Uncovering Priceless Artifacts: A Sneak View of the Most Recent Vintage Shop in Tallinn
Our crew recently visited Tallinn, the capital of Estonia, which is a great city. Tallinn-metoo's hub, full with medieval beauty, history, and, of course, visiting visitors. This newest vintage store, Metsvintage, was especially pleasant to find in the middle of the city on historic streets.The owner Meril was quite interested, and we surely enquired about the operations.
Can you tell us a little about your background ?
I was born in Tallinn but moved to the countryside near the small town of Rapla with my parents when I was 12. I transitioned from being a city girl to a country girl. After graduating from school, I returned to Tallinn and worked in various industries such as call centers, logistics companies, and steel companies. Next, I returned to school and earned two bachelor's degrees, one in business management and the other in web development. Then, for 7 years, I worked as a call center manager for ERGO Insurance Company. And then I met my husband, who lived next to Viljandi and had bought an old mill that he wanted to restore.
So I quit my job in ERGO and moved in to my husband's place. We made the decision to restore the mill and make it our new home. It wasn`t easy because we had totally different tastes in interior design. We both made a lot of compromises, because we knew that if we made it, then we could live together happily ever after.
What inspired you to open a vintage second-hand store, and why did you choose the historic center of Tallinn for its location?
I have loved thrifting most of my life, because in thrift stores you can find unique and quality clothes that don't cost much. I enjoy the treasure hunting.
After quitting my job, I struggled to decide what to do next, and my husband encouraged me to start my own business. I wanted to do something that I love, and second-hand clothes is it. I chose vintage clothes because I love the styles before the 2000s.
Initially, I solely operated an online store, but I was keen to expand into a physical store as well. So firstly, I opened a store in Viljandi old town. It did ok in the summer, but Viljandi is a really small town, and at winter time there were really few customers, so I had to close it. Then I decided to try Tallinn and opened a store in the Kalamaja area. There I saw that my main customers are tourists, but this wasn`t the prime tourist area. So I closed the store there and opened the store in Old Town to be closer to tourists.
Also, I feel that in Old Town, the vibe for vintage stuff is right. Vintage clothes are unique and special, and they deserve the boutique-ish atmosphere that the old walls offer.
Opening a store in such a prominent and culturally rich area comes with its own set of challenges and opportunities. Could you share some of the considerations you had to deal with?
I consider myself fortunate to have discovered this location for my store, as the owner has recently refurbished the rooms, eliminating the typical challenges associated with renovation in this region. The only struggle that I have at the moment is to get permission from the city to keep the blackboard sign on the street.
With the rising popularity of sustainable fashion, what unique aspects does your store offer to stand out in the competitive market?
I don't know if this is unique, but I personally handpick all of the items we sell in the store. My taste greatly influences the choice of clothes and accessories, emphasizing unique styles and cuts, outstanding details, high-quality fabrics and sewing, and interesting patterns.
We also want to keep the store atmosphere botique-like so that customers feel special in our store.
Looking ahead, what are some of your short-term goals for the store in the coming year? Are there any specific events or promotions we should look out for?
Currently, our goal is to upgrade the store as much as possible so that our customers can enjoy shopping vintage.
We also have an online store, metsvintage.com, which we are developing to become international. We are working to connect our online store with our physical store customers.
At the moment we haven't planned any specific events or promotions, but there surely will be some in autumn and winter. The best way to be up to date with our offers and events is to join the newsletter.
Lastly, why did you choose to focus on vintage and second-hand fashion? What personal experiences or beliefs influenced this decision?
I believe my influence began when I was 12 years old, and we relocated to the countryside. We relocated to the countryside when Estonia gained independence from the USSR and the Estonian government restored the assets the USSR had confiscated. In 1993, my mother grew bored with my grandfather's farm and made the decision to relocate our family there. At that time, we, like most people in our country, had limited financial resources and possessions. Fortunately, we still had many relatives in Sweden who had fled there before World War II. So they sent us 2 or 3 trucks full of second-hand clothes and other stuff to help us.
I was so amazed at the clothes and other items that came from Sweden. During the Soviet era, the clothing available for purchase was unattractive, of low quality, monotonous, and uniform in style. The second-hand clothes we imported from Sweden were truly unique, with vibrant colors, stylish designs, and high-quality materials.
So I guess I fell in love with second-hand clothes then, and I have preferred wearing second-hand since then.
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