DALTON, Mass. — Local vintage shop Terra has moved to a bigger location downtown in an attempt to expand and build a deeper connection with the community. 

 

The thrift shop, now located at 11 Eagle St., opened during the pandemic two years ago on Ashland Street. 

 

Owner Samantha White said her curated offerings of clothing, housewares and decor are vintage but for the modern style. 

 

"So, we have the fun funky glassware but it's all very like in a sophisticated adult lifestyle but for those that still want a little sparkle of fun in their stuff," White said. 

 

Shopping and collecting vintage is like a journey of self-discovery because you're not shopping from products that are chain produced and looks the same, she said. 

 

Although vintage clothing is the most popular among customers White gets the most excitement about the housewares. 

 

She did not have a set image of what Terra would be when first opening but knew that she loved collecting and shopping vintage. 

 

"Some people are really excited to see something that's new and different. I've kind of had a hard time reaching the full community, especially at that last spot," White said. 

 

"So that's kind of a goal with this new spot is that I'll see more people that are just on their daily walks downtown."

 

The bigger space makes more room for White to expand her collection and host events. She hopes to host live music events, tarot card readings, and game nights with vintage board games. 

 

The space was formerly occupied by Mia's Exchange and renovated a couple years ago when Pittsfield board shop The Garden briefly opened a seasonal shop. It's been empty for some time.

 

White is especially excited to be part of North Adams First Fridays, a monthly event designed to bring people to the downtown with gallery openings, sales and activities. 

 

She opened for a couple First Fridays when she was on Ashland Street but didn't get as much business as the storefronts along Main and Eagle streets. 

 

Terra (Earth or earth goddess) seemed like a fitting name for her business because shopping vintage is eco-friendly.

 

Manmade material that clothing is made out of today does not break down easily, White said, whereas vintage can not only last longer due to the better material but also it is also not as harmful to the environment when it does deteriorate.

 

White first began shopping vintage 10 years ago when the first thrift shop opened in her "cookie cutter town" of Plymouth.

 

"I came from a very, like cookie-cutter place and this is not at all a cookie-cutter place. It's a very artistic  community, everyone can kind of do their own thing and still find their place and find their people. So that just always felt nice. I felt like I could find my place and my people here," White said. 

 

White moved to the Berkshires to attend the Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts, majoring in interdisciplinary studies with a focus in studio art and math.

 

She appreciated the diverse range of material that the liberal arts educated provided. Rather than having students focus on one thing that they are good at, a liberal arts education has students gather knowledge from other fields. 

 

"It was more like, 'sure, you might have this idea but you're also supposed to collect knowledge in all these other fields,'" White said. 

 

This form of teaching has "been really helpful when it comes to running a business because there's a million aspects" to it, she said. For example she has skills in curating but is also able to do her own bookkeeping. 

 

"So, to have the brainpower to navigate — that has been useful," White said. 

 

The shop is open Thursday-Saturday from 11 to 6 and Sundays from 1 to 4. More information on Terra here.