May 5, 2000
Greetings Accumulators!
At last! Balmy weather in the Northeast. The better to build a deck!
What Artie and I have discovered is that the property up at our country
house is composed of rocks held together with about a teaspoon of soil.
This can make it slow going when you have to dig the holes to pour concrete
for the deck footings. However, we're so grateful it's stopped raining!
FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF NON-SEXIST AIRHEADS
So, you think Pokemon and baseball cards are a waste of money, and that
they're inducing young boys to spend vast amounts of money on worthless
junk? Well, Decipher Inc., of Norfolk, VA has launched its premier effort
to make girls equals in the realm of mind-rotting consumerism. Enter "Boy
Crazy", a new 363 trading card series featuring real boys, between the ages
of 12 and 22. Decipher touts the collection as a "game", but we know
better, don't we? Girls are flocking to their computer screens to declare
their undying love (complete with multiple exclamation points!!!!!) for
Tito or John or Steve. And they're flocking to the stationery store for
tape with which to affix the said boys to their bedroom walls. No word on
the powerfully expanding egos of the cards' models, based on the resulting
attention in the school cafeteria. You know how boys are.
GOOD FOR GARY DEPARTMENT
If you've been following the life saga of Gary Coleman, former child star
of "Diff'rent Strokes", you know that he was forced to declare bankruptcy a
while back, allegedly because of mishandling of funds by his parents. UGO
Networks to the rescue. They gave Coleman a job as a columnist, and they
held an auction in his behalf last May. On the block were some of his
personal items. His couch netted $427.50, the "shirt off his back", $31
and the top lot, which went for $4,000, - was Coleman. A 6ft 2 inch former
model and collegiate basketball player won a date with the diminutive Gary.
In fact, he arrived at The Oscars telecast with her in tow. Last week,
UGO Networks presented Coleman with the auction proceeds - a check for
$10,000. No word on whether or not he handed it over to Mom for safekeeping.
ANOTHER KIND OF COLLECTING
Next Saturday, May 13, your letter carrier may be toting some pretty hefty
mail. Participating communities will be taking part in the nation's
largest one-day food drive ever. The drive, organized by the 315,000
member postal workers' union, is expected to net tons of non-perishable
food donations, which will be delivered to local food banks and pantries.
10,000 cities in all fifty states, Washington, DC, Puerto Rico, The Virgin
Islands and Guam are expected to be involved. So, on that day, leave a can
or box of something good to eat alongside your mailbox - and do it before
your letter carrier shows up to deliver the day's mail.
SITES TO SEE
Here are some sites that feature interesting collectibles you may not have
thought about before:
Milagros - little Mexican charms:
Milagros
Fairy Lamps:
Fairy Lamps
Well, Accumulators, Artie has arrived home, which means we're off to do
some more rock wrestling. He Who Is The Light Of My Life is not feeling
patient, so there's no time to tell you in detail that James Brown's office
was torched by an arsonist and lots of important memorabilia was burned.
Or that Kiss is ending its farewell tour by auctioning off memorabilia and
costumes (but not Gene Simmons' tongue) via Butterfield and Butterfield.
Just thought you'd like to know. Tomorrow night, if we haven't caved in
the front of the house, we'll be visiting our facorite auction house, The
Old Red Barn, in Cuddebackville, NY, where our favorite auctioneer, Vince
Bambina, has threatened to have me do stand-up comedy (I don't think so,
Vin - your audience has become accustomed to hearing the same jokes for the
past twenty years. I don't want to throw them off). Have a beautiful
weekend and a great week, Accumulators. Happy hunting!
Best,
Judith
© 2000 Judith Katz-Schwartz. All rights reserved.
Antiques and Collectibles Newsletter #119
U.S. Library of Congress
ISSN 1520-4464
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