The Library Vintage is an emerging store here in Fayetteville that opened in February of 2024. If you visit their home page, www.thelibraryvintage.com, one can get a swift insight into what this store is truly all about. This business is not your typical reselling store, as their mission statement is to create a community center, and a safe space for shoppers to upcycle and supply swap, as well as expressing themselves creatively.
The Library Vintage is not a non-profit, but rather a center for changing the way community members retail shop. “We want to survive in this capitalist hellscape but we are going to bring as many people into the fold as possible. We aren’t a thrift store, we are a creative recycling logistics center.” While this does give insight to their goal, I had the wonderful opportunity to sit down with the owner, Meg, and get a deeper look into the presence they have created here in Fayetteville.
Meg started by explaining that while all products within the store are for sale, the main source of revenue is rental subscriptions. When visiting The Library Vintage, you will find options for two different subscription services: a $20 monthly fee to rent out one item at a time, and a $50 monthly fee to rent 5 items out at a time. There is an unlimited amount of swaps within the month, and absolutely no late fees. “For many reasons, I wanted to have a store that was as inclusive and accessible as it could possibly be.” Meg explained. “We choose the clothes not with one specific person in mind, but instead with everyone in mind.”
If this sounds too good to be true, I completely understand. I was, like many others, under the impression that businesses not hell-bent on profiting off shoppers are doomed to fail in today’s age. However, Meg explained that it has done the total opposite. “We realized in the beginning that everyone was very willing to support us” They stated. “Although we are not a non-profit, we still accept donations from those supporters, and as someone who cares about apparel and focuses on sustainability, I understand that not everything needs to be sold.”
This led Meg into starting ‘Free Fridays’ where they put out a bucket of the donated items and allow anyone to take what they want, free of charge. While I was in the store, Meg encouraged me to look through and take any of these items, and I was shocked to see free shoes, clothes, Covid Tests, Plan B, craft supplies, and more. It is so evident that their mission is to support people in this community, regardless of the profits they are seeing, and it was shocking due to how refreshing this outlook truly is. “I believe in community, not competition.”
It is also essential to express that the other side of this mission is to create a queer space within Northwest Arkansas. Growing up in the South and living in Fayetteville the past ten years, Meg understands the need for safe havens such as this. “As long as I’ve lived here, I’ve seen people move away because there hasn’t been enough resources,” Meg explains. “That is why it’s so important to me that every single person who walks through this store understands it’s a queer space first and foremost.” This desire for a queer space also leads into their business model of creating a community center, and a place for people to gather without the pressure to spend.
Within the center of the store lies a large table, nestled alongside filing cabinets of miscellaneous art supplies. The supplies are completely free, some being found by Meg and some being donated. The Library Vintage often holds craft nights, sometimes themed, but ultimately made to be a third place for people to meet.
As someone who was previously unaware of the inner-workings of The Library Vintage, I was overwhelmed with gratitude for Meg and their mission. From being offered free wifi, a drink, and toys to play with as soon as I entered, I quickly understood that this is not just a store, but rather a new way of living as a consumer today. The art of sharing a community closet with others, supporting local businesses, and creating a space for queer creatives to express themselves freely is something so precious in the state of the world today.
I asked Meg if there was one message they could leave readers with, what would that message be? Meg took a deep breath, paused, then smiled softly stating “Just come in. Everyone can be here, so come and see what we’re all about… and if it’s not for you, you probably know someone who it is for.”
Located at 48 E Township St., one can find this sweet escape tucked in between Onyx Coffee and Rockhill Studios. Businesses such as The Library Vintage are innovative, refreshing, and paving the way for the future of sustainable fashion. If you get the opportunity, I highly encourage all readers to visit and see this impact in person, as it is evident upon entry that this store is unlike any other in Fayetteville. Hot people share clothes!
Ryanne FitzGerald
Contributor
Ryanne FitzGerald is pursuing her Advertising and Public Relations degree at The University of Arkansas, and is a new Star Shopper intern. From her bio:
I ultimately set out to study advertising and public relations because I enjoyed how it mixed business with creativity, and I knew if I did not end up in a field in which I’m passionate that I would be sure to burn out. I have always been a creative person, and I would even go as far as to say it is the overarching quality of me that bleeds into everything I do. It is not limited to any form, whether its music, dance, fashion, painting, cinematography, poetry, crafting or more, I will be drawn to it. This is what pulled me to advertising in the first place, as I found old commercial jingles growing up took more precedence in my mind than learning about times tables during my formative years. I am a firm believer in everything being art, down to the lines created by a trail of ants or the way littered trash mimics wildflowers.
