Today we’d like to introduce you to Andrew Martinez.
Hi Andrew, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
Growing up, I was always interested in older items that related to what I was doing in that time of my life. It started off by playing baseball for my local little league team, which quickly turned into the interest of collecting vintage baseball cards and sports memorabilia. My father and I both became fascinated with finding new things to add to the collection, while also finding new sources of finding these items. First, we were going to yard sales and goodwill’s which then swiftly turned in to sports card collectible shows, which then turned into estate sales and auctions. I think the most interesting thing about this process was understanding that we could sell the inventory which we found that we didn’t need to cover the cost of buying the inventory which we did want to keep.
Then, the curiosity of being a kid grew into this passion and I became interested in other vintage items that we could find at these same sources. It started off with cards, then led into vinyl’s and albums, which then lead into really anything. I was buying stamps, cards, dollar bills, electronics, toys, and shoes. However, I did not start buying clothes at this point.
I believe the shift to clothing began in 2018 which was my junior year of high school. I became intrigued with different styles that were out of the norm in the south. I always believe that metro Atlanta has been a step behind when it comes to the fashion industry. As my styled progressed and my personal fashion identity flourished, I applied the same pattern to my vintage item hunting which now became a vintage clothing obsession.
Vintage clothing genuinely became an obsession, but a good obsession at that. It was the ultimate combination of my personality and interests into one. I could express who I was everyday, every time someone looked at me through a vintage clothing item. Furthermore, my dad became obsessed with it because he got to re-live the past with his son. The old concert band shirts, the old movies, the old menswear was back into style again.
Once I graduated high school, I made an agreement with my parents that if I finished college then I could open up a brick-and-mortar location located here in Kennesaw where I grew up. I sold my items primarily online through eBay and Instagram while doing a couple pop-up events a year. I was primarily selling and packaging these items out of my garage to make some extra money while in college. I knew that if I could commit to doing this until I graduated then I would be prepared for the next step.
I graduated college in December of 2024 from KSU with a business management degree and then began working on my lease for my location in Downtown Kennesaw on February 22nd. I finally opened my store location on September 6th of 2025.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Every business has it’s obstacles…. However, I believe my path at 23 was a little different. The saturation of vintage clothing resellers in the metro Atlanta area was low when I entered into the scene, but after COVID-19 the growth was exponential.
I was primarily getting my inventory from estate sales which already had some lines prior to opening time. I would get to estate sales 2-3 hours before the start time and be within the first 5 people to get into the house. Now…. phew… Good luck getting there 6 hours early and being within the first 15. Estate sales have BLOWN up due to social media and COVID-19. People needed to make money and make money quick which was accessible by reselling items at estate sales. I had to get to estate sales 6-12 hours before they opened and sleep in my car with a pillow and blanket just to secure my spot in line and not even guaranteed the items I came for.
Once, I was first in line at a sale with my dad and we decided to go back into our cars because it was 40 degrees outside. We had been there 12 hours early and solidified our spot in line, but someone rolled up at 12 am and walked to the door and sat there so we decided to get up again. The guy stood there saying you guys are not first unless you are standing in front of the door, so I got my sleeping bag and slept on the stone floor on the front porch of a random house in Newnan, Ga…. But yes I got everything I came for and 5x more.
The other obstacle I had was when I was signing my lease on my brick-and mortar location. The zoning for my building was an office type rather than a mercantile zone. This was a shock to me, because I had never dealt with an experience like this with a local government. Fortunately, I worked alongside the landlords to get the building the way I wanted it to be. This included knocking down three walls that formed two offices, permitting, zoning, planning, and an e-gress door installation to allow a mercantile type zone,.
As you know, we’re big fans of Stitch Revivals. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
Stitch Revivals is a brick-and mortar vintage clothing store located in Downtown Kennesaw at the Lacy off South Main St. I primarily specialize in men’s and unisex clothing apparel that was originally produced anytime before 2010. I carry a lot of sports, college gear, true vintage (items older than 1980), band gear, movie and show promos, nascar, leather jackets, knitted sweaters, cardigans, hats… you name it! The majority of items will be shirts, sweatshirts, hoodies, jackets which were all produced in those eras. These are not newer reprints or produced today.
My store is known for having a large quantity of Atlanta related gear whether it’s something from the 96 Olympics, Braves, Falcons, Thrashers, Atlanta Knights, Hawks, Atlanta music festivals, etc.
I believe there are a few drastic differences with my store in comparison to some others of the same genre. My curation is hand-picked by me. I personally decide on every piece that comes into my store. The curation is not just a reflection of my personality or the trends of today, but is a reflection of my customers personalities. I cater to what my customers want whether it is a specific jacket, sports team, or color. The relationships I build with my customers in unmatched.
Furthermore, my store is color coordinated by color and shade of each color. I have learned that people today genuinely do not care about the size of an item because of how many style types there are currently. To build off that, people biuy and item because vintage clothes are 1 of 1. There is not item that is completely identical to another. The print may be the same but the sizing, distressing, character is completely different. People will buy an item for its uniqueness, like their personality, and alter the item to crop it if it is too big.
My target audience and connections I have built over time is a MAJOR difference between my location and other stores. I am targeting mostly KSU students because we don’t have a store like this in the area. What do KSU students not have? A lot of money. My entire store besides one rack is $50 or less with a few minor exceptions. I want my store to be cheaper than mall fast fashion stores and cheaper than other vintage clothing which have always had a stigma of being pricey. I think that with the connections I built from doing the leg work for the past 6 years has allowed me to decrease my COGS and therefore pass a lower retail price to my customers.
Where we are in life is often partly because of others. Who/what else deserves credit for how your story turned out?
The biggest credit I can give for my business has to be the backbone of my support.. my family! I have the best supporting cast from the people closest to me in my mom, dad, and sister. There was never a moment of doubt because my family members were always there to comfort me instantly. Outside of my family, I owe some credit to the KSU Small Business Development Center, in particular Drew Tonsmeire. The whole process of opening a business was unfamiliar to my family and I so the resources they provided were crucial for getting started in the beginning
Pricing:
- Items mostly cost $50 or less.
- Huge vintage atlanta gear selection
- Community based
- Located in Kennesaw
Contact Info:
- Website: https://stitchrevivals.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stitchrevivals/?hl=en
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/stitch-revivals-kennesaw
- Other: https://tiktok.com/andrewsclothes
