For Linda Rose Spence, the commute to work is only a step out the door. Often barefoot with the shop cat Tommy following behind, Spence greets customers with a smile and small talk as they enter her vintage shop, Spence’s on Jackson.

After opening the turquoise door of the shop located at 722 Jackson Ave., a number of unique objects can be found.

Whether it is a 1950s pillbox hat or a plaid suit coat, Spence has dedicated almost 38 years to selling and searching for these vintage pieces.

“It’s a treasure hunt,” Spence said. “It’s almost like kind of a secretive type thing where you feel like it’s a mission.”

Spence said the challenge of finding these treasures keeps her motivated.

“Even after 38 years I can still say I still get excited about my work,” Spence said.

Spence said she loves clothing and jewelry; later commenting on a sign behind the register: “If I won the lottery, I’d still be here…but you might find my jewelry distracting.”

She said vintage jewelry, along with ugly Christmas sweaters around the holidays, are two of the most popular purchases made at the shop.

Spence said she looks for ugly Christmas sweaters around the year, usually ending up with 200 sweaters by Christmas time.

Like the sweaters, many of the pieces on display at Spence’s shop were purchased throughout the years at estate sales, rummage sales and auctions.

While going to these sales, Spence said she never looks for anything specific, just unusual.

“I just want it to be different, very eclectic and something I think somebody will just fall in love with,” Spence said.

Spence first started attending these sales when her children were small to find things for her home and family.

This hobby soon became a small business operated out of a bedroom closet after she started getting requests from friends to find objects at the sales.

After receiving more and more requests from friends and friends of friends, Spence knew she needed to expand the closet business.

“I had so many people coming in by appointment I decided I better find a shop and get open,” she said.

Spence’s passion for finding unique vintage objects is represented just as much in her store as it is in her home at the back of the building.

Along the mantel in Spence’s living room, a collection of clocks, each stopped at different times, exhibits Spence’s dislike for fighting time.

The living space, as well as the shop, is decorated with an eclectic mix of retro radios, cameras and other trinkets.

Alongside shelves of antique novelties, racks of clothing, differing in patterns and colors, fill the shop.

Elizabeth Dwyer, a junior political science major, has worked at Spence’s on Jackson for the past few weeks.

Dwyer said her favorite part of working at Spence’s on Jackson is looking at the different purses and hats in the store. The store carries a variety of hats, ranging from straw hats to hats covered in feathers, and purses crafted from printed leather, sparkling beads and colorful fabrics. Items like these are often looked over by customers, Dwyer said.

“I think a lot of people come in and they don’t take enough time to look around,” she said.

Dwyer encourages people to come in and spend more time looking through the numerous racks of clothing and accessories.

While speaking about the shop, Spence took time to comment on a plaid jacket a customer was trying on.

Spence said one of the most rewarding parts of her job is pleasing the customers. She thinks it’s a great feeling to help customers put together outfits they see and love.

The uniqueness and versatility of vintage pieces are two of the reasons why Spence likes vintage items, but her favorite objects in the shop are not dated pieces of clothing, shiny bangle bracelets or multicolored strings of beads, but an object that holds sentimental meaning. Spence stepped out from behind the counter, kneeled down by a display case and pointed to a set of white model cars on the other side of the glass.

Spence’s brother, who passed away at the age of 15, made the white cars. These are one of the items in the store that are not for sale.

Although Spencer’s shop does carry some newer pieces of clothing, it is the older vintage pieces she truly loves.

Sam Bohne can be reached at 581-7943 or at shbohne@eiu.edu.