New Vintage Clothing Hub Opens in a Unique Space

SWANZEY — When it comes to the nondescript storage container sitting along West Swanzey Road, there’s more than meets the eye.

It’s called The Box. A passion project of veteran antique dealer and hairstylist Maria Amarosa, the new Swanzey boutique boasts unworn vintage clothing as well as work from local artists.

Amarosa also owns and runs The Station, a salon she opened in 2024. Both establishments sit on a lot owned by her uncle, local artist Ken Greatbatch.

The vintage clothing is not the only unique feature of Amarosa’s more recent venture. She set up shop in an old storage container that sat on her uncle’s property for almost 40 years. Now, it’s a locus for local artists and vintage clothing enthusiasts.

But it didn’t start out in such pristine condition — before Amarosa set up shop, it was sinking into the ground. She’s since painted it, installed electricity and put down flooring donated from Carlisle’s Wide Plank Flooring in Stoddard.

Now, The Box specializes in peddling “brand new old stock,” or old clothing that has never been worn, as well as the work of five local artisans who specialize in woodturning, candles and perfume, resin art and antique jewelry.

The shop, which opened its doors during the first weekend in June, carries everything from Levi and Wrangler jeans to cowboy boots, Amarosa said.

Pieces from the 1980s, 1990s and early 2000s are all the rage right now, Amarosa said. But The Box also sells much older clothing, going as far back as the 1940s.

Right now, The Box has time-period overalls and button-down work shirts, as well as women’s cocktail dresses. Those older articles “come with a story,” Amarosa said.

She did not reveal her methods for finding such old, unworn pieces of clothing in the cutthroat business of antique dealing.

Instead, she chalks it up to her career connections, tips from friends and a touch of clairvoyance.

“If you’ve done it a long time, you just know where to look,” she said.

Amarosa, a fourth-generation antiquarian, is steeped in the regional antiques scene. She previously ran the Dublin Vintage Market, which she said was the largest of its kind in New Hampshire, until the COVID-19 pandemic forced her to shutter the operation.

The Northfield, Mass., resident said her sobriety has played a significant role in getting her businesses up and running — she’s now been sober for 19 months.

“My entire shop was built on recovery,” she said.

Amarosa herself is drawn to the styles of the 1970s because of the era’s vibrant colors and Bohemian spirit.

“The ‘70s was a whole revolution, and I want to be a part of that,” she said.

The Box stocks other eras, too. Just the other day, Amarosa said she sold a puffy jumpsuit by Baby Phat, a Y2K-era clothing brand created by model Kimora Lee Simmons.

Amarosa said The Box is very community-oriented, and she frequently advertises fundraisers when the store is open.

The Box is open Fridays through Sundays during the same hours as The Station, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.