ABOUT
SISSY IN SEATTLE
Recently Named By Radko A Rising Star Store!!!
Based out of
Monroe,
Washington- 45 minutes NE of Seattle - a drive to the
foothills
of the Cascade Mountain range, Washington
USA-
In May 2007, Julie Koppenberg purchased
Sissy in Seattle from Karla Hemingway. She had worked for Karla the previous three
seasons. She brings to Sissy 20 years of retail experience. Recently
having her own wholesale doll making business and country store. She lives
on a small farm in the hills of the Cascade Mountains with her very
supportive husband and daughter. Not to forget the horses, cats, dog and
chickens! Julie has recently moved Sissy to double the warehouse and
built a new showroom to continue the great customer service and quality products
that Karla provided to Sissy's customers.
Sissy
In Seattle Collectibles & Fine Gifts was established
back in the
early 90's. It all started back in the early
90's when Karla Holzerland-Hemingway,
Barbie collecting enthusiast and author of "Skipper Barbie's Little
Sister", set up the internet handle "Sissy In Seattle"
based after her nick name "Sis" and the famous movie "Sleepless
In Seattle". What started out as a fun internet handle used in Barbie
chat forums and discussion boards eventually grew into a Collectibles website of
Barbie, Swatch & Disneyana. When the development started for a
Christopher Radko collectibles site - it was decided what better name to
use - than the one that has been established for 10 years. So we are proud
to present you with Sissy In Seattle Collectibles & Fine Gifts, specializing
in Christopher Radko ornaments.
We thank you for visiting
our site. We hope you enjoy the site. We welcome your comments and
suggestions. Feel free to call or email us!
Sissy In Seattle Newsletter 2004
by Jamie K. 8 yrs
old
Click pic below
for larger few.
ABOUT
CHRISTOPHER RADKO
It all began with a family
calamity: In 1984, Christopher Radko decided that his family’s
rusty old Christmas tree stand had served long enough. He
replaced the stand and put their 14-foot tree in a gleaming new
aluminum model. His family decorated the tree as always, with a
treasured collection of over 2,000 mouth-blown, European glass
ornaments. As it is for most families, their Christmas tree was
a family diary with a story to go with each ornament. One week
before Christmas, tragedy struck. The new stand gave way and the
tree crashed to the floor, shattering almost every ornament.
Many cherished memories and family traditions lay among those
broken pieces, heartbroken, Christopher was determined to
restore them for his family.
Trying to replace his family’s heirlooms
proved to be a daunting task. Ornaments sold in the United
States were, at that time, made of plastic and Styrofoam,
certainly not capable of replacing the handmade treasures his
family had collected over generations. The following Spring,
while visiting cousins in Poland, Christopher began looking for
glass ornaments. While he didn’t find the treasures he was
looking for, he did find a man eager to revive the art of his
great-grandfather; a tradition once thought to be lost forever.
Christopher encouraged him to
recover antique ornament molds, supplied him with sketches of
his own childhood favorites, and for good measure, new designs
from his own imagination. Several dozen ornaments were produced
for his family, but those ornaments never made it to the family
tree. Instead, friends in New York purchased all of them. On his
next trip abroad, he brought back more ornaments: many for his
family, and some extras, which sold out, as well.
Christopher realized he had discovered something wonderful!
While at his job in the mailroom of a talent agency, he spent
his lunch hours going door-to-door to stores in New York City,
showing his designs. Georg Jensen, a top of the line jewelry
store, was his first retail account. Through hard work
Christopher achieved $75,000. in sales by the end of his second
year. Now in its 22nd year, his company continues to thrive.
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