Elizabeth M. Mason was born in Toronto, Canada. Elizabeth traveled the world as an actress, model, writer, and theatrical producer in the late 80's and previously worked as an executive producer for a notable computer animation firm in Hollywood prior to starting her own business. In 1992 Mason founded the company The Paper Bag Princess Vintage Couture after writing the book "The Rag Street Journal: The Ultimate Guide to Shopping Thrift and Resale Across North America." She opened her first boutique The Paper Bag Princess in West Hollywood in May, 1995. Elizabeth expanded her business in August, 1996. In 2002 Mason released her second reference book "Valuable Vintage: The Insider's Guide to Identifying and Pricing Important Vintage." Elizabeth returned to her hometown of Toronto that same year and opened her first Canadian boutique. In the fall of 2004 she moved her West Hollywood boutique to a much bigger and more impressive location in Beverly Hills. However, the Toronto location was closed in December, 2010. A portion of the proceeds made by Mason's company are given to the Los Angeles-based non-profit organization The United Friends of Children. Elizabeth lives in Los Angeles, California.