Hebron Vintage: New store is destination for vintage clothes, and it’s not your grandma’s antique shop

There is a difference between antique and vintage, said Vilard Alexan, the owner of Hebron Vintage.

“Antiques is 50 years or more. Vintage is in the last 20 to 30 years,” Alexan said.

He’s spent the past 15 years focusing on vintage, attending estates sales and garage sales and combing through resale shops to find the clothing items he loves and that he thinks customers would love too.

What Alexan did not have was a storefront. That changed in November, when he made a deal with the former owner of Prairie Avenue Antiques. He would buy the building at 9936 Main St. and give her and the booth owners renting there time to sell out of their inventory.

Those who have not been in the store for a bit should notice the change, Alexan said.

“Before, it was a lot of antiques and the average [customer] age group was 50s to 70s,” he said.

By updating the store’s look, cleaning out some of the junk and changing up vendors, Alexan said he believes his customers will be more in the 18- to 35-year-old demographic who are seeking vintage clothing.

“We are going from … when you walked in it was clutter and junk to switched around and modernized for a younger crowd,” he said.

Alexan and his vendors have suit and tuxedo jackets, dresses, furs, leather, jackets, coats and hoodies, purses and shoes, as well as classic T-shirts from the ‘80s and ‘90s.

“We have so many new vendors it is a brand-new store,” Alexan said.

He also has space. There is 3,000 square feet on the main floor and 1,500 feet on the lower level. Originally a grain and feed store, there is an antique elevator with a clerestory letting in lots of natural light. Alexan also is living in one of the three rental units on the second floor.

Some of his vendors are coming to Hebron from Chicago because the town has built a reputation as a center for vintage clothing. Stan’s Vintage started in Hebron before adding a McHenry location in February. Owner Mick “Stan” Johnson closed his Hebron store earlier in July.

Hebron also offers him something Chicago does not, Alexan said: affordability.

“If I had this in Chicago, do you know how much I would be paying [for the space]?” he asked. “I cant afford to be in Chicago.”

Those looking to buy vintage clothing and decor usually are willing to drive to find it, Alexan said.

“This is a place that if people know about it, they will come. It is about getting the word out there,” he said.

Vintage shoppers are looking for clothing that is better-made than what can be found in stores now, and others seek out vintage clothing because it’s just more “green.”

“Some of them say it is so [clothing] doesn’t go into landfills. They care about the environment,” Alexan said.

Some items are just harder to find than they used to be, such as the rack of old Wilson-brand leather.

“They have stopped making them now, and it is very hard to find leather jackets,” Alexan said.

And, because he likes them and because it is Hebron, Alexan also has curated a large selection of Harley-Davidson clothing and memorabilia.

“Hebron is known for Hart’s Saloon,” he said. The biker bar is next door.

The store is not all clothing, however. There is a mix of the newer vintage, and some of the antiques still are on the sales floor, too.

A grand opening is set for 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, July 27, at the store, with 20% off everything, Alexan said. More information can be found on Hebron Vintage’s Facebook page, facebook.com/HebronAntiques.