Batch Vintage
Batch Vintage is an Instagram vintage store gone storefront that you need to add to your shopping radar.
Founded in 2017, the store was originally nothing more then a few Instagram posts here and there and then an abundance of clothes in a the basement of a Toronto home.
Co-owners Marc Anthony Spanl and Arianna Salteri never expected the business to the scale to what it is now.
It all started when Salteri posted a vintage piece from her own collection to her Instagram story.
Almost immediately she was offered $70 for the item, in shock that off of one piece of clothing she made almost more in a day then she did at her day job, Salteri thought 'why not take on the extra business as a side hustle?'.
"We've always loved vintage," Spanl told blogTO. "We would go vintage shopping and anything we thought was cool or had value even if it wasn't our size or style, we'd buy it! We knew we'd have a friend who would enjoy it."
In Spanl's basement racks of vintage clothing started to pile up, and whenever he had friends over he'd let them shop in his little treasure trove of a collection.
"It got to a point where his friends would wear the clothes they got from his basement out and about and people we didn't even know were asking them where they got it and if they could visit the 'shop' too," adds Salteri.
After a while their Instagram follower count started to rise.
For five years the couple ran their business over Instagram (and in their basement for close friends) while also each working their own 9-5 jobs.
They were shipping clothes to people in New York and other parts of Canada, but with a large amount of their clientele being in Toronto, it made sense for them to open a physical location here.
The brick-and-mortar store officially opened this past April. After five years of solely selling online, it represents a new and exciting adventure for the duo.
Walking up to the building can be a little confusing, but when you see a bright red door branded with three large yellow stars in a vertical line painted by Feelings Vintage and Knitwear, you know you've found the space.
Make your way up two flights of stairs, turn left and you've found the place you're looking for.
The space is divided by free standing walls and is shared by six other businesses including florists, antique shops and other vintage sellers.
Each shop is decorated to their own aesthetic making them easily identifiable for what they have to offer.
Batch Vintage sits in the far left corner and is distinguished by Spanl's big t-shirt creation.
"The clothes themselves are our decoration, we didn't have to do much other then the big T-shirt which was Marc's idea," admits Salteri.
As far as the clothing goes, Batch doesn't carry one specific style. They have graphic T-shirts, belts, fun handbags, funky pants and other items that typically range in price between $30 and $60.
They also carry some 'super rare' pieces that cost more than $400.
"Opening a store has been different," says Salteri, "but it's also been so much fun, it's been so nice to be able to see the people who love the clothes we have and see how excited they get when they purchase a piece they love."
Batch Vintage is located at 1110 Dupont St. on the second floor and is open Friday to Sunday from 12 p.m. to 6 p.m.
Fareen Karim