Welcome to My New Member Page! Tsarina's Treasures

Who am I?

Although I have been a member of eBay for several years, I'm actually very new to buying and selling on eBay. I grew up in New York City as a daughter of Russian emigrees. I am now living in Savannah, Georgia; very far (in more ways than one!) from New York City. I have always been interested in the "doing" of art and went to the High School of Music and Art (now the School of the Performing Arts). Later, my academic interests veered more towards the history of art. I love collecting art pottery, early American glass, and antique or vintage jewelry--what I like and can afford!. My hobbies include gardening, (glory be, despite the hot summers, there's always something to plant here), fishing, and lots of eclectic reading (everything from fantasy to theology, particularly Eastern Orthodox writers). I also love Mediterranean cooking and baking yeast dough. Lately, I've been positively "aching" to go back to my original "studio" art roots and study Chinese painting, watercolor, and painting Pisanki (Ukrainian easter eggs). I love, love, love to travel and have been blessed with visiting or working in many countries and cultures--everywhere from France and Italy to Greece and Russia. I've worked on an archaeological dig, in the former Soviet Union and interpreted for a Fortune 500 company. In recent years I've sold advertising and marketed health insurance(the insurance was not really a good fit!).

I am bilingual in Russian and English, as well as fluent in French, with a working knowledge in German and a smattering of Greek and Italian. I have an M.A.plus in Art History from the Institute of Fine Arts in New York(part of New York University); where I specialized in Byzantine and Russian Art. My language skills and academic training have opened many doors for me! I have had the very useful experience of working in the Russian porcelain and Russian Costume departments at the Metropolitan Museum of New York, where I received invaluable field practice in deciphering marks. Later, I took classes in appraisal and received a Certificate in Appraisal from New York University. (Little did I know back THEN that on-line auctioning would become THE wave of the future!) During my travels I've seen many forms of art and have strived to continue educating my sense of the "aesthetic" or interesting: in artifacts from major art museums to flea markets!

Since I am hooked to "the hunt as well as the capture," I am instinctively drawn to anything in the visual arts with an insignia, mark or signature. My biggest accomplishment in appraisal to date has been discovering an old Russian painting in the proverbial attic! I was enabled, thanks to a fortuitous combination of Russian(learned as a child) and later training, to identify, date, and successfully sell this painting for five figures through a major metropolitan auction house !( I happened to acquire the painting together with remarkable Russian and other antiques, when a "little old Russian grandmother,"that I knew from church, sadly, was taken to a "nursing home". I've also been fortunate to pick up interesting things in the course of our church bazaars,antique fairs etc., when I lived in New York and still visit. I hope to start attending estate auctions in this area soon! Any suggestions are welcome! For the purposes of fleshing out my principles of honesty, as an aside, I need to point to a particular church bazaar: to stress (God, I really DISLIKE what amounts to boasting !)...I was trying on a dress and just happened to find in the pocket of this dress an expensive gold and stone ring. I speedily brought this ring to the attention of my priest, who was pleased, to say the least, that he could return this to the trusting donor of just fthe dress. (I am NOT a saint and it WAS hard admittedly, at least for a second, to give this gold ring back--temptation always lurks! IN ANY EVENT,I hope that this one example will encourage my buyers' confidence and trust in me as a seller: I am very aware and hold very dear that I have a fiduciary responsiblity to any individual I have contact with, especially monetary transactions. I believe in honesty and integrity and pledge that I shall NEVER knowingly try to "put one over" ANYONE in the course of my eBay transactions. Furthermore, I am also confident that my linguistic abilities(for which I take no credit particularly) academic training, and customer service, will enhance any dealings I might have with a fellow "eBayer". The items I shall be offering will be varied, spanning a range that might include American glass, Russian silver, old Life magazines, occupied Japan tableware and miniature Samovars.

Please feel free to e-mail me anytime with any questions or especially suggestions on my listings! (I am still a fledgling, after all.) Although shipping, handling and insurance are not included, I provide a 100% money- back guarantee (not including shipping, handling and insurance) should you return the item within seven days of receipt.

Happy bidding! Watch this page for special stuff. GOOD LUCK and may God Bless us all! I know I will enjoy eBay as much as all of you!