February 8, 2002
Greetings Accumulators!
Well, thank goodness Whoopie got her Oscar back. Sent it out to be cleaned
and someone absconded with it. Can you imagine owning an Oscar and sending
it out to be cleaned? Does it ever need more than a light dusting? What the
heck was Whoopie using that Oscar for, anyway? Nutcracker? Birdbath? Doggie
hitching post? Guess we'll never know. Write to me if you have a theory.
It's been pretty hectic around here. I'm getting ready to do the Sally
Jessy Raphael Show again. In the world of TV, things change every moment.
We're doing this, we're not doing this, we are doing this but in a
different way, we're doing this but we also need to do four other things,
we're scrapping it all, can we still do the first three things?
Fortunately, this is a highly professional organization, so it's mostly
painless. I'll let you know when we get an air date.
FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF CREATIVE WAYS TO INCREASE THE SIZE OF YOUR COLLECTION
John Henderson, an Australian man, is obtaining fine examples for his
postcard collection. They just keep coming in the mail. From his dog. Who
is a fugitive from justice. I am not making this up. It's from an article
in the Australian Daily Telegraph. Chucky the pit bull is no ordinary
criminal canine either. He was shot twice in the head by police after he
attacked them during a raid. Chucky survived, which is more than can be
said for the pant legs of the officers, and was later stolen from the
animal hospital by "a mystery person". For the past 11 months Chucky has
been on the lam, and police have been trying unsuccessfully to track him
down, using DNA testing (remember those pant legs? Great source of doggie
DNA). Lately John Henderson has been receiving postcards from Chucky --
postcards showing the fugitive bowser in exotic locations, wearing
sunglasses. Says Henderson, "He seems to be happy and well. I got an
interstate phone call from an unknown man who said the photos would be
delivered to my mailbox." Henderson also says he has no idea where Chucky
is or with whom. If only Chucky knew he didn't have to be on the lam.
Council officials have agreed not to pursue him if he ever returns. No word
on whether everyone down under is a couple of eggrolls short of a
combination plate.
OLYMPIC SOUVENIR DEPARTMENT
If you're going to Salt Lake City for the Olympic Games, forget the
collectible pins, the programs, the tee shirts. Make sure you get the
must-have souvenir - condoms handed out by community groups like The
American Red Cross and Planned Parenthood, under the auspices of the
SafeGames 2002 Project. More than 250,000 condoms will be handed out at
competition sites, nightclubs, and on the street. Boy, the Games are
sounding really very different from what I pictured them to be. The
presentation is as interesting to me as the concept: volunteers will hand
out plastic bags filled with a few condoms, safe-sex instructions, hand
warmers and lip balm, along with telephone numbers for Alcoholics Anonymous
and taxis. I find the combination fascinating - all the essentials of life
in one zip-lock package.
REPRODUCTION ALERT
Watch out for "fakelite", pretend bakelite coming out of Taiwan by the ton.
The material is a phenolic resin like bakelite. Close, but no cigar. It
doesn't pass the standard tests for bakelite, and the colors are not quite
right. Some of the carving is skillful, but some of it isn't. Be careful,
and only buy from reputable dealers. Quite a bit of the bakelite for sale
on eBay is fake.
Off to the races, Accumulators. We're shooting remote segments tomorrow, so
I must tear myself away from the computer and zone out for the evening.
We'll be on the hunt for great things to bring on the show. I hope you find
some wonderful stuff in your travels too. Have a great week, Accumulators.
Happy hunting!
Best,
Judith
© 2002 Judith Katz-Schwartz. All rights reserved.
Antiques and Collectibles Newsletter #169
U.S. Library of Congress
ISSN 1520-4464
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