A new shop selling ‘old’ stuff

A quaint, little store peddling antique and artsy stuff has recently opened on the first floor of the Marianas Business Plaza.

Fu Dogs & Qi is the brainchild of 14-year Saipan resident Ashley Moffatt-Uys and it opened last Nov. 6.

She says Fu Dogs & Qi was borne out of her passion for antiques and the arts.

“It’s absolutely my passion. I’ve been a corporate art consultant for 30 years. I’ve worked with art. I’m involved with the arts all the time. Some of the things that I don’t get to work with so much are the actual objects. This is my opportunity to get back into that part of my passion that I feel strongly about. To bring the objects, accessories, and the smaller pieces that I have such a passion for and that I have collected throughout my life,” she said.

A former ballerina, Moffatt-Uys hopes her store will fill a need in the island community, which for so many years has been bereft of the arts and antiques.

“Saipan needed a good antique store. There really aren’t any on the island. There are a few stores with a couple of antiques but there really isn’t any arts and antique store on island and I thought we needed one,” she said.

Best-sellers

Moffatt-Uys said surprisingly Fu Dogs & Qi had been well received in the first one and a half months of operation as friends and complete strangers have visited the store and bought items.

Asked what items have been the most popular, she said antique blue and white wedding jars seem to be a favorite.

“It really depends on what day of the week it is as to what sells the best. I’ve been always passionate about antique blue and white porcelain. So we have quite a few wedding jars that have been sold, which are lovely gifts.

She said when a couple gets married in Asia friends and family usually want to get them off to a good start so they put together things that the couple might need in the kitchen—different kinds of cured meats, different vegetables, and things—and package them in wedding jars.

“The wedding jars generally have symbols that say double happiness on them as they’re joining the two husband and wife to bring them double happiness,” she said.

Unique name

Moffatt-Uys said the store’s name—Fu Dogs & Qi—is kind of a fusion of her and her husband’s passion and interest.

“I’ve long been passionate about Fu Dogs they’re such lovely characters. They bring you good karma. They’re guardians. They’re protectors. In Asia typically a large pair of Fu Dogs is always in front of important buildings because they are the guardians and for safe-keeping. Qi, meanwhile, is one of the Chinese words for energy. My husband is a naturapathic doctor and he uses a lot of energy. He works with the energy in the body. So by way of incorporating his desires and mine together I came up with Fu Dogs & Qi.

Broad price range

Moffatt-Uys said contrary to popular belief, antique stores are not out of reach of the ordinary man as Fu Dogs & Qi has a very broad price range.

“Most of our pieces range from about $35 to $350. We do have things that are a little more expensive but that tends to be our price range. It’s a very broad price range and there’s seems to be something for just about everybody in here,” she said.

The store also carries odd items, beautiful fans, little trinkets, and jewelry that retail between $5 to $15.

Moffatt-Uys said she is unfazed about the current economic climate of the islands and said if she thought about the crisis she wouldn’t have opened Fu Dogs & Qi at all.

“If I’d been worried about it, it would probably have stopped me from opening the store. I believe there is always a need and desire to find beautiful objects of art. They fill our souls. They make us who we are. I guess I just threw caution to the wind and I knew that this being my passion that I was passionate about something that people will come also.”

Moffatt-Uys is inviting everyone to drop by her store and check the antique and art items on sale up until Christmas Eve.

She assured that it will be an experience they will soon not forget.

“Coming into my store is sort of dipping your toe into the past and experiencing a lot of different things from the art that was prevalent during the time. We are really art and antique because there’s quite a fine line between art and antique. It’s kind of a blurry line.”

Fu Dogs & Qi’s operating hours are from noon to 8pm Monday to Saturday and aside from selling Asian antiques, accessories, fine arts, and textiles it also peddles healing tools.