The best shop in Santa Fe, New Mexico is probably one you’ve never visited. That’s because it’s housed in a two-story showroom in an industrial park some 20 minutes outside of the city, and you need an appointment in order to see it. It’s called Santa Fe Vintage and it’s where longtime collector Scott Corey will make all of your Americana dreams come true.

Corey got his start back in the ’80s, hawking merchandise from his the trunk of his car at rock shows. Now, people travel from around the globe scope out his wares and GQ recently named his store one of the coolest shops in the country.

The showroom is organized into thematic vignettes: military with military, denim with denim, workwear with workwear, plus a decently sized ladies section in the back. The stock runs the gamut: threadbare tees with holes in all the right places, faded denim cut-offs, WWII military duffles and army helmets, Ray-Ban aviators, perfectly worn 48-star American flags (cloth only, never nylon), and an unusual necklace strung up with vertebrae. The whole vibe is delectable: steer horns on the walls, rows of badass Mali-dyed indigo and Navajo blankets hanging on pegs, and a cowboy hat for every occasion.

To make an appointment at the showroom, shoot Corey an email at santafevintage@gmail.com. Or, if you’re in a hurry, pay a visit to the Santa Fe Vintage Outpost, just a quick walk from the Plaza downtown. It’s got the same great merch as the showroom, just scaled down and paired up with groovy turquoise jewelry made by Corey’s business partner, Julienne Barth.

A final word of advice: Corey knows the value of what he has got in shop and he has priced things fairly. Don’t try to beat him up for a bargain, or else you may walk out with nothing.

Santa Fe Vintage: 7501 Avenger Way, Ste. B, Santa Fe, NM; 505-690-1075.
Santa Fe Vintage Outpost: 202 E. Palace Ave., Santa Fe, NM; 505-690-1075.