GroundStrike Collectibles Newsletter
Vol. 2 No. 6
December 2001

Hi Limoges Collectors!
The traditional red and green Christmas colors seem to have been replaced by red, white, and blue this year!  The spirit of patriotism and respect for our soldiers, firefighters and policemen has reached a new high.  We’ve been overwhelmed with requests for Limoges boxes with these themes, and so our New and Travel USA pages are stocked with the best ones we’ve been able to find.

We want to thank each of you and wish you all the very best of the holidays.  You’ve been responsible for our best year ever, and we appreciate it!  Whoever does those polls that say online retailing is slow this year forgot to count little ol’ GroundStrike!

Rochard Studio Collection
We recently added the prestigious Studio Collection by Rochard to our collections.  As most of you are probably aware, the name Rochard is synonymous with quality in the world of Limoges boxes.  In 1994, Rochard introduced a line of classic Limoges boxes that are intended for the advanced collector and others that appreciate fine art.  The painting, detail, and craftsmanship in this line are truly a cut above the already high standards that Rochard boxes achieve.

But I must warn you… these boxes are expensive.  There, I said it.  Quite frankly, Limoges boxes are not inexpensive items in the first place, and with prices beginning at $220 and going up over $500, the Studio Collection contains some of our highest priced Limoges boxes.  Are they worth it?  So far, it’s been a resounding “yes!” from our customers.  Here are a few of the unique qualities of this line:

• More colors used – 15 to 20, instead of the usual 6 to 12 on other boxes
• Liberal use of 24 karat gold, with each painting applied and fired separately
• Fine brush techniques that provide a 3-dimensional appearance
• Strictly limited edition of from 50 to 250 pieces; discontinued thereafter
• Only a few new pieces are introduced each year.

We carry several of the Studio Collection boxes, and we can special order the rest (which adds about 10 days to the order delivery).  Remember, your Limoges Lovers discount applies even to special orders!

Even if these boxes are not in your personal price range, it’s worth a moment to look at some of the painting done on these boxes.  Look at the Floral with Portrait box for the mother and child painting, and the Butterfly with Portrait box for the painting of the young lady.  Exquisite!

Who Makes the Best Box?
We get asked that question daily!  OK, I’m being a little mischievous here… I’m not talking about the best Limoges box; I’m talking about the gift box that contains the Limoges box!  During this time of gift giving, I thought it was appropriate to compare the overall “presentation” provided by the different Limoges factories and importers.  This includes the gift box, the certificate of authenticity, and the wrapping around the Limoges box.  Although many collectors throw these items away, a good presentation makes a great gift even nicer!

So whose is the best?  Hands down, we believe the Rochard Studio Collection presentation is at the top of the list.  The Limoges box is wrapped in “Rochard” printed tissue paper, and placed in a hard-shell velvet flocked case (like those containing an expensive watch).  The certificate of authenticity is a little parchment scroll hand-tied with a ribbon.  All of this is enclosed in a deep green cardboard sleeve printed with the Studio Collection logo.  It’s hard to imagine a more exuberant presentation for a Limoges box, but it is certainly befitting the price range of the Studio Collection boxes.

Second on our list is the standard Rochard box.  The Limoges box is wrapped in “Rochard” printed tissue paper, and placed between puffs of more tissue inside a hard two-piece cardboard box.  The cardboard box is matte deep green, with the Rochard logo and a ribbon beautifully printed in gold.  The certificate of authenticity is a nicely printed one-page fold-in.

A close third is the Artoria presentation.  The Limoges box is wrapped in Artoria printed tissue paper, and placed in a two-piece hard cardboard box, with thick cotton pads protecting the Limoges box.  The cardboard box is matte deep green, with “Artoria Limoges” printed in gold.  The certificate of authenticity is a little booklet with gold covers, which is one of the best looking certificates available.

Tied for fourth are the Chanille and Dubarry presentations.  Both use attractive two-piece hard cardboard boxes that are printed with their logos.  The Limoges boxes are wrapped either in bubble wrap or white tissue.  The Chanille certificate is a folded page with a loop of string threaded through a hole in the certificate, giving it a touch of class.  The newer Dubarry certificate is a booklet with gold covers, almost exactly like the Artoria certificate, although many of their boxes still come with a simple folded page certificate.

Fifth is us!  Most GroundStrike Collectibles Limoges boxes come wrapped in white tissue inside a one-piece fold-up cardboard box (larger Limoges boxes come in two-piece boxes).  The cardboard box is glossy deep green, with the GroundStrike Collectibles trademark logo printed in gold.  The certificate of authenticity is a simple folded page.

Finally, there’s the Chamart presentation.  Now don’t get me wrong:  the Chamart Limoges boxes are some of the highest quality, unique boxes available… but frankly, their presentation is not up to par with their Limoges boxes.  The Limoges box is wrapped loosely in bubble wrap and included in a one-piece fold-up cardboard box (larger Limoges boxes come in two-piece boxes).  The cardboard box is matte white with “Chamart” printed in dark blue on the top.  The certificate is a simple folded page.  We often rewrap Chamart Limoges boxes in tissue to give them a little more protection during shipping.

Please keep in mind that some boxes don’t come as described above.  For example, large Rochard boxes come in two-piece fold-up boxes.  Also, Artoria’s previous color scheme was a gray box with a white top, and many of their boxes still come that way.  Ultimately, remember, you should buy a Limoges box for the Limoges box and not for its packaging!

Your Reward!
As usual, for those of you that made it through all my verbiage… here’s the “You Made it to Here” reward!  With Christmas only a few days away as I write this, you’re going to need Express Mail to get your order in time for Christmas… so for orders over $100, we’ll provide a free upgrade to Express Mail!  Instead of the usual $18 Express Mail fee, we’ll charge only $7 for orders between $100 and $249.  Orders over $250 will get Express Mail for FREE!  Just select “Express Mail” in the shopping cart when you complete your order.  This offer applies only to in-stock items shipped to US addresses, purchased online between Monday, Dec. 17 and Saturday, Dec. 22 at 10:00 AM CST.  Limoges Lovers, Texas, Referral, and other discounts DO apply!

Again, we’d like to wish you and your family “Merry Christmas”, “Happy Chanukah”, “Joyous Kwanzaa”, or a good old generic “Have a wonderful holiday season!”  Take care!

Sam and Susan Juliano
GroundStrike Collectibles
http://www.groundstrike.com

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