Almost done cataloguing and carding and bagging 500 late 20's 8x10 Hollywood photos. This great find came from a private collection here in Vancouver. After much searching, I've decided to send them to New Hampshire  to RR Auctions. They specialize in signed items and have a special Hollywood auction in April. 

This is about 30 of the 8x10's. If you look closely you'll see Laurel and Hardy left side, third down and far right 4th down is one of 6 Charlie Chaplins. Included in  this collection is a signed Douglas Fairbanks as well as autographed photos from Valentino, Pickford and Talmedge. 

I'll keep you all posted when they are catalogued at RR, if you join liveauction, you can follow along or even bid if you want to.  Enjoy your weekend guys. (and gals)

Or, you could spend the $549 that this ebayer is asking and buy a spectacular piece of jewellery  Or dinner and a scarf, or 10 dozen roses or....you get the idea. 

This rare card is part of the general term used in collectables called ephemera, which
basically means paper that was never meant to be kept. Everything from receipts to advertisements to flyers and pamphlets to envelopes, ephemera was and is the day to day reflection of ordinary life.  It is one of my personal favourites. Many people collect tickets from sporting events and concerts that they have been to. This is true personal ephemera. 

So, climb aboard the ebay train, make your best offer and you too, could start your own ephemera collection. Or you could buy a lovely bottle of wine, a rare steak and some fine dark chocolate  and enjoy a snuggle with your significant other. I bet they would appreciate if more.

Here's the link to the valentine above.

ttp://www.ebay.ca/itm/c-1850-RARE-SECRET-OF-LOVE-VALENTINE-CHARLES-E-FRENCH-IRVINE-RANCH-PULATI-10-/110828043549?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item19cdddbd1d&_uhb=1#ht

There are certain advantages to being overly curious. One of the commonalities of people who collect things is that they seldom collect just one. Their hobbies branch out and start to overlap. For instance a collector of Canadian History could start with maps and documents from the 1800's and as an aside, find a pair of 1800's snowshoes. Well, that kind of fits doesn't it? 

While doing some research for some sewing items (yes, very manly) I started to wander and found that old textiles can be valuable. That little nugget stuck in my mind for some reason. Tada! Today that useless factoid saved a friend from making a costly mistake. 
My lovely wifey decided to make a serape for our granddaughter for a camping trip. It was to be made out of an old wool blanket. We had none, so through the magic of Facebook out went the call. Within a short while, a wonderful friend offered up her old Hudson's Bay wool blanket. Much to the chagrin of wifey, I suggested that she not donate this blanket to the cause because it could be worth depending on age over $400. A true piece of Canadiana, these iconic striped wool blankets have been sold and traded to First Nations for hundreds of years. They are known as Hudson's Bay point blankets. They were traditionally traded for beaver pelts and were desired for their ability to hold heat even when wet, and they were easier to sew than deer or other hides. The blanket was originally sold in 1780. They are made with a yellow, green red and indigo stripe on a white background. 


In the point system, the points - thin indigo lines - are woven into the blanket to denote its size and weight, such that it need not be unfolded and measured for those facts to be known. A common misconception is that each point indicated a quantity of beaver pelts or Hudson's Bay Company money. Blankets varied in colour, weight and design.

From the Hudson's Bay Company website:[4]

The capote, were often made from the Hudson's Bay point blankets.Each blanket was graded as to weight and size using a point system. Points were identified by the indigo lines woven into the side of each blanket. A full point measured 4 - 5.5 in.; a half point measured half that length. The standard measurements for a pair of 1 point blankets was: 2 ft. 8 in. wide by 8 ft. in length; with a weight of 3 lb. 1 oz. each. Points ranged from 1 to 6, increasing by halves depending upon the size and weight of the blanket. The number of points represented the overall finished size of the blanket, not its value in terms of beaver pelts as is sometimes believed.

So, my apologies to my wifey, another blanket will show up, it would be a shame to take this old and valuable blanket and cut a hole in it. Granddaughter, you will thank me later. 

I have done my job. I have converted someone else to the world of auctions!

While perusing the weekly auction site this afternoon, I came across a stainless steel Whirlpool fridge. I have some close friends that are in the market for one, so I let them know it may be available. Well, long story short, we went together tonight and my neighbours scored a brand new SS Whirlpool with water dispenser for $195. Yes! They saved about $800-$900 off the price of the same one in the store. They have converted. 

If you need anything and are not in a great rush, auctions are a great place to get massive discounts. It may not be exactly what you want, color etc, but the huge savings make it worth the while for most. I would never buy new furniture, appliances or tools without first going to the auction. Another friend got a new king size box spring and mattress, still in plastic (name brand) for $275. The same bed sells in the stores for about $1800. 

As a bonus, I now have 4 radio controlled helicopters. And within a few minutes I may own a Gibson guitar. (auction ongoing).  Score!

What makes an item so expensive? Well, usually a couple of things. First of all, someone has to want it. When more than one person wants it, that's when it gets interesting.

Age and rarity plus condition equal cash. When you are able to mix collecting genres, you also increase desirability. This 1927 "Metropolis" poster hits all the buttons. Mixing art deco styling,  the rarity of only 4 known examples, almost perfect condition and 3 bidders with deep pockets made this Fritz Lang classic sci-fi poster sell for an incredible $1.2 million dollars in a recent auction.

If you can't afford the holy grail of posters, you can build a very nice collection for very little. A friend of mine collects horror movie posters and B grade slasher film posters. Many of these are spectacular because of the graphics and subject matter. The can be had for a buck or two apiece or for some of the more popular move posters, $20-$40 each. You can personalize with your man cave with your particular style for a little more than you would pay for ugly wallpaper.  If anyone has an original "Wizard of Oz poster" give me a call. It's my holy grail.

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Hey, I've heard that somewhere.  This classic 1966 album by the Fab 4 may not be everyone's cup of tea, but if you're a collector of rare vinyl, this is one that is on your have to have list. 
When the first  copies of this album were released, this controversial cover created such a furore that Capitol Records spent over $250,000 replacing 750,000 copies with this new cover, simply gluing it over the old one. 

In early 1966, photographer Robert Whitaker had the Beatles in the studio for a conceptual artpiece entitled A Somnambulant Adventure. For the shoot, Whitaker took a series of pictures of the group dressed in butcher smocks and draped with pieces of meat and body parts from plastic baby dolls. The group played along as they were tired of the usual photo shoots—Lennon recalled the band having "boredom and resentment at having to do another photo session andanother Beatles thing"[10]—and the concept was compatible with their own black humour.[7]Although not originally intended as an album cover, the Beatles submitted photographs from the session for their promotional materials. According to a 2002 interview published in Mojo magazine, former Capitol president Alan W. Livingston stated that it was Paul McCartney who pushed strongly for the photo's inclusion as the album cover, and that McCartney reportedly described it as "our comment on the war".[11] A photograph of the band smiling amid the mock carnage was used as promotional advertisements for the British release of the Paperback Writer single. Also, a similar photograph from this shoot was used for the cover of the 11 June 1966 edition of the British music magazine.


A pristine copy of this album with the original Butcher Cover can be had for a bout $25,000, though they are available in poorer condition for as low as $1000