The use of silver
and gold has a long history, beginning from when the Jewish people left Egypt.
These precious metals were used in the Mishkan and the Beis Hamikdash, and Jews
throughout history fashioned beautiful items from them to enhance the mitzvas.
When it comes to
silver, Gilda’s Gifts is a Baltimore “institution,” serving the needs of
Baltimoreans for 36 years. I had the opportunity to interview Gilda to find out
about her business. When Gilda began her story of hashgacha pratis, I
was surprised to learn that my father actually played a part in the story.
WWW: How did you
get started in this business? Were you always interested in beautiful silver
and crystal items?
Gilda: I always had
an appreciation for beautiful things but didn’t envision that my interest would
turn into a business. We were a young kollel couple living in Cross Country
apartments with few plans for making a parnassa. I came from Los Angles,
and we had a $300 credit in a gift store in Los Angles. My husband suggested
that we use the credit to buy some small gifts to sell to our friends and
neighbors in Baltimore. This worked out, and people would come to our apartment
to buy small gifts. They were thrilled with what they purchased.
Not long afterwards, man came to the yeshiva and was asking
around if there was anyone who might be interested in selling silver in
Baltimore. He approached your father, and because your parents had just gotten
a gift from our small gift collection, your father recommended us. That is how
it all started. We were reluctant to go into this business, but the man allowed
us to sell on consignment in the beginning so there was no risk to start out.
WWW: Where do you
get your merchandise from now?
Gilda: We import
our silver from all over the world, from Israel as well as places like Turkey
and Italy. We get items directly from factories, such as Hatzorfim and Haddad. We have a very large variety of gifts and some unusual and
rare items. [what is an
example of an unusual or rare item?
WWW: I guess if
you have a silver store, you probably use a lot of silver items in your own home.
Gilda: I know and
understand silver well, but for our own personal use, we have very simple
taste. My husband inherited a small silver menorah from his father which is
meaningful to him. Every year, one of the children would bring him out a larger
silver menorah from our collection to use but he always returned it and
continued to use his father’s menorah. [sounds strange. Would you use an item and later sell it?
]
WWW: What kinds of
items could be included in the idea of enhancing mitzvas with beautiful items?
Gilda: Almost all
our items are used to enhance mitzva observance, from the basics like
candlesticks, candelabras, and bechers (kiddush cups) to esrog boxes, menorahs, Seder plates, wine
bottles, and honey dishes.
WWW: Why do you
think it is worth spending money to buy real silver items?
Gilda: The beauty
of purchasing a silver item is that it lasts and can be passed down to the next
generation. It becomes a family heirloom. It can also be engraved and
personalized.
WWW: What are the
customs that are usually followed by the families of chassanim and kallos? Have they changed over the years?
Gilda: The basic
customs are that the boy’s family buys candlesticks for the kallah, and the girl’s family buys a becher
for the chassan. Then there are other items that families sometimes
buy, like menorahs and esrog boxes, but this is not so common in Baltimore. Purchasing
those items depends on the time of year when the couple is getting married. Of
course, the prices have gone up over the years – because the price of silver
has gone up – but the basic customs are the same.
Do you ever discourage people from spending more?
WWW: What makes
your store so popular?
Gilda: We carry
all kinds of other items besides silver, like unusual artistic pieces, crystal,
and glass, so there are many choices. There is no pressure to buy a specific
item. Each person has his or her own taste and budget. Many Lakewood and New York
clients come to shop with us because our prices are lower, we have a great
selection, and there is less pressure to spend a lot.
WWW: What special
services do you offer to your customers?
Gilda: Over the
years, I have cultivated the art of reading the faces of my customers. I make
sure that every customer leaves my story happy with what they have bought. For
example, I feel it is a terrible shame if a family pays a substantial amount of
money for candlesticks for their new daughter-in-law, and she doesn’t like
them. I can tell from the expression on the kallah’s face if she likes
the candlesticks or not, and I work with her to find something she will enjoy.
Our customers enjoy our personal touch. I even do a little marriage counseling
on the side.
WWW: Marriage
counseling? I thought you sold gifts!
Gilda: That
happens with our bridal registry. Many couples come in together to choose items
for their bridal registry. There are all different types. Some kallahs
come by themselves because their chassanim could not care less about
china and flatware, and some bring their chassan along although he is
not very interested. I have a special chair for the chassan to sit on if
he gets too bored. Then there are the couples where I can sense the tension
between them because they disagree about what they like. That is when I do some
subtle counseling. I gently suggest that they each pick the items that are
important to them, or I can help them learn to compromise and give-in.
WWW: Can you tell
me some interesting stories about your bridal registry?
Gilda: Sometimes a
kallah may be reluctant to put items
on the registry that she feels are too expensive. She feels that it is not
right to be greedy and ask people to give her expensive gifts. Once such a kallah really wanted flatware that cost
more then she thought was appropriate, and her chassan wanted a havdalah
set that was also too expensive. At first, she refused to put down those items,
but as she was leaving, she had a change of heart and asked me to put them on
her list. The very next day, a good friend of this girl’s mother came in to buy
her a present. Can you believe it? She chose both the flatware and the havdalah
set! I always encourage couples to put down things they really like. You never
know who might want to buy them for you!
WWW: What other
parts are there of your business besides young couples?
Gilda: We do a lot
of donation gifts from organizations, honorees gifts, and gifts from shuls to
their congregants for Purim or for other occasions. Sometimes we are hired to
provide gifts for school dinners and similar events. We also have accessories
for shuls, such as the crowns for Sifrei Torah.
WWW: I noticed
that your packages are beautifully wrapped.
Gilda: Yes, that
is a big part of our business. I have a lady whose job it is to wrap gifts all
day long. She does a beautiful job. We even wrap presents for people who did
not buy their gifts here. Sometimes, we wrap presents in a unique way, like outside
the box instead of inside the box for presentation gifts. Those are usually
used for vorts, where the gifts are set up on a table for people to see.
WWW: Do people ever
use your store as a way to give presents to needy families?
Gilda: Yes, occasionally
people give me money and tell me to buy something for a kallah or a family that is needy. Once someone gave me $500 and
told me to give it to a kallah who
needed money. It was so nice to call the kallah
to tell her that she had a $500 gift and could choose whatever she wanted with
that money. Another time, a lady bought flatware and bought a second set, which
she asked me to give to somebody who needs it. It took me a while to think of a
family who would appreciate it. I finally got an idea on erev Pesach and was able to give the happy family a brand-new set
of flatware before Yom Tov.
WWW: Do people
other than young couples sometimes ask others to buy gifts for them?
Gilda: Sometimes I
can advise people about what to buy for others. Once a shadchan admired some liquor glasses I sold. The next day, someone
came into the store wanting to buy a gift for that man. I was able to direct
him straight to the liquor glasses that he wanted.
What advice do you have for anyone wanting to start a
business today.
WWW: Thank you for
talking to me, Gilda. You have such an interesting story to tell. It was
fascinating to hear the behind-the-scenes story of your business.
