Vintage Christmas shoppe

BISMARCK, N.D. (KFYR) - If buying new Christmas decorations every year isn’t your style, an antique Christmas shop offers the option of vintage décor.

The Vintage Shoppe at Buckstop Junction provides Christmas décor with a past and a story. The shop is run by two sisters, Judy Fried and Marlette Pittman. Buckstop Junction opened the boutique as a new way to engage visitors. The sisters volunteered to start the business from scratch.

“I said, ‘Okay, what do you have?’ and they said, ‘We have six glass cases and a book that’s written about Buckstop Junction,’” said Pittman.

The Vintage Shoppe had a modest beginning, but thanks to these creative siblings, it didn’t take long before the shop was full of gifts, decorations, toys, and more — all with their own stories.

“We thought well, we know where to get a lot of items that would be interesting, and we can get them on consignment,” said Pittman.

Along with knickknacks and vintage goods, there is one notable conversation piece in the shop: the decorated tumbleweed, hanging from the ceiling. Pittman says when Christmas trees originated, they were hung upside down from the ceiling, but the vintage shoppe had to improvise.

“This is going to bring the ceiling down, and I thought a couple days later ‘I know what I’m going to do, I’ll put the tumbleweed up there,’” said Pittman.

Instead of a full-grown tree, the sisters hung up a tumbleweed, in vintage Christmas tree fashion.

“I thought she’s amazing, she always has an idea, and it worked good,” said Fried.

While the Vintage Shoppe is another way to sell items to keep Buckstop junction going, the sisters agree this isn’t the sole reason they volunteer.

“It’s the engagement of the customer or visitor, to look and see and learn,” said Fried.

Whether you’re searching for Christmas décor with old time character, a unique gift, or just want to learn about Bismarck Christmas history, the Vintage Shoppe offers that and more.

The Vintage Shoppe opened April of 2022 and is open every Saturday.

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