frequently asked questions

home accessories and clothing barware and tobacciana books and ephemera kitchen and dining parlour games, recreation and toys the details:  about us, contact us, ordering, faqs, links, etc…
           

 

Rita ’s Retro in general…
I have a blahblahblah / collection of blahblahblahs. Would you like to buy it/them?
Please do not tempt Lola with your collection of shoes‚ purses, or dresses. An entire section of our neighbourhood has been re-located in order to accommodate what she has already. Seriously‚ thank you‚ but no. We neither buy items nor accept them on consignment. Some of the vendors found on our Links and Retro Resources page may be able to help you.

Can you appraise an item for me?
Would that we could. The best we can do is to refer you to either your local telephone directory‚ or the Antiques Roadshow for a list of appraisers in your area

I am interested in an item I saw on your site. Could you send me a larger picture of it?
Absolutely!

Will you exchange links with us?
Quite likely! As long as your site relates to vintage goodies or research. (And isn’t obscene or unkind to people or animals in any way.   But you already knew that.)

How do we know you’ll ship our item/ that we can trust you/ that you won’t just take our money and run?
You are, of course, completely justified in being concerned. We wondered about getting folks to trust us when we first opened in 2004. There are many places we would like to visit. But the county jail is not one of them. Anyone who accepts money for merchandise and fails to deliver the promised good is guilty of fraud and theft and probably a whole host of other crimes.   It is our policy to be fair and honest with our customers; and we trust that they will return the sentiment.

But if you have any doubts at all, please just pay attention to that. Not just on our site, but any other place you might visit. We would rather lose an order than have you stressed out about your order from the time you place it until the time it arrives.

We have had relatively few problems, and have successfully resolved every one of them. One was from someone who realized too late that we could only accept domestic checks (issue resolved with a money order), three applied to shipping issues (all of which were corrected with the respective shipping companies). Only thrice have we failed to ship when we said we would: once was because a payment took longer to clear than everyone would have liked, once was due to inclement weather, and once was because Lola (who was running late as usual) didn’t get to the post office before it closed. In each case‚ the purchaser was immediately apprised of the situation and the items were mailed as soon as possible.

Other questions…
Can you tell me more about / do you know anything about Soriano Ceramics?
We have a couple of their tiles, and have seen a few on the web, but that is all we know. They do not seem to be in existence any more. Last known address (from 1947):
20-21 Steinway Street
Long Island City‚ Queens
(New York)
source: ProQuest Historical New York Times database

Can you help me replace my CorningWare® lid / cookware?
We probably can’t, but the nice people at CorningWare® should be able to assist you
www.Corningware.com
1.888.246.2737

Could you tell me how I where I might find glasses/ wine / souvenirs from The Brotherhood Winery?
Easy as pie.
The Brotherhood Winery Gift Shop
100 Brotherhood Plaza Drive
Washingtonville, NY
845.496.3661
fax: 845.496.8720
contact@brotherhoodwinery.net

I have a bunch of old Playbills. Do you collect them? And could you tell me more about the show / the stars/ the theatre?
We do not collect Playbills. Well, we will should we find ourselves in a show at some future time, but that’s it. Instead, you may wish to contact:
Richard Stoddard
212.598.9421
Playbill
rs@richardstoddard.com
www.playbillstore.com

General reference:
The New York Public Library - Billy Rose Collection

Internet Broadway Database

I notice you have a awful lot of old books, but I don’t see the one I’m looking for. Any suggestions?
Yep. Two, in fact.
The Strand Bookstore
and
Bookfinder.com

My favourite perfume has been discontinued. Could you help me find it / something similar to it?
Trying to replace that scent from long ago may bit a bit difficult. We can think of two options which may be of use to you, though - custom blending and retailers who actually specialize in discontinued scents:

Custom blended perfumes

Aftelier

Aveda

The Fragrance Shop
21 East 7th Street
New York‚ NY 10003
212.254.8950

Discontinued fragrances
La Parfumerie
1832 South SeaTac Mall
Federal Way‚ WA 98003
info@laparfumerie-seattle.com
253.946.0946
Fax: 253.835.5067

What kind of motorcyle is shown on your home page?
Like the bike? So does Johnny. It’s an Indian Chief Blackhawk Dark.

And the Vespa?
Would that it were real. The Vespa is actually taken from a font designed by Harold Lohner called Fabulous Prizes.

What is your privacy policy?
Your information and whatever you do with it is your business not ours. We neither sell nor trade your information.

 

 

Johnny and Lola, Kisses by Lola

 

CONTACT US:
questions? comments? chocolate?
then by all means‚ let Johnny and Lola, Kisses by Lola know about it!

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Rita’s Retros images and text© 2004-2013 HJ Saunders. Website and logo design: ylana.