ALL ABOUT BAGGINS

The Baggins saga kicked off in the psychedelic haze of 1969, an era where black-light posters were all the rage. Glen, eager to properly show off his collection, found it difficult to snag the proper bulbs. The only spots where he could find them were lighting wholesalers, who would only sell to businesses, and you couldn't get a business license without a business address (which in those days couldn't just be out of your home). Glen assumed that he wasn’t the only person on the hunt for the elusive black light, so he found an inexpensive second-floor shop space on Victoria's famous Government Street for $80 per month, or $60 if he swept the stairs, and so began the Baggins journey.

The proud owner of a brand new retail shop complete with a wicked black-light room, Glen found himself with the makings of a real business. Soon, the shop was stocked with posters, incense, candles, and all the smoking essentials. Despite being on the second story, 15 feet above the foot traffic, Baggins started to thrive. Two years later, Baggins expanded and moved to bustling Bastion Square, throwing women’s clothing imported from India into the mix. Five years down the line, Baggins found our third home in the newly re-opened Market Square on lower Johnson Street. At that point, Baggins specialized in Indian and Indonesian imports, the trendiest fashion and accessories.

Jumping ahead to the late ‘80s, a turning point was on the horizon when one of our clothing reps dropped a tiny line of Converse at our door. For Glen, it was a rush of nostalgia back to his elementary Gym uniform. Baggins was already considered a very cool place to shop but with the addition of Converse, we became a fixture in the Victoria specialty retail scene. In those days, the catalog was quite limited, but each season it got bigger and Baggins grew with it, and before long, Converse shoes became the number one seller. 

In the early ‘90s, the decision was made to become a world leader in selling Converse, a title that we still hold to this day. We ditched all our other lines and moved our store to its current location on Lower Johnson St. (LoJo to the locals). Later on, we launched our online store and opened our Custom Printshop. As we continued to evolve, we carefully curated additional brands that met our rigorous standards, starting with Vans and later welcoming Herschel and Stance.

In 2013 Tara joined the crew, becoming a part-owner in 2018.  She took the reins of day-to-day operations and ushered in a new era for Baggins. Under her leadership, we expanded even further, overhauling our online store and introducing the coveted Dr Martens to our collection. 

Currently, we're shipping orders all around the world every day, running our bustling downtown retail store, printing up orders in our custom printshop, and upholding our since-day-one commitment to top-notch customer service. Baggins is proudly Victoria’s own funky, unforgettable, quirky shop.

And, if you’re curious, click the link below to meet the folks behind the scenes and behind the till: