A Treasure Trove of Vintage Charm and Stories!
There are many opportunities to Shop Small in Kenosha – and that includes at SGT. PICKERS in the Uptown neighborhood. Here’s a portion of my recent interview with the shop’s owner John Henken to learn the inspiration behind the store. In a nutshell, SGT. PICKERS can be described as:
A Veteran-Inspired Vintage Haven
Curated Collections with a Story
Sustainable, Timeless, and Truly Unique
The boutique offers new and vintage art, furniture, decor, and menswear for discerning modernists.
The Inspiration
Visit Kenosha: What inspired you to create SGT. PICKERS, and how did you develop the unique concept behind the store?
John: COVID forced me into retirement. Isolation didn’t agree with me as I’m a very social animal. I felt like I was becoming invisible. It took me a good 18 months though to hatch a plan. I’m fortunate that my wife, Barb DeBerge and her sister, Kim own and operate a successful framing and gift store: DeBerge’s. They had about 30% of their building that was largely unused.
I started brainstorming ideas on my morning walks in Graceland Cemetery in Racine. Every Spring, the cemetery comes alive with flags. It’s amazing how many veterans are interred there. My dad was a World War II vet. I decided to create a store honoring World War II vets…but through them…all veterans.
I’m a retired industrial designer who has been passionate about all aspects of design: art, architecture, fashion, furniture, and decor. I’ve been a collector in those key areas for over 50 years. The shop offers curated pieces in all those categories. Customers get the benefit of my “eye”. I maintain that everything in the store mixes well with everything in the store. I wanted the shop to be fun and have a big smile factor. When I found a vintage cookie jar from World War II of a short, squat, Army sergeant…I knew I had the brand’s “face”. The name SGT. PICKERS hints at how I find the offerings and is a nod to 60’s culture. It’s fun and very memorable.
Curated Selections with Heart
Visit Kenosha: How do you choose the art, furniture, and menswear you offer? Is there a particular style or ethos that guides your selections?
John: Great question! I travel Wisconsin hunting flea markets, yard sales, thrift stores, and antique malls looking for unique vintage and new pieces that are of good quality and at a price point that will allow a mark-up…but still be at a reasonable “Kenosha-friendly” price point. As to what my selection process is…that’s hard to explain. I apply key values like high quality, great value, uniqueness, and whether or not it will “play well with others” in my inventory. I get compliments on the uniqueness of the mix as well as my very reasonable pricing.
Visit Kenosha: What do you hope customers experience when they walk into SGT. PICKERS?
John: I want them to have an immediate smile factor. I want them to feel immediately welcomed and valued. I want them to grasp how special the mix of offerings are. I want them to make SGT. PICKERS a regular destination shop and to tell like-minded friends.
Visit Kenosha: Before starting SGT. PICKERS, did you work in a related field, or was this a complete career shift for you?
John: I was a designer/creative director in the tradeshow industry for 29 days years, helping huge brands create memorable brand advancing experiences. That’s all about telling stories that are easy to grasp and memorable to the customer. I also worked in retailing for 12 years and learned visual display techniques that romance the product, and got very comfortable engaging with and listening to customers.
More Than a Store, It’s a Passion
Visit Kenosha: Did you always have a passion for vintage items, art, or design?
John: Yes. My parents grew up in a small farming community in South Dakota. Our visits there immersed me in vintage Americana. I soaked up stories of living in the Great Depression. Seeing the Beatles debut on American TV at age 9, galvanized me to learn all I could about design and popular culture; both vintage and new. I became obsessed with what “COOL” looked like then and now.
Visit Kenosha: What initially sparked your interest in Kenosha?
John: I came here to interview for a Creative Director’s position. It was Spring and the trolley cars (electric streetcars) and downtown flower boxes along with the lake were seductive. I loved the proximity to Chicago, Milwaukee, and Madison. I’m a foodie and immediately stumbled into Tenuta’s. And everyone I met here was so friendly and helpful. I was offered the job and happily accepted…leaving Denver by the way.
Visit Kenosha: How did you get involved with DeBerge’s?
John: Great story. I was stuck in traffic one evening outside DeBerge’s. I saw their windows and remember thinking they looked like quality art framers. That weekend I brought the first of three batches of art in for framing. I liked Kim and Barb DeBerge immediately, and over the next six months of frame jobs took a shine to Barb. We were married 17 years this past July.
Visit Kenosha: Who or what influences your personal style and the aesthetic of Sgt. Pickers?
John: My degree in design, my love of classic movies, art, 1960’s classic Mod and Ivy League fashion, and my offbeat sense of humor.
Visit Kenosha: Do sustainability or artisan craftsmanship play a role in your product sourcing?
John: Absolutely. Vintage shopping keeps items out of the landfill. Usually they’re better constructed and offer huge long term value. And…it’s a way to make your home and yourself truly individualized.
Visit Kenosha: Do you collaborate with local artists or designers? How do these partnerships impact your store?
John: I pulled together a branding team that included Nick Caruso, Graphic Designer, my nephew, Alex Henken did my website, and local sign painter extraordinaire, Dean Tawwater hand painted the signage. All four of us had fun, listened to each other’s areas of expertise, and drove the brand forward. Often my job was to give them the info and then get out of their way. It was a wonderful experience.
Visit Kenosha: What’s one of the most unique or memorable pieces you've come across in your time curating for the store?
John: I found an “Americana” painting of a jovial red haired farm boy waving at the viewer while two adult farmers were unloading a tractor off a flatbed truck in front of a barn. Once I put it up in the shop…a customer said he thought it was an original painting done for a 1950’s Massey Tractor catalogue. I was able to confirm this and after posting it on Facebook Marketplace, an Iowa farmer purchased it for his collection.
Visit Kenosha: How do you balance the experience between your online presence and your physical store?
John: I try to do new posts on both Facebook and Instagram weekly. But there is also our website www.sgtpickers.com to shoot photos and write copy for. It’s a lot for one person to do. I need to always have a brick-and-mortar store though. I love the face-to-face interaction.
Visit Kenosha: Have you noticed any changes in customer preferences over the years? How has that affected your inventory?
John: I had thought of my four categories: Art, Furniture, Decor, and Men’s Apparel…the clothes would be the poorest performer. In fact, that’s my leading category.
Visit Kenosha: Have you had any particularly memorable interactions with customers or collectors?
John: I had a lovely oversized Budweiser Advertisement last year. A terrific collector from upper Michigan purchased it for a pub he is building in his home. We had a number of back-and-forth communications trying to figure out how best to get it to him. In the end…he drove here and hauled it home. Getting to know my customers is the true joy of this business.
Looking Forward
Visit Kenosha: What are your future goals or plans for expanding SGT. PICKERS?
John: I need to have my website get discovered in markets like Los Angeles, Chicago, and New York City. Those markets would jump at my reasonable Midwest pricing. Eventually I’d like to have 70% of my sales online. It would keep the store fresh with new inventory too.
Visit Kenosha: What advice would you give to someone looking to open a similar business?
John: Summon all your hutzpah and jump right in as long as you are truly passionate about your business. And talk to those already doing it. I have been amazed at how helpful other dealers have been to me.
Visit Sgt. Pickers today and discover the treasures waiting for you!
SGT. PICKERS:
2008 63rd Street
(262) 620-2243
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