Don't know how I feel about this one. We were shopping at TJ Maxx over the weekend and they had masks from Venice, with the tag and stamp and all. They were full sized and of the quality that you'd see in the stalls and some gift shops (not the hand made ones that you see in some of the terrific mask shops.) They are selling them for $49.99. I'm glad that they didn't have any like we bought, or the ones we have would seem less special.

Walmart has a good selection for $39.99.

Some entrprising importer must have been busy lately! I saw very nice Murano glass pieces and masks at Marshalls in a store south of Denver last week. I bought a beautiful blue and white free-form bowl for just $14.99. Couldn't resist.

Walmart? Oh my word!

Of course, if I find any of the glass jewelry, I'll snap it up, but I just HOPE they aren't selling the pieces I bought in Venice at Marshalls or Walmart!

Thanks, missypie, for lightening my checkbook today! This thread reminded me what a great deal the authentic Murano glass at Marshalls is. So I returned today and bought a couple more pieces. They'll make good gifts if I don't get too attached to them! No masks or jewelry there today, though. (Probably a good thing for my budget...)

Ross Dress For Less also has lots of glass pieces exactly like the kind I see in Prague and Rome.

Last April, I bought a beautiful scarf in Prague. Had never seen anything like it anywhere before, so I bought one. Wouldn't you know, I was in a hotel in Trenton (NJ), and a lady was selling the SAME exact item, but in a different color!

The world is a small place...

Sam's Club has Murano glass....

Ross Dress for Less has Murano glass, also.

Well, there is Prague glass, and then there is Moser.

There is Murano glass, and then there is Pauly.

You can buy a dress at TJ Maxx, but I bet it won't be a Balenciaga or Junya Wantanabe.

You get what you pay for.

You must not be a TJ Maxx shopper. They get genuine, brand name merchandise...sort of randomly - you never know what you're going to find. That is why some people (e.g. my mother) are addicted to it.

I bought a dress for my class reunion at Saks and about the week before the reunion the same dress was at TJMaxx for one quarter the price! Also, my son brought me back a terra cotta soldier replica from his trip to China. The kid schlepped it all the way and now the exact same things are in TJMaxx! I kinda love that place, too!

At Christmastime (probably starting around now) TJ Maxx & Marshalls sell authentic German nutcrackers and smokers -- the ones with the official stamp on the bottom. We bought one at a Kriskindel market in Chicago for my daughter only to find them for half the price at TJs.

Do you think I can fool my friends with presents "from Italy" bought at Ross?

I'll try and let you know! We have Ross and Marshall's in San Francisco!

I have to admit that I am going to try to fool my relatives at Christmas with gifts I actually did not buy in Florence. There was a particular item that had significance to my family, but I only bought one for myself. After I returned I regretted not buying more, so I found a web site that sold an identical item to what I bought.

When the relatives, who will undoubtedly be thrilled with their gift and certainly wouldn;t turn their noses up because it isn't this or that "brand," look at you and say, "Oh, you got that for me in Florence!" all you have to do is say, "Yes, that's where it came from."

Gift givers beware ..

Years ago I tried to find a nice doll in Europe for my four year old great-niece. I saw some beautiful dolls, but then I decided that I didn' want to schlep a doll around Europe with me, or have it take up half of my carryon, so I bought her some smaller trinkets.

When I returned home to San Francisco, by coincidence I was in an Italian shop. I saw a beautiful doll made in Italy and because the next day, I was going to see my niece for the first time since returning home, I figured that she certainly wouldn't know the difference.

The very first thing my brother her grandfather, did was look at the really lovely doll and say, 'if this is from Italy, why is one of the tags written in English?" Big jerk. I quickly explained that I bought it at the airport in Rome. That didn't make sense to me, but with his entire family staring at me, it was all I could think of. It shut him up for the moment.

So make sure those Ross, TJ Maxx, Walmart etc. tags are removed.

Nina

Hi, All,

I actually like their Italian and English stuff, but it's always odd lots, rarely full sets of anything, which never bothered me if I like the object(s)..

What I really don't like is the quality of their "African Art". I have yet to see a piece worth considering for any half-serious collection. Shame...... They might consider substituting quality for the quantity of it...

But what I would really like to see is some good Persian copper, preferably old, from Isfahan (sigh)