Alongside racks of Y2K fashions and groovy 1960s frocks at Dino-Mite Vintage in Wantagh, shop owner Jaina Shaw likes to stock an upbeat vibe and positivity.
“I want customers to get the dopamine rush,” Shaw says, referring to the feel-good neurotransmitter.
A librarian with two sons, ages 8 and 6, Shaw describes her 2-month-old business as “the vintage store of my dreams. I don’t want to be a store that has a little bit of everything,” she says. “I’m really focused on specializing.”
Inside the bright and airy space, merchandise is concentrated around clothes from the 1960s to 2000, including plus-size pieces for women, vintage sheets and towels, denim jeans, and, yes, dinosaur toys and statues.
The inspirational spark for the shop’s name was lit by Shaw’s favorite movie, “Pee-wee’s Big Adventure,” a kooky 1985 comedy that strikes serious notes about self-acceptance and resilience. A roadside dinosaur attraction plays a key role in the film.
Shaw, a Minnesota native who lived in Connecticut for 13 years before moving to Long Island in 2019, incorporated fiberglass dinosaurs into her front yard rock garden at her home in Westbury. T-Rex and brontosaurus toys and statues are now for sale at the store.
“This is my first business,” says Shaw, a veteran vintage and thrift shopper since she was 16. Before opening her store she sold items on consignment at various Long Island vintage stores, seasonal pop-ups and on the social media marketplace.
Shaw prides her shop on being kid-friendly and affordable. Prices for vintage denim for men and women run around $20 to $100; towels and sheets sell for $10 to $30. Vintage tees cost $5 to $40; dresses run $20 to $60.
When it comes to sheets and towels, customers often use their purchases in creative ways. “I primarily sell to people who upcycle them to other things like dresses and bags,” says Shaw, a proponent of finding fresh uses for old items.
As such, she’s transformed a parking area behind her shop into her “T-Rex Tiki Patio” with lawn chairs, umbrellas, and a giant dinosaur from a miniature golf course that would have made Pee-wee smile. She plans to use it for birthday parties and events.
Dino-Mite Vintage, 2099 Wantagh Ave., Wantagh, 516-469-1400.