Kelly Callison, the owner of a2vintage that has been a staple of downtown Ypsilanti store for over a decade, prides herself on making everyone who enters her store feel like family. “We don’t take that lightly,” she said. “When people walk into the shop, we genuinely care about who they are and how we can best serve them.”
When Callison began the process of launching her shop, she promised herself she wouldn’t be like all the other vintage shops she’d been to. She wanted to sell only vintage. Not new things made to look old, not knock-offs, but true vintage.
“I’ve stuck to that and I’m proud of that,” she said. “It’s not easy curating true vintage pieces and having them at a price point that isn’t insane. We have $1 records and $5 tee shirts all the way up to $100 albums and $100 tee shirts. It was really important to me that when people walk into the shop, we provided cool stuff at a budget that everyone can afford.”
Viewing a2vintage’s collection, they carry an incredible selection, from vintage concert tees to JNCO jeans; classic rock to hip hop albums and CS; trucker hats to Jordans.
Callison worked hard to get a2vintage to where it is now. She started as a small shop in Ypsi next to Puffer Reds, and spent years learning how to navigate the politics of being a woman-owned business. Unexpectedly losing the lease 2 years ago put her business in a scary situation, but it worked out for the best as she was able to secure a new lease in the old Mix art gallery space.
“Fortunately I was introduced to Bonnie, Theresa, and Ed, who owned and operated Mix,” Callison said. Without even knowing her, they took a chance on her: “They gave me the opportunity to move into their space and build my business.”
This opportunity led Callison to what she thinks is the best spot in all of downtown Ypsi: the corner building on Michigan Ave and Washington.
“When Mix closed their Ypsi location, I was fortunate enough to move into the corner building after the Mauer family again took a risk on me and the shop without knowing anything about me,” Callison said.
Callison views herself as lucky to have ended up where she has, with people that were willing to take a chance on her business “with my word and a handshake,” she said. “I can’t thank those that have helped me build my business enough for believing in me and taking a chance with me.”
Creating a warm, caring atmosphere was an important business value of Callison’s in addition to staying true to her vintage dreams. “When I say our shop is a family-owned business, that is exactly what we are,” she said. “My mom, lovingly known as Momma Deb, is really the heart of our shop. She’s the face that everyone sees and loves. She keeps the doors open and the lights on allowing me to do what I love, find the things that fill our shop and share them with all of our customers.”
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The family touch is taken seriously by Callison’s employees. “My mom calls every person that walks thru the doors her kids,” she said. “She gives out her personal phone number and tells them “if you ever need anything, you call me. You need a ride home, you call me” and she means it.” Momma Deb has cultivated such relationships in their community that people stop in to check on her when Callison’s not around. “She means a lot to the community,” Callison said. The community a2vintage has cultivated is not something she takes for granted. “Without those folks, we wouldn’t have made it the last 11 years. We truly understand that without our customers, we wouldn’t be living our dream.”
Callison understands the joys and challenges families face — she has 7 year old twins and a 12 year old son with her wife Jes. Her kids often spend time in the store on the weekends, although Callison jokes, “I’m still convinced that my kids only come up so they can go to the Rocket but I’ll take what I can get!” It definitely contributes to the friendly atmosphere that a2vintage fosters.
In a world of Amazon, it’s so convenient to just sit on your couch and order everything you need on your phone. We all know it’s best for our communities to shop local, but it can be hard to be motivated to do so! Callison gets how easy it is to sit at home and order what you need from big stores and Amazon, but in her opinion, it’s just not the same as the face-to-face interaction.
“When people walk into a2vintage, you’ll be greeted with great music, a friendly atmosphere, and a smile. You’ll enter as a customer and leave as a friend,” Callison said.
That’s what sets a2vintage apart. “We’re gonna treat you like family no matter what and we’re gonna remember your face the next time you come in,” Callison said. “At the end of the day, it’s about the relationships we cultivate and the sense of belonging to something bigger than ourselves that’s important.”
Check out their store here or in person at 130 W. Michigan Ave in Ypsilanti.
