Cindi Dunn and her Harpers Ferry shop, The Vintage Lady, mark 20 years.

written by DAWN NOLAN
photographed by CINDI DUNN
Before moving to Harpers Ferry in the early 2000s after her late husband, Billy Ray, retired from Marietta College, neither she nor her husband had ever operated a cash register, retailer Cindi Dunn admits.
But a lot can change over two decades, and Dunn has learned much more than the basics of retail through the years, including how to run a successful business. Her shop, The Vintage Lady, celebrated its 20th anniversary on February 1, 2024.
“When we moved to this beautiful little town, I never imagined I would own a business, much less one for 20 years,” she says. “I’ve had this philosophy—and maybe it’s because I didn’t come from a retail background—but I believe that, if you give people an enjoyable experience, then the sales will come. My shop is a fun place to be, and my goal is for customers to have a really good time when they come in.”
A former educator and superintendent, Dunn and her husband relocated to the Eastern Panhandle to be closer to family. Dunn wasn’t ready to stop working, but she was ready for a change, and she got a job at a local jewelry store. She had been making and selling her own jewelry for a few years by that point so, when the owners decided that they wanted to sell the store, she bought it. The Vintage Lady, named after Dunn’s online business, was born. “We wanted to make the shop our own and focus on American- and West Virginia–made products,” she says. “I put in my jewelry along with pieces from other artists that I knew.”
The business evolved over the following several years. Then, on July 23, 2015, a disastrous fire broke out in Harpers Ferry. The Vintage Lady was one of several businesses that were destroyed that night. “We lost everything, and so did a lot of others,” recalls Dunn.
But she was undeterred, and she immediately contacted her insurance company and the owner of an empty building nearby. Within six weeks, The Vintage Lady reopened at 196 High Street, not 50 steps from its original location.
Starting over, Dunn was able to make The Vintage Lady “more like the shop she had originally envisioned.” She stopped carrying clothing and downsized the amount of jewelry—most of what remains is handmade by her and her store manager. She added West Virginia beer, wine, and hard cider as well as food products, pottery, pieces from Blenko Glass Company and Appalachian Glass, coal figurines, books, and other gift items. She also sells prints of her photography and ornaments and mugs with the images she’s taken. “I love when people want to take home a souvenir of Harpers Ferry and it’s one of my photos,” says Dunn.
Despite the everyday challenges of being a small business owner in a tourist town—and far more difficult challenges like the fire, the COVID-19 pandemic, and the loss of her husband—Dunn looks back fondly on the direction that her life has taken.
“What a wonderful blessing it has been,” she says. “Thanks to everyone who has supported us over the years.”
196 High Street, Harpers Ferry, thevintagelady.net, @vintageladyharpersferry on FB
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