Case Study: 75 Engraved Brass Kaleidoscopes for Coldwell Banker Caine

Case study in one paragraph: Coldwell Banker Caine commissioned 75 brass kaleidoscopes from Studio Yabaye as awards for its agents. Each instrument was engraved with the name of the agent who received it, finished and signed in the studio in Israel, and shipped door to door to the United States with duties handled, in time for the company's 2025 agent awards. This article describes how an order of that size is specified, personalised and delivered, and what a company should decide before placing one.

"Your pieces were an incredible part of our awards program, and I still get to see them proudly displayed in offices around our workplace every day." - Stephen Edgerton, President and CEO, Coldwell Banker Caine

The brief

An agent award has to do three things. It has to be personal, so that the recipient knows it was made for them and not pulled from a stock shelf. It has to last, because an award that breaks or tarnishes badly within a year says the opposite of what was intended. And it has to arrive on time, because an awards event has a fixed date that does not move for a supplier.

Coldwell Banker Caine chose a brass kaleidoscope for all three reasons: an instrument that is handled and looked through, engraved with a name, and built from a brass tube, cut, fitted and hand-finished, so that it can stay on a desk for years.

What was delivered

75 instruments. One per award recipient, all built to the same specification so that every agent received the same object.

Individual engraving. Each kaleidoscope carries the name of the agent it was made for. Names were supplied by the client as a single list. On an award, the name is the one detail that cannot be corrected after delivery.

Signed pieces. Every instrument is signed by the maker and ships with a stand and a signed certificate of authenticity.

Door-to-door delivery. The order shipped from Israel by FedEx directly to the client in the United States, with import duties paid, so nothing had to be collected or cleared at the receiving end.

How a 75-piece order is run

A commission of this size follows the same stages as any custom commission, with more attention to the list and the date.

1. Specification. The client chooses the instrument, the stand and the engraving layout once, and that specification is applied to every piece.

2. Name list. The client sends the recipient names in one file, and the spelling of every name is confirmed before any metal is marked.

3. Production and engraving. Instruments are built, engraved, inspected and signed. Each piece is checked for the optical image and the fit of the rotating parts before it is packed.

4. Shipping. The order is packed and shipped with duties handled, with a delivery date set back from the event date so that there is a margin.

Why an optical instrument works as an agent award

Most awards are displayed once and then put away: a plaque on a wall, a crystal shape on a shelf. A kaleidoscope is used. Recipients pick it up, point it at a window and turn it, and visitors to the office ask about it. That use is what keeps the award on the desk instead of in a drawer. A year after the awards, one of the recipients, Elizabeth, sent us a photo of hers: still on the shelf, in good company. That is the point of the object - not something used once and forgotten, but something that stays where someone can reach for it.

For a real estate company there is a second reason. Agents give closing gifts to their own clients, and an award they respect as an object tells them something about the standard the company sets.

What to decide before ordering awards in quantity

The event date. Work back from it. Allow time for confirming the names, production and international shipping, and keep a margin.

The name list. Have one person own the list and confirm the final spelling. Most problems with engraved awards come from late changes to names.

One specification or tiers. A single specification for all recipients is simpler and fairer. Tiers (for example a larger instrument for top producers) are possible but should be decided at the start.

Shipping and duties. Confirm who pays import duties and where the order is delivered. Door-to-door with duties paid avoids a customs hold before the event.

For smaller team orders and client gifts, see Corporate Gifts People Actually Keep and Bespoke Kaleidoscopes: Engraved Gifts for Executives.

Frequently asked questions

How many kaleidoscopes did Coldwell Banker Caine order?

75 instruments, one for each award recipient, each engraved with the recipient's name.

Can every piece in a corporate order carry a different name?

Yes. Names are supplied as a list, confirmed by the client, and engraved individually.

How are large orders shipped to the United States?

By FedEx from Israel, door to door, with import duties handled, so the client does not have to clear the shipment.

Does Studio Yabaye take orders smaller than 75 pieces?

Yes. Corporate and team orders start from a few pieces, and single commissions are also available.

What did Coldwell Banker Caine say about the awards?

Stephen Edgerton, President and CEO of Coldwell Banker Caine, wrote that the pieces "were an incredible part of our awards program" and that he still sees them displayed in offices around the company every day.

Studio Yabaye designs and builds brass kaleidoscopes and teleidoscopes in Israel. Each instrument is designed by a licensed architect and signed. To discuss an award or corporate order, use the Corporate Gifts page.

From the Studio Yabaye range: Executive Desk Model (18 cm, 8 cm and 4 cm wheels); Architect's Edition (18 cm, 10 cm wheel).