Tinsel Trading

Treasured Notions features crafts inspired by the vintage beads, buttons, ribbons and trim from Tinsel Trading.

As I mentioned in my previous post, I was on a mission to find a particular store that I had heard a lot about... Tinsel Trading Company.  Alas, when I got to the address, there was a simple letter-sized sheet of paper in the window saying they had moved. I couldn't go this far and not go the entire distance, so I hopped back on the subway to 828 Lexington Ave. (I guess Google Maps didn't get the notice!)

I have to admit that the small put pretty shop bedazzled with lovely Wendy Addison glass-glittered letters and letterpress labels wasn't what I was expecting. When I told the clerk I was from Canada, shared a copy of the magazine and asked to take pictures for the blog, she opened up that they had been forced to quickly move locations when the previous building was sold. It sounds like they had very little time to find a new location and thus had to downsize their retail space considerably.

You can get a sense of the previous store (and the amazing, but likely heart-wrenching moving sale) from their Facebook page.  They still had some vintage ribbons and embroidered patches and things for sale—and the massive inventory of vintage stock is in their warehouse—but I was imagining the beauty of seeing all of that vintage stock on old displays in a grand New York style. From the fondness and sadness in the clerks voice, it was clear that it is missed by all.

My purchases: a spool of yellow trim, a package of assorted vintage trim from the Tinsel Trading archives, some vintage thread and French General's book Treasured Notions featuring supplies from Tinsel Trading Company. (Published by Chronicle Books.)

It was still an awesome store to visit and I hope that Tinsel Trading will have continued success. Here's a video about the French General book as well as an older video that shows what their previous location was like...