CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — A vintage shop located in downtown Corpus Christi is taking customers back in time.
Owner Monica Ellison opened 20/20 Vintageat 423 Lomax in the Marina Arts District in July 2019.
Staying open during the ensuing pandemic the following year proved to be challenging.
But Ellison has been resolute, providing an array of iconic clothing, accessories and furniture to Coastal Bend shoppers.
When people arrive in the store, they know that when they are walking and coming in to see things from the past brought into the present.
“It’s kind of a feeling and a vibe when you come into the shop,” said shopper Kyler Caron of Phoenix, Ariz. “As soon as I stepped foot in here there was a happiness that felt really cool.”
Ellison said the store opened over the July 4 weekend in 2019 and has been open ever since, except for a short time earlier in the pandemic.
“But we were really aggressive with our social media platform to let our customers or new people know that we were offering curbside deliver as well as local delivery,” Ellison said.
The products offered are like a step back into time, according to customer Emiliano Ortega.
“What’s a cool shop to head to and they said the vintage shop right down the street,” Ortega said. “You know, there’s a lot of macabre stuff that we like.”
Ellison said her business provides something unusual for downtown apart from most local merchants.
“I was really eager to have a local business that offered a shopping experience,” she said. “Not just an eatery or a place to have a cocktail or watch a sports game but actually to go shopping."
The merchandise is unique to Corpus Christi and hopefully will keep bringing customers back as new products arrive.
“Something that is really fascinating about vintage jewelry or purses, in this case, the clothing is that these pieces are 50, 60, 70 years old in there and are still in amazing condition," Ellison said. "This is a perfect vision of vintage items that are not just vintage but are unruly.”
The shop is open 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday, and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday. It is closed on Mondays.