Interview with Stu Nizny of Pixel 19 Vintage

During my visit to Cincinnati for Spring break, I was able to nail down the man who works 100 hours a week (by choice, of course) buying and selling vintage artifacts, Stu Nizny, owner of Pixel 19 Vintage Clothing, to sit down and do an interview.  Technically, we just lounged on a bed in an upstairs room of his shop and chatted, but you get the idea.

Pixel 19 Vintage Clothing is truly Cincinnati's best kept secret.  Stu runs his business by appointment-only out of an inconspicuous house he owns in the Clifton area of Cincinnati.  While he does have all kinds of relics from the past for sale, like furniture and sculptures, his real specialty is vintage clothing from about the 1960's through 1990's.  You want it, he probably has it.  Including his warehouse space, he has a collection of 100,000+ tee shirts, many of which are "deadstock" (meaning never worn)!  The majority of his operations are made up of selling to Japanese vintage dealers and eBay Powersellers.  He also is a registered member of the Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky Film Commission as a costumer and set designer.

Though the majority of his business is made up of volume orders, he does take private clients, some of which just might be on MTV this moment ;)  Since he is usually on the go, there are no set store hours.  If you're interested in seeing what he's got, simply call him at 513-476-2333 to set up an appointment to shop and he will take hours out of his day to make sure you leave his place with something you're excited about and that is within your budget.  He absolutely loves hearing from new people.  Running his company is his passion and the opportunity to share that with more people excites the heck out of him.

Having known him for a few years now, he is VERY fair with his prices.  He could very easily command (and get) wayyy more for some of his pieces from me and people I have referred to him.

In addition to clothing, the place is three floors of furniture, artwork, gadgets of the past and other things that will make you squeal with delight.  There are literally suitcases full of all sorts of vintage clothing stacked to the ceiling.

But don't worry.  Stu has a superhero's memory and knows where everything is.  Just tell him what you're looking for.

In our interview, we talked about:

• How cookies (as in chocolate chip) inspire the way he runs his business
• Why vintage artifacts are so popular
• Thoughts on the cyclical nature of trends and fashion and predictions for the future from the man who’s seen it all
• The importance of going out on a limb and wearing the clothes YOU like
• Why if you go to his place, it’s 100% predictable that you will get excited!
• The top mistakes nearly all people make when shopping for vintage that prevents them from getting what they want
• How, with ANY budget, you can walk out of Pixel 19 with something that will make other people wonder who your stylist is…

To hear the interview, go to:

www.joshstevensnyc.com/Stu_Nizny_Interview.mp3

Here's a small sampling of what you can expect to find at 211 Klotter Ave:

Pixel 19 Vintage Clothing is located at 211 Klotter Ave. Cincinnati, OH 45219.  Stu Nizny can be reached via phone at 513-476-2333 to set up an appointment or, for other inquiries, via email at STUNIZNY@aol.com