An Interview with Rose Vintage Shop Owner Samantha Balk Mistry

I am so thrilled to share this interview with you. My lovely friend Samantha Balk, the owner of Rose Vintage, agreed to an interview about her life as a traveling vintage shop owner, what inspires her, and her dreams. Enjoy!

 Tell us all about yourself and the business you run, if you'd like!

Samantha Balk: "Hello! My name is Sam, I'm originally from a state shaped like a mitten, had the pleasure of living in Missoula, MT for 3 years, and now I live in Chicago! I love fashion and mountains.. strange combination, I know! I collect vintage treasures and sell them on Rose Vintage! I also have a blog where I love to write about what inspires me. It's called Threadesque, which means a lifestyle inspired by fashion."

What is the hardest challenge about running a traveling vintage boutique? What about the best part?

Samantha Balk: "The hardest thing about running a traveling boutique is that you're always on the go and it can wear you out. The upside is you get to travel the U.S. seeing places that you would never normally get to see and meet other vintage crazed folks!"
 How does it work traveling around with your shop? When do you need a permit and who do you acquire it from?
Samantha Balk: "Each state varies and it depends if you're doing an organized show or just parking randomly downtown."
 What is the story behind the purchase of your trailer?
Samantha Balk: "I found "Rose" online and drove to Reno to pick her up! You can watch a little video from our road trip HERE!"

 What makes your business different than any other vintage retailer?

Samantha Balk: "I feel like that what makes RoseVintage different is that I use my personal style to curate my shop, rather than focusing on trends alone. I also love to treat all of my customers like they're family! I never want anyone to leave RoseVintage without a smile!" :)

 Where do you hope to see your business in ten years?

Samantha Balk: "I try not to set too high of expectations and goals. I just know in 10 years I want to continue to be happy and healthy and surrounded by the people I love!

Polly: How often do you thrift for your items?

Sam: As often as I possibly can! I try to daily!"

What is the oldest piece you own and its story?

Samantha Balk: "My engagement ring that's from the 1920's! It's really special because my fiance, Donovan, picked it for me! He knows me so well! It's platinum filigree with a sapphire as the center stone and four little baby diamonds surrounding it. It's literally my dream ring and I get to stare at it every day!"

What is the hardest part about curating pieces that may have rips or stains?

Samantha Balk: "I try to keep the integrity of each piece without doing extreme alterations to them. Depending on the stain, I use different treatments that will lift and clean. That could be anything from baking soda and white vinegar or just good ol' Oxy Clean!"

  Do you have any advice on promoting your business?

Samantha Balk: "The easiest way for me to promote RoseVintage is by using all of our social media outlets: (Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, Blog, Pinterest)!"

Thank you for that wonderful interview, Samantha! Thanks for letting me into your amazing apartment. Meeting you was so much fun! See our meet-up HERE!

love, polly :)