Greenville’s vintage scene gets a new address
Intrigued by the dark grey, wedge-shaped building on Wade Hampton Boulevard near Stone Avenue? Malin Kooiman was, too. When she began searching for a brick-and-mortar home for her vintage retail business, the historic late ’60s structure–designed by a local architect–captured her imagination. It was a natural fit for what would become Lady May Vintage.
The road wasn’t exactly linear. A graduate of Cal Poly University in San Luis Obispo, California, with a degree in animal science, she initially worked at a zoo in Palm Desert, California, before realizing in 2021 that zookeeping “just wasn’t for me.” With family in Columbia, South Carolina, she relocated and began turning her love of vintage shopping into a profession, exhibiting at booths and markets throughout the Carolinas. Drawn by Greenville’s growth and creative energy, she moved here with her husband and opened Lady May Vintage in November 2025.
“People always expect competition between vintage sellers, but I find the community is very supportive,” Kooiman says. “Even when shops focus on the same era, our inventories are always different. That’s the beauty of vintage.”
Housed in less than 500 square feet, the two-story shop carries a constantly evolving mix of finds. Home decor and decorative items share space with artwork, wood furniture, lamps, books, and children’s clothes, while a winding staircase leads to vintage apparel. Inventory spans the decades from the 1920s to the 1980s, but Kooiman’s niche is 1950s to 1970s. Worn denim, handmade stoneware, Americana, and Western pieces with patriotic motifs and a cowboy sensibility are among her most coveted categories. Unsurprisingly, she also has an affection for anything animal-related.
Lady Vintage clientele
The clientele ranges from North Main locals living in nearby midcentury homes to curious passersby drawn in by the building’s oversized VINTAGE graphic, along with out-of-town shoppers who discover the store through social media. The name Lady May, a nickname given to her by her husband, became the shop’s identity.
Kooiman sources from auctions, estate sales, online sites, and local thrift stores. “I’ll drive all over the Southeast for the right piece,” she says. “And I can’t resist a painted canvas portrait.” Prices range from $15 to $800, with most items priced under $100. Looking ahead, she hopes to host outdoor markets in the shop’s parking lot, where a vintage postal truck completes the scene.
Find Them
101 Wade Hampton Blvd., Greenville
Wed.-Thu. 12-5p.m.
Fri.-Sat. 11a.m.-6pm.
Sun. 12p.m.-4p.m.
Instagram: @ladymay_vintage
