​Downtown time capsule

Lucy Jacobson, the new owner of Revolver

By Bridget Murray

“Lucy, I’m home!” is what I like to say when I enter Revolver, a time warp full of memories.

Vintage wear has always been a fondness of mine, and while working for Shannon Grindberg of Phat Kat Antiques last summer, I met a lovely young lady who had the same love of vintage as I did. Lucy Jacobson is the new proprietor of the super-cool vintage store Revolver, located in downtown Fargo.

Born in 1981, she grew up in the ‘90s and has always had a passion for retro wear.

“When I was a kid, I had a pair of white fringe boots that I was obsessed with, and to this day, I will almost always pick up any vintage pieces that have fringe,” Jacobson says. “I was really into Jem and the Holograms and Rainbow Brite so I wanted colorful hair at all stages in my life.”

As she was growing up, she would play dress-up with her grandmother’s old clothes and always loved looking at her old photos. She says she really appreciated how put together people in the ‘40s looked.

Jacobson started at Revolver helping out every once in awhile, then on to full time, promoted to manager and now the new store owner. It just seemed like a perfect fit for her to take on this new role.

She gets most of her items from people who call the shop because they are downsizing, moving or have a relative that is doing the same. Jacobson still searches antique and vintage shops when she is travelling, she also frequents estate and garage sales.

Jacobson says she wore a lot of vintage clothing and collected cool house wares in high school.

She has been at Revolver since 2010. Five years selling and being a lover of all retro, vintage and antiques led to the perfect lifetime career for Jacobson.

She is impressed by how quality items were made way back when. She feels that is saving history in its own way. She loves to hear the stories behind the items that people bring to her.

She has a wide range of customers, from high school to college age and up. The majority of her clientele is in their late-20s to mid-30s range, but I’m sure there are a few in their 40s (like me) that enjoy Revolver.

The popular era items in her shop are from the 1970s and 1990s. Mixing a vintage piece with modern clothing is also a way to make vintage more wearable everyday.

Lucy’s favorite items in the store as of now are a Saks Fifth Avenue dress and a pair of red satin Chandler pumps from the 1940s, but as inventory changes, so do her favorites. The current best-sellers are men’s Western shirts with pearl snaps.

“No more wire hangers!” Jacobson jokes, as she says that can really wear on the delicate fabrics of a vintage piece. For removal of stains, she mostly uses a gentle soap and she soaks them for a few days. For funky, musty smells, she uses a mixture of vinegar and water.

Jacobson has been pretty fortunate and has not taken many losses on items she’s acquired in her inventory. She tries to check everything when she’s buying. If something is a loss, she will try to use what she can from the item, so she’ll save the buttons and zippers for safe keeping.

She finds most of her pieces on her own, but her mom, three sisters plus a few friends keep an eye out for unique finds. She also gets random texts throughout the day of items for her to check out.

Jacobson became the owner of Revolver on April 1 of this year, which is also her birthday.

She carries vintage housewares, lamps, some furniture, vintage toys, kitchen items, old photos, accessories and shoes.

Revolver is a one-of-a-kind store and the inventory is always changing. There are never two of the same item, so it’s guaranteed you’ll be finding a gem that no one else has.

It’s like going back in time to walk into her store, a walk down memory lane for some and a new adventure for others. It has its own look that is fun and cool.

She reaches out to performers, people in bands wanting stage clothes, theater groups, TV shows and movies.

Customers can not only find something rare, but you also enjoy the friendly atmosphere that Jacobson exudes.

IF YOU GO

Revolver

627 1st Ave N, Fargo

701-235-2883

Tues to Fri, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.; Sat, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.