Dear Readers,
With everyone else, we are struggling with the impact of COVID-19, trying to find the wisest and safest way to continue to live our lives and operate our business. We eliminated our scheduled holiday in Florence as the outbreak in Italy first began to spread, and we cancelled our entire buying trip soon thereafter. In the days that followed, most of the English antiques fairs at which we usually shop have been cancelled, and our favorite shops are closed, as well. We feel a tremendous bond with our many English friends as we share the consequences of the pandemic.
Except for a daily walk and the occasional trip to the grocery store, Jan and I have been staying at home, working in our office and workshop and enjoying each other's company. We decided to close our shop before the mandate to do so was issued, and our doors will remain closed until the situation changes. Sadly
, we had to cancel
our Spring Opening and did so before it was mandated. We believe strongly that social distancing is absolutely necessary to defeat it, and we recognize that, even if we decided foolishly to carry on as planned, no one would come.
We are keeping active during this difficult time and have made adjustments to fit the new reality. We feel extremely fortunate to have customers like you, who stay in touch through our website, this newsletter, and our presence on Instagram. Our plan for the immediate future melds these three "touchless" resources.
Please feel comfortable contacting us by phone or email. For a couple of certified antiques, we're pretty well equipped to operate digitally. We print our own postage, so we're able to mail small purchases from our office, and we continue to be able to receive payments through PayPal or credit cards.
To tempt you in this month's newsletter we're listing nearly three dozen novel things from our private collections. You can read more below.
Our May Opening
Since much of what was scheduled to debut at our Spring Opening on May 2 & 3 is priced and ready, we plan to present the show digitally, in monthly installments, b
eginning in our May newsletter, which will go online a few days after our cancelled opening.
At 10:00 a.m. on Tuesday, May 5, the New Listings page of our newsletter will contain two to three dozen new pieces of jewelry, furniture, paintings, accessories, and carpets. While
we'll miss the excitement of our Spring Opening weekend, we're hoping that spreading our new stock over several newsletters will give each piece the spotlight it deserves and give prospective buyers time to study, deliberate, and decide. Who knows, i
t might even turn out to be an effective antidote for depression!
We hope that this Touchless Opening will contribute to our health and safety and allow more customers from all over the US and the world to participate in this exciting event.