classic vintage pieces in a state with limited options for curated vintage. Our collection features an array of rare, distinctive items as well as versatile everyday pieces that customers can feel confident purchasing, knowing that they are acquiring a timeless piece.
Customers can rely on us to fulfill their entire vintage wardrobe needs or incorporate key statement pieces into their existing collection by choosing from our diverse range of jewelry, accessories, novelty gifts, and other unique items.
For those who appreciate vintage aesthetics with a modern touch, we offer vintage-inspired products sourced from small ethically conscious businesses. Our vintage-inspired collection is size inclusive, ensuring a wide range of selections.
Imagine a world where fashion transcends time, where every piece you wear holds a unique story, and each one reflects your individuality like no other. Welcome to Tina’s Timeless Threads, a haven for the vintage enthusiast and a treasure trove of curated vintage and vintage-inspired selections in Dover, Delaware. Born out of a genuine passion for the unmatched charm of vintage fashion, our store aims to fill the void in the local retail scene by offering a collection that you won’t find at any mall or ordinary shopping outlet.
As someone who has always loved the allure of vintage styling, I knew that my business had to center around my love for these timeless pieces. What truly sets us apart is the precise attention to detail, quality, and the stories we build behind each item through marketing. However, also recognizing the struggle many curvier women face in finding true vintage clothing that fits them perfectly, I decided to expand our offerings to include vintage-inspired items alongside authentic vintage pieces, catering to a wider audience with diverse fashion needs.
With many years of retail management and visual merchandising experience under my belt, as well as the invaluable guidance from my father, who ran his own successful business, I had the courage and knowledge to turn my passion into reality. Taking advantage of local resources, organizations, and programs, I educated myself on the intricacies of creating a solid business plan and managing a thriving business. Finally, on June 1, 2019, Tina’s Timeless Threads opened its doors in Dover, DE, marking the arrival of a one-of-a-kind shopping experience in our state.
Embrace your love for all things vintage and indulge in the enchanting world of Tina’s Timeless Threads. Don’t just wear fashion – wear history, and let your style tell the story.
What do you think helped you build your reputation within your market?
My consistency with providing well curated unique one of a kind fashions that can not be found elsewhere in Delaware. For my product I try to have most of it ready to wear out the door by hand washing, dryelling, dry cleaning and disinfecting them before putting them out. I also utilize a local seamstress to repair as many pieces as possible before putting them out on the salesfloor. When customers came into my store they received an experience from the overall ambience such as the music I listened to in my store, the vintage decor and my extensive knowledge of my product as well as some of the great stories behind some of the product I carry. I was the first of my concept in my area so that was a big help in building my reputation in my market as a store that provides fun, upbeat, knowledgeable customer service, with amazing product that does not exist in other stores in the area.
Being able to come in and try out your vinyl on an authentic vintage turntable and receiver, if an item was purchased and needed alterations or a repair I would have that taken care of with my seamstress who was literally around the corner from my store and the fact that I am a walking representation of what my store is and offers.
Offering community events which is really lacking in the downtown area set me as a small business that gives back to the community, provide avenues for the community engagement and for our community to experience new, fun and interesting activities that connects them to some of the fun activities of the past.
Finally, we do really fun collaborative work with local models and photographers conducting 2 big photoshoots a year where we tell stories through film and photo’s. It is a fun filled day where many people get to work together, get outside their comfort zone and use their creative juices in an area that is not normally theirs. Our customers look forward to what we produce from these collaborations.
Alright – let’s talk about marketing or sales – do you have any fun stories about a risk you’ve taken or something else exciting on the sales and marketing side?
So this story kind of answers this question. Since opening Tina’s Timeless Threads, I have always wanted to host a vintage market. Making every kind of excuse on why I could not do one, money, time, not having the knowledge of hosting one etc… In June of this year I made the decision to close my brick and mortar at the end of August to focus on my online sales. Wanting other ways to stay engaged with the community I decided to jump in with both feet and started organizing a vintage fair. We have many great online vintage sellers in Delaware and as the first state we do not get the recognition we deserve when it comes to vintage. I have been to many vintage fairs. My very first one was in Brooklyn New York and I had many people come back around to my booth and tell me I had the best curated collection at the event and this happens a lot at many of the markets and fairs. Ok, back to the story. I approached a few local sellers I know and a few agreed to jump in with me. I created a 302 Vintage Market Page and working with my marketing assistant Karla, Yarissa and my husband Don we created, marketing, Karla created a cool video for the market, my husband took the logo she made from the video and created reusable bags we gave away to the first 20 customers and created paid ads to get the word. We had giveaways, we donated all our proceeds from the bake sale we had to a local charity, we had vintage cars set up for great photo ops and good music to create and fun and exciting environment. With the help of family on October 28 (original date was Saturday, October 14, 2023, but it rained on that date and the rain date) we had the first ever 302 Vintage Market (https://www.facebook.com/groups/1089880721985123/)and it turned out really well so the goal is to host another one in the Spring of 2024 and the Fall of 2024, Making it bigger each year.
The event was hosted in a field in Smyrna. I would say the location of the event was a little bit risky. It was off the main road almost in the middle of no where.. When I approached the vendors I was very transparent but very optimistic about what this event could be.
What I learned from this event was you do not always have to start off big you just need to start.. I had this grand idea of what I wanted my first fair to be. Had I continued focusing on that my first one would have never happened. I would still be planning it and talking about it. From the information I gathered from the vendors and guest who attended they all agreed it was a success.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.tinastimelessthreads.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/timelesstinas
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/timelesstinas
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@timelesstinas
- Other: https://linktr.ee/timelesstinas
Image Credits
Yarissa Luna Karla Lara Daniel Middleton Neshiya Guy Devon Filicicchia Maya Bythwood Marc Torres Evan Penrod Jennifer Alfaro Rivera Tania Braxton Elise Dickerson StrictlyGP KenKreator