About Us-
Painted Desert Trading Co. was established by Mark and Janet Shipley in 1993 in Cameron, Arizona on the Navajo reservation. The Shipleys had spent the previous two years working for Babbitt Brothers Trading Co. managing the trading post in Tuba City Arizona. The store in Cameron is located at 465 Hwy 89 right on the junction of US 89 and AZ 64, the road to the east gate to the Grand Canyon. That building serves two purposes, it hosts the Painted Desert Bead Store in one part of the store. Where they sell beads, findings and supplies to local Navajos who operate roadside businesses or sell at pow-wows. The front part of the store is the Painted Desert Trading Co which sells retail Native American art, pottery and jewelry to the public.
In 1998 the Shipleys opened a second store in downtown Flagstaff. The Flagstaff store was moved and expanded in 2002 to its present location on San Francisco St. That store carries an extensive jewelry selection as well as Navajo, Hopi and Mata Ortiz pottery. It also specializes in Traditional (old style) Hopi kachinas and Zuni fetishes. The Shipleys are collectors as are many of the employees. They delight in sharing their passion with fellow collectors and in sharing knowledge with any who are interested. In 2004, 2005, 2006 and 2007 Painted Desert Trading Co. was voted ‘Best Native American Gallery’ in Flagstaff by the readers of the Arizona Daily Sun.
