About Trunc
About Trunc
Where We Started
Where We Are
Our History
Founded in 2018 by Dorothea Gamble and Dagmar Mitchell, Trunc is a gift shop located in the heart of Northern LIberties, Philadelphia. The area was home to author Edgar Allen Poe and was a stop on Harriet Tubman’s Underground Railroad. With over 30 years of retail management experience, Trunc’s owners aim to provide our community with access to affordable handcrafted, sustainable, and functional products. Our goal is to enhance the lives of our clients while offering impeccable customer service.
The handmade business is not always sustainable. Sustainability, quality and affordability should not be mutually exclusive. Therefore, we strive to shift the paradigm of thought that defines how organic products are viewed while simultaneously emphasizing their cultural and historical value.
Because of the lack of support and awareness of underserved communities, we also wanted diverse representation. Trunc carries products from artisans from all cultures and lifestyles. Our makers are as diverse as our product assortment. We celebrate artists of Latin, Black, Indian, Asian, and White heritage in addition to artists from the LGBTQ+ communities.
Our experience and our fortune of having a platform like Trunc allow us to provide artisans the ability to make a living. We also train handcrafters about understanding retail and how to price and present their products. As a result, the buyer has an understanding of who they’re supporting
Making waste-free choices should be simple and Trunc makes it our mission to bring you products that positively impact our lives and the environment. Everything we sell is curated to encourage daily change while supporting the planet and your relationship with it.
Making waste-free choices should be simple, so we made it our mission to bring you products that positively impact our lives and the environment. Everything we sell is curated to encourage daily changes that support the planet and help regenerate your relationship with it.
Philosophy
People
Ninety percent of Trunc’s products are made by women of diverse backgrounds. They are functionally sustainable and made in small batches. Many of the items in our gift shop feature businesses founded and staffed by Black, Latinx, LGBTQ+, and veteran entrepreneurs. All of our items are intentionally curated for their ethical and sustainable commitment to the environment.
Packaging
We reuse almost every single piece of packaging material that finds it’s way into our shop. When you receive a package from Trunc, the box will look used and so will the paper that fills it, but that’s part of our zero-waste goal. Packaging prioritizes low-impact materials like post-consumer-waste paper, corn starch packing peanuts or reused non-recyclable packaging material. Our items can be either reused, refilled, or recycled
Purpose
Trunc intentionally selects products from artisans and vendors of diverse backgrounds. Those who are actively invested in social justice initiatives and who give back to their communities are always prioritized. We discourage products that represent negative connotations about beauty or that participate in cultural appropriation.
Our Misson
Sustainability, quality, and affordability should not be mutually exclusive. Whatever you purchase - and love - should embrace all of these benefits. We strive to shift the paradigm of thought that defines how organic products are viewed while simultaneously emphasizing their cultural and historical backgrounds.
Consignment
Trunc welcomes all artisans. Contact us by email, Trunc929@gmail.com with images of your work. We will review and determine if it fits into our vision. If it does, we will contact you and set up a meeting.