A new shop offering vintage clothing, custom jewelry and branded merchandise is coming to Five Points South. We got the scoop on what you can expect from Magic City Mercantile. Keep reading, then get ready for their grand opening on Saturday, April 30.

Meet Erwin Franklin + Ivan Williams, the faces behind Magic City Mercantile

Magic City Mercantile owners — Erwin Franklin and Ivan Williams. (Jack Leventry / @jl3v_)

Magic City Mercantile is a brand-new store opening on Saturday, April 30 from the minds of two Birmingham locals—Erwin Franklin who was born and raised in Center Point and Ivan Williams who grew up in Columbiana. The two decided to combine forces and sell vintage clothing they had sourced in July 2021.

After experiencing the excitement of vintage and sneaker conventions, Erwin and Ivan started making plans to open their own storefront in Five Points South to bring everything they loved about those conventions to Birmingham.

“I’m a people person and I just love the rush I get from meeting new people and helping them find something they have never seen before or have always wanted. It’s such a great feeling to make someone’s day doing something you love and really enjoy. Then I started to think about how many different demographics and intersecting cultures I saw at vintage and sneaker conventions, and I decided that I wanted to condense that in store form and bring it to Birmingham.”
Erwin Franklin, co-founder, Magic City Mercantile

Their space, Magic City Mercantile, will serve as a collective with vintage offerings, a jeweler who’s joined the group, independent streetwear brands and plans to turn a room into a rentable podcast studio.

“More than vintage”

New Five Points South store — A look at the space. (Jacob Blankenship / Bham Now)

When you head to Magic City Mercantile, you won’t just find vintage and thrifted clothing—although by looking at their Instagram, their vintage options are a can’t-miss. Here’s a look at what you’ll be able to buy:

Vintage clothing + sneakers
Custom jewelry
Rare memorabalia
Branded merchandise made from sustainable materials

Beyond serving as a storefront for vintage offerings, Franklin and Williams plan to offer a recording studio for podcasts and YouTube videos. Outside of their store, they’ll use the parking lot to host markets.

“We want to be ‘more than vintage’, and that is really when we started formulating the collective idea. At its core, it is the simplest way of letting our customers know that we definitely have more than they think.”
Erwin Franklin, co-founder, Magic City Mercantile

Grand opening details

Five Points South courtyard — The courtyard you’ll see as you enter. (Jacob Blankenship / Bham Now)

Make your way to Five Points South on Saturday, April 30 for a grand opening with 20% off the entire store, food, music and vendors like Cross Dressin.