Meet Tamara Baskin of Golden Rags in Downtown LA

Today we’d like to introduce you to Tamara Baskin.

Thanks for sharing your story with us Tamara. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
Growing up, I lived in a single parent household where money was low but I always had a strong interest in fashion. In addition to not having much money to wear all the style’s I admire, I also am 3 feet tall which added another challenge. As an option for shopping, my Mother taught me how to rummage through my local LA Thrift Stores to find my perfect style on a budget.

Shortly after I graduated college, I decided to start Golden Rags in order to have a creative outlet to share some of my thrift finds that I couldn’t fit. My friends and I would work together and one will model, the other would take photos and I would style the looks and post them on my site to sale. Slowly but surely, it took off and turned into a full-time business for me.

Today, Golden Rags has expanded from more than an online store to more of a service brand for the woman and man who enjoys thrifting. We do pop-up events around Los Angeles and even offer private vintage shopping services at our LA Studio.

Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
Doing Golden Rags has never been a smooth ride. I remember there was one period where sales were so low that I almost felt like closing the shop. Instead of getting discouraged, I made a decision to re-market and develop a new plan to revive my business and boost my sales.

Please tell us about Golden Rags.
One thing that sets Golden Rags apart from other vintage clothing brands is that we’re a service-based brand, rather than just a store. I used to be more behind the scenes with doing Golden Rags but this year, I made the decision to come out of hiding. I’m learning my expertise is in being a professional thrifter and having an eye for style in places that most people ignore, so I’m actually enjoying sharing that gift with people who want to learn more about the thrifting lifestyle.

If you had to go back in time and start over, would you have done anything differently?
If I can do things differently, I would have been more consistent as a business owner. With my business evolving from a hobby to a full-on brand, I didn’t really think it was something I would be doing full time.

Pricing:

• On our site, we always offer $10 tees and the rest of our items average about $30
• At our pop-up events, we always offer $5 bin

Contact Info:

• Address: 1933 S Broadway #1153-B
  Los Angeles, CA 90007
• Website: https://goldenrags.com/
• Phone: 818-742-7029
• Email: tamarab@goldenrags.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/goldenrags/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GoldenRags/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/goldenrags

Image Credit:
@KaraCooperPhoto, @_SoulFull

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