No116

Dear Customers & Friends
Hello from Japan! This is Kimono Flea Market ICHIROYA's News Letter No.116.14th October was the birthday of our elder sister Shoko, and yesterday night we went out for a dinner celebrating her 20th birthday. We feel it was only a few years ago, when she was born. Recently she entered an university to study Chinese, got a driver's license and started to make up and dress like a lady. On the way to the Italian restaurant she drove a car. I was on the front passenger seat. I noticed that she forgot to release the hand brake, and I let her notice it. It was a long drive, and we didn't notice, it might cause of serious accidents. I had to shout several times to let her know the signal was RED! I was not sure whether she noticed the red signal or not, but her speed seemed not to be reduced enough for smooth stop. It was a rainy night, so we told her she had to be very very careful and not to speed up.Near the restaurant she mistook to turn and stall in the center of the road. We all got panicky to see cars were coming both from forth and back!She is 20 years old, and already an adult. But we felt she still needed more help and advice to cope with her life alone.
Yesterday I attend an kimono auction in Iga. One of my friend started a monthly auction several months ago. My mentor Mr. Fujimura is invited as an auctioneer.
About six month ago, when I attend an auction in Okayama, we bought lots of 'ranru'(cotton rag). Its auction is Mr. Fujimura's one, and a seller offered a pile of cotton rags. All bidders and Mr. Fujimura knew we prefer 'ranru', and I was anticipated to buy them at good price. They were made of ai dyed cotton, and many parts were repaired with other cotton, included kasuri and katazome cotton. White thick stitches were used for repairing, and at a glance they looked charming.I won the first several ones, and felt their touch were stiff, and looked like starched. And when I looked closely, stitches were too rough, and I didn't get special kind of feeling when we touch good ranru fabrics. At the details of good ranru, we always find elaborate stitches, good combination of cotton stripes and affection to fabric and owner's family members. Auction is always speedy, and some joined to compete us, so I won all the ranru there. At the middle I felt these ranru might be made recently and intentionally, but I couldn't stop to bid. The prices were not high, so even if they were not charming, I thought they might be good merchandises.But when we brought them back to our office, and checked them again, and we came to know my judgement was wrong. Regardless of the prices, we don't want to sell them at our site. I had to recognize they were not beautiful or charming - only rags. We put them back into the box, and I wrote the side of the box as 'Dame-Ranru wth a marker'. ( 'Dame' means 'bad', 'Not suitable for **', 'Not good' , 'Not be able to ***' and so on.)The box had been six month in our office, but these days we bought lots of antique items, and we became not to have enough space. We decided to sell 'Dame-Ranru' at Iga auction.I thought, ' If I sell these ranru, bidders must wonder why I sell them, and may believe they are not suitable for selling. So we had better ask someone to offer them as their merchandises'.I asked my friend to offer them. Some antique dealers ask someone to offer their items, and bid up to their own items to sell at high prices. But I only want to sell them and didn't have idea to bid to sell them higher.The friend is a good guy, and said OK. I asked him, 'Please not to offer by a piece, but offer them at bundles. We don't need to sell them at high prices'.But he is a very very good guy, and tried to sell higher than we expected. When his turn came, he began to offer our ranru by a piece. Of course bidders looked me anticipating the bid, but I only smiled. First a few pieces were sold at moderate prices, and then Mr. Fujimura seemed to notice where they came, and looked me and said 'Do I have seen them?'But at that time I noticed that the side part of the box at the feet of my friend looked toward us(to all bidders). Black and bold characters read 'Dame-Ranru' and 'Wada'. The box was used to stock kimono at auctions so we had to write our name.
None seemed to notice it. But I couldn't stop to burst to laugh.Box is saying - 'Dame-ranru' of Wada is selling now!And I couldn't stop to tell it to the friend beside me. She also burst out laughing. At last other bidders noticed what we were laughing, and a bidder reads the characters around ' Dame-Ranru Wada!'.
Mr. Fujimura won all 'dame-ranru' of us at way cheaper prices as we bought.We are very sorry for bringing shame on my good friend. But its situation was very very funny and interesting, and we lost some money with feeling happy.
By the way we donated 100,000 yen ( approx 900 USD ) to Doctors Without Borders Japan. As usual this donation is from our customers and us. We hope helps will reach as soon as possible to the disaster victims of the earthquake in Pakistan.
We will be adding charming vintage cotton items, katazome, interesting vintage items and the bolts soon.We hope you have tome time to check our new arrivals later when they are added. Ichiro & Yuka WadaKimono Flea Market "ICHIROYA"http://www.ichiroya.com
e-mail: info@ichiroya.comaddress: Asia-shoji Bldg.301 1841-1 Nishi 1 chome Wakamatsu cho Tondabayashi city Osaka 584-0025 JAPANTEL&FAX ****( international number ) - 81-721-23-5446