Sunday Love

Anyone raised in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, knows that vintage thrift stores – which cater to the mix-matched, tight ripped jeans, converse, plaid-shirt wearing “hippie hipsters” that reside there – are superabundant. However, amidst the bounty is an innovative store, which not only sells vintage items, but artistically assembles and recreates things that would have otherwise ended up in land fills.

Sunday Love, a 1,000 square foot business on 624 Grand St., lures customers in with Beatles tunes resonating in the air. Through their windows, passers by can peak into the wonderland of items from yesteryear as well the creations of 20 to 30 artists represented there. It’s rustic wooden floors and unfinished brick walls provide an ambiance consistent with the style of their merchandise.

There is an odd assortment of articles, of varying prices, which include a 1951 edition of monopoly complete with the pieces, vintage bottles of half-used colognes and perfumes, a 1960 model electric Lady Schick shaver, a leather embossed decanter, and an orange and green couch that would perfectly fit on the set of “That 70s Show”, but recently has been sold.

Sunday Love started as the life-long dream of Greer Keeble and a business proposition made by her boyfriend Scott Shatzer to his father Ned Martin Shatzer, over a cup of coffee in July 2009. “Within ten days, we were in here and signing a lease,” said Ned Shatzer.

There are a considerable number of thrift stores within the 11211 radius: including Sweet Virginia, Brooklyn Vintage, Dolly G’s, Buffalo Exchange, MiniMini Market, Beacon’s Closet, Drawing Down the Moon, Dreanne Didomenico Vintage, Vintage Thrift Shop and Screaming Mimi’s.

Despite this, Ned does not consider them to be his competitors. Comparable businesses provide either vintage furniture, vintage clothing or “custom funky cool things” but he believes their combination of products stand out from the rest. “We have not found anyone that does [exactly] this anywhere.”

The store’s character reveals itself through its medley of vinyls, LIFE magazines from the 1960s, dolls that have been converted into clocks by virtue of inserting clock hands into them, two feather quills and glass ink jars minus the ink, a gypsy necklace that converts into a broach and an “assortment of pics from back in the day” for one dollar a piece.

There are paintings by Sean Higgins and Nicholas Rezabek, of The Bubble Process company, whose clients include the likes of the Dave Matthew’s Band as well as other magazine publications.

Coasters, napkins and towels bear hand-printed illustrations and diagrams drawn by former architect Sara Selepouchin, owner of the company Girls Can Tell.

Merit badges, created by Lee Meszaros, humorously reward knacks that include “having meat on your bones”, “for cutting it close”, “doing it like rabbits”, “pushing the envelope”, “surviving first love”, “being quiet as a church mouse” and “being a straight shooter.”

These works of art, created by artists Shatzer does not know personally, co-exist with others that have been recycled, “upcycled’ and subjected to the creative flair of Keeble, Shatzer Sr. and Shatzer Jr. “Most of these pieces we have had some input on.” He added, “It’s not classic refinishing but we put our creative spin on things.”

“We find things that are destined to fill land fills and we put them together,” said Ned Shatzer. A variety of 40-dollar clocks, decorative frames and light switch plates with designs that vary from birds, to human hearts, rib-cages and skulls, are some of the exclusive designs of the co-owners.

Not only do they provide mingle-mangle but vintage shoes and clothing items; 15 to 20 funky items on hangers that rest on long wooden branches hanging from the ceiling and attached by either chains or blue string. “We noticed over the last year that the clothing does really well,” said Ned Shatzer..  An expansion of their vintage attire selection is underway since he believes their accessories, gloves, shoes and hats sell like hot cakes.

Since they obtain their odds and ends from salvage yards, auctions, flea markets and on the streets in the neighborhood and “neighboring states”, they boast being “green oriented.” “We even got these horse shoes from an Amish family in Pennsylvania.” In fact, Keeble recently made a trip to Ohio, her home state, and returned with more clothing.

Supply purchases, like paint needed whenever refinishing furniture, are minimal. “We find paint in the streets […] and buy mistake paint stores like Home Depot.” Minimal costs are ideal, in fact, he would be surprised if they spent 500 dollars in one month.

Materials are not the only things Sunday Love is saving on. Shatzer deems their rent, which was not disclosed, as “a good going rate for a corner spot with good natural foot traffic in Williamsburg.” Foot traffic is conducive to attracting customers. In fact, this is evident by the many people that spontaneously pop in, including one women that was looking to purchase a last-minute birthday gift for her mother-in-law in the price range of 60 dollars and ended up buying several things.

The customers are usually that of Sunday Love’s their target market. “We are myopic in our target market: 25 to 35 years of age, post grads, who are in their first job and/or first apartment that they really care about.”

“Our business model is […] kind of a parallel to the IKEA model […]We target people that do not have a lot of money […] however we are offering a different product line.” IKEA’s customers are of the same age group as his except Ned, Scott and Greer are offering a different product line that caters to the artsy and hipster type. With a chuckle Ned said, “We like to call it anti-IKEA”.

Since they appeal to the less well-off, he believes the recession has stimulated business for people wanting to save money or who take a liking to vintage items.

The co-owners consider their customers’ financials when determining prices; the main deciding factor being perceived value. “If we had a Herman Miller chair in here, it would not matter if it was an authentic or a rip off. To us it does not matter because our clientele can not afford a Herman Miler chair anyway,” Shatzer said. In that sense, they simply charge within the price range their patrons could afford. Also, when deciding on the prices for recreated items, they rarely take labor into account.

Brenna Board, a Williamsburg resident and a frequent customer, considers Sunday Love’s prices to be in the medium range. ”Sometimes I think it could be a little cheaper,”she said. Board explained that she understands that they have to make rent. Nonetheless, she loves shopping there. In fact, every time she strolls by, she gives into the enticing feeling of going in and adding to her collection of old things.

Board prefer the quality of these items. “Things aren’t made as well as they used to be,” she said. Nadia Kazmi, a first time perspective customer, echoed this thought: “It has a history and is better made.” Kazmi’s  friend Mary Bishop said, “I don’t like new stuff; never have.”

Customers also consider the items to be more interesting than that of regular merchandise. Kennedy Campbell, who strolled around the store for a while, said, “I think a lot of vintage items have a lot more character as opposed to a lot of newer clothing and items.”

As common vintage shoppers, it is a matter of preference for them. Board also shops at the vintage clothing store Dolly G’s and Kazmi shops at the store Junk on on North 8 and Driggs Avenue. Campbell and his friends just “like vintage stuff.”

Not only does Sunday Love, which calls themselves “your neighborhood vintage store,” render what is aesthetically pleasing to their clientele but they yearn to promote a “happy and healthy” neighborhood which Ned considers achievable by having successful businesses. They often refer their customers to other stores. “We are very friendly to our so-called competitors.”

However, by taking in items that are intended trash, they are also promoting a happy and healthy environment, on a local scale, one refinished piece of furniture, vintage item and artistic creation at a time.
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Sunday Love:
http://www.sundaylove.biz/

Some artists represented at Sunday Love:

1. The Bubble Process:
http://thebubbleprocess.com/about.shtml

2. Girls Can Tell:
http://www.girlscantell.com/about/

3. Be Proud Badges by Lee Meszaros:
http://www.etsy.com/shop/leemeszaros

4. Hand of Fatima:
http://www.handoffatima.com/

5. Another Jamie Davis:
http://www.anotherjamiedavis.com/

6. Gary Wade: Fine art and decorative objects:
http://www.artwade.net/Purchase.html