Best Day Wilmington: Second Wonder Owners

Buckle up for plenty of sunshine and ocean breezes during a perfect day with Second Wonder Vintage owners KARYN OETTING and KELSEY GIBBS. For June’s installment of Best Day Wilmington, we asked how they’d spend their ideal day (mostly) together if the weather were perfect and if the day could be filled with as much time as needed for each outing. 

Oetting first encountered Gibbs while working at Bargain Box of Wilmington, a now-closed nonprofit thrift store. Oetting, who had developed a love and expertise on vintage clothing, recalls that Gibbs was selling vintage items on Etsy at the time and would source some of her clothing from Bargain Box. 

“I became interested in this cool, awesome-looking woman who would pick out great vintage pieces and try it on herself and ask how it looked,” Oetting says, adding that she would pick Gibbs’ brain about selling through Etsy. “She and I share this thing with no secrets, no trying to gatekeep anything. … I was so stoked when she opened The Wonder Shop. … I never thought of her as my competition – she was always my biggest inspiration. I went and talked to her before I opened my store (Second Skin Vintage) because I wanted her to know how I didn’t want to be stepping on her toes.” 

The two owned their respective vintage shops until combining – becoming Second Wonder Vintage – and changing locations from Castle Street to Kerr Avenue in 2023.  

The shop recently earned the Best of North Carolina 2026’s award for Best Boutique. Oetting says a good vintage store offers high-quality fashion pieces that generally showcase a specific era.  

“In a curated vintage store, an experienced proprietor has gone through massive amounts of clothing to clean, repair, research, authenticate them, and present them in a way that’s cohesive,” Oetting says. “It’s the best of the best.” 

She manages Second Wonder Vintage day-to-day while Gibbs spends most of her time in the same building managing Sealevel City Vegan Diner, which she owns with her husband.  

“Generally, the mission (at Sealevel) is the same: low waste, less harm. I did always mean for Sealevel to be a Wonder Shop but in the food service,” Gibbs says, adding that she is a devoted promoter of the vintage lifestyle.  

“A lot of people have that prejudgment … that vintage is a niche thing that you need for some ’70s party or special event,” she says. “I wear vintage every day … and I want it to be for everyone for any job.” 

Here’s how the duo would spend an ideal day in the greater Wilmington area.  

How are you starting your day? 

Oetting: “I start every morning with a run in the Carolina Beach State Park.” 

Gibbs: “Getting sunshine in my eyeballs immediately, before any screens, and no shoes all day unless I’m in a business. Starting off at Adapt Kitchen & Juice Bar with a nutty acai bowl, liquid gold, and dining on the beach.” 

Where would you go next?  

Oetting: “Heading to the beach for an a.m. surf session or a quiet read before it gets too hot and crowded.” 

Gibbs: “Any farmers market, depending on the day: Tidal Creek Co-op, the Riverfront Farmer’s Market downtown, and Wrightsville Beach. I love the produce from Kevin Spears of Old Heritage Farms and microgreens from Matt Plourde of Mindful Farm + Garden.” 

Who are you bringing with you? 

Oetting: “My partner Tony.” 

Gibbs: “My husband Scott, together for twenty-one years.” 

What’s for lunch? 

Oetting: “We’re headed to Sealevel City Vegan Diner to enjoy a delicious vegan feast with Kelsey and Scott!” 

Gibbs: “Scott and I have been running Sealevel since 2020. I’d get the Lentil Taco Dinner, or a Tempeh Reuben in a brown rice tortilla – I lean GF. I love our housemade kimchi, sauerkraut, and hand-cut potato chips.”  

How are you all spending your afternoon? 

Oetting: “Kayaking! We’ll take a guided tour on the Black River in Bladen County to see the Three Sisters Swamp, a stand of old-growth cypress trees that are among the oldest trees in the world. It’s believed the fourth-oldest tree in the entire world is located right here in our backyard, and it’s only accessible by paddling in!”   

Where will y’all grab a bite afterward? 

Oetting: We’ll flag down the Made in Venezuela food truck for a tasty snack. It’ll be ideally parked at Island Beverage (in Carolina Beach), so I can pair their gluten-free arepas with gluten-free beer. I have celiac disease and the fine folks at Island Beverage carry gluten-free beer you can drink on premises while my husband can get a draft pour of craft beer. 

How about dinner?  

Oetting: “We’ll stay in Carolina Beach for dinner but might part ways here. I’ll be dining at Ocean Grill & Tiki Bar. And you gotta sit on the pier over the ocean watching the surfers – best view on the island! If you’re lucky, you can catch live music in the summer. And not just local bands but touring indie acts.” 

Gibbs: “The Sandspur in Carolina Beach has a yummy grain bowl that can be veganized with fried tofu and chimichurri. We can eat outside and then walk on the boardwalk and the beach. For more fine dining, we’ll treat ourselves to Seabird in downtown Wilmington; the vegan option is always incredible.” 

How are you capping off the evening? 

Oetting: “Ice cream from Celtic Creamery and the ferris wheel!” 

Gibbs: “Checking out the bands at Reggie’s 42nd Street Tavern! It’s an easy place to catch up with friends outside and jump around inside. Would love to see ASG, Weedeater, and Evening Shadows.” 

To view more of photographer Aris Harding’s work, go to arisharding.com.

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