The Collecting Gene

"Angel Museum a heavenly attraction in Wisconsin"

2010-06-11T11:32:00.006-05:00

Sounds like Dave Hoekstra, staff reporter for the Chicago Sun Times, had much fun writing this story:

"I had driven past the Angel Museum in Beloit several times and never stopped in.

[snip]

"When I finally dropped by last month, I was greeted by Joyce Berg, a Beloit grandmother who curates the 13,732 angels in the collection.

"She was wearing a satin angel outfit with a matching halo and feathered wings trimmed with sequins.

"It was like walking into the Art Institute of Chicago and meeting Henri Matisse.

[snip]

"America’s guardian angel, Oprah Winfrey, donated her collection of black angels to the museum.

“As we were getting ready to open in 1998, Oprah had Cher on her show,' explained the museum’s executive director, Ruth Carlson. 'They were talking about angels. Oprah said, ‘I wonder if black angels exist? I’ve never seen any.’

"Oprah’s fans responded by sending her black angels from around the world, but the talk show host had no place to put them.

"A museum trustee knew someone at Harpo Studios. Oprah wound up donating about 700 black angels.

[snip]

"Here is what I love about small-town museums: Berg showed me a summer exhibit titled 'Angelic Mediums,' which illustrates the many ways one can make an angel. She spoke of her friend Katy Hansen, who made a feather angel and a life-size angel out of tomato cage material [link to angel not made by Katy!] and decorated with gold roping.

“'She’s very talented,' Berg said. The Angel Lady then paused, smiled and said, 'She actually does my hair.'”

Ah, Dave Hoekstra is so right about the charm of small-town museums!

[If you're into angels, you can find the book, Angel Collectibles, on Amazon, where it's listed at $22.76. The other images shown here come from the remarkable Angel Museum website.]

"Patriotic Collectibles with Kit Hindrichs"

2010-06-09T14:01:00.005-05:00

Gotta love Martha Stewart! Well, no you don't, actually, but Martha always does the holidays proud.

Witness this article on MarthaStewart.com about an extensive collection of U.S. flag & other patriotic collectibles:

"In the late 1800s and early 1900s, patriotism was very much a part of American daily life, taught to schoolchildren at an early age and demonstrated throughout adulthood. Some of the symbols of the patriotism practiced back then are highly collectible now, as evidenced by the 3,000 pieces of memorabilia owned by Kit Hinrichs [see Martha's interview here], a partner at Pentagram Design in San Francisco and the author of Long May She Wave: A Graphic History of the American Flag."

See wonderful photos of Hinrichs' collection displayed at the Nevada Museum of Art exhibition. This display took my breath away!

See more pieces of this collection from the Smithsonian here. And Google displays several more collectibles from 100 American Flags: A Unique Collection of Old Glory Memorabilia (by Kit Hinrichs, Delphine Hirasuna), here.

Enjoy a patriotic 4th of July, everyone!

[Both images here are book covers. You can buy the 2001 (224 page), hardcover Long May She Wave: A Graphic History of the American Flag from Amazon for $37.80 (discounted price!). And find Hinrich's 2008 (112 page),100 American Flags: A Unique Collection of Old Glory Memorabilia, at Barnes & Noble for just $17.05.]

Have you tried PicClick, eBay's visual search engine?

2010-06-05T14:16:00.127-05:00

Meant to post this info received via my Flickr account long ago (sorry Tamar!). But everything she describes about PicClick is still good:

From: Tamar Weinberg

Hey Dana,

Sorry for the unconventional way of contacting you, but I'd like to perhaps submit a story idea for The Collecting Gene if you still write for it.

I'm not involved with the project but I'm trying to help build buzz around a site called PicClick.com, a visual eBay search engine. Using PicClick, one can search and see pictures of auctions instead of having to browse through text and titles. Here's an example for your kind of search: picclick.com/Collectibles/

If you thought PicClick was cool and had any interest in blogging about this, I'd really be appreciative. If nothing else, I do hope you like it.

Cheers,

Tamar

Agree that PicClick is cool. And I like it a lot.

Test searches of my fave collectibles were for vintage Fiesta, 1940s sewing patterns, & suffrage postcards.

Amazing how well PicClick works to: 1) retrieve good results, 2) enable scanning lots of listings at once, & 3) offer classic eBay viewing toggles.

You quickly get a whole bunch of mini eBay listings that match your query:

"PicClick is the first visual shopping interface for eBay. With PicClick you can see up to a hundred products on one page compared to a handful in the standard eBay view. Also notice the infinite scrolling, image zoom slider on the top right, and the many variations of RSS feeds. It's just a great new way to explore and discover new things on eBay."

I found StartUpNextDoor's interview with PicClick founder, Ryan Sit, quite interesting.

Note that PicClick is busy expanding its visual search services. According to ReadWriteWeb on 6/2/010:

"When Ryan Sit, also the founder of TopicFire ... started PicClick, a year and a half ago, it had two tabs - eBay and Amazon. Now it has seven, having added Etsy, Match.com, AllRecipes, Google and Yelp (the last still under construction). And it looks smart on an iPad."

Smart, fast, & easy to use, I highly recommend PicClick visual search!

[The 3 images here are from PicClick's site, my own screenshot of the vintage Fiesta PicClick search, & a screenshot from one of the articles that discussed the company's search results. Thanks, ReadWriteWeb.]

"So many chainsaws, so little space"

2010-06-01T13:02:00.140-05:00

Here we have a lifelong collector of antique chainsaws.

Yes, chainsaws!

Read all about Mike & his collection (video included with article), at BCLocalNews.com:

"Burnaby’s Mike Acres admits he’s got a bit of a space problem.

"He says he’s just got the 'collecting' gene in him.

"Thank goodness he doesn’t collect cars or other large objects.

"After all, over the past 50 years he’s managed to amass a collection of 700 chainsaws, all of which he’s got stored at home and in every nook and cranny of the Burnaby warehouse where he runs a power tool distribution business....

[snip]

"Like many people, Acres just fell into his collection and the obsession grew from there.

[snip]

"His dream is to one day have a chainsaw museum. He’s offered his collection to a couple of museums but hasn’t had any interest so far—funding and space being something of a premium for such institutions.

"In the meantime, he does his best to preserve his lifetime of chainsaw knowledge on his website [Chain Saw Collectors Corner], by contributing to the 2006 book Chainsaws: A History, and through working on a book of his own."

Note that Acres' site "...is intended as a resource for all collectors of antique chain saws and those who work towards the preservation of the history of the Chain Saw Industry. It is also intended as a resource for Chain Saw Dealers who wish to identify a saw model or 'date' a saw."

You can, of course, find more vintage chainsaws on eBay here....

[That's the great cover for Chainsaws: A History at the top. You can buy it from Amazon for $29.67. The ended eBay auction (by seller hilrage), for "Antique Porter Cable Chain Saw complete" (photo above), sold for $103.51 after 12 bids. Finally, there's the Chain Saw Age magazine (9-1966), I found on SmokStak®.]

"Collectible Movie Posters: Illustrated Guide With Auction Prices"

2010-05-31T22:28:00.003-05:00

GR8 info about fabulous movie posters from the savvy folks at Heritage Auction Galleries!

"'What makes a movie poster valuable?'

"1978: a woman buys her husband a gift — an old horror-movie poster, one of many in a stack. The price: $10. The poster hangs on their wall for 30 years... 'I knew it was something special,' she says. In 2009, they sell it for $107,550. [Wow!]

"Since the 1990s, rare movie posters have skyrocketed in value. High demand and low supply have created one of today's hottest collectibles markets. Hollywood celebrities buy up these classic pieces of movie memorabilia—but so do everyday collectors: people who love the color, history, drama, and beauty of American film posters.

"In Collectible Movie Posters: Illustrated Guide With Auction Prices, Jim Halperin and Hector Cantu—two experts from Heritage Auction Galleries, which handles 70 percent of the world's movie poster auction sales—share with you the wonderful world of the rarest, the most valuable, and the most exciting movie posters known to exist.

"Who knows—maybe a poster that you find in an antique store's bargain bin will someday make this list."

You can buy this book for $19.95 (with free shipping inside the U.S.), here. Collectors should also note a huge upcoming Heritage poster auction (Dallas, TX; auction #7025), July 15-17:

"Highlights will include the best in early silent and sound films up through the Golden Age of Hollywood. Classic examples of the greatest posters from such genres as Westerns, Horror, Science Fiction, Musicals and Film Noir are all here. Over 1,000 lots of fabulous posters in perhaps the ultimate vintage movie poster auction of the year!:

•Bulldog Drummond (Ronald Colman) - Insert, Title Card and Half Sheet

•Hula (Clara Bow) - One Sheet

•Private Detective 62 (William Powell) - One Sheet

•Anna Christie (Greta Garbo) - Insert, Title Card and (2) Lobby Cards

•Adventures of Robin Hood (Claude Rains & Basil Rathbone) - Half Sheet style B, One Sheet and Press Book

•Dracula (Bela Lugosi) - Jumbo Lobby Card

•Follow the Fleet (Fred Astaire & Ginger Rogers) - Three Sheet

•Melody Cruise (Phil Harris & Charles Ruggles) - One Sheet

•Sea Hawk (Errol Flynn) - Insert

•Tiger Shark (Howard Hawks directs Edward G. Robinson) - One Sheet

[All images in this post come from Heritage's delightful Vintage Movie Posters section: 1) The Laurel & Hardy Way Out West (1947) poster sold for $215.10 on 5/30/2010. 2) The second image is the cover for the book described above. 3) The poster for Colt Comrades, starring William Boyd, sold for $155.35 at the same Sunday Internet Movie Poster Auction on 5/30/2010. Enjoy!]

"'Busty Barbie' in Mattel's new Back to Basics Barbie"

2010-05-27T14:35:00.012-05:00

Now, that's an eye-catching headline for sure. Naturally, it's from the New York Daily News.

But Paul Hooson, writer for Wizbang Pop!, actually has the better story:

"New Barbie Collection Controversial":

"Mattel has a new collection of Barbie dolls called BACK TO BASICS To which is a little hard to understand. It's not really clear what's BACK TO BASICS about the collection of dolls, which in some cases look much more like porn stars, gold diggers, and other interesting career types than anything. But, Mattel does deserve some credit for creating a unique new line of Barbie dolls with new faces and some more adult fashion designs. In fact, each new face in the series seems to tell an interesting story.

[snip]

"Mattel attempted something daring here, and that will likely be talked about for years by collectors. These are a real oddity in the long running brand series."

So, is this latest incarnation of Barbie -- "some of the best faces the series has ever offered" -- intended solely for adult collectors? Given the low-cut dresses &, shall we say, the doll's enhanced attributes, some parents certainly think so....

But some reader comments about "Busty Barbie" on the Daily Cents site sound less concerned. Like this one by Ann:

"I see people at the mall dressed in less clothing. This doll collection is clearly intended for adults. Parents will need to decide if they want to purchase for their kids."

What do you think?

Is the Back to Basics collection a welcome addition for adult Barbie collectors? Or are the dolls just too much for girls who love Barbie?

[The first image above is "BARBIE BASICS MODEL #10," which recently sold for $19.99 on eBay. Next is a set: "4 Barbie BASICS Doll #s 11-3-6-13," which went for $124.99. And the "BARBIE BASICS DOLL MODEL NO 1," sold for a Buy-It-Now price of $29.99.]

RIP Comic Book Collector Jerry Howell (1941-2009)

2010-05-22T19:26:00.008-05:00

Nice, if belated, tribute from Heritage Auctions to "...our valued client Jerry F. Howell Jr.":

"Few if any Disney comics ever published eluded Jerry, and the same is true for anything to do with Walt Kelly's Pogo, another of his favorites. But his tastes were eclectic and wide-ranging. He was also generous with his knowledge about vintage comics — you'll find Jerry's name acknowledged in some of the early Overstreet guides as a contributor of data."

Love this commentary from Hake's Americana & Collectibles, who's handling sales of Jerry Howell Jr.'s Timepiece Collection:

"An avid collector of Golden Age comics for many years, Jerry decided to sell that collection and focus his attention on character and personality timepieces. This was done in rogue scholar fashion, as he not only amassed an incredible collection, but also the knowledge to rival any authority on the subject. This was done to take his mind off a serious illness, one that ultimately took him from the collecting community. However, his tireless efforts will live on through the collection we have to offer over the next year."

[That's the cover for a new book, Pogo: The Complete Daily & Sunday Comic Strips, Vol. 1. "A masterpiece of satirical comics finally gets its due." This "first of twelve" premiere volume includes "an extensive biographical introduction by Walt Kelly biographer Steve Thompson" & "360 pages of black-and-white comic strips." And the other charming image is a “DICK TRACY” ANIMATED WATCH from Jerry Howell's Timepiece Collection.]

Interview with Historical Clothing Collector, Susan Greene

2010-05-22T02:34:00.095-05:00

Updated 5/23/2010 with new images & additional links.

---------------------------------

I really wanted to know more about how Susan Greene started collecting historic clothing, how she kept information organized, & how she managed to develop such an important collection.

Oh, I also had questions about her soon-to-be published (2011) book [PDF link].

Here are Susan's answers to my emailed questions:

Q. Did your now-huge (!) collection start as a personal passion or a professional interest?

A. The collection began innocently with the purchase of an 1860s silk dress [Flickr photo, not Susan's] with a hanger about to go through its shoulders. The ball started rolling down the hill after that, getting bigger and faster. My husband [Bruce Greene] and I did this together, by the way.

Q. I noticed the 2 screen shots of your collection database. Was it difficult to determine how this data should be captured? How much daily/weekly time was devoted to keeping data current?

A. We started keeping records on 3x5 cards with contact prints. I learned to use the Filemaker Pro data base while working in the costume collection at Cornell University. As Filemaker grew, so did [my computer skills] and later, so did digital photography. Once that came into my hands I never looked back at the Pentax. So easy, it now is.

I could not begin to estimate the time spent in conservation, collection management, formal study, general research, genealogical research, photographing, Photoshopping, examining, drawing, patterning, consulting, writing and speaking that has gone along with this.

The article to which you refer did not share one very important aspect of the purchase of our collection: it was plug-n-play. That means it included the data base and all the intellectual property [link to large, must-see sample database PDF] that would take years to add, if a 'pile of clothes' was all that was included.

Q. I realize your new book will be published by a university press, but to what extent will it also be accessible to everyday collectors as well as academics? (I like your description that it will be "Profusely Illustrated"!)

A. The book, tentatively entitled Wearable Prints: Printed Dress Fabrics, 1760-1860, is to be published by Kent State University Press, hopefully in 2011. It is intended to please everyone from curator to curious with information as accurate as possible, in a user/reader-friendly style. If I am successful in keeping most of the images in the book, there will be plenty of eye candy.

Q. Will you also be putting together a book about the most interesting individual items of clothing you've had in your collection? And how you found them?

A. We think it is a nice idea but have no plans to publish a catalog of any kind. The prerogative is no longer entirely ours.

How do we find things? Go looking. Everywhere. Some have come to us, but most have been found in antique shops high and low, antique shows and at the occasional auction. It helps to know what you are looking for, and at. For every bargain there is the bloodletting price on something else.

One has to decide what one's collecting parameters will be; where to draw the line. We decided to stay away from high-end clothing which is found in every major collection anyway. Thus we wound up with a comparatively distinctive collection that represents middle-class, everyday wear for the most part.

Note that mothballs do not enter into the picture with archival storage of historic clothing, and wearing the contents under any circumstances is considered inappropriate for archived collections.

Q. So, what are you going to collect now? 8-)

A. More clothing: very selectively, just the most desirable items to complement the existing collection.

[The gorgeous garment on the top right is a "Trained day dress of heavy watered silk, c1865." Part of the Greene collection, it was purchased at a Whitaker/Augusta Auction in 2006. The second piece is a "Common day dress of inexpensive cylinder printed cotton, 1815-1820." I've also included the cover for Textiles for Early Victorian Textiles by Susan Greene (available thru Amazon). This 2002 book features swatches of modern fabrics resembling period ones. And the 2 database screenshots are courtesy of Susan Greene's American Costume Studies. Thanks!]

"Historic clothing collection comes to Genesee Country Village"

2010-05-21T15:18:00.033-05:00

Updated 5/21/2010 with a new image & additional links.
-----------------------------
Ah, this is a story of a lifelong collector of historic clothing, Susan Greene.

And an organization, the Genesee Country Village & Museum, that recognized the value of her remarkable collection.

The news story comes from Stuart Low, staff writer for the Democrat & Chronicle (Rochester NY):

"Genesee Country Village & Museum ... just acquired one of America’s premiere collections of historic clothes — 2,214 items, from dainty petticoats to elegant waistcoats and tea dresses....

[snip]

"The museum bought the bulging wardrobe for an undisclosed sum from Susan Greene, who owns American Costume Studies in Alfred Station, Allegany County. She gradually built the collection over 25 years.

"I am sad to part with it,' she said in a statement this week.

“Nonetheless, I am delighted to see it move on … to serving a large audience at the Genesee Country Village & Museum."

[snip]

“'It stands alone as one of the finest collections of its kind in North America,' says Karen Augusta, appraiser for Antiques Roadshow.

“'The Greene collection is particularly important for information it offers on the working classes of people of the rural Northeast,' adds Lynne Z. Bassett, former curator of textiles for Old Sturbridge Village in Sturbridge, Mass. 'Generally the elegant clothes of the upper … classes are most strongly represented in museum collections.'"

Fascinating! But I also had more questions, including details about Ms. Greene's forthcoming book. It will be published by Kent State University Press (..."hopefully in 2011"). She kindly agreed to an email interview. I'll publish our discussion later today...

[Images here come from the Costume Society of America's bookstore & from the Greene collection:

1) Clothing through American History: The Federal Era through Antebellum, 1786-1860 by Ann Buermann Wass & Michelle Webb Fandrich ("..a discussion of levels of society, daily life, and dress");

2) The Wass book also features 7 items from the Greene collection, including the "Breeches of heavy cotton velvet, considered a hard-wearing, utilitarian fabric,1780-1810" shown above;

3) Fitting & Proper, by Sharon Ann Burnston & Sharon Ann Burnston ("...studies the 18th century costume collection from the Chester County [Pennsylvania] Historical Society").]

"Lost" Props Go Up for Auction

2010-05-19T13:45:00.004-05:00

Heresy to some folks, I know, but I just couldn't get into "Lost"!

Clearly, I am an outlier in that opinion.

But there's good news (from the UK's Daily Mail), for "grieving fans" of the show:

"With the last episode of Lost in sight, fans of the hit U.S. TV show might be feeling sentimental.

"That's certainly what one auction house is hoping.

"California-based auction house Profiles in History will have more than 1000 props from the show for sale in a huge sale this summer. [See the "Lost" auction preview here.]

"Fans can bid for John Locke's wheelchair, Jack Shepard's passport and Customs Declaration form, The Dharma Initiative beer and Sayid's travel documents.

[snip]

"The auction house has admitted they could have timed the sale better, with Lost coming to its conclusion this Sunday [5/23/2010].

"However they admit they wouldn't be able to collect and catalogue all the items in time for a quick sale.

"An official date hasn't been set - other then 'later this summer' and the venue is at yet undecided."

[The images here all come from Profiles in History's "Lost" auction preview: 1) prop passport of character Dean Moriarty, 2) prop wooden crate (with no lid) & dynamite sticks, 3) prop LED brainwashing goggles worn by Karl, & 4) prop Walt "MISSING" Milk Carton. Happy bidding, "Lost" fans!]

Paper "napkin collection holds many memories"

2010-05-17T15:35:00.007-05:00

At first I thought that must be an Onion headline.

Really, a collection of paper napkins?

Yes!

Read all the details in this article from the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review:

"Mary Adams calls hers 'the cheapest collection around.

"That's because Adams, 56, of Rostraver, didn't pay a dime for her collection of 1,400 paper napkins from wedding receptions, showers, holiday parties, restaurants and other businesses she accumulated over nearly five decades. She keeps the collection in a plastic Rubbermaid bin, but occasionally takes out the contents to muse at memories and the narrow place of the napkin in popular culture and a changing society.

[snip]

"Adams started collecting paper napkins at age 10, when her mother would help cater wedding receptions in church basements in their Michigan hometown. When her mother returned from her volunteer duties, she would bring Adams and her sister leftover napkins imprinted with the date and the names of the bride and groom. Both sisters squirreled away their paper favors and continued collecting into adulthood.

"'As it went on and people learned I collected napkins, people would give them to me,' Adams says. 'That's how I got napkins from foreign countries.'"

There's a paper napkins category in eBay's collectibles section. Have to admit that the auction for "Vintage 1950s Baby Shower Paper Napkins Blue & Pink" made me a believer!

[The prices for some finished auctions were quite surprising. After 6 bids, that "1 Paper napkin; Horoscopes with Lion" (from Denmark), above went for $52! After 20 bids, the "5 Vintage Tabby Cat with Red Ribbon Bow Paper Napkins" sold for $33. And the "5 VINTAGE PAPER NAPKINS *BIRTHDAY GIRLS* PARTY CAT" auction ended at 6 bids for $15.50. I've clearly been collecting the wrong stuff!]

Heritage: "Sunday Internet Comics Auction"

2010-05-16T11:46:00.009-05:00

Auctions updated 5/17/2010:
   Action Comics #17 sold for $310.70
   Captain America #117 sold for $167.30
   Oriental Stories V1#3 sold for $36.00
------------------------------------------------------
It's always to fun to look through the Sunday comics auction held online by Heritage. I'm showing just 3 of the spotlighted items here.

DO browse all 600+ lots. I found 149 more comics from the Golden Age for today's internet auction!

Auction Ends May 16, 2010 @ 10:00 PM CT

"This week's auction has more than 600 lots for your bidding pleasure. Highlights include:

1) "Action Comics #17 (DC, 1939) Condition: FR.

"Superman cover by Joe Shuster. Art by Shuster, Bob Kane, Bert Christman, and Bernard Baily. Last Marco Polo feature. Overstreet 2009 GD 2.0 value = $639." (bid as of 5/16/2010, 10:56 am: $180)

2) Captain America #117 (Marvel, 1969) CGC VF/NM 9.0 Off-white to white pages.

"Origin and first appearance of Falcon and Redwing. Red Skull and Modok appearances. Gene Colan cover and art. Overstreet 2009 VF/NM 9.0 value = $107; NM- 9.2 value = $150. CGC census 5/10: 22 in 9.0, 71 higher." (bid as of 5/16/2010, 11:16 am: $105)

3) Oriental Stories V1#3 (Popular Fiction, 1931) Condition: FR.

'Contents include 'Red Blades of Black Cathay' by Tevis Clyde Smith and Robert E. Howard. Cover by Donald Von Gelb. Bookery's Guide to Pulps GD value = $80." (bid as of 5/16/2010, 11:26 am: $22 )

[All three fabulous comic covers come from Heritage Auction Galleries' Sunday Internet Comics Auction 110053 Spotlight.]

"Iron Man 2: The Collectibles Guide"

2010-05-15T12:05:00.003-05:00

The savvy folks at IGN Entertainment have compiled a great guide for intense Iron Man collectors:

"Comic book lovers often have a collector mentality, and it doesn't just stop with the comics themselves. If you're anything like us, you love spending inordinate amounts of money on action figures and statues of your favorite comic book heroes. With Iron Man 2 hitting theaters this week, it should come as no surprise that a multitude of companies are putting Iron Man swag of all sorts on the market. The only question is, can your wallet handle the burden?

"Maybe we can help a little. In this guide, we explore the numerous Iron Man action figures, statues, and busts on offer this summer. We tell you what's coming and when, how much it costs, and even provide our own early opinions. It's bound to be an expensive year for Iron Man lovers [YouTube], but hopefully we can help make those difficult purchases a little easier to bear. Not everyone has Tony Stark's wallet, after all."

Not only did IGN list & provide 16 images of the new collectibles -- they've critiqued each one. Smart info = $$$ well spent. Find the complete guide here.

[Three images here came from the IGN guide. The first is Hasbro's Iron Man action figure. The second is Marvel's Super-Hero Squad box set. The last -- & my fave -- is Marvel's Minimates Waves set. Happy collecting!]

Bookride: "The top 20 sites for book collectors"

2010-05-13T18:45:00.003-05:00

Update from Bookride 5/21/2010:

"We recently posted a rather controversial list of 20 book sites - getting one site disastrously wrong (unless you are somewhat to the right of Genghis Khan.) It lead to a great rejoinder list from the esteemed Lux Mentis [blog] with some seriously useful sites. Superior stuff, it pains me to admit."

See Lux Mentis' helpful "rejoinder list" here. Book collectors will find many good search choices....

-------------------------------------------------
Great info!

I do collect books, art mostly, but I've also got a small collection of 1930s detective paperbacks. You know, the ones with cheesy art on the covers?

Anyway, I was delighted to run across this oh-so-helpful list of the top 20 sites for book collectors from the UK's Bookride:

"Book collecting, thanks to the internet has become a growing pastime open to all, even collectors without a great deal of money (or time.) The Internet has made searching for used or rare books more convenient than ever, and collectors now only have to look to the nearest computer to browse large selections of antique and out-of-print titles. Below are the Top 20 'Must-Use' websites for book collectors, designed to make searching and scoring rare books simple and easy."

I'd heard of most sites listed, but some were new to me (yay). The list includes helpful, short blurbs about why a collector might want to visit each site.

My fave to date is still AbeBooks.com. Bookride's description: "This authoritative site features rare and collectible additions, many signed by the author themselves."

Yes indeed! I just found a real gem, BLACK LACE by W.H. Griffey. Love the book's description:

"First edition. Corners slightly bumped, still about fine in very good plus, price-clipped dustwrapper with some small chips, mostly at the spinal extremities. Inscribed by the author. Unusual vanity press publication, a 'guys-and-dolls' hardboiled romance set in Las Vegas in the 1930s, written by a G.I. stationed in Sicily during the war."

[That's the intriguing cover of Black Lace above. It's a first edition in great shape priced at $150 (!). However, Between the Covers Rare Books has this same book listed for $105. The second image is the cover of Hard-Boiled: An Anthology of American Crime Stories (published 1997), & available for $25.60 on Amazon here.]

Craigslist: "Record Collection- Many Punk Collectibles - $1500"

2010-05-12T14:27:00.008-05:00

Wow, this Craigslist collectibles posting comes from G-town, Seattle.

The original ad has a LONG listing of fab records; I've included only a few here:

Record Collection- Many Punk Collectibles - $1500 (Georgetown)

-------------------------------------------------------

Date: 2010-05-10, 11:50PM PDT

Reply to: sale-uwfvw-1734871283@craigslist.org

"I am selling my collection of 260 records for $1500 which I believe is somewhere between $500-$1000 below market value. Most of the punk is in GREAT shape (lots of collectibles) and the other records are all in excellent to average condition. All records come with plastic cover. Please contact me with questions-- serious offers only.

"PUNKALT

Alien Sex Fiend I Walk the Line

B-52s Wild Planet mint

Bad Brains Live

Bad Religon Suffer

Black Flag My War

The Boomtown Rats A Tonic For The Troops
Butthole Surfers Double Live #9,308 of 10,000
Cheap Trick Found All the Parts 10"
Circle Jerks Wonderful
The Clash Sandanista 12"
Cop Shoot Cop Consumer Revolt

Cramps Frank Further and the Hot Dogs Live at CBGBs Fri., Jan. 13, 1978

"Jane's Addiction Ritual de Lo Habitual
Joey Ramone Don't Worry About Me still shrinkwrapped!

John Cale Fear

Killdozer Intellectuals are the Shoeshine Bopys of the Ruling Elite

Minor Threat Out of Step w/ insert

Misfits Live Night of the Living Dead 1000 pressed
Mudhoney Superfuzzbigmuff

Nav Katze s/t Japanese Import- All girl Japanese Pop/Punk EP

New Order Low-Life

"Swans Greed

Television Prove it Green vinyl Special Limited Edition UK Import EP

Todd Rungren A Wizard/ A True Star

Tooth and Nail Headhunter's Banquet EP

Tupelo Chain Sex Spot The Difference

Various Artists It's Another Iowa Compilation"

BTW, Exclaim News recently reported that the long-awaited Touch and Go punk zine collection has been set for a June 2010 release. See all the details (& sample pages), here.

[All record covers above come from the original Craigslist post.... Also included is a badge image of the T&G zine collection cover.]

"Heritage Takes A Gamble On Casino Chips"

2010-05-12T11:33:00.005-05:00

I love Heritage Auction Galleries. ("The World's Largest Collectibles Auctioneer"!)

No, I can't afford to bid on many items, but I really like looking at the wide variety of collectibles HA offers at auction. So, I've signed up for email notification about areas of collecting that interest me:

"Dear Dana,

"As someone who is interested in Americana collectibles, we thought you might be interested in our outstanding auction currently open for bidding. Featured categories include political and presidential items, vintage photography, Western Americana, and a hot new collecting category: Las Vegas casino chips....

"Please do take a look at the auction online...."

Yes, the "May 22nd Auction of Historical and Popular Culture Americana ... Include[s] a New Collectibles Category: Casino Chips!"

[The first gorgeous image above is the "Flamingo $25 Las Vegas Casino Chip, Third Issue, R-8 R-10 Uncancelled, Circa 1950 (opening bid : $5,000)." The second is a "Sands $5 Las Vegas Casino Chip, Ninth Issue, R-9, Circa Late 1950s" (bid as of 5/12/2010: $21,650). And the third is "Las Vegas Club $5 Casino Chip, Ninth Issue, R-8, Circa 1950s" (opening bid : $6,250). Whew, that's way too rich for my blood!]

Phil Collins' Huge Collection of Alamo Memorabilia

2010-05-10T14:30:00.013-05:00

As the Brits would say, this article about Phil Collins from The Dallas Morning News gobsmacked me:

"Phil Collins is a musical legend, but in San Antonio and among serious [Alamo] collectors around the world, he is known for something else entirely.

"'I don't buy Ferraris. I don't spend money on anything else. This is my passion, my hobby,' says Collins, whose home in Switzerland has a huge chunk of Texas history inside it.

"The 59-year-old British pop star is the owner of what may be the largest private collection of Alamo memorabilia in the world. It's a passion that will bring him here Monday night, when he speaks to the Dallas Historical Society.

"Collins remembers being '4 or 5' and watching on his family's black-and-white TV Fess Parker as Davy Crockett [Phil in coonskin cap!] on the Disney television show that aired during the 1950s. 'It captured my imagination,' he says, 'and it just kept going throughout my life.'

"More than half a century later, Collins' boyhood fascination has evolved into a fixation whose collected objects number close to 1,000, with a worth he doesn't know or couldn't possibly calculate."

I found more details about "Phil Collins’ Alamo Obsession" from D Magazine:

"Among his most prized possessions is a receipt signed by Alamo commander William Barrett Travis for 32 head of cattle to be used to feed the Alamo defenders. By his own estimates, Mr. Collins has hundreds of cannonballs, documents and other artifacts from the Alamo at his home in Switzerland. He is currently co-authoring a book on the Alamo and the Texas Revolution with Gary Zaboly that will be published early 2011."

Oh, be sure to check out The Daughters of the Republic of Texas site. The mission of this organization is "To perpetuate the memory and spirit of the men and women who achieved and maintained the independence of Texas." An important part involves working to preserve The Alamo.

[That's a wonderful old postcard depicting the Alamo above. Listed by eBay seller texaspecans as "VINTAGE 1923 ALAMO, SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS POSTCARD," it sold for $5.59. The larger ink & watercolor image by Gary Zaboly depicts "Mexican Army 'Cazadores' at the Alamo, 1836." Part of the 2007 December Signature Texana Auction (in Dallas, TX), its price at auction through Heritage Auction Galleries was $597.50. And you can find what sounds like a beautiful book, The Illustrated Alamo 1836: A Photographic Journey, at the Texas A&M University Press for $49.95.]

Things My Mother Collected

2010-05-09T17:10:00.020-05:00

When I was a kid, my mother, Jan, liked mid-century modern style.

Of course, it wasn't called 'mid-century' back then.

I grew up in the 1950s-60s, so all that stuff was new. It wouldn't be collectible for years! Descriptions of furniture, lamps, or dishes as 'vintage' or retro' were far away.

But my mother did collect a variety of older things.

Antique glass bottles, for example. Some of which she found beachcombing in Florida. Others she bought in the '60s at garage sales. (I've inherited several of those lovely bottles.)

And antique furniture, like my father's mother's 1900s secretary desk, she also valued highly. She kept the little red rocker (see photo on the left), she had as a child for years (before giving it to my older sister).

Mother had a great eye for the best items. I'll never forget the wonderful old pie safe she bought when we lived in Texas. (My oldest brother has it now.) She also found a fabulous Hoosier kitchen cabinet with built-in flour storage (& sifter!).

After we moved to New Mexico, my mother fell in love with retablos. She also collected small tin boxes with advertising or images on them. (I have two of those gems).

Maybe her best find, however, was a perfectly running vintage Dr Pepper clock. It's still very cool!

Happy Mothers' Day to all the collectors & mothers out there!

[Two images here are mine: 2-year-old Jan in her precious rocker & the Dr Pepper clock. I found the cover for Art and Faith in Mexico: The Nineteenth-Century Retablo Tradition (from University of New Mexico Press), at Barnes & Noble. The 359-page book is priced at $35.23. Enjoy!]

"Conventioneers show Hasbro their love for G.I. Joe"

2010-05-08T17:08:00.000-05:00

Great article from The Providence Journal about a serious G.I. Joe collector, Michael Rush, meeting with other dedicated 'Joe' collectors at a lively convention. In the city where celebrated toy maker, Hasbro, has its headquarters!

Sounds like a divine time was had by all:

"Michael Rush doesn’t seem like a fanatic. He’s quiet-spoken and thoughtful, a former seminary student with a master’s degree in church history.

"But make no mistake, the 30-year-old from Beverly, Mass., is a collector bar none. His overriding passion is reserved for little plastic action figures, G.I. Joes to be precise, the 3¾-inch ones that first hit toy stores in 1982.

"Rush has lost count of how many he has, perhaps 10,000 in a collection [YouTube; 9/15/2009: "huge lot up for sale on ebay"] that he values at between $60,000 and $80,000.

"He traces his fascination to a childhood in Texas in which his friends had G.I. Joes but his parents couldn’t afford to buy him any. The psychology is straightforward.

[snip]

"On Saturday, Rush was in Providence to add to his already impressive collection [YouTube, 3/30/2008: "my large GI Joe collection, 1982-1986 also complete"] at the 17th annual G.I. Joe Collectors’ Convention [GIJoeCon 2010]. The two-day event at the Rhode Island Convention Center ... drew thousands of people from across the country and around the world, including fans from England, Japan, Canada and Italy."

Whew. You can see more videos of G.I. Joe collections here.

[Photo of the G.I. Joe collection shown above is courtesy of George Karcher, operator of the G.I.JoeGuy site. He's collected original 'Joes' since 1964. Thanks, George!]

"MIT Museum captures Polaroid treasures"

2010-05-05T17:43:00.049-05:00

Update 5/7/2010: Found some wonderful Polaroid camera advertisements on Vintage Ad Browser. What a treat...
---------------------------------------------
Man, oh man, I love Polaroid cameras! Don't have any really old ones (darn!), but the four I have still work (when film's available). So, of course, I immediately started looking for details & photos in this article from CNET News:

"The MIT Museum in Cambridge, Mass., has hit Polaroid pay dirt, scoring a collection of classic Polaroid products and prototype designs spanning 73 years just as Polaroid flashes forward with a new instant camera.

"The archive, donated by PLR IP Holdings, owner of the Polaroid brand, contains every make and model of commercially produced Polaroid camera, from the famous Polaroid Model 95 (which went on sale in 1948 as the first viable instant-picture camera) to early digital models. In addition, the collection includes myriad experimental models and prototypes that never made it to market.

"Also among the more than 9,000-plus donated artifacts: rare Polarized glasses dating from the 1939 World's Fair; original newsprint sketches by Polaroid founder Edwin H. Land ; a historic bellows camera the size of a filing cabinet; early movie projectors; a Polaroid copier; and some of the first automobile headlights that incorporated polarizing materials."

Such a remarkable & fun [YouTube] history! Here's Itomi's Polaroid collection. And Jim's.

Of course, you can find more info about vintage Polaroid cameras from the fab Collectors Weekly website.

[Both photos in this post come from two articles related to MIT acquiring the Polaroid collection. The first one is of Museum Curator Deborah Douglas holding the fabulous Polaroid Model 95 (credit: A. Ostow). And the second, quite playful photo, is a group shot of the "Polaroid Packer" archivists. Oh, to be on that lucky staff! Find more press photos here.]

"Stuck on you: How the world fell in love with stamp collecting again"

2010-05-05T10:27:00.041-05:00

This fascinating article, written by Peter Stanford, comes from The Independent (UK) newspaper.

Did you know John Lennon had a childhood stamp collection? Or that Freddie Mercury, the lead singer of Queen, also collected stamps?

Nope, me neither. But stamp collecting is actually quite popular (2.5 million people!), & growing more so:

"What prized possession, the singer Sophie Ellis-Bextor was recently asked, would she grab if she had to abandon her house at a few minutes' notice? 'I'd save my photographs first,' she replied – so far, so conventional – 'then it would have to be my stamp collection.'

"It is hardly the sort of response you would expect from a woman who has duetted with the Manic Street Preachers and topped both the charts and a readers' poll of 'sexy pop icons'. Isn't stamp collecting, in the popular stereotype, something for lonely children, adult anoraks or those in the autumn of their years? 'I know it's not very rock'n' roll,' Ellis-Bextor conceded, 'but I've got a big collection.'

[snip]

"This new energy in what has until now been seen as a fusty world will be given a wider public echo this month with the revamped London 2010: Festival of Stamps. This once-a-decade event, co-ordinated by the British Postal Museum & Archive, is keen to shed its image as an in-house get-together for a hardcore minority. 'Stamp collecting is undoubtedly going through a period of transition,' says Jennifer Flippance, exhibitions and project manager for the festival. 'In the 1960s and 1970s, it was something lots of children did, but then it began to be seen as a bit nerdy, and numbers dropped. People began talking about it dying out. Now, though, we hope the various exhibitions we are staging throughout the year will see stamp collecting come out the other side as something as popular, respectable and even fashionable as collecting art. Stamps are, after all, the world's biggest public art gallery. They provide, in miniature, collectable pictures of a changing world that everyone can afford.'"

Yes, I agree! Stamps are indeed "...the world's biggest public art gallery."

[The first image above is delightfully described as "Stamp stash...these need to be cut out and organized." It's from artist & designer Katey Nicosia's Flickr photostream & used here under a Creative Commons license. Thanks! The 2nd image is the cover for The Postal Service Guide to U.S. Stamps 32nd ed. It's priced at $17.94 on Amazon.]

"Tiburon's Amish Quilt Collectors"

2010-05-04T16:44:00.017-05:00

Picked up this short piece from SF Gate (aka the San Francisco Chronicle):

"Over 30 years ago, Tiburon residents Faith and Stephen Brown were drawn to the vibrant colors and strong graphics of Amish-style quilting. The style reminded them of modern art and their interest in the works led them to years of collecting. In the May issue of Marin Magazine we caught up with the couple to find out what their favorite pieces are and what they do when they aren't collecting.

"Don't miss the Brown's quilts on display at Amish Abstractions: Quilts from the Collection of Faith and Stephen Brown, through June 6 at the de Young [art museum]. The exhibition features 48 full-size and crib quilts from the 1880s to the 1940s, made by Amish communities in Pennsylvania and the Midwest."

My fave question by interviewer Somer Flaherty: "At what point did you realize that you were official collectors?"

BTW, you can buy the exhibit's colorful catalog here:

"It includes Collector's Note by Faith and Stephen Brown. 128 pages with more than 90 color images. Size: 9 x 10½ inches. Smyth-sewn casebound book, with jacket." Originally priced at $29.95, it's now on sale for $19.99.

[That's the striking exhibit catalog shown above.]

"American Stamps" the PBS Documentary

2010-05-03T14:35:00.039-05:00

Okay, I was just checking the online TV Guide to make sure I didn't miss any great shows tonight.

After confirming that Antiques Roadshow was indeed on channel 13, I noticed a new PBS listing, "American Stamps." Curious, I did a web search, & discovered a show that looks [Quicktime] like it would be a real treat:

"There is a story behind every postage stamp. Each of the iconic images on all those little bits of paper captures a unique angle of the American experience. Collectively, they represent the greatness in us. And while stamps are closely related to currency, the wide range of subjects they represent makes choosing them a personal decision [YouTube].

"American Stamps is a visually compelling thirty-minute documentary about the designers and artists [YouTube] who create our postage stamps. Supported by a soundtrack composed by acclaimed guitar virtuoso and art rock legend Bill Nelson, the program provides a behind-the-scenes look at how stamps are conceptualized [YouTube], designed and produced.

[snip]

The show "...also includes interviews with Terry McCaffrey, Manager of Stamp Design for the USPS and Wilson Hulme (1946-2007), former Curator of Philately at the Smithsonian National Postal Museum. McCaffrey introduces the art directors and anchors the program with helpful backstory about the history of stamps in America, the criteria used in selecting stamp subjects, and how stamp artwork [YouTube] gets checked—and re-checked [YouTube]—for accuracy. Wilson Hulme discusses the fun of stamp collecting [YouTube] and the printing errors that can make a stamp extremely valuable."

You can find more enlightening clips from the American Stamps documentary here. I've just set up my DVR to record it!

[I don't collect stamps, but did find my cats at a shelter & could not resist buying some "adopt a shelter pet" stamps. (Two views of those stamps from the USPS site are shown above.) Details from the announcement: "On April 30, 2010, in North Hollywood, California, the Postal Service™ issued a 44–cent, Animal Rescue: Adopt a Shelter Pet special stamp in ten designs, designed by Derry Noyes." The former shelter cats & dogs on the stamps were photographed by Sally Andersen-Bruce.]

"Make a Splash with Disney Pool Side Collection"

2010-05-02T17:25:00.025-05:00

Cool new collectibles info recently reported by the Disney Parks Blog in a 4/30/2010 post by manager Dara Trujillo:

"One of my favorite summer activities is entertaining family and friends while we spend time by the pool. A big day of swimming, lounging & relaxing usually leads to a big appetite – which means it times to bring out the dishes and fire up the grill! But ordinary dishes won’t do for a summer pool party; summer pool parties call for something fun, colorful and full of personality.

"If you’re anything like me, then you know exactly what I mean! While recently walking through one of our merchandise showrooms, I discovered the Poolside Collection and I knew I need to share it with all of you! The stylish Poolside Collection offers tumblers, goblets, drink pitchers, bowls and a serving tray. Perfect for outdoor entertainment, the new dishware collection for your picnic table is made of strong, durable acrylic and melamine and features a vintage Mickey in a playful pose.

"With the Disney Poolside Collection, available at Walt Disney World and Disneyland Resorts, you’re bound to make a splash this summer!"

Comments to this post developed a few more details:

Dara: "Not visiting the Parks anytime soon? You can also contact Walt Disney Mail Order at 407-363-6200."

Patricia (from VA): "Happened to be in TARGET the other day and found them! They had 'ZAK! designs' on the bottom."

BTW, you can find many lively discussions about Disney collectibles on the Disney Collectors Board.

[Both images of the Disney Poolside dishware shown above are 'shared' items from the Disney Parks Blog."]

Craigslist: "DIECAST CARS TRUCKS SUV's HUGE COLLECTION - $1"

2010-05-02T12:22:00.006-05:00

Wow, this post in the collectibles section of the New Orleans Craigslist is remarkable.

Calling all diecast car collectors!

DIECAST CARS TRUCKS SUV's HUGE COLLECTION - $1
---------------------------------------------------------
Date: 2010-05-01, 9:53 AM CDT
Reply to: sale-reven-1719265788@craigslist.org
---------------------------------------------------------

"I AM AN OLD MAN THAT HAS COLLECTED DIECAST CARS, TRUCKS AND SUV'S FOR OVER 40 YEARS. THERE ARE ABOUT 423 OF MOSTLY 1:18 SCALE 50'S, 60'S AND 70'S. I AM PARTIAL TO AMERICAN MAKES (FORD, GM, CHRYSLER) SO THAT MAKES UP MOST OF THE COLLECTION, EVEN THOUGH I DID BUY SOME FOREIGN ONES.

"I HAVE WELL OVER $10,000.00 INVESTED, BUT NEED TO DISPOSE OF THE COLLECTION SO I CAN HIT THE ROAD IN A TRAVEL TRAILER, SO I AM WILLING TO DEAL. I WOULD PREFER TO SELL THE COLLECTION AS A WHOLE, BUT WOULD ENTERTAIN INDIVIDUAL SALES. THE PRICE PER UNIT WILL DEPEND ON ITS WORTH AND HOW MANY YOU BUY.

"I HAVE SOME DISPLAYED AND SOME ARE STILL IN THE BOXES. I DO HAVE THE ORIGINAL BOXES FOR 95% OF THE DISPLAYED UNITS. ALL UNITS ARE IN VERY, VERY NICE CONDITION, STORED AND DISPLAYED IN A SMOKE-FREE, PET-FREE, CLIMATE CONTROLLED HOME. IT IS POSSIBLE THAT OVER THE YEARS AN ANTENNA, PIECE OF MOLDING, SIDE MIRROR, ETC. MAY HAVE BECOME LOOSE OR BEEN LOST. I CAN SEND YOU A PICTURE OF THE ONES YOU ARE INTERESTED IN.

"I DO HAVE A LIST OF ALL OF THE COLLECTION AND CAN EMAIL THAT TO YOU.

"THIS IS AN ABSOLUTE SALE (EVERYTHING GOES). I ACCEPT PAYPAL AND CASH. POSTAGE WILL BE ADDED TO PRICE IF YOU WANT MAILED.

"IF YOU ARE INTERESTED, YOU CAN EMAIL ME AT gr8trax@aol.com. PUT 'CARS' IN THE SUBJECT LINE OR I WILL NOT RESPOND. OR CALL ME AT 504 298 156five FOR A FASTER RESPONSE OR TO SET UP AN APPOINTMENT TO VIEW. THANKS!!"

• Location: EAST BATON ROUGE, LA

[Both photos above are from the original Craigslist posting.]