I'm so not fashion-savvy..

And this is the proof - my friend, the eBay Queen who blogs under that name posted a Horse-hide coat as a "strange item of the week"on her blog.  And from that I drilled down and found these...

Expensive and "weird" mens jackets

So I have a couple of questions for my fashion-savvy friends?? Are we actually harvesting old Paint's hide to make a coat?? WHO does that?? I know that the French eat horsemeat or used to...way more than we ever do in this country. That's ok there are some places in the world where cats and dog are "fair game" but I'm having trouble conceiving of "Chuckie" the riding lesson horse, turning into "Chuckie" the leather jacket..or shoes??

AND what the heck is a vicuna??  These jackets and coats are vicuna... THANK GOD for Google images... VICUNA pictures..

Ok - time for me to go to work so I can buy my husband and son Vicuna jackets. (Yeah THAT's Happening..)

150th Anniversary of the Start of the Civil War

Really...150 years. Whoddthunkit?

The political, economic and moral issues are all still raw for large swathes of the country. BUT we're not here today to rehash that. We're here to talk Civil War antiques. A subject I'm not really well versed on. I collect depression glass, remember?

But I figured, in a vain effort to catch up on the ULTIMATE BLOG Challenge, that I'd do a quick and dirty post and show you some "antiques" I have from around that era. They are only mine because my mom and her aunts, father and grandfather saved them. And some are only here because we have access to government records in our "beknighted" country. ( like the Wiki leaks guy does too..said with tonque firmly stuck out at the government)

So, forthwith..let me show you my gems of genealogy:

Did you know the government has census records back to like 1800?? This one is from 1870 - Wilmington De and my grandfather, a civil war veteran,and his family are listed on this exact page.  So I not only know he was alive in 1870, I know his wife was and so were some of his children.

I also have John Bradley's naturalization papers from 1850, and his muster roll from his enlistment in the 1st Delaware Infantry, as well as his discharge because he was blind in one eye, couldn't see out of the other eye and was hence unsuitable to be a solder. (NO SHIT SHERLOCK! No wonder you're a Lt. Colonel... )

Smart as I'm I forgot to take pictures for you so I'll add them later.

John ended up having something like 6 children. I know of 4 definitively. And  his oldest son was born in 1860 while he was serving in the Union Army.

There are still a lot of good Civil War Era antiques. Among those I've seen sold and traded are "dug buttons".  DUG refers to they were found in a battle field as opposed to "found in military stores" or supply depots.

Ok...tomorrow - pictures I promise.

A Random Act of Culture & MY FAVORITE Dept. Store

No...not Macy's (although they are a close second place).  This is the "former" John Wanamaker's flag ship store in Center City Phila.  Wanamaker knew beauty and elegance could combine with commercial functions and his store is marble and brass and glass and class. 

When you hear someone  from Philadelphia say "meet me at the Eagle" (we say really say IGGLE)  we mean the EAGLE in this video - look for him, he's famous and should have his own website.  Meanwhile just enjoy the music of the largest pipe organ in the world and the amazing chorus of VOLUNTEERS who showed up and sang their hearts out.

Dear eBay, why do you hate me?

Seriously?? WHAT did I ever do to you but pay hundreds of dollars in fees?? And for that, you have crippled my international sales.  GEE THANKS.


For the rest of the world, let me be clear, I am not an eBay hater.  If I were, I hardly would be listing there after 14 years.  I loved the "real eBay" but this version now is driving me to drink...or homicide.

I USED to get 40% of my sales from international buyers. I spend money for international visibility (which I think is maximum greed on eBay's part but I do buy that visibility cause I love international sales).  And for what??? So I can get buyers telling me they can't buy because it shows No international shipping? NOT what I want to hear.

I have calculated international shipping on ALL my items, so customers can see what it's going to cost to have that thing, mailed to them. Where ever they are.  So why is eBay telling people I have no shipping to the UK or Canada or Switzerland?? (and God only knows where else they discouraged people from...)

BEATS ME! the only answer I can think of is, they hate me, and/or they are trying to drive me nuts.

Thanks eBay, that's my husband's job...Back off, he's better at it than even you are.

Sort of goes along with the eternal question - how can I buy an autograph on eBay  but when I try to sell that autograph I get a severe policy violation that lasts a year...first one and it lasts a year BUT I can't get a refund on the autograph cause stupid me waited more than 90 days to try and sell it and find out it was a fake....... so I got doubly screwed. (see and you all thought I was mad about nothing... )

These Are The DSRs Of Our Lives: The Countdown To Christmas SALES!!!

These Are The DSRs Of Our Lives: The Countdown To Christmas SALES!!!

Capodimonte Porcelain

Capodimonte Porcelain on Ebay
First let me show you some Beautiful pieces in this ornate, elaborate porcelain.
this one is from my friend Elaine -

Capodimonte Figurine of a Lady on a Swing

Capodimonte was the summer palace of the Spanish King of Naples (Charles III) and in 1745 he created the manufactory there of porcelains. Over the intervening centuries, the tradition of first quality porcelain continued and became a standard of high quality porcelain decorative figures that were handcrafted, hand painted.
Beginning in the late 1800's, more items were hand-crafted, handpainted, hand fired and were done in small family productions.

Since the beginning of the 20th century the area has produced multitudes of "floral" compositions, handcrafted, hand-fired and hand painted so that it has become the capital of the tourist souvenirs for Italy.  Now, I grew up in South Phila, which in the 1950's/60/s and even to today in an Italian American neighborhood in Phila.  Every one of my Italian friends and in-laws/outlaws and neighbors had  Capodimonte in their "dressed windows" (another tradition I'll explain to you in a later post.  Sometimes those windows, looked out at street level...literally even with the sidewalk, from a "finished" basement. Sometimes they were the main window of the  first floor of a rowhome, which could be anywhere from eyelevel to 3 ft over your head.  On any given street, in the 60's and 70's at least half that houses had elaborate porcelain figurines or floral arrangements, all Capodimonte, in the window!

Capodimonte and Buen Retiro: Porcelains Period of Charles III

But then there is this one too Goddess pulled by Putti

Use this search to find more - seriously I make zero off of showing you these...but it might change your buying pattern if you recognize these at the fleamarket or garage sale

Honestly? If you use ROBO CALL to ask for my vote,

YOU ARE NOT GETTING IT!

I don't care if you're running for ticket taker at the movies. DO NOT CALL MY HOUSE!! I pay to be unlisted. I signed up for the DO NOT CALL LIST because I don't want  YOU to call.  I don't care if you're Democat, Republican,Teaparty, or Socialist or Survivalist. 

If I wanted to talk to you, I'd call you.  Since I haven't, don't call me.  I'm not voting for Tom Corbett in Pa because he's called my house, for my husband, 3 x a day every day for two weeks.  IF he hadn't already pissed me  off with his stupid remark that people on unemployment refuse jobs to stay on unemployment, I surely wouldn't vote for him when he's harassing me every day.

Sarah Palin? GET  A REAL JOB! stop pretending to be a celebrity or an intellectual and definitely don't record any more robo call messages. Idon't like you. I think you're a dangerous lunatic as for you endorsing Pat Toomey, that sealed my deal...not voting for him.

Ed from GSP Crossings/ and all the rest of you, TAKE ME OFF YOUR CALL LIST  or pay my damn phone bill.

I already decided weeks ago who I'm not voting for and it's all of you. If you call my house, I vote for your opposition. If they call my house too, I write myself in on the ballot. 

I might finally be forced to vote for Cthulu, the greater of all evils as a write-in vote to retain my superior voting record while NOT giving you any of my political leverage. That or run myself.  Trust me, that's not a good idea either. Every company I ever worked for has gone bankrupt.  OH WAIT?? The Republicans already bankrupted the country during George Bush's last year in office. Then you blamed Obama.   I'm safe... ummm where did I put that form to get my name on the ballot?

Antique Dealers, Do You Know Where The Kids Are?

Last week I went to an antique show with my son, who is 29.  He doesn't "fit the mold" of what antique dealers typically see in their shops. I don't think he's EVER gone in one voluntarily.

But while standing there in line I looked around. And the following photos are "the symptom" and the problem and they point graphically to the answer of why there is such a huge decline in antique sales.  Check these out..

Can you find the common denominator?

It's the gray hair.  If we want to thrive, not just survive, we have to start focusing on the younger clientele as well as our tried and true vintage people.   We have to carry what they are interested in. More on this later. Think about what you sell and "who" buys it.

See my point?

Don't fall for this one

Yesterday, Buy.com supposedly opened their venue to sellers of collectibles in the "everything else" category.  Dumbass that I am, I applied. Supplied my tax number, my checking account info and all my websites and venues. 

BTW I've sold online for 18 years. NOT like I started yesterday. 

Well don't fall for that BS. They are NOT accepting people in that category and I have the email to prove it.

Thank you for your interest in selling on the Buy.com Marketplace. Unfortunately we are unable to open your selling account at this time for the following reason:

· Your product is not something we are looking to carry at this time

We receive a large number of seller applications each day and have set up these guidelines to help us manage the marketplace effectively. We do thank you for your interest and will keep your application on file in case there are opportunities for us to work together in the future.

Thanks for your interest in selling on Buy.com Marketplace.

The Buy.com Marketplace Team

Why do companies do this?? If they don't want collectibles dealers, fine. But don't say you do and reject the first 200 or whatever apply.  And DON'T expect me to reapply later or to shop there any more (Yes I do shop there..oh wait DID used to shop there.)

Beth

The Punk Returns

This is Max - he has nothing to do with antiques (well except sniffing them when I bring them home) but his job here at the World Headquarters of DepressionGlassWarehouse.com is security.  He keeps out all the squirrels, the blue birds, the brown birds, the doves, the red birds etc.

So yesterday we come home from doing the monthly grocery shopping and the Shipping Manager opens the sliding glass doors to the yard for "air".  But he forget to check the screens.  The screens are on rollers, not hinged so they have to be positioned just right or there are gaps.  Well Max, the Security Dept, went thru the gaps and ?

Well, normally he goes out, heads right to the forsythia bush and camps underneath it, where he knows I'll have crawl in my hands and replaced knees...NOT a good luck for this old lady!

This time he must have patroled the outter perimeter and then headed back to home base.  But he ended up at the front door. 

Now the shipping manager comes out of his ice cave, (aka the bedroom with the AC going full blast and the TV going even more full blast..(seriously, how many times can you listen to ESPN or DLN without losing your minds at the repetitive stories??)  and sees "his" cat, Cos, standing on his hind legs looking out the front door.  Then something goes by...and goes back by...and it's MAX! He was pacing in front of the door trying to get in (yes, he knows where the handle is and what it does but tall as he is, he still can't quite reach it...or he wouldn't need me.)  He couldn't figure out why Cos wouldn't let him in and Cos looked like he just wanted to know "Howd' you get out there Dude?"

So The Punk is home... safely, and washed down (what you think prision breaks should be rewarded? Hell no!! I bathed him. That'll teach him...(or me).

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month - Please help us by...

Supporting the BLING MY BRA campaign!

Too many families lose mothers, sisters, wives, daughters and grandmoms every year.  There is NO excuse to not support us.  YOUR MOM had boobs!!




Here is one of my friends with a very poignant testimonial to the pain this disease leaves in it's wake.

Townwide Garage Sales - Miles Long ?

So one friend posted this http://www.ushwy36.com/treasure.htm

And I'm going to the Hulmeville Townwide Garage Sale on Sept 25 (I have to check and see if they have a website... and offer to do one for them.) Well they don't really but they do have this http://nepacrossroads.com/about12255.html and someone posted these last year on flickr (thanks Sam!  )

http://www.flickr.com/photos/60442496@N00/3575296386/in/photostream/

But what about you? Have you done the WORLD's LONGEST YARD SALE?? My brother and I have talked about it for years (My husband's immediate reaction was "ARE YOU CRAZY?" why is he asking?? I married him didn't I?)

This year, fortunately, my newly issued Social Security check will come 2 days before Hulmeville's sale.  WOOHOO... I'll let you know what I find. 

Meanwhile THIS coming Saturday I will be here - Lambertville at the Lambertville and Golden Nugget fleamarkets - (side by side on Rt 29 N just south of town) buying my fool head off... then we're going to a couple of stores in Lambertville and the Dunkin Donuts in New Hope before we head to my MIL's for coffee and donuts.  C-ya there.

FINALLY!! Someone at the USDA with a BRAIN!!!

http://www.aolnews.com/nation/article/usda-to-try-new-summer-system-for-feeding-poor-students/19598805

This just seems like such a given - a no-brainer...

20.5 MILLION - that would be 20,500,000 KIDS - people too young to work for aliving primarily but even some highschoolers are eligible for subsidized school lunches.  BUT what do they do when school is out all summer and over Christmas break and over Spring break?? THEY GO HUNGRY. 

These are KIDS... not drug addict, not welfare cheats, not drug dealers (mostly not) just CHILDREN - God's precious gifts who are hungry.  

WHY did it take so long for someone to think of this and what can we do to promote this idea and twist the arms of the folks in ALL states to join this program or start the same thing of their own???

Meanwhile, join me in donating to Philabundance, a non-profit in the SE Penna/ Southern NJ area that collects and redistributes available food, produce etc.  I've been running charity auctions on eBay for them for months but my sales level is so low (Hello eBay!..anybody home!) that I'm not making much of a dent. I think so far I donated to packs of crackers with my proceeds.  But you can "vet" them thru MissionFish if you want to or you can check them out on the search engines (I refuse to "G_____ It".  THAT is a whole other blog post.

PS - some of my "acquaintances" (I refuse to call people this ignorant a friend) have voiced the opinion that the "welfare cheats" don't deserve school lunches - WHATEVER the parent does, the kid does not deserve to go hungry!!!

A lot of you lament the poor performances in schools and you'll lambast the teachers. It helps to FEED the kid - PLEASE read this too -
http://www.philly.com/philly/opinion/99989839.html

And next time you feed your kids think about why ANYONE's child should go hungry --

Dear AOL - (and Dove and ?? and ??)

I read my email in the middle of the night - I don't appreciate it when I click on one of your links and here comes some screeching noisy WAKE UP THE DEAD! music to wake up my husband.

KNOCK IT OFF. Because you insist on giving me a commercial on every link you post on your "news" pages, guess what's started to happen?

Yep - you got it... I ain't clickin' on nearly so many. GOOD JOB! AOL!


CASE In Point (this one is not screechy but it's the straw that killed this camel) DOVE CHOCOLATE COMMERICAL

Dinner Last night...

Even cranky people like me have to eat - I made this last night and it got good reviews... so try it and then check out the www.kitchendaily.com website for more ideas. I'm not above using someone else's recipe (and at least they LIKED this one. LOL)

And this one is definitely a candidate for make ahead. All the ingredients can be done ahead since the broccoli gets cooked but served cool. Early in the day, before it gets hot in the kitchen, do the cooking and then throw everything together at the last minute or so. You could cook MORE chicken shred it, freeze 1/2 and then make this next week too.

1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, trimmed, or 3 cups shredded cooked chicken breast (skip Step 1)
4 cups broccoli florets
1 1/2 pounds medium tomatoes
2 teaspoons plus 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1/4 cup lemon juice
Directions
1. Place chicken in a skillet or saucepan and add enough water to cover; bring to a simmer over high heat. Cover, reduce heat and simmer gently until the chicken is cooked through and no longer pink in the middle, 10 to 12 minutes. Transfer to a cutting board. When cool enough to handle, shred with two forks into bite-size pieces.

2. Bring a large pot of water to a boil, add broccoli and cook until tender, 3 to 5 minutes. Drain and rinse with cold water until cool.

3. Meanwhile, core tomatoes and cut in half crosswise. Gently squeeze out seeds and discard. Set the tomatoes cut-side down on paper towels to drain for about 5 minutes.

4. Place a large heavy skillet, such as cast-iron, over high heat until very hot. Brush the cut sides of the tomatoes with 1 teaspoon oil and place cut-side down in the pan. Cook until charred and beginning to soften, 4 to 5 minutes. Brush the tops lightly with another 1 teaspoon oil, turn and cook until the skin is charred, 1 to 2 minutes more. Transfer to a plate to cool. Do not clean the pan.

5. Heat the remaining 3 tablespoons oil in the pan over medium heat. Stir in salt, pepper and chili powder and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 45 seconds. Slowly pour in lemon juice (it may splatter), then remove the pan from the heat. Stir to scrape up any browned bits.

6. Coarsely chop the tomatoes and combine them in a large bowl with the shredded chicken, broccoli and the pan dressing; toss to coat.

about this recipe
This simple but substantial main-course salad gets its goodness from smoky skillet-blackened tomatoes and a dressing prepared right in the pan”maximizing all the flavor from the tomatoes.



Read more: http://www.kitchendaily.com/recipe/chicken-charred-tomato-and-broccoli-salad-865#ixzz0tNYRNd1M

Share this video - Clean the Gulf Oil Spill up!

MY mother made me clean up any mess I made when I was growing up. What's wrong with you BP people? YOU should be ashamed or yourselves. CLEAN UP THAT MESS!


YOUTUBE Video

Why doesn't anyone...

1. make a toaster with a snap-on or snap-off cover?? I'm looking at my toaster a few minutes ago and couldn't eat til I stopped to clean it. I'd love a toaster with a snapon cover that I could remove to put it in the sink and wash it REALLY clean. (spray cleaners don't satisfy my old-fashioned soul... I want it in HOT water and bleach and you know the routine...CLEAN)

2. Same thing for coffee makers.. I can put the basket and the pot in the dishwasher... why not a snap off cover so I can wash that properly too???

Just saying...

Coal-Mining Then...

There's been a lot of press again this year because of the mining disaster in Virginia and the more recent gas line explosion in Penna. Mining, no matter what substance the company was after, has always been a rough, hard job. I'm currently reading Company Doctor which is basically a muck-raking, scathing indictment of the anthracite mining industry in Penna. Published in 1895.  Doesn't seem like much has changed.

Now what I did find interesting is this little book - Jeffrey Coal Mining handbook.  Seems like they know what they're doing but then why does the mining industry have so many disasterous cave-ins?   And just to note. my great grandfather was a miner in Scranton Pa in the 1890's and probably was one of the people the Company Doctor author was talking about.

And if this has sparked an interest, there's a whole bunch of coal mining equipment on eBay - here's the search link  Coal Mining- both vintage and slightly
used but modern.

See you soon (I know I keep promising that but I really will ...I'm doing that #blog30 challenge  

Who reconciles Amazon's merchant account statements

Alright I'm sitting here trying to reconcile an account and it's SUCH a pain in the neck to do it isn't even funny. Years ago, I used to reconcile credit card statements for a large company. It wasn't quite the worst job I ever had but I sure hated doing it.

So in the middle of doing this, I went to amazon to buy somethind and thought " I wonder how do they reconcile their accounts?" I'm sure there's not really a person going line by line but I'm also sure it has to be checked by someone somehow. Who do you do it Jeff Bezos?

Or any big company? I don't have a lot of charges thru my "merchant account" to reconcile but hopefully I will a couple of years down the road. How do the big vendors/venues do it? (If you know, whisper it right here, I wont' share it with anyone but my 6 closest friends... LOL)

#blog30

Define "IMMEDIATE SHIPPING"

There's been a lot of dialogue the last several days about "immediate" shipping. PLEASE define for me what YOU mean by immediate shipping by posting in the comments section of my blog at http://bethssoapbox.blogspot.com/

Posts/comments on Facebook will not be included (the point of a blog is to build a blog following not to enrich facebook any more than they are already rich..ya know?)And then watch this blog later for a follow-up post on the so-called "Industry Standards"

Here's the question again - DeFINE Immediate shipping.

What does that mean to you (and please include info on whether you are a buyer only or a buyer/seller or a seller only)

Use quantifiable terms: is immediate within 4 hrs, 12 hrs, 2 days, 2 weeks or 3 mos?
If you buy today (SUNDAY) do you realize I can't ship most stuff today? So what do you expect in that situation?

If you buy at the start of last weekend's 3 day weekend, how does that change your perception of "immediate" shipping or does it.

During the run-up to a holiday like Christmas, Valentine's Day or Mother's Day are you willing to pay extra for expedited shipping to get the item faster?

Besides higher shipping are you willing to pay for Premium Processing time (mean I really will drop what I'm doing, wrap/pack the item and take it straight to the Post Office)

This is NOT a debate over whether we should be doing immediate shipping. It's a discussion of the definition of immediate shipping. All other remarks will be deleted so please don't do that.