style type="text/css"> Awhile ago, I met with Miss Hinterland, also known as Deidre Wengen, writer, blogger, vintage goddess and owner of Hinterland Vintage an online blog and clothing shop. Deidre was a delight and she gave some insight into her challenging but passionate business.
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Where are you from?
I am from Northeastern Pennsylvania, so back up by Wilkes-Barre and Scranton are probably the closest cities, but I live even outside of that inside of a small town, its called Lehman Pennsylvania.
But, that is why I actually got into vintage clothes was the area I lived in, we had probably five or six Salvation Armies and they're humongous ans just a lot of really great stuff, so thrifting back home was always good. So, in high school I sort of started to hunt around and that's when I started to really enjoy thrift store shopping and looking for old pieces and that was always really fun. I think the only time I like shopping is when I'm thrifting.
A lot of people hate it, that's why they go to boutiques and go online to look for stuff, because when you go in a thrift store its scattered and crazy, but that's what I love about it. I have to sort of hunt through racks and bins and stuff so its always a little bit more challenging that way.
What is you're day job?
I'm technically a web content editor for PhillyBurbs.com and Calkins Media so its a lot of blogging, a lot of writing to sort of maintain sections of the website. So that sort of translates well to having a shop online and knowing, you know, the internet a bit and trying to work my way around that.
So what made you decide to start a store?
It felt almost like a pipe dream for so long. Something that I've always wanted to do that I knew I would love and enjoy but it seemed sort of impossible. I don't make a ton of money so opening a small business with student loan debt just seemed impossible. But, then the more I started thinking about selling online, its was just so much easier. Etsy is intuitive and well organized. Its very simple and I don't have to pay rent for a space. I don't have to worry about all the business aspects of it right away. So its been a long time coming. I'd love to eventually open up a little shop, if I could figure out a way to do it, but we'll see.
What has the response been to the store so far?
So far, its been pretty good. The store opened at the end of October so... I'm just still trying to figure out ways to get people to know its there and to know it exists, because in an online environment there are so many different places where you can go and buy things. So, I'm using Twitter and my blog and Facebook and different ways to try and promote it and to get people to know about it. But so far its been good and I've met a lot of great people doing it so that's been half the fun.
The technology and the social networking, I sort of can't stress the importance of it enough. I'm pretty familiar with all of the technology so to take it and apply it online and to this business has been really fun, but its work, its a lot of work. Spending hours upon hours on the computer to make connections with people and sort of lure in people who are interested in vintage clothes and say, “Hey, I'm here too. Look at my shop, look at my things”. But its been good and its been fun.
Is it just you or do you have people working with you?
Its just me, for right now. I go and thrift shop with the help of my little sister every now and again, but primarily its myself but I'm so thankful I have my friend [who] is going to school for photography so she's been taking all my pictures and she's helping model and has been so great and sweet and nice through the whole process. I couldn't do it without her because she is just so professional and she sets up lights and tells me how to put my hand and stuff like that. So its really fun.
How often do you go thrifting in a week? Well, its very difficult to sort of go thrifting in Philadelphia. At least in Center City and around, because I have access to a car but I haven't driven in about two and half years so if makes me a little nervous. So I generally like to go back home and thrift store shop a lot. Maybe every month or so I'll take a trip home for the weekend, visit my family and go to a ton of stores and just massive shop and come back with ten bags full of stuff and that will last me awhile. But I do go to some stores in the city. There's a Goodwill down on 22nd and Passyunk I think and I hunt around Philly Thrift a little bit. So there's a couple places. Every two weeks or month or so I'll get a ton of stuff and just have it, photograph it and list it.
It seems like a pretty efficient way to do it.
Yeah, because especially without a car, it does take a lot out of you to try and go out thrifting and carry around a bunch of bags on your arm. So if I'm home for the weekend then I just get a bunch of stuff and I have it in stock, that way its sort of a progressive thing where I can take my time and list when I have a chance to.
That sounds like a lot of work.
It is a lot of work. Having a full-time job and doing this on the side, it is a lot of work, but it's something I love to do.
You blog in addition to the store and you do a lot of interesting things like interviewing other sellers.
One thing that I love about vintage clothes is for the most part they're so unique so I don't necessarily feel like I'm in competition with anybody. As a whole I would like sellers to promote vintage buying in general. So that's my way to help promote other sellers who are doing a really great job, who have great stuff and who are dedicated to it. It's been a great way to meet people and hear their stories and see what they do and why the do it. It's been really beneficial to me starting out to hear about their experiences. One of my favorite blog features to do is interview other sellers. I ask the same questions every week and everyone has a different answer to the questions which I think is really interesting.
What do you think of vintage culture in Philadelphia?
I love it. I have so many favorite stores in the area. I love Vintage Connection and Retrospect is a really affordable alternative to the Salvation Army. It's a little bit higher priced but you're going to get really great deals there. I think the arts community and the vintage community is great. Especially with Northern Liberties and Fishtown, now there's so much going on up there. I'd love to see more people shop vintage and I love to see women incorporate it with a modern mix of things.
Cheers! VINTAGEonPHILLY
