Whilst driving through Ivanhoe Village in 2021, we saw “our” space was available for rent. We had admired the space for years, and we knew it was the perfect neighborhood for our venture. Both of us had been in the wholesale business our whole careers and had often talked about opening a retail location selling products we knew and loved to our local neighborhood. Having had careers in the wholesale business and selling to big and small businesses alike, we had both seen first-hand the loyalty and dedication the small businesses had and how they were such a part of their community. We wanted THAT!
We opened Rare Earth in May of 2022 in our home, Orlando, Florida in Ivanhoe Village. It is truly the perfect spot for Rare Earth. It’s a little trendy, a little yuppy, a safe place for all… just like our store! We love our community, and Rare Earth participates in all of the activities that the Ivanhoe Village main street has to offer. We feel it is important to help uplift our community, so we regularly take part in events like Juneween, Virginia Drive Live, Jingle Eve, and we have been known to take part in Mimosa Sundays from time to time! We have participated in our local neighborhood cleanup with the city of Orlando, and we have several local artists we love to feature in the store.
We consider our greatest achievement to be our family – our two fantastic boys and our two adorable puppies- and Rare Earth has truly become an extension of our family. Our entire family has contributed to the business, from procuring and prepping the space to turning it into “Rare Earth” and sourcing all the magical items within. Rare Earth’s mission is to offer a variety of merchandise to our neighbors that cannot be found in the mass market or even in the area. We focus on products from the Earth as well as handmade and local items as well. This has been our core mission from the start… Rare Earth is a VIBE, not just a gift store. Seeing guests enjoy the store and spending time in the space we have created is one of the most exciting parts of owning Rare Earth! We love seeing people love what we have worked hard to bring to Ivanhoe Village for them. We offer a huge selection in Rare Earth, from handmade organic, double-dipped incense to gemstone jewelry to Turkish robes and everything in between! We carefully and personally curate the selection of products so that everyone can find something they love. We truly aim to please all!
We are so grateful to our customers here at Rare Earth, and we will continue to bring you the items you love and ask for!
Thank you and all the best,
Taft & Angi