Showing posts with label small business. Show all posts
Showing posts with label small business. Show all posts

Monday, October 20, 2025

Jeweler Ann Angeletti Is 101 Years Old

All photos courtesy of WABC News unless noted otherwise

Ann Angeletti, age 101, still works 6 days a week. Mondays are spend in Manhattan’s diamond district bargaining with vendors to bring in new inventory. Five days a week she works alongside her daughter and granddaughter at Curiosity Jewelers, her family owned business which she opened in 1964, located at 24 Union Avenue, Cresskill, New Jersey.

Customers rave about the customer care and welcoming atmosphere inside the shop, calling Ann Angeletti fair in her pricing and the most knowledgeable jeweler in the Tri-State area. They also say there is a great selection of beautiful jewelry.

Photo: Curiosity Jewelers
There’s much to be admired about this 
 
centenarian. Starting and sustaining a successful independent jewelry store for 62 years with the aim of putting customers first, and loving what she does with no plans to retire.

Although Curiosity Jewelers is known for its fine jewelry, it also sells antique and costume jewelry. Usually it's wiser to save up for one good classic piece of fine jewelry than to buy lots of costume jewelry. A lovely gold ring, bracelet or necklace can be wore over the years and passed down to offspring.

Curiosity Jewelers seems to have found the winning formula as a trustworthiness business: Combine expert knowledge, honest prices and treat customers right after they walk in the door.


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Thursday, February 20, 2025

Meet The Floto Milano Crossbody Shoulder Bag

Sometimes I regret not buying Coach's full-sized Cassie Crossbody bag before it was discontinued, an action by Coach that surprises me. Nowadays you can get a smaller Cassie 19, which is still a terrific bag, yet too small (7 inches long) to hold my essentials. With the Cassie 19, I'd have to carry a tote too.

Let me introduce you to Floto, an American small business that sells bags handcrafted in Italy on Amazon.

The retailer's Floto Miano Crossbody Shoulder Bag is a twin style to Coach's Cassie Crossbody bag for 1/3 of the price! The Floto bag is certified full-grain Italian leather (namely calfskin). The leather is hand-stained to patina by artisans in Tuscany to look better over time.

It comes in 2 sizes: Large: 8.5"W x 3.5"D x 6"H and Small: 7". The Floto Crossbody is shaped so similarly to the Cassie and has the same turnover closure plus 3 compartments to organize daily necessities such as a back pocket with a zipper to fit a cell phone. It's such a timeless and popular style!

With customer service, a warehouse, and a leather workshop located in Connecticut, the leather merchant offers a lifetime limited warranty meaning it strives to make good if anything goes wrong with the normal usage of its bag.

Amazon is bad for small businesses when they can't compete, yet a positive aspect is Amazon also gives small businesses a platform to sell their creations if or before they can afford to open brick-and-mortar stores. It's an opportunity for small businesses to reach and sell to customers far and wide. 

For consumers, it's safe to buy online from unfamiliar small businesses due to Amazon's free returns policy. Still, I'm committed to mindful shopping as I don't want to see a change in Amazon's free returns policy. Nowadays more retailers require customers to return items in-store to avoid fees because of abuses of online free returns. In appreciation for great customer care, let's treat everybody's money as if it were our own! Savvy Shoppers expect to be treated in good faith by retailers and are fair to retailers with generous return policies!

Wow, the Floto Milano Crossover Shoulder bag, as well as, the whole Floto line is such a smart Amazon find! Superb leather and craftsmanship at a reasonable price. Nice!


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