PHOTO COURTESY OF AMANDA TJARKS AND THE OMAHA LOCAL

Albany and Avers is located in the heart of Dundee neighborhood along Underwood Avenue and features a specifically curated collection of women’s vintage clothing and accessories.

In the heart of the Dundee neighborhood, Albany and Avers, a vintage shop, is owned and operated by Omaha native Amanda Tjarks. The shop consists of carefully curated vintage clothing for women, and customers can visit the store Fridays and Sundays from noon to 5 p.m., Saturdays 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., or by appointment. According to the website, customers can also purchase handpicked style bundles. 

Amanda Tjarks has a clear dedication to her craft based on her niche style options. However, her pathway to small business ownership stems from a clear passion for style, sustainability and pre-owned items. 

Speaking about her journey to the small business industry, Tjarks described that after majoring in marketing at the University of Nebraska at Lincoln, she wasn’t entirely sure what she wanted to do. 

“I knew I wanted to own a business one day, but I didn’t quite know what that looked like … both [of] my parents owned businesses when I was a kid, so I really liked being around that environment and knowing how fast-paced it is, how unpredictable it is.” 

However, she didn’t immediately jump into business ownership. Tjarks spent some time in Chicago in the digital marketing field, where she started doing vintage clothing pop-up shops. She eventually moved back to Omaha during the COVID-19 pandemic and began wondering whether she should continue her passion for vintage and pre-owned clothing. 

When asked about the journey that brought Albany and Avers to fruition, Tjarks mentioned it mainly grew from her own personal love of shopping secondhand. It started as a hobby of thrifting –– because of the sustainability and affordability aspects –– then turned into her daily life. Amanda said she gets to shop as a large aspect of her business operations, which is a ‘dream job’ for herself, and “all the things that [she] loved kind of fell all together.” 

 “When I first started, it just kind of happened. I’ve always loved vintage [and] I love pre-owned items.” 

Tjarks’s passion shines through every aspect of her story. Her commitment to sustainable, stylish and overall high-quality items is evident, and her devotion to getting these items in the hands of people who will love them well is clear. 

Speaking to that commitment, Tjarks said that in terms of the goal of her business, “We [Albany and Avers] want to keep clothes in people’s closets, [with] people wearing them, not discarding them after one or two wears, keeping them around as long as we can.” 

Tjarks went on to mention her own ties to the Omaha community and how vital it is to her business, and how the community aspect of Albany and Avers allows her to connect people, take care of their pre-owned clothing, and to take better care of vintage items; staying true to that core mission of keeping vintage items alive.  

AMANDA TJARKS
Albany and Avers
Owner

“One of the things that I really like about it [Albany and Avers] now being in Omaha and having the community here is that we do a lot of really great events that really bring together different parts of the community and give people … [and] different groups a platform and a space to get together to learn different things.” 

She went on to praise Omaha specifically for being such proponents of supporting local businesses. 

“I think Omaha is such a great community that really likes to support local, and they really value that. I’m so happy to be part of that, and putting on these events where we partner with other local businesses, artists or different parts of the community.” 

Sustainability, as stated previously, is a large motivation behind Albany and Avers, and is something Amanda Tjarks was adamant about when asked what she hoped for the Omaha community members to find in the business. 

“Overall, keeping things [clothes and other items] around and not ending up in landfills is [a] big thing that we’re so passionate about, and I hope anybody who comes in here knows that, learns that, and understands how important that is.” 

As for Creighton students specifically, Tjarks hopes that they understand that small business owners are wearers of many hats –– and are often the sole reason the business is operating on any given day. Tjarks said “I think a lot of times people will go to a ‘big box’ store and just expect things to be there, expect things to just run and not really think about the line of people that are behind that –– and when then you come into a small business, it’s that but on such a smaller scale. It is usually one or two people who are making the whole business run.” 

“There’s so many different layers and so many different aspects to making a business run, from getting the products in here [the store], the accounting, the marketing, budgeting, leases and contracts … I think [that aspect] has been one of the craziest things to learn along the way for me.” 

Amanda Tjarks’ story and journey of entrepreneurship is a clear example of turning your own interests and things that you love and creating a space where that can become your daily routine as an occupation. Her zeal, dedication and ambition create a space for local businesses to keep thriving in Omaha, and for customers to shop sustainably — and in style. 

For more information regarding Albany and Avers, their events, and other inquiries, visit albanyandavers.com