August 2006 - Kimosabe Taos

Modern Day Trader
Kimosabé is a treasure-trove of Western Americana.
P
P
eople say the Old West is vanishing. But when Cindy Spray
got to Taos 24 years ago she recalls horses tied up on the
Plaza. Then just three days after arriving, and having locked
herself out of her automobile, she entered a nearby
bar and asked, “Who knows how to break into a
car?”
“Eve ry hand in the room shot up,” laughs Spray
from Kimosabé, her vintage Western and Southwestern collectibles
shop on Teresina Lane, off Taos Plaza. “I went in and had a great
time. Those guys are still my friends. The old Taos was really so
great.”
Spray also recalls that about then the era of the old-time
trading post, of which Taos still had a couple, was coming to a
TAOS MAGAZINE
close. “The reason people come to Taos is history,” she relates, “but
the traditional trading posts were starting to sell only new merchandise. I saw a need for a shop that reflected the true history of the
Taos area, so I created a space for genuine old stuff. I
love the real thing.”
In 2004, after years of running her shop (known
then as Old Taos) by herself, Spray says she was out
of fresh ideas when like a certain TV ranger on his white charger
Robin Rew rode into town. Rew, who had worked his family’s
ranch for 20 years in Pendleton, Oregon, had been looking for an
opportunity to get into buying and trading Old West collectibles
when he walked into Old Taos. “He pretty much saved the day,”
says Spray.
By Carol Mell
August 2006
9
The first thing the new partners did was change the name to
Kimosabé. Spray credits Rew with helping make many needed
i m p rovements and revitalizing the shop while maintaining her
vision of the trading post era.
“We just wanted to get a better portrayal of the character of
the store,” says Rew.
“The shop is now brighter and more organized, like a gallery,
not an attic,” adds Spray. “We’re adamant about keeping to the serious old items, but it looked…fusty. There are very few places where
you can still get the real, old stuff. We have some things that are frequently only found in museums.”
Entering Kimosabé is like stepping back in time. Navajo rugs,
Indian baskets, Taos Pueblo furniture, Wild West Show posters,
pawn jewe l ry, Pueblo pottery, paintings, a handmade baby doll in a
cradleboard, and Pendleton blankets are all displayed in vintage
cabinets and chests.
The depth of the collection is what makes the shop so inviting.
Spray’s feeling for old Taos and her experience with Native American artifacts, complemented by Rew’s knowledge of cowboy and
Indian paraphernalia and expertise with colorful decorative beadwork and buckskin of the Columbia River Plateau Indians, creates
a wonderfully eclectic display.
Kimosabé (‘faithful friend’ in Lone Ranger language) foll ows the old Taos tradition of attentive care, a friendly atmosphere and re l i a b i l i t y. With its longstanding reputation for
authentic Western Americana and Spray’s and Rew’s experience,
Kimosabé is a wonderful environment in which to imagine how
the artifacts will enhance an Old West room, or add simple
design touches to a new home. Spray, who has an art and design
background, frequently travels to clients’ homes to help recreate
the authentic feel they discovered in the store.
“Currently we are helping furnish a lodge in New York with
the Rough Rider style because Teddy Roosevelt liked to frequent
the place,” she says.
Collectors from Denver often stop at Kimosabé on their way
to Santa Fe, frequently returning on their trip home because of the
shop’s reputation for high quality and reasonable prices. “We sell
good merchandise for less than Santa Fe,” Rew points out. And he
and Spray are happy to appraise items at no charge.
Kimosabé purchases both individual pieces and entire collections, many from ‘pickers,’ people who buy at estate sales or on the
pueblos. Spray says you have to have an eye for the genuine article,
but after being in business so long she knows the reputable dealers
and how to get fair value, which she passes on to customers.
In collaboration with one of Kimosabé’s client/collectors, the
shop will host its first big show in August—“The Other American
Doll.” The 200 plus Skookum dolls on display—trade dolls depicting Native American men, women and children—were first created
in 1910 in the Northwest. The popular dolls later were manufactured at the H H Tammen and Arrow Novelty companies, located
in Denver and Los Angeles respectively, from 1915 until 1950.
“This may be the biggest show of Skookums in the country,”
Spray says. “It is eye-boggling to see so many of them together at
one time, their colors and expressions make each one unique. It’s a
collection that must be seen to be appreciated.”
T
he Other American Doll,” a collection of more than 200
Skookum dolls, will be on display at Kimosabé, 108
Teresina Lane, at the northwest corner of Taos Plaza,
during the month of August. 758-8826 or 770-2531.
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TAOS MAGAZINE August 2006