Paper Doll Boutique Relocates, Rebrands

Dominique Maciejka, co-owner of Paper Doll Vintage Boutique and Paper Doll Curiosity Shoppe, said the new Huntington location will offer a mixture of women’s true vintage clothing and alternative style gifts and novelties. Long Islander News photos/Janee Law

By Janee Law
jlaw@longislandergroup.com

What was previously Paper Doll Vintage Boutique has now been rebranded Paper Doll Curiosity Shoppe. And with the name change has come a move down New York Avenue.

Co-owners Dominique Maciejka and Joseph Laspina said they recently made the move to 372 New York Ave., Huntington. Their business took over the space previously used by Tas Design & Craft with a soft opening this weekend.

The grand opening is planned for March 24, Maciejka, 34, of Nesconset.

Then, customers will be able to take a peek at Paper Doll Curiosity Shoppe’s vintage and retro clothing and accessories available in its 900-square-foot space.

Paper Doll Curiosity Shoppe is part of a chain; the first store location, Paper Doll Vintage Boutique, opened in Sayville in May 2012; and last May 2017 they opened Paper Doll Curiosity Shoppe in Patchogue.

The two other locations specialize in either clothing or novelty items, the re-branded Huntington store is a hybrid, offering both retro and vintage clothing, along with gifts, accessories and toys of the same nature.

The co-owners are also hoping to expand the store’s clientele base with toys for children and accessories for men.

“We’re still going to continue to carry the vintage and retro clothing styles that our customers grew to know and love,” Maciejka said. “Our new location is bigger and will have the best of both worlds.”

She also plans on accommodating the concert crowd at The Paramount by staying open late after shows. With that, the store is also going to have more of a rock and roll, punkie edge than the previous location to complement the concert scene and differentiate itself from the other two south shore stores.

The new store will also lower its price point, Maciejka said, with t-shirts for as low as $15 dollars, dresses for up to $100 and toys for up to $15.

A collector and reseller of vintage since she was 12 years old, Maciejka started out selling online on eBay and then consignments.

“I always loved how it was made and also the history behind it,” Maciejka said. “I liked how everything had a story, I liked how the items were unique and nobody else would have them and things were made differently back then, which was why they’re still around 50-100 years later and we still enjoy them today.”

Eventually, she started collecting her own inventory and store fixtures to open her first shop in Sayville.

“When we opened the first Curiosity spinoff shop in Patchogue, it was only 10 minutes away from our Sayville store,” she said. “We didn’t want to be our own worst competition so we decided to do something a little bit different that would complement the store and kind of focus on the other things, in terms of being creative and finding something different and unique.”

Maciejka gets the merchandise for true vintage items through estate clean outs and attending vintage warehouses and auctions; and for the retro reproductions by attending trade shows twice a year in Las Vegas.

Maciejka said the store focuses on making customers embrace their individuality, by creating a fun experience and offering unique items that can’t be found anywhere else.

She added, “We try to take in everybody’s personality when they come in and provide them with the best customer service based on what they’re specifically looking for, whether it be vintage, retro or just gifts for someone who’s unique.”