After two years on Market Street, Market Street Traders is closing.
We spoke with Peg, who has been an employee with the company for years, who tells us that the recession has been really tough on them. She says that they hope to continue selling the fair trade goods online. As of right now there is no official closing date, but it will be after the holidays, around the end of the year. (Thanks Steve for the tip!)
Market Street Traders to close
![](https://www.myballard.com/wp-content/uploads/2024-My-Ballard-Tile-Ad-Troop-100.png")
Its a sad day – Market Street Traders is a great store & cafe.
This makes me want to cry!
I'm sick and tired of this economy!
That place always just struck me as a random collection of crap.
Are you judging based on the facade? I went in for the first time recently (upon a rec from a friend) and was blown away by the fantastic, unique things.
They just needed better branding. Better store name/identity and better exterior and interior design.
Very sad to see them go. I will definitely go and purchase some holiday things from them.
I'm sad to see them go as well. I really like the eclectic mix of world trade items, from wall hanging made with Indian wedding saris to African bags and Indonesian pillows. We have too many souless homogenous chains that sell a “random collection of crap,” but this store was clearly not one of those. They really add a spot of color and flavor to that section of Market Street. And they were / are good people. Their absence will add to the growing blight of empty storefronts that continue to populate Ballard.
Bummer! Just discovered this place and love their merchandise!
Shoot… I have a Groupon there that I need to use before they close – or wonder if I get an automatic refund?
Random collection of cheaply made crap sold to pseudo-globalists.
Oh, tragedy!!!!
I may be wrong about this but aren't they connected to Ye Old Curiosity Shop? Can't that tourist cash cow help to keep them here?
I never went in. Had no idea what they were about.
Yup, same family.
Me either, but I hate the idea of another empty storefront.
which is probably why they're closing.
It always looked kind of junky in the front window so I never went in there until about a month ago. Amazing variety of nice items. I bought a very nice scarf there that was priced $15 less than the same scarf at a Ballard Ave. boutique. The building has a for lease sign on it.
oh no! where am I gonna go when I need to get a gourd and some fudge?!
Boo! I love their food and the products they sell. They will be dearly missed.
Sad here too. As I recall the owners ran Ye Olde Curiosity Shoppe and Ye Olde Curiosity Shoppe Too on the waterfront, but rents were hiked crazy high for “Too” and they decided to close that store and open Market Street Traders here. All the fudge that was made at the old store moved here too… only they had switched the chocolate to Theo chocolate in the process (yum!).
Really great people, great idea, great store if you ask me… but I know that for myself I only ordered from the cafe and sampled fudge. I once had their baristas try to make me an experimental yerba mate latte ala Tullys… the result was questionable but everyone had a good time trying to make it happen =)
Sad for the owners, but I always stay away from stores (and homes) with those damn Tibetan prayer flags. I was able to get a neighbor of mine to take hers down after explaining to her the fad is over.
I really like that cafe. Their strada is excellent.
Totally off topic…hello to Galen (Joe) from BTG! It's Angela Piacentini. :)
Yeah! I have been after St Al’s to get rid of that cross they display…the fad is like SOOOOO over.
This is a sad loss for Ballard. The people who run this store have a true heart and support many people worldwide. I loved not only their vision, enjoyed the welcome my family and I felt each time we visited their store and cafe. Best of Luck!!!!!
It's a crap shoot who stays in business and who doesn't. Who'd have thought that the flag shop would close, or Scream Haircutters, or the camera shop, or the book store?
I was happy when God-awful Via Verde closed, but it's sad when quaint shops like Market Street Traders fail, even though they replaced the Scandanavian shop that was there for so many years.
Hopefully the new strip club next to the library will do well.
Aw, I like that little store. It's great for gifts.
…..hate to ask but – will they have a sale?
I love the girls in the store and cafe! BUMMMER! I will miss all of you. T
I'm sorry to see it go, because it's just one more local store closing. I got a few gifts there, but occasionally they would burn incense, which I hate, and it drove me out.
It's really odd…..The Scandinavian Gift store was there more than 25 years (they retired) and before that, Olympic Sports was there about the same number of years….
I'm so sad to see another Ballard business closing.
Good luck to the owners and employees – I hope they have a great final season, so they can close on a high note with lots of community support!
Can I get some Tibetan prayer flags there? I've been looking for a way to keep away people who judge me for how I choose to decorate my home.
OK, folks, I know the weather's gross and it's probably bringing out the crabbiness more than usual here, but to complain about Tibetan prayer flags and selling “cheaply made crap to pseudo globalists”?!
I've bought beautifully made woolen scarves and hats there and, yes, walked out with a good feeling that some of the purchase price went to help talented artisans in far-off, but not well-off, locales. Call me a stupid pseudo globalist, but get your facts straight: Market Street Traders has its heart in the right place, sold unique, well-made gift items and its closing is yet another sad loss for the Ballard community.
Now, go kick a puppy.
The cafe had some of the best sandwiches and (homemade) soups in the area. It really was excelent food made with love. I'm gonna miss it!