AUSTIN, Texas — What started as a garage sale back in 1977 has turned into the City-Wide Vintage Sale, with more than 100 vendors from all over Texas.
"They come from far and wide, and they work hard and bring great treasures to Austin," said Sammie Dwyer, owner and originator of City-Wide Vintage Sale.
Dwyer had the idea more than 40 years ago and is surprised to see how much growth it's had.
“It really served as a marketplace for young, small businesses,” Dwyer said.
Now the event has become a jumping-off point for small businesses to grow into their storefronts.
"I love entrepreneurs," Dwyer said. “I just love that they can come in and figure out if this works for a long time.”
George Vogt is one of those entrepreneurs, bringing in his Texas treasures to the market.
"I’ve collected boots for about 70 years," Vogt said.
Vogt brings boots from his Thousand Boot Company to the City-Wide Vintage Sale. Each boot he acquires has a unique story.
"I like to know the people who made them, and I like the heritage," Vogt said. "I like to know the people that wore them – that’s more interesting to me than the boot."
His motto, "our usual is the unusual," applies to every new pair he buys. He's found boots from a movie star in the 1920s and Mongolian boots from the 1500s.
So whether you're shopping to find something from a few years ago or a few decades ago at the vintage sale, you'll always find something with a story.
The City-Wide Vintage Sale has about nine events each year in Austin. The next sale will be on June 24 and 25 at the Palmer Event Center.