More Than What Meets The Eye: Visit Our Showroom Today!

       "I've passed this place about a million times and this is the first time I've come in."  "Gee, this place is a lot bigger on the inside than it appears on the outside!"

       If I had a dime for every time I heard these sentiments from a  first-time customer, I'd be...well...let's just say I'd have quite a bit more saved for retirement!  I usually hear these quoted words (or words to that effect) once a week depending on the time of year (some times of the year are busier than others).  It's either the first quote, the second quote or both.  
       Nonetheless, however and whenever it's said, it just shows me a number of things of which I often need reminding.  Among the reminders are:  We've been here a long time on the well-trafficked road of Central Park Avenue (Rt. 100) in Yonkers, New York.  We've been noticed on this main commercial route much more than we realize.  The people who express these sentiments are never disappointed when they finally make their way into the store.

       Now our building isn't the eighth wonder of the world.  But apparently, the fifteen-foot vaulted ceiling in the front of the building is highly visible for pedestrians and passing motorists.  It makes a noticeable difference on the road to any passerby.     However, according to many surprised first-time visitors, they thought that was the entire store!  But it isn't.  What is apparently not visible from the road is the twenty-four foot wide showroom space inside the front of the building and the fourteen foot wide corridor of showroom space that leads to the expanded showroom space in the back of the building.

       In all of the aforementioned spaces, we've consistently kept an attractive display of goods, set up in a tasteful room decor, knowing that taking care of your showroom translates into a more attractive shopping experience for our customers.  This is basic stuff actually, "retail 101" if you will. However, it's not always practiced, even in some of the more prominent retail store chains in the area.  

       But we're not a chain.  We're a family-owned and operated business that was established 104 years ago (and counting) as a custom pool-table manufacturer on the Lower East Side of Manhattan.  We've had a store in Yonkers for 59 years (and counting) and have been at this present location for the past 43 years (and counting).  Since 1998, this has been our sole location.  We're still a vendor of quality slate-top pool tables and other "traditional gaming".  But we've also become one of the best known awards suppliers in the tri-state area since opening the store in Yonkers 59 years ago.

       So if you're in the Yonkers area and you're in the market for what we offer - or if you're just curious about that building with the high, triangular-shaped roof and stucco siding at 1876 Central Park Avenue (that you've happened to pass by a million times) - take a moment to stop by and take a look inside.  You'll find that there's more than what meets the eye compared to what you've seen from outside.  You'll probably be a million times surprised as well!

Artistic Expression in Recognition

Detail of St. John in
"The Crucifixion" statue.

They say that art is great for art’s sake and, as an artist, that’s just fine by me.  But what does that mean?  Perhaps the answer is relative at best.  So, in a “relative” nutshell, it means that art must have “meaning”.  In the human psyche, there is the natural urge to find meaning in anything, even in that which is intentionally created to defy meaning.  

But in the world of recognition, awards must have meaning - no exceptions.  It’s also been an unwritten rule that an award of recognition must be earned through a significant accomplishment.  Therefore, the work that is put into the accomplishment (to merit the "recognition"), essentially defines the “meaning” of the award.            

So if awards are to be earned through an individual’s exceptional efforts, we, at Loria Awards, believe that there should be an attractive element to them as well.  That’s where the “art” comes in.  Philosophical analysis aside, Loria Awards continues to bridge the ever-narrowing gap between “art” and “award” in its latest collection of stock sculptures.

 

Offering these artistic creations as “awards” makes the "meaningfulness" uniquely special to each individual to which it is presented.  Targeting the customer who wishes to honor the achiever (of both the professional and amateur ilk), these new award series are offered as breathtaking, Renaissance-styled sculptures and full-color, abstract patterns embedded in spherical and ovular shaped glass - all complete with engravable bases (even some that illuminate the glass items!)

Detail of the "Hippocrates"

statue, including the text from 

the "The Hippocratic Oath".

 

Statue of "Hippocrates",

the father of modern

Western medicine.

Loria's new series of bronze-finish sculpture awards are examples of top-flight artisanship - containing remarkable, realistic detail, while reflecting a striking visual impact to the viewer.  

    

Our new series of "Art Glass" pieces offers exciting designs in bright, brilliant colors - embedded within solid-glass shapes that are a wonderful visual compliment any room decor.

We offer these new series of "artistic expression in recognition" with the belief that an award doesn't have to just look like a "trophy".  It should have a timelessly enduring visual impact as well.  Such an impact makes those earned awards a visually enjoyable decorative element in any living room or office, instead of being limited to the traditional "trophy case". 

With retail pricing starting at $38.25, the prices are infinitely lower than any Van Gogh auction price.  More importantly, these beautiful new awards will offer the recipient a priceless sense of recognition.  Please visit our website for the full selection of these exciting new “art award” offerings from Loria Awards.

-By Roger V. Loria, Jr.

Don’t Know What To Do With Those Trophies That Are Collecting Dust In The Closet?

by Roger Loria, Jr.

From time to time, we receive visits from people who cannot house their trophies, medals and/or plaques anymore.  For a variety of reasons, they just can’t keep the physical awards anymore.  However, unlike other reactions to such a predicament (that is, trying to get rid of objects they can’t hold onto anymore), they don’t try to sell them at tag sales - and more remarkably - they will not discard them into the trash either.  I am particularly intrigued by this - which is the fact that no matter how much people cannot keep the physical awards, something keeps them from just throwing these objects out with the rest of the things they can’t keep anymore.

Now be advised that these are not Olympic Medals or World Cups that we receive in order to “re-purpose”.  These are generally common awards earned in youth, or early adulthood, which have remained in somewhat good condition, but have collected too much dust over the years.  Nonetheless, whether these are locally won awards or some well-known icons, these objects have never been - at least in our experience - rendered “disposable”.  Perhaps psychologically, the earner of these awards does not want to negate the significance of their achievement by simply tossing the physical commemoration of it in the trash.  The physical object may not be needed anymore, for whatever reason.  But it would be disheartening to “dispose of the achievement itself” (in effigy) by unceremoniously trashing it.  The word “desecration” comes to mind.

Apparently, the prevailing attitude in this phenomenon (which is unique to the world of retail awards) is:   
           This object, which represents a moment in time in which a certain level of excellence was achieved, should not be buried in a forgettable heap of garbage.  It represents something much more significant than that.  It took time and effort to prepare and perform the task required to earn the achievement and - unlike money - time and effort is non-refundable.  Therefore, the object that was given to the person, who spent that non-refundable amount of time and effort to achieve something special, should be passed on to someone else who may be in the midst of achieving something special as well.

            So when someone comes in the store to basically say, “I’m down-sizing and I have to unload these trophies, medals and plaques.  Can you use them?”, I basically give them two options:  If the items are in good condition, you can leave them here in our store and I can recycle them and sell them at 'bargain basement' prices - or - you can charitably donate them to a local boys & girls club. 

In many communities, the local boys & girls clubs are a safe-haven for youth to have a place to engage in confidence-building competitions that will also teach them other life skills, such as how to deal with both defeat and victory (i.e. sportsmanship, humility, etc.).  These clubs are often under-funded, so these donated awards become a crucial element in helping to maintain the invaluable community services that these clubs provide.   
            So if you’re reading this and wondering what to do with the awards that you earned 'way back when', but can no longer keep, we give you these two aforementioned options.  But we recommend the latter!

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