August 27, 1999
Greetings Accumulators!
I hope you missed me as much as I missed you! Several intrepid
Accumulators stopped by to visit us at the Madison-Bouckville show. I
think they'll agree that the show distinguished itself as the filthiest
buying and selling experience ever. We're in the midst of a drought in the
Northeastern US, and the dry dust was blowing everywhere. Even hourly
Windexing of our showcases failed to prevent grime so deep we could write
messages in it with our fingers. The show was, as ever, heavily attended.
Most dealers reported at least moderately good sales and most buyers told
me they were finding things worth buying. My own experience has been that
this show is not a market for my very best merchandise, but that moderately
priced items sell well there.
FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF EXTREMELY SILLY CRIMES
Police in Tampa, Florida are on the case. They're investigating the
mysterious appearance of almost 60 lawn sculptures in front of a house, all
of them facing the building. The lady of the house discovered the
ornaments, mostly trolls and ducks, when she left the house on Sunday
morning. It would seem that the Tampa police have everything under control
- not one of the lawn ornaments has escaped.
THESE GUYS ARE PROBABLY NOT GOING TO HEAVEN DEPARTMENT
A Wisconsin priest and a church organist have been accused of stealing
valuable objects such as antique incense burners, candlesticks and
vestments from two churches. Investigators allege that the Reverend Glen
Gardner and organist Kurt Schione stole the objects from churches in the
towns of Thorp and Stanley. Apparently the pair felt guilty, and left most
of what had been taken outside St. Josaphat Basilica in Milwaukee. But not
everything - it seems that Schione had already sold some of the items to a
Catholic church in Rockford, IL.
REASONS TO RUSH TO THE GROCERY STORE - OR THE ANDY WARHOL ARCHIVES
Campbell's Soup has announced that it is changing the look of its
well-known soup can label. The new label, says the NJ Company, will have a
photograph of a bowl of soup at the center, a recipe on the back, and a
colored banner which will indicate the category of soup in the can. The
current label has been in use for about 100 years. No word about what will
become of The Kids.
IT'S AUGUST - LET THE HYPE BEGIN!
Tiger Electronics, maker of Furbys, has announced the arrival next
Christmas of Furby Babies. The little electronic fuzzballs will actually
be bilingual, speaking both Furbish and English. They will supposedly be
able to "learn" to speak English faster than their ancestors, due to their
infrared technology, and will be able to interract with their adult
counterparts as well as us vastly intellectually inferior humans.
Wonderful. Pretty soon we won't have to communicate with each other at all
- we'll just converse with our toys.
AND YOU THOUGHT SHE WAS JUST ANOTHER GREAT SET OF GAMS
The forty-year-old Barbie, a woman of great accomplishment and dumb taste
in boyfriends, has added yet another to her astonishing list of
contributions to society. It seems her kneecaps are the perfect size and
shape to be used as replacement knuckles in humans. The Mattel Company has
graciously donated hundreds of Barbie kneecaps, free of charge, to
orthopaedic surgeons, who have been using them as prosthetics in people's
hands. Kind of adds meaning to the phrase "let your fingers do the
walking". No word on whether the recipients have noticed an increased urge
to change clothes frequently or begin a new career every month.
WHAT'S HOT
Vintage surfboards
Antique garden furniture and fountains
Fondue pots
Fireman and police memorabilia
Paper advertising fans
WHAT'S NOT
Cabbage Patch kids
Milk glass
Napkin rings
Machine-sewn patchwork quilts
REPRODUCTION ALERT
Star Wars Movie Posters: We had one on "Treasures In Your Home" during the
first week of the show. It was the advance poster for "Revenge of The Jedi"
("Return Of The Jedi"). You should compare any one of these you see to a
photo of the original. The copy has a few details that are different from
the original.
Weller Pottery: Fake pieces have the impressed name "Weller" on the bottom,
but the lettering is different from the lettering on real Weller pieces. Be
sure you are familiar with the mark before you examine any Weller you are
considering buying.
Yes, Accumulators, I've gone on much longer than I should, so I'll end
here. Artie and I are going to Papermania in Hartford, CT tomorrow, where
our dear friends, Ellen and Steve Sussman will be occupying Booth #73. If
you're in the nabe, stop by and say "hi" - and bring money. The Sussmans
have a lot of stuff you can't resist.
While in Hartford, I'll be doing a telephone interview on the national
radio show, "Everything For Less". This is carried on KLSX FM (97.1) in LA
and KTLK AM (760) in Denver (Sorry, Rest Of The World, I have no idea
whether you get it where you live). On Wednesday, Sept 1, I'll be
appearing on Fox News Channel's "Fox and Friends" during the 8AM Eastern hour.
Gee whiz! This is going on forever, isn't it? It's just that it's been so
long since we were last together. Have a great week, Accumulators. Happy
hunting!
Best,
Judith
© 1999 Judith Katz-Schwartz. All rights reserved.
Antiques and Collectibles Newsletter #97
U.S. Library of Congress
ISSN 1520-4464
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