Mandicrafts News & Views - Teddy Bears & Collectibles

Adventures Treasure Hunting in Vegas and our SURPRISE!

2011-09-21T11:25:00.000-07:00

Hi Everyone

Yesterday was a day full of adventures! We are in fabulous Las Vegas and met up with Miss Diva Dawn for a tour of some Treasure Hunting spots, some new to Dawn! She also had a surprise up her sleeve for the middle of the day....

We started off at Savers, the same chain in Canada is called Value Village. Similar high prices on a lot of items, but Dawn and I found a treasure trove of JERRY GARCIA neckties!! Yes, Bill came along with us and he found a cool set of salt & pepper shakers decorated with the chemical formula for the condiments. "Na Cl" for the salt & "Pe+(Pe)r" for pepper!

On to the next stop, a Charity Shop that had a .25 cent and 50% off sale on some items! I found a cotton kerchief, "Harley Davidson" for .25 cents! I also bought a Harrods Teddy Bear, a Limited Edition Cheesecake Factory Teddy and a Vintage Calvin Klein necktie!

In the next two stops I discovered a vintage 1983 Brownie / Girl Scout sash with LOTS of award patches, pins and a bag, a LAS VEGAS Starbucks City Mug and a brand new tooled leather belt with a belt buckle decorated with tiger's eye stones.

THEN, we had our surprise! For lunch we met up with Jason (of "Thrifting with the Boys"), Annette, and Danny (udderlygoodstuff) at a cute restaurant called "The Egg & I". Jason was full of great stories and we all peppered him with questions on CD's, Tiki items, T-Shirts, Hawaiian shirts and more. It was fascinating listening to the story of how he added to his own collection during the Sahara sale (casino that is now closed). I can't wait to download the seminar that had Jason & Brian of "Thrifting with the Boys" speak on all their great tips!

Jason!

Annette, Dawn, Mandy, Danny!

We continued our tour with Dawn after our luncheon surprise....

At a Catholic Charity Shop, I was so distracted with getting a GREAT deal on a Jerry Garcia tie (new with tag!), a silk 3 Stooges tie, and an Oscar de la Renta tie, that I forgot to buy the items I'd had them set aside out of the jewelry cabinet!!!! I had found some really cool belt buckles, but unfortunately they are still at the store.

Dawn's favourite spot, Deseret Industries, had some neat vintage T-Shirts, one a Firefighter's shirt from Oregon and a couple of Boy Scout shirts! Dawn and I uncovered some Serta plush sheep including two baby ones numbered 1/16 each with a soother in their mouth! Luckily one each :) Dawn and I also found a whole collection of vintage Dakin plush koala bears, all with their hang tags from the 1970's. Due to my suitcase space restrictions, these cuties are all going to Dawn's house!

On our last stop of the day, I found a beautiful CHANEL neck scarf for the grand sale price of .37 cents! If you show a Casino card on Tuesdays in this spot, you receive a 25% discount! COOL! The discount didn't apply to jewelry but I couldn't resist a vintage figural Lion's Head brooch.

All in all, a fantastic day out that was capped with my playing ONE slot machine all evening, turning $10 into $220 over a 4 hour period! Unfortunately, I left that machine to play Star Trek & Mr Spock sucked a lot of that profit back into the casino's hands!

We will walk some more of the strip today, enjoying the sunshine and lovely warm temperatures (at 100 F the locals say this is "fall" weather!!!!)

Bear Hugs
Mandy
Mandicrafts

Me & My Dad and Now in Fabulous Las Vegas

2011-09-19T10:43:00.000-07:00

Hi Everyone!

We took my dad out for fish & chips the night before we left BC. Here we are - ME & MY DAD!

A few shots out of the car window of the farm land around Abbotsford BC. The misty rain and clouds shrouded the mountains in the background, so only the foothills are visible. Who knew the only nice sunny day was the day we arrived, so no mountain pics unfortunately!

We are now in FABULOUS LAS VEGAS, comfortably ensconced in the New York, New York Hotel! Diva Dawn & Diva Dude were kind enough to pick us up at the airport and deliver us to our hotel last evening, and Dawn will be conducting a tour of her favourite Treasure Hunting haunts in the area for us on Tuesday, not to mention a few stops at the "locals" gambling halls along the way!

Last night I kept out of trouble for hours playing some slots on the SAME $20! I eventually gave it up, but it afforded lots of entertainment till nearly 2 am. A late start this morning due to our late night, but we were celebrating NOT having a curfew! Being a guest at my dad's Senior's Residence in BC the past week, meant we were locked in with alarmed doors by 11 pm!

We will tour the Las Vegas strip today, seeing the sights and stopping in a few of the casinos we come upon!

Stay tuned for a report of our escapades!

Bear Hugs
Mandy
Mandicrafts

Dining with friends alongside the Fraser River

2011-09-17T08:11:00.000-07:00

Hi Everyone

Saturday morning in beautiful BC and what should I do? Abbotsford Swap Meet/Flea Market? Mission Flea Market? Garage sale-ing? Well, since it is POURING RAIN, I am blogging!! *sigh*

I met up with some of my high school friends for dinner last night. What a blast! It doesn't matter how many years pass by in between visits, we pick up where we left off and chatter away like we saw each other yesterday! Remembering when we all used to pitch in .50 cents to get $2 worth of gas for Nancy's car so we could all "cruise" town or go shopping because that amount would nearly fill the tank! Yes, THAT was a loooong time ago! We met at a riverside restaurant called Kingfisher. If it had been warmer we could have sat on their deck to view the Fraser River.

We leave tomorrow for fabulous Las Vegas and more Treasure Hunting!

Bear Hugs
Mandy
Mandicrafts

More adventures Treasure Hunting in BC

2011-09-16T08:26:00.000-07:00

Hi Everyone!

Rainy BC! Its been damp & chilly for most of my visit, and here's me with only sandals and one pair of long pants! Hasn't stopped me from visiting the local Thrifts or Antique Shops!

I was on the hunt for a needlepoint kit for my dad yesterday! He only has counted cross stitch left which is a little hard on the eyes at the best of times, nevermind that my dad is 91 years young! Darn it all, but didn't I have to hit 5 Treasure Hunting spots before I found a kit for him! :) Of course, I was on the lookout for small items that are easily packed in a suitcase as I searched the shops.

I uncovered many pieces of vintage jewelry! Tie clips and brooches, necklaces and pendants and there was a 50% off sale on them! Woo Hoo! I searched the neckties and found a Jerry Garcia! Very popular brand! I did find one or two breakables I just had to have. A Royal Albert floral chintz sugar bowl was a find I could not pass up, especially at 50% off! I really liked a ceramic figurine made in Japan that was a pin cushion and a thimble holder, too. For a quarter I had to tuck away a Billy Graham crusade song booklet from 1960. One of those sorts of items that may be sought after....or not?!

Once I found a needlepoint kit for my father, we picked up his new LCD flat screen TV we'd ordered yesterday, and headed back to hook it up for him. He was pleased as punch to be able to use a remote again and couldn't believe a skinny box weighing just 25 lbs held a 32 inch TV!

Happy Hour with a Frank Sinatra tribute singer was fun to watch. A few residents danced and nearly all joined in to sing.

The sun is peeking through the clouds this morning, so here's hoping we'll have a sunny day!

More finds to come!

Bear Hugs

Mandy

Mandicrafts

Treasure Hunting - Sourcing Stock While Travelling by Air

2011-09-14T08:04:00.000-07:00

Hi Everyone!

Here I am in beautiful British Columbia Canada, visiting my elderly father and managing to fit in some Treasure Hunting! I love searching in different regions of the country! You never know what you may uncover!

BC has yielded a collection of Vintage Horse Brasses! Some still attached to their display straps and many loose ones too! Beautiful patina! Windsor Castle, horses, a donkey, a sailing ship and other great pictorials. Terrific items for a bar or pub, to display in a barn or simply for the avid collector!

I have also found a terrific collection of vintage paper dolls! All with their original books, clothing, and quite a few have never been punched out of the pages! Disney, old dolls, families, TV themes. Incredible to find so many in one place!

Vintage jewelry and silk scarves! Rhinestones, enamel, some signed, some just funky pieces perfect for that retro outfit! The scarves have original seam labels with names long gone from production! Vera of Japan and several artist pieces!

Knowing what to focus on while travelling via air, is a challenge. You are attracted to items that are impossible to pack in a suitcase! You can ship boxes home, but with high postal and courier rates, the find must be worth that cost and effort. Though horse brasses are heavy, they are not breakable, and the other items I've accumulated so far are tiny and light.

Other types of items to look for when restricted by a suitcase, can be thimble collections, T Shirts or other clothing items, belt buckles, small toys, small figurines (that can be wrapped in the articles of clothing!), plush, dolls, badges and patches, postcards, greeting cards, trading cards, baby items....anything small! You must gauge the quality of your finds to deem whether lugging that particular item to your home base is worth it!

Stay tuned for more discoveries and adventures in BC and, from our next stop in Fabulous Las Vegas!

Bear Hugs
Mandy
Mandicrafts

Coin Collecting: An Introduction to BRITISH MAUNDY Money COINS

2011-07-27T07:28:00.000-07:00

Hi Everyone

You may have heard the term "Maundy" money or coins recently with coverage of the British Royal Family in the news.

Royal Maundy presentations date back hundreds of years in Britain. I inherited a set that belonged to my maternal Grandmother and did a little research to understand what they represented.

Today's recipients of Royal Maundy, as many elderly men and women as there are years in the sovereign's age, are chosen because of the Christian service they have given to the Church and community. Dating back to the 13th century, it became the custom for the Royal Family to participate in the Christian ceremony that symbolizes Christ's simple act of washing the feet of the poor and handing out food and gifts. At the ceremony which takes place annually on Maundy Thursday, the day before Good Friday, the sovereign hands to each recipient two small leather string purses. One, a red purse, contains - in ordinary coinage - money in lieu of food and clothing; the other, a white purse, contains silver Maundy coins consisting of the same number of pence as the years of the sovereign's age.

After 1820, silver coins were struck solely for the purpose of Maundy. During Victorian times, complete sets were available for purchase from the bank by whomever chose to do so, so those sets are far more common to find. In 1908 Edward VII gave instructions that sets should only be available to the recipients and those participating in the ceremony, so sets AFTER 1909 are far more scarce. It should also be noted that the number of recipients and the amount received is equal to the Monarch's age so sets become more plentiful as the reign progresses. For coins presented by Queen Elizabeth II the portrait has remained unchanged since 1953.

The Maundy set consists of 1 pence, 2 pence (half groat), 3 pence, and 4 pence (groat) all struck in .925 silver. In 1920 the silver was reduced to 50% but in 1947 it reverted to .925. In 1971 the sets were revalued to newpence when Britain changed to the decimal system.

The set I inherited comes in a small red box, the lid lined with padded white satin and the coins are nestled in fitted spaces of royal blue/purple velvet. On the lid in gold is "Maundy Coin 1894".

All the coins are dated 1894 and have the "older" Queen Victoria portrait. They are small, especially the tiny silver penny. Off to the side (photo), which was included in the box, is another silver penny dated 1856 with the "young" Queen Victoria portrait. I can only surmise that this Maundy penny may have belonged to my great grandmother and was given to her daughter, my grandmother, so she placed it in the same box.

Note the difference in the Queen Victoria portrait of the last older penny (photo).

There is some tarnish, but they have been kept in this box since first received so are quite fresh considering they are 117 years old!

As to value, since this 1894 set is considered "Victorian" and therefore more plentiful, in uncirculated condition the May issue of "Coin News" UK sets a retail value of 125 British Pounds or about $200 USD. In Extremely Fine condition the value is 85 British Pounds or about $136 USD (I do not know which condition these coins would be rated). Individual coins found, would be roughly one quarter of this value though some denominations can be harder to find. The 1856 penny would be 66 British Pounds or $105 USD using the one quarter calculation, but the UK magazine also offers values on an individual basis and the 1856 penny shows 35 British Pounds or $56 USD, so considerably less than the rough rule of thumb.

No these Maundy coins are NOT for sale (a family heirloom!). Info and photos supplied for your enjoyment/education!

Some coins I do have listed for sale:

A full set of 12 Canadian Quarters .25 cent coins from 1992 issued for each province and territory in Canada in their collector sleeve.

Click HERE to view.

On a recent Treasure Hunt I discovered a British Royal Mint issue set of coins from 1982 in its folder, of the New Pence denominations including the 20p coin newly introduced in that year. This was also the first year the word "NEW" was dropped from appearing on the coins.

Click HERE to view

By no means am I a coin expert, but it is fun to research items!

Bear Hugs
Mandy
Mandicrafts

GWR Great Western Railway Hotels UK Collectibles

2011-06-19T05:32:00.000-07:00

Hi Everyone

Every day I learn something new from my Treasure Hunting!

I ran across a very intriguing silverplated item engraved "Great Western Railway Hotels" with an intricate Coat of Arms and had to learn more. I discovered that this Railway was founded in England in 1833 and linked London with the Southwest of the country and Wales for the first time. Their Coat of Arms logo incorporated the Shields of London and Bristol. This railway was the FIRST in the world to build hotels at stops! This began a whole new avenue for revenue and railroads around the world followed their lead. Many of these hotels still exist today and have become historical landmarks even though they may have changed hands many times over the years. It started a tradition of luxury crosscountry travel unsurpassed until commercial airlines came into existence!

GWR became part of British Railways in 1947 so collectibles are very hard to find. Occasionally an engraved spoon or cup will appear at auction from an estate but I was lucky enough to uncover a silverplated MATCHBOX STAND or HOLDER. Talk about luxury, even matchboxes were given the elite treatment in their hotels!

Surely to become a centre point of someone's GWR Collection, this stand is in beautiful condition and was made by Elkington or E & Co of England who have a very detailed method of marking their items. The date code stamp translates to 1929! Here are some photos of this 80 year plus piece of history.

To view the listing click HERE

Happy Collecting!

Bear Hugs,

Mandy

Mandicrafts

Will Canada Post Go on Strike Wednesday? Will my INTERNET MAIL Business collapse?

2011-05-20T19:28:00.000-07:00

Hi Everyone

It will be two years next month that I made the jump to being my own boss and running my own on line business FULL TIME! No it hasn't been easy but it is a lot more fun with a greater sense of accomplishment than working for someone else!

I consider it a success! However, will Canada Post bring my tiny little empire crashing down around my ears? The corporation's unionized postal workers may be ON STRIKE as of Wednesday May 25. Last moment negotiations are in play, and I am keeping my fingers crossed, but relying on others for my own success was what I was trying to move away from!

Couriers are an option, should "the worst" happen, though not a favoured option. In all comparisons I have investigated, though Canada Post has some of the most expensive rates for parcels in the world, they are still lower than courier rates! Perhaps I could "eat" the difference in cost for couriers to keep my business running and hope the strike does not last very long!

We shall see.

Have a great long weekend fellow Canadians! Happy Victoria Day! Hopefully it will be a Happy Wednesday next week as well!

Bear Hugs
Mandy
Mandicrafts

Back to darned REALITY with lots of shipping to do!

2011-05-15T05:28:00.000-07:00

Hi Everyone

Thanks for following my blog posts for daily updates on our Treasure Hunting trip to Florida this past week! It was soooooo much fun, and it was very nice to experience some SUMMER weather and meet up with Avery, Dianne, Sheila and Melissa! I missed Holly, but there is always next year!!

Back to REALITY (home in Ontario) it has done nothing but POUR RAIN since I've returned, and my favourite garage sale of spring was cancelled yesterday due to the inclement weather. I didn't find out till AFTER I was up before the crack of dawn and drove over there! I could have slept in! Since I was out anyway, I did make a few stops where I saw garage sale signs by brave souls who had most items IN their garages out of the weather, and I managed to bring home a few more items! Some cute Gund plush, two sets of NIP Hannah Montana bed sheet sets (one in twin size, one in full) and a great pair of brand new Custom motorcycle side mirrors the fellow said he bought at a bike show but then sold his bike! I am really stepping out of my comfort zone these days, but its fun to try new items!

I unpacked my tightly stuffed suitcases, AND was able to list 21 new auctions to try and make a dent in my inventory so all of this new stuff will fit!

I've gone back to look at some of the Treasure Hunting pics from Florida that I wasn't able to post earlier. Here are some random shots from the past week.....

This dead palm tree was home to this large woodpecker beside the pool at the condo. He had 3 entrance holes to his "condo".

Looking back at our condo building as seen from the beach. Top floor middle was ours.

View down the beach where we were staying at Indian Harbour.

Crazy little Sandpiper running back and forth with the waves to dig for his little tidbits in the sand!

One of the many beach communities we passed through on our way to Indian Harbour Beach on the A1A. Mr Flagler was instrumental in opening up Florida to the masses back in the day when it was mostly swamp and no one had ventured far into the state.

Before the condo got really stuffed with treasures! Note only ONE wooden bin is present!

Melissa's finds from the Flea Market! Pink bag is her many lbs of costume jewelry!

A bit of a close up of my items as I was packing them. Note the old Original English Spats! The blue bag is stuffed with my 15 lbs of costume jewelry finds (became part of my carryon). Blue faced doll is a Vintage Knickerbocker for Levi's with a BIG "E" tab on her denim jacket!

Vintage monkey with rubber face & huge ears, large handmade wooden jewelry box with hand carved ship, stacks of neckties (I love the one with a Pre-Nup agreement printed on it!), T-shirts, scarves, handbags, a little vintage Hohner boxed harmonica, doll and bear clothes etc!

Once sunshine returns to this part of the world I will be able to take some proper pics of my Treasures. Don't hold your breath since its supposed to rain through Wednesday!

Bear Hugs
Mandy
Mandicrafts

Florida Treasure Hunters but I took Day Off Thursday!

2011-05-13T10:11:00.000-07:00

Hi Everyone

For some reason Blogger is unavailable so I am not sure when I can post this from my Word program. Today is Friday 13^th and I took the day off, yesterday, in fabulous Florida to finally set foot on the beach and bask in the sun by the pool for a little while but the 3 other Treasure Hunters made the trek to New Smyrna Beach to meet up with Holly and Avery’s friend Barb to do some more mega-Hunting! The most intense yet, they told me upon their return because Barb had mapped a route with times allotted to each stop! They filled another rolling wooden bin to come upstairs and were gone past dinner time, but were kind enough to bring me some food! Lovely shrimp and key lime pie! Yummy! Melissa found a Steiff for .50 cents! Woo Hoo! A Macki Hedgehog Doll! I am sure that someone will have to rent a U-Haul trailer to get their treasures home for this trip!

Holly, Melissa, Avery, Dianne

I was restrained, and managed to uncover mostly smaller items on this trip, and have only one 9x9x9 box that needs to be mailed home, and everything else has been packed (tightly) into my two suitcases! It took me 2 hours to pack yesterday, but it is DONE and Melissa will drive me to Orlando airport this morning for my flight home to Canada. Now what do I tell customs is in my TWO suitcases for a 9 day trip? Hopefully, I’ll have an agent that isn’t very curious!

All this went into my luggage!

Not that I need any more treasures, but I am getting up bright and early tomorrow to go garage sale-ing! It is my favourite garage sale stop of the beginning of summer, so I HAVE to go. Stay tuned for more fabulous finds!

Later.....I am now at Orlando airport and have been able to upload the above couple of pics. Its a very slow connection so I won't attempt more at this point! My one biggest suitcase was 4.5 lbs overweight at 54.5 lbs but they allowed it...PHEW! I put most of my jewelry finds in my carryon, so someone had to hand search it since it showed on X-ray as a big lump of metal they couldn't see through but there was no problem.

Please note that Blogger is having issues and yesterday's blog post has been deleted temporarily, but is supposed to reappear at some point!

Bear Hugs

Mandy

Mandicrafts

Discounts Abound Thrifting in Florida Heat!

2011-05-12T05:02:00.000-07:00

Hi Everyone

Yesterday was another steller day in Florida Thrifting, Antiquing and finding wonderful bargains and discounts! One place was going to be shutting down this coming weekend and had everything over .25 cents on sale at 75% off!!

I found a vintage boxed Raikes Collector figurine for $1 still with booklet and original packaging! Raikes is the designer of the wooden faced teddy bears. For just .25 cents I discovered a leather belt extender (that's the label they had on it but I'll have to check if that is what it really is) and when I got it back to the condo & examined the brass fitting it said "Dooney & Bourke". Never used!

A gorgeous little Thrift Shop called The Lamb Shoppe, with various decor items of lambs around the moldings and shelves and windows, had many NWT (new with tag) items and I uncovered a Sally Huss handpainted small canvas beach tote. The Lamb Shoppe also allowed me my second ever Stampin' Up rubber stamp set find! Two packages in wonderful like-new condition! Woo Hoo!

St Paul's Church Thrift had 3 amazing senior ladies as staff who must be in their 80's who had to work like the dickens to wrap our Treasure Hunter's finds, chattering the whole time about what they recognized from the "old days" and adding up in their heads (no mechanical equipment for them!). Avery found some Limoges dinnerware there that these ladies were gushing over, and they must have asked Avery 6 times "did you know these are Limoges?". We were trying not to laugh! Here is Avery and Dianne exiting the shop with some of their finds!

Across the road from St Paul's was a picturesque pastel painted home and veranda surrounded by huge trees complete with the hanging moss.

I have tried to be restrained the past few days, only choosing smaller items since I have to fly home, but the other Treasure Hunters have gone full out and uncovered dinnerware sets, and larger items since they are driving. There is still some doubt as to whether it will all fit in the vehicles though!! I have branched out into artwork, and LOTS of jewelry this trip and included some obscure little items that could turn out to be real FINDS! One never knows what may be collectible!

Here is a taste of the Treasures laying around the condo, and we have 3 of the 4 giant wooden rolling bins they provide here to transport your luggage!

I am taking today "off". I MUST put my feet on the gorgeous beach we can see from our balcony and test the waters of the pool and, perhaps, get a slight tint on my (still) winter white legs! I also have to make an attempt to pack my discoveries to determine what may have to be shipped home! Unfortunately, my adventures end tomorrow with my flight out of Orlando.

The rest of the Treasure Hunters are making a trek out to visit Holly and shop and Hunt in new territory. I was sorely tempted but I have just waved them off and will have to report their adventures second hand, later or in the morning! I would LOVE to meet Holly but just CANNOT buy anything else and need to experience the beach delights.

Bear Hugs
Mandy
Mandicrafts

Thrifting x 5 Intrepid Treasure Hunters in Florida

2011-05-11T05:09:00.000-07:00

Hi Everyone

We were all very good first thing yesterday morning and actually did some WORK listing while we waiting for Sheila to arrive. Poor Sheila was up before the crack of dawn to drive up for her visit, and had to drive back down after a great but exhausting day Thrifting and go to work this morning!

It was a great day Thrifting in beautiful Indian Harbour Beach and surrounding area and there were enough FINDS to go around for the 5 intrepid Treasure Hunters!

There was one shop, Second Wind, we spent hours in and she kept the store open for us after her usual closing time! I found some original renderings dated 1920 that belonged to the shop owners great uncle who eventually became one of the editors of the New York Times newspaper! Great advertising artwork, dated and in terrific condition. She had a 50% off EVERYTHING sale, so our finds were even more spectacular than usual. Party Lite, Mary Engelbreit, Department 56, and other name brand items, jewelry, books, clothing, neckties, scarves, toys, games and even some genuine antiques. She had an eclectic mix so we all discovered something different!

Sheila searched the book box (behind her) and found one great book - a text book.

Avery on the search!

Dianne scored some amazing chenille bedspreads in the Green Bean Thrift, pure white and gorgeous! Dianne also found Avery THE PERFECT T-shirt even in size S. "Pssst, let's have some chocolate - ....the baby".

Dianne with her chenille bedspreads!

You just never know what type of surveillance a shop may have! The Green Bean had a giant elephant looking down on customers!

Mr Elephant!

A small bag with BIG finds by Sheila!

As usual, Melissa uncovered wonderful pieces of jewelry at every stop and at some point during the week we've all had mini-lessons in what to look for.

After we saw Sheila off on her long drive home, Avery, Dianne and I headed out for something to eat. Goombay's had the most amazing Macadamia Coconut Shrimp!! We brought back some food for Melissa who had stayed back to watch Antiques Roadshow and American Pickers. By the time we returned and settled in, we were all too exhausted to do much more than fall into bed, so this is why I am posting this morning!

We will be heading out for more adventures today, so stay tuned for more terrific finds!

Bear Hugs
Mandy
Mandicrafts

Melbourne Florida Antique Shops & Lizard

2011-05-09T16:12:00.000-07:00

Hi Everyone

Today was another lovely day in paradise! We drove to historic downtown Melbourne Florida, across the river, to visit some local Antique Shops. Betty was open and ready to negotiate at her UN-air conditioned old house-turned-shop (a good place to visit FIRST THING while it isn't quite as warm).

Standing watch in one of the rooms of her shop was a little lizard! He blended in quite well with the vintage oven thermometer and the green glass.

He wanted to show me a lovely vintage quilt next, along side some cranberry glass, and posed quite handsomely, pointing the way!

We weren't convinced by Mr Lizard but we still found a lot of undiscovered Treasures! I uncovered some vintage 70's to 80's Rock and Roll items and I don't even know what finds Melissa has in her bags!

Melbourne is an historic town with older buildings and landmarks. A funky railroad crossing is located right as you enter the main street but I don't see any tracks directly underneath but Melissa explains it prevents you from turning towards where they are still located.

We wandered through a few more shops in town, and even found two Thrift Stores open. Molly Mutt, a charity pet Thrift had some wonderful repro artwork with certificates, and at another Antique Shop I found a neat coin machine that used to be used by bus clippies (I don't know the American term?) on their belt to deliver coin change as you pay. All the chutes still work beautifully!

We are awaiting Avery and Dianne's arrival, so we passed some more time at Grant's Antiques outside of town. A wonderful mall where all sorts of dealers have booths and many had sales! I found a Treasure Trove of salt & pepper shakers, and handmade needlework serviettes!

Beside Grant's is Charley's but we spent so much time with Grant we have to leave Charley for another day! Just beyond Charley's is one of the iconic BIKER BARS you see all over this area of Florida!

Melissa was VERY happy with her finds at Grant's but we split up and each worked from opposite ends, so I have to wait to see what Treasures she has (I think I see a US Flag on the counter?)!

Within an hour or so, we'll be FOUR Treasure Hunters, and tomorrow we will be FIVE with Sheila's arrival! Look out Florida! Here we come!

Bear Hugs
Mandy
Mandicrafts

Florida Sunday Flea Market & Condo Life

2011-05-08T14:07:00.000-07:00

Hi Everyone

BEAUTIFUL day! Not too hot, bright and sunny and a nice little breeze. Great for going to the Flea Market. I had my walk first thing, across the road to the Shell Station to get a cup of coffee since we got in too late to bother going to the grocery store. I have noticed that I've "lost my ankles" here in Florida and from the walking today at the Flea Market, I've "lost my knees" too! I'll have to give my poor feet a cool soak to help bring down the swelling.

Fun items were everywhere at the Flea Market. We became best friends to Trudy who runs a jewelry booth of mostly Estate items. She says she has over 180,000 items and I believe Melissa and I went through at least 100,000 of them! Melissa knows what she is looking for and I did ask her on a few of the items that I could tell had signatures but have no hope of reading. I stuck to mostly Christmas Tree pins and other figurals and a few other interesting pieces. I found some belt buckles too, including a Coke Truck buckle.

At one booth the woman had a fabulous car with her that she told me they made ONLY FIVE! It is a MOYA with a wooden dash and a soft top. Very stylish!

Melissa scored a bin of loose Lego and some boxed Lego with mini figs. She'll do well with those! She also discovered an entire collection of Winnie the Pooh figurines and trinket boxes!

I found some incomplete 1964 Collector/Trading card sets of the Beatles. Hopefully they are good, but I really have no idea and will have to research them. He did point out the set 1 and set 2 re-issues in the batch, (printed on reverse in green as opposed to red, so that is a start. There are about 60 cards so the collection could turn out to be very interesting!

The beer snack shop at the Flea Market had a Mother's Day special - Mimosa's for .50 cents! Psst.....Melissa had a DOUBLE! :)

We made it to the grocery store after we ran out of $$ at the Flea Market so I am well stocked with coffee, filters and creamer and we even have some breakfast items so we'll be ready to start again in the morning. We'll probably go to the town of Melbourne to peruse their Antique Shops since most Thrifts are closed on Mondays and Melbourne is such a picturesque little place.

We have a gorgeous view from our condo balcony. The ocean, the palm trees, the pool and even across to the road on the other side of us. Here are some shots I took today from the balcony. Blue, blue water!

More tomorrow!

Bear Hugs
Mandy
Mandicrafts

Treasure Hunting our way down Florida Coast!

2011-05-07T20:28:00.000-07:00

Hi Everyone

We finally made it to the condo! It was about an hour ago, and we left our hotel at 8:30 am this morning, but we meandered our way via the "back roads" and managed to find quite a few Antique Shops and Thrift Stores along the way!

Lovely sunshine, and there are lots of oleanders in bloom everywhere in various shades of pink, coral and white. Here is a white one we parked underneath to go to the St Vincent de Paul Thrift.

St Augustine is home to the famous "Fountain of Youth", so I tried to grab a shot from the moving car. I think that means I did not benefit from the waters within!!

It is also home to an old fort flying a British Union Jack flag! The fort is right on the water, with a draw or swing bridge next to it, that we crossed and had to wait for a tall ship to pass beneath.

Opposite the bridge is a cannon and a pile of cannon balls in front of a quaint old building. They have recently planted new palm trees so they are still propped with their crowns wrapped.

Most of the small highway we took, is on the narrow strip of land between the river and the Atlantic. Lots of pastel homes, and beach, and natural vegetation to view, along with biker bars and weird billboards!

There seems to be a plethora of cosmetic surgeons in Florida. We saw one billboard advertising a "Cosmetic Gynaecologist" and a cosmetic surgeons' office had their sign out front with the name Dr J Kuack!! Would you get surgery from him?!

We found lots of treasures today! The St Vincent de Paul had so many rooms and twists and turns! I got a great leather belt there, very decorated with medallions and enamel, and the buckle shows the country singer Charlie Walken and is dated 1977. Found 3 vintage SWANK Camelot initial key cases, with boxes and 2 Victoria Secret teddy bears.

At some of the other places we visited today, I found 2 Lilliput Lane cottages, a Mary Meyer Limited Edition 1999 "Grandma's Bear" with certificate & stand with name, a Mme Alexander Miss Muffet doll and a Horsman 1970 Miss Sunbeam doll still with her hair in a hairnet. I may keep the Nine West rust suede new clogs if they fit, and am considering the Beatles Apple Label tank top with their pictures on it! Maybe the Anne Taylor blouse and the INC. top too!

We filled TWO of the big wooden pushcarts the condo provides to transport your luggage up to your room, and I still had to push my suitcase along side since no more would fit! The sound of the surf is soothing, and feels very tropical.

Time to rest up ready to go to the Flea Market tomorrow morning!

Bear Hugs
Mandy
Mandicrafts

Jacksonville Florida & Antique Market Treasure Hunting!

2011-05-06T18:40:00.000-07:00

Hi All

Here we are on the outskirts of Jacksonville Florida! It FINALLY became sunny and hot this afternoon, but I was beginning to wonder! We had torrential DOWNPOURS of rain through Georgia. We were on the road by 8:30 am this morning, and within 2 hours had found our first Antique Shop in Yulee, Florida. Spent an hour there, and a few hundred yards down the road was the second stop where we whiled away 2 1/2 hours! It was a great place!

We can't believe some of our finds! Jewelry, vintage handbags, toys, ephemera, ladies vintage gloves (like Kate will have to wear!), and many other items that we will try to photograph once we are at our home base (the condo) tomorrow. I think I have uncovered a lovely vintage Knickerbocker teddy bear but I will have to do further research at home.

After leaving Yulee, we stopped for snacks (we had missed lunch by this time) and we carried on to yet another Antique Shop on Amelia Island. Most items were too expensive for our budgets but we both managed to uncover some unknown treasures and I helped the owner identify a little c1920's mohair dog she had recently acquired!
Here is Melissa urging me inside!

And going through a jewelry cabinet!

Wonderful hanging moss on the surrounding trees! This is when the sun finally peeked out!

This evening we stayed in and ordered pizza. Exhausted with all of our hunting! Plus the view across the street is great! The firemen are washing down their firetruck in their drive!

We will arrive at the condo late tomorrow afternoon! More details on our finds then (with the addition of MORE, more than likely)!

Bear Hugs
Mandy

Treasure Hunters' progress on the Road S & N Carolina

2011-05-05T15:47:00.000-07:00

Hi Everyone!

Happy Cinco de Mayo!

I did not have an internet connection yesterday!
Today, Thursday May 5 , finds the intrepid Treasure Hunters in a Quality Inn in Hardeesville South Carolina just getting ready to hunt down some dinner!

My flight out of Toronto to Charlotte NC was late in leaving yesterday, due to having no flight crew. I arrived in "chilly" Charlotte a little late, but found Melissa and Millard right away, and even my suitcase was already spinning around on the carousel!

We piled into the car and headed to Ruby Tuesday's to meet up with some fellow QC'ers for dinner. I met Robin (Birdhead) and Avery (AverysToys) and her husband Daniel. What fun meeting up with those you chat with daily on the forum! We all chatted a mile a minute, with lots of stories and laughs & frosty fruity adult beverages (well, except Avery who is eating for 2 but NOT drinking for 2 - so we took up her slack!).

Here is a pic the waiter took of us, who said it was "wonderful "so I guess he thinks Canadians don't open their eyes (??)

Mandy, Avery, Daniel, Millard, Melissa, Robin

Melissa and I were on our way at 8 am this morning. I had to wear long pants and a jacket! A storm came through a couple of days ago, so the weather is cool, OR I brought it with me!

We made an unscheduled stop at an Antique Mall in Walterboro, about an hour outside of Hardeesville and I beat Melissa to some jewelry treasures (wow!!) and I found a TALKING viewmaster reel set with original box!

Here in Hardeesville, one shop was shut but we were able to visit the Consignment store before checking into our hotel. There Melissa found a few items, but nothing tempted me. I am saving up for TOMORROW's road trip where we will be able to stop in many places!

We are off to find some seafood, and I'll update more tomorrow!

Bear Hugs
Mandy

Mandicrafts Treasure Hunting - Sourcing Trip!

2011-05-03T05:51:00.000-07:00

Hi Everyone

It seems I am best at creating a blog when I go away travelling! So I am off on a NEW adventure tomorrow, a Treasure Hunting Trip (aka Sourcing Trip)!! I fly to Charlotte NC to join one of my fellow hunters on a road trip to Florida for a couple of days. This road trip will include MANY stops along the way to see what we can find. Once in Florida, we will have a home base to stash our finds for a week, other hunters will join us, and we will have a blast Treasure Hunting as a PACK!

It will be sooooo much fun, and I also hope to do a little R&R on the beach and by the pool in between. Spring is slow in coming to my little home base in Canada, so basking in sunshine and hot temperatures is VERY appealing right now.

Watch this space for updates, viewing our special finds and photos of the hunters in action!

Bear Hugs
Mandy

Dinnerware! Add pieces to YOUR discontinued Service!

2011-04-08T08:25:00.000-07:00

Hi Everyone

I need to make some room in my inventory storage and have put ALL of my DINNERWARE on SALE for 25% off! I may have items that you need to complete your vintage or discontinued Service Pattern! I also have full service sets! This is a LAST CHANCE CLEAR OUT of many pieces so that I can make room for MORE Treasures.

Click HERE to view all of my sale items.

Some examples of unique patterns you will find.....

Bordallo Pinheiro is a unique dinnerware and Art Pottery producer located in Portugal. They are popular for their whimsical figural designs, many of which are discontinued and are only available in the after market. One such pattern is CABBAGE Yellow. Though B.P still produces the Green, Yellow is difficult to find!

View the BOWLS

Midwinter Stonehenge is a UK producer, best loved for their unique Stoneware designs. A lovely pattern for Spring, CROCUS was only made between 1986 & 1987. It is microwave & dishwasher safe oven-to-tableware!

View the PLATES

A traditional favourite, WEDGWOOD Bone China, England; here is their CHILTERN W4284 pattern decorated with unusual twisted ribbons around the verge edges in light grey and green with Gold Gilt rims made ONLY between 1962 to 1965. The entire service is near pristine, most pieces NEVER used and includes the HTF Cream Soup Bowl double handled cup & saucer!

View the OVAL PLATTER

Collecting vintage dinnerware, or fine china can be tough nowadays. So many no longer treasure the tradition in our fast-food world!

My need to make some room is your opportunity to obtain some lovely pieces!

Bear Hugs
Mandy
Mandicrafts

Sellers and Buyers

2011-04-06T07:27:00.000-07:00

Hi Folks!

It seems the entire planet is abuzz with the announcements eBay has made for the upcoming changes they are implementing this spring! Emergency conference calls, Town Hall call-ins, mini-seminars to explain different aspects and summaries to outline what may impact the Seller the hardest or what will require work to implement.

Initial reactions have been outrage and panic, but any type of CHANGE is greeted that way at first. No one likes CHANGE but we either go with the flow or do something else for a living!

I have a booth on Bonanza as well as my eBay Store and would like to look into other avenues for on-line selling but you can only stretch yourself so far and eBay continues to be the best way to reach buyers worldwide. In order to continue my passion of Treasure Hunting, I must SELL what I find.

It isn't as simple as "find something, then sell it". I wish it were! As a collector and seller, one must have at least a basic idea of WHAT to look for; WHERE to look for it; HOW much to pay for it; WHO will want it; understand how to rate or GRADE it for condition, age, use, scarcity, value; how to CLEAN it, REPAIR it, STORE it, MEASURE it, PHOTOGRAPH it, DESCRIBE it, PACK it, SHIP it, and what to do if you have not made a good choice and figure out how to GET RID of it (purge inventory) and not lose too much vs the original INVESTMENT. Then all of this has to be DOCUMENTED and submitted for income tax purposes.

Some buyers understand. Some buyers have no idea!  As a seller we must be prepared to offer the best CUSTOMER SERVICE we can no matter what the buyer's concerns are. Though SHIPPING is a big part of a buyer's purchase, and rightly so, a seller has little control over the cost, shipping method, transit time, customs clearance and what may happen once an item leaves our hands!

Besides the cost of actually shipping an item, a seller must invest in PACKAGING SUPPLIES that will transport an item safely. Boxes, bubblewrap, foam, packing peanuts, tape, tissue paper, plastic bags etc. Labels must be printed or written, so paper, ink, labels, airmail stickers, and fragile stickers are another "hidden" expense.

In addition to the original cost paid for an item, there are costs to PREPARE that item FOR SALE. Cleaning supplies, reference books or databases for research, educational seminars or courses. A system for inventory storage whether that may be boxes, totes, or shelving. A camera is a necessity. Batteries, chargers, programs for downloading, programs for editing, "space" to store photographs in-house or on the web. Equipment for taking a photo that will display it in minute detail; photo tent, tripod, coloured backgrounds, lighting etc. Even taking a photo in natural light outside, still requires equipment so that you don't see Suzie's swing in the background or the neighbours fence.

Listing an item for sale is not free. There are FEES to have an on-line selling platform, fees for listing, fees on an actual sale, fees for accepting different types of payment. There are costs to promote an item or the selling platform where the item is listed. Website and domain names, forum membership fees, ads, bonus rebate programs, e-commerce flyers or newsletters, and physical business cards, letterhead etc.

Then there is the commodity of TIME. A seller must be available 24/7, to answer questions, to enter a listing, to invoice, to give shipping estimates, to post on websites, forums, and social networks, and to create newsletters, blogs and such. Time to pull items that have been sold to prepare for shipping, to do the packing, to ship, to run to the post office or call a service to pick up and be there when they do; and yet still be able to go into the world to FIND the items, never mind eating, sleeping, and carrying on a life.

I love most of it, but I must admit the shipping and the accounting aspects I could cheerfully do without, but to do that I would have to hire someone and pay them; another expense! (Anyone know a CHEAP GOOD Accountant??)

Just a gentle friendly reminder to all those Buyer's out there, that if you do not want to do your own Treasure Hunting, please keep in mind what we do, as sellers, in order to bring you that item for sale and to remind you to try and have some patience and understanding should there be a hiccup in the road to your obtaining that item quickly, safely and at the most economical cost possible!

Now, back to the FUN!! And it is FUN!!

Bear Hugs
Mandy
Mandicrafts

2011-03-25T06:22:00.000-07:00

Hello!

A week later, after a few trials and challenges - I am BACK to blogging!

The internet issues I had upon my return from Fabulous Las Vegas were resolved. I called the cable company and they were showing no reading from my modem. I had to get a complicated sophisticated tool to correct the problem.....a TOOTHPICK! I stuck it in the tiny hole at the back of the modem and VOILA, I had internet AND my telephone back. This method resets the device. I hadn't even realized we had no telephone service until I tried to make a call to the cable company. Luckily I had my cell.

Sunday morning dawns, and I turn on the coffee maker. No response. No lights, no time display on the panel, NO COFFEE! It was dead! Panic sets in. I have to have my morning jolt of coffee to function! Boil the kettle pour water manually through the filter.....YAY! Coffee!

Off to Home Depot and Canadian Tire. Had to buy supplies to fix the toilet.... yes, we were still using the downstairs bathroom, which was getting old in the middle of the night, going down 3 flights of stairs. (It broke & "rained" in the dining room while I was away!!). Home Depot no longer sells small appliances so the next stop was Canadian Tire and they had a great coffee maker on sale for half price.

I managed to fit in some local Treasure Hunting this past week as well as catching up on my listing, shipping, and unpacking my lovely new estate lot of STEIFF from Germany! (More info to come in the future on my Steiff!) I found some GREAT items locally! Photography was a bit of an issue with steady rain for a few days. I still need real sunlight to backlight my photo tent since I haven't sorted out my floodlighting needs correctly. And then, after the rain had washed away any trace of snow, and the mild temperatures had encouraged some hints of greenery in the grassy areas - WE GOT A SNOWSTORM! Wednesday was horrible! High winds made the heavy snow into a blizzard. Even driving to the post office was scary that day! It has remained cold but the sun came out yesterday and again today, so I have been able to take some photos. I am hoping the mild temperatures will return soon, to melt this load of white stuff! It is SPRING for heaven's sake!

I learned how to post a video on YouTube! I have added a cute little video to my auction listing of a Chantilly Lane Dancing Teddy Bear! He wiggles and twists to James Brown's "I Feel Good" and is just adorable! It took me an hour to figure out all the ins & outs of posting a video, and then how to add it to a listing. I will still have to practise, but I think my first attempt turned out quite well. Check it out from my eBay auction for my Dancing Teddy Bear. You will need to scroll to the very bottom of the listing (I have yet to learn how to insert it under my description text).

Chantilly Lane Dancing Teddy Bear

RARE COOKBOOK!!!

One of my Treasures from Las Vegas!! An amazing find! "Officers Wives Cookbook, Andrews Airforce Base Washington DC" 1976. No ISBN # and copies were only available privately! Contributors include the First Lady, Mrs Gerald Ford, Mrs Nelson Rockafeller, the Vice Presidents wife, Mrs Henry Kissinger, Secretary of States wife, and many more famous wives! Most of the foreign embassies are included too! See recipes from Saudi Arabia, Canada, Great Britain, Jamaica etc. There is even a vintage contribution from Martha Washington. One interesting side note; why don't the wives have their own first names??? I thought the 70's were fairly modern!! Here is a link.

Officers Wives Cookbook

Stay tuned for more of my finds!

Bear Hugs
Mandy
Mandicrafts

Las Vegas Trip Wrap-Up & Back to Reality!

2011-03-18T06:49:00.000-07:00

Hello!

I am back home from my adventures in Las Vegas & Lynn's LOL. Back to reality!

My last day in Vegas was Tuesday, and I had a little bit of angst in the morning when I couldn't get the room safe open! My passport was in there!!!!!!! I had yet to pack, shower & check out and I hadn't eaten a thing!!! and the number "5" had quit working. I called downstairs & they sent up security. I scrambled to get dressed so I wouldn't be greeting them in my PJ's. Big burly men arrived, verified my ID and then tried the safe themselves. Verdict.....the battery was dying! They called the locksmith to come up. I couldn't pack, I couldn't shower....time was marching on. The locksmith arrived. These room safes just take 2 x AA batteries! He has a gadget to get the safe opened no matter what, and I heaved a HUGE sigh of relief when I saw the door swing open.

Packing was a jigsaw puzzle, spreading my Treasures between 2 suitcases & trying to judge the weight of each. They seemed to weigh a TON! The bellboy came to get them so I could roam for a few hours before having to leave for the airport. I finally got something to eat at 3 pm!

Checking in my luggage at the airport.....it was NOT overweight! YAY! I had the extra bag charge, but still far less than mailing a box home to Canada. No sleep was possible on the plane. Too uncomfortable. I arrived on my home doorstep at 7:30 am Wednesday morning.

No bed for me! I had LOADS of shipments to prepare for from sales while I had been away. I got to work and also managed to take photos of my NEW treasures that I will soon begin listing.

TIP: Do NOT write handwritten greetings/thank you notes on your packing slips after being awake for 48 hours! Auditing them yesterday, after a good night's sleep, while sealing & attaching the shipping labels to all my parcels, I found several of my statements that were total GIBBERISH!!

What do you think I was trying to say? Here is one example (my favourite):
"I appreciate your understanding for while or when he will check out!"

Now that it is Friday morning, things are still not "back to normal". I suddenly have NO INTERNET ACCESS with my wireless router! Connectivity is excellent, but no internet access! I tried the usual....unplug modem and router. Plug them back in as a mini reboot. Still NOTHING! Luckily I have a mobile stick to access the internet so I can still communicate with the outside internet world, but I will have to deal with this router issue soon....just NOT today!

I hope you have enjoyed my photos of Las Vegas and my mini summaries of Lynn's LOL event! I plan on posting on this blog on a regular basis, bringing stories of daily challenges and successes, highlighting interesting collecting genres, information and photo references on a variety of subjects and telling of further adventures on any future travel! If you have a particular subject or item idea you would like me to write about, please leave me a comment and I will do my best to address!

Bear Hugs
Mandy
Mandicrafts

Las Vegas Adventures Day 7

2011-03-14T21:23:00.000-07:00

Hello

I lounged around in my room for a good part of the morning and then joined Serena for a trip to the fabulous Diva Dawn's centre of activity (her house!). We viewed & drooled over her storage systems, great items, and her lovely home and got say "Hey" to Diva Dude!

Serena was soon on her way back home, & Dawn to catch up on her errands.

It was such a gorgeous sunny day, and the perfect temperature to go for a walk. I ventured all the way down the Las Vegas strip from Paris to the Venetian! It was very busy on the strip, which surprised me a little being a Monday.

On the way I met a lovely couple who reside, I was told by a local hawker on the street, in the Bellagio lake. He had been feeding them crushed Doritos which they LOVE!

Mallard Duck Couple

Mickey Mouse

Further on, I met Mickey Mouse who enjoyed waving at passersby for coins to be thrown in his Mickey Mouse bucket! A little one in a stroller was mesmerized and tentatively waving so I snuck a photo while Mickey was entertaining him!

Bally's with Eiffel Tower behind

Looking back was a good view of the Eiffel Tower beyond Bally's!

Flamingo Showgirls

Vegas show girls were urging people to enter the Flamingo Hilton in their pink feathers.

Captain Sparrow wanna-be?

I happened upon a pirate who pointed his pistol at me so that I would contribute to his booty!

Mirage

Across the street was the Mirage & Treasure Island (TI) casino hotels.

Venetian

I was soon at the Venetian. Just like Venice with canals, gondolas with singing gondoliers, and impressive stone work. Unfortunately, visible behind/beside is a derelict bankrupt work-in-progress bohemith that has slowly rusting girders - left like this since 08/09.

Venetian. Note derelict in-progress behind

Gondola in Venetian Canal

Inside entrance to Venetian

Ceiling work!

At the inside entrance to the Canal Shoppes & Casino is an awesome Michelangelo-like ceiling piece of art with golden trims, hundreds of feet above your head! The Canal Shoppes really do border the winding canals and the gondolas leisurely glide by with the gondoliers singing. Its beautiful!

Square INDOORS at Canal Shoppes

Venetian Resident

A period resident posed for me!

Mandy & Harrison

I hooked up with a very nice guy for a short time, but he had other committments! Very unfortunate for me. I had to return to Paris alone!

My adventures will soon be over! I must check out of Paris tomorrow & be homeless for 9 hours with my bags checked with the bellman, till my red-eye flight home at midnight! I will not be able to post tomorrow and won't be arriving home till early Wednesday morning!

Bear Hugs
Mandy
Mandicrafts

Lynn's LOL Las Vegas SCORE on eBay - video!

2011-03-14T09:10:00.000-07:00

Hi

Thought I'd share a short video. As Day 1 of LOL was wrapping up late in the evening on Saturday, we all watched LIVE as an auction was ending for an Antique Turkey Call sold by Worthpoint CEO Will! VERY exciting moment!

Turkey Call Auction SCORE shown LIVE

Unfortunately, I did not find an antique turkey call on any of my Treasure Hunting trips while here, but hopefully some of my treasures may be worth 1% of that value!!

Bear Hugs
Mandy
Mandicrafts

Lynn's LOL Las Vegas - LOL Day 2 & Day 6 of Vegas

2011-03-13T18:53:00.000-07:00

Hello
Another wonderful day spent with fellow sellers & experts in the field! My secret food provider, Diva Dawn, arranged not only my morning bagel for the third day in a row, but also a boxed lunch! How wonderful not to battle the crowds out in the streets of Paris at the noon hour!

The venue! Lovely ballroom.

The first segment of LOL today was a great opportunity to ask the panel of Lynn, Mo, Carmen, Sharon (Lynn's mom), & Lisa Suttora ANY questions! The line-up to ask questions was long, & some amusing questions crept into the mix from our comedian-slash-photographer "what is eBay?" and "is it on the interwebs"?

The Panel. Sharon, Mo (Maureen - standing), Lisa Suttora, Lynn, Carmen

On our first break of the day, I managed to SCORE on a slot machine for the first time this trip! I think part of my success was the fact I had to cash out in order to get back to the meeting on time so I did NOT play the winnings BACK into the machine! Woo Hoo!

Carmen's terrific shipping/packing methods were demonstrated. A fool-proof system of bubble wrap, newsprint & packing peanuts for breakables.

Sharon & Carmen's slide

Carmen & Lynn packing

The Canadians from BC, Terapeak, spoke on their research site. VERY interesting! I didn't know about the Canadian connection!

Lisa Suttora spoke on creating a "Sourcing Mindset" so that you are "in the zone" wherever you may be on a daily basis, and how to create ideas for selling, marketing, and new product lines.

The famous Mel & Steve show presentation was back once again on the topic of Designer Clothing. What to look for, how to get the bargains, what stores to frequent, how to measure, how to list, how to secure an exclusive sales associate and there were LIVE models to show off some local Vegas scores from the Field Trip to the Fashion Show Mall this past Friday. A little scuffle on stage as to whether Steve or Mel had the REMOTE for the slide presentation was precious! Steve plaintively, and innocently stated he wanted to "turn something on" resulted in him ducking behind the podium when the entire audience burst in laughter as he realized what he said!!! PERFECT moment!

Live Models!

Lynn & Mo examined recent purchases and challenged each other & the attendees "would you have bought this?" Follow up slides showed what the items were sold for and they both provided tips on what to look for & what to avoid. Another round of questions from the audience was accepted.

Lynn at the Podium

Lynn's wrap up was touching and personal. Truly someone who shares, helps and motivates! I think it took us all about an hour to say goodbye and I think there will soon be a few new QC (Queen's Court) members to welcome into the fold! Many were headed out to SHOP if they didn't have to catch flights! My second suitcase is near full from Treasure Hunting already this week, but you never know....I still may find some more Treasures to fit into corners before I'm done here in Vegas!

Serena, Bridgette, Mel, Steve, Mandy

Mandy & Victoria

Mandy, Lynn, Diva Dawn

I am here for another 2 days so stay tuned for more Vegas adventures!

Bear Hugs

Mandy

Mandicrafts