Chinese Antiques: Shopping Online/Viewing High Point, NC/a customer testimonial

The business model for Antiques by Zaar was built around the notion that people were drawn to do their shopping  online…yes, even for Chinese Antique Furniture. That was in 2000 and happy to say we called it right.  For the  past 11 years we have continued on in this vein, using our website to serve as our only storefront, building  relationships/our business, creating a niche market for our competitively  priced line of quality Chinese Antiques.  Thank you to ALL of you that have taken the plunge and shopped with us online!!!!

Ruth & Jeff after a day of sorting out the warehouse in readiness for Market.

However, even when we had our warehouse in Maine, we always welcomed the customer that desired to come and see for themselves, what was represented online. And the same remains true with our warehouse now located in High Point NC. Yes, with the assistance of my sales associate Jeff Moore, who is based in Greensboro, we are able to entertain appointments for those that still like to “touch and feel” before they purchase.

Babette Glauner of Pinehurst NC, was just one of those that fell in this category. She writes…

“I  found Antiques by Zaar on the internet while searching for Chinese antiques.  Former expat experience, Golden Retriever puppies and obviously family-oriented people...looks like she read our story…. all drew me to the website as well as the wonderful assortment of furniture and Asian accents.  When my husband gave the go-ahead to look for a few new pieces to furnish our retirement home I remembered Ruth in High Point, 1 1/2 hours away.

The piece Babette spotted online was indeed perfect for her, as shown here in her home.

The antiquesbyzaar website is well-organized and depicts the offerings very well, but as long as I was close by, I contacted Ruth to see if I could see my possible choices in person.  She was warm from the start, very accommodating and arranged a time to meet at the warehouse, now the Design Center.  What a treasure trove it is!  It was hard not to want to toss out everything I had and start anew right there!  But sense prevailed and in no time Ruth and I were chatting like old friends and I had selected the piece I had come for plus another whose possibilities jumped out at me once I saw it.  Jeff Moore, Ruth’s cohort, also was very helpful, never pressuring but guiding me to all of the variations of whatever I expressed an interest in.  It’s easy to see that both women really know and enjoy their merchandise.”

Thank you Babette, for this wonderful testimonial. It was a delight to meet you as well, and enjoy staying in touch with you by way of email/newsletters, and the such.

For those that may be interested in visiting our warehouse, please just let me know and we’ll make the arrangements.

ANNOUNCEMENT: We are moving next month, even closer to the heart of High Point…for those of you familiar with High Point, it is in the old Drexel Heritage Factory, which is at 741 West Ward. So very excited!

P.S. I also wrote a blog on Babette’s decorating mantra Eclectic= Interesting: Chinese, American and French Antiques….

 

Launching Arianna (the 1st “A” of ZAAR)

One of the things that I most love about having my own business, is the latitude I have to take the time I need/want for my family. It is truly a gift.  But not going to lie,  can’t say I  was overly excited about the anticipated week long break in my work rhythm I would need, to go and help set up my middle child in Toronto.

Maybe it’s because I was feeling this way as we loaded my KIA and made the 11 hour drive to Toronto, that I am so effusive now, about what was an incredibly busy/productive/fun week …”launching Arianna”….ie, I was right where I was meant to be, doing what I wanted/needed to do, to help set my daughter up in this next phase of her young adult life.

Back in April when I picked Ari up, following her final set of exams, as an undergraduate of the University of Western Ontario, there was anticipation of this return to Ontario to attend her June 16th graduation, with interim time being spent at our home in Maine, with an “interesting” and ambitious list of what was anticipated to take place during that time. Many items on said list never materialized, but the one which she thought unlikely, actually did….she not only landed a job, but she landed one that suits her just perfectly!

No, it didn’t happen “straight away” but when things started to fall into place, they just kept on doing just that….2 weeks from first phone interview, first of 5, 2 online tests, followed by in person interview in New York…to an action packed week prior to grad…finding an apartment…sweet location/cozy space, and not an easy feat we started to realize quickly,  furnishing said apartment, yeah for IKEA and Home Sense, setting up/assembling, ok, I assisted, Ari directed/did the hard stuff, furniture….and all the “stuff” you don’t think of as you move your residence to a new city/country.

So glad to have been there with her…and although a tad proud, the sense that she is right where she should be, right now, as a freshly minted college, for those Canadians reading this, yes, correct terminology would be university, grad, supercedes my personal pride and, well, just gives me a glow that I can’t get rid of.

So, onward Arianna….onward. Thanks for letting me a vital part of your “launch”….

Your mother…

Now back to work I go!

… Arianna being my middle child, and as the subject line says, the first “A” of Zaar (flanked by Zachary, of http://www.zcakelab.com and Avery, McGill student. Your guess as to who R refers to :)).

Facebook album of our week here…which also included volunteering at the FIDA fundraising golf tournament, and having father’s day brunch with my parents and sister…just to explain some of the photos, which don’t have captions.

 

Online Shopping/Online Reviews

The numbers are  growing, and will continue to grow,  for people that are shopping online. We have moved from catalogues to the computer and in order for this this portal to continue to serve us all well it  is a given  that our online shopping/selling experience  maintain a level of integrity for this venue to continue on succesfully.

As consumers we used to rely on reports by the Better Business Bureau to give us handles on the validity of any particular business, especially ones that are we were unfamiliar with, but now, with the world wide web, this information, including that of the BBB, is right at our fingertips.

If leary, the easiest thing to do is google….”company name online review”.  If there is something bad to be said about the particular company in question, you will readily see it pop up on the first page.

Also, Google the name of the person you are communicating with.  If you can’t get a full name put up your red flag.

If you are the patient type, and the business is doing what it should to be out there on social media, this reletively recent phenomenon that serves the consumer so very well,  check the assorted portals and ensure a consistency in presention of the company and the person representing the company.

Asking for referrals  isn’t a bad thing, but really…is anyone going to give you a bad referral?

Well, I take that back.  From a customer of mine… One company gave a prospective client (her)  a list of names of supposed satisfied customers. When this persons red flag started going up they started calling the names on said list…many of which had never even done business with the company in question! Guess they didn’t expect the customer to actually make the calls.

The beautiful thing is that there are many many more people out there doing good business than those that aren’t and no need to let the few that aren’t harm us.  Fact is that we, ALL, buyers AND sellers, simply are required  to exercise diligence and responsibility in our transactions, and the fact is that if the majority weren’t doing so, commerce on the web wouldn’t be the growing success it is…ie, we really can trust each other!

I for one am grateful for the opportunity to be part of this virtual shopping mall, coupled as it is, with its own consumer awareness board which just continues to grow in depth and breadth as social media cements itself as part of the fabric of everyone’s online shopping experience.

If YOU are unfortunate enough to have a bad experience, it does behoove you to share this with the world as way of warning to others….and similarly it goes without saying a good review goes the same distance…just in a different direction.

Happy Internet Shopping! 🙂

Ruth

P.S. In my early blogging days I did do an entry entitled Google Me! There you go…

Ruth Olbrych

 

Chinese Antique Furniture: Fresh infusion en route!

CD 54 Armoire

 

I just LOVE starting the new year, as we have for the past 10 years, with a new shipment of Chinese Antiques, to add to our offerings.

And I LOVE this  platform of a blog, combined with Facebook, LInkedIn , etc, to further spread the good news of it’s pending arrival.

Am including here a smattering of what is on this container, to whet your appetite…

Of course you can view all incoming by going to this link, or go to my website to view current items in stock, which are sorted by catagory.

SOLD!!!!

Yes, 60 plus new stock numbers are wending thier way from China to the States, with first destination point being my warehouse in High Point NC. Final destination points for all pieces to be determined by my customers, BUT know 3 are already heading to Rochester NY!

NOTE: When you click on the enlargement for the incoming items you will see dimensions and retail prices noted. Designers, be sure to ask me about Trade Discounts.

A 30% non refundable deposit will secure the piece as yours, and as such will note it  as SOLD. Balance is due when shipment lands and we’re ready to ship to you/your client.

Container is due to arrive early Februray, just before Chinese New Year!

Contact me, ruth@antiquesbyzaar.com or toll free at 1 866 868 9227/cell 207 838 2675, for further details…or leave a comment on this blog, or on facebook…whichever venue works for you.

Happy Shopping and look forward to hearing from you!

Ruth

CD 49 Console

 Click here to view all consoles on my website.

CD 36 Drums

 Click here to view my large selection of Home Accents.

CD 19 Loveseat

Click here to go to seating section on my website. 

CD 13 Large Dark Natural Sideboard

Click here to view all sideboards on my site.

 

2010: Grateful For….

 

                                                                                                    

My name is  Ruth Olbrych, and I am the President of Antiques by Zaar, the online company my husband and I founded in 2000, to import and sell Chinese Antique Furniture.

“President” is the title on our corporate documents but  frankly  I am much more comfortable with “owner/operator”….mostly because it is how I saw my role… as doer.

Anyways, with my husband’s return to the corporate world this past year, I have been put in a place where my leadership was required, should this business continue to not only exist, but grow.

 And here I am at the end of this year… feeling like I did when my first born turned 1. Yes, under my care and my love, my child did much more than merely survive…he thrived…and I, after this full year can pronounce, Yes, I CAN do this….let’s rock on!

But before doing so I would like to take a little space  to acknowledge the many things/people that have been part of my evolution this 2010….

…. My Brain…for  it  stretched  itself to learn skills that seemed impossible in the past….be it managing the technical side of my online persona or crunching numbers.

….the many online venues/social media available to direct people to my website and put myself out there, Facebook, Twitter, LinkdedIn, and this blog….costing TIME but not $$$$.

…High Point Design Center and WITHIT…organizations I am proud to be a member of and appreciate so much the people that they attract and which I can call “mine”.

….Vanderveer Imports, Bellascenda and Kat Burki…all who have joined with me in High Point, as part of my new ZAAR Design Center.

….Jeff Moore, my sales associate/warehouse manager/showroom designer etc etc etc  in High Point. She is me when I’m not in NC, and more…and I couldn’t have a better representative for my business, or friend.

….Nancy Strojny, my SCORE counsellor, who believes  in Antiques by Zaar, and offers guidance, advice and friendship.

….West Express, my High Point landlords, and shippers, and Metropolitan, another shipping company I rely on. Between both companies my customers don’t only receive their furniture, they receive it well.

Ruth with Sandy Jenifer...Happy customer since May 2002!

….And what would a business be without customers? I am so blessed….for those that I’ve had long lasting relationships with and continue to shop with me, for those that are new to my world and are finding their way to shop with me, and for those that have no need to fill but continue to promote Antiques by Zaar to their friends and collegues.

…and Finally, in another vein, i am grateful for the Gift I have for being self employed, and thereby have the latitude to be available to my Family…be it taking trips to Singapore and Australia to visit my daughters, move my 3 kids in/out of their respective places of residence for the school years, or to be present to extended family as we celebrated  the  lives of those who had untimely passings, namely my brother in law and sister.

Yes, so much to be grateful for and so much to anticipate as we enter this New Year/New Decade.

I THANK YOU ALL for being part of my world, by virture of the fact that you’re reading this I consider you such 🙂 …. and look forward to sharing more throughout this 2011.

Ruth

P.S. And if you care to share what you were grateful for in 2010 I would LOVE to know.

 

Antiques by Zaar: 10 Things to know…

1. In 2000 Antiques by Zaar’s business was established/premised on an “etail” only model, thus breaking new ground as THE FIRST online only  seller of Chinese Antiques …offering re conditioned Chinese antique pieces at a true “online” retail price.

...as shown on About Us/Our Story section of our site.

2. ZAAR represents the names of my children, Zachary, Arianna, and Avery…and I am Ruth, anchoring the name…husband’s contribution was that it was his idea 🙂 Click here to read the About Us on our website.

3. The Chinese logo associated with my business is my name, Ruth Olbrych….fashioned after a pendant I had made whilst living in Taiwan.

4. Since 2004 Antiques by Zaar has been showing at the High Point Furniture Market, opening doors to present, in person, product (and yours truly) to the Trade.

5. And in 2008 we further established in High Point by  moving our  Maine warehouse there.  As a member of the High Point Design Center  we are open the 2nd Wedensday of every month and otherwise by appointment.

6.  Antiques by Zaar has been doing an online newsletter since 2004, to a list of Past Customers and Prospects that now numbers over 5,000. Feel free to sign up by clicking here…and now THRILLED with onset of social media, giving so many additional  venues, like this blog, to put our online business out there….

7.  Close to 100 direct consumer (ie, not Designers) customers have made multiple purchases for their homes….some in one fell swoop and others over the course of the years ….Similarly repeat customers in my Design business continues to grow in relevance as comfort level in shopping online increases. Thank YOU ALL!!!!

Check out our Home Gallery here, with photos as shared by my customers….and that which will be added to greatly in next few weeks.

9. Antiques by Zaar is excited to branch off with the ZAAR Design Center, using the High Point base as a venue to offer an affordable presence to other businesses, like Antiques by Zaar, that understand the value of offering a year round presence,  to its customer base.

10. This Thanksgiving Antiques by Zaar marks 10 years since it’s first online sale and is THRILLED to be here, holding this lovely niche we created.

Credit for the 10 Things Theme goes to Olga Adler of Olga Adler Interiors who did a blog a ways back that was similar in nature to what I quipped here and I thought it so clever and have been meaning to mimmick that for my own business, with, of course, giving credit to Olga for the idea.

Note: Met Olga at Jane Pollak’s  Remarkable Women Event in NYC last Fall. Both women blog and both are worthy of following.

 

I Love/ I Am My Business!

The company logo reads Ruth Olbrych, appropriately so.

It was the trend amongst expat wives (this would be when living in Taiwan) to have custom pendants made with Chinese translations of our Western names, such as shown here.   I joined in and had one made for myself and also each of my children. At the time did I know that a few short years later I would be using this as the logo for an online based business  that I would own, importing and selling Chinese antiques? Heck no. But I did, and it is, and I’m so pleased. 

Truly, if someone told me back then (that would be about 1999 as we were moving stateside after 8 years in Asia) that this is what I’d be doing in 2010 (and with 10 years under my belt)  I would’ve laughed out loud. And now I can’t imagine doing anything but this. 

No, wasn’t a life long dream to have my own business or more specifically that it would be one so “out there” as setting up shop online to sell nothing other than Chinese Antique Furniture. 

But, it has indeed been a life long mission to want to be able to touch people…growing up with a strong sense instilled that a very real part of our mission on this earth is to reach out, to give of yourself, to be of service.  It was the part of my Mennonite heritage that has held with the greatest fervor. 

In my High Point warehouse...

So be it that the vehicle through which I’m able to do said ” reaching  out” is couched in the transaction of selling a piece of antique furniture (or more) to a customer and that said transaction would serve as the cornerstone for wonderful relationships following….customer is indeed synonomous with friend. So be it that this business of selling antiques would give my husband a 10 year hiatus from the corporate world, and support the family of 3 for which it is named after…yes, Zach, Ari and Avery, our 3 children. And so be it that it would serve as an extension of myself going forward…giving me something very real, very mine, as said children head off to college. And so be it that the online world of commerce would develop in a way to accommodate, support and provide multiple windows (in addition to my website) to draw people my way….case in point this blogging platform. 

I love my business.  I love the product I make available to my customers. (Admittedly scary at first, the fact that it is such a personal item to sell online, and that I’m here to offer such, well, it fits  me like a glove.) I love that I am able to have this following almost a decade in Asia as an (admittedly spoiled) expat wife. I love the flexibility I have so that I can be available to my family as need be. I love the  people who I have in my “corner” and can count on to help me make this business work. I love the people who I’ve come to know through this business, not just the customers but also those in the Home Furnishings Industry that I’ve come to know over my years, particularly in High Point NC, where we moved our warehouse 3 years ago. I love that there are so many windows of opportunity for me to reach out to people as I go about my business. And I love that so many people touch me as I go about my business. 

Yes, in all senses of the word, I , Ruth Olbrych, AM Antiques by Zaar. I Love my Business and I am my Business.  

Welcome to My World. 

Ruth 

P.S. Arianna, the first A of ZAAR, has just posted her 2nd blog, which you can view by clicking here. She titled it, “What’s in a Name”, and although she is addressing the name of her blog, Life on the Ladder, it was her posting that inspired the nature of this one….and a wonderful lunch yesterday with a customer/friend that also IS her Business.  Thanks Ari and Jan.

 

Antiques by Zaar Blog: Life on the Ladder

Arianna, in Singapore...China Town specifically.

No, I’m not changing the name of my blog. Rather, I am pleased to introduce you to my daughter’s first posting of her blog, which she has titled Life on the Ladder.

Arianna, my middle child, and I had the pleasure of spending some great one on one time together this past month when I went to visit her in Singapore, where she is doing a semester abroad with her University. I did write a blog on the Singapore visit  (click here) and a 2nd one on our time at the beach in Langkawi Malaysia (click here).

What I didn’t mention in the latter blog was the spark that was ignited with my daughter as I discussed my “vision” for where I’d like to take Antiques by Zaar, the family business, in its 2nd decade. I was pleased for her enthusiastic support of how I would like to broaden my scope in years to come.

An "inspiring" view in Langkawi...

Well, one thing has led to another and said business student has jumped right on in, with both feet, and excitedly is putting the pedal to the metal, joining with me to keep the Antiques by Zaar name out there…as it continues to serve as a great source for Chinese Antiques, as well as offer a platform to show the value in collaborating, communicating, and connecting.

Yes, the economy has been a challenge, but as you’re sure to hear me say…”the economy serves as a great equalizer”…as we have ALL have had to adjust as to how we’ve done business if we remain interested in staying in business. We’ve all had to implement cost effective strategies and have had to exercise creativity more than ever before.

Whether you like it or not (and I LOVE IT!)  “social media’ and the trend to “build relationships” before doing the “sell”  is THE way to go and not to be ignored. Trend it may be, but truly how I have made my online business work, one sale at a time…starting from nothing but a thought that I could do this. 10 years later I’m here  to stay!

Aside from the fact that my company is named after my kids (ZAAR = Zach, Ari, Avery, and Ruth. Can read About Us on our site.) their past participation has been more of a latent nature….although I must credit Zachary for doing all of my graphic work for advertising, mailings and mangaing the editing of photos for my product. Avery is on board for data base and inventory management and Arianna is taking on managing my marketing. All of this is done remotely, with Ari still in Singapore for 3 more months and Zach and Avery in Montreal (McGill students)

So, welcome to Arianna’s blog. Click here for her first posting of my young lady  who is on her Ladder of Life.  You shall be hearing more from the both of us going forward.

Ruth

www.antiquesbyzaar.com

ruth@antiquesbyzaar.com

 

Chinese Antique Galleria/Cheverly MD…& so much more.

Sandy Jenifer/Ruth Olbrych: Brought together through Antiques by Zaar

Believe it or not I have been stymied, and the sad result is that I have neglected this wonderful venue of communicating with “you” (yes, blogging), the very many things/people I have a burning desire to share….such as my dear friend Sandra Jenifer (featured here)…whose friendship was ignited in 2002 when she went “hunting” for Chinese antiques online and found Antiques by Zaar/me.

The crazy thing is that although I have been chomping at the bit to share “our story” with y’all, I have let my concern over the “presentation” get in the way of  putting this out there.  I  so wanted to do justice to what Sandy represents to me and to my business and yet was concerned over not enough emphasis on the product and too much on the persons. I was being conflicted about doing what I knew I wanted to do…share what has been the “icing on my cake” in putting myself out there with an online business.   It is a transaction that initially brings us together. In her case continued shopping (she has purchased no less than 16 pieces from me over the course of the years) triggers further communications, supplemented by my monthly newsletters which usually incites a personal hi back and forth.  It is in this way that we have continued on.

 An example of our friendship goes back to  when she gave  me a call asking “did you know you were in the current issue of Home In Style magazine? “…which I wasn’t aware of (was in the throes of preparing for Market)  and was so touched that she thought to bring to my attention this free publicity, which would serve me well to promote, and which I did.

Sandy truly has a way to put it all together. She should go into business as a Designer, wouldn't you say?

Yes, I have LONG been wanting to publicly acknowledge the very many customers that I have that are Antiques by Zaar collectors/friends and no better person to launch this campaign of gratitude than Sandy.  She has patiently been with me throughout this and readily contributes to my “cause”. To that end she wrote a testimonial for my Galleria of Collectors ,  a section on my site where I want to feature the many folks that have purchased multiple pieces from me…as there are many. Although still in infancy stages Sandy does indeed have a presence there, although the handful of  photos she sent me to include don’t give any indication to the scope of her home which is truly a Galleria.

So, I am pleased that it worked for  me to visit her last month on my drive back to Maine from North Carolina, and as such not only had opportunity to photograph  her  Asian “Galleria”  (please enjoy slideshow of photos here) but also sit with her to tape a video testimonial, which she had previously agreed to do for me. (Can also view photos of her home..not in slideshow format, by clicking here, if your preference.)

I hope you enjoy this window into her home and into what makes me so very grateful for this business, which has, and continues to, open up my life to so many great things and more importantly so many great people.

Ruth
P.S. Watch out. Now that I’ve gotten past the hurdle of how to present this (ie, just go with it Ruth) , there is so much more to follow. The floodgates are open!

ruth@antiquesbyzaar.com

www.antiquesbyzaar.com

 

Antiques by Zaar/Shine A Light

Shine A Light: Support MY Small Business Today!

“Have confidence that if you have done a little thing well, you can do a bigger thing well too” A day of tackling that “bigger” thing!

 That was my posting Thursday morning on Twitter/Facebook as I went about the process of engaging in applying to participate in the Shine A Light campaign today.

 As of today more than 700 small businesses have been nominated by either the business owners themselves, or by someone that feels strongly about letting the whole world know of a particular business that does just that, shine.  As of Thursday I joined this impressive lot of folks by adding my own application to the mix.

 Same day, (and with no relevant conversation about my campaigning for myself as an “inspiring” business) I was told by a customer that I was indeed, just that “inspiring”. Felt like the affirmation I needed was simply put there before me, right then and there as I had just submitted my story.

 If you haven’t heard of this campaign you must visit the website for Shine A Light, sponsored by American Express and NBC.

 And if you haven’t already endorsed a business, may I invite you to endorse Antiques by Zaar. In order to make it to the judging phase I need a minimum of 50 endorsements by September 13th. In order to be more highly visible on the page of nominees I need a couple of hundred.

 Click here to link to see  my story as posted on the Shine A Light website.

NOTE: You do need to register to vote. A quick and easy process. Just note that when copying the security code to process your registration that there are no spaces between the characters. Just copy the characters as shown. No dashes, lines or spaces. With that bit of info you will move through process smoothly.

 May I thank you in advance for your support and help in my continuing on in my mission to let the Antiques by Zaar light Shine brightly.

 Ruth

www.antiquesbyzaar.com

ruth@antiquesbyzaar.com