Tales from Treasure Troves

On any given day, a visit to these stores can feel like a trip down memory lane or a journey into the unknown. Here’s a peek behind the scenes.

The merchandise comes from all over

“They source from everywhere,” depending on what their booth sells, Wheeler says: “the Marketplace, estate sales, yard sales, the market in Atlanta, online, everywhere.”

Smith and Eaves say that list checks all the boxes for their searches, along with auctions and acquaintances who reach out when they’re redecorating or helping their parents downsize.

Vendor waiting lists are long

“I think [finding vendors] was my biggest concern, that we were not going to have enough people to fill the store,” says Wheeler. “That hasn’t been an issue. We generally have 20-plus on [the waiting list] at all times.”

Katherine Schurer says she’s kept a record of all interested vendors since she and husband Paul opened their first Vinterest store in Hixson in January of 2015. Other Vinterest locations have followed on Chattanooga’s Southside and in Nashville. Her running list now has almost 1,000 people on it, she says.

Diversity is key

Store owners usually don’t want aisle upon aisle of the same merchandise. The variety benefits the vendors, too.

“You don’t want to have competition under the same roof,” Wheeler says.

To jump to the top of the waiting list, a new vendor must offer “something we don’t have that’s trending,” Schurer says. “If it’s something we haven’t seen in town before, we’ll get them in.”

Vendors pay rent and other fees

The standard setup is a flat fee based on the size of the space the vendor occupies, whether it’s a double booth filled with furniture or a single shelf for a jewelrymaker’s latest designs. Customers pay for items from all booths at one centralized register, and the commission on each sale is often 10% to the store owner, 90% to the vendor.

Booth upkeep is required

Vendors are responsible for setting up their booths and maintaining the appearance of their displays. They are regularly updated on what sells, so they know when their space is bare.

Nave-Montero says she encourages weekly check-ins, “but some come in every day to refresh or swap something from there to here. They’ll fluff it, restock it, sweep, dust, whatever they need to do.”