venicebuys@aol.com or by phone at (858) 270-6769 between 9 am and 6 pm PACIFIC STANDARD TIME.
2012 was the best year Venice Buys has ever seen. Our business more than doubled. One of the reasons is we are now the exclusive distributor for La Maschera del Galeone masks in both the US and Canada. We also handle 5 other mask makers in Venice. We finally broke into the wholesale market. We are finding most our wholesale buyers are in the party industry, and we have supplied large amounts of masks for business functions and charity functions.
Our retail sales have increased by over 200% because we are now able to buy our masks at the lowest price possible, from Italy, and we are shipping them from Italy in containers to achieve a large reduction on shipping costs overseas.
2013 will be an even better year, and we are anticipating doubling our sales. 2013 is an exciting new year as we have expanded our product line to include Luxury Italian leather purses, bags and totes. Along the Italian leather line we have added leather belts, leather wallets and Italian scarfs. We also have added wonderful gift items. Our Murano Glass jewelry includes some wonderful pieces from the Island of Murano.
We started our business in 2001. The first five years started off slowly, learning about the masks and the best way to market them. Every day, we are learning new things about Venetian Masks because they are such a unique item. After making over 25 trips to Venice, we finally have recognition as being a major player in authentic Venetian Masks in the US. Our authentic Venetian Mask inventory continues to be replenished with new unique designs.
We now have an active inventory of over 20,000 Venetian Masks, and we feel that we have the largest selection of masks in the country.
We thank you for your patronage.
Yours Truly,
Jack and Celia Barouh - Owners
M.L. Lambert - Manager
and Staff
REASONS FOR A MASQUERADE PARTY
M Masquerade parties have been around for centuries and can be traced back as far as the Roman Times. In Western society the Romans were the first ones where we actually have examples of their masks carved in stone in the open air theatres of Rome. These are the comedy tragedy figures which you still see today and go back to the 4th century BC. Venice began using masks from its earliest times but Carnival started around the 7th Century and flourished in the 14th through 17th Century as a festival that lasted as long as 4 months.
Nowadays we use masks for everything from weddings to graduations to fund raising masquerade balls. Going to a masquerade party for whatever reason gives you the opportunity to change your personality completely if that is what you want to do. The shy reticent young man can dress and act like Don Juan if he wants and the usually outgoing woman can masquerade as a nun if she so desires. It gives us the opportunity to choose any type of personality we would like to portray and act and dress accordingly.
It is interesting as an observer to see what your friends dress as, and it will give you a perspective of their personality that we get no other way.
Another reason the masquerade party is so darn much fun is that it gives us an opportunity to let go of our daily life and live a fantasy life for a few hours.
