Zanzibar trading company was established by Scott Farrell, a world traveler and collector, and his business partner Josh Varner, who handles retail management and administration.

We've recently opened a small gallery is in midtown Sacramento, California, U.S.A. Our gallery is a mixture of contemporary works of art and true ethnographic pieces from around the world. This website is for the primary sale of items. Visit our new gallery for a larger selection.

This website and our companion website: www.zanzibartribalart.com which has articles, photos of our collecting trips, artisan bios, etc. NEW WEBSITE

How to contact us:

Zanzibar Trading Co
World Imports
1731 L Street
Sacramento CA 95811

Phone/fax: (916) 443-2057

OUR GALLERY IS CLOSED FOR THE SUMMER.. WE WILL RE-OPEN OCT 1, 2012

We offer this website for the primary sale of our artifacts.

Our primary offerings are fairly traded import handicrafts as well as museum and collector quality artifacts from over 100 different countries.

Who started Zanzibar Trading Company and why?

Owner Scott Farrell says "I've been a collector of tribal & ethnographic art and artifacts for over 20 years. As a frequent traveler, my collection started with a few eclectic items and now has grown to a sizeable collection (some would say obsession!)

As with most serious collectors, I occasionally acquired lots of items including some items not to my tastes. Also in my travels I met many artisans who ultimately became friends. In wanting to help these people find buyers for their carvings and other handicrafts, I started selling items to friends.

To facilitate selling more of these items I started selling on eBay. As several opportunities arose to acquire or assist in liquidating large private collections, and friends and native people that I met abroad needed help in finding buyers for their handicrafts, I turned my interest into a business venture: Zanzibar Trading Company.

In addition to offering items from my and other personal collections, I also hand pick select items from the few importers here in the U.S., directly import items from various countries, go on buying trips into the field and purchase private and museum collections.

I also hope this website to be a complimentary addition to the many fine websites that already exist providing information for beginner and experienced collectors alike.

For many collectors, finding quality information on ethnographic items is not an easy task. I hope this website will educate you as well as provide you a source for quality collectibles. We certainly welcome submissions of relevant articles.

My travels vary, however it is not uncommon for me to be traveling from between 150 - 270 days per year! My trips and collecting takes me all over the world: From Canada to Papua New Guinea, Eastern Europe and Africa. In 2000, I was on the road for 312 days!

We've recently opened a retail gallery in midtown.

You can purchase from Zanzibar Trading Company with confidence - I personally guarantee your complete satisfaction.

We take pride not only in the products that we offer, but also in our support of indigenous cultures, wildlife and the environment.

We are committed to assisting people in developing countries through Fair Trade and selling of sustainable products.

We commit a minimum of 2% of our gross sales to a variety of wildlife and environmental non-profit organizations, including The Nature Conservancy, The Charles Darwin Foundation, and others.

We currently sponsor MANY school age children in poorer countries by providing school uniforms, tuitions and basic needs. We also work with a variety of co-ops for the betterment of their communities. We believe in giving back, and over 25% of the items we sell a significant portion and in some cases 100% of the proceeds go back to the artisans and or cooperatives.

We attempt to recycle as much packing materials as possible.

Sincerely,
Josh Varner and Scott Farrell
Zanzibar Trading Co.