The Beginnings

Honestly, this is the first blog I have ever written. Bear with me please. dirtybarnVintage is kind of an interesting story in its birth and beginnings.

I was active duty in the U.S. Coast Guard transferring from Newport Rhode Island to Hobucken North Carolina. When I arrived at North Carolina all things were normal. I was standing my normal duty and taking my off days to relax, go to beach, etc. I noticed something was missing from my day to day. My enlistment was coming to an end and I had an opportunity to get out and join the ranks of civilian life. I dove into cold water without any clue how the civilian world worked. Once I separated, I received a job with Carteret County emergency services. I basically jumped back into a first responder job that I was just in; the missing feeling was still there.

Let’s rewind back to 2005. Fresh out of Highschool without a clue, I joined the Coast Guard. Served until 2015. So, this is all I’ve known. During my military service one of my hobbies was picking. I would travel around whatever area I was stationed in and look for interesting finds. Eventually it turned into me acquiring nice items and then selling them to local antique dealers through craigslist ads.

During my time working at Carteret County I was drop shipping and selling items through Amazons FBA program, my heart wasn’t in that. In my mind those items are easily replaceable, and my passion was antiques. Along with Amazon FBA I opened an etsy account in 2016 and started posting small items. I did all of this to supplement my income, I took a big hit leaving the military. I met Kristen Armstrong in January of 2016, she was working for her father’s electrical business and I was continuing the county job and online sales. Most of our time spent together in the beginning was going out and finding items and posting them online.

We both had a passion for finding the unique and bringing it to the public. Taking something that once was and putting life back into a forgotten piece. A year passed and we had built up quite a big inventory and rented our first storage unit to store items. We started hitting advertising and antique shows all over the country and picking along the way. This got our name out there and we built a reputation over two years of having quality items.

Finally came a point to investigate a commercial space. We knew it had to be perfect for us. We found a craigslist ad for 317 Pollock St. It was for a small 250 sq ft office. We met John Long and signed a lease. We were so excited to finally have a place to work away from home. During the 6-month stint in the upstairs office we displayed items and clothing on a random basis. It was mainly a showroom and we would open when we could. Down below our office the old social security administration space was being renovated to bring in a new bar. We were going to work with the new bar and put pieces on display and for sale. One day we were approached by John and he had mentioned that the bar wasn’t going to be coming to fruition and he wanted to give us a shot at a bigger space. After careful consideration and a weeks’ worth of discussion with Kristen, we pulled the trigger. We signed another lease at 317 Pollock for 1600 sq ft and started the interior design process.

We were so excited to truly bring a bigger more inviting space to the public. In May of 2018 we opened our doors. Kristen and I cannot express how happy we are with the turnout and support. Its been such a fun ride and we are only getting started. We continue to travel and do shows across the country. We are very specific about which shows we do now.

Please keep up with us as more travel blogs and in store blogs will be coming out. We appreciate the support!

-dirtybarnVintage