Owner and curator of Tam Junction, Mill Valley’s new vintage store, Jules Mercer, aspires to create more than just a highly curated vintage store. Mercer looks to create a cultural hub centered around music, the arts, and the local community. 

Mercer spent years traveling, collecting a vast collection of vintage items. However, they remained in her personal collection for years, until she saw a for-lease sign in the window of what used to be a rug store near her house. Mercer saw the opportunity and decided to open up a store and put her items on sale. 

“It’s been a whirlwind. We didn’t plan this. I wasn’t looking for a space. I wasn’t ready at all. But we kind of hit the ground running, and we are just kind of making it up as we go along,” Mercer described.

Business has been good. Since its opening on April 1st,  Tam Junction has seen a rush of customers. Its location at the corner of Shoreline Highway and Miller has attracted weekend beachgoers and intrigued locals alike. 

The 6,000-square-foot space is wall-to-wall with inventory. Armchairs and coffee tables create mini living rooms, and dining tables are decorated with vintage tableware. Lines of racks overflow with jackets, shirts, pants, shoes, and accessories. Other shelves hold cookware, household items, records, art, books, and so much more. Space is not wasted on unexciting items. Every piece evokes excitement and curiosity.

As well as being a vintage store, Tam Junction is also an entertainment lounge. The back section of the store, known as “The Boomerang Lounge,” features a stage and seating area. 

Mercer describes her initial vision for the lounge, saying, “When I saw it, I thought how cool it would be to have a community-type space. We have live music, trivia, we can do dancing, yoga, any kind of event that anyone in the community wants to host or participate in.”

So far, Tam Junction has hosted multiple open mic events, live music shows, and trivia nights. 

Local resident, Freya Jansen vocalized her excitement for the event space saying, “ There haven’t been many cheap local shows in the past here. I’m super excited to have a place to go watch some music.”

There are also multiple educational spaces on sight. Mercer plans on organizing community groups to meet in the spaces, as well as classes on various arts, music, and trade skills.

Mercer describes these classes saying, “We’re starting out with lots of arts and crafts, there’s gonna be sewing and crochet knitting. But then there are also going to be things like bike maintenance, learning music, and manufacturing lights and equipment. Things like jewelry, furniture, restoration, wellness classes, self-help groups, yoga, dance classes, pretty much whatever anyone wants to learn about, or host.”

Mercer’s vision has been embraced by the community. Local artists have offered their time and expertise to teach, and the community has shown great interest in the classes.

“There’s a lot of the older generation particularly that reminds them of when they were here in the 60s and 70s. And there was much more kind of community spirit and everyone just kind of pitching in and putting together great events and fun experiences and get-togethers and I think people are more than ready for more of that,” Mercer says. 

The teenagers of Mill Valley have been particularly excited about the opening of Tam Junction. Teen, Kaya Sorcher, described her interest, saying “I love their stuff. There are so many cool clothes and the place just has a great vibe to it.”

According to Mercer, “Lots and lots of teenagers have come by, very excited about the space. They have been helping and working here and volunteering their time, a bunch of them volunteered their spring break and helped to repaint the front of the building.”