The Bevy Vintage Collective Is Welcomed To Downtown Albany, Grand Opening Celebration
May 10, 2024
We all know the outdoor, vintage-only market that pops up a few times yearly in Albany’s warehouse district. Now, over four years in operation, it has grown its offerings, featuring more than 50 vendors, attracting many from out-of-state
Sarah Minguela is part of the team behind Albany’s Vintage Roundup and now has her venture as owner of The Bevy Vintage Collective located at 412 Broadway in downtown Albany. The vintage retail store opened this spring and celebrated its grand opening on Friday.
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Bevy means a large group of people or things of a particular kind.
“My grandfather always used the word. He might have been the only person I ever heard use it, so I felt it was fitting to use it with the store being a collective of people and vintage,” she said.
The Bevy Vintage Collective is a 1,400 sq. ft. store made possible with the support of the Downtown Albany Retail Grant Program. Minguela explained that it features up to 11 rotating vintage sellers who lease sale space.
“The store is designed to flow like one store,” said Minguela, who supplies all the hardware and hangers for the store and sellers to keep a cohesive welcoming space.
The Bevy sells vintage clothing, accessories, and some housewares. The clothing is available in women’s, men’s, children’s, and gender-inclusive styles.
When she picked the location, Minguela was influenced by the storefront windows and the view across the street of the SUNY administration building. She also loved the neighboring businesses.
Minguela said the vintage market is stronger than ever and explained the timing was right for a storefront.
“More people are into vintage and thrift. I think COVID had much to do with that,” she said. “With everyone at home, people got more into their own heads and individual styles instead of following the norm of advertising and what big brand stores are showing them.”
She pointed out that even big brand stores now have vintage shopping sections. “The vintage industry will only keep growing along with individuality and fashion.”
Near the corner of Broadway and an alleyway connecting Beaver Street, The Bevy Vintage Collective joins nearby restaurant Loch & Quay and two other storefronts that feature clothing, housewares, and other soft goods—The Fort Orange General Store and The Vandy Thrift Shoppe. They’ve established their distinct destination within downtown Albany’s central business district.
“Once I am not as busy hosting The Vintage Roundup and Openbaar Market, I would like to start having pop-ups down here on Beaver Street,” Minguela said.
Looking back to 2016, each of these businesses was made possible with Downtown Albany Retail Grant Program support. Together, they form a downtown destination, furthering Impact Downtown Albany Strategic Plan implementation. Since the program’s inception, it has leveraged more than $2 million in new investment and has activated more than 25,000 sq. ft. of retail space downtown.
The Downtown Albany Retail Grant Program is made possible with support from the City of Albany Capital Resource Corporation and is administered by Capitalize Albany Corporation.
Minguela has lived in Albany for more than twenty years and started selling vintage clothing online in 2016. She said she has been collecting vintage clothing and items since high school.
She started running an Etsy shop in 2016, following the COVID-19 pandemic she decided to make selling vintage a full-time venture. This led to the inception of Albany’s Vintage Roundup with business partner Kristin Bradley, which has grown to total capacity for its Broadway location over the years and now features 56 vintage vendors.
Minguela also owns Openbaar Market, which features makers, artists, and community resources. Both seasonal markets are located at 946 Broadway in Albany’s Warehouse District.
In addition to The Vintage Roundup and Openbaar Market, she owns Lone Dame Vintage, an online shop that sells feminine vintage clothing from the 1930s through the 1970s.
Minguela has and will continue to travel to vintage shows all along the East Coast, selling her wears.
The Bevy Vintage Collective is open Wednesday – Sunday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. You can find The Bevy on Instagram @thebevyalbany and elsewhere on social media.
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