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The Collectors Newsletter #633 -- August 2008

The Collectors Newsletter #633 -- August 2008

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1. Featured Collectors Club
2. Stories From our Readers
3. Antique News
4. Your Classifieds
5. Newly listed items
6. Funny Old Stuff
7. Wanted ads. Can you help?
8. A Vintage Recipe
9. A Vintage Recipe Request from a Reader
10. New On line Merchants
11. Helpful Resources For Collectors
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Start Your Own Home Business

This is the start of our 14th year selling antiques and collectibles online. Put the expertise of TIAS.com to work for you by starting a home based business selling antiques and collectibles online. Want to learn more? It's easy to get started selling online. Just go to http://www.MakeAShop.com . If you have any questions, give Phil a call at 1-888-653-7883 or drop us a note at support@tias.com
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1) Featured Collectors Club
Highlighting clubs of interest to collectors.

Frankoma Family Collectors Association

Frankoma Family Collectors Association is a national non-profit, educational and social organization formed in 1994 by collectors of Frankoma Pottery dedicated to the appreciation, preservation and promotion of Frankoma as a collectible. It was granted non-profit corporation status by the State of Oklahoma on January 31, 1995. Click Here: http://www.tias.com/cgi-bin/clubs.cgi?OIKey=427&listByKey=427&groupKey=1
Are you interested in Frankoma? Take a look at: http://www.tias.com/showcase/1/Porcelain_and_Pottery/Frankoma/1.html

If you are a member of a collectors club or you are looking for collectors with similar collecting interests, check out our new Collectors Club Directory at: http://cache.tias.com/cgi-bin/clubs.cgi
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2) After you read these stories, tell us your interesting story. Send your story to newsletter@tias.com and we may publish it here . We want to hear any interesting or unusual stories you would like to share with us
that are related to collecting or anything vintage.
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This is in response to Cindy in Ohio, regarding shipping prices on eBay. While I agree with her that some sellers are unscrupulous with their shipping charges, don't automatically assume that a seller is trying to rip
you off by only offering Priority. Many times the difference in price between that and other methods is very little and it is much faster. I often do this as a seller when I am selling fragile items, in order to minimize
transit time and the possibility of breakage. Also, flat-rate priority is often a very good deal for heavy items. It's a flat rate for anything that will fit in the box. Kelley in NY

--Another Story--

Just a short comment on ebay shipping charges. I have been on ebay for 12 years now and am in Canada. What most buyers don't know is that each zip code in the USA costs a different price to ship to. New York is a lot closer than California. Ebay does not allow you to specify different rates to the USA, so in my auction details I approximate the cost generally and say I will get exact shipping after the auction. I say final shipping depends on the zip code and how the buyer wants it shipped- surface mail, air mail, insurance or not. The buyer gets the exact shipping charges quoted and makes a choice. Many thousands of feedback postings later no one has complained about the shipping charges. If people have a pretty good idea of what they will be, why should they? If people choose not to bid because the item location requires higher shipping that too is fine as it can't be helped. But there's no need to cheat . I enjoy your emails, Peter.

--Another Story--

Hi ..... as everyone always says when they write to you ...... "I love the newsletter! Keep up the good work!"
I have been selling on eBay going on 8 years now. I took about a year and a half off and worked a part-time job but ended up doing eBay again this Spring. There have been some changes since I last sold stuff; some good changes and some not so good but we seem to take it all in stride. I have had numerous people buy my items and then never pay for them, which really aggravates me. It's like ..... if you're not going to pay for the item then don't bid. Duh! What's so hard to understand about that. I want to comment on the "shipping costs issue" that has been in several of the last newsletters. When I list an item I have to put a shipping cost in the auction; it's basically mandatory now. I do not box up my items until they are sold so when it comes time to put a shipping cost in my auction description I have to weigh the item and then guess how many more pounds the packing and box will weigh. When I figure the dollar amount I always use what it would cost to ship the item to the Zone 8 address, which is the most costly. If by chance the item sells to someone who is closer to me here in Iowa, or some Zone less than the Zone 8, then the costs to ship will be less. In that case then, yes, I do make a few extra bucks on what seems to be an overcharge. I have had a couple of incidents where I did refund some shipping cost back to the buyer when I was able to combine several of his purchases together into one box for a smaller shipping cost. I had charged way more than it actually took to ship the items to them because the shipping had been figured on each individual auction item. A lot of times if I have specified that I will ship Parcel Post and it turns out that there is extra money I will ship it Priority Mail instead, which gets it to the customer much faster. There is something else that buyers should keep in mind ....... as a seller I do not charge for any packing materials (bubble wrap, peanuts, tape, etc.) so if there is a little extra left over from the shipping amount remember that extra money helps pay for these expenses. Also, keep in mind that we sellers do not get a cent for the time it takes to wrap up the sold items. Today I spent better than 2 hrs. just wrapping up things. Granted, there are those sellers out there who do "gouge" on shipping costs but I feel like the majority of us try to keep everything "aboveboard" and honest. Lets face it, there are always those who abuse things but that's what the feedback is designed for, so that you can read comments from other buyers and find out what the seller is like before you bid on something. I hope that this helps clarify things to you buyers. Thanks for listening.... Janet in Iowa

--Another Story--

For those of you who wrote about the shipping charges on ebay, the rates charged by the USPS for priority shipping now vary greatly from one area to the next. For instance, a 50 lb. package Priority, from Pa to NJ is $24.40 but the same package to CA is $81.40.

We list all shipping prices as though they are going across the country since we are located on the east coast. In this manner all buyers, regardless of their location in the US, will pay the same shipping charge. The charge is clearly posted and can easily be adjusted in the bid placed by the purchaser so nothing is hidden. This levels the uneven playing field created by the shipping charge disparity.

Otherwise all bidders living near the seller have an unfair advantage. We in the east coast have a larger population density than the rest of the country so the nearby bidders have a greater potential of winning than those in less populated areas, but consider the plight of any sellers or buyers in those distant zip codes. If I charged the exact cost the west coast buyer has an immediate $81 offset. They will adjust their bid downward to accommodate the shipping but the local buyer only offsets their bid by about $24. By charging a single up front shipping charge to all, then “all” will adjust their bid downward the same amount to adjust for shipping. This I believe will create a greater potential for fair competition regardless of where you live. As a seller, fair competition will result in getting more competitors to participate. More bidders equal better selling prices.

Now that the secret is out, the advantaged close buyers will cry that they lost the ability to buy for less and therefore I am not being fair! You just cannot win when selling on ebay. Everybody else wants to keep their little edge on the competition....Charles

--Another Story--

After reading the Ebay comments on your newsletter, I had to throw in my 2 cents worth. Mostly, I do not agree with what has been written because of the anonymous factor of the sellers on Ebay. The items listed on Ebay are rarely in the condition specified and the shipping charges are 10% and the other 90% are handling charges. And returns are usually not accepted without you paying the shipping both ways. As I see it, there are too many people buying things at garage or tag sales just to list them on Ebay just to try to make a few dollars on each item as "S&H". I've asked many antique dealers if they purchase on Ebay or recommend Ebay to their customers and unequivocally they have said "no". I do believe that TIAS is a better place to search for a true vintage or antique item and definitely offers a better degree of security for buyers and sellers alike. Of course, first of all, the best way to really know what you're buying is to find it in an antique store where you can actually see and feel what you're buying before you spend your money. With counterfeits and copies flooding the markets, I don't want to get stuck with an Ebay "deal". Terry

--Another Story--

I've been casually selling on E-bay for a few years, and want to comment to those that think shipping prices are too high. Sure, there are some sellers that charge exorbitant amounts on shipping and packaging, and they should be taken to task for this practice. However, there are many like me that are lucky to break even, or even absorb some of the cost of shipping in the sale of their items to remain fair and competitive. I'm fortunate that I have a source of boxes and packing materials, which make my costs lower than most. However, I still pay for packing tape, labels, gas (to the post office) and the time in labor to wrap and transport. It is very easy to criticize sellers for trying to make a small amount on shipping & handling to cover the costs that they incur, which for many also include boxes and packing materials. Ladies and gentlemen these supplies are not cheap, and are an expense that must be added to the cost of shipping for the seller to break even. Please consider this issue from the seller's point of view as well. Thanks for allowing me to share my piece. Ed

--Another Story--

I must take issue with the letter from David in Salem Ohio. I am a long time ebay buyer and I too have had the experience of being ridiculously overcharged for shipping. I steer clear of sellers listing something in Buy-It-Now for $5.00 and then charging $12 to $15 dollars to mail it- clearly they are making up for the low price by overcharging on postage. I also understand that it involves work to find an appropriately sized box, wrap the item, etc., etc., but when someone decides to supplement their income by selling items on ebay, one would assume that they would understand that this is all part of their job as a seller. To say "If you don't like shopping on ebay, shop elsewhere"., is grossly unfair to buyers. I love shopping on ebay and have a 100% feedback rating from almost 400 sellers. I just don't appreciate sellers taking advantage. If David would be so kind as to supply his seller's ID, I would be most happy to avoid any items being sold by him. Thank You, S. Rojas
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SEND US YOUR VINTAGE STORIES OR COMMENTS ON THESE STORIES! Send them to newsletter@tias.com
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We collect interesting stories about collecting. Things like your best find, unusual collections, bizarre collectibles. Anything and everything that is interesting that has to do with collecting. We may publish it here. Send your story to newsletter@tias.com
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3) Antique News
Here are the latest news headlines about antiques and collectibles from http://www.News-Antique.com
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1. World Record Prices Set at Copley Fine Art Auctions’ Sporting Sale
Click here: http://www.news-antique.com/?id=784879&keys=Decoy-American-Artist-Folk

2. Caille Venus slot machine at Showtime sale, Oct. 10-12
Click here: http://www.news-antique.com/?id=784876&keys=caille-venus-slot-machine

3. Rare Seddon Chest of Drawers up for Auction
Click here: http://www.news-antique.com/?id=784875&keys=Seddon-chest-mahogany-Georgian

4. “Made in America: The Mather Work Incentive Posters” at International Poster Gallery
Click here: http://www.news-antique.com/?id=784873&keys=mather-poster-international-gallery

5. World Record Prices Set at Copley Fine Art Auctions’ Sporting Sale
Click here: http://www.news-antique.com/?id=784863&keys=aucution-sportingart-decoys-fineart

6. Rodeo World Champion Jim Shoulders’ Prize Saddle Available for Live Online Bidding on Proxibid
Click here: http://www.news-antique.com/?id=784862&keys=rodeo-saddle-auction-frontier

7. Surreal Paintings of Raymond A. Whyte to Star in St. Petersburg, FL
Click here: http://www.news-antique.com/?id=784861&keys=jewelry-antiques-paintings-art
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MANY more stories are added several times a day. You can read the latest news now at http://www.news-antique.com
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YES! you can put the latest DAILY news about antiques and collectibles on your Web site.
It's easy to do. Go to: http://javafeed.news-antique.com/ to get the code.
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4) Your Classifieds...

The World's First Portable Microwave
http://pages.tiasexchange.com/1437211/PictPage/3923449009.html

Do you have antiques or collectibles you are just itching to sell? A simple classified ad in this newsletter might just be your answer. Over 17,000 readers subscribe to this newsletter. One of them just might be able
to help you out. Place your ad today at: http://tinyurl.com/39eulu

Want to know what our advertisers think? Check out the testimonials at: http://tinyurl.com/8xqyw
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5) Newly listed items for your online shopping pleasure for Friday August 15, 2008 Stop by and check out today's fresh inventory at:
TIAS - http://www.tias.com/showcase
CollectorOnline - http://cgi.tias.com/showcase/?groupKey=7
AntiqueArts - http://cgi.tias.com/showcase/?groupKey=3
Earthling - http://cgi.tias.com/showcase/?groupKey=6
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6) Funny Old Stuff
This is our humor section. These are humorous family stories and comments that are sent in by readers. If you have a submission you would like to share, please send it to newsletter@tias.com and we may run it in the next issue.
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hi there! I really enjoy the newsletter when I get it and read it from top to bottom! All the stories about keeping the children's belief in Santa alive made me remember what happened to our family. We lived in a rural community and every year the Ruritans (community organization) would have one of their members dress up as Santa and ride on the fire truck to local children's houses. You had to call and sign up and leave a present outside on the porch for Santa to bring in with him. Our daughter was maybe 6 or 7 at the time and still believed. (at least that's what she told us!) Santa knocked on the door and all you could see was his big white beard in the glass window of the door, she would not open the door and screamed and ran to her room. We all laughed, let him in and coaxed her back out and onto his lap. It wasn't too hard once she saw who it was and that he had a present. She proceeded to tell him about her cat (AJ) who could not drink too much milk because it gave him the scoots. LOL The following year, we knew she was losing her belief but we had Santa stop by anyway. She was very dubious, but when he sat down with her and asked about AJ she was so shocked! It was the same fellow and he made a believer out of her for a little while longer.

--Another--

This has nothing to do with antiques, but it did make me laugh. I went to pick up my daughter and my granddaughter Jamie. She was 4 at the time. When she got into the car I noticed that she was angry about something. When I ask her what was wrong. She said she was mad at her mother. When I ask why she said she was punished. And she would not tell me what she had done. After her mother explained. I turned to Jamie and said: Well honey if you would be good all the time you would not be getting into trouble. She made a big sigh. and said "I can't be good all the time I'm just a little kid." The sigh was what did it.
Stephie
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We need stories for our humor section. Tell us some funny, family related stories and we'll share them with our readers. Send them to newsletter@tias.com
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Do you have a funny family story you would like to share? Make someone feel good by sharing it with us. Send it to newsletter@tias.com and we may publish it here.
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7) Wanted ads. Can you help?
Here are the latest wanted ads from the TIAS Exchange. Can you help someone out?
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WANTED: Needed 1-5 Thomas Bavaria Briarcliffe dessert plates
http://pages.tiasexchange.com/1410506/PictPage/3923446522.html
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GET YOUR WANTED AD HERE! Just $10 and we'll send it out to 17,000 people who get this newsletter. Go to http://www.tias.com/cgi-bin/submitClassified.cgi
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Looking for something? Place a "Wanted" ad in this newsletter. Over 17,000 subscribers will see it. It's easy, go to: http://www.tias.com/cgi-bin/submitClassified.cgi
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9) A Vintage Recipe
Be sure to check out our vintage recipe archive online at: http://www.tias.com/newsletter/topics/A%20Vintage%20Recipe.html Over 1200 wonderful vintage recipes are listed.

In our last issue Barry requested a recipe for "potato Chips". We had one response.
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Hi ya’ll,

Love ya’lls newsletter; look forward to it coming each time it is in the box!

Barry asked for old-fashioned; Potato chips. This may not be what he wants but this is what we call tater chips.

I do this the same way my great grandmother and grandmother did it and even use the same big black iron skillet. I inherited it from my mama. Family story goes it was my great-great-grandmothers but I have no one to confirm that cause they are all gone now.

Wash, dry and slice thin whole Irish taters into desired thickness. If the tater is bakin’ size I cut it length wise and then slice it. We like ‘em not so thin and still wearing their skin. I fry them up in shortening (Chrisco) when I have it or veggie oil if I don’t. I don’t know how hot cause I just put one in and see if it will fry. I use medium heat on my letric stove. I always salt the grease because it keeps the popin’ down if the taters have too much moisture in ‘em. Cook till browned turn and brown the other side. Ya gotta watch ‘em close cause they burn easy. Drain ‘em on paper towels. I don’t know how to store any cause at our house there are never any left over.

Grannie and Nana used old worn out but clean feed sacks to drain ‘em on. (For you youngsters grain used to come in cloth sacks so did flour but we made clothes out of them cause they had pretty designs on them. Yes, really) Cause there weren’t such things as paper towels until much later in their lives and that was a terrible expense cause you couldn’t reuse ‘em. I learned a lot of my reuse and recycle ways from them. Back then you used it up and wore it out before you got another anything. Back then we were thought of just as CHEAP or frugal not GREEN (grin) like I am today. They would be proud of my greenness only they would say isn’t she thrifty!

Oh yeah about the potato chips today we season the chips sometimes with herbs and such. My husband likes ‘em with ketchup. I like ‘em plain with fresh ground black pepper. Sometimes I also make chips with sweet potatoes. See chips are not that hard to make just powerful time consuming. Watchin’ and Keepin’ ‘em from burnin’ and all that standin’ over a hot stove. Makes a body hungry. Hey I got some nice organic local sweet potatoes. I think I’ll go make some chips. Sometime ask me how to make the oven baked chips strips. J

Hope that helps Barry with his homemade potato chips craving,

Mitzi Crawford East Bend, NC

--Another Recipe--

Homestyle Potato chips
4 medium potatoes, peeled and sliced paper-thin
3 tablespoons salt
1 quart oil for deep frying
DIRECTIONS
Place potato slices into a large bowl of cold water as you slice. Drain, and rinse, then refill the bowl with water, and add the salt. Let the potatoes soak in the salty water for at least 30 minutes. Drain, then rinse and drain again.
Heat oil in a deep-fryer to 365 degrees F (185 degrees C). Fry potato slices in small batches. Once they start turning golden, remove and drain on paper towels. Continue until all of the slices are fried. Season with additional salt if desired.
Carol- Cullman,AL
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If you enjoy these vintage recipes, you should buy a vintage cookbook from us. They make great gifts too. Take a look at: http://www.tias.com/cookbooks
Buy a Vintage Kitchen collectible from us. We've got lots of them here: http://www.tias.com/kitchen
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10) A vintage recipe request from a reader
As with collectibles, people also have very strong feelings about foods from their past. Sometimes these special recipes get lost. This section is to help people who are looking for lost recipes from their past. If you
submit a request, please include the geographical region where you had this recipe.
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When I was little I hated to eat fish. We had fish every Friday. My mom tried all sorts of recipes, but we three kids would always fuss. Then she came up with a recipe where the fish was marinaded before it was baked and we loved it. I remember it was slightly sweet. Does anyone have a marinade recipe for fish that they could share? Thanks, Becky
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If you can help this reader with this recipe, please forward it to recipes@tias.com . If you have a vintage recipe request send it to recipes@tias.com and we might just publish it here.
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Be sure to check out our vintage kitchen collectibles section online at: http://www.tias.com/kitchen
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11) New Online Merchants
Be sure to check out all of the fresh inventory offered by these new merchants at TIAS.
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The Eclectic Exchange
http://www.tias.com/stores/eclecticexchange
Welcome to The Eclectic Exchange! Here you will find a variety of Quality Antique, Vintage and Collectibles! Items often include Antique Porcelain, Majolica, Vintage Toys and MANY Collectible Figurines! Josef Originals, Limoges, Goebel, Lladro, Occupied Japan...
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This year, open your own online Antique & Collectible Shop. If you have one or a few items to sell, try our classifieds at http://www.tiasexchange.com. If you have more than a few items to sell, open your own store at TIAS. It's easy and fun. Over 160,000 customers visit us on an average day. It costs you nothing to get started. Take a look at: http://www.makeashop.com
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12) Helpful Resources:
1. Find an antiques or collectibles club. Nearly 2000 different clubs listed. Take a look at: http://www.tias.com/cgi-bin/clubs.cgi

2. What's it worth? Try Kovels' free online price guide to over 600,000 antiques and collectibles. It can be found online at http://www.kovels.com

3. Make money with your Web site. Join the TIAS.com affiliate program today. Go to http://www.tias.com/affiliates/

4. Looking for prices for antiques and collectibles? PriceMiner.com has millions of them. Most items listed include color photos as well. Sign up today at: http://tinyurl.com/c6oqc (Not affiliated with Kovels.com)

5. Get an online appraisal. For just $9.95 from "What's It Worth To You?" http://www.whatsitworthtoyou.com/tias.htm (Not affiliated with Kovels.com)

6. The Latest News regarding Antiques & Collectibles Take a look at http://www.news-antique.com
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Thanks for reading. Feel free to forward this to a friend. To subscribe to this newsletter go to: http://www.tias.com/subscribe Please note that stories and recipes from readers are not checked for accuracy. They may be edited prior to publication. For questions or comments, you can reach us at newsletter@TIAS.com ©1995-2008 TIAS.com Inc.

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