Monday, December 31, 2007

3 Tips to Follow When Purchasing the Right Airsoft Gun

Nerode Abraham offers the following royalty-free article for you to publish online or in print.
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Article Title: 3 Tips to Follow When Purchasing the Right Airsoft Gun
Author: Nerode Abraham
Category: Extreme, Collecting, Shopping
Word Count: 520
Keywords: airsoft guns, airsoft shotgun, airsoft machine gun, airsoft, gas powerd airsoft gun
Author's Email Address: admin@projectsecuritycorp.com
Article Source: http://www.articlemarketer.com
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Airsofting requires some very specific equipment. Depending on what kind of Airsofter you are, you might need special camouflaged clothing, and you will definitely need a helmet, some gloves, and some padding because airsoft pellets do not live up to their name when they are coming at you at high velocities. The most important piece of equipment you will need to purchase, of course, is your airsoft gun. When buying an airsoft gun there are two basic things you will want to already know when you go into the airsoft supply store: what kind of airsoft gun you want and how much power and speed you want your airsoft gun to have.

Airsoft guns come with three different types of power: spring power, electric power and gas power. The spring airsoft guns are good for people who are just starting out as airsofters because while they are not the most powerful gun in use, they do not require knowledge of the external power sources the other two types of guns rely on. Electric airsoft guns are the most popular and easy to get type of airsoft gun. These guns use a rechargeable battery that powers an electric motor which works the internal parts that shoot the airsoft pellets. Gas airsoft guns use a pressurized gas to shoot the airsoft pellets and these are the most powerful of the three major types of airsoft guns, and these use Green Gas and HFC-134a.

Now that you know how you want your airsoft gun to be powered, you will want to choose which model of airsoft gun you want to buy: an airsoft rifle, an airsoft piston, an airsoft shotgun or an airsoft machine gun. The guns used in airsofting are modeled after real guns and often the only way to tell them apart is by the orange marks on the barrels and the airsoft logos that are sometimes printed on airsoft guns. There are a lot of places that you can buy airsoft guns online, but the best way to get the best deals on these airsoft guns is to try an airsoft forum. The forums will have tons of information about where the best deals are had and who the most reputable sellers are.

If forums arent your thing, you can always do a google search. Most of the sites that are listed when doing an airsoft guns search are going to be airsoft gun retailers who sell the airsoft guns and airsoft equipment. A quick perusal of the first few links should be enough to get you outfitted and on your way!

Airsofting is become more and more popular every day. Some people might confuse it with paintball, but airsofting is more of a simulated military action game with complicated maneuvers and goals while paintball is a last man standing wins the game kind of activity. People interest in airsofting should read up on the different rules of the game as well as gaining some technical knowledge of the equipment that is used before joining in the game.

Nerode Abraham is a martial arts and airsoft enthusiast, and has done extensive research on the area of airsoft. You can find out more and purchase self defense products including Airsoft Shotguns at Nerodes website http://www.projectsecuritycorp.com/airsoft-shotguns.html
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Friday, December 28, 2007

Taste Your Way to an Affordable, Well-Stocked Wine Cellar

Randy Gilbert offers the following royalty-free article for you to publish online or in print.
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Article Title: Taste Your Way to an Affordable, Well-Stocked Wine Cellar
Author: Randy Gilbert
Category: Wine and Spirits, Collecting, Shopping
Word Count: 736
Keywords: wine, wine cellar, wine collector, wine collection, buying tips for wine, wine guide, buying wine
Author's Email Address: drproactive.mail@gmail.com
Article Source: http://www.articlemarketer.com
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Does the phrase "wine collector" conjure up an image of a millionaire living in a large home with a temperature-controlled room dedicated to holding fine wines?

It shouldn't. If you buy wine, you are a wine collector.

First off, you don't have to have a special room dedicated to storing your wine. As long as you keep your stash in a quiet, dark, coolish place where bottles can lay on their sides, you have a wine cellar. It could be under the bed, on the closet floor, in a refrigerated cooler, or in a basement room.

Secondly, you don't have to be rich to stock your "cellar" with fine wines; you just have to be smart. The operative concept is taste the wines and decide for your self. Doing your own tasting "homework" is an essential part of accumulating a wine cellar that you will enjoy.

Be aware that higher price does not necessarily mean the wine is better or that you will like it more than a less expensive wine. I live by the motto, "if you can't taste the difference, don't pay the difference."

In general, you will stock your cellar with three categories of wine. First are the table wines you drink within the first 12 to 24 months, before they lose their youthful fruitiness. These are your favorite everyday wines for under $15 a bottle. A whopping 90% of the wines produced in the world fall into this category!

Next are the mid-priced wines that can be drunk now, but will benefit from time in bottle. These are special occasion wines costing $15 to $25 a bottle. Keep them for about five years and they will have slightly more varied aromas and flavors. These reflect 9% of all the wines in the world.

And the last 1% of your stock is reserved for rare wines. It's not for everyone, but collecting some special vintage year bottles -- the age worthy ones that only get better with age -- can be a fine investment.

Here are six strategies to use so you don't have to empty your wallet in order to fill up your cellar with your favorite wines.

1. Experiment with less familiar grape varieties for bargains. Take the road less traveled and try wines you have never heard of. For example, the low-priced premier red of Portugal, called Bairrada, or South Africa's Pinotage might be unfamiliar, but they often deliver as good a quality and taste as the more expensive wines of California or Australia.

2. Find understudies for your favorite wines and you can save 20% to 30%. For example, when you need a stand in for Chardonnay, try Spain's top white, Albarino, or let Malbec from Argentina go on stage, and give Cabernet the night off.

3. Buy the "next door neighbor." Seek out wines from up-and-coming areas adjacent to famous vineyards and save a bundle. These well-made wines are easy on the wallet and offer real value. So start tasting Merlot-based blends - not from pricey St Emilion and Pomerol - but from their neighboring areas.

4. Sniff out the "wanna-bees." Megastar Tom Cruise went from being paid $75,000 as a wanna-be to getting $75 million for his three "Mission Impossibles." Your mission, if you accept it, is to find those budding megastar wines before they become famous and unaffordable. For example, a bottle of Elyse Cabernet, sold for just $14.50 in 2000, and is now at $56 and climbing.

5. Ask specifically for "second labels" of famous red wines from Bordeaux and Cabernet and Bordeaux-like blends from California. These are premium wines made from grapes that just weren't quite good enough to go into the top brand, but they are dead ringers for their more privileged cousins -- only they're about one-third the price.

6. Buy famous wines in poor vintages. World-class wine producers have to ruthlessly cull out poor grapes in off vintages to make excellent wines. Still yet, off vintages are priced lower than wines from an ideal growing season. Their loss is your gain.

Remember, you can be a wine collector and not have to pay a lot for the pleasure. Follow the 6 strategies provided and they will give you affordable drinking now, and in the years ahead.

The author, Dr Proactive Randy Gilbert, host at Inside Success Radio, interviewed Christine Ansbacher, a leading authority on wine tasting, toasting, buying, storing, and enjoying wine. Get her free audio on Instant Wine Savvy at http://InstantWineSavvy.com
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Wednesday, December 26, 2007

Out of Pocket - Collecting Pocket Knives

William Doggett offers the following royalty-free article for you to publish online or in print.
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Article Title: Out of Pocket - Collecting Pocket Knives
Author: William Doggett
Category: Collecting, Hobbies
Word Count: 796
Keywords: pocket knife, pocket knives, knife, knives
Author's Email Address: Cole@empire-cole.com
Article Source: http://www.articlemarketer.com
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Pocket knives (that are sometimes referred to as Jack Knives, Pen Knives, Folding Knives or Multi-Blades) have been manufactured commercially in America since about the middle 19th century.

Different Blades Today -

The blades themselves are pretty much the same as they were then, with slight variations depending on where you find your knife. Two different finishes were used on older knife blades, glaze and crocus. A glaze finish, the abrasive glued onto the final polishing wheel so that the edges and lines look clean. Inexpensive blades are polished by drum tumbling, which produces a very respectable looking finish that is almost impossible to fake.

Glaze Finishes -

For a glaze finish, the abrasive glued onto the final polishing wheel was of a very fine powdered emery. A true glaze finish, sometimes called a 'blue glaze', looks like a series of very fine, even parallel lines at right angles to the main cutting edge of the blade. There are collectors and dealers who fail to recognize this as an original finish and insist on buffing it out.

Crocus Finish -

For the crocus finish, the abrasive on the final wheel was crocus of iron, an extremely fine-powdered iron oxide. A crocus polish is known as a mirror finish. It's smooth and shiny and shows undistorted reflections. By contrast, a rag wheel polish yields a wavy surface and distorted reflections.

Don't Be Fooled -

To avoid being fooled by a reworked knife, it's important to understand that no old-time commercial knife factory ever used rag buffing wheels. An old knife blade or handle that shows the softened edges and slightly wavy surface produced by rag wheel buffing has certainly been reworked.

The glaze finish was standard on all low-priced knives, including most plain jack knives and a crocus polish was sometimes used all around on the very finest pearl-handled dress knives, often referred to as "Sunday go-to-meetin' knives".

Collecting Pocket Knives -

If you are hoping to be a serious collector, it is essential that you learn to recognize authentic crocus and glaze finishes. An experienced dealer or collector could show you the difference. A picture on the Internet or in a book will only take you so far in knowing what the difference between a real and a fake pocket knife is and what it will do to your collection.

There are many different handle materials to choose from for your pocket knives. The most popular is the pearl or mother-of-pearl handle, which is made from the inner lining of certain mollusk shells. A similar one is the abalone shell which is made from the inner lining of a gastropod shell.

What Handles are Made of -

Now on the endangered list and are not supposed to be hunted, ivory handles are hard to come by. There are faux ivory handles available. Walrus ivory, because of its crystalline appearing core, is only popular with handmade knives and is also rare a find, mostly in Alaska and the Russian Arctic.

Tortoise shell, Black Buffalo horn, and Gray or Green Buffalo horns all make beautiful handles and are a little easier to come by than the ivory.

A Genuine Stag is by far the most common pocket knife handle there is, cut of deer or other animal antlers. Sometimes the color is enhanced with dye, which can give off an orange hue.

The shin bone of cattle makes a Smooth White Bone and can be readily distinguished from ivory by its many tiny pores and lack of grain.

Cheap Handles -

Hard rubber is not usually used on pocket knives and celluloid is probably the cheapest and most often used today to cut the cost of pocket knives down. Celluloid was the first molded synthetic plastic, and can be made in many colors. It can also be fabricated to simulate most natural materials, including ivory, horn, pearl, tortoise shell and wood. This amazing celluloid can also be made transparent to cover photographs laid on the pocketknife, such as an Indian warrior or a hunting dog.

The recent sharp increase in prices for antique pocketknives, as well as other antique knives, has made clever counterfeiting a profitable business.

Counterfeit Knives -

The majority of counterfeit knives are real knives; however there are some knives that aren't even knives at all! Their blades have never seen heat, their edges never sharpened. Nonetheless, counterfeit knives are all about the markings, the finish and the handle materials. Remember, a low-quality knife with a high-quality name or marking is almost always a fake.

There are many sources, such as books, magazines and the Internet which will show you the real McCoy verses the counterfeit pocket knives. Caution and skepticism should be your tools when beginning and maintaining your collection of pocket knives, but they should not ruin your enjoyment of this fascinating hobby.

William "Cole" Doggett is a knife expert and owns an Internet knife shop, Knife & Supply Company, LLC at http://www.KnifeSupplyCompany.com. His website is devoted to all things pocket knives, swords, kitchen cutlery, sharpeners, machetes and a wealth of information. Stop by!
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Monday, December 24, 2007

How To Refine Silver Using Household Chemicals

Mirko Davidovic offers the following royalty-free article for you to publish online or in print.
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Article Title: How To Refine Silver Using Household Chemicals
Author: Mirko Davidovic
Category: Collecting, Science
Word Count: 717
Keywords: silver, refining, gold, collecting, prospecting, hedge against inflation
Author's Email Address: mirko@fyi4u.net
Article Source: http://www.articlemarketer.com
------------------ ARTICLE START ------------------

Throughout history silver has played a major role in all aspects of society. It has been used as a metal of choice for currencies, barter and trade. The bourgeois used it as a metering wealth status. Advances in medicine, electronics and others, are made largely to unique properties of silver.

Silver, along side with gold, are the two precious metals sought after. The supplies are dwindling, while the demand is reaching an all time high.

Not surprisingly, the price of silver has more than tripled in recent years. Both silver and gold are the commodity to hedge against the falling dollar. It is becoming a "must-have" in personal investment portfolios.

Scrap silver is all around us. It comes from variety of sources with diversified metal purity. This article is designed to refine your own silver using readily available household chemicals. The methods you are about to be introduced to will produce more than 99% of pure silver!

The first step in refining is to dissolve the silver. The best way is to use dilute Nitric Acid. Good concentration is around 40 - 50%. Concentrated Nitric Acid is one chemical that will be hard to obtain.

Since 9/11 the availability of Nitric Acid has been drastically reduced and for a good reason. Nitric Acid is one of the main components to make explosives.

For our refining purpose we will need relatively small amount of Nitric Acid. To make this, we will use concentrated Sulfuric Acid. Sulfuric Acid is commonly used as a liquid drain opener, readily available from any hardware store. The one that we will use is more than 95 percent pure. The second ingredient needed is Sodium Nitrate. It is readily available fertilizer from any gardening store.

Pour 200ml of hot distilled water to a pre-heated 1liter Pyrex container, 1 quart mason jar will work. Add approx. 400 gm of Sodium Nitrate to dissolve (Potassium Nitrate can be used as well). Once the Nitrate is completely dissolved allow it to cool down well below the boiling point, but still hot.

To this solution SLOWLY add 110 ml conc. Sulfuric Acid while stirring. Do not allow the solution to boil. Cool the solution to room temperature.

Place the jar in the freezer and allow the solution to reach ~ -5 degrees Celsius. Once all of the precipitate has settled, pour off the solution to a glass container with a tightly sealed lid. Discard the precipitate. (Make sure not to transfer any of the sulfate salt) You have just made over 300ml of ~ 50% Nitric Acid.

Fair Word Of Caution! You are dealing with concentrated acids. Take all safety precautions when dealing with concentrated acids. Make sure you wear rubber gloves, face shield and protective clothing. If you spill any of the acid, wash with plenty of water.

To refine Silver, dissolve several ounces of scrap metal in Nitric Acid. This will take some time, but make sure that all of the metal is in solution. Heating the solution will speed up the reaction. Do Not Boil.

Filter the solution using several coffee filters, keeping the clear solution. The Silver dissolved is in the form of Silver Nitrate.

The easiest way to get the Silver to drop out of the solution is to use Copper. Copper pipe, plate or any piece of solid copper will do.

Suspend the Copper, using household twine in the acid solution. A white-grayish precipitate will start to accumulate around the copper.

Tap gently the suspended Copper, and the Silver precipitate will sink to the bottom. What you are doing here is replacing the Silver Nitrate with Copper Nitrate, causing Silver to drop out of the solution.

Allow the solution to sit overnight and all of the precipitate will settle to the bottom.

The remaining solution should be crystal-blue in color. If not, use more Copper to get all of the Silver out. Filter the solution using several coffee filters, this time keeping the precipitate. Wash it several times using distilled water.

There should not be any blue Copper Nitrate around the filter. Discard the spent solution and dry the filtrate. This precipitate is Silver.

Place the dry precipitate in a crucible or a small graphite container. In a circular motion, using a torch, melt the precipitate in nuggets or the desired shape.

The result is over 99% pure Silver!

Mirko Davidovic is CEO of http://www.fyi4u.net and winemakingplus.com, with formal education in Chemical Eng.Tech.,Biochemistry and Psychology.

Here is a unique way to accumulate Silver and Gold Never before possible.
http://www.4r6s.com/SLG1.htm
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Monday, December 17, 2007

Table Refinishing, A Great Way To Stretch Your Furniture Budget

John VerHines offers the following royalty-free article for you to publish online or in print.
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Article Title: Table Refinishing, A Great Way To Stretch Your Furniture Budget
Author: John VerHines
Category: Home Improvement, Collecting, Home
Word Count: 508
Keywords: Table,Tables,,Refinish,Refinishing,Refinisher, Refinished, furniture
Author's Email Address: gramco@mac.com
Article Source: http://www.articlemarketer.com
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Table refinishing is a great idea that almost everyone can benefit from, and there are as many kinds and styles of tables as you can possibly think of. Many different kinds and materials to choose from too. There are end tables, dinette tables tilt top tables step tables wood ones metal ones wicker and rattan, Thomas Chippendale tables, Duncan Fife tables too, and Sheridan tables as well, just to name a few, and every one can be refinished several times. By far the most common table to refinish would be a type of classic wooden table.

Trees have been friend of man because they provide Wood a beautiful and renewable resource that has been used for thousands of years. Wood continues to be a great choice and is the material we are focusing on today. Of the millions of wood tables in use today that could be successfully Refinished, many will be discarded for no better reason than their owners don't know what to do to keep them in good and condition.

In grandpa's day, the idea of discarding otherwise good stuff just because of issues of wear was unthinkable. Thankfully there has been a movement toward better stewardship and most people have understood how bad the disposable mindset of the eighties and nineties was. When a good table begins to wear and the finish becomes ugly, the worn finish may be removed and another fresh finish can be reapplied, this is what is meant when we speak of refinishing.

The variety of finish colors and glosses are endless. Often through refinishing your table it can take on the appearance of an altogether different table, unrecognizable to most as the previous piece. For example, in the 1960's the use of early American decor called for an extremely orange color that was commonly used on birch and maple tables. The early American stain became so identified with that period that when the early American phase passed, nobody seemed to want those old orange maple tables, so we refinished hundreds of them.

Then again around 1974 dark pine came into fashion, most people never even noticed that the same tables from the sixties were now being finished and refinished in a color more in keeping with the design trend of the day and millions of tables continued to be sold with almost no design change, the only real difference was the finish color of the wood. In the eighties the trend toward cherry reached it's apex and furniture colors changed once again.

So it becomes understandable, that when one owns good tables that have become a worn, it makes sense to refinish. Although great tables are available at fine stores today, the old tables typically offer well-seasoned wood, good quality joints and workmanship of a higher quality than most made now, so you should think twice before you decide to spend your hard earned cash for new ones, and you too can enjoy better quality tables for less money than you thought possible if you remember to refinish rather than replace.

John VerHines,of Gramco furniture restoration, a Michigan furniture refinishing co. with over 40 years experience in furniture restoration, refinishing, repair. For furniture restoration in Michigan you can visit http://www.gramcorestoration.com copyright 2006Gramco Furniture
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Become A Pro At Spotting Antiques

Derek Both offers the following royalty-free article for you to publish online or in print.
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Article Title: Become A Pro At Spotting Antiques
Author: Derek Both
Category: Collecting
Word Count: 416
Keywords: antique
Author's Email Address: cbullock@webrepairservice.co.uk
Article Source: http://www.articlemarketer.com
------------------ ARTICLE START ------------------

Unless you are an expert it can be very difficult to spot an antique and whether it is valuable or not. This is particularly difficult with furniture as some woods are designed to look aged when they may in fact be brand new. There are several tips you can adopt however which can successfully help you to determine whether you are literally sitting on a fortune or not.

Whilst no two antique dealers or shops will agree on what an antique actually is, typically it is described as a piece of furniture with special value because of its age. This is where the disagreements start with some people classifying something that is 50 years old as an antique and others arguing that it needs to be 150 years old to fall into this category.

The first clue that you may have some antique furniture is to look at the joinery on it. Machine - cut furniture wasn't made until about 1860 so if it looks handmade then you can almost be guaranteed that you have an antique. You can normally spot this by how precisely put on and spaced out the dovetails on the drawers are. If they look perfect then you can be pretty sure that it was made by a machine.

How the furniture has been finished is another very good indicator of whether the furniture is an antique or not. Until the Victorian times shellac was the only clear surface finish that was available until 1860 when lacquer and varnish were developed. If the finish is shellac, oil, wax, milk paint or has been French polished then you may very well have a piece of antique furniture in your hands.

If you have been unable to identify any of the above clues then a final test that can be carried out is to look at the type of wood that has been used to build the furniture. If it is made from oak then it is likely to be antique as this was used predominantly before 1700. From then onwards mahogany and walnut were commonly used so this is likely to signify a more modern piece of furniture.

If these tips are followed then it should be fairly easy to determine if your furniture is antique or not. If you discover that it is then your options are either to go to a dealer to have it valued or to simply keep it in the exact same place as you have always done.

Conquest House is a beautiful treasure house with a wide variety of antiques for every pocket. http://www.conquesthouseantiques.co.uk has all you need from the Georgian, Victorian, Edwardian to Early Twentieth Century ages.
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Thursday, December 13, 2007

Simple Dinner Sets Go A Long Way

Anna Stenning offers the following royalty-free article for you to publish online or in print.
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Article Title: Simple Dinner Sets Go A Long Way
Author: Anna Stenning
Category: Collecting, Food and Drink
Word Count: 548
Keywords: Dinner sets
Author's Email Address: anna@highposition.net
Article Source: http://www.articlemarketer.com
------------------ ARTICLE START ------------------

The time has come when Christmas is only just around the corner and you still have to go shopping to buy presents, decorations, food, Christmas tree etc. You begin to panic as you have realised that you have to buy a completely new range of dinner sets as your old sets have chipped, washed out or cracked. On the other hand, maybe this is your first Christmas dinner to cook for the family and friends, and you have no dishware to serve your dinner.

This year I have noticed a new trend in simple dinner sets and fine crockery for special occasions. People prefer to purchase simple earthenware designs that match well with plain shades of place mats, napkin with a simple napkin ring and long tinted glasses. Putting a simple spread out for Christmas can be more effective than spending huge amounts of money on expensive dishware and tablecloths that will only be used once or twice in a year.

Dinner sets are something that have been around for more than a century, but have not always been a fashion accessory at the dinner table. Having the right set for a special occasion appears to be an essential part of the preparation process for a big meal such as Christmas. It is not enough now to view dishware as just a tool to eat food from; the design of the plate plays an important part in displaying the appeal of the food and its presentation. It is more common now to serve food on plain white plates than it was during the 1980s whereby flower patterned plates were more popular.

History

Historically dinner sets were made from wood, metals, pewter and even animal skulls. Modern dishware is made from stoneware, earthenware, porcelain, glass and melamine resin. The Chinese had discovered the process of making porcelain around 600AD and had begun trading porcelain objects with the European during the 1300s. Owning porcelain made plates was a must-have for the Europeans. It was not until 1708 that a German potter in Meissen discovered the Chinese porcelain making process, beginning a new range of great European potteries.

Some of the most popular and best-known potters were also founded during this period. Famous brands such as Royal Saxon, Wedgewood, Royal Copenhagen and Spode. The practise of collecting souvenir plates was not popularised until 1800s by Patrick Palmer-Thomas, a Dutch-English nobleman who impressed Victorian audiences with his public displays of plates. The first collectible items 'Behind the Frozen Window', was credited to the Danish namely Bing and Grondahl.
Christmas designed plates were then produced by many of the European countries particularly that of Royal Copenhagen and the Rosenthal series in 1910. It was not long before the European designs were introduced to the U.S with sales going up in souvenir shops, department stores and gift shops.

Plates are still used as a collectible item, mainly for older generations rather than the younger culture. Some popular collectibles are usually from abroad with intricate paintings of the countries national customs captured onto the dish. With different shapes and thickness available, dishwares are an important element in keeping up a good appearance of one's efforts on producing a good spread and the most popular designs are simple with a few small accessories to jazz it up.

Anna Stenning has a large collection of dinner sets and designer plates from around the globe. She purchases her finest sets from http://www.denby.co.uk
------------------ ARTICLE END ------------------

10 Great Cents

Kip Goldhammer offers the following royalty-free article for you to publish online or in print.
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Article Title: 10 Great Cents
Author: Kip Goldhammer
Category: Collecting, Investing, Finance
Word Count: 1495
Keywords: U.S. Coins,coins, coin collecting, rare coins, coin links, Ancient coins, bullion, world coins
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------------------ ARTICLE START ------------------

It is safe to say there have been many important coins in the history of the cent denomination. Ranging from expensive and scarce to rather available and inexpensive, important cents take a number of forms, making the top 10 an interesting and diverse group.

The cent was a high priority for the U.S. Mint from its start, with the first cents being minted for circulation in 1793, the year after the Mint opened. Here's my list of the 10 best that have been produced since then.

1. The design of the 1793 Flowing Hair chain cent is credited to Henry Voight. It shows Liberty facing left, with a chain reverse of 15 links-one for each state in the Union. An estimated 5,000 to 10,000 were minted with an abbreviated inscription, "UNITED STATES OF AMERI." The remainder of this 36,103-mintage coin carried "AMERICA."

No sooner had the first cents appeared than the critics came out in force. Particularly offensive to some were the chains. The idea was to show unity, but to some the chain represented captivity. The 1793 Flowing Hair chain cent is extremely popular today. It is usually found well-worn. The demand is always far in excess of the supply, which means even a Good-4 commands a $7,750 price tag.

2. Next is the 1856 Flying Eagle cent. In fact, the 1856 Flying Eagle cent is technically a pattern, as the Flying Eagle cent was not even authorized until 1857.

The 1856 Flying Eagle cent was basically a test of a new, smaller cent that would not have an intrinsic value anywhere near its face value. Therefore, it was a bold departure from prior practice. The first 1,000 were given out to congressmen and others in influence in an attempt to win its approval.

It was coined for circulation into 1858, and collectors soon realized the 1856 was far tougher than the 1857 or the 1858. The Mint at the time was a very different sort of place and collectors wanting an 1856 Flying Eagle cent simply went to the Mint and asked for one. The Mint cheerfully provided the coins. We cannot be sure of the initial mintage, but most put it at somewhere between 1,500 and 3,500.

Over the years the 1856 has not been dismissed as a pattern. From the start it was seen as a prized addition to a cent collection. As such, the coins were selling for $1 each as early 1859.

The 1856 was hoarded by the wealthy collectors of the late 1800s and early 1900s, with famous hoards in some cases topping 500 examples. The significance of those hoards can be seen in today's list price of $6,250 for an 1856 in G-4. The 1856 ranks as a truly significant coin not only because it is scarce but also because it opened the door to the idea of a small cent.

3. In 1859 an entirely new cent appeared with James B. Longacre's Indian Head obverse. The 1859 was important as a one-year transitional piece. The following year the design on the reverse was changed to show an oak wreath and a small shield.

Fortunately, despite only being produced for one year, the 1859 had a high mintage of 36,400,000. It is available today at $12.50 in G-4, $215 in Mint State-60, and $3,200 in MS-65.

4. The 1877 Indian Head cent is next on my list. It had a mintage of 852,500 and was quickly recognized as being scarce. It remains tough today, listing at $590 in G-4, $2,850 in MS-60, and $8,750 in MS-65.

5. The 1908-S Indian Head cent is important for a very simple reason. It was the first cent to be produced at any facility other than Philadelphia. Until a couple years earlier, there had been a stipulation in the law that coins containing no gold or silver could only be produced at Philadelphia. That somewhat unusual idea had been the result of Western mining interests who wanted nothing to do with coins not containing the metals they were mining. That feeling was especially strong during the 1870s, when the price of silver was declining.

Finally, in the early 1900s, the law was changed, as lower denominations were needed even in the West, and having them shipped from Philadelphia when there were mints in San Francisco and Denver was ridiculous.

The 1908-S was the first cent to be produced in San Francisco, with Denver joining in with cent production starting in 1911.

It is clear the 1908-S was noticed as it was saved in some numbers, making it available today at just $60 in G-4, $275 in MS-60, and $650 in MS-65. The price of a G-4 is unusually close to the MS-60 simply because the 1908-S was a bigger deal than we might think today and that meant significant saving at the time it was released.

6. The 1909 V.D.B. Lincoln cent is also a coin of great importance. Prior to the 1909 V.D.B. no circulating coin of the United States had depicted a famous American. Although Washington had already appeared on the 1900 Lafayette commemorative silver dollar, the idea of not using depictions of real Americans on circulating coins dated from his time. He had joined the House of Representatives in blocking the use of his image on coins.

This held until Teddy Roosevelt came along with the idea that the centennial of Lincoln's birth should be noted on a circulating coin. The artist selected by Roosevelt, Victor D. Brenner, contributed to the fame of the first Lincoln cent by having his initials on the reverse.

Officials had actually approved that idea, but when they saw the first Lincoln cent they changed their minds and the V.D.B. was ordered removed. Before the initials could be removed, 27,995,000 of the new 1909 V.D.B. cents had been produced at Philadelphia, which was enough to make them available today at just $9.50 for an MS-60 and $100 for an MS-65.

The price indicates the heavy saving. Like the 1908-S, the 1909 V.D.B. was much more important than we might think. Many opposed the idea of using famous Americans on the circulating coins, but eventually the nation's coinage would become literally a portrait gallery of historic figures. That all started with the 1909 Lincoln cent.

7. The 1909-S V.D.B. Lincoln cent can probably be best described as the 1877 of the following century. What is special about the 1909-S V.D.B. is that it had a mintage of just 484,000 before the order came down to remove the initials. That made it instantly a valuable and popular cent.

The 1909-S V.D.B. was readily saved as can be seen in the numbers of examples available today in grades like About Uncirculated-50 and up. Even so, generation after generation of collectors have tried to find a 1909-S V.D.B. in circulation, making it the most desired coin by collectors for years. The 1909-S V.D.B. lists for $550 in G-4, $1,300 in MS-60, and $6,750 in MS-65.

8. The cents of 1943 are special as they are really souvenirs of World War II. In an attempt to conserve copper for the war effort, it was decided that an alternative alloy for the cent was needed and that turned out to be zinc-coated steel.

The new steel cents, which were subject to rusting, were unpopular with the public. The 1943 zinc-coated steel cents would be produced for just one year, with cents of the next couple years being made from recycled shell cases.

The 1943 zinc-coated steel cents, though readily available at low prices, are popular today because of their link to the war. A set of three MS-65 examples from Philadelphia, San Francisco and Denver can be had for around $25.

9. The numismatic world was surprised back in 1955 by the discovery that some 1955 cents were doubled on the obverse. The 1955 doubled-die cent was a national sensation and it has kept its popularity. Prices today range from $1,350 in Extremely Fine-40 to $34,500 in MS-65.

10. The final coin on my list of most important cents is the one everyone takes for granted and that is the 1959 Lincoln cent with the Memorial reverse. It is readily available, but the real story is not its price, but its creation to mark the 50th anniversary of the Lincoln cent.

Under the law, once a coin has been in circulation for 25 years the Treasury Department can order a change without consulting Congress. The Lincoln Memorial reverse was the last time a Treasury secretary changed a design using that power, which makes it an important coin.

It will be interesting to see what happens in 2009, when this design reaches its half century anniversary. From the historic to the popular, from the scarce to the common, the most important cents of the United States are a fascinating group. A few others could probably be added to such a list but in every case the 10 most important cents have excellent reasons for standing out in what has now been more than two centuries of very interesting cents.

Coins Collecting Numismatic Portal and Rare Coins Directory. Coins Collecting covers Ancients, World Coins, US Coins, Currency and all numismatic resources for the rare coin collector. The most comprehensive coin collecting site on the web. Visit us at http://www.coins-collecting.info
------------------ ARTICLE END ------------------

The Art of Collecting Animal Figurines

Kip Goldhammer offers the following royalty-free article for you to publish online or in print.
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Article Title: The Art of Collecting Animal Figurines
Author: Kip Goldhammer
Category: Collecting, Arts and Crafts, Accessories
Word Count: 415
Keywords: ANIMAL FIGURINES,FIGURINES
Author's Email Address: kgoldhammer@ghgoods.com
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------------------ ARTICLE START ------------------

Animal Figurines are basically replica statues or statuettes of animals that can be made using clay, metal and a host of other molding materials. Animal figurines are used for decorative, collection or symbolic purposes depending on the whims and fancies of the owners. Most people buy animal figurines for their collections.

Collection of animal figurines is a truly emotional experience and is far removed from monetary value of the figurine itself. It is a step towards eternalizing memories of animals once owned and reminds one of the old and good times. Many people also collect animal figurines for the sake of collection, where the sense of belonging is very strong but a lack of attachment exists.

Collecting of animal figurines as a hobby is very captivating and motivating. They can be used as ideal gifts for friends and acquaintances, motivate the purpose of holidays and travel as memorabilia. When gifted, animal figurines also touch a sensitive nerve, especially if the receiver is a pet lover or a collector.

Animal figurine collectors like collectors of most other things, never have enough. Many animal figurines have been sighted to be enticing and seem to beg you to take them home along with you. If you are a regular traveler and an animal lover, it could be very difficult to keep you away.

Like most collectors, animal figurine collectors could end up spending all their life's savings buying animal figurines. This alluring and addicting hobby of collecting animal figurines can give you a lot of joy and satisfaction. All you need to be is a little careful on the spending side. A collector who is also a pet lover has no bounds on his happiness, looking over his/ her collection that could rekindle old memories taking them back in time.

Animal figurines have a distinct history of their own and dates back a few thousand years. The continent of Asia and Africa are strewn with animal figurines etched into their rich religious history. These figurines depicted certain culture and religious practices. A visit to these places can unearth replicas of these historic animal figurines that can be bought and stored for re-living the memories of the holidays and etching interesting history into one's memories.

Animal figurines that are normally available are of various kinds and are made in iron, plastic, wax, bronze, wood and a host of other materials. Wolf, tiger, lions, horses, dogs, cats, owls, foxes, unicorns are some of the most sought after animal figurines and are freely available.

If you are an avid collector or if you want to adorn your living room with animal figurines, visit the best resource on the internet at http://animal-figurine.be
------------------ ARTICLE END ------------------

Tuesday, December 4, 2007

The History of United States Postage Stamps

MIKE SELVON offers the following royalty-free article for you to publish online or in print.
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Article Title: The History of United States Postage Stamps
Author: MIKE SELVON
Category: Collecting
Word Count: 627
Keywords: stamps, stamp collecting, united states postage stamps, the history of united states postage stamps
Author's Email Address: articles@netbizint.com.au
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------------------ ARTICLE START ------------------

With the largest motorized fleet in the US, the postal service has come a long way since the meager pony express. Collectors of colonial stamps are generally handsomely rewarded for their hawk's eye, as some of these stamps can go for $2 to $3 Million new! Read on to learn more about the fascinating history of United States postage stamps.

While the pony express had been delivering letters for over fifty years, the first American postal service was formally granted by King William and Queen Mary in 1692. The American Revolution was fought to ensure that there was "no taxation without representation," thus paving the way for US postage stamps.

Benjamin Franklin was one of the first postmasters and created the United States Postal Service as we know it, in Philadelphia 1775. Early postal symbols ranged from the Roman god Mercury to a running pony to the modern day eagle.

Some of the most coveted United States postage stamps are the crude provisional stamps used by early postmasters from 1845 to 1846 before the Stamp Act was legislated. Many postmasters charged whatever they felt like and the quality is naturally poor on these old relics. Nevertheless, keep an eye out for provisional stamps from Providence, RI, Alexandria, VA, or even Baltimore, MD (featuring the signature of James Buchanan, before he became president). An unused 1846 Millbury Massachusetts featuring George Washington recently sold for $130,000!

The 5-cent red brown Benjamin Franklin was the first of the official ones for sale in New York City and Boston. The second was the 10-cent black George Washington (which currently sells for around $1,400 used and $28,000 unused)!

Stamp values decreased over the next few years and remained stable for nearly a century. Blue 1-cent Ben Franklins became a collector favorite when production errors led to new, noticeable plate variations in the prints. These innovative stamps can range from $100 to $200,000 in collection circles.

The Civil War had the North issuing 1,750,000,000 copies of the rose-colored 3c United States postage stamps, which have survived to present day and sell for $2-$3 a piece. However, certain accidental variations (found in "pigeon blood pink") can sell for $3,000 and up. During the Civil War, Southern towns put out some of their own crude stamps (like Athens, Georgia or Jetersville, Virginia or Knoxville, Tennessee -- to name a few). Confederate "Rebel" provisional stamps can go for $1,000 to $15,000 these days.

From the 1860s - 1870s, ten styles of "grills" were designed to emboss used ones and combat illegal stamp reuse. One cent "Z-Grill" US postage stamps from 1868 recently sold for $935,000 to stamp dealers. Later, one of the Z-Grills was traded for a block of Inverted Jenny stamps (worth $3 million).

In 1893, to commemorate the 400th anniversary of Christopher Columbus's landing in the America, they were issued, depicting some of Columbus's high seas adventures, some for as much as $5 (which was a LOT in 1893!). Today, these colorful collectibles sell for $1,500 to $12,500, depending on the condition.

Generally, the ones issued after 1900 aren't worth a whole lot on the market yet. However, during the Great Depression, most people could no longer spend their money on stamps and less than 8% of those issued during that time were sold, so they remain the smallest U.S. issue of the 20th century.

Today, the post office faces many challenges, from the widespread use of the internet and cell phones to send messages, as well as competition from Fed Ex and UPS. However, the stamp collecting market is not likely to disappear. There are so many people who appreciate the art and history behind these little artifacts that there will always be someone looking for postage stamps, notably United States postage stamps.

Mike Selvon has some great stamp collecting articles for the hobbist. Find out more tips on the United States postage stamps at http://stampcollecting.niche-education.com/. We appreciate your feedback at our tobacco blog at http://www.mynicheportal.com/arts-crafts-hobbies/.
------------------ ARTICLE END ------------------

The Popularity On Postage Stamp Collecting

MIKE SELVON offers the following royalty-free article for you to publish online or in print.
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Article Title: The Popularity On Postage Stamp Collecting
Author: MIKE SELVON
Category: Collecting
Word Count: 521
Keywords: stamps, stamp collecting, postage stamp collecting, reviewing postage stamp collecting
Author's Email Address: articles@netbizint.com.au
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------------------ ARTICLE START ------------------

You may be wondering, "Why do people collect stamps?" Initially, British children saw collecting as a fun game, since stamps were inexpensive to buy and had vivid pictures. These days many people are prompted to collect because a relative passed down the tradition or bought them a souvenir sheet of stamps. Today over 20 million Americans engage in postage stamp collecting, making it one of the most popular type of compilations.

In 1840, Britain introduced the "Penny Black" as the first adhesive postage stamp. Little did they realize that this would set off a postage stamp collecting craze among the youth, otherwise known as "Timbromania" (meaning "stamp madness".) As these little hobbyists aged, they proudly passed their stamp collections down to the next generation and thus a market was born.

The US caught on to this Timbromania in the 1930s, when the first souvenir sheet was printed and the 65-cent "Graf Zeppelin" portrayed a German blimp. During the Great Depression, many stamps were incinerated since few families could afford a book of stamps during this time period, since the cost of one would also pay for a family of four to eat for one week!

It became the misprints that became the most coveted in the world of collecting postage stamps. Most serious collectors will try to seek out a rare stamp resulting from a printing error. For instance, the "Inverted Jenny" is a US postage one from 1918 featuring a photo of a Curtiss JN-4 airplane where the plane was mistakenly printed upside-down!

Only 100 were ever printed and a block of four just sold at an auction for $2.7 Million! The US-made "Benjamin Franklin Z Grill" ones were made with a waffle pattern embossed into the paper supposedly to prevent the ink from running. Only two were printed before they realized this process was impractical. Now one stamp could get as much as $3 Million!

Internationally, collecting postage stamps often equates with big bucks. For example, the "Treskilling Yellow" one from Sweden was misprinted in the wrong color, placing its value at over $2 Million. Historically, Britain's "Penny Black" (the first official adhesive stamp) sold for $200 in the year 2000, and unused went for as much as $3,000!

Or imagine owning the "British Guiana Magenta," a rare stamp with a face value of one cent but an estimated value of $935,000! There is much controversy surrounding this one.

Since there is only one known copy in existence, some say that it was an altered 4-cent one, however these claims were disproved. Others speculate that another copy was discovered but was purchased by Arthur Hind, who owned the original and who quietly destroyed the copy so he wouldn't lose the value. In 1999 a forged copy was found in Bremen, Germany.

Postage stamp collecting is a fun and relatively inexpensive way to collect historical artwork. You may begin by browsing a catalog such as Scott catalog (for US postage stamps), or check out Kenmore Stamp and MysticStamp for stamps online.

If you're looking to seriously collecting stamps as an investment, you should begin your quest at the National Philatelic Society.

Mike Selvon has some great stamp collecting articles for the hobbist. Find out more on postage stamp collecting at http://stampcollecting.niche-education.com/. We appreciate your feedback at our tobacco blog at http://www.mynicheportal.com/arts-crafts-hobbies/.
------------------ ARTICLE END ------------------

The Popularity On Postage Stamp Collecting

MIKE SELVON offers the following royalty-free article for you to publish online or in print.
Feel free to use this article in your newsletter, website, ezine, blog, or forum.
-----------
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Article Title: The Popularity On Postage Stamp Collecting
Author: MIKE SELVON
Category: Collecting
Word Count: 521
Keywords: stamps, stamp collecting, postage stamp collecting, reviewing postage stamp collecting
Author's Email Address: articles@netbizint.com.au
Article Source: http://www.articlemarketer.com
------------------ ARTICLE START ------------------

You may be wondering, "Why do people collect stamps?" Initially, British children saw collecting as a fun game, since stamps were inexpensive to buy and had vivid pictures. These days many people are prompted to collect because a relative passed down the tradition or bought them a souvenir sheet of stamps. Today over 20 million Americans engage in postage stamp collecting, making it one of the most popular type of compilations.

In 1840, Britain introduced the "Penny Black" as the first adhesive postage stamp. Little did they realize that this would set off a postage stamp collecting craze among the youth, otherwise known as "Timbromania" (meaning "stamp madness".) As these little hobbyists aged, they proudly passed their stamp collections down to the next generation and thus a market was born.

The US caught on to this Timbromania in the 1930s, when the first souvenir sheet was printed and the 65-cent "Graf Zeppelin" portrayed a German blimp. During the Great Depression, many stamps were incinerated since few families could afford a book of stamps during this time period, since the cost of one would also pay for a family of four to eat for one week!

It became the misprints that became the most coveted in the world of collecting postage stamps. Most serious collectors will try to seek out a rare stamp resulting from a printing error. For instance, the "Inverted Jenny" is a US postage one from 1918 featuring a photo of a Curtiss JN-4 airplane where the plane was mistakenly printed upside-down!

Only 100 were ever printed and a block of four just sold at an auction for $2.7 Million! The US-made "Benjamin Franklin Z Grill" ones were made with a waffle pattern embossed into the paper supposedly to prevent the ink from running. Only two were printed before they realized this process was impractical. Now one stamp could get as much as $3 Million!

Internationally, collecting postage stamps often equates with big bucks. For example, the "Treskilling Yellow" one from Sweden was misprinted in the wrong color, placing its value at over $2 Million. Historically, Britain's "Penny Black" (the first official adhesive stamp) sold for $200 in the year 2000, and unused went for as much as $3,000!

Or imagine owning the "British Guiana Magenta," a rare stamp with a face value of one cent but an estimated value of $935,000! There is much controversy surrounding this one.

Since there is only one known copy in existence, some say that it was an altered 4-cent one, however these claims were disproved. Others speculate that another copy was discovered but was purchased by Arthur Hind, who owned the original and who quietly destroyed the copy so he wouldn't lose the value. In 1999 a forged copy was found in Bremen, Germany.

Postage stamp collecting is a fun and relatively inexpensive way to collect historical artwork. You may begin by browsing a catalog such as Scott catalog (for US postage stamps), or check out Kenmore Stamp and MysticStamp for stamps online.

If you're looking to seriously collecting stamps as an investment, you should begin your quest at the National Philatelic Society.

Mike Selvon has some great stamp collecting articles for the hobbist. Find out more on postage stamp collecting at http://stampcollecting.niche-education.com/. We appreciate your feedback at our tobacco blog at http://www.mynicheportal.com/arts-crafts-hobbies/.
------------------ ARTICLE END ------------------

Sunday, December 2, 2007

The Best Way To Sell An Antique

Derek Both offers the following royalty-free article for you to publish online or in print.
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Article Title: The Best Way To Sell An Antique
Author: Derek Both
Category: Collecting
Word Count: 504
Keywords: antique clock
Author's Email Address: cbullock@webrepairservice.co.uk
Article Source: http://www.articlemarketer.com
------------------ ARTICLE START ------------------

Some people may find themselves in the fortunate position of being able to sell an antique. However, how do you go about selling one and making sure that you get the most for your money? If it is obvious that you don't know what to look for when selling an antique clock you may find people trying to take advantage of you. With a few tips and pointers though you will find yourself an expert in no time so you can make sure that you get a great price for your antique clock.

You have several options when it comes to selling your antique so it's important to consider which method is going to benefit you the most. Charges will be deducted from the total selling price so although it is important to shop around to find the best deal that will make you the most money, also ask how much you are going to be charged for selling your piece. You may even find that you don't end up going with the company who has quoted you the highest selling price because they may charge a fortune to sell your antique clock for you.

One method of selling an antique clock is through a dealer. Associations such as LAPADA will be able to recommend reputable dealers to those who are new to the business. Most people choose a dealer who sells items similar to theirs already as they know what they are talking about. The price you will be offered for your piece will not be as high as what the dealer will go on to sell it for so don't be surprised by this. This is normal practice as they need to make a profit too in order to survive.

If you're not happy with the price you have been quoted or the fact that the dealer is going to sell your antique for more than they told you, you can sell to a dealer on commission. This means they will get a percentage of the price that your piece is sold for. It is important to write the terms of the sale such as the minimum selling price you want and the percentage of the sale you agree that the dealer can take.

A popular method people use when selling an antique clock is at an auction. You should agree a reserve price below which you don't want to sell and bear in mind that the average auctioneer will take 15 percent of the total selling price as commission.

If you don't want to pay any charges or commission for selling your antique clock then of course you can sell privately. Adverts in local or national papers, and specialist magazines are popular methods of advertising this. Be cautious about what details you include however such as your phone number and address.

Once you know which method suits you best you should be able to sell your antique clock in no time and make the most amount of money possible for your piece.

Conquest House is a beautiful treasure house with a wide variety of antiques for every pocket. http://www.conquesthouseantiques.co.uk has all you need from the Georgian, Victorian, Edwardian to Early Twentieth Century ages.
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