S C.
Yelp
First of all, I have to confess that I don't have the sweet, spikey hair of man-about-town and ignored, chagrined photographer of lighthouses and head-shot extraordinaire Rafael Macias. You'll see my humble profile picture does not convey the same continental jet-set air as his playful head-and-shoulders candid - gripping a bottle of what appears to be Zima on a beach while donning a tasteful summer white suit and glancing at his blackberry - but I do know my way around a vintage shop or two. And sometimes, it's okay to just extend the first "hello" when walking into a shop. "Hellos" are not something I withhold as a pass-fail test of customer service acumen, but then again, I know not the power of a Guy Fieri spiked do. I can't begin to know the power such a vessel wields.
I am but a simple vintage shopper, in the market for clothes, not home goods or "more eclectic household items". As I could plainly see from a cursory glance in any of the shop windows, this is a clothing store, stocked with clothing. As in clothing. For the body. Not the home. Or kitchen. CLOTHES. Maybe you're a person who considers rugs and drapes to be clothes but for houses, in which case, what's wrong with you? Shop elsewhere. CLOTHES!
I did the unthinkable when first entering Little Ghost: I made eye contact and extended a "hello" to the woman behind the counter, you know, like a human being. Based on the abysmal one star reviews, I expected a chilling stare in return, a cold and empty silence eventually pierced by the sound of a crow "caw"ing in the distance. But instead I was greeted in return, even asked if I was looking for anything specific! Imagine my surprise!
The woman was not only helpful, but charming. The conversation veered from the shop, and vintage, to her pets at home. She was a delight. I learned the shop is apparently run by two women in joint ownership. Props to my fellow business ladies (cue "Sisters are Doing it for Themselves" on the jukebox).
Reading reviews that underscored how "small" and "tiny" the shop was, I expected a 10 x 10 shanty, but I was pleasantly surprised. The shop has a front area with a good selection of Women's vintage clothing, maxi dresses, jumpsuits and longer items separated by era, with fun images and chuckle-inducing captions.
The vintage shoe selection is also solid. There's a full rounder of sale items, that on the day I arrived were an additional 50% off of marked price. An unexpected gem: a super-sweet dollar bin, that I found several goodies in. Ya gotta wear your digging hat to take full advantage of the dollar bin. I was lucky that two other shoppers with apparently killer fashion sense were digging before me and left their rejects on the basket rim for me to scoop up. Thank yooooouuuu!
The middle area of the shop also features a cute display of shorter and midi dresses organized by era, opposite a display of pants arranged in a gradient to celebrate every color of the rainbow. I went ahead and snagged the kelly green 70s bell bottoms from said display, THANK YOU very much. Sad to have disrupted the rainbow flow; Surely they replaced it with something equally glorious.
The pieces are all in exceptional condition, and if there is an issue, it is notated and priced accordingly. As a vintage collector, I know how challenging it is to not only find and unearth such magical pieces, but to also process every piece and note each issue for such a high volume of merch. Props to these ladies who know their inventory like the backs of their hands. They run a tight, if not quirky, and humorously offbeat ship. Just how I like it.
The back of the store features a larger selection of sportswear, mens and unisex items. I was blown away by the sheer volume of deadstock items they had in store. We're talking mint pieces from the 70s and 80s with original retail tags still attached. Virginal, unworn, pristine NEW OLD STOCK. And all with reasonable prices. This place is a dream.
Also, do yourself a favor and have a peek in the fitting room, but wait till it's unoccupied you weirdo. You'll find more captioned photos inducing such deep belly laughs, you just might split your vintage slacks. I won't spoil them for you. Go in and enjoy them for yourself.
Rumor has it this shop gets hit with an influx of performers from Merrill Auditorium, Megan Mullally and Nick Offerman among them. If it's good enough for Karen Walker and Ron Swanson, well it's good enough for me.