May 15, 2000
Greetings Accumulators!
Yes, I know this is late. Artie and I had a particularly tough weekend.
Two of the five concrete footings for our new deck had to be dug out. Then
we had to pour the concrete for them all over again. Sigh. We hope we're
back on track now. To all you Moms out there, I hope your Mother's Day was
delightful, and that you received at least one stunning addition to your
favorite collection.
FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF THIS IS NOT WHAT MOST PEOPLE MEAN WHEN THEY SAY
"HUNTING AND GATHERING"
Strawberry Fields, the children's home in Liverpool, England made famous by
the John Lennon song of the same name, was relieved of its two large iron
front gates recently. Apparently, two thieves cut the gates loose from the
fence and simply carried them away, doing the dirty deed while children
played on the grounds within sight of their dirty work. The two massive
gates, site of thousands of tourist picture-taking sessions, each measured
eight by ten feet, and have been valued at approximately $8,000. But not
by anyone with even a rudimentary knowledge of the collecting world. Those
babies would probably bring a fortune on the black market.
YOUR FEETS TOO BIG DEPARTMENT
Perhaps Mann's Chinese Theatre has been caught up in the push to garner
publicity by providing ever bigger and more impressive pageantry. Last
week they immortalized in cement the footprints of a very big celebrity.
Yes, it was Kool-Aid Man. Somehow, the Theatre managed to enlist the
participation of the crowd (maybe they slipped muscle relaxants into their
Kool-Aid) and got them all to shout "Hey, Kool-Aid!", whereupon Kool-Aid
Man made his usual entrance - through a wall. He then said, and I quote,
"Oh yeah!". Brilliant. Kool (if we may be so familiar) then placed his 15
1/4 inch by 10 1/4 inch tootsies into the concrete and left his mark.
Since Dr. Joyce Brothers was not present at the ceremony, no commentary was
forthcoming about the correlation between large feet and - you know.
NOW YOU KNOW WHOM TO ASK
Today, May 15th, 2000 is the scheduled day for the launch of "Ask The
Appraiser", the online appraisal service from The Collecting Channel.com.
You will be able to visit the site, fill out a short questionnaire about
your item, supply a photo or two or five, and get back a fully descriptive
and informative appraisal for a very nominal fee. And yes, I'm one of the
appraisers you'll be asking.
Okay, Accumulators, time to polish up the script for my next stand-up
comedy stint, this Wednesday, May 17 at 7:30PM at the Lambs Theatre on W.
44th St. in NYC. If you're nearby, stop in and say "hi". Back to work for
me! Have a wonderful week, Accumulators. Happy hunting!
Best,
Judith
© 2000 Judith Katz-Schwartz. All rights reserved.
Antiques and Collectibles Newsletter #120
U.S. Library of Congress
ISSN 1520-4464
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