The artistic and crafting community is mourning the passing of Marcia Ceppos (Jan. 26, 1958 – Oct. 22, 2025), the beloved owner and heart of Tinsel Trading Company, whose lifelong dedication to antique ribbons, trims, and metallic threads transformed a family business into a living archive of creativity and history.
Founded in the 1930s by her father, Tinsel Trading became a treasured destination for artists, designers, and collectors seeking rare and exquisite materials. When Marcia inherited the business, she not only preserved its vast collection but expanded its reach, introducing a new generation to the artistry and stories embedded in every spool of lace, metallic thread, and jeweled trim.
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“Marcia was a keeper of memory,” said a longtime collaborator. “She didn’t just sell notions; she preserved history. Every piece she touched was infused with reverence and joy.”
Marcia’s dedication and passion were captured in the 2010 book Treasured Notions, which chronicled the history of Tinsel Trading and the Ceppos family legacy. In her foreword, she expressed deep pride in continuing a fourth-generation tradition rooted in creativity, curiosity, and respect for the handmade.
Colleagues and friends remember Marcia for her warmth, generosity, and an uncanny ability to inspire wonder in everyone who entered her Manhattan shop or encountered her curated materials. Even after relocating the store to Berkeley, California, Tinsel Trading remained a symbol of timeless craft and innovation, much like Marcia herself.
Her passing leaves a profound void in the crafting world, but her legacy endures in every ribbon she preserved, every studio that uses her materials, and in the hearts of those who value the delicate beauty of handmade artistry.
Marcia Ceppos will be remembered as a daughter, mentor, friend, and visionary — a guardian of craft whose threads continue to connect the past with the present.