December 1, 2000
Greetings Accumulators!
The hawk has landed in the Big Apple. We're freezing! Pay no attention to
me. I'm one of those people who's only happy when the temperature is
between 50 and 80 degrees. The city is revving up for the Annual Christmas
Shopping Gridlock Event, which, unfortuantely, lasts a full month. So
happy to be inside, typing to you!
FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF THOSE WHO ARE DESPERATE FOR COMPANY
**********************************************************
A recent auction held at Guernsey's in New York, was entitled "The
Fairgrounds" (didn't you know, auctions have to have titles now?). It
included things like carousel horses, circus posters, and, my favorites,
lifesize wax figures of folks like Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, Mark Twain,
Ernest Hemingway, Albert Einstein and Alfred Lord Tennyson. The wax people
didn't earn anything near the estimates. For example, the estimate for
Onassis was $8,000 and up. The statue sold for $750. Of the others,
Einstein did the best, fetching $500. Perhaps if the buyer could count on
any of them for brilliant conversation....
WHAT THE HECK DEPARTMENT
************************
From Ron McCoy, publisher of Antiques & Collecting Newsletter (to
subscribe, send a blank email to antique-collect-subscribe@topica.com),
comes the story of this really amusing website. It's called "What the
Heck", and it features strange things people have put up for sale on eBay,
like body parts, and "Grandma", complete with two pairs of dentures and a
quilt. My personal favorite is called "Pictures Of My Big Hot Spotted
Dick". Now, before you accuse me of being crude, even perverted, be aware
that, in a past life, I was a chef, and that Spotted Dick is an English
dessert. Shame on you! View the site at http://www.whattheheck.com/ebay/.
TALK ABOUT YOUR CONFLICTING EMOTIONS!
*************************************
A French judge has ordered Yahoo! to keep French citizens off those parts
of its site that sell or deal with Nazi memorabilia. Don't get me started
on what motivation may be lurking behind such a ruling. Or whether free
speech may be impeded, even when the subject is evil. Or whether buying,
selling or even viewing evil objects may harm people or somehow impart evil
to them. Let's just consider how Yahoo! can possibly accomplish such a ban.
This is one big techno-problem!
We're off, Accumulators, to the frozen North. To the frozen North and
West, to be exact. This evening you'll find us at The Old Red Barn in
Cuddebackville, NY, listening to the enchanting sing-song of Vince Bambina
and his Fearless Floormen, asking that musical question, "Ya takin' this
withya ta-nite?" If you're in the nabe, stop by. There's always great
stuff at Vince's sales. Have a great week, Accumulators. Happy hunting!
Best,
Judith
© 2000 Judith Katz-Schwartz. All rights reserved.
Antiques and Collectibles Newsletter #134
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