Market Wise

Wherever you look there are vintage revivals in fashion, in furniture and even in children's toys.

By GREER FAY CASHMAN
rocking horse 88 224 (photo credit: Courtesy)
rocking horse 88 224
(photo credit: Courtesy)
NOSTALGIA IS all around us. Wherever you look there are vintage revivals in fashion, in furniture and even in children's toys. When did you last see a rocking horse unless you happened to be clearing out your storage area? Well, if you're looking for something a little different to give to one of the younger members of your family for Rosh Hashana, a birthday or any other occasion, the rocking horse is back in the play room, though not quite as noble or as pretty as it was in its previous incarnation. Soos V'agala, which literally translates as horse and wagon, is producing wooden nostalgia toys to give today's high tech toddlers and their slightly older siblings a taste of yesterday with the simple enjoyments that thrilled their parents and grandparents as children. The rocking horses are hand crafted by Ofer Mor and sell at NIS 420 each. To see the available products, go into the company's website www.soosagala.co.il or to enquire how to get to the company store in Kadima call 054-4717286. The good news is that if you have twins, they don't have to fight over who's going to mount the horse. Just as there are twin baby carriages and strollers, there are twin rocking horses. CASTRO IS investing NIS 5.5 million in a marketing campaign starring Gal Gadot and Yonatan Vagman to be featured on television and the Internet The campaign is being organized by the Reuveni Pridan advertising agency in conjunction with Next-In Interactive. Regular and potential Castro customers will be able to view the collection through interactive video and will also be given a glimpse of what goes on behind the scenes in creating a video of this kind. Castro's deputy marketing manager Yifat Karni says that the campaign will enable Castro to maintain closer contact with its clientele. BEERSHEVA WILL be the home of a new store of the Golbary fashion stores as the chain is expanding. The company has invested NIS 1m. in the opening of a new store in Beersheba located in the Big Center mall. Moshe Golbary, CEO of the fashion chain says that plans are afoot to open another two branches before the end of 2008. Golbary currently operates 37 branches throughout the country. MOST MAJOR Israeli hotels like to tell their guests that this is a home away from home. If the guests come often enough, this may turn out to be more or less true. But it isn't always the case. Maestro Zubin Mehta who has made the Tel Aviv Hilton his home away from home ever since it opened its doors for business, was honored several years ago by the hotel management which put his name up on the suite which he occupies each time he comes to Israel. Now the Dan Hotel, Tel Aviv has followed suit, naming a suite for Spanish Foreign Minister Miguel Moratinos, the former EU envoy to the Middle East, who used to make the Dan his home away from home. This is the first time in the history of the Dan that it has named a suite after one of its guests even though President Shimon Peres frequently stays there as did the late Abba Eban and many other well known personalities. When Moratinos arrived at the hotel he was greeted not only by general manager Yaacov Sudri but also by Spanish Ambassador Alvaro Irenzo Gutirrez who escorted him to his various appointments in Israel this week. Publicizing the names of famous guests is always a good marketing ploy for hotels. The King David which is the flagship of the Dan chain has done it in the most original and sophisticated manner by reproducing the signatures of royals, presidents, prime ministers, and stage and screen stars on a white strip of passageway in its entrance lobby. It makes for fascinating reading. ONE OF the worst feelings when joining in anyone's holiday festivities is being ignorant of the customs and the songs. NMC United has eliminated one of these problems by putting out a new CD Hagei Tishrei which covers the holiday period during the month of Tishrei and includes songs for Rosh Hashana, Succot and Simchat Torah. The CD is available for NIS 14.99 and aside from anything else makes for a nice, inexpensive holiday gift.