ROARIN’ THREADS

ONLINE VINTAGE BIZ, RETROSAURUS REX, AIMS FOR REAL-WORLD STORE

words by mckenna scherer • photo by andrea paulseth

IF YOU HAVEN’T HEARD OF RETROSAURUSREX VINTAGE IN MENOMONIE, you might have seen some of its pieces on the big screen. The locally owned online and soon-to-open physical store with a catchy name has quite the tale.

Sara Sorenson, the stylish red-haired creator and sole entrepreneur behind RetrosaurusRex Vintage, has a keen eye for all things rad and vintage, hence the creation of the online store in 2013. With a true love for the treasure hunt of antiquing and thrift shopping, Sorenson specializes primarily in clothing from the 1930s through ’80s, also picking up pieces from even earlier and through the 2000s. However, Marvel Studios seems to have an appreciation for her older ware.

“We’ve had some pretty cool sales to movie and television series and theaters,” Sorenson said. “Most notably, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel (and) Marvel’s Captain America: Civil War.”

Also having sold items used on the TV show

Mad Men, at the London Royal Opera House and Williamstown Theater in Massachusetts, among others, Sorenson primarily sells through popular resell app Poshmark (@retrosaurusrex), though she began on Etsy, and has most recently been accepted by Thrilling, an exclusive resell platform for hand-selected sellers that’s been highlighted by Vogue and Refinery29, among others.

With more than 600 individual listings on her Poshmark platform, you’d think a good chunk of RetrosaurusRex inventory would be up for sale. Well, you’d be thinking wrong.

With a plethora of items ranging from Gunne Sax dresses, ’80s Metallica posters, vintage Bongo and Gitano denim, jewelry, knickknacks, and so much more, RetrosaurusRex Vintage is a curated, fantastical playground for all vintage lovers.

Though she’s made thousands of sales, most of Sorenson’s items have yet to even be tagged or put into the building she hopes to open as a by-appointment physical shop.

But vintage selling requires a heck of a lot of research, and that often means extra time and care placed into mending items, too.

“It takes me a lot to give up on an item, so

Open Now

An Olive Branch for Engaged Couples

ACCORDING TO THE WEDDING REPORT, A MARKET RESEARCH FIRM, the number of weddings happening in 2022 is the most since 1984, largely because the pandemic pushed back weddings planned for 2020 and 2021. With supply shortages and inflation, getting married has become more stressful than ever in some ways. Deanna Wheeler, owner of Olive Branch Events, wants to take the stress off the wedding couple so they can enjoy their day. Wheeler has been in the event planning business for eight years and is passionate about giving couples their dream wedding. Olive Branch Events was started in Madison, but about a month ago Wheeler and her family moved to Eau Claire, bringing some of the business with them. Olive Branch Events tends to weddings in a large radius that includes the Chippewa Valley, Madison, and even the Twin Cities. They don’t have an office, which allows for more mobility for all of their planners. “The best part about planning a wedding is being a part of the couple’s big day,” Wheeler said. “You spend so much time with them and helping to bring the day together that when the day finally comes, it’s amazing to see them all together.” Whether you’re looking for a planner to jump in a month before your wedding or if you want them from the start, they will continue to pursue your vision. Not only are they the people you and the vendor turn to for design and direction, but Wheeler also says they are no strangers to being a sounding board on the big day since emotions tend to be high. To learn more, go to olivebrancheventsco.com. –Sawyer Hoff if it’s got stains or anything wrong with it, I’ve taught myself over the years how to mend it,” Sorenson explained.

Though there is money to be made in curating and reselling sought-after pieces, Sorenson most enjoys the life she is able to fold back into items.

“What I really like is when the stuff finds a new home, that’s the coolest thing,” she explained. “A lady got married overseas in a vintage dress she bought from me, and it’s like, the person who donated that had no idea what other life this dress was going to have.”

Though business is booming, Sorenson has had to take steps back due to her health. (A rare neurological diagnosis impacts her dayto-day life and movement.) Her true goal with RetrosaurusRex Vintage is to solidify its family roots and pass it on to her children. Having her two sons and a partner currently learning the ropes of the biz, Sorenson’s hobby and love of vintage curation will hopefully become a family business.

Read the full article to learn more about Sara and RetrosaurusRex on volumeone.org, and visit its Poshmark @retrosaurusrex.