Retro Rosie and Cobweb's Unique Finds, A Vintage Twist

What happens when two friends combine fun-loving attitudes with a little good business sense, a passion for fashion and an affinity for forgotten old odds and ends? In the case of Roseanne “Rosie” Dole and Nancy Cobb, the outcome is , a vintage clothing and antiques business that nearly overflows with an abundance of quirky character.

Although Retro Rosie and Cobweb’s Unique Finds started out as two separate businesses, in 2007 they seamlessly integrated their stock in their current downtown Bradenton location four years ago. The result: a shop that houses more than a century’s worth of treasures just waiting to be discovered.

Rosie Dole opened her first antiques store in Bradenton in 1993. In 1995, she was approached by a woman who was in the process of closing her vintage clothing store in New York and looking for a place to unload her stock.

“I went out there and ended up buying her whole stock, and that’s how it all started," Dole said. "I’ve had clothes ever since and I just keep buying. A lot of people bring things in or someone will pass away and there’s a bunch of clothing packed away, so we buy it.”

Dole narrowed the focus of her antiques business to vintage clothing. Today, Retro Rosie carries clothing, shoes and accessories dating from the 1970s to as far back as the turn of the century.

Because of her keen eye for historical style, the Manatee County Historical Society occasionally asks Dole’s assistance in evaluating  vintage clothing. She also works with the Manatee Players’ costume department and assists the Bradenton Woman’s Club in fashion shows.

After several years in the local antiques business Dole met Cobb, the owner of Cobweb’s Unique Finds, who refers to herself as “The Stuff Girl.” While Retro Rosie focuses solely on vintage clothing and accessories, Cobb’s merchandise includes a wide array of antiques from small furniture to kitchenware, sewing supplies, pottery, books and other “stuff”.

Cobb said that the items in her store appeal to everyone. Often, young people looking to start up their first home or apartment seek out the unique odds and ends, while veteran antique hobbyists scour the store for rare finds and trinkets.

In 2007 Dole and Cobb saw an opportunity to combine their businesses.

“I had a shop on 10^th Street and we got to know each other working in the same neighborhood,” Cobb said. “The economy had started going downhill, so we decided to go into business together. Four years later, here we are.”

The duo's business savvy landed them a spot on MSNBC’s “Your Business” on a segment of the show titled “Saving By Combining. ”

Today, Retro Rosie and Cobweb’s Unique Finds is thriving, with a loyal customer base that includes returning clientele from throughout the local community, as well as New York, Chicago, Canada, England and even Australia.

Most of the merchandise sold at Retro Rosie and Cobweb’s Unique Finds comes from locals and Snow Birds who migrate to Bradenton in winter.

“People have so many treasures hidden away in their attics,” said Dole. “They eventually want to let go of them or they run out of space to store them. We just pray that they don’t actually throw them away.”

Retro Rosie purchases and sells all kinds men’s and women’s vintage clothing from evening wear to Armed Services uniforms and everything in between. High quality coats, hats, handbags, jewelry, shoes, aprons, swimwear and even old-fashioned undergarments can be found throughout the store, where it’s not difficult to get lost amongst the countless racks of clothing and accessories.

Vintage clothing's appeal is its unrivaled quality, Dole said.

“Things you buy today, you can assume will be in the rag bag within a year,: she said. "I have clothes that are 100 years old and still wearable.”

Like its clothing, Retro Rosie’s customers vary significantly in style and age. Although women are the primary customers there are several men who frequent the store in search of costumes and classic vintage threads.

“A lot of local socialites like to shop here because these clothes are different and very well made," Dole said. "A woman can purchase a dress here and know that no one else at the party is going to be wearing it.”

Cobb, who describes shopping at the store as "recycling with style" said that they have recently gotten requests for 1980s clothing because the decade is “coming back into style.”

“All these girls keep coming in asking if we have anything with shoulder pads,” Dole said. “They’re looking for eighties clothing, which we don’t carry.”

Dole also said that she has a difficult time keeping high-waisted 1940s style shorts on the rack, as those, too, are currently very popular with young women.

Deborah Blue, a Sarasota-based attorney, has been shopping at Retro Rosie for more than a decade in order to supplement her own personal style, which she describes as “a mixture of vintage and modern.” She frequents Retro Rosie, primarily looking for hats and handbags, and says that she loves the great deals.  

Blue also loves scouring the extensive collection of knick-knacks at Cobweb’s Unique Finds. She said that she is on a perpetual search for “old Florida items” to add to the tiki bar in her home.

Last week, Blue purchased a vintage Lucite handbag from Retro Rosie. As she was checking out, her shopping companion modeled a chic 1960s hat.

“Oh my God, I love it. You look so Holly Golightly,” Blue exclaimed, referencing the ingénue famously portrayed by Audrey Hepburn in the classic 1961 film, Breakfast at Tiffany’s.

“That’s what makes this place so wonderful. Hats like that – you just don’t find those anywhere else.”