April 21, 2000
Greetings Accumulators!
We're in the middle of a spring thunderstorm, which I love. Artie is
patiently waiting for me to write to you, so we can hit the road for the
country house. We have a new staircase to the deck to build, but there
won't be much building unless the weather clears up. If I can, I'll sneak
away one day and go to Ferndale, NY and visit Rich Delia and Ron Greco and
The Ferndale Market Place (Exit 101 on Rte 17).
FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF AND THOSE GREAT GEORGE WASHINGTON COMMERCIALS CAN'T
POSSIBLY BE HURTING EITHER
The US Mint reports that more than 100 million Americans are now collecting
coins, the result of the new 50 State Quarters program and the new Golden
Dollar program. Nearly half the current collectors are older than 50, but
that's suppposed to drop to 29% soon, with the highest percentage switching
to the 18-to-34-year-old age group. This is a sharp drop in the average age
for a coin collector, which was 56 in 1997. I dunno - are quarters ever
going to become icons of the youth culture? Naaaaah!
WISEGUY VACATION RETREAT DEPARTMENT
The Eastern State Penitentiary Historic Site in Philadelphia (thank you, O
Civic Leaders, for not calling it a museum!) is in the process of restoring
a jail cell once occupied by Al Capone for eight months and will open it to
the public in May, 2000. As part of the opening ceremony, criminologist
Norman Johnston will spend the night in the cell on May 4. Capone was
arrested in Philadelphia on May 16, 1929. No word on what, exactly, the
restoration of a jail cell entails - new and authentic cracks in the toilet
and freshly hatched bedbugs perhaps?
AND NOW FOR SOMETHING FUN!
Try this site for the history of, and fine examples of, carnival chalkware,
those colorful figurines you got for knocking down the milk bottles or
getting the ping pong ball into the goldfish bowl. Step right up, and get
a good look folks. Won't cost you a dime.
Okay, okay! I'm a-going. Can't hold He Who Is The Light Of My Life
prisoner any longer. We're off to the country. To all of you who are
celebrating holidays, I wish you the best and most joyous ones, surrounded
by loved ones, good food and much laughter. Have a great week,
Accumulators. Happy hunting!
Best,
Judith
© 2000 Judith Katz-Schwartz. All rights reserved.
Antiques and Collectibles Newsletter #117
U.S. Library of Congress
ISSN 1520-4464
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Your comments, as always, are welcome. If you have something to say, write to me.
To subscribe to the free short weekly email newsletter, send a blank email to subscribe-judith@topica.com.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
RETURN TO INDEX OF NEWSLETTERS