Minturn’s Holy Toledo consignment shop welcomes new owners from Texas

Holy Toledo, a local boutique consignment shop in Minturn, is under new ownership. However, both the new and old owners are working to maintain the status quo as ownership transfers.

Former Texas resident Dana Marek recently purchased the business from longtime locals Heather and Eric Schultz, who opened the store on April 22, 2002.

Heather and Eric Schultz were both working on the mountain — she as an instructor and him as a patroller — when Eric began encouraging Heather to start a business of some kind, she said.

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“In my summers, I was working just here and there, doing odd jobs, when I was a ski instructor,” Heather Schultz said.

One of these jobs was working part-time at Ritzy Recalls, a former consignment shop in Avon.

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“I love the idea of recycling clothes. And I’ve always shopped secondhand since college and because the Vail Valley was way too expensive for me,” she said. “So I knew there was a need and an outlet for used clothing here; and I thought, ‘You know what? I can do this, and put my spin on it.'”

And the rest is history. Heather and Eric Schultz bought the historic church building — on the corner of Main and Toledo — in January 2002. The building, which was built in 1906, was a Presbyterian church for 96 years. The name, Holy Toledo, comes from both the building’s history and location.

In the 21 years since opening, the store has found success and continued to grow — expanding its floor space in 2008. The store now has a database of over 8,000 consigners — which includes second homeowners, boutiques, sample lines, locals and more — and puts out between 150 to 300 pieces a day on weekdays.

Throughout this time, Heather’s favorite part of owning and running the business has remained unchanged: “Just dealing with and learning about all the consigners from all walks of life in this valley, as well as second homeowners from around the world and just learning about them and their stories.”

“You inevitably hear stories when people bring clothes in because they have stories about the things they own or their clothing,” she added.

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However, it was time for a change, and so Heather and Eric Schultz decided to list the business for sale.

“Eric and I are staying here,” Schultz said. “We just want to do more of what we used to do: bike and ski and travel and enjoy the Valley for what it was. When you have a business, you’re pretty tied down to it, in a good way. Everybody works hard, but it’ll be nice to have a little more free time.”

And, in true serendipitous timing, right as they posted the business for sale, Marek saw the posting and everything began clicking into place.

“I knew the second I clicked on the website that this was it. It was a magnet that made me come here and buy it,” Marek said.

Marek has been coming to the Vail area from the Dallas area for many years, and had been looking at other businesses as well. But, when she saw Holy Toledo, she said she was attracted to the whole business and idea. Before deciding to purchase it, Marek spent a week working in the store to make sure it was a good fit.

“We just hit it off, and it’s been a great, smooth transaction,” Marek said. “The whole thing, it just couldn’t have gone any better.”

While the sale was official as of June 1, 2023, Heather Schultz is staying through August to help teach Marek the ropes and ensure the transition is seamless.

Schultz said that through the transition she wants consigners and customers to know “their accounts are in good hands with Dana.”

“She couldn’t be a better person to take this over, who I would trust with handing over their personal items and, of course, the money in their accounts,” she said. “That’s all safe with her.”

The smooth transition also includes Schultz teaching Marek everything she’s learned about pricing items in the past 21 years in order to maintain the “equilibrium” she’s established. And, importantly, Schultz said that all the staff is staying on, including “Pink Heather” who has been an employee of the store for 20 years.

“There’s really not anything that needs to be changed and I’m not looking to come in and change it. We just want it to be Holy Toledo, and it’s going to stay Holy Toledo,” Marek said.

Looking forward, Marek said she is excited about every aspect of running the store.

“I have a grin on my face, ear to ear. I love that it’s oriented toward people and that people can come in and get what they want, (that) we’re recycling clothing, the staff and the building that it’s in, the church, and the whole atmosphere,” Marek said. “What she’s created here is amazing and I’m honored to be a part of it. She’s built a legacy here, and I think it’s important to keep that going for Minturn and for Holy Toledo, for everybody involved.”