Today we’d like to introduce you to Amy Ploss-Samson.
Hi Amy, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Growing up, my mom owned an antique shop in Pennsylvania and one of my first jobs was at an antique auction house. I’m an art school graduate, a professional photographer by trade, and a crafty maker in my spare time.
I have two close friends I met through work, who share my love for vintage and have a great eye for curating and styling. In 2017, we came together to start a seasonal pop-up shop in my photography studio space.
We promoted it as “Shop the Temporium” – blending the words temporary and emporium to signal the temporary nature of the pop-up and the unique mix of vintage, art, and local maker’s goods.
We continued with two more pop-ups through 2019 and heard great feedback about how well-styled the shop was and how we helped customers envision how to bring new life to old pieces.
In 2020, I decided to step away from photography for a while, and with the support of my two friends turned business partners we flipped the studio space into a brick and mortar storefront called Shop Temporium. The shop has now been open a little over one year, and we stay true to the roots of our pop-up with dynamic shop displays, seasonal installations, and constantly evolving merchandise.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Shop Temporium opened in 2020 during the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, so that certainly posed its own set of challenges. Keeping our staff and customers safe was our priority. In addition to that, I moved to Japan four months after we opened.
But, my two business partners have great vision and passion to manage the store day-to-day, and I’m able to run the administrative side of the business from afar. It’s not ideal, and I miss being there, but the store is in great hands until I return.
As you know, we’re big fans of Shop Temporium. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
Our shop takes a fresh approach to merchandise that we hadn’t seen elsewhere locally, with well-curated vintage mixed with craft goods and artists’ work, all styled together, rather than the typical booth set up shoppers were accustomed to at local maker’s markets. We have an eclectic mix of merchandise- vintage clothes, decor, and curiosities; coffee; locally-made jams; jewelry; cards; art; t-shirts; books; glassware; ceramics; plants; furniture… the list goes on!
Our shoppers tell us that they can make several laps around the shop and see something new each time.
We want the shop to feel like a part of the community. Somewhere to spend time leisurely browsing after brunch. A connector between the San Marco square and the other businesses on Hendricks. A place to stop in and get a quick but memorable gift.
A way for makers to beta test a new idea, get their brand off the ground, or sell their work without having to physically man a booth. A place to buy thoughtfully curated secondhand goods at a reasonable price, for customers who don’t have the patience to sift through the thrift store or have the eye for reinvigorating reclaimed pieces.
What matters most to you? Why?
Our Shop Temporium family is everything to us.
Our shop concept wouldn’t be possible without the great eye of our vintage curators and the incredible talent of our makers; the ongoing support from our spouses (we each have young children and are running this business in our “spare” time!), and of course our customers.
We love seeing return customers and hearing about their last purchase and meeting new customers who’ve stumbled upon the store and are excited to find something like this in Jax. We are humbled and grateful for all of the support we’ve received and we want to keep growing and keep building the shop and its family.
Pricing:
- Art, Gifts, Clothes, Housewares and Furniture from $3-$500
Contact Info:
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: shoptemporium.com
- Instagram: @shop.temporium
- Facebook: facebook.com/shoptemporium
