Whatâ??s old is new again at Funkoma Vintage

Photo by Matt Nagle

FUNKY + TACOMA = FUNKOMA. Longtime Tacoma resident and Funkoma Vintage owner Tressie Schindele has filled her new Dome District shop with a large variety of standout clothing, music, household décor items and more from the 1930s-1980s.

If it was fabulous way back when, it still is at Funkoma Vintage, a new retro clothing and general kitsch shop at 306 E. 26th St. in the Dome District.

The selection on the shelves will be a cut above the rest, according to owner Tressie Schindele, as she has a keen eye for â??the best ofâ?? among all the things commonly found at estate sales, yard sales and the average secondhand shop. She said sheâ??ll be â??pickyâ?? about what sheâ??ll be offering at Funkoma Vintage.

â??Just because itâ??s old doesnâ??t mean itâ??s good. I like to find things that are a notch above,â?? she said. â??Weâ??re more expensive than a yard sale, but weâ??re not talking Tiffanyâ??s here, either.

â??I try to find things you arenâ??t going to see every day. If youâ??re looking for a fun little gift I can hook you up.â??

Funkoma Vintage features classic items from the 1930s to the 1980s including clothes, jeans, shoes, boots, jewelry, lingerie, fabric and patterns, tiki and modern bar paraphernalia, art, sunglasses, records, furniture, household décor and all kinds of stuff in between.

Schindele said the store, which she just opened June 1 with assistance from her husband Mark, â??has some serious antique stuffâ?? but the bulk of her merchandise is â??more in the line of fun stuff.â??

Dedicated recyclers, Schindele and her husband have a lot of respect for bygone eras and the everyday items produced during those times. â??If you look at things that were made in the 1970s and back they were made of better quality materials to last a long time. We werenâ??t a disposable society so much,â?? Schindele noted.

Schindele said she sees â??some of the wackiest thingsâ?? when sheâ??s out buying for her store, and she carries some items on consignment. â??People are hoarding stuff,â?? she said. â??Donâ??t let them fool you: their basements and closets are full of stuff yearning to breathe free.â??

She also sells goods on eBay and online at http://www.funkomavintage.com.

Schindele and her husband have lived in Tacoma for about 25 years. â??Thereâ??s something charming about Tacoma,â?? Schindele said. â??Iâ??m very Tacoma-centric.â?? The name of their shop shows this clearly â?? Funkoma rhymes with Tacoma. Tressie Schindele is also a former contributing writer to Tacoma Weekly. During the early 1990s she wrote a column called â??At Last a Decent Plotâ?? and wrote other stories about The City of Destiny.

While this is her first big venture into the world of vintage retail she is no stranger to entrepreneurship. She used to own the Steilacoom Forge Deli and worked with the owner of Rampart on Broadway, Steve Craig, when he was getting the art gallery established.

Schindele described Funkoma Vintageâ??s Dome District location as an â??up and coming neighborhoodâ?? with easy access by Link light rail, the Sounder and metro bus routes.

In addition to being neighbors with Yungâ??s Teriyaki and Tacoma Book Center, Funkoma Vintage is on the same street as a beloved Tacoma icon, Brown and Haley confectioners, makers of the world famous almond roca candy. â??It doesnâ??t get much better than that,â?? she said.

With summertime practically here Schindeleâ??s mind is turning toward the long, warm evenings ahead. â??We might be showing some old movies, or have musicians playing in the parking lot,â?? she said, adding that the shop will be open for Tacoma Art Walk on the first Thursday of every month so that local artists can show their work at Funkoma Vintage.

For more information call Funkoma Vintage at (253) 830-4891, or e-mail vaseline1954yahoo.com or visit http://www.funkomavintage.com. Check out the blog at http://www.funkomavintage.blogspot.com.

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