raeraeVinTay A Quick Preloved Q&A
Rachel from raeraeVinTay tells us a little about her newish retro haven in West Melbourne.
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Can you tell us a little about you and how your reselling journey started?
Sure, it’s simply something I enjoy…. visiting op shops and markets etc . My daughters and I love vintage, collectables, and op shopping and you just cannot keep all the treasures you find. There’s also a little bit of a buzz finding something special on your travels and being able to find a new home for it whilst also making a few dollars.
What are your favourite online platforms to sell on and why?
At the moment my favourite is eBay, I find that it’s relatively easy to understand the platform and fast to list items. I use Etsy as well but am still only learning and building both platforms to be honest.
Marketplace is pretty good too depending on the item.
Shop now @raeraeVinTay
How did this lead to the opening of your physical shop in West Melbourne ?
I can’t say the reselling led me to open the physical store, as in comparison to some of the wonderful people I’ve met on this journey, I’m a novice at best. It was more the passion and feeling I would get when I would walk into some of the amazing market style shops when I would go shopping. Then I had an opportunity after the sale of a previous business to do something I really wanted to do, so I had a good think about it and thought if I had a choice, I would love to have one of those cool af vintage marketplaces!
So this was more about bringing all of the talent together for all of us Westies to enjoy if that makes sense.
So I took that opportunity and here we are 6 months later
Can you tell me about your incredible looking store and what shoppers, or stall holders can expect.
We are a vintage and collectable marketplace based in Melton VIC. We are open 7 days a week from 10am to 5pm.
It is vibrant, colourful and packed to the rafters with amazing vintage and collectable items brought together by approx. 33 different and very talented stall holders. The stock also changes regularly which is great because it keeps it fresh and interesting for the shopper. The stall holders visit on average approx. once every 7 to 10 days to restock (some as often as twice week)
Usually there’s a pretty good playlist on too so you can vibe whilst shopping. There’s also vintage clothing, we have a little dressing room under the stairs where you can try everything on.
We also have a few sections that offer giftware, a few indoor plants and novelty items too. It is a little deceiving from the front as a lot of shoppers mention when they come in that they thought it was small and just the front shop area but there’s a back factory floor plus an upstairs area to explore as well.
What was the hardest thing about opening the shop?
It was the self-doubt for sure, that I had in relation to the risk and commitment associated with it, the total change of career, everything. Every day I had to push through it and tell myself that if I don’t give it a go i’ll regret it later.
@raeraevintay The funnest business ever 😀😍😆 New drops weekly! Pop in so you don’t miss out on all of the awesomeness 🙌🙌🙌 #vintageheaven #vintage #vintagemarket #antique #vintagemarketplace #collectables #melton #raeraevintay #vintagestyle #quirky #kitsch #lamp #record #recordcollector #midcenturymodern #midcentury #cocacola #vintageclothes #military ♬ original sound – Rae Rae
What are you drawn to when it comes to buying for raerae VinTay?
Variety, quality, and value although I’m more interested in what the stall holders have to offer as they fill most of the space
The people I meet is what I love about it the most. I’ve met so many interesting characters and have learnt so much from the stallholders and the customers. So far it has allowed me to have a better work life balance which I am super grateful for.
Do you have any tips for what works well for you in marketing or promoting raerae VinTay?
Instagram has given us a lot of exposure, Facebook also brings in customers that do not use insta and our TikTok is currently a work in progress.
The tips from me for Instagram would just be consistent with your posting more than anything. We try to do around 3 a day, a mix of stories, posts and reels but just keep putting yourself out there. We also try to be creative, so the posts are fun and engaging.
And we make sure we are engaging with others by liking, following and commenting on other people’s content too.
What are you most proud of with raeraeVintay to date?
Just how it all came together, it looks amazing. We have a few more things we would like to get done but these will happen over time as we grow.
We were also lucky enough to have The Block come and visit us and we are finalists in the Melton Business Excellence Awards which is pretty cool too 🙂
Do you have any other resellers/similar shops you’d like to shout out?
All of our stallholders if that’s an option (100% yes an option)
If you’re looking for more retro in your life you can find raeraeVinTay in the following places
The shop can be found at 1/2 Norton Drive, Melton, VIC 337
It’s open 7 days a week 10AM – 5PM
raeraeVinTay
I for one cannot wait to check this place out next time I’m in West Melbourne.
Make sure you check Rachel and her stallholders out and follow them on some of her social media options above.
Thanks Rachel for my regular retro fix on my socials!
Vicky
Still in the mood to browse?
Don’t forget to check out my Ultimate Online Op Shopping List here.
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