We’ve been doing this for 30 years!

Welcome and a big hi from me, Sandra,  the owner of Silver Surfers. I  have been operating for 30 years.  Time does not stand still. Looking back I wonder how did so much  time pass!

We are an online business that retails and wholesales its goods around New Zealand and internationally. We used to have retail stores in the Papamoa Plaza, Palmerston North, Bayfair in  Mount  Maunganui and Hamilton. Whew, I am glad the days of three stores and 16 staff have passed and I have completely downsized to enjoy our daughter, hubby Kev  and family life. Hopefully with all those years of experience behind me, you will find Silver Surfers to be fair, professional and helpful.

The Love of it.  I  have always loved jewellery and currently buy stock from Thailand,  Indonesia, Nepal, Korea, Sri Lanka  and India. I think I must be one of the rare operators who does not go to China. I enjoy doing my work and making great business relationships along the way..some suppliers I have been dealing with for so long it is like catching up with old friends. I see my purchasing  help  people with so much less money than we have and I am always humbled by my travels!  I notice what a difference my business makes to lives especially in places like Nepal where many of the knitters are in their homes and able to make an income to feed their families. We are so fortunate in New Zealand with our strong economy and systems that work without corruption, war and lack of resources seen in many third world economies.

The start of it I started my business from the ground as a fly pitcher, {a great form of  market research } then onto markets in London in winter-now that was freaken freezing! I really should dig out and post some old photos of the  “hippie” lol. I remember well the day where I actually looked with envy at  a store as a “wow that would be so much easier if we could afford that.”  When you start a business with only savings  from a one year stint teaching English in Japan, you certainly make sacrifices. Thank goodness I have moved on from living in a stock room or staying in the grottiest cheapest backpackers!

The Support of it  Business is always a risk and you don’t always win, especially in a recession.  But if you are prepared to take a risk  and work hard, I believe anyone could do what I have done. Actually perhaps that is not true. I have had lots of supportive great staff along the way  and a very supportive husband who could not stand to work with all these  fiddly items but always fixes, does fit outs and lifts all those  heavy boxes-thank you my darling Kev!

The name So where did the name Silver Surfers come from? 19 years ago the old comic Silver Surfer had been forgotten, {except by us} and my ex Charles was a known surfer in England in  his day. And I was supposed to become some gun surfer as well-I am so not!-by the time I stand up I am in the shallow, all out of white water.  I am a runner, boogie boarder, dancer, guitar player, song writer and mother… But really Silver Boogie Boarder just does not have a ring to it. So Silver Surfers Sandra it is! And I have enjoyed surfing on a silver shine!! And hopefully you will join us for the ride too!!