With retro floral wallpaper and racks of vintage clothing and home goods, Albuquerque’s newest vintage store offers consumers a chance to buy eclectic items sustainably.
Located just next to the El Vado Motel, Swan Song, at 2500 Central SW, opened in late November.
Owner Vanessa Dagavarian said she started thrifting vintage clothing as a teenager, but the idea to open her own vintage store didn’t come to her until last fall — and just three months later, Swan Song opened its doors.
Dagavarian said she sourced her inventory by going to local thrift stores and estate sales and by ordering discontinued stock from an out-of-state company.
“Almost everything is from New Mexico,” she said.
Dagavarian said there is a healthy community of vintage stores in Albuquerque, with each offering something a little different from the next. Dagavarian said she hopes her store fits into that ecosystem by offering vintage items at an affordable price.
“I think it’s an eclectic mix and I try to keep it really affordable,” Dagavarian said. “… My goal is to have a $20 dress at all times on the rack, even if it’s just one. … It’s definitely not high-end, but it’s not a bargain store.”
Though vintage items make up the bulk of the stock at Swan Song, the store also features sustainable goods and locally made beauty products like Many Waters soap and La Rioja Coconut Wax Candles.
Dagavarian said most vintage stores often rarely carry a mixture of new and vintage items, so it was important to her to add that selection so even nonvintage lovers could find something to enjoy.
Swan Song is open 11:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday and from noon to 5 p.m. Saturday.
For more information, visit swansongabq.com.
