by Cori Hilsgen
news@thenewsleaders.com
A recent Friday afternoon saw some busy foot traffic at the new Vintage Market 101 located in downtown St. Joseph.
Owner Linda Johnson, who opened the business last November, was busy hanging a white corner shelf until customers began strolling in.
Jamie Kiess of Cold Spring said this was her first time in the store, but she has visited other businesses in the city. She said they have a cabin they rent out and she was looking for new lamps for it. She found one she liked and was hoping she could possibly have an identical one made.
“It’s cute,” Kiess said about Vintage Market 101. “I love all the reclaimed, painted stuff.”
Erin Hjort, Milaca, was returning to Vintage Market 101 for a dresser she had purchased the previous weekend. The dresser was for her daughters’ bedroom. She said she was excited to have discovered the business.
“I love it,” Hjort said. “I’m excited about the furniture. I’ve been looking for a dresser for a while and this matches my daughters’ new bedspreads.”
She and her two daughters, ages 9 and 5, and her mother had celebrated her mother’s 60th birthday with lunch, pedicures and some fun shopping at local businesses.
Coincidentally, they learned the person who had painted the dresser had the same birthday as her mother.
It was the first time Rollee Mohs had visited Vintage Market 101. Mohs has lived in St. Joseph for 52 years. She and her husband, Al, raised two daughters in the city.
“This is a unique shop,” Mohs said.”It has different and interesting things. It’s good to see the town having different shops.”
She said she loves St. Joseph because it’s close to everything and is a wonderful place to bring up children. And the schools are good also.
“Ladies come in groups to St. Joseph to have coffee and lunch and visit the area stores,” Johnson said.
Johnson said Saturdays have been especially busy at her new decor business which offers an eclectic variety of interesting items, including repurposed furniture and home decor, as well as many hand-made items by area vendors. Currently, she offers jewelry made from silverware, glass jewelry, greeting cards, seasonal pillow covers, Barbie doll gowns, flannel scarves, woolen mittens, knit hats and scarves, beeswax candles and barnwood benches and decor.
Johnson said each of her vendors has a unique talent to offer and together they hope to bring customers a great variety of products, with new – or old – items coming in every week.
Johnson and her vendors “hunt” for items they think someone can enjoy in their homes and offices. They do this at flea markets, auctions, thrift stores and more.
“Some of the items I find need a little ‘TLC’,” Johnson said. “My husband, Brian, helps in that area with any repairs that need to be done. He also enjoys building things when he has time.”
Johnson, who has eight years of experience selling her repurposed items, also offers some unique items at Vintage Market 101.
Johnson is a retailer of Coffee Bark, a delicious combination of coffee, chocolate and toffee. She is also one of two retailers in Minnesota to offer Mudpaint, a vintage furniture paint. The paint can be purchased at Vintage Market 101 and also at the Rusty Pick in St. Cloud, where she is a dealer.
Johnson put in many years of planning and research before opening Vintage Market 101.
“I’ve always been interested in this type of business, especially painting and repurposing furniture,” Johnson said. “It’s just something I’ve always wanted to do, and the timing is right.”
When the store space became available, it seemed meant to be that she should open her business in one of the oldest buildings in the city she and her husband have called their home for almost 30 years.
“I have always loved this building and its history,” Johnson said. “When I learned of its availability, I decided to look into the possibility of opening my business (in the building). It has worked out very well.”
If Johnson isn’t able to provide something a customer comes into her store looking for, she will refer them to other businesses.
“If I don’t have something that a customer is looking for, I will send them to other places I know might carry it,” Johnson said.
Johnson is enjoying meeting the variety of customers that come into Vintage Market 101.
“I have met the most wonderful people visiting with customers and vendors,” she said. “Their creativity and ideas are wonderful.”
Johnson and her husband have two daughters and one grandson. Their daughter, Danielle, and her husband, Ben Brannan, live in Milwaukee with their son, Henry. Their other daughter, Joelle and husband, Will Robinson, reside in Kentucky, but are currently living in Baltimore while Joelle finishes her master’s degree.
Vintage Market 101 is located at 27 Minnesota St. W. in downtown St. Joseph. It’s open from 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Thursday, Friday and Saturday and 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Sundays. For more information, call 320-290-5414.
St. Joseph resident Rollie Mohs looks at an item during her first visit to Vintage Market 101. Mohs, who has lived in St. Joseph for 52 years, said the store has many different and interesting items.
Owner Linda Johnson discusses the variety of items she sells at Vintage Market 101, which she opened last November.
Customer Erin Hjort, Milaca, returned to Vintage Market 101 to pick up a dresser she had purchased for her daughters’ bedroom during a previous visit to the store.
Vintage Market 101, located in downtown St. Joseph, offers a variety of repurposed furniture and home decor, as well as many hand-made items by area vendors.
Johnson is one of two retailers in Minnesota selling Mudpaint, a vintage furniture paint, at her Vintage Market 101store.
Johnson sells Coffee Bark, a tasty combination of coffee, chocolate and toffee, at her Vintage Market 101 store. Many coffee lovers enjoy this treat.
Jamie Kiess, Cold Spring, (left) discusses a lamp with store owner Linda Johnson at Vintage Market 101. This was the first time Kiess had visited the store.
