July 21, 2001
Greetings Accumulators!
There'll be prime hunting weather in the Northeastern US this weekend. Not a rain drop in the forecast!
FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF MRS. SPIELBERG, YOU MUST BE SO PROUD OF YOUR BOY!
At Christie's celebrity memorabilia auction this week, Bette Davis' 1938 Oscar for her performance in "Jezebel" was purchased by an anonymous bidder, who paid $578,000 for it. That bidder was actually Steven Spielberg. Variety colunist Army Archerd reports that Spielberg will present the statuette to the Motion Picture Academy of Arts and Sciences. This isn't the first time Spielberg has made a generous gift to the Academy. After he paid $607,500 for Clark Gable's Oscar for "It Happened One Night", he gave that to the Academy too.
STUPID AUCTION BEHAVIOR DEPARTMENT
From the Australian Broadcasting Corporation comes this cautionary tale from an auction in Brazil. It seems that Rafael Galante, and Italian businessman, thought he was bidding on a lot of batteries, toys, and incense (what a combo!)at a Rio De Janeiro auction of confiscated goods. He bid more than $40,000, and won the lot. Unfortunately, it was not a lot of batteries, toys, and incense. It was actually a lot of 101 coffins. Talk about not paying attention! But, they don't fool around in Brazil. When Galante realized his mistake, he tried to talk his way out of the whole thing, but the auction house threatened him with a steep fine. And so, he became the proud owner of 101 top-of-the-line Indonesian-made burial caskets. I guess he can market them as very large and luxurious toy boxes. Rafael should have read "Grandma and The Unspeakably Ugly Chandelier or What Not To Do At An Auction", at http://www.msjudith.net/other/041299.htm.
WHEREVER YOU WANDER, THERE'S NO PLACE LIKE GNOME
This must be International Day at Newsletter Headquarters. Reuters reports that more than 70 garden gnomes were found on the steps of a cathedral in northeastern France, apparently the work of the Garden Gnome Liberation Front. The little garen guys had all been kidnapped from various front yards, and assembled at the cathedral in Saint-Die, where they were accompanied by a banner of the GGLF. The clandestine organization, which has been intensifying its efforts of late, is committed to "freeing" gnomes and "returning them to the wild". Fine with me. I hope they abduct all of them. Local police remained tight-lipped as they gathered the gnomes, refusing to comment to reporters on the recent escalating number of gnome abductions in the area. In the past two days the Front has claimed responsibility for two such covert operations. A traffic circle in eastern France was adorned Wednesday with more than 100 gnomes, some arranged to spell out "Free The Gnomes". Accumulators in France are warned that no gnome is to be considered safe at this point. Do not allow yours out of doors alone after dark. Note: A second gnome is not considered ample protection for your gnome.
Okay, Accumulators, enough earth-shattering news for one weekend, eh? Artie and I are off to the country. Today's the day we finish the workshop and begin work on the deck stairs and landing. Huzzah! Of couse we wouldn't think of missing the D&H Canal Museum fundraising auction in Cuddebackville, NY today, expecially since out own BarnMan, Vince Bambina, will be the auctioneer. There will be live bluegrass and country music, a barbecue, and rummage sale too. If you're in the area, come on down, and be sure to bring money. On Monday, it's off to Lake Champlain, with our dear friends, the Fergusons. Have a great week, Accumulators. Happy hunting!
Best,
Judith
© 2001 Judith Katz-Schwartz. All rights reserved.
Antiques and Collectibles Newsletter #153
U.S. Library of Congress
ISSN 1520-4464
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