PERSONALITY
Mr. Fehrn – a legend in amber business
Mr.
Soren Fehrn is a person, who has won
by 1 May 2013.To the majority of the biggest producers I
a worldwide fame for amber. Thanks
was their most important buyer when they started their
to him the amber jewelry is experienc-
business. Some of them forgot this.
ing its golden age in Asian markets. Mr. Fehrn is the only
My father had a wholesale business of articles for jew-
one who has set up two Amber Museums: “Copenhagen
elry shops such as cutlery, candlesticks, silver plates, and
Amber Museum” in Denmark and “Bernsteinladen Amber
when golden articles started to be sold in the shops, he
Museum” in Taipei, Taiwan. The Museum in Denmark
also had these products. As the office was in my parents’
founded in 1994, and the in Taipei founded 2012. Mr.
flat, I was close to business from my early life. Invoices
Soren Fehrn kindly agreed to tell us his story. Mrs. Vilia
were written by hand and added mentally. I remember
Fehrn and Mr. Helmut Spangenberg also shared their im-
when we got the first calculator. It could only add or de-
pressions about the activity of Mr. Fehrn.
duct. Then the first electronic writing machine (IBM) came
You are known worldwide as Mr. Amber – leg-
out.
end of amber business. Tell us more about yourself.
I have been trading for life. When I was 14 my pas-
Mr. Soren Fehrn: Most of the people in amber busi-
sion was bicycle racing, and therefore I learned everything
ness know me as I have been in this business for 50 years
about bicycle-construction, and I constructed, bought and sold bicycles. I have been interested in electronics all my life, and
Beauty of Amber (Mr. Amber's collection)
have made printed circuits for power amplifiers, which I sold together with all the parts enabling people to build an amplifier. It was natural that my choice of direction was electronics. Therefore in 1962 I started to study to be an electronic engineer. In the end of 1962 I was tired of it. I was on the wrong path. This was too boring. I decided to join Copenhagen Business School. The classes should start in August 1963. I was looking for a job and there were plenty, as at that time the business was booming. I could not really decide, so one day I asked my father, whether I could try to go and sell his merchandise in Copenhagen, as his company (mother&father) did not have clients there. I got 2 cases with samples, including some amber.
At that time I had only a scooter, Bella Zundapp. This was constructed and it had 1 baggage rack on each side, so I had 1 case on each side. I STILL REMEMBER MY WORST DAY AS A SALESMAN. I was showing all my samples to one jeweler. ALL I GOT
WAS HIS ORDER FOR
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