In 1970, our family opened its first antique shop in Monterrey, NL, and for 30 years, we filled the city's most luxurious mansions with treasures from around the world. But the turn of the century brought new challenges and opportunities. With the rise of the internet, we decided to expand our horizons and sell our precious antiques online.
On October 2, 2001, we received our first international order: an impressive *Teponaxtle*, a 19th-century percussion instrument carved from chicozapote wood from the mountains of Guerrero, Mexico. This ancient drum was destined to become part of the prestigious Hartenberger World Music Collection in St. Louis, Missouri!
Everything was going smoothly… until we made a mistake that almost ended our dream. We shipped the package to the wrong address. Instead of arriving in St. Louis, the Teponaxtle ended up in an industrial warehouse in Los Angeles. Imagine our panic when we realized that our first international sale was about to turn into a total disaster.
With a bit of luck and a lot of research using the search tools of the time (yes, Yahoo! and Metacrawler were our best friends!), we managed to contact the warehouse in Los Angeles, and they kindly offered to have the package ready for pickup. But we were 2,500 kilometers away in Monterrey, with no way to retrieve it. This is where our unexpected hero comes in: David, a good friend studying at USC!
David picked up the Teponaxtle and shipped it correctly to Dr. Hartenberger, who finally received this valuable instrument. Although the shipping and re-packaging doubled our costs, the pride of knowing that our Teponaxtle is now part of a collection that celebrates the musical history of the entire world made every penny worth it.
Today, nearly 25 years later, we feel fortunate to have learned from that experience and that this magnificent Teponaxtle is where it always belonged: in an institution that educates and inspires thousands of people.
So, the next time you face a challenge, remember our story: sometimes the biggest mistakes can lead to the most rewarding successes. And if you ever visit the Sheldon Art Galleries in St. Louis, make sure to look for our beloved Teponaxtle!
