BECCA MARTIN-BROWN
bmartin@nwaonline.com
“It’s all about vintage clothing and guitars for me! Oh, and records! And my vintage Nikon film camera!!”
The exclamation points — and the reflected enthusiasm — quickly explain how Sarah Frick went from collector to entrepreneur. Growing up outside Tulsa, Okla., she went to garage sales and antique malls with her mom and looked to the rock stars of the 1960s and ’70s for fashion inspiration, a nod to her dad’s passion for playing guitar.
Inspired by Joan Jett’s black leather motorcycle jacket, Frick was soon collecting “1970s polyester and nylon novelty print shirts with dagger collars and Justin roper boots. I have them in pretty much every color.” Then she was proprietor of a vintage clothing shop called Polly Hester at Love Me Two Times Vintage Mall in Tulsa.
Now, she’s taking a weekend market she started last year on the road — and Northwest Arkansas is Time Travelers Vintage Expo’s first destination.
“My background is in music and marketing, and I have a degree in graphic design,” Frick explains. “As a musician myself, I’ve been hosting music events for the past decade, and I spent much of my early 20s working for vintage clothing stores, so it was kind of a natural progression to mesh all of my interests into one.
“Traveling is a true joy in my life, and I love the idea of bringing so many collectors and small businesses to different markets for our customers to discover,” she adds. “We will be bringing Time Travelers to five new cities this year and will continue to expand that list each year. We have experienced so much excitement online from the Northwest Arkansas community. We can’t wait to kick things off!”
Frick says look for more than 100 vendors offering “vintage clothing, accessories, jewelry, home goods, small furniture pieces, vinyl records, vintage-inspired handmade items, and one-of-a-kind art” at the event March 18 at Rogers Convention Center. The other shows will be May 20 in Tulsa, July 15 in Dallas, Sept. 2 in Oklahoma City, Oct. 28 in Kansas City, Mo., and Nov. 12 back in Tulsa.
“Depending on the event, we have fun experiences like tattoo artists, tarot readings, tintype portraiture, palmistry, and more,” she adds.
“I think sustainability is a huge factor for people who love vintage and secondhand things,” Frick muses. “Being able to support small, local businesses and keep these incredible pieces of history from ending up in landfills feels good to people. The big plus to that is that these items are timeless works of art!
“For me, I want to wear clothing that I find beautiful and that makes me happy. I want to surround myself in my home with pieces that have a history and that were made to last. I’ve always been a bit of a dreamer so it’s fun to curate my home and wardrobe with pieces that support my fantasy of being a time traveler.”
FAQ
Time Travelers Vintage Expo
WHEN — 10 a.m.-6 p.m. March 18
WHERE — Rogers Convention Center, 3303 S. Pinnacle Hills Pkwy. in Rogers
COST — $10 adult; $9 seniors; kids 12 & younger free
INFO — https://www.simpletix.com/e/time-travelers-vintage-expo-nwa-rogers-con-tickets-118220
