July 9, 1997
Greetings Accumulators!
This is my very first Antiques and Collectibles Newsletter. I hope you'll
all enjoy it, and that you'll feel free to contribute. I need your ideas,
your questions, your interests. E-mail anytime and let me know what you
think, what you're looking for, what makes you madder than - oh, you know,
and what you'd like to see in future editions. And please let me know how
you like this first edition! Also, folks, please visit the Mining Company
site. This is very important, as my superiors rate me by the number of hits
each page gets!!!
Princess Di - Quelle Scandale!!!
It seems that several of the lucky bidders at the recent auction of Princess
Diana of Wales' gowns, got a rather large surprise when they got home. And
I do mean LARGE.
Diana, great friend that she is said to be, frequently gave her used duds
(remember, when you are married to the heir to the throne it just wouldn't
do to be seen twice in the same gown)to friends. And those friends had the
royal castoffs tailored to fit their own upper crust bods. When the
Princess, now divorced from Prince Charles, decided to have this auction to
raise money for charitable causes (not much chance of the ex-hubby dishing
out any moolah on her behalf, is there?), she called in the Royal
Hand-me-downs, now ranging from a size 2 to a size 16. And she just -uh -
forgot to mention this fact to the auctioneers. So collectors of Royal
memorabilia may or may not be able to wear their collectibles. Pity!
Losin' her Marbles
For the second year in a row, an 11-year-old girl won the national marbles
championship.
For the information of collectors of marbles, she used a modern machine-made
shooter. And I thought only a sulphide would do!
Polishing Silver - Eeeeeeuuuuuuww!
If you collect silver, as I do, for its beautiful patina, but can't face up
to the truly yucky job of polishing it monthly, try one of these tips:
Sour milk: Mix the juice of one lemon per quart of milk and let stand for a
few minutes. This will definitely make the milk sour and clotted, so don't
plan on saving time by flavoring your coffee while you polish the silver!
Take your silver objcts, place in a bowl or shallow pan, and cover
completely with the disgusting sour milk mixture. Leave it there overnight.
The next morning, Voila'! Just rinse and dry with a soft cloth, and that's
all there is to it!
Hot Stuff: Forget those mysterious magical things they sell on TV! You can
make your own for pennies. Get an aluminum pot (or better yet, buy one of
those disposable aluminum foil pans) and put your silver flatware in it, in
a single layer. Heat some water in a tea kettle. When the water boils,
turn it off and pour the water into the pan, mnaking sure the silver is
covered. Add a tablespoon or two of baking soda, and a pinch of salt.
Watch the tarnish disappear. When all the bubbling stops, remove your
silver and polish with a soft cloth.
To keep your silver tarnish-free longer, place one of the following in a
drawer with the silver: moth balls (don't let them touch the silver), chalk,
anti-tarnish strips, pennies.
Hey, thanks, everyone! This has been fun for me. I hope you find this
short (remember, I promised you short) newsletter, helpful, interesting,
amusing. Please let me know what you think. Happy Hunting!
Best,
Judith
© 1997 Judith Katz-Schwartz
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Your comments, as always, are welcome. If you have something to say, write to me.
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