Ooh something shiny!

 The only difference between adult ADD and childhood ADD is the age. 

As a child undiagnosed and with teachers back when I went to school not knowing ADD was a thing, I spent a lot of time in...time out. Depending on the teacher in grammar school, it was sitting outside the classroom door or in a corner of the classroom. One teacher even employed the cone hat as you might have seen back in the day with DUNCE scrolled across it cause that will of course change the child's behavior to the desired fall-in-line. Shaming always works so well.

When it came into the forefront more and more as I got older, I was happy to see that a.) I was not alone and that b.) there was a reason for my behavior in and out of the classroom. The adults in my life handled it with a smack across the face or a good old beating on the backside. I would lie in bed at night crying myself and pledging to myself that if and when I had any children, I would never lay a hand on them or belittle them.

Back to the present - my son, 5 years old at the doctor and being diagnosed at that time with aspects of Asperger's. Now he is labeled as being 'on the spectrum'. We had a few years of medication which did help him focus and then when he was old enough to reel it back himself, we took him off the medication. It did it's job, he is now a sophomore and in the top 10 of his class and in all honor classes. This is all through his hard work and dedication. We encourage him and help when requested and needed. But having that diagnosis and knowing that one actually has something that can be labeled gives on a leg-up. 

I look back at my school years and wish I knew what it was called and that there are ways to manage it. 

Now as I get closer to 55 years old, I accept that my mind wanders. When I was younger, it was called daydreaming and I was snapped out of it often in middle school often with one teacher engaging a water gun shot to the face. Not Draconian punishment by any stretch but today I know this is unacceptable. It did not help me in the least and embarrassed me more than anything.

Even now I am distracted as I write this. What I wanted to say was it is okay to be a bit absent-minded because you get lost mid-stream in a conversation but there are mental tricks I employ constantly to keep myself on track. I am cognizant of when my thoughts wander and consciously I force myself to stay focused. 

Write it down on paper, use the notes in your phone when your thoughts come so fast as to not forget. I am constantly having ideas, be it marketing for the shop, story ideas, the shopping list....I need to write things down and keep myself better organized. And as more and more technology clouds my mind, it is even more so important that I employ all tools afforded me.

Now I have a ton of stuff to do everyday, it is a lot, our house is as chaotic as my mind so I am making myself to take little bites and do a little of each thing that needs my attention. I remember reading one thing in Don't Sweat the Small Things several decades ago and that is even when you die, your inbox is still full. 

You will never be done with all that what you want to or need to do but you do the best you can. Do not let it overwhelm you. Lists are my go-to. What is most important to do right now? And that feeling of when you cross things DONE off a list makes you feel better.

We are not alone, use your support team if you are blessed to have one. And if you don't, reach out, you might be surprised at how many friends and family are willing to help but they cannot help unless they know you need it. 

NJ needs to take the plastic ban a bit further...

New Jersey is the only state to now ban not just plastic bags but also paper bags. The paper bag ban is mostly in effect for supermarkets, it does not apply to all businesses and the paper bags allowed must also meet certain criteria. I studied a 5-page document to make sure we were bag compliant in case anyone decided to call the Bag Snitch Line. First offense is a written warning, next is a $1000 fine. 

New Jersey has also banned plastic straws. This is all great and good BUT we need to take this plastic ban a bit further and eliminate the use of a few other things. Packaging is the biggest culprit and some packaging occurs where it can be cut-back quite a bit and that solution is easy as just going back to how it was done just a few years ago. I am talking about the individual creamers which come in those PLASTIC mini-containers. Sure, most are shelf-stable, but one can only imagine what is needed as far as preservatives go to make them shelf-stable thus another reason to slow your roll on their use.

Yes, it has made it easier in places which deal with a lot of to-go but do you really need to use these when sitting down to dine? Go back to the glass, stoneware and/or stainless-steel bottles and dispensers for the cream and milk. I just found this one in a quick search for just $2.00:

I love when I am eating out in a small cafe and they actually use the half-pint-sized glass milk bottles. Another easy solution that saves money in the long run, is reusable, easy-to-clean AND looks darling on the table. I found these on Amazon - 20 for $22.00:

Now we are entering your home and work kitchens etc. Let's talk about Keurig pods - generic and name-brand. Another blight in the dumps...I used to use a Keurig and when I did, I used the reusable pods. They are inexpensive and last a long, long time. In fact, they outlasted my use of a Keurig. Convenient, yes, but the brew just never tasted the same as a good old-fashioned coffee machine. Be it French Press, percolator or just a Mr. Coffee, a longer brew time vs. hot water dashing through a pod tastes so much better. But if you love your Keurig, get your favorite coffee and not only are you helping eliminate garbage, you are saving yourself quite a bit of money. Just $10.00 for 6 on Amazon. The great thing with buying a few is you can always have a bunch of pods ready-to-go.

The opinions expressed in this blog are exactly that, my opinion. I am sure many will disagree with this but if this reaches one restaurant which agrees and decides to change then that is a step towards change. Change can be small but it can have a large impact. 

Count your blessings, big and small

In order to go forth and continue with life and be in a good place mentally, I do my daily blessings when I awake. This helps, it truly does. 

First and most obvious is my family, all of them including our furbabies. 

I am grateful for a roof over my head which we finally got the leaking to stop when we were able to get the roof fixed. I am grateful that despite the rising costs of everything, we can afford to keep our house comfortable. We always have food on the table and even have leftovers. 

Blessings do not have to be grandiose, they just have to be what makes you grateful, what makes you happy. Do not let people tell you what your blessings are, these are YOURS, you define them. Yes, they can be things, why not? I always tell customers in our antique shop when they say they do not need something but they like it. Honestly, who needs anything in our shop? BUT we need to smile and if something makes you smile, then yes, yes you do need it! I tell the customers just that. You are blessed if you recognize that magpie in yourself, the need to collect. Stop listening to the naysayers who define THEIR beliefs, what they believe are true blessings.

I looked up the definition of blessings and of course there is the religious aspect of the definition but there is another part of the word's definition which I thoroughly embraced:

a beneficial thing for which one is grateful; something that brings well-being - (well-being is the joy in the little things IMO.)

Blessings come in the physical, the senses - make sure you do not take for granted sight and sound. Mobility, even if it has decreased or changed dramatically. When I went to physical therapy for my walking issues, the therapist said I had such a good outlook on it all. I said, I was blessed most of my life to be in very good physical shape and could participate in so many sports, jog, hike, whatever I wanted to without issue. I never took that for granted knowing how many never will know what it is like to walk and play without a wheelchair, braces, assistance. 

Being able to read I always saw as a blessing, access to public libraries. WOW a world of my own. My mother used to drop me off at the Cyrenius Booth library and leave me there for hours and I loved it. That library is huge and old, the smell of old books ensconces you as soon as you walk in the door. What I loved about that library was how they never seemed to get rid of any of the books, the shelves were packed with books that were decades old as well as the newest. I would sit for hours on the floors going through so many books. I used to be able to read and retain so much quickly. I was a voracious reader, not so much now. Maybe when we officially retire. I will be like my grandmother and get those books with the large text that you can read from space. BUT the most important thing is still being able to see and read. 

I have so much to be grateful for, it is wonderful because when you do, the complaining seems to almost cease. Sure, there are some things I do want, a clean house, no bats in the attic keeping our son awake but in the grand scheme of things, these are things I can and will change and fix.

(and now I see it has been a year exactly since my last post, maybe this year I will actually post more...we shall see)

Almost a full year....

 I made it under the wire! What wire? That one year mark since I last posted.

I am exhausted. I am blessed. I am burnt-out. I am lucky.

Mandatory NJ Closure of Non-Essential Stores

This is a post that I shared in one of the Antique/Vintage Store groups I am in on Facebook.

Whatcha doin' during the closures?

We have a HUGE list of projects to get done which we have tried and tackled during normal business hours but could only make a small dent.

We have so much to do that we are pretty sure we will not have it all done before the mandatory closures are lifted in NJ.

I finally did a live Facebook video of me painting a piece as people have been asking me to do so for awhile. Why anyone would want to watch or listen to me is beyond me BUT I got that done as well as finally trying the new-to-me powdered milk paint for the first time. I was so happy nothing went wrong during the filming, I was able to use the paint without issues which was worrisome since I never had used it before. I say 'during' because afterwards, I turned the music back on and while dancing in my chair while finishing the painting, I knocked my table over with the water so I had to grab a bunch of things out of the vendors booths because as you know, even though it was not a lot of water, items which can be damaged by water were of course in the path of the small little river...

As soon as I logged off, I got a call that someone wanted the piece I was painting as soon as we were back open. I really did not want to sell it so soon, I even mentioned in my video I would be pricing high so I would have the sample on the floor for a little bit to showcase the paint and help sell more paint.

My husband who helps me a lot at the shop managed to get the newish PC hooked. I say newish as we bought it in Dec. 2018 to replace the 2011 model which has the original POS on it that came with the shop and lost all technical support back in early 2018. It does not work on Windows 2010 so we never downloaded it BUT the POS has had a few glitches so we have been wanting to get that up and running. So we popped the new POS onto the new PC and have some time to learn it and get comfortable with it whereas before we did not know when we really could sit down and do it.

Stuff - we have TONS of stuff waiting to get tagged in our shop's garage, the extra space we rent in the basement at the shop from our landlord, a storage unit we throw money away at, our house (can tackle that later) and most importantly, the bathroom at the shop with the slop sink which I really need to get to!! That bathroom has been inaccessible for a few years due to STUFF!

I also have a lot of signs I have to make, custom orders as well as filling-in my sign walls at the shop.

As for our vendors, we will figure out a fair compensation for all parties. We have a few things we will do including some rent credit spread out over a few months and being open extra days and some extended hours when this all said and done.

I am hoping we can all survive this unprecedented ordeal. It is unchartered territories for all.

I for one am sort of glad that we are closed as I am high-risk and also, if I had it and didn't even know, be the one who got someone else sick.

Best of luck to everyone. Stay safe and healthy, may we all come out of this with our businesses intact as well as our sanity!

School supplies - a quest not to be taken lightly

Now join us on the school supplies journey we decided to do on Sunday night since our weekend days are consumed by the shop.

We began at Walmart to get a protractor and compass and some other generic supplies. It was pathetic the assortment left, was like the bread and milk aisle when snow is forecast. People were wandering around all confused and dismayed at the lack of supplies.

We ran down to Dollar Tree which was actually better stocked and much more organized but alas no protractor and compass. 

So off on the highway we ventured away to Target. I went to the ladies room as the quest had left me needing some relief. Imagine my joy when the stalls were lacking TP, I found a small supply and warned others as they entered. I found a female employee to tell her of the urgency many ladies were about to face....I found my small tribe, no protractor or compass to be found in the cart, they had no luck. I walked down one aisle and found the Holy Grail right next to a pack of scissors. It was both needed items in one package, I returned to the hunters and showed them my kill. They were amazed and dumbfounded after having beaten the brush thoroughly in that area and finding nary a beast. I was the hero of the night.

One more for the road!

Since I rediscovered that Blogger is still around and that I have an account, I feel like I have found a new friend I can chat with about the incidentals of my day.

Sure, even though that 'friend' is only myself, it is just nice to have a place I can chat without judgement, a hand-gesture indicating 'get to the point' when I have only spoken literally five words, and where I can let my mind wander without fear.

What do I hope to gain from this experience?

The ability to fall asleep faster and then to stay asleep.



My mind does not shut-off. I wake myself up with all sorts of nonsense. Sometimes there are some great ideas for the shop, the home, etc. But usually it is just something that could have waited to pop-up in my mind in the morning or even better, never! 

Yes, this is yet another distraction for me but it may help me regain some focus.

I am not writing this for anyone but me - here's to hoping this gets me going in the right direction.

I feel the last two days have been very good as I accomplished a few things. Small accomplishments to most but for me, it is a start.

RA, sciatica, fibro and all the other things I have been diagnosed with, screw you! I'm getting myself back on the road to 'get 'er done'! 

After all, slow and steady won the race.

So - on your mark, get set and GO!

Ooh something shiny...I never can keep my mind focused!

I was not even sure this blog and it's blogging platform still existed!

But I have wanted to write for so long, I am glad this old comfortable blanket of a site still existed.

I read some of my old posts and there were a few drafts.

Tonight I am here as I know no one will read this, especially my husband.

Pish posh you say, of course he will, he is your spouse after all so he would want to know what is happening in that quirky mind of yours.

But I know it is safe here, hidden from his eyes. Why? Because I wrote a novel, a complete novel full of characters, dark humor, murder, mayhem, love, hate and more. It has a beginning, a middle and an end. I wrote it over the course of a few years. I had it printed out so he could read it easily and correct my grammar.

My husband LOVES to correct my grammar and everyone else's so I thought he would revel in the chance to correct me. Alas, I was wrong. Yes, it does bother me. Yes, I have told him this but you know when you mention anything more than once in the course of twelve months, it is considered nagging.

So in a box from Staples it sits, some of the references becoming as outdated as...me.

Perhaps one day I shall self-publish.

Or not.

Anyway, I digress, I had not intentions to come on to this long-forgotten diary I had created almost a decade ago to whine about my book.

But now that I am on that subject, it is MY book, so I will do as I always do and take the proverbial bull by those horns and proceed to proofread on my own. I am not a complete grammar-less fool, I can construct a sentence, even a paragraph.

Well, that was a good talk, I am adding 'proofread and self-publish' to my growing to-do list!

Negligence, laziness, forgetfulness.....

Well, yet again I have reneged on one of my many not-so-lofty goals I set for myself, to post daily, even just fluff if need be. Actually, fluff is good, it makes things soft and happy and fluffy! And I just love saying that word, fluff, fluff, fluff!!

I can only blame one person for such unfluffy-like behavior and that is me. I take full responsibility for being irresponsible in keeping-up with my blog. I have been good, though, with adding to my feedback fanpage which if you have done so already, please like me, I mean the page. I am fine, I do not need that much, I mean any, pats on my backs via the way of the LIKE button.

https://www.facebook.com/pages/BushellCollectibles/157708530941634

But do please like the page, I need more likes as I love (I am so full of....love this morning) doing my Sally Field's Oscar acceptance speech impression - you like me, you really like me!

So what has happened since I last posted? Not much except we finally lit a fire under our tooshes and have begun to declutter the house so I can work much easier on my eBay and getting things ready for our booths in the Grey Barn Antiques in Andover, NJ.

I had said when I finally leave the Rat Race of NYC and Corporate America and became a mompreneur working from my sunny computer room that we would finally tackle the mountains of shi...stuff in the house.

It began when I finally convinced Don to find out about the refinancing of our little messy split-level as we pay a rather high interest rate compared to what they have dropped down to in recent time. In order to do this, we needed the house appraised yet again. In order to allow someone to come into hoarders central, we needed to dig in and work. And we did and though for us it was a vast improvement, it still was bad.

I decided we needed more incentive to push ourselves, what better way than to host a party? We have lived here since December 2001 and have never had any party here, not even a small dinner. Our son turned six this past week so we went for it with a BBQ this past Saturday. Fingers were crossed, many requests to the powers that be were sent to make sure there was no rain on Saturday so we could keep everyone outside BUT in the event of needing to bring this shing ding indoors, we tackled more of the clutter. And the hard work paid off.

To anyone seeing our house inside for the first time, you will see much work needs to be done, flooring replaced, walls painted etc BUT the miracle hidden within this sentence is 'seeing our house inside' as prior to all this work, we could not invite anyone in without complete shame and a list of excuses longer than Arnold gave Maria for his indiscretion(s).

I now can sit in our living room or the man cave and actually relax! It is as if a huge burden has been lifted off of my shoulders. And we are set on keeping it nice and neat which is much easier now that I am home most of the time.

So, the moral of this story is don't call in the wrecking ball to demolish your house. With some motivation and fear of total embarrassment, you too can work on removing yourself from the casting call of Hoarders.

Granda Moses - more than an artist

I have always loved Grandma Moses artwork so I purchased an older book of some of her artwork a few months ago. All the book did was make me want to read more about this amazing woman. This book was a fast read as it contained many wonderful full-color images of her work but in between the pictures as a brief autobiography and some actual copies of a few pages from her actual biography that she had written as well as a wonderful sampling of her writing from when she was a youth. I am now off to find the 1952 My Life's History which promises to have even more details of her life.

The book I just read was Otto Kallir's Grandma Moses ISBN 0-8109-2053-0 - it is as cheap as a penny on Amazon!

Bakelite - what is it & how to test

This is an old post from back-in-the day when eBay had blogs. Glad I saved it, apparently I had a lot to say on it!

Bakelite:

Developed between 1907-1909 by Dr. Baekeland, Bakelite become popular in the 1920’s to make everything imaginable! It was even considered during WWII to be used for the penny as the copper casings were needed for bullets but steel was used instead and then recycled shell casings.

Bakelite became very popular for kitchen items, radios, Fender guitars, jewelry, pocketbook handles,anything you would find in and even outside your household! Bakelite has become a highly sought after collectible and due to this, is getting harder to find but you still can find it if you know what you are looking for!

Bakelite can be found in a variety of forms and colors. The most common colors are butterscotch and pea green and tend to cost the least. You should be able to find plain bangles at reasonable prices but expect to pay more (or make more) on highly detailed and carved pieces of jewelry. Look for the swirled or “end of day pieces”. To avoid wasting the plastic, at the end of the day, if small batches remained, they were mixed together for a unique look.

Watch out for “fake” vintage Bakelite items! These are items are often marriages of several pieces of old stock Bakelite. Some have even gone so far as to carve plain bangles to resemble older pieces. Granted they are actual Bakelite but these are not original designs. One item that is very often used to create new Bakelite designs are Mah Jong tiles – a lot of crafters collect these and make stunning bracelets and necklaces from them. Also, unused cubes of Bakelite can be purchased and those that are savvy with jewelry making have been making new Bakelite pieces from Old Stock.

Then there is the actual “Fakelite”, a product made to pass the 409/Simichrome tests! If there are carvings, look for a chalky appearance in the carvings. It appears to be dust but does not come off when washed. The other test is the familiar clunking sound when two pieces of Bakelite are gently tapped against each other.

So you found an item that you think might be Bakelite but you don’t know 100% for sure. There are several ways to test Bakelite and only you can determine which way works best for you. Also, you need to check with a dealer before running these tests. Most will have such items handy to stand behind their product. On eBay, watch for many items which are listed as Bakelite under plastic with a ? mark, these items usually are not such, it is keyword spamming. Most Bakelite sellers on eBay will back-up the claim in their listing that the item tested positive.

Simichrome or 409: apply a small amount of either to a soft white cloth (tissue, cotton swab). Touch a small area of the piece (the inside of a bangle, back of a brooch) with the cloth/swab. If the piece is vintage Bakelite, the white area of the cloth/swab will become yellow. This may not work on some black pieces and lacquered items. (if it is not real Bakelite, Simichrome will take the paint right off an item so be careful.)

Some people like the sniff test – either place the item in hot water or rub with your thumb to get some heat. If it smells like camphor or tobacco, it is Bakelite.

Sight, feel and the clunking sound – find a reputable Bakelite dealer and let them educate you! Touch the items, examine them, become familiar with the plastics look and feel. This costs nothing, most dealers love to share their knowledge so don’t be shy.

Want to know more? Check out The Bakelite Jewelry Book by Corrine Davidov or the more recent Bakelite Bangle by Karima Parry.

Negligent in Posting!

BUT that is about to change as I am retiring from the Rat Race and Friday is my last day in my cubihell.

So what does that mean for me? Well, apparently according to some people who shall not be named, I shall become bored and miss my job.

Okay, seriously, this was not a fly-by-night decision, I would have loved to have left back in 2006 after Donnie was born but we couldn't do it then. Now, I can! So Donnie will have me home with him all the time thus strengthening the already strong Oedipal bond, you know, the one that has your son proposing to you daily? Or is this just Donnie who finds rings I have to be listed on eBay and brings them to me while he hums Mendelsohn's Wedding March?

And that brings us as well to this long neglected but not yet dead blog I created with the best of intentions to post about collectibles from the huge collection of magazines and books we have on almost every sort of collectible as well as to be promote, of course, my ebay store. Hey, a girl has to make a living! And it has never been more true now that I jumped off the hamster wheel.

Ah, I cannot believe, I will be a SAHM and my own boss in but a few short days. I can pack away the work clothes and live out of my dresser drawers, amazing how much lounge wear you can pack in a drawer! And it doesn't require ironing or the dreaded DRY CLEAN ONLY!

So, what are my future plans for this blog? They will be mixed, it will be as the name implies, me babbling which, all modesty aside, I do quite well :)

And it will be a marketing tool as well.

Now that I will be a hermit and never leave the house unless I absolutely have to, expect more postings...at least more than once every 8 months.

Kentucky Derby and sweet memories

bungalowWhen I used to work at Vail's Grove Golf Course in the early to mid-90's, there was still an air of nostalgia in that clubhouse. It was a cool, old bungalow style house with this gorgeous stone fireplace built in the early 1900's. The owners were all in their 60's and up and so were a few many of the members, it was nice because the ages were so diversified with people from all walks of life. Those members and owners were like a family to me but when I visited there this past August, it was under new ownership, the building had undergone some remodeling and modernization and many of the members I knew were no longer there. I don't know why but I still always think time will stand still and keep our favorite people and places and memories intact. Even though I loved to see the couple who remained and that Karen was still working there, the special feeling I used to get when I would go there was gone.

One of the things we used to do was a pool for the Kentucky Derby. If there was a reason to bet, there would be a pool! I would be given the instructions on how much to collect, how the selections would be made (draw the name from a hat, no picking your own horse) and I would fill-up the sheet before noon. The members would slowly trickle in after 18 holes and the bottles would come out of their lockers as they set-up in the TV room to watch the race. It was always fun and I remember I even 'showed' one time, my $5 got me $15 :)

Tonight's anticipated auction launch at 10:00 p.m. EST includes a 1990 Alabama Stakes glass. That is what got me feeling all nostalgic about today's big race.

Also, something else in tonight's batch that got me yearning for my past is a Hull mirror brown drip glaze creamer and sugar set. I spent a few summers at my Aunt and Uncle's huge farm in Denton, MD in my teens and this was the set my Aunt had. I still remember helping innoculate all the latest kittens that were born in the barn and feeding a newborwn bull from a bottle. Sure, I could do without the hundred's of pigs all oinking like mad at 4 a.m. to be fed but overall, the farm for a few weeks in the summer is something every kid should experience.

And, as usual, a slew of some souvenir items, plates, ashtray, cups, etc. for others who also want to remember days gone by.

Who would have thought to collect feet!

Guess I was born after the porcelain foot souvenir craze! Apparently, it was the same molded foot with two holes on the back for hanging to literally climb the wall and then the state name was added under the catch-phrase - WE GOT A KICK OUT OF ... These particular feet were from Japan and will be up for auction starting Wednesday, May 4th for Florida and South Carolina. They would be cute in a beach house or a guest room, if I ever have a home that actually has a guest room, I plan on filling it with quirky finds and whimsy! Sure, some guests may call it clutter but I am sure many would appreciate the variety of items which might spark some interesting conversations.

I tried to find out exactly who Lenox (the old green wreath mark and an incised mark I can not make out) made the ashtray with match holder for, it has a large schooner type ship and reads The Commodore - a few yacht clubs came up, which would make sense. I then tried to date it but wow, can anyone agree when the green wreath USA mark was actually used? No concrete answer on that but I know it is an older piece.

Then, for the well-dressed man, some vintage Anson bling! Or even for a lady, I saw some gorgeous blouses that had cufflink sleeves and you needed cufflinks for them. I was chatting with a colleague about this and she said when she worked in the banking industry in the 1970's down by Wall Street, she had several of these blouses and cufflinks. I am so for this style to come back in vogue, no woman can have too many accessories!! So we have here a lovely pair of silvertoned with faux onyx cufflinks and a matching tie tack by Anson with their original box, wonderful condition!

Finally!

Its been several weeks since I have done a few things, post on my blog and list a lot on eBay. Pneumonia got me again (had it back in 2003 as well) so I took it a bit easy. It even got me out of jury duty (which I really didn't want to be excused from). Since last Tuesday night, I have been making my daily listing goals and am happy to say we have some fun vintage and collectible finds hitting the eBay auctions every night @ 10 p.m. EST except Friday's.

Tuesday night, May 3rd, we will be getting these items set for launching. A single serve restaurant ware Hall tea pot. I love restaurants that bring me my own little tea pot and let me keep filling my own cup. And we have a Holt Howard Santa boot. We have a personal large collection of Santa face mugs, including the winking Holt Howard pitcher with cups. One day I hope to display our close to or maybe over a 100 by now Santa mugs. Also coming is a sweet sailor and young lady salt and pepper set, a sweet embossed apple creamer and a little souvenir jug from Flemington, N.J.

Local history

In addition to several collections, my husband and I love to collect local vintage memorabilia as well. I have always found it fascinating to know what used to be where in our town, no matter where I have lived I always wanted to know more about the town's past. I am now in Hopatcong, N.J. and for some inexpicable reason I am drawn to the Lackawanna Railroad and the Morris Canal, both of which used to pass through this once bustling resort town on the lake. The Lackawanna Railroad is now part of New Jersey Transit which I ride regularly, I like to imagine what it was like a hundred years ago on that same train line when tourists used to be dropped off not only at the station (this was when the Canal also ran next to the tracks)-

But the stops that were in the middle of the woods with little dirt paths that led to a fine hotel or a small inn.

Our museum is filled with lots of old photos and stories, a lot of the grand houses and hotels burned down, unfortunately. And the Depression saw a major decline in this area as a resort hotspot. We even had an 18 hole golf course which was reduced to a 9 hole course and now is gone.

The 1980's saw the closure of an amusement park here on Bertrand Island, progress, it is now filled with condos.

Many of our local eateries have the walls filled with wonderful old photos of this area as well.

I love being able to acquire postcards of the past from here, I am not the only one because I often get in bidding wars on eBay for certain cards. It took me a few years to acquire the coveted original train station as well as the Breslin Hotel. I missed out on a few last week but I will keep checking back.

Heisey glassware - a quick note on the legit mark

It is important when collecting or buying a collectible that one researches fakes and reproductions and become familiar with how to spot the real McCoy, in this case, though, it is the real Heisey.

As I prepare to list a single Heisey stemmed goblet tonight, I wanted to verify the H mark on the bottom is indeed a true Heisey mark. I visited the Heisey Glass Museum site and found this helpful tidbit on identifying.

The H is in a diamond - the reproductions make you believe it is an H in a diamond but it is actually a square on its side. The H on my glass is indeed a Heisey mark, when I turned it sideways my diamond did not form a square.

A Few Decorating Techniques on Dinnerware

Dinnerware, be it for your own home or on restaurantware, often has a design on it. From a plain band to intricate designs, there are a few terms associated with the decorating process.

Hand Painted as implied, not as prevalent as in earlier years, often it takes years of training to make each piece almost identical. Brush stroke variations, color overlap and inconsistencies in line width and color depth are strong indicators that a piece is hand painted.

Lining and Banding can be done free hand but most often machine-applied now.

Airbrushing this technique became popularized in the 1940's, it is useful for band rims or accents. Stencil Airbrushing uses a stencil - also called "shadowtone".

Transfer Printing This is a neat pocess and common on older multi-colored pieces. Images are engraved onto a copper plate which a mixture of color and oil is then spread over the heated copper plate and this is worked into the engraving. Excess color is removed and then the designed is printed onto special paper which resembles a strong tissue-paper. Like a temporary tattoo, this piece of paper is placed on the piece and rubbed firmly. The paper is then soaked off and leaves behind the printed image. For multiple colors, it is basically layered on repeating the above for each color.

Direct Printing Like transfer printing, each layer of color must be applied separately in the following steps which are compared to an accurate form of rubber stamping. Soft silicone is used for the molded design and placed on a printing head. The head is then positioned on the piece, pressed down and leaves behind a single color design.

Decals applied by hand or machine, as the name implies, decals which are applied to the piece using various techniques.

For a more comprehensive in-depth definition with lots of great color photos, check out the Collector Books - Restaurant China Vol. I by Barbara J. Conroy.

No snow in our forecast FINALLY

I finished this just this past weekend, we had a forecast of snow into Wednesday and another batch Thursday to Friday but we were spared! I started this after the first fall, coincidence?

Of course it is!

My next project is 1/4 of the way done, may be completed by this weekend.

We hit a local thrift shop today, I was very good, we donated a cart full of boxes and I left with less than 10 items for eBay. Not that I don't have thousands of items waiting to be listed already (not an exaggeration) but I do LOVE the hunt!

Booze - how it gots name

A slight diversion from the Parian posts as promised and a fast little tidbit.

August 1942 Hobbies:

The original whiskey bottle was made by a man by the name of Booz. That is how whiskey first came to be called "booze", and hence the term, Booz bottles.

Speaking of whiskey, we have two Kessler Whiskey plastic signs for collectors with some bidding activity, I misidentified the birds as pheasants in the one (you can scroll down to the bottom of that one to see where I am called out on my error in the questions area).

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=140504172651


http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=140504171327