Tinsel Treasure

By Marina Rybak

When I crisscross Manhattan Midtown or meander the ancient streets of Le Marais in Paris, I continue to witness the downside of a global economy – the disappearance of local color. Too often this change is overshadowed by the expansion of the mega brands.

So when I encounter a local business, that dares to have a unique voice and stirs my imagination, a neighborhood brave-heart, which is still standing, reinventing itself anew, I take notice.

I dedicate the “Local Color” series to these entrepreneurial spirits.

Tinsel Trading Company is a wonderful example of local color, located on 37^th street in NYC — only a few steps away from Fifth Avenue.  Cheerful, eclectic window display is the honey that lures the nearby tourists. But if you are the one to be seduced to enter this store, you will soon realize that you have stumbled upon the Noah’s Arc of vintage trims. Your journey through this historical and personal experience is guided by the treasure keepers  – Marcia Ceppos and her enthusiastic staff.

Marcia’s grandfather started the company more than 80 years ago, importing genuine metal threads from France. It took the efforts and the vision of Mr. B and his family to survive the twists and turns of keeping a business thriving during a changing world. It helps to have a grandfather with a philosophy that any “creative decorative item was worth saving”. What they have now is the most extraordinary Universe of trims. Their inventory includes items that may never be reproduced again and are not available anywhere else is the world. Lucky us! And thanks to Marcia’s stewardship and her team’s ingenuity Tinsel Trading Company has found its way from the basement of her grandfather’s store to the world stage.

In the store there are new things mixed with the original stock, but it is so much fun to go on the treasure hunt for the old and the unusual – metal thread spools, ribbons, fabrics, fringes, flowers, bows, you name it.

The store is an open secret favorite of designers and renowned decorators. The selection is a star attraction on celebrity TV shows, in film and award winning Broadway plays.

And in meanwhile, this mood board haven continues to sparkle with colors and textures, dazzling us with a sense of “wonder and magic”, inviting anyone who comes along to jumpstart the Odyssey of the creative process.

For further information contact http://www.tinseltrading.com/index.php