Caramia's Collection was heavily impacted by the super storm known as "Sandy". Located in the Rockaways in New York, we are in one of the hardest hit areas. There were people who suffered more and people who suffered less, there is no way to truly gauge the havoc the storm created for each individual unless you've lived it. The loss of memories, material things and the emotional impact is monumental. As a business, we lost a lot of inventory and thought Caramia's Collection was surely finished due to the lack of power, internet and no postal service to name just a few of the obstacles we faced in the immediate aftermath of the storm. What happened a few days after Sandy hit was my miracle. I was able to to get a call through to someone I have treasured as a mentor and friend for several years. I asked her to close down my business as I had no access to it. Instead, she put her thinking cap on and came up with an idea. First let me tell you, this friend is a fellow eBayer, PowersellingMom aka Danna Crawford. In my moment of uncertainty and panic, not just how I would handle my business but also how to attempt to recover from the devastation I faced, Danna kept her cool and asked if there was any way I could put a package together and ship it to her and I said, yes, one package would be manageable. She told me she would "text" me my sales, write to my buyers about the shipping delay due to Sandy and basically run my business from her home base in Florida! What a turn of events, a Floridian used to hurricanes running the business of a die hard New Yorker who had just experienced the most horrific of storms. Danna texted my first list to me. Without electricity and heat, I took advantage of the daylight and my trusty flashlight and looked for the items sold, packaged them up individually and then put together one large box. I was able to have the package shipped to Danna, who then printed postage from my account and shipped my items from Florida. Does this require faith and trust? It sure did, but I had no doubt that the person I was trusting my business with could and would handle this as if it were her own. We had our own version of a long distance assembly line and used the system twice with no problems. This is what true friendship and teamwork is all about. I am forever grateful to Danna Crawford for her help in keeping my eBay business going during this crazy time in my life. I am grateful also to the buyers who were so kind and understanding, some even writing me follow up emails wishing me and my family well. I am also so grateful for all the well wishes I have received from the eBay community and friends I have made on FaceBook. I may not have thanked everyone individually but I want everyone to know that I am so appreciative of the outpouring of warmth. Caramia's Collection did get internet back after several weeks and we're trying to get the business back up to speed. We still do not have a local post office and are unsure of when it will be back up and running. Sadly, one of our local mail carriers passed away in the storm. His smile and friendly attitude when I would stop him on my way to the post office with packages to "save me a trip to the post office" will never be forgotten. Three months after the storm, I want to say a great big thank you to Danna, you stepped up to the plate and hit a home run for me. I hope no one ever has to experience what my family and I and all the others in our area have gone through and are continuing to face on a daily basis. I do hope that if a time of need does arise, that you have a friend who will "have your back" like I do.
Earlier this year, Caramia's Collection went through some "growing pains". We started our store, not thinking far into the future and picked an avatar/logo that after a while was not what we thought represented us. So, after much consideration, we decided to dive into the re-branding pool and came up with our new look and haven't looked back since. Apparently, we were not the only ones thinking of a new look. Today, eBay announced its new logo, not that far off from the original but more streamlined and in my opinion, more pleasing to the eye. Here it is, what do you think?
Caramia's Collection has been undergoing "renovations", out with the pink and in with classic black & white. To tie in our new look to beauty I set out to find a great new manicure look and found this gorgeous black French manicure. It appears to be done with matte and shiny finish polish and is oh, so chic!!
With the world of the internet so huge yet really so small, we never know who we will meet. I have been fortunate to meet a wonderful person, Danna Crawford, who has helped me build my eBay business, Caramia's Collection and also has become a great friend. Danna is the founder of Virtual Online Learning and hosts a monthly radio show. The concept of the show is for those of us who work on line to have a place to gather and self-promote. Last night I encouraged one of my good friends to join us and self-promote. Here in tribute to his "appearance" on the VOL radio show is Ed "Eddie" Rambeau singing his hit "Concrete & Clay". Here's hoping that Ed visits us again and becomes a fixture at our gatherings.
We've been so busy at Caramia's Collection, photographing and listing lots of new inventory. Here's a fabulous guy's shirt -- perfect for warm weather climates or that winter getaway. The shirt has a fun retro vibe and is in excellent (possibly new) condition. Hope to see you at Caramia's Collection soon where we offer free shipping on all US purchases!
Okay, here's something special for the guy who loves to dress vintage! Caramia's Collection just listed a fabulous find -- a nylon "Qiana" shirt, so retro and in excellent condition -- hope you will stop by to take a look at this and our other treasures.
Did Santa bring you what you wanted? If you didn't get the jacket, or scarf to keep you nice and toasty, please take a look at Caramia's Collection. We've launched a sale on outerwear and accessories just in time for the winter chill. Hope to see you soon and thank you all!
December 16th has been officially named "Free Shipping Friday" and Caramia's Collection.com is participating. We actually always offer free US shipping but would love to have you visit today and pick some treasures for the holidays. We offer same or next day (depending on time of purchase) expedited shipping free on all US purchases and are adding new inventory daily. Hope to see you soon.
Sit behind your computer, laptop or smart phone and celebrate GREEN MONDAY. We've launched a sale at Caramia's Collection and guarantee next day shipping! Hope to see you soon.
Cyber Monday is here, Caramia's Collection has been adding new treasures daily. Today we are highlighting a gorgeous Novita Knishau SKINART Snakeskin bag -- perfect for the holiday season!
With Thanksgiving now a memory, it's time to get into the holiday spirit. Here's a song that always puts a smile on my face when I hear it, "Driving Home For Christmas" sung by the super talented Ed Rambeau and accompanied by a fabulous video that he put together. Enjoy! Happy Holidays from Caramia's Collection!
Every now and then I like to share the inspiration for my eBay store's name Caramia's Collection. Here is Jay Black singing my favorite song, Cara Mia.
