wayne kiltz offers the following royalty-free article for you to publish online or in print.
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Article Title: Tuareg Crosses of Agadez
Author: wayne kiltz
Category: Jewelry, Import Export, Collecting
Word Count: 428
Keywords: tuareg, tuareg silver, african jewelry, african, jewelry, cross necklace, africa improts
Author's Email Address: africa@africaimports.com
Article Source: http://www.contentcrooner.com
------------------ ARTICLE START ------------------
Theses silver crosses are uniquely shaped and are named after the town of Agadez from where they originate. The cross bears the jewelers mark on its back. The beaded necklace contains four cylindrical decoratively embossed silver segments. These distinctive crosses are a true work of art and identified as such by the signature of the craftsman on the back of the piece. Written in Tomasheck or Arabic script, there are many different crosses such as these throughout Africa. One estimate is that there are different patterns of crosses in existence.
The different crosses come from different towns; and identify where people come from. They relate back to ancient times before Islam; when tribes were heavily influenced by Christianity. The cross may be the same symbol as in Christianity. It also has been known to symbolize the four corners of the world.
Originally, crosses were passed down from father to son. The father would say to the son: "My son, I give you the four corners of the world, because one can not know where one will die". The cross is often given as a gift among African people, and they will say to the receiver "No matter where you go God and I shall always be with you and protect you". Many Tuareg people in Africa believe that the arms of the cross will disperse all evil from the individual, thus keeping him out of harms way. The crosses are traditionally made from Tuareg silver.
Tuareg silver is the most luxurious jewelry worn in most West African countries. Many Tuareg people who can afford to wear it will save it for only the most special occasions.
The Tuareg people of the Sahara wear jewelry made out of this silver as an indicator of wealth, position and origin.
The highly esteemed Tuareg silversmiths create a wide array of jewelry objects that all tie together using the traditional berber markings that you will see on most of the Tuareg jewelry sold at Africa Imports.
These etchings are clean cut, concise, geometrical and repeated over and over again through all of the Tuareg silver. In much of Islamic culture, realistic images are considered to be sacrilegious; hence the geometric patterns. The markings stand for ancient blessings of good fortune and symbols of protection for the wearer.
This jewelry is so sophisticated and stylish, yet so full of African meaning. Tuareg silver itself is an alloy of silver and copper, which gives it a brilliant golden tone. This is not a sterling silver, and is sometimes made from silver dollars that have been melted.
Wayne Kiltz is the founder and owner of Africa Imports. You can find over 100 other articles on African art, culture, and fashion at www.africaimports.com
See more African Jewelry at www.africaimports.com/items.asp?Cc=Jewelry
------------------ ARTICLE END ------------------
Monday, November 23, 2009
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
American Dolls: Perfect Gift to Make Little Girls Dream Come True
Joy Davenport 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: American Dolls: Perfect Gift to Make Little Girls Dream Come True
Author: Joy Davenport
Category: Collecting, Hobbies
Word Count: 527
Keywords: our generation dolls,american dolls,baby doll accessories,little mommy doll,vintage barbie dolls
Author's Email Address: lsmm2008@gmail.com
Article Source: http://www.contentcrooner.com
------------------ ARTICLE START ------------------
If you are looking into purchasing some American dolls, there are a few different things that you will want to consider, depending on your reasoning behind the purchase. Firstly, you will have to decide on why you are collecting these dolls in the first place. If you simply want to have some nice looking dolls around the house, you can simply use your own personal preferences when making a final decision. If you are looking at these dolls as an investment, however, a little more effort will have to go into the decision making process. If you are able to find a rare doll or even some rare baby doll accessories, you can look at the initial cost of these items as an investment, as they will allow you to sell them for much more in the future.
The first thing that you should do when looking for American dolls is research the types of dolls that people are looking for because you never know where you might stumble upon one. Good collectors can find hidden gems at garage sales and flea markets, which can eventually be sold for much more. Looking online is a good place to start, as you can get a great deal of information just by reading a few articles. By looking online, you should be able to come up with a list of dolls and baby doll accessories that you want, which will give you a guide on what you are looking for. It is also wise to include the price with this guide, just to make sure that you do not pay too much for one of these dolls.
What many people do after this step is visit doll shows, although be prepared to pay high prices if this is the route that you go. This is because the people who work at these shows are well educated on the subject and know the exact value of each doll that they are selling. Only go this route if you happen to find some American dolls that you absolutely cannot live without because any rare dolls will cost you a pretty penny.
If at all possible, buy dolls that are still in their original packaging. There are two reasons for this and both have to do with the end value of your doll. First of all, dolls and baby doll accessories that are still in their original packaging will always be in much better condition than dolls that have been tampered or played with. Secondly, the packaging can assure you that you are buying the doll that you believe you are buying. There are now so many replicas out there and figuring out what it an original and what is a replica can be difficult unless you are an expert on American dolls.
Do your research and stick to your game plan and you should not have any trouble finding the American dolls that you want. By coming up with a list and then only purchasing dolls that come in their original packaging, you can avoid mistakes and can make sure that you are getting fair value for any money that you spend on these products.
Everything You've Ever Wanted From Dolls can be found here: http://www.generationdollsblog.com. We have variety of durable, child-friendly, chemical-free, and yet affordable such as Our Generation Dolls, American dolls and more.
------------------ ARTICLE END ------------------
Feel free to use this article in your newsletter, website, ezine, blog, or forum.
-----------
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- You have permission to publish this article for free providing the "About the Author" box is included in its entirety.
- Do not post/reprint this article in any site or publication that contains hate, violence, porn, warez, or supports illegal activity.
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- Please send a copy of the publication, or an email indicating the URL to lsmm2008@gmail.com
- Content Crooner (www.ContentCrooner.com) has distributed this article on behalf of the author. Content Crooner does not own this article, please respect the author's copyright and publication guidelines. If you do not agree to these terms, please do not use this article.
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Article Title: American Dolls: Perfect Gift to Make Little Girls Dream Come True
Author: Joy Davenport
Category: Collecting, Hobbies
Word Count: 527
Keywords: our generation dolls,american dolls,baby doll accessories,little mommy doll,vintage barbie dolls
Author's Email Address: lsmm2008@gmail.com
Article Source: http://www.contentcrooner.com
------------------ ARTICLE START ------------------
If you are looking into purchasing some American dolls, there are a few different things that you will want to consider, depending on your reasoning behind the purchase. Firstly, you will have to decide on why you are collecting these dolls in the first place. If you simply want to have some nice looking dolls around the house, you can simply use your own personal preferences when making a final decision. If you are looking at these dolls as an investment, however, a little more effort will have to go into the decision making process. If you are able to find a rare doll or even some rare baby doll accessories, you can look at the initial cost of these items as an investment, as they will allow you to sell them for much more in the future.
The first thing that you should do when looking for American dolls is research the types of dolls that people are looking for because you never know where you might stumble upon one. Good collectors can find hidden gems at garage sales and flea markets, which can eventually be sold for much more. Looking online is a good place to start, as you can get a great deal of information just by reading a few articles. By looking online, you should be able to come up with a list of dolls and baby doll accessories that you want, which will give you a guide on what you are looking for. It is also wise to include the price with this guide, just to make sure that you do not pay too much for one of these dolls.
What many people do after this step is visit doll shows, although be prepared to pay high prices if this is the route that you go. This is because the people who work at these shows are well educated on the subject and know the exact value of each doll that they are selling. Only go this route if you happen to find some American dolls that you absolutely cannot live without because any rare dolls will cost you a pretty penny.
If at all possible, buy dolls that are still in their original packaging. There are two reasons for this and both have to do with the end value of your doll. First of all, dolls and baby doll accessories that are still in their original packaging will always be in much better condition than dolls that have been tampered or played with. Secondly, the packaging can assure you that you are buying the doll that you believe you are buying. There are now so many replicas out there and figuring out what it an original and what is a replica can be difficult unless you are an expert on American dolls.
Do your research and stick to your game plan and you should not have any trouble finding the American dolls that you want. By coming up with a list and then only purchasing dolls that come in their original packaging, you can avoid mistakes and can make sure that you are getting fair value for any money that you spend on these products.
Everything You've Ever Wanted From Dolls can be found here: http://www.generationdollsblog.com. We have variety of durable, child-friendly, chemical-free, and yet affordable such as Our Generation Dolls, American dolls and more.
------------------ ARTICLE END ------------------
Friday, November 13, 2009
Charles Martignette: Pin-Up Pioneer
Hector Cantu 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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- Please send a copy of the publication, or an email indicating the URL to hectorc@HA.com
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Article Title: Charles Martignette: Pin-Up Pioneer
Author: Hector Cantu
Category: Art, Men's Issues, Collecting
Word Count: 1893
Keywords: pin-up art, Gil Elvgren, Charles Martignette, Playboy, Hugh Hefner, pinup, Vargas, Heritage Auctions
Author's Email Address: hectorc@HA.com
Article Source: http://www.contentcrooner.com
------------------ ARTICLE START ------------------
As a guitarist for the rock band Soul Asylum, Dan Murphy is not easily impressed. He's seen quite a bit during his group's 25 years of touring.
But ask him about meeting Charles Martignette and Murphy remains astonished. As a collector of original illustration art, Murphy first talked to Martignette over the phone 13 years ago. Not long afterward, Murphy scored a personal tour of Martignette's legendary art warehouse. When Martignette and Murphy arrived, it was 1:30 in the morning.
"We were there until about 2 the next afternoon," Murphy recalls, "going through piles and piles of art. Charles had these huge racks against the wall and he'd pull out an Enoch Bolles painting, or an N.C. Wyeth painting. There were Henry Clives, Rolf Armstrongs, Gil Elvgrens. It was amazing."
Murphy pauses.
"If a person could have a single love, that was Charles's love, and yes, that made him a kook, to be that obsessive about a single thing."
BUYING, SKIMMING, SELLING
Charles Martignette began collecting original illustration art in the early 1970s "with a credit card and a $350 line of credit," says Louis Meisel, an art historian and owner of the Louis K. Meisel Gallery in New York City. "With that credit card, he bought three illustrations, sold one for $1,000 and kept the other two. When the Norcross Greeting Card Company went out of business, Charles went to them and bought 90,000 pieces of art, 5-by-7 inch watercolors, everything they'd ever published. He paid what worked out to be maybe a penny apiece. Well, Charles sold them for $10 apiece at flea markets. That's how Charles worked. That's all he did."
It was a system he followed for most of his life: buy, skim, sell. With his strategy in place, Martignette focused his collection on original pin-up art.
"Charles was into sex ... nudes, girls, the pin-ups," explains Meisel, who established a business partnership with Martignette in 1980. Beginning in the 1920s and peaking in the 1960s, illustrations of women in sometimes-provocative poses were used to sell everything from magazines to auto parts to wall calendars. "These were just wonderful, beautiful images, and Charles was into that," Meisel says. "These all-American girls were in every gas station, in every workshop in America. It was stuff we grew up on."
The masters of pin-up art -- Gil Elvgren, Rolf Armstrong, Alberto Vargas, Earl Moran, Enoch Bolles -- were all on Martignette's "want list." But Martignette wasn't a passive buyer. He often went directly to the artists or artists' families and made offers for whatever they had. Other times, he went straight to the people who commissioned the art. "Charles would travel to these obscure calendar companies, knock on the door and walk out with Vargas pastels," Murphy says. "He'd go to Brown & Bigelow, or the Louis F. Dow calendar company and he would say, 'Hey, I'm a historian and I'm trying to write a book on this stuff.' "
At the time, Martignette had few competitors. He kept the finest pieces, and sold the rest. "In those days," says Todd Hignite, a consignment director and illustration art specialist at Heritage Auctions, "much of the art establishment roundly ignored illustration art, often considering it nothing more than cheesecake or kitsch at best and trash at worst."
One man who took notice was Hugh Hefner. The Playboy magazine founder in 1980 began publishing a series of articles featuring Martignette's collection. And, true to his word, Martignette wrote his book, "The Great American Pin-Up," co-authored with Meisel. Today, it's considered the bible of American pin-up art.
As his collection grew, Martignette expanded beyond pin-up and glamour art. He was soon pursuing important works by illustrators like Norman Rockwell, Joseph Christian Leyendecker, William Herbert Dunton, and Harvey T. Dunn. As Martignette once wrote: "These pictures, which were once a part of every American's daily life, now serve as reflective mirrors that capture moments in time and depict slices of America's past life at home, at work, in sports, fashion, romance, adventure and education."
ENTERING THE FINE ART WORLD
Mel Ramos began painting nudes 50 years ago. But don't call it pin-up art, he says.
"To me, they [pin-up artists] were all commercial guys," the California artist says. "I was kind of a snob when I was younger, and I thought these guys were just illustrators. They weren't fine artists. It was only when I saw my first Norman Rockwell show, whom I also considered to be a commercial illustrator, that I realized, 'Jesus Christ, this guy is one hell of a painter!' and I changed my attitude a little bit about that, as I have with Gil Elvgren, who's also a real journeyman painter."
Martignette was familiar with the criticism.
"Charles always argued that his favorite artists were prolific, masterful realists," says Ed Jaster, vice president and director of illustration art at Heritage Auctions. "He argued that these guys could flat-out paint. If you're questioning the subject matter, I think the argument can be made that nudes are a staple of artists. What's the difference between Sandro Botticelli's Birth of Venus and a Vargas girl? Why is there this disdain by the art establishment?"
Meisel bluntly questions the ability of the art world to define "fine art," pointing to a recent sale by a British artist. "Last year, he sent 200 paintings to auction, all these things that people thought were very famous. They were essentially new pieces, copies, made by him and his staff and they sold for $200 million. After that, pieces of his original works came along, and they went for a third of what people paid for the copies! Yet these are the people who sneer at the pin-ups in your house.
"Illustration art," Meisel continues, "has always been a legitimate art form. Pin-ups done in the 1930s, '40s and '50s, people will care about them and respect them 300 years from now."
"They are the original American pop artists," adds Hignite, "speaking to the cultural moment as importantly as later artists such as Andy Warhol and Roy Lichtenstein. More people are realizing this."
This widening appreciation for illustration art began only in recent years, experts say, placing Martignette ahead of the curve in collecting a genre that continues growing in importance and value. "With a lot of these artists," Hignite says, "prices are not going to stay where they are. It's the tip of the iceberg of what the market is going to be."
When he died unexpectedly in 2008 at age 57, Charles Martignette left behind his life's work: the largest private collection of American illustration art in the world. The collection was crammed, room after room, into a warehouse near his Florida home. Its scope is unmatched, containing perhaps the finest pieces of America's top illustrators.
"Charles was always refining his collection," Hignite says, "always keeping the best of the best. It's impossible for a collection like this to be ever compiled again."
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF KNOWLEDGE
Charles Martignette was consumed by his collection. Friends called it an obsession.
"Charles was an eccentric man," Meisel says. "He was a night owl. He would go to bed at 7 in the morning. He didn't care about clothing. He bought stuff at thrift shops. He didn't manage his money well. He inherited $800,000 from his grandfather and he lost it all gambling. But Charles knew about illustration art more than anyone in the world. He knew where a piece was published, when it was published and he had all the magazines featuring the illustrations. He was an encyclopedia of knowledge."
He was particularly pleased, says Murphy, when art by Gil Elvgren and other pin-up artists recently began reaching record prices at auction. "He knew the true value of this art years ago, before anyone else," Murphy says.
Not long ago, Martignette admitted that he hadn't sold more pieces because his collection was neither archived nor organized. "I have a lot of storage facilities," Martignette told the Portland Oregonian, "rooms packed with hundreds of wooden crates and boxes. To get to one painting sometimes takes two men, working four to five hours each, moving 190 wooden creates to get to the painting in the back of the room. And I have a lot of rooms in my life."
In February 2008, Charles Martignette died of apparent heart failure. In the following months, experts from Dallas-based Heritage Auctions, the nation's largest collectibles auction house, arrived at his Florida warehouse and began the delicate process of tagging and shipping three truckloads of artwork to Dallas for auction. About 4,300 pieces from Martignette's inventory are scheduled to be sold in more than half a dozen sales over the next several years.
In life, Martignette was eager to share his obsession. His pieces were exhibited at the Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of American History and the National Museum of American Art in Washington, D.C. The Brooklyn Museum, the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, the Carnegie Institute Museum of Art, and the Museum of the Rockies also exhibited Martignette pieces over the years.
Now, Martignette will be remembered as a passionate collector who championed the idea that illustration art is one of the most poignant reflections of 20th century American culture. "He was a true visionary," Hignite says. "He was obsessed with illustration art, valuing it as a uniquely American art form when few others did."
MASTERS OF PIN-UP AND GLAMOUR ART
The Charles Martignette collection includes works by these legendary illustrators:
+ Rolf Armstrong (1899-1960) is considered one of the best pin-up artists of the early 20th Century. His work appeared in Pictorial Review magazine during the 1920s and he was among the top artists at Brown & Bigelow.
+ Enoch Bolles (1883-1976) is among the top Art Deco era pin-up artists, with his work most notably gracing covers of Film Fun magazine.
+ Gil Elvgren (1914-1980) is one of the most prominent pin-up and glamour artists of the 20th century. Best known for his pin-up paintings for Brown & Bigelow. Also did advertising and illustration work for The Saturday Evening Post and Good Housekeeping.
+ J.C. Leyendecker (1874-1951) is best known for his men's fashion advertisements, particularly the Arrow Collar Man. He was Norman Rockwell's predecessor as the top cover illustrator for the Saturday Evening Post.
+ Earl Moran (1893-1984) rocketed to fame after being featured in a 1940 Life magazine story. Worked for Brown & Bigelow and hired a young Marilyn Monroe to model for his paintings. Completed publicity posters for Hollywood movie studios.
+ Patrick Nagel (1945-1984) is best known for his Art Deco-inspired illustrations for Playboy magazine, and for designing the Rio album cover for the the pop music group Duran Duran.
+ LeRoy Neiman (b. 1927) is best known for his bright, semi-abstract paintings and screen prints focusing on athletes and sporting events. Considered by many to be the premier sports artist in the world. Hired by Hugh Hefner to complete illustrations for Playboy magazine shortly after its launch in the 1950s.
+ George Petty (1894-1975) produced pin-up art for Esquire and True magazines, and various calendars. Petty's art was widely mimicked by military artists as nose art decorating warplanes during World War II, including the Memphis Belle.
+ Alberto Vargas (1896-1982) worked on Hollywood movie posters in the 1930s. In the 1940s, he created iconic World War II pin-ups for Esquire magazine known as "Varga Girls." His work later was feature in Playboy magazine.
+ Fritz Willis (1907-1979) produced illustrations for the nation's top magazines, including Esquire. He developed the "Willis Girl" for Brown & Bigelow calendars in the early 1960s.
Hector Cantu is editorial director at Heritage Magazine (www.HeritageMagazine.com), where this story originally appeared. For a free subscription, visit www.HeritageMagazine.com.
------------------ ARTICLE END ------------------
Feel free to use this article in your newsletter, website, ezine, blog, or forum.
-----------
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- You have permission to publish this article for free providing the "About the Author" box is included in its entirety.
- Do not post/reprint this article in any site or publication that contains hate, violence, porn, warez, or supports illegal activity.
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- Please send a copy of the publication, or an email indicating the URL to hectorc@HA.com
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Article Title: Charles Martignette: Pin-Up Pioneer
Author: Hector Cantu
Category: Art, Men's Issues, Collecting
Word Count: 1893
Keywords: pin-up art, Gil Elvgren, Charles Martignette, Playboy, Hugh Hefner, pinup, Vargas, Heritage Auctions
Author's Email Address: hectorc@HA.com
Article Source: http://www.contentcrooner.com
------------------ ARTICLE START ------------------
As a guitarist for the rock band Soul Asylum, Dan Murphy is not easily impressed. He's seen quite a bit during his group's 25 years of touring.
But ask him about meeting Charles Martignette and Murphy remains astonished. As a collector of original illustration art, Murphy first talked to Martignette over the phone 13 years ago. Not long afterward, Murphy scored a personal tour of Martignette's legendary art warehouse. When Martignette and Murphy arrived, it was 1:30 in the morning.
"We were there until about 2 the next afternoon," Murphy recalls, "going through piles and piles of art. Charles had these huge racks against the wall and he'd pull out an Enoch Bolles painting, or an N.C. Wyeth painting. There were Henry Clives, Rolf Armstrongs, Gil Elvgrens. It was amazing."
Murphy pauses.
"If a person could have a single love, that was Charles's love, and yes, that made him a kook, to be that obsessive about a single thing."
BUYING, SKIMMING, SELLING
Charles Martignette began collecting original illustration art in the early 1970s "with a credit card and a $350 line of credit," says Louis Meisel, an art historian and owner of the Louis K. Meisel Gallery in New York City. "With that credit card, he bought three illustrations, sold one for $1,000 and kept the other two. When the Norcross Greeting Card Company went out of business, Charles went to them and bought 90,000 pieces of art, 5-by-7 inch watercolors, everything they'd ever published. He paid what worked out to be maybe a penny apiece. Well, Charles sold them for $10 apiece at flea markets. That's how Charles worked. That's all he did."
It was a system he followed for most of his life: buy, skim, sell. With his strategy in place, Martignette focused his collection on original pin-up art.
"Charles was into sex ... nudes, girls, the pin-ups," explains Meisel, who established a business partnership with Martignette in 1980. Beginning in the 1920s and peaking in the 1960s, illustrations of women in sometimes-provocative poses were used to sell everything from magazines to auto parts to wall calendars. "These were just wonderful, beautiful images, and Charles was into that," Meisel says. "These all-American girls were in every gas station, in every workshop in America. It was stuff we grew up on."
The masters of pin-up art -- Gil Elvgren, Rolf Armstrong, Alberto Vargas, Earl Moran, Enoch Bolles -- were all on Martignette's "want list." But Martignette wasn't a passive buyer. He often went directly to the artists or artists' families and made offers for whatever they had. Other times, he went straight to the people who commissioned the art. "Charles would travel to these obscure calendar companies, knock on the door and walk out with Vargas pastels," Murphy says. "He'd go to Brown & Bigelow, or the Louis F. Dow calendar company and he would say, 'Hey, I'm a historian and I'm trying to write a book on this stuff.' "
At the time, Martignette had few competitors. He kept the finest pieces, and sold the rest. "In those days," says Todd Hignite, a consignment director and illustration art specialist at Heritage Auctions, "much of the art establishment roundly ignored illustration art, often considering it nothing more than cheesecake or kitsch at best and trash at worst."
One man who took notice was Hugh Hefner. The Playboy magazine founder in 1980 began publishing a series of articles featuring Martignette's collection. And, true to his word, Martignette wrote his book, "The Great American Pin-Up," co-authored with Meisel. Today, it's considered the bible of American pin-up art.
As his collection grew, Martignette expanded beyond pin-up and glamour art. He was soon pursuing important works by illustrators like Norman Rockwell, Joseph Christian Leyendecker, William Herbert Dunton, and Harvey T. Dunn. As Martignette once wrote: "These pictures, which were once a part of every American's daily life, now serve as reflective mirrors that capture moments in time and depict slices of America's past life at home, at work, in sports, fashion, romance, adventure and education."
ENTERING THE FINE ART WORLD
Mel Ramos began painting nudes 50 years ago. But don't call it pin-up art, he says.
"To me, they [pin-up artists] were all commercial guys," the California artist says. "I was kind of a snob when I was younger, and I thought these guys were just illustrators. They weren't fine artists. It was only when I saw my first Norman Rockwell show, whom I also considered to be a commercial illustrator, that I realized, 'Jesus Christ, this guy is one hell of a painter!' and I changed my attitude a little bit about that, as I have with Gil Elvgren, who's also a real journeyman painter."
Martignette was familiar with the criticism.
"Charles always argued that his favorite artists were prolific, masterful realists," says Ed Jaster, vice president and director of illustration art at Heritage Auctions. "He argued that these guys could flat-out paint. If you're questioning the subject matter, I think the argument can be made that nudes are a staple of artists. What's the difference between Sandro Botticelli's Birth of Venus and a Vargas girl? Why is there this disdain by the art establishment?"
Meisel bluntly questions the ability of the art world to define "fine art," pointing to a recent sale by a British artist. "Last year, he sent 200 paintings to auction, all these things that people thought were very famous. They were essentially new pieces, copies, made by him and his staff and they sold for $200 million. After that, pieces of his original works came along, and they went for a third of what people paid for the copies! Yet these are the people who sneer at the pin-ups in your house.
"Illustration art," Meisel continues, "has always been a legitimate art form. Pin-ups done in the 1930s, '40s and '50s, people will care about them and respect them 300 years from now."
"They are the original American pop artists," adds Hignite, "speaking to the cultural moment as importantly as later artists such as Andy Warhol and Roy Lichtenstein. More people are realizing this."
This widening appreciation for illustration art began only in recent years, experts say, placing Martignette ahead of the curve in collecting a genre that continues growing in importance and value. "With a lot of these artists," Hignite says, "prices are not going to stay where they are. It's the tip of the iceberg of what the market is going to be."
When he died unexpectedly in 2008 at age 57, Charles Martignette left behind his life's work: the largest private collection of American illustration art in the world. The collection was crammed, room after room, into a warehouse near his Florida home. Its scope is unmatched, containing perhaps the finest pieces of America's top illustrators.
"Charles was always refining his collection," Hignite says, "always keeping the best of the best. It's impossible for a collection like this to be ever compiled again."
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF KNOWLEDGE
Charles Martignette was consumed by his collection. Friends called it an obsession.
"Charles was an eccentric man," Meisel says. "He was a night owl. He would go to bed at 7 in the morning. He didn't care about clothing. He bought stuff at thrift shops. He didn't manage his money well. He inherited $800,000 from his grandfather and he lost it all gambling. But Charles knew about illustration art more than anyone in the world. He knew where a piece was published, when it was published and he had all the magazines featuring the illustrations. He was an encyclopedia of knowledge."
He was particularly pleased, says Murphy, when art by Gil Elvgren and other pin-up artists recently began reaching record prices at auction. "He knew the true value of this art years ago, before anyone else," Murphy says.
Not long ago, Martignette admitted that he hadn't sold more pieces because his collection was neither archived nor organized. "I have a lot of storage facilities," Martignette told the Portland Oregonian, "rooms packed with hundreds of wooden crates and boxes. To get to one painting sometimes takes two men, working four to five hours each, moving 190 wooden creates to get to the painting in the back of the room. And I have a lot of rooms in my life."
In February 2008, Charles Martignette died of apparent heart failure. In the following months, experts from Dallas-based Heritage Auctions, the nation's largest collectibles auction house, arrived at his Florida warehouse and began the delicate process of tagging and shipping three truckloads of artwork to Dallas for auction. About 4,300 pieces from Martignette's inventory are scheduled to be sold in more than half a dozen sales over the next several years.
In life, Martignette was eager to share his obsession. His pieces were exhibited at the Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of American History and the National Museum of American Art in Washington, D.C. The Brooklyn Museum, the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, the Carnegie Institute Museum of Art, and the Museum of the Rockies also exhibited Martignette pieces over the years.
Now, Martignette will be remembered as a passionate collector who championed the idea that illustration art is one of the most poignant reflections of 20th century American culture. "He was a true visionary," Hignite says. "He was obsessed with illustration art, valuing it as a uniquely American art form when few others did."
MASTERS OF PIN-UP AND GLAMOUR ART
The Charles Martignette collection includes works by these legendary illustrators:
+ Rolf Armstrong (1899-1960) is considered one of the best pin-up artists of the early 20th Century. His work appeared in Pictorial Review magazine during the 1920s and he was among the top artists at Brown & Bigelow.
+ Enoch Bolles (1883-1976) is among the top Art Deco era pin-up artists, with his work most notably gracing covers of Film Fun magazine.
+ Gil Elvgren (1914-1980) is one of the most prominent pin-up and glamour artists of the 20th century. Best known for his pin-up paintings for Brown & Bigelow. Also did advertising and illustration work for The Saturday Evening Post and Good Housekeeping.
+ J.C. Leyendecker (1874-1951) is best known for his men's fashion advertisements, particularly the Arrow Collar Man. He was Norman Rockwell's predecessor as the top cover illustrator for the Saturday Evening Post.
+ Earl Moran (1893-1984) rocketed to fame after being featured in a 1940 Life magazine story. Worked for Brown & Bigelow and hired a young Marilyn Monroe to model for his paintings. Completed publicity posters for Hollywood movie studios.
+ Patrick Nagel (1945-1984) is best known for his Art Deco-inspired illustrations for Playboy magazine, and for designing the Rio album cover for the the pop music group Duran Duran.
+ LeRoy Neiman (b. 1927) is best known for his bright, semi-abstract paintings and screen prints focusing on athletes and sporting events. Considered by many to be the premier sports artist in the world. Hired by Hugh Hefner to complete illustrations for Playboy magazine shortly after its launch in the 1950s.
+ George Petty (1894-1975) produced pin-up art for Esquire and True magazines, and various calendars. Petty's art was widely mimicked by military artists as nose art decorating warplanes during World War II, including the Memphis Belle.
+ Alberto Vargas (1896-1982) worked on Hollywood movie posters in the 1930s. In the 1940s, he created iconic World War II pin-ups for Esquire magazine known as "Varga Girls." His work later was feature in Playboy magazine.
+ Fritz Willis (1907-1979) produced illustrations for the nation's top magazines, including Esquire. He developed the "Willis Girl" for Brown & Bigelow calendars in the early 1960s.
Hector Cantu is editorial director at Heritage Magazine (www.HeritageMagazine.com), where this story originally appeared. For a free subscription, visit www.HeritageMagazine.com.
------------------ ARTICLE END ------------------
Thursday, November 12, 2009
Super Collector Stephen Geppi
Hector Cantu offers the following royalty-free article for you to publish online or in print.
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Article Title: Super Collector Stephen Geppi
Author: Hector Cantu
Category: Collecting, Art, Games
Word Count: 1958
Keywords: Collecting, Geppi, Superman, Walt Disney, Heritage Auctions, comic books, price guide
Author's Email Address: hectorc@HA.com
Article Source: http://www.contentcrooner.com
------------------ ARTICLE START ------------------
Stephen Geppi doesn't hesitate when asked to talk about his childhood.
"When I was 5, the first thing I learned to read from was a comic book," Geppi says as he recalls his boyhood in Baltimore in the 1950s. "I remember my mother bringing home comics. They were all over the place. Subsequently, I became an avid comic fan. I can't say I was a collector in the sense that I understood condition. I just loved them."
Over the next 50 years, that love would create one of the world's most important collectors of American pop culture. "You'd be hard-pressed to find another CEO who could tell you off the top of his head what the cover of Colossus Comics #1 looks like," says Barry Sandoval, director of comics at Dallas-based Heritage Auctions, the nation's largest collectibles auction house. "His passion for American pop culture is unparalleled and his collection is one of the finest ever put together."
Geppi's love for pop culture became a full-time pursuit in the 1970s when he opened a comic book store in the basement of a TV repair shop. That quickly grew to four shops and, subsequently, ownership of a company that would become Diamond Comic Distributors, the world's largest distributor of English-language comic books that today represents top publishing powerhouses like DC Comics, Marvel Comics and Dark Horse Comics.
Along the way, Geppi founded Gemstone Publishing Inc., which publishes titles such as The Overstreet Comic Book Price Guide, The Official Price Guide to Pop Culture: 150 Years of Character Toys & Collectibles, Hake's Price Guide To Character Toys, and North American editions of Disney comics. Other Geppi companies include hobby games distributor Alliance Game Distributors; and Diamond Select Toys and Collectibles. Most recently, he opened Geppi's Entertainment Museum at Baltimore's Camden Yards, which bills itself as America's premier pop-culture museum.
Like most passionate collectors, it's not all about the money for Geppi. When he was 9, he recalls finding comic book back issues in a neighborhood liquor store.
"There were these little boxes in the back room," says Geppi, 59. "They were a nickel apiece. Then the owner introduced the quarter box and the 50-cent box. He finally gave me a job at the store to support my fix, my habit. He would say, 'How do you want to be paid, kid, with comics or with money? It makes no difference to me.'
"I always took the comics."
Q. You were born in the Little Italy section of Baltimore, and you were forced to quit school early to work, correct?
A. When I graduated from St. Leo's School, which is now closed, I took the entrance exam to Calvert Hall High School, which was the quintessential high school that all of us guys wanted to go to. I aced the [entrance] test ... but unfortunately that's the day I found out I was poor. We found out it cost $400 a year to go there and I was devastated that we couldn't afford that. I eventually went to Mergenthaler. It was a very good vocational school. I took up printing. In January of my ninth-grade year my mother and father officially split, and she was getting ready to go on welfare. It was terrible. So I had to quit school and go to work to support my mom and I've been working ever since. When I was 19, I landed a job at the United States Post Office. I was a letter carrier.
Q. Were you still a collector at this time?
A. When I started working, somewhere along the line I stopped buying comics. You never really stop enjoying them. They just kind of get away from you. School. Girls. Other hobbies. Parents. That was my case. I worked for the post office from 1969 to 1974. In 1971 or 1972, I went on vacation and my nephew, who at the time was 7 or 8, was reading a comic book. I was looking over his shoulder. It was a Batman. I started getting this tremendous nostalgic flashback and I decided when I got back home I would try to find some old comics again. I made a point, every time I was on a mail route, to ask people if they had comics.
Q. And people actually gave you comics?
A. One lady had a son about my age who was in college, and she let me see this collection of about 2,500 comics. It took her three months to get his permission to let me buy them. I think I paid $125. I was thrilled. Around that time, I discovered The Overstreet Comic Book Price Guide, which was in its third edition. Armed with comics I didn't want and as I continued to advertise and find comics, I had to have an outlet for the excess. So I started going to these little comic book conventions, always on the weekends, and lo and behold, before I knew it, I was making more money on the weekends than I was on my job. I loved my job but this was a dilemma for me. If you wanted to go to conventions every weekend, you had to have about 200 years seniority at the post office to have Saturdays off. So there I was with a good, steady job and I'm quitting to open a comic book store in the basement of a TV repair shop.
Q. When did you start including more pop-culture memorabilia in your collection?
A. I focused on Golden Age comics, even Silver Age comics, but I really hadn't at that point branched into too much of the stuff you see in the museum now. I was appreciative of it, but I was focusing on Golden Age books. But little by little, I started to get into that stuff, whether it was original art, Big Little Books, posters. Being a voracious collector, once you get everything on one side, you go into another category and you have that same attitude.
Q. What were some early acquisitions that got you excited?
A. In the early 1980s, I bought the Pennsylvania Collection, as its known in the pedigree world. I paid $20,000 for it. That was a big number to spend at the time. I bought a collection from a guy in Jamaica Estates in New York for $55,000. I came home with 21 shopping bags of Golden Age. It was quite a collection.
Q. What were some of the lessons you learned from those acquisitions?
A. I learned early that condition was critical from an investment standpoint. The higher the grade, you couldn't get stuck. No matter what you paid for a high-grade book, even if it was over market, if you sat on it long enough it would eventually turn into a good investment because they're not making them anymore. Today, with the stock market and real estate market in the tank, I've been waving the flag. I even wrote an editorial for the local business newspaper. All these years we've been the Rodney Dangerfields of investments. I couldn't help myself but to say, "Hey, you're all finally realizing what I told you, that the real, true supply-and-demand market, if that's what escalating value is about, is over here in collectibles." While all this [economic news] was going on, Heritage Auctions was having record auctions, prices were going through the roof. And why? Because people are recognizing that this stuff is really, truly something that can't be replaced. You don't wake up looking at some newspaper that tells you your Superman #1 is worth half of what it was yesterday. One of the lessons I learned that really served me well was instead of putting my money in traditional things, I just kept snowballing and snowballing my wealth through buying and selling collectibles. And it has served me well.
Q. Is that when you realized that you could invest in more than just comics, things like toys, movie posters, animated-cartoon art, TV memorabilia?
A. The same principles applied. I didn't have the same knowledge initially, but I knew if I bought high grade ... not to say that you can't make money in lower grade, but in blue-chip investing, it's clear. When you buy a Walt Disney poster and there's only one known, and it's in high grade, you have to pay the price or you don't get it.
Q. What do you do, as far as research, before you make a purchase? Or is it all gut feeling now?
A. At this point in my life, I know what I'm doing. But there are cases where you have to do a little more homework. Every once in a while, no matter how much you know, you can get fooled on something. Even the most incredible expert in whatever hobby can still get fooled if they're not doing all of their due diligence.
Q. In 2003 you purchased the very first G.I. Joe doll for $200,000. It was the carved-wood prototype handcrafted in 1963 by Don Levine while he was at Hassenfeld Brothers, later re-named Hasbro Toys. Why was that important to you?
A. I don't know if prior to that I had a desire for it. I remember the great job Heritage Auctions did in hyping it and even though I bought it post auction, I liked owning something that was unique. Not only was it the first G.I. Joe, but it was the first action figure. As you branch out as a collector, you start to recognize what's unique.
Q. In 2006, you opened Geppi's Entertainment Museum at Camden Yards to spotlight the role of entertainment in mainstream culture over the past 250 years. Describe the transition from a personal collection to one put up for public display.
A. In the back of my mind, it always bugged me that as these comics were going up in value, they didn't get the respect they deserved. Typically, you'd go to a comic convention and, no disrespect, there was a guy trying to sell you a $10,000 comic book and he's in an undershirt with mustard stains on it. How are you supposed to gain confidence that this is a good investment? So I always thought that if this stuff truly is rare, is desirable and part of Americana, if it was displayed and put in the atmosphere it deserves, it would get much more respect and would attract more investors and collectors.
Q. In 2007, you decided to auction original cover art for several editions of The Overstreet Comic Book Price Guide, as well as Carl Barks' Disney paintings and original art by Hal Foster, Chester Gould and Jim Steranko. When do you decide to sell?
A. The museum in many ways is like a giant retail store disguised as a museum, and that doesn't mean there are "for sale" prices on anything. In most cases, nothing will ever be for sale. But you have to facilitate change from time to time and in some cases it's just upgrading. For example, if I have a very fine copy of Donald Duck Four Color #9 and I get a near mint to mint copy, I can put one in there and take the other one out and sell it. It keeps revenue rolling.
Q. What do you look for when you work with an auction house?
A. I'm looking for large audiences and good advertising networks. Quite frankly, because I'm only one human being, I look for someone who can do all the work. That's valuable. Heritage Auctions is a really important part of the industry. With Heritage and the fact that there's third-party grading, it's starting to establish a more predictable marketplace. I started out getting the Heritage catalog for comics and then I checked off to get all the catalogs. I flip through them and find myself sometimes buying coins or something other than comics.
Hector Cantu is editorial director at Heritage Magazine (www.HeritageMagazine.com), where this story originally appeared. For a free subscription, visit www.HeritageMagazine.com.
------------------ ARTICLE END ------------------
Feel free to use this article in your newsletter, website, ezine, blog, or forum.
-----------
PUBLICATION GUIDELINES
- You have permission to publish this article for free providing the "About the Author" box is included in its entirety.
- Do not post/reprint this article in any site or publication that contains hate, violence, porn, warez, or supports illegal activity.
- Do not use this article in violation of the US CAN-SPAM Act. If sent by email, this article must be delivered to opt-in subscribers only.
- If you publish this article in a format that supports linking, please ensure that all URLs and email addresses are active links.
- Please send a copy of the publication, or an email indicating the URL to hectorc@HA.com
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-----------
Article Title: Super Collector Stephen Geppi
Author: Hector Cantu
Category: Collecting, Art, Games
Word Count: 1958
Keywords: Collecting, Geppi, Superman, Walt Disney, Heritage Auctions, comic books, price guide
Author's Email Address: hectorc@HA.com
Article Source: http://www.contentcrooner.com
------------------ ARTICLE START ------------------
Stephen Geppi doesn't hesitate when asked to talk about his childhood.
"When I was 5, the first thing I learned to read from was a comic book," Geppi says as he recalls his boyhood in Baltimore in the 1950s. "I remember my mother bringing home comics. They were all over the place. Subsequently, I became an avid comic fan. I can't say I was a collector in the sense that I understood condition. I just loved them."
Over the next 50 years, that love would create one of the world's most important collectors of American pop culture. "You'd be hard-pressed to find another CEO who could tell you off the top of his head what the cover of Colossus Comics #1 looks like," says Barry Sandoval, director of comics at Dallas-based Heritage Auctions, the nation's largest collectibles auction house. "His passion for American pop culture is unparalleled and his collection is one of the finest ever put together."
Geppi's love for pop culture became a full-time pursuit in the 1970s when he opened a comic book store in the basement of a TV repair shop. That quickly grew to four shops and, subsequently, ownership of a company that would become Diamond Comic Distributors, the world's largest distributor of English-language comic books that today represents top publishing powerhouses like DC Comics, Marvel Comics and Dark Horse Comics.
Along the way, Geppi founded Gemstone Publishing Inc., which publishes titles such as The Overstreet Comic Book Price Guide, The Official Price Guide to Pop Culture: 150 Years of Character Toys & Collectibles, Hake's Price Guide To Character Toys, and North American editions of Disney comics. Other Geppi companies include hobby games distributor Alliance Game Distributors; and Diamond Select Toys and Collectibles. Most recently, he opened Geppi's Entertainment Museum at Baltimore's Camden Yards, which bills itself as America's premier pop-culture museum.
Like most passionate collectors, it's not all about the money for Geppi. When he was 9, he recalls finding comic book back issues in a neighborhood liquor store.
"There were these little boxes in the back room," says Geppi, 59. "They were a nickel apiece. Then the owner introduced the quarter box and the 50-cent box. He finally gave me a job at the store to support my fix, my habit. He would say, 'How do you want to be paid, kid, with comics or with money? It makes no difference to me.'
"I always took the comics."
Q. You were born in the Little Italy section of Baltimore, and you were forced to quit school early to work, correct?
A. When I graduated from St. Leo's School, which is now closed, I took the entrance exam to Calvert Hall High School, which was the quintessential high school that all of us guys wanted to go to. I aced the [entrance] test ... but unfortunately that's the day I found out I was poor. We found out it cost $400 a year to go there and I was devastated that we couldn't afford that. I eventually went to Mergenthaler. It was a very good vocational school. I took up printing. In January of my ninth-grade year my mother and father officially split, and she was getting ready to go on welfare. It was terrible. So I had to quit school and go to work to support my mom and I've been working ever since. When I was 19, I landed a job at the United States Post Office. I was a letter carrier.
Q. Were you still a collector at this time?
A. When I started working, somewhere along the line I stopped buying comics. You never really stop enjoying them. They just kind of get away from you. School. Girls. Other hobbies. Parents. That was my case. I worked for the post office from 1969 to 1974. In 1971 or 1972, I went on vacation and my nephew, who at the time was 7 or 8, was reading a comic book. I was looking over his shoulder. It was a Batman. I started getting this tremendous nostalgic flashback and I decided when I got back home I would try to find some old comics again. I made a point, every time I was on a mail route, to ask people if they had comics.
Q. And people actually gave you comics?
A. One lady had a son about my age who was in college, and she let me see this collection of about 2,500 comics. It took her three months to get his permission to let me buy them. I think I paid $125. I was thrilled. Around that time, I discovered The Overstreet Comic Book Price Guide, which was in its third edition. Armed with comics I didn't want and as I continued to advertise and find comics, I had to have an outlet for the excess. So I started going to these little comic book conventions, always on the weekends, and lo and behold, before I knew it, I was making more money on the weekends than I was on my job. I loved my job but this was a dilemma for me. If you wanted to go to conventions every weekend, you had to have about 200 years seniority at the post office to have Saturdays off. So there I was with a good, steady job and I'm quitting to open a comic book store in the basement of a TV repair shop.
Q. When did you start including more pop-culture memorabilia in your collection?
A. I focused on Golden Age comics, even Silver Age comics, but I really hadn't at that point branched into too much of the stuff you see in the museum now. I was appreciative of it, but I was focusing on Golden Age books. But little by little, I started to get into that stuff, whether it was original art, Big Little Books, posters. Being a voracious collector, once you get everything on one side, you go into another category and you have that same attitude.
Q. What were some early acquisitions that got you excited?
A. In the early 1980s, I bought the Pennsylvania Collection, as its known in the pedigree world. I paid $20,000 for it. That was a big number to spend at the time. I bought a collection from a guy in Jamaica Estates in New York for $55,000. I came home with 21 shopping bags of Golden Age. It was quite a collection.
Q. What were some of the lessons you learned from those acquisitions?
A. I learned early that condition was critical from an investment standpoint. The higher the grade, you couldn't get stuck. No matter what you paid for a high-grade book, even if it was over market, if you sat on it long enough it would eventually turn into a good investment because they're not making them anymore. Today, with the stock market and real estate market in the tank, I've been waving the flag. I even wrote an editorial for the local business newspaper. All these years we've been the Rodney Dangerfields of investments. I couldn't help myself but to say, "Hey, you're all finally realizing what I told you, that the real, true supply-and-demand market, if that's what escalating value is about, is over here in collectibles." While all this [economic news] was going on, Heritage Auctions was having record auctions, prices were going through the roof. And why? Because people are recognizing that this stuff is really, truly something that can't be replaced. You don't wake up looking at some newspaper that tells you your Superman #1 is worth half of what it was yesterday. One of the lessons I learned that really served me well was instead of putting my money in traditional things, I just kept snowballing and snowballing my wealth through buying and selling collectibles. And it has served me well.
Q. Is that when you realized that you could invest in more than just comics, things like toys, movie posters, animated-cartoon art, TV memorabilia?
A. The same principles applied. I didn't have the same knowledge initially, but I knew if I bought high grade ... not to say that you can't make money in lower grade, but in blue-chip investing, it's clear. When you buy a Walt Disney poster and there's only one known, and it's in high grade, you have to pay the price or you don't get it.
Q. What do you do, as far as research, before you make a purchase? Or is it all gut feeling now?
A. At this point in my life, I know what I'm doing. But there are cases where you have to do a little more homework. Every once in a while, no matter how much you know, you can get fooled on something. Even the most incredible expert in whatever hobby can still get fooled if they're not doing all of their due diligence.
Q. In 2003 you purchased the very first G.I. Joe doll for $200,000. It was the carved-wood prototype handcrafted in 1963 by Don Levine while he was at Hassenfeld Brothers, later re-named Hasbro Toys. Why was that important to you?
A. I don't know if prior to that I had a desire for it. I remember the great job Heritage Auctions did in hyping it and even though I bought it post auction, I liked owning something that was unique. Not only was it the first G.I. Joe, but it was the first action figure. As you branch out as a collector, you start to recognize what's unique.
Q. In 2006, you opened Geppi's Entertainment Museum at Camden Yards to spotlight the role of entertainment in mainstream culture over the past 250 years. Describe the transition from a personal collection to one put up for public display.
A. In the back of my mind, it always bugged me that as these comics were going up in value, they didn't get the respect they deserved. Typically, you'd go to a comic convention and, no disrespect, there was a guy trying to sell you a $10,000 comic book and he's in an undershirt with mustard stains on it. How are you supposed to gain confidence that this is a good investment? So I always thought that if this stuff truly is rare, is desirable and part of Americana, if it was displayed and put in the atmosphere it deserves, it would get much more respect and would attract more investors and collectors.
Q. In 2007, you decided to auction original cover art for several editions of The Overstreet Comic Book Price Guide, as well as Carl Barks' Disney paintings and original art by Hal Foster, Chester Gould and Jim Steranko. When do you decide to sell?
A. The museum in many ways is like a giant retail store disguised as a museum, and that doesn't mean there are "for sale" prices on anything. In most cases, nothing will ever be for sale. But you have to facilitate change from time to time and in some cases it's just upgrading. For example, if I have a very fine copy of Donald Duck Four Color #9 and I get a near mint to mint copy, I can put one in there and take the other one out and sell it. It keeps revenue rolling.
Q. What do you look for when you work with an auction house?
A. I'm looking for large audiences and good advertising networks. Quite frankly, because I'm only one human being, I look for someone who can do all the work. That's valuable. Heritage Auctions is a really important part of the industry. With Heritage and the fact that there's third-party grading, it's starting to establish a more predictable marketplace. I started out getting the Heritage catalog for comics and then I checked off to get all the catalogs. I flip through them and find myself sometimes buying coins or something other than comics.
Hector Cantu is editorial director at Heritage Magazine (www.HeritageMagazine.com), where this story originally appeared. For a free subscription, visit www.HeritageMagazine.com.
------------------ ARTICLE END ------------------
How To Begin Your Own Coin Collection
Art Gib 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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- Do not use this article in violation of the US CAN-SPAM Act. If sent by email, this article must be delivered to opt-in subscribers only.
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- Please send a copy of the publication, or an email indicating the URL to artgib@gmail.com
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Article Title: How To Begin Your Own Coin Collection
Author: Art Gib
Category: Collecting
Word Count: 447
Keywords: coin collecting supplies
Author's Email Address: artgib@gmail.com
Article Source: http://www.contentcrooner.com
------------------ ARTICLE START ------------------
While I was working at a frozen yogurt joint some years ago, I occasionally received exotic coins from my customers while I was acting as their cashier.
Many of them, as you might guess, were simply from Canada or Mexico, but I recall receiving a five-cent piece from Barbados, along with a few other bits of currency from far off countries.
Through my mistaken encounters with foreign coins, I learned the appeal of coin collecting. This age-old fascination has come so far and caught the fancy of so many people because, unlike some types of collecting, it is neither time-consuming nor too costly.
First, you should make some kind of decision regarding what types of coins you wish to focus on. There are special albums that aide in the display of cents, nickels, dimes, quarters, half-dollar, and dollar pieces.
If you think you may be interested in multiple categories, then you can easily purchase coin collecting supplies like albums, folders, and archives for several types of currency at a local hobby store or online through a specialty shop.
To begin your infant assortment of coins, you may want to check out local live auctions, pawn shops, or, naturally, search web-based auctions.
When you go into stores--grocery stores or eating establishments--ask them if they have received any foreign coins. Whenever we had them at work, we felt clueless as to what we should do with them.
Keep in close contact with friends and family, letting them know about your collecting endeavors. Whenever you get wind of one of them taking a trip abroad, ask them to bring you back some of the native currency. Of course, you should probably offer to pay for it.
The same obviously applies whenever you go overseas yourself. Make sure to stow a coin or two safely in your luggage or somewhere you won't be tempted to spend it.
Approach your older relatives to ask them if they have any coins from their childhood or their country of origin that they would be willing to part with. Oftentimes, as people age, they try to scale back their possessions, so that means you can reap the benefits that result.
Keep your eyes peeled for upcoming coin shows in your area. You don't necessarily have to go to buy anything, but it can give you a better idea of what appeals to you and will help you to become acquainted with dealers and fellow collectors that will point you in the right direction.
Coin collecting is a fascinating hobby that gives you a valuable peek into the past. It doesn't cost much to get started--just pull the change from your pocket and take a good look!
Coin Supply Express (http://www.coinsupplyexpress.com/) is committed to helping you build and protect your coin collection by providing you with a wide range of coin collecting supplies at discounted prices. Art Gib is a freelance writer.
------------------ ARTICLE END ------------------
Feel free to use this article in your newsletter, website, ezine, blog, or forum.
-----------
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Article Title: How To Begin Your Own Coin Collection
Author: Art Gib
Category: Collecting
Word Count: 447
Keywords: coin collecting supplies
Author's Email Address: artgib@gmail.com
Article Source: http://www.contentcrooner.com
------------------ ARTICLE START ------------------
While I was working at a frozen yogurt joint some years ago, I occasionally received exotic coins from my customers while I was acting as their cashier.
Many of them, as you might guess, were simply from Canada or Mexico, but I recall receiving a five-cent piece from Barbados, along with a few other bits of currency from far off countries.
Through my mistaken encounters with foreign coins, I learned the appeal of coin collecting. This age-old fascination has come so far and caught the fancy of so many people because, unlike some types of collecting, it is neither time-consuming nor too costly.
First, you should make some kind of decision regarding what types of coins you wish to focus on. There are special albums that aide in the display of cents, nickels, dimes, quarters, half-dollar, and dollar pieces.
If you think you may be interested in multiple categories, then you can easily purchase coin collecting supplies like albums, folders, and archives for several types of currency at a local hobby store or online through a specialty shop.
To begin your infant assortment of coins, you may want to check out local live auctions, pawn shops, or, naturally, search web-based auctions.
When you go into stores--grocery stores or eating establishments--ask them if they have received any foreign coins. Whenever we had them at work, we felt clueless as to what we should do with them.
Keep in close contact with friends and family, letting them know about your collecting endeavors. Whenever you get wind of one of them taking a trip abroad, ask them to bring you back some of the native currency. Of course, you should probably offer to pay for it.
The same obviously applies whenever you go overseas yourself. Make sure to stow a coin or two safely in your luggage or somewhere you won't be tempted to spend it.
Approach your older relatives to ask them if they have any coins from their childhood or their country of origin that they would be willing to part with. Oftentimes, as people age, they try to scale back their possessions, so that means you can reap the benefits that result.
Keep your eyes peeled for upcoming coin shows in your area. You don't necessarily have to go to buy anything, but it can give you a better idea of what appeals to you and will help you to become acquainted with dealers and fellow collectors that will point you in the right direction.
Coin collecting is a fascinating hobby that gives you a valuable peek into the past. It doesn't cost much to get started--just pull the change from your pocket and take a good look!
Coin Supply Express (http://www.coinsupplyexpress.com/) is committed to helping you build and protect your coin collection by providing you with a wide range of coin collecting supplies at discounted prices. Art Gib is a freelance writer.
------------------ ARTICLE END ------------------
Collecting Vintage Jewelry
Hector Cantu 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: Collecting Vintage Jewelry
Author: Hector Cantu
Category: Collecting, Jewelry, Wealth Building
Word Count: 1505
Keywords: vintage jewelry, collecting, Van Cleef & Arpels, Cartier, Heritage Auctions, gold
Author's Email Address: hectorc@HA.com
Article Source: http://www.contentcrooner.com
------------------ ARTICLE START ------------------
As the gold market continues its strong performance, dancing around the $1,000-per-ounce mark, more collectors are turning to vintage jewelry to add a unique touch to their wardrobes. Vintage jewelry expert Jill Burgum of Heritage Auctions in Dallas, Texas, gives advice on how to make sure your money is well spent.
Q: What's your best advice for beginning jewelry buyers and collectors?
A: My most common advice is don't be afraid to ask questions, whether you are buying from reputable dealers or from shops. There is also a lot of information you can find online. The Internet is a great way to educate yourself. Also, don't expect that a modern jewelry seller or store will know much about vintage or estate jewelry. They often don't because it's simply not their market.
Q: Does "antique, vintage or estate" jewelry mean lesser quality?
A: Not at all! The common thread among those terms is that the item is previously owned, and there is a lot of value in purchasing estate or previously owned jewelry. First, you can get great deals. The premium paid when purchasing a brand new piece at full retail price will not be transferred once that same item is resold. It's an excellent way to purchase designer names at a fraction of the original price. Also, purchasing estate jewelry is a fantastic way to acquire pieces with "Old World" craftsmanship. This is a lost art. Production costs are prohibitive in today's market, making it unrealistic from a cost perspective to do a lot of the precision handwork you can find in older pieces of jewelry. Purchasing estate jewelry is also a wonderful way to acquire platinum-set jewelry. Traditionally, platinum jewelry holds its value better than gold jewelry. And don't forget that you can find diamonds at a fraction of what you would pay at a new jewelry retailer. The savings can be amazing, up to 75 percent.
Q: What's the one thing you have to look for when buying vintage jewelry?
A: Condition, condition, condition! Don't overlook damage such as missing prongs, bends and dents.
Q: Anything buyers should be especially wary of?
A: I'm always careful when selecting items that appear as Art Deco. Ask if they really are Art Deco or "Art Deco style" or "Art Deco reproduction." There will be a significant difference in value and potential resale. You should also ask if the piece is original. Was it always a pendant-brooch or was it originally a brooch that someone altered to make it wearable as a pendant, too? Was the bangle watch originally an Art Deco watch that was later centered in a gold bangle? This is referred to as a "marriage," meaning a combining of elements, and it affects the piece's originality and value.
Q: Anything else?
A: Make sure what you are buying is what it is purported to be. Gold vs. gold-filled. Real vs. synthetic. Gemstones vs. glass. You don't want to purchase a gold jewelry item without gemstones and think that it will go up in value. The gold market fluctuates on a daily basis, but typically not in big enough swings to where you can make money, especially if an item is acquired when the gold market is high.
Q: So how do you distinguish between a good piece and a not-so-good piece?
A: Make sure to check for the quality of craftsmanship, finish, gemstones and repair. Ask yourself if the item is nicely detailed with clean or crisp edges. Check closely to see if the piece displays serious wear. Are there dents or cracks? Are there any signs of repair? Sometimes, yellow gold solder has been used to repair platinum jewelry by unskilled bench jewelers. Definitely keep a keen eye out for signs of lead solder repairs on antique jewelry as this affects the piece's value. In the case of a bracelet, is the construction stiff vs. flexible? The more flexible piece is better designed and manufactured. Is the piece scratchy? That is a sign of either a new piece or lesser quality of manufacture. If gemstones are involved, are the colors clear, bright and lively? Are they of medium color? Generally, more commercially made items have lighter gemstones of lesser quality, meaning mass production. For diamonds, check the quality. Avoid diamonds that look like snowballs or diamonds appearing like gravel due to heavy inclusions.
Q: What are some of the most collectible names in vintage jewelry and why?
A: There are too many to list, but there are a few "top of the top." Some of the firms noted for their exquisite designs and craftsmanship include Van Cleef & Arpels, Cartier, Mauboussin, and Schlumberger for Tiffany & Co. Their true vintage pieces, made prior to 1960 in Paris, command a premium. There are the rare designers, who are so exclusive that their pieces are unsigned, as in the case of JAR. Others produce limited quantities of very high-quality designs and to come across their works is the equivalent of finding treasures. These include Rene Boivin, Carven French, Pierre Sterle, and Janesich. Among contemporary names, Bvlgari, Harry Winston, Graff, and H. Stern all utilize the finest in both diamonds and colored gemstones.
Q: There seems to be controversy as to whether vintage jewelry is a good investment. What's your take?
A: For the most part, I don't consider the majority of jewelry to be what most individuals would traditionally think of as a good investment. It typically isn't high finance. Is it a money-maker on down the road? No. So why the interest or why should you purchase or care about vintage jewelry? Vintage jewelry, as with contemporary jewelry, is largely an emotional purchase. You have to ask: Does it make me feel good? Does the piece excite me? Do I get a visceral reaction or enjoyment? If the answer is yes, then that particular piece is a good investment in terms of the pleasure value. In my opinion, jewelry is meant to be worn and enjoyed. There is also the sentimental value factor that you attach to items. Was it the one-and-only engagement ring a woman wore? Was the item received for a special occasion such as the birth of a child, a birthday or a milestone? Or was the piece passed down through the generations of a family? Sentiment cannot be measured on the open market. It is entirely and uniquely personal.
Q: What if someone still wants to approach this as an investment?
A: To make a true financial investment, you may want to target designer name materials, because they have a better tendency to retain value or, in some instances, even increase in value. Or you may want to consider larger or higher quality diamonds or rare gemstones for investment purposes. Generally speaking, the items that will hold value are going to be beautifully executed and include fine diamonds or colored gemstones set in gold or platinum. As an aside, I would point out that there are far more pieces out in the marketplace that are unsigned vs. signed, but that should not be a negative factor or a reason to overlook them. Beautiful construction combined with fine materials will always be saleable and in demand.
AN EXPERT'S INSIGHTS
Noted vintage jewelry expert Jill Burgum, who received degrees in bench jewelry manufacturing from Bowman Tech and Stewart's International and previously worked at Butterfield & Butterfield, offers these tips for today's vintage jewelry market:
+ Trends: Jewelry follows fashion trends, even when looking at vintage and estate pieces. "Right now," Burgum says, "1970s fashions are hot -- so is yellow gold in textured forms. But be careful. The odds on nugget jewelry and rope chains coming back in style are not good."
+ Quality: When establishing a jewelry wardrobe, look for timeless designs -- a simple pair of moderately sized hoop earrings, three-stone rings, a tennis bracelet, diamond solitaire pendant, or stud earrings.
+ Care: Be aware of how you store your fine jewelry. "Don't toss it into a jewelry box," Burgum says. "Diamonds will scratch other gemstones as well as other diamonds."
+ Upkeep: Keep your jewelry clean -- it looks so much better, brighter and fresher. "Occasionally check to make sure stones are tight and not loose. Make sure your pearl necklaces do not have stretched silk cord -- an indicator that they should be restrung before a potential loss or breakage occurs."
+ Recycle: Keep in mind the "green factor" when looking at jewelry. If you have items that are (to you) outdated or damaged, turn it into cash that can be applied towards the purchase of something else you would like, or use the money to pay bills or take a trip. "The metal," Burgum adds, "can also be melted and made into another item. Gemstones can be removed from one item and utilized in another. Be creative."
Hector Cantu is editorial director at Heritage Magazine (www.HeritageMagazine.com), where this story originally appeared. For a free subscription, visit www.HeritageMagazine.com.
------------------ ARTICLE END ------------------
Feel free to use this article in your newsletter, website, ezine, blog, or forum.
-----------
PUBLICATION GUIDELINES
- You have permission to publish this article for free providing the "About the Author" box is included in its entirety.
- Do not post/reprint this article in any site or publication that contains hate, violence, porn, warez, or supports illegal activity.
- Do not use this article in violation of the US CAN-SPAM Act. If sent by email, this article must be delivered to opt-in subscribers only.
- If you publish this article in a format that supports linking, please ensure that all URLs and email addresses are active links.
- Please send a copy of the publication, or an email indicating the URL to hectorc@HA.com
- Content Crooner (www.ContentCrooner.com) has distributed this article on behalf of the author. Content Crooner does not own this article, please respect the author's copyright and publication guidelines. If you do not agree to these terms, please do not use this article.
-----------
Article Title: Collecting Vintage Jewelry
Author: Hector Cantu
Category: Collecting, Jewelry, Wealth Building
Word Count: 1505
Keywords: vintage jewelry, collecting, Van Cleef & Arpels, Cartier, Heritage Auctions, gold
Author's Email Address: hectorc@HA.com
Article Source: http://www.contentcrooner.com
------------------ ARTICLE START ------------------
As the gold market continues its strong performance, dancing around the $1,000-per-ounce mark, more collectors are turning to vintage jewelry to add a unique touch to their wardrobes. Vintage jewelry expert Jill Burgum of Heritage Auctions in Dallas, Texas, gives advice on how to make sure your money is well spent.
Q: What's your best advice for beginning jewelry buyers and collectors?
A: My most common advice is don't be afraid to ask questions, whether you are buying from reputable dealers or from shops. There is also a lot of information you can find online. The Internet is a great way to educate yourself. Also, don't expect that a modern jewelry seller or store will know much about vintage or estate jewelry. They often don't because it's simply not their market.
Q: Does "antique, vintage or estate" jewelry mean lesser quality?
A: Not at all! The common thread among those terms is that the item is previously owned, and there is a lot of value in purchasing estate or previously owned jewelry. First, you can get great deals. The premium paid when purchasing a brand new piece at full retail price will not be transferred once that same item is resold. It's an excellent way to purchase designer names at a fraction of the original price. Also, purchasing estate jewelry is a fantastic way to acquire pieces with "Old World" craftsmanship. This is a lost art. Production costs are prohibitive in today's market, making it unrealistic from a cost perspective to do a lot of the precision handwork you can find in older pieces of jewelry. Purchasing estate jewelry is also a wonderful way to acquire platinum-set jewelry. Traditionally, platinum jewelry holds its value better than gold jewelry. And don't forget that you can find diamonds at a fraction of what you would pay at a new jewelry retailer. The savings can be amazing, up to 75 percent.
Q: What's the one thing you have to look for when buying vintage jewelry?
A: Condition, condition, condition! Don't overlook damage such as missing prongs, bends and dents.
Q: Anything buyers should be especially wary of?
A: I'm always careful when selecting items that appear as Art Deco. Ask if they really are Art Deco or "Art Deco style" or "Art Deco reproduction." There will be a significant difference in value and potential resale. You should also ask if the piece is original. Was it always a pendant-brooch or was it originally a brooch that someone altered to make it wearable as a pendant, too? Was the bangle watch originally an Art Deco watch that was later centered in a gold bangle? This is referred to as a "marriage," meaning a combining of elements, and it affects the piece's originality and value.
Q: Anything else?
A: Make sure what you are buying is what it is purported to be. Gold vs. gold-filled. Real vs. synthetic. Gemstones vs. glass. You don't want to purchase a gold jewelry item without gemstones and think that it will go up in value. The gold market fluctuates on a daily basis, but typically not in big enough swings to where you can make money, especially if an item is acquired when the gold market is high.
Q: So how do you distinguish between a good piece and a not-so-good piece?
A: Make sure to check for the quality of craftsmanship, finish, gemstones and repair. Ask yourself if the item is nicely detailed with clean or crisp edges. Check closely to see if the piece displays serious wear. Are there dents or cracks? Are there any signs of repair? Sometimes, yellow gold solder has been used to repair platinum jewelry by unskilled bench jewelers. Definitely keep a keen eye out for signs of lead solder repairs on antique jewelry as this affects the piece's value. In the case of a bracelet, is the construction stiff vs. flexible? The more flexible piece is better designed and manufactured. Is the piece scratchy? That is a sign of either a new piece or lesser quality of manufacture. If gemstones are involved, are the colors clear, bright and lively? Are they of medium color? Generally, more commercially made items have lighter gemstones of lesser quality, meaning mass production. For diamonds, check the quality. Avoid diamonds that look like snowballs or diamonds appearing like gravel due to heavy inclusions.
Q: What are some of the most collectible names in vintage jewelry and why?
A: There are too many to list, but there are a few "top of the top." Some of the firms noted for their exquisite designs and craftsmanship include Van Cleef & Arpels, Cartier, Mauboussin, and Schlumberger for Tiffany & Co. Their true vintage pieces, made prior to 1960 in Paris, command a premium. There are the rare designers, who are so exclusive that their pieces are unsigned, as in the case of JAR. Others produce limited quantities of very high-quality designs and to come across their works is the equivalent of finding treasures. These include Rene Boivin, Carven French, Pierre Sterle, and Janesich. Among contemporary names, Bvlgari, Harry Winston, Graff, and H. Stern all utilize the finest in both diamonds and colored gemstones.
Q: There seems to be controversy as to whether vintage jewelry is a good investment. What's your take?
A: For the most part, I don't consider the majority of jewelry to be what most individuals would traditionally think of as a good investment. It typically isn't high finance. Is it a money-maker on down the road? No. So why the interest or why should you purchase or care about vintage jewelry? Vintage jewelry, as with contemporary jewelry, is largely an emotional purchase. You have to ask: Does it make me feel good? Does the piece excite me? Do I get a visceral reaction or enjoyment? If the answer is yes, then that particular piece is a good investment in terms of the pleasure value. In my opinion, jewelry is meant to be worn and enjoyed. There is also the sentimental value factor that you attach to items. Was it the one-and-only engagement ring a woman wore? Was the item received for a special occasion such as the birth of a child, a birthday or a milestone? Or was the piece passed down through the generations of a family? Sentiment cannot be measured on the open market. It is entirely and uniquely personal.
Q: What if someone still wants to approach this as an investment?
A: To make a true financial investment, you may want to target designer name materials, because they have a better tendency to retain value or, in some instances, even increase in value. Or you may want to consider larger or higher quality diamonds or rare gemstones for investment purposes. Generally speaking, the items that will hold value are going to be beautifully executed and include fine diamonds or colored gemstones set in gold or platinum. As an aside, I would point out that there are far more pieces out in the marketplace that are unsigned vs. signed, but that should not be a negative factor or a reason to overlook them. Beautiful construction combined with fine materials will always be saleable and in demand.
AN EXPERT'S INSIGHTS
Noted vintage jewelry expert Jill Burgum, who received degrees in bench jewelry manufacturing from Bowman Tech and Stewart's International and previously worked at Butterfield & Butterfield, offers these tips for today's vintage jewelry market:
+ Trends: Jewelry follows fashion trends, even when looking at vintage and estate pieces. "Right now," Burgum says, "1970s fashions are hot -- so is yellow gold in textured forms. But be careful. The odds on nugget jewelry and rope chains coming back in style are not good."
+ Quality: When establishing a jewelry wardrobe, look for timeless designs -- a simple pair of moderately sized hoop earrings, three-stone rings, a tennis bracelet, diamond solitaire pendant, or stud earrings.
+ Care: Be aware of how you store your fine jewelry. "Don't toss it into a jewelry box," Burgum says. "Diamonds will scratch other gemstones as well as other diamonds."
+ Upkeep: Keep your jewelry clean -- it looks so much better, brighter and fresher. "Occasionally check to make sure stones are tight and not loose. Make sure your pearl necklaces do not have stretched silk cord -- an indicator that they should be restrung before a potential loss or breakage occurs."
+ Recycle: Keep in mind the "green factor" when looking at jewelry. If you have items that are (to you) outdated or damaged, turn it into cash that can be applied towards the purchase of something else you would like, or use the money to pay bills or take a trip. "The metal," Burgum adds, "can also be melted and made into another item. Gemstones can be removed from one item and utilized in another. Be creative."
Hector Cantu is editorial director at Heritage Magazine (www.HeritageMagazine.com), where this story originally appeared. For a free subscription, visit www.HeritageMagazine.com.
------------------ ARTICLE END ------------------
Friday, November 6, 2009
Building Model Toy Trains May Be the Perfect Hobby for You
Tony Austin 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.
-----------
PUBLICATION GUIDELINES
- You have permission to publish this article for free providing the "About the Author" box is included in its entirety.
- Do not post/reprint this article in any site or publication that contains hate, violence, porn, warez, or supports illegal activity.
- Do not use this article in violation of the US CAN-SPAM Act. If sent by email, this article must be delivered to opt-in subscribers only.
- If you publish this article in a format that supports linking, please ensure that all URLs and email addresses are active links.
- Please send a copy of the publication, or an email indicating the URL to info@modeltoytrain.net
- Content Crooner (www.ContentCrooner.com) has distributed this article on behalf of the author. Content Crooner does not own this article, please respect the author's copyright and publication guidelines. If you do not agree to these terms, please do not use this article.
-----------
Article Title: Building Model Toy Trains May Be the Perfect Hobby for You
Author: Tony Austin
Category: Collecting, Recreation and Leisure
Word Count: 651
Keywords: model toy trains, model trains, toy trains, trains
Author's Email Address: info@modeltoytrain.net
Article Source: http://www.contentcrooner.com
------------------ ARTICLE START ------------------
Everyone who is looking for a fun and fascinating hobby, just look at model trains. This popular hobby has been around for decades with the earliest model trains dating from about 1840. As the hobby has progressed, model toy trains have gotten not only more realistic, but also more detailed in landscaping and scale. Today, there are several popular options for the new hobbyist.
The first thing to understand when it comes to model trains is how the scale is measured. All model trains are in proportion to their life sized counterparts, but the scale varies depending on the desired use and display. For indoor displays, the most common scale is H0, featuring a scale of 1:87. These trains are around 2" tall and between 4 to 12" long. If you want to place model toy trains in your backyard, you will likely be looking at G or garden scale, which has a proportion of 1:24. There are many other sizes as well, ranging from the matchbox size Z scale all the way to a train that can be rode with scales of 1:4 and 1:8. These quaint trains are often seen in amusement parks, but can be purchased by a private owner as well. Wherever your interest lies, you can find the perfect scale for your needs.
Once you have decided on the scale that is right for your personal collection, you can start to decide on how to display your model toy trains. Some collectors like to focus specifically on the trains and collect them for a freestanding display. However, much of the fun of model trains is creating an entire landscape to scale. In the business, this is known as creating a layout or scenery building. Many collectors recreate a specific historical place or scene. Fantasy scenes are also a popular choice. The scene is created in the same scale as the train, down to the rocks, trees and bystanders. For the hobbyist, this is often the most enjoyable part of collecting model trains.
As a model train enthusiast, there are many resources available to you. If you live in a fairly populated area, it's likely that you will be able to join a model railroad club. Joining a club gives you access to the knowledge base of other enthusiasts who enjoy model toy trains. These people can give you advice and sources for trains and supplies. Also, many clubs feature shows in which members can have the opportunity to set up their model trains for public display. In addition, many urban areas feature trade shows that can also increase the availability of materials and information.
To power your model trains, you have several options. The most common power source for model toy trains is a DC current that is delivered through the track system. Some trains do run on batteries, but it is uncommon for a small gauge train. Small gauge trains that use battery power are considered childrens' toys by most enthusiasts. However, large outdoor gauges often employ batteries because it can be difficult to get a consistent power source out of doors. In addition, for these large models, a full steam engine is regularly used as the power source. Working steam engines are also becoming a bit more common in smaller gauge model trains. Obviously, these can be quite intricate in such a small size.
People who build model trains for a hobby get a great deal of satisfaction from the endeavor. Model toy trains are just plain fun. However, they also speak to a lost age, create nostalgia and appeal to people who enjoy old fashioned engineering and design. Whatever the reason, the craft is easy to break into. Setting up a basic display can be quite affordable and it is easy to build on as you learn more. These are just a few of reasons that you may find model trains to be the right hobby for you.
A true enthusiast of model toy trains; Tony Austin shows how a love of model trains can bring joy and happiness to every model train hobbyist. Be it expert or newbie, this form of transportation brings fascination and wonder. You can see more model trains at http://www.modeltoytrain.net.
------------------ ARTICLE END ------------------
Feel free to use this article in your newsletter, website, ezine, blog, or forum.
-----------
PUBLICATION GUIDELINES
- You have permission to publish this article for free providing the "About the Author" box is included in its entirety.
- Do not post/reprint this article in any site or publication that contains hate, violence, porn, warez, or supports illegal activity.
- Do not use this article in violation of the US CAN-SPAM Act. If sent by email, this article must be delivered to opt-in subscribers only.
- If you publish this article in a format that supports linking, please ensure that all URLs and email addresses are active links.
- Please send a copy of the publication, or an email indicating the URL to info@modeltoytrain.net
- Content Crooner (www.ContentCrooner.com) has distributed this article on behalf of the author. Content Crooner does not own this article, please respect the author's copyright and publication guidelines. If you do not agree to these terms, please do not use this article.
-----------
Article Title: Building Model Toy Trains May Be the Perfect Hobby for You
Author: Tony Austin
Category: Collecting, Recreation and Leisure
Word Count: 651
Keywords: model toy trains, model trains, toy trains, trains
Author's Email Address: info@modeltoytrain.net
Article Source: http://www.contentcrooner.com
------------------ ARTICLE START ------------------
Everyone who is looking for a fun and fascinating hobby, just look at model trains. This popular hobby has been around for decades with the earliest model trains dating from about 1840. As the hobby has progressed, model toy trains have gotten not only more realistic, but also more detailed in landscaping and scale. Today, there are several popular options for the new hobbyist.
The first thing to understand when it comes to model trains is how the scale is measured. All model trains are in proportion to their life sized counterparts, but the scale varies depending on the desired use and display. For indoor displays, the most common scale is H0, featuring a scale of 1:87. These trains are around 2" tall and between 4 to 12" long. If you want to place model toy trains in your backyard, you will likely be looking at G or garden scale, which has a proportion of 1:24. There are many other sizes as well, ranging from the matchbox size Z scale all the way to a train that can be rode with scales of 1:4 and 1:8. These quaint trains are often seen in amusement parks, but can be purchased by a private owner as well. Wherever your interest lies, you can find the perfect scale for your needs.
Once you have decided on the scale that is right for your personal collection, you can start to decide on how to display your model toy trains. Some collectors like to focus specifically on the trains and collect them for a freestanding display. However, much of the fun of model trains is creating an entire landscape to scale. In the business, this is known as creating a layout or scenery building. Many collectors recreate a specific historical place or scene. Fantasy scenes are also a popular choice. The scene is created in the same scale as the train, down to the rocks, trees and bystanders. For the hobbyist, this is often the most enjoyable part of collecting model trains.
As a model train enthusiast, there are many resources available to you. If you live in a fairly populated area, it's likely that you will be able to join a model railroad club. Joining a club gives you access to the knowledge base of other enthusiasts who enjoy model toy trains. These people can give you advice and sources for trains and supplies. Also, many clubs feature shows in which members can have the opportunity to set up their model trains for public display. In addition, many urban areas feature trade shows that can also increase the availability of materials and information.
To power your model trains, you have several options. The most common power source for model toy trains is a DC current that is delivered through the track system. Some trains do run on batteries, but it is uncommon for a small gauge train. Small gauge trains that use battery power are considered childrens' toys by most enthusiasts. However, large outdoor gauges often employ batteries because it can be difficult to get a consistent power source out of doors. In addition, for these large models, a full steam engine is regularly used as the power source. Working steam engines are also becoming a bit more common in smaller gauge model trains. Obviously, these can be quite intricate in such a small size.
People who build model trains for a hobby get a great deal of satisfaction from the endeavor. Model toy trains are just plain fun. However, they also speak to a lost age, create nostalgia and appeal to people who enjoy old fashioned engineering and design. Whatever the reason, the craft is easy to break into. Setting up a basic display can be quite affordable and it is easy to build on as you learn more. These are just a few of reasons that you may find model trains to be the right hobby for you.
A true enthusiast of model toy trains; Tony Austin shows how a love of model trains can bring joy and happiness to every model train hobbyist. Be it expert or newbie, this form of transportation brings fascination and wonder. You can see more model trains at http://www.modeltoytrain.net.
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Thursday, November 5, 2009
How To Start Your Own 18 Inch Doll Collection
Stephen Daniels 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: How To Start Your Own 18 Inch Doll Collection
Author: Stephen Daniels
Category: Collecting
Word Count: 533
Keywords: doll collecting, doll accessories, specialty dolls, one-of-a-kind dolls, 18 inch dolls, high quality
Author's Email Address: netbizarticle@gmail.com
Article Source: http://www.contentcrooner.com
------------------ ARTICLE START ------------------
Most girls who outgrow playing with dolls feel a little loss. While little girls can't wait to grow up, giving up some of those childhood hobbies can be a bit sad. Collecting dolls allows a way to reconnect with childhood, as an adult. 18 inch dolls are a very popular size to collect. They are perfect for the beginning collector, but sophisticated enough for serious doll hobbyists.
An 18 inch doll is categorized by size. All the dolls in this collecting genre are exactly 18 inches tall. Most are hard bodied and are child like dolls, though there are a few that are baby dolls. The most commonly recognizable 18 inch doll is made by the American Girl company. These dolls are often designed around a historic period and come with books, full wardrobes and plenty of accessories. They can even be made to look like your favorite child. While this company is the most well known, there are dozens of other 18 inch dolls on the market, much of which are less expensive. These are better for a beginning or young collector. Clothing is also generally sold with each doll collection.
There are several things that draw collectors to 18 inch dolls. One is the sheer amount of clothing and accessories on the market. Most 18 inch dolls are compatible between brands, so you can buy clothing from any line and it should fit on another doll. This makes it extremely easy to customize your collection. Besides the commercially available clothing and accessories, there are also plenty of boutique designers that specialize in 18 inch dolls. There are even dozens of patterns and books on the market if you are interested in making your own clothing and accessories. In addition, for a truly customized doll, you can actually buy a 18 inch doll kit and build her from scratch.
Collectors each have their own unique way to organizing their dolls. Some focus on historical clothing, researching the time periods which their dolls represent. Other people are more interested in the style of the clothing and accessories. Many people like to recreate a complete scene in their doll's display. There are also several characters that are available in the 18 inch format, including literary stars like Madeline, Fancy Nancy and Raggedy Ann. These are generally soft bodied dolls.
The quality of different dolls vary greatly. You can often tell what to expect by paying attention to price and warranty. More expensive dolls such as American Girl sell for around a hundred dollars, while department store dolls are generally under $20. Starting with a cheaper doll is nothing to be worried about, however. You can begin on the cheap and build your collection as you get more familiar with the market and quality that is available. It's also easy to buy a cheaper doll and splurge on nicer clothes. You'll eventually get a feel for what makes you the happiest.
Collecting dolls is an age old hobby. 18 inch dolls provide an easy and enjoyable way to get into doll collecting. Do your research before making your first purchase. However, ultimately, doll collecting is about what makes you smile, so there's really no wrong way to go about it.
http://carpatina.com/ Carpatina offers high-quality fashion and collectible dolls with a stylish, romantic flavor. Dolls come with one outfit. Carpatina Dolls and the Girlfriends Collection are available online and at select specialty retailers. This article powered by http://www.netbiz.com
------------------ ARTICLE END ------------------
Feel free to use this article in your newsletter, website, ezine, blog, or forum.
-----------
PUBLICATION GUIDELINES
- You have permission to publish this article for free providing the "About the Author" box is included in its entirety.
- Do not post/reprint this article in any site or publication that contains hate, violence, porn, warez, or supports illegal activity.
- Do not use this article in violation of the US CAN-SPAM Act. If sent by email, this article must be delivered to opt-in subscribers only.
- If you publish this article in a format that supports linking, please ensure that all URLs and email addresses are active links.
- Please send a copy of the publication, or an email indicating the URL to netbizarticle@gmail.com
- Content Crooner (www.ContentCrooner.com) has distributed this article on behalf of the author. Content Crooner does not own this article, please respect the author's copyright and publication guidelines. If you do not agree to these terms, please do not use this article.
-----------
Article Title: How To Start Your Own 18 Inch Doll Collection
Author: Stephen Daniels
Category: Collecting
Word Count: 533
Keywords: doll collecting, doll accessories, specialty dolls, one-of-a-kind dolls, 18 inch dolls, high quality
Author's Email Address: netbizarticle@gmail.com
Article Source: http://www.contentcrooner.com
------------------ ARTICLE START ------------------
Most girls who outgrow playing with dolls feel a little loss. While little girls can't wait to grow up, giving up some of those childhood hobbies can be a bit sad. Collecting dolls allows a way to reconnect with childhood, as an adult. 18 inch dolls are a very popular size to collect. They are perfect for the beginning collector, but sophisticated enough for serious doll hobbyists.
An 18 inch doll is categorized by size. All the dolls in this collecting genre are exactly 18 inches tall. Most are hard bodied and are child like dolls, though there are a few that are baby dolls. The most commonly recognizable 18 inch doll is made by the American Girl company. These dolls are often designed around a historic period and come with books, full wardrobes and plenty of accessories. They can even be made to look like your favorite child. While this company is the most well known, there are dozens of other 18 inch dolls on the market, much of which are less expensive. These are better for a beginning or young collector. Clothing is also generally sold with each doll collection.
There are several things that draw collectors to 18 inch dolls. One is the sheer amount of clothing and accessories on the market. Most 18 inch dolls are compatible between brands, so you can buy clothing from any line and it should fit on another doll. This makes it extremely easy to customize your collection. Besides the commercially available clothing and accessories, there are also plenty of boutique designers that specialize in 18 inch dolls. There are even dozens of patterns and books on the market if you are interested in making your own clothing and accessories. In addition, for a truly customized doll, you can actually buy a 18 inch doll kit and build her from scratch.
Collectors each have their own unique way to organizing their dolls. Some focus on historical clothing, researching the time periods which their dolls represent. Other people are more interested in the style of the clothing and accessories. Many people like to recreate a complete scene in their doll's display. There are also several characters that are available in the 18 inch format, including literary stars like Madeline, Fancy Nancy and Raggedy Ann. These are generally soft bodied dolls.
The quality of different dolls vary greatly. You can often tell what to expect by paying attention to price and warranty. More expensive dolls such as American Girl sell for around a hundred dollars, while department store dolls are generally under $20. Starting with a cheaper doll is nothing to be worried about, however. You can begin on the cheap and build your collection as you get more familiar with the market and quality that is available. It's also easy to buy a cheaper doll and splurge on nicer clothes. You'll eventually get a feel for what makes you the happiest.
Collecting dolls is an age old hobby. 18 inch dolls provide an easy and enjoyable way to get into doll collecting. Do your research before making your first purchase. However, ultimately, doll collecting is about what makes you smile, so there's really no wrong way to go about it.
http://carpatina.com/ Carpatina offers high-quality fashion and collectible dolls with a stylish, romantic flavor. Dolls come with one outfit. Carpatina Dolls and the Girlfriends Collection are available online and at select specialty retailers. This article powered by http://www.netbiz.com
------------------ ARTICLE END ------------------
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