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Maneki Neko

THE STORY OF THE BECKONING LUCKY CAT

The folk tale that accompanies the cat goes something like this:

There was once an old and lonely man who owned a small shop. The man had no family and consequently relied solely on his shop for income. Now business was very bad and the old man was running out of food and had no money to buy more. The day came that he cooked his last bowl of rice. Just as he sat to eat his last meal a small and hungry kitten came to him and rubbed against his leg mewing and purring pleadingly. After a time the old man thought that while he had nothing left to live for, the cat was still young and had a full life ahead of it, and so he gave the last of his food to the little cat. The next day the old man awoke and as he made preparations to die there came a steady stream of customers through his doors. At the end of a very busy day, the old man, wondering at this turn of events, searched for the cause and found the small cat sitting upright by his front door beckoning to all who passed by.

If you walk into any store anywhere in Japan the chances are excellent that you will see somewhere this traditional Beckoning Cat. Actually, no store worth its salt would ever consider doing business without one of these lucky mascots, since they are believed to call in cash and customers. People also keep them in their homes to beckon in plain old generic good luck!

The above story comes with every Lucky Cat, so they make the perfect gift!

If you are interested in Antique Lucky Cats you can visit our store in Boston, MA, or look at our Vintage Lucky Cats page. Please Note: our Antique Cats are all one-of-a-kind, and availability is limited. These cats are usually 30 to 60 years old, in a variety of unique shapes and sizes. They usually range in price from $75 to $350. Because they are all one of a kind, they sell out quickly. Please email us first to make sure we have them in stock.

TO ORDER YOUR LUCKY CAT, call us at our Retail Store Old Japan in Boston, MA, between the hours of 1:00 p.m. and 5:00 p.m. (EST), and give us your order, along with your Credit Card information and shipping address. Our phone number is 617-357-8800. DO NOT SEND CREDIT CARD INFORMATION OVER THE INTERNET. We have no security programs in place. Or you can send a check for the correct amount. When your check clears we will ship your order. Out of state checks will take 7 business days to clear.

We only ship U.P.S. ALL SALES ARE FINAL. NO REFUNDS OR EXCHANGE. If you live in Massachusetts, you must add 6.25 % Sales Tax to the above amounts.