Serena, Italian Style: My First Buying Day aka "What On Earth Am I Doing?"

May 4, 2010

My First Buying Day aka "What On Earth Am I Doing?"

In 2006 after what I thought was much planning and thought, I was off to Florence, on Mother’s Day, tearfully waving goodbye to my family at the airport. Feeling a bit bold, but mostly like a selfish mother and wife who was leaving her teenage children and husband to fend for themselves, I sat down in the waiting area, opened up my trusty journal and wrote to my heart’s content.

Thinking that I had to do this “Italian style” right from the start, I had decided to fly on Italy's national airline, Alitalia. In Milan, we were told there would be a slight delay in our connecting flight to Florence- well that delay turned into a cancellation of the flight, and instead, a six hour bus ride. I have no idea how a 3 hour ride could turn into 6, but it did. Great beginning.

The following morning I headed to my first stop, a silversmith whom I had met the prior year, and with whom I had exchanged several e-mails and lots of info. He had sent me prices, I had calculated all of my costs and was ready to place an order. Quite the business woman am I. Upon arrival, what became evident, was that the prices he had sent me didn’t include the price of the silver! They only included his labor! The silver cost fluctuates for him depending upon the market and thus fluctuates for his clients. So the final cost per item was going to be almost double what I had originally planned.

Nowadays, I’d say “thanks but no thanks”, walk out the door, and go have a cappuccino somewhere, but as this was my first stop, it felt like my entire identity hinged on this first placed order. So that’s what I did. Most of it has now been sold, and the silver is all very pretty and well made, but if anyone is looking for some sterling….

We now carry Sambonet stainless steel, with simple lines, very reasonably priced, that doesn’t have to be polished. Let us know what you think.