Page 14 - JOA-august-23

RubyLane.com Turns 25!

ubyLane.com made its online debut in 1998, a quarter of a creating real world technology based solutions that allowed us to
century ago! The idea for building a robust, user-friendly move forward with a revolutionary and forward thinking model of
Rplatform for the buying and selling of antiques and vintage how to transport the excitement and anticipation of a live show to
collectibles forever changed the landscape of the marketplace, providing the Internet.”
a virtual storefront where thousands of dealers worldwide can Ruby Lane’s team is comprised of award-winning, experi-
connect with online shoppers and retail customers. Today, enced professionals, many of whom have been with the
RubyLane.com brings in over one million unique visitors company for more than a decade and are collectors and
each month who are on the prowl for a range of vintage vintage enthusiasts themselves. The same goes for its
products including jewelry, high-quality antique dolls, art dealers and customers. Numerous shop owners have
deco furniture, fashion accessories, and porcelain wares. maintained a presence on Ruby Lane for decades, and
The inception of Ruby Lane was sparked by Founder many buyers return time and time again, drawn by the
& CEO Tom Johnson’s passion for collecting 1950s pottery prompt and professional customer service and the personal
(a collection that features complete sets of Franciscan buying experience facilitated by knowledgeable shop owners.
Autumn and Trio). Faced with challenges in completing Ruby Lane has witnessed numerous changes over the
matching sets and finding missing pieces, he envisioned a platform past 25 years, yet its core values have steadfastly remained intact.
where global buyers and sellers could unite to share their collectibles. “Our unwavering commitment to high-quality listings, attracting
Over time, Johnson further developed an interest in antiques and professional shop owners, and meticulous curation of the site remains
vintage, becoming an avid collector of art and lifestyle pieces, as well. as dedicated as ever,” says Gisele Barrau-Freeman, Ruby Lane’s Chief
With his passion for collecting and a professional background as a Marketing Officer.
former programmer at IBM with a degree in Computer Science, Ruby Lane is consistently honored with awards for customer
Johnson created Ruby Lane as a website that caters to the antiques and service, responsiveness, ease of use, and overall customer and vendor
collectibles world. satisfaction. It’s an accredited Better Business Bureau company with an
Following the great retail tradition of naming businesses with a astounding A+ rating, has a five-star rating on Trustpilot with nearly
family name (think Bloomingdale’s – founded by brothers Joseph and 8,000 ratings, and came in 3rd in the 2021 Sellers Choice Awards for
Lyman Bloomingdale; Neiman-Marcus – founded by brother and sister Online Marketplaces. Ruby Lane is also known for having excellent
team Herbert Marcus and Carrie Marcus Neiman; or Sotheby’s – customer support, a highly secure platform, and a flexible return policy
named for one of its co-founders, John Sotheby), Johnson decided to for customers; however, the reviews from dealers and customers speak
name the site in honor of his mom, Ruby. He attributes much of his for themselves:
drive and ambition to the enduring influence and invaluable life lessons – “I have sold on Ruby Lane since 2005 and in my experience they
imparted by both his parents. have always been a partner to their sellers. If one
Ruby Lane, like so many other businesses, was has a problem all you need do is ask for help and
affected by COVID but saw it as an opportunity they are there with knowledgeable, friendly and
to use their platform and reputation to create a helpful CSR’s. They helped us with the Pandemic
new virtual marketplace that kept dealers, show by giving us several months of discounted fees that
promoters, and customers actively engaged in helped immensely. They helped us with our State
buying and selling antique and vintage collectibles Tax questions when this was changed by seeking
when all other traditional channels for conducting out expert tax information and a platform that was
business were shut down. integrated into the site to do the calculations for
“When the pandemic arrived at our doorstep us. Yes, I tell everyone that Ruby Lane is by far the
we had to really think outside the box and pivot as many businesses did. best that is around to sell online with for Antiques and Collectibles.”
Our entire business model was based on assembling large groups of – “They always let us know about upcoming changes to the site
people in one place. That was clearly not an option,” said Klia when they are necessary, and the quality of presentation is beyond
Ververidis, Esq, CEO Brimfield Antique compare. Ruby Lane has been a home to us
Shows. Early on in the pandemic, Klia for a very long time.”
partnered with Ruby Lane to bring their – “They hold your hand while you are
Brimfield shows online and keep their setting up your shop so I was selling right
dealers making money while they waited for away. It appears that they pay for advertising
the return of in-person shows. on other sites more than other sites
“We had to quickly figure out how to do do. They have real sellers and buyers, and
an online antique show that had the same I believe the buyers are vetted more
effect as an in person show. As we navigated than other sites, so we shops do not
through this process, Ruby Lane became and get scammed.”
invaluable partner, not only understanding See for yourself what all the talk is about
what we were trying to accomplish but also at www.RubyLane.com.

12 Journal of Antiques and Collectibles