In January 1994 I founded 'Davids Import', at the time the only way to legally exist here in Holland when you did not have papers to open a normal shop, nor wanted to work as an employee nor live on welfare money. I had been a 'free man' wandering around Europe for 6 years without an official address, had lived in France and Spain in a van for a year and worked there as a diver. Lived in a 'squat house' here in Holland for a year and lived with a girlfriend in Austria for a couple of years. But in 1994 I was on my way becoming a dad and needed a more stable way of life so in order to be able to earn money and pay bills like everyone else, I needed some sort of registration and an import bussiness was the easiest way ...
In order to keep the business alive we traveled 'around the globe' looking for old diving helmets. By car all around Europe as far as to Leningrad, by plane to Thailand, Burma, Venezuela, North America etc. We did not make a fortune but we had a very 'rich' life ...
We are now 29 years further in time and due to circumstances that we can do nothing about we have to move away from where we have been living since 1994. For about a year we have been looking for a new place, mainly in France but also in Germany and last summer we found a new place in France. Now some 2 months ago we actually bought it. We started preparing some major renovations there and we will be moving there during the summer of 2023.
But within a couple of days I will have to close down my company here in Holland, I simply cannot afford to prepay taxes for 2023: need the savings for the renovation of the new house. Here in Holland the government estimates your income based on incomes of earlier years and before even having earned the money you have to pay the taxes. This can be (has been) extremely difficult wile running a small bussiness. So before 2023 starts I have to close down the company here and next year I will start up a new business in France. Updates will follow on the website.
So right now we have such a lot things going on that I have had no time for a proper 'card'. Next Christmas we will be living in France and from there I will send cards to all friends who sent us a card this year ...
I should have older ones too but for now I just uploaded cards from between 2003 and 2021. These older ones are paper cards from the 'pre-digital-era' and these will probably show up when we move to France; I will list them on this page after I found them ...
So for the last time from Holland:
Best wishes for the New Year!
David
(PS: the davidsimport emailaddress shown at some of the cards does no longer exist)