GOODWILL INDUSTRIES
A Hand Up, Not a Hand out
By: Cookie
Reverend Edgar J. Helms, a Methodist minister, founded Goodwill in Boston in 1902 as an industrial program and social service enterprise. The Goodwill philosophy of "a hand up, not a hand out" got started when Reverend Helms hired and trained individuals in need of employment to mend and repair used goods donated from affluent areas of Boston. Reverend Helms' vision for Goodwill Industries was to provide employment, training, and rehabilitation for people with limited skills and to be a source of temporary assistance for those whose resources were depleted.
Today Goodwill is a $2.4 billion nonprofit organization, and over 83 percent of their total revenues are used to fund education and career services. Goodwill strives to eliminate barriers to opportunity for people with special needs because they believe that work has the power to transform lives by building self-confidence, independence, trust, and friendships.
In 2006 alone, Goodwill provided career-related services to over 900,000 people, and a total of $1.9 billion was earned by individuals placed in competitive employment. In addition to the Goodwill Industries locations in North America and Canada, Goodwill also provides community services in other countries like Italy, Thailand, and Venezuela, just to name a few. Your donations of clothing and household goods are sold in over 2,100 Goodwill retail stores and on their Internet auction site, www.shopgoodwill.com.
Christine Bragale from Goodwill Industries International media relations spoke to us recently about Goodwill and the direction they're headed in currently.
. What do you think the biggest changes are that Goodwill has experienced in the last five to ten years?
. I think the biggest change is certainly the way in which we design our stores. You'll find more and more Goodwill superstores across the country where there's more square feet and there will be boutique areas, little coffee shops, reading areas, and play areas for kids. A lot of Goodwills are also attaching job search centers to their stores. As you know, Goodwill helps people find jobs. We actually use the proceeds from your donations to fund job training programs and other types of support services that help people find a new job or get the skills they need to move up the career ladder. What people find also when they come shopping at Goodwill is a different kind of experience. The stores are better organized. There's more light. There's a saying, "It's not your Grandma's Goodwill," and I think that's very true, and our growth in sales over the years has demonstrated that.
. Do the superstores have training centers attached to them?
. They're more job search centers so people who are looking for work can go in. There will be a Goodwill job coach there, a career counselor there who will help them and can spend time with them working on their resume and cover letters. They will help them do job searches online. Sometimes people will come in, find out more, and decide they want to enroll in a Goodwill program as sort of their introduction into the kinds of jobs and training services that Goodwill offers.
We have computers in our training centers. It's not the training centers that are necessarily attached to the stores. It's like a computer room where anyone can come in. They can look for jobs online. They can use the computers to work on their resumes and cover letters, and there's a Goodwill career counselor there who will help them out. Our training centers are usually separate, so they might be in a different location than a store.
. What programs specifically do you offer?
. It differs from community to community. We train people for jobs in the fields of computer programming, financial services, health care. You name it, and a Goodwill somewhere is probably doing it. A lot of people that come to Goodwill don't even know how to use a computer yet, so they have an opportunity to learn how to use a computer, learn basic software. A career counselor or a job coach will work with them figuring out what kind of job they'd like to have.
We're also very tapped into the different communities, so most of our organizations will have what we call a business advisory council where they've gathered some of the major employers in the community who will advise Goodwill not only on what the hiring trends are in the organization, but also what kind of elements Goodwill needs to offer in their training programs to make them effective and make sure that people are successful when they go out on job interviews and when they start working.
. I know that when Goodwill first started they hired workers to repair damaged goods that were donated. Do you still have people that repair things that come in, or do those donations just get sent somewhere else, like a broken TV or stereo?
. There are some things that can be repaired and refurbished, and it just depends on the items. But as you know, we live in a pretty disposable society. What we're concerned about is being able to recycle those items when they come to us and they don't work. The people that you'll see working in Goodwill stores often test the items to make sure that they're working, make sure that we're not putting recalled items out on the sales floor.
So the whole process of collecting, processing, and selling the goods still creates thousands of jobs, but the revenue now is more about helping people move on to better jobs. Many people that you'll meet in Goodwill stores are working at Goodwill as part of their training, so they're learning some job skills and beginning to build a resume, but we hope that they'll be able to move on. Many of them do stay and work for us for their career, but otherwise they move on to other jobs in the community.
. Does each Goodwill organization have its own training center?
. Each Goodwill organization will have its own territory, if you will, and there are 169 Goodwill organizations just in the United States. There are 184 around the world. So they may have one big facility or they'll have smaller facilities spread out across the community. It just depends on where you are. The point is to try to make those centers as accessible as possible to people who use them, so they're looking to be closer to the people who need them.
. Do the Goodwill Industries in other countries have retail stores or just employment services?
. Most of them are job training centers and not so much Goodwill stores. There are a couple of store models in the Philippines and in Panama. In Canada we have stores and the same business model that you find here in the United States, but outside of the U.S. and Canada, you're more likely to find employment and specific training programs. The funding scheme is a little different and more dependent on private donations.
. Does each Goodwill thrift store set up their own policies and procedures or are those dictated by a main office?
. There are independent agencies that will operate a set of stores. For example, Goodwill of Central Florida runs all the Goodwill stores in that area.
. When did shopgoodwill.com get started?
. We're very proud of shopgoodwill.com. That started in 1999, and it's the first and as far as we know still the only Internet auction site that's owned and operated by a nonprofit organization. There are 90 Goodwill organizations around the country that are selling items on shopgoodwill.com. The items that are on the site are from individual Goodwill sellers, and they're all selling items that they pulled from their own donation stream.
. How does an item get on shopgoodwill.com versus staying on the store shelf?
.It's been a mix of pulling things out as they're being processed and recognizing them as valuable items. It's also been things sitting on store shelves for months on end and somebody saying, What the heck, let me see if I can sell it online. And those have been some of our greatest surprises, actually. There was a yellow ceramic vase with a big black fly or a bee on it, and it sat on a store shelf for six months for $4.99. When they put it on shopgoodwill.com, it sold for over $300 and ended up being some piece of valuable pottery.
The fun of shopgoodwill.com for us is that sometimes we're really surprised by what we have and we didn't know it was something that had particular value until we put it up on the site. And, of course, it's a way for us to bring Goodwill to a broader audience. Especially in a smaller market, there might be things that aren't going to sell, but if you can put them online, there's somebody else out there that wants them.
. Is that the highest price item that's ever sold on shopgoodwill.com?
. No. Actually, last fall we sold a painting by Frank Weston Benson, who is a premiere American impressionist painter, and it sold for $150,000. There are people who like shopping on shopgoodwill.com because it's still a relatively small site. It's pretty manageable, and also when they're buying from shopgoodwill.com, it's like buying from somebody they know because they're buying from Goodwill as opposed to a random seller with whom they don't have a relationship. It's been very successful for us. It's been growing exponentially, and actually for the last three months we've hit our first million sales months. So we've had three consecutive months were our sales have topped a million dollars on the site just in one month. It's still a pretty small site. It's a similar model to eBay, but of course here the middle man is still a charity and it's all within the Goodwill family.
. Are the items priced how they would normally be priced in a Goodwill store or do they start a little higher on shopgoodwill.com?
. It looks to me like a lot of the starting prices are $1.00 or $2.00, and the individuals at the store where the item is located do all the packing and the shipping.
Are there types of donations that Goodwill does not accept?
.It's up to the local Goodwill. Mattresses and things like that, there are state laws that govern that, so there are some states where you can't sell used mattresses. Generally, we try not to accept things that are really damaged or soiled. Those are things that for us would just go to the trash. And, of course, every dollar we spend disposing of something we can't use is a dollar that we don't have to spend on our job-training program. So we do try to educate our donors to think about whether or not they would give the item to a relative or a friend. If the answer is yes, then it's fit to donate, and you can go ahead and donate it to Goodwill.
We're very careful about items that have been recalled by the consumer product safety commission, and we really do everything we can to keep those items off our shelves. In the processing areas you'll see posters with the most common recalled items. Goodwill donations processors and store staff are trained and educated to make sure that if something slips through, it's taken off the shelf. So we try very, very hard to make sure those items never make it to the sales floor.
A lot of Goodwills won't even take child safety seats or cribs because it's too difficult to know if they've been recalled. And of course, with car seats, if they've been in an accident, then they might have hidden cracks. Computers is one area where there is a market for refurbished computers. It also creates jobs and training opportunities for Goodwill program participants, but other things like toasters are probably not worth repairing.
When people are shopping at Goodwill, they're really making an investment in their community because on the one hand, they're extending the life of things that have already been used and manufactured, and that's great. It's an environmentally good process. They're also investing in their community by giving Goodwill the opportunity to use that money to help people find jobs. So it's a very positive cycle that really invests in the strength of your community.
To learn more about Goodwill, visit Goodwill.org, and for online shopping at Goodwill, visit shopgoodwill.com.
|
| Antiques Roadshow Part II:
Interview with Appraiser Phil Weiss
By: Cookie
Phil Weiss grew up as a second generation book and stamp specialist and has almost 40 years of experience in the collectibles trade. He has owned and operated Philip Weiss Auctions in Oceanside, New York, for 20 years and specializes in toys, trains, dolls, toy soldiers, stamps, coins, rare books, autographs, comics, comic art, animation art, military memorabilia, Worlds Fair and Historical Material, Posters, and political and Hollywood memorabilia. There are a minimum of 11 auctions held annually at Philip Weiss Auctions, and each auction contains 800-plus lots of collectibles. Mr. Weiss donates some of his time to local charities and performs auctions for them on a regular basis. He also offers free appraisals to senior centers and clubs for fund-raising efforts. At the June 30, 2007, Antiques Roadshow stop here in Orlando, Florida, Mr. Weiss took a few moments away from appraising Floridian treasures and answered our questions about thrift shopping.
|
Are you a thrift shopper at all? Have you ever gone to thrift shops? Recently I don't. I really haven't in quite a while, but 10 years ago, there were some in Manhattan that I would go to regularly because you knew what days the stuff was coming in. But now what's happening is so many people are going that you've got to be there first.
What is your best thrift store find?
Phil Weiss: I'll tell you exactly what it was. My dad and I went into one years ago, and they had some very inexpensive first day covers on the counter and we bought them for 25 cents apiece. And first day covers when they mailed them out in the old days, they put a hard piece of cardboard in there to keep them from creasing. Well, when we opened them up, instead of cardboard, somebody actually had put some very rare stamps in there. A 75 cent investment turned into a couple of thousand dollars, so you can find some great stuff.
Have you appraised a lot of things from thrift stores? Does anything stand out in your memory?
Very often when you ask, people will say they just picked it up at a thrift store. I haven't seen |
anything outstanding at this show. In the past, I've had people come in with toys that they've bought at thrift shops that are worth considerable money. Were you surprised about the copy of the Declaration of Independence being found at a thrift store?
Yeah. That's a fantasy, one-in-a-million type of thing, but that's why people go to them. I have customers of mine that come into the auction gallery all the time and say I just got this at Salvation Army or Goodwill. There is stuff still out there. It's amazing what gets thrown out. People are going through Dumpsters and coming out with phenomenal stuff. As a matter of fact, one of the appraisers was talking about someone who took a painting out of a Dumpster on the way to the show and it turned out to be a $15,000 painting.
What's your opinion of the Jackson Pollock painting that Teri Horton bought at a thrift store? Do you think it's a real Pollock?
On paintings like that, since it's not my knowledge or expertise, it would be bad for me to even venture a guess. But I heard somebody donated a bunch of rolled up posters to a thrift store in Manhattan, and inside there was a rolled up painting worth $75,000. These things happen. What thrift shops should do when they get their donations in is have somebody who really knows their stuff to go over it. I mean, it's great for people to get great finds, but if it's donated, I'd love to see the thrift shop get $75,000 for the charity.
|
Is It Really A First Edition?
By: Ronz Books
For many people, the question of whether a book is a first edition or not is very important. To collectors it makes a big difference, and the value of a book that is a first edition is quite different from that of a later reprint or book club edition. Yet, I see many books sold as first editions that obviously are not. Granted, it can sometimes be difficult to determine the publication status of some books (there are whole books written on the subject), but here are a few things that might help most of the time.
This first edition of Tarzan of the Apes recently sold for $38,750
• NOT FIRST EDITIONS:
Reprint houses like A. L. Burt and Grosset & Dunlap are almost never first editions. In many cases they just copied the originals, sometimes even copying the "First Edition" statement of the original publisher. Grosset & Dunlap printed thousands of books, and apart from some early children's series books, 99.9% are reprints.
Book club editions are not first editions and are not always clearly identified as book club editions. Often they have a small printed or blindstamped device on the back lower corner of the book cover. This can be a small dot, circle, square, or other figure. Book club books almost never have a price on the dust jacket. So if you pick up a book, open it, and there is no price on the inside dust jacket flap, you can just about bet it is a book club edition. A very current example of this is The Da Vinci Code, with first editions often selling for as much as $100. The Book club edition looks almost exactly the same, is not identified as a book club book, says First Edition, and has a printing line of numbers on the copyright page from 1-10, just like the real first edition. However, the book club edition is about an inch smaller in size, and there is no price printed on the dust jacket flap. It is not worth more than a few dollars. The only major exception to the
|
price-on-jacket rule is books from university presses, which often do not have prices on their jackets.
• FIRST EDITIONS
Most publishers now use a numbering system in which a row of numbers appears on the copyright page. The lowest number at either end of the line is the number of the printing. First printing usually indicates First Edition, although you can have a first printing of a later edition, if the book has been changed in some significant way. Here is a quick survey to just a few of the major book publishers and how to determine their first editions from before the number line system:
Appleton/Appleton-Century - Has a small (1) on the last page of text to indicate printing.
Dodd, Mead - No statement such as first edition or first printing, but must not list any later printings. These often look a lot like the book club edition. Check for the book club blindstamp, price on jacket, etc.
Doubleday - After 1922, must have the words "First Edition" on the copyright page.
Dutton - Has the words "First Edition" on the copyright page.
Harpers/ Harper Brothers - Has the words "First Edition" on copyright page. The letters along with the statement are a date code for month and year of publication. Just letters, without "First Edition", indicated a later printing.
Harper & Row - Has "First Edition" on the copyright page. For a while in the 1970s, they had a number line in the back of the book on the last or next to last page.
Houghton Mifflin - There is usually no statement of first edition or first printing until the late 1950s. Before that, it needs to have the same date on the title page and copyright page.
Knopf - Has the words "First Edition" on the copyright page.
Lippincott - Has the words "First Edition" on copyright page.
William Morrow - Usually has no statement, but must not list any later printings.
Putnam - No statement such as first edition or first printing, but must not list any later printings.
Random House - Has the words "First Edition" on copyright page. Also began adding number line, which, unlike most publishers, begins with 2. It is a short-cut they devised, so they could just drop the "First Edition" statement, and thus indicate second printing. First Edition, or first printings must have the words "First Edition".
Rinehart - Has a colophon. A colophon is the publisher's decorative initials or monogram, in this case an "R", usually in a circle on the copyright page.
Scribners - Has an "A" on the copyright page 1930-1973.
Simon & Schuster - Usually has the words "First Printing" on the copyright page. However, they sometimes left this off, but there must not be any later printings listed.
Viking - Usually has "First published." (with year or month and year) on copyright page, but must not have later printings listed.
|
A Brief History of Carnival Glass
By: David Doty
Carnival Glass was not an instantaneous development in the history of pressed glass. Certainly there were other types of iridized glass, such as art glass. In fact, going back thousands of years, early glass examples were found to have been iridized by having been buried in ground containing certain chemicals. The commercial development of pressed glass with an iridized surface was developed in the United States in the early 1900s.
 |
Among Fenton's first production of Carnival was the Waterlily and Cattails pattern. |
Fenton Fenton opened for business in 1905 under the direction of Frank L. Fenton with the help of his brother, John W. Fenton. Frank had worked for several glass manufacturers prior to this. At first, the factory decorated glass, and then it moved on to glassmaking at its current site in Williamstown, West Virginia. It's generally accepted that Fenton was the first company to introduce iridized glass in 1907, which they called "Venetian Art." Some of the earliest patterns in Carnival were Waterlily and Cattails, Vintage, Butterfly and Berries, Peacock Tail, Ribbon Tie, Wreath of Roses, Thistle, and Diamond and Rib vases.
In the early 1920s, Fenton introduced one of the most desirable colors in Carnival, red. They also introduced their line of stretch glass late in the 1920s. Aside from stretch glass made during the depression, Fenton made no iridized glass between the early 1930s and 1970, when they introduced their "Original Formula Carnival." They continue to reissue some of the original patterns and have purchased some molds from the closed companies. Fenton also has made new molds from which iridized glass is currently being made.
 |
Northwood's first Carnival included the Cherry and Cable pattern. |
Northwood Harry Northwood began his career working in the glass industry in England. In 1881, he immigrated to the United States, and after working for several glass companies and founding a failed glass company, he opened his own company in Indiana, Pennsylvania. He left the company shortly thereafter and returned to England, but his stay there was brief and he came back to the U.S. and opened H. Northwood in Wheeling, West Virginia, in 1902.
In 1908, shortly after Fenton introduced their iridescent line, Northwood introduced theirs, calling it "Golden Iris." This was the ubiquitous color we know as marigold. Northwood's earliest production of iridized glass was in 1908 and included their version of Waterlily and Cattails, Cherry and Cable, and Valentine, among others. About this time they added amethyst, cobalt blue, and green. In 1912, Northwood added the colors we call pastel, ice blue, ice green, and white. But Northwood is probably best known for their aqua opalescent glass, which they added around the same time. Their best-known pattern, Grape and Cable, was introduced in 1910. It became so popular that they produced it in many colors and more than 60 different shapes. They also are responsible for the best known trademark, the underlined "N" in a circle, which appears on much of Northwood's Carnival, but not all.
Harry Northwood died in 1918, and the factory ceased production in the early 1920s. In the 1990's a grandson of Harry's reintroduced the Northwood name and had Fenton make a limited range of pieces. To the best of my knowledge, this venture no longer exists.
 |
Dugan's early Carnival included Pinched Swirl. They are also known for their peach opalescent Carnival. |
Dugan Thomas Dugan, a cousin of Harry Northwood, also emigrated from England in 1881. When Harry formed his first glassmaking company in Indiana, Pennsylvania, Thomas, along with his father and two younger brothers, worked for Harry. Thomas was the plant foreman. When National Glass purchased that Northwood venture, Thomas was made factory manager. In 1904, the Dugans purchased the plant along with some of Harry Northwood's molds and formed the Dugan Glass Company. In 1913, the Dugans left the company and the name was changed to Diamond. Diamond continued to operate until 1931 when the plant burned down. It's worth noting that until 1981, Carnival collectors were unaware of the Dugan Glass Company. Most thought the Dugan output to be that of Northwood. After the discovery of glass shards at the Indiana, Pennsylvania plant in the 1970s, the late William Heacock uncovered enough additional information to give definitive attribution of many patterns to Dugan.
Dugan's Target and Wide Rib vases were the earliest pieces to have the iridescent treatment and were soon followed by such patterns as Quill, Honeycomb, Jeweled Heart, Vineyard, and Pulled Loop vases. This early carnival production was from molds that Dugan already had. They soon added patterns specifically designed for iridescent treatment, such as Farmyard, Christmas Compote, Heavy Iris, and Roundup. Dugan is perhaps best known for the development of the peach opalescent treatment. Opalescent glass, made with bone ash in the mix and reheated to bring out the white opaque, had been around for some time. The Dugans applied the marigold spray, creating an entirely different effect.
 |
Millersburg's earliest Carnival included the Hobstar and Feather pattern. |
Millersburg In 1908, while still president of Fenton Art Glass, John W. Fenton decided to open his own glass manufacturing facility. He chose Millersburg, Ohio, as the site and purchased several acres of land. The plant was apparently constructed in record time and was state-of-the art for the period. The factory opened in 1909 and began producing crystal glass. John Fenton was more of a promoter than businessman, and while attracting a lot of investor interest, he paid little attention to the day-to-day running of the operation. He ordered a huge number of glass molds, but the fledgling operation could not support this expense with subsequent sales, and after one instance of bankruptcy in 1911, the company finally succumbed in 1912.
Although the company produced Carnival Glass for only two short years, the quality was such that it is considered among the best. The first glass that Millersburg iridized in 1910 was called radium. Collectors still use this name when referring to Carnival that has a bright shiny iridescence. While Millersburg's earliest patterns in Carnival glass included Hobstar and Feather, Blackberry Wreath, and Rays and Ribbons, it's difficult to be definitive because so many patterns were iridized over so short a period.
 |
Among the earliest production in Carnival for Imperial would have been their Rose pattern. |
Imperial In 1901, a group of investors organized the Imperial Glass Company in Bellaire, Ohio. When the factory was up and running 1904, Imperial, like other glassmakers, made crystal. When the Carnival fad hit, Imperial, along with Northwood, Dugan, and Millersburg, followed the lead of Fenton. Their production continued until the early 1930's and in the early 1960s, they reintroduced their line of iridescent glass. Imperial's famous IG logo was applied to this glass. In 1972, Lenox glass bought the company and added an "L" to the IG mark. In 1981, Arthur Lorch bought the company and added an "A" to the LIG mark. That venture lasted a year when it was sold again and went out of business a year after that.
Imperial is best known for its spectacular purple Carnival and its smoke Carnival. Smoke is a grayish color on clear glass. The color can actually vary considerably from a yellowish brown to bluish. Imperial also developed a color called Helios, a silverish iridescence on a light to medium green glass color.
Other makers While the above makers of Carnival are considered the big five, Cambridge, U.S. Glass, Westmoreland, Fostoria, Jenkins, McKee, and Higbee all produced some Carnival. Carnival Glass was also manufactured in other parts of the world, although about 10 years later than in the U.S. It was made in England, Scandinavia, Germany, Czechoslovakia, Australia, Argentina, and Mexico.
|
New to Carnival Glass?
By: David Doty
Fenton Butterflies bonbons from the classic era of Carnival and a contemporary example. These two pieces were made from the same mold, but some 50 years apart. Bonbon is the name collectors give to this 2-handled bowl.
What is Carnival Glass? Carnival Glass is pressed glass that has been iridized with a metallic spray. It was introduced by Fenton about 1908 and other glass manufacturers soon followed suit. It is still being made today. One of the first things you'll learn is more recent Carnival that was made after about 1960 is not as valuable as the early glass is. Carnival Glass received its name because it was used as prizes at carnivals after the end of the classic era, and manufacturers could still make it cheaply enough for this purpose.
The quality of iridizing is critical in Carnival Glass. These two Imperial Heavy Grape chop plates sold at the same auction. The plate on the left with heavy iridescence brought $250; that on the right, with weak silverish iridescence, just $90.
What is iridization? The metallic spray gives the glass a multi-color look with a finish that resembles oil on water. It is this characteristic that distinguishes it from other glass. There are other types of glass, however, that are iridized, primarily art glass. Remember though, that if it isn't iridized, it isn't Carnival . As the iridizing spray was hand applied, it varied considerably from piece to piece. You can see in the photos above that these two pieces are quite different, even though they came from the same mold. Both could be described the same way--Heavy Grape chop plates in purple. You can't always tell from a description about the quality of the glass.
Imperial's Fieldflower in marigold, Northwood's Grape Arbor in amethyst/purple, Fenton's Blueberry in blue, and Northwood's Acorn Burrs in green.
Why so many colors? When glass manufacturers first began iridizing glass, they used a clear glass over which they applied an orange spray, which we have come to call marigold, although they used different names then. This color worked very well to brighten the interior of the rather dark homes of the time. To satisify changing markets, they then began applying the Carnival iridescence to darker glass, amethyst/purple, blue, and green, which collectors refer to as "vivid" colors.
 Northwood's Peacock at the Fountain in ice blue, Northwood's Raspberry in ice green, and Fenton's Apple Tree in white.
Pastel colors About 1912, Northwood introduced a new range of colors, the ones we have come to call ice blue, ice green, and white (although Northwood used other names). Ice blue and Ice green are lighter versions of blue and green glass. White is clear glass. You'll note in the above photos that the iridescence is not as strong as in the darker colors. This is because Northwood adopted a different kind of spray, which collectors refer to as pastel. While still multi-color, it does not have the selenium content of the marigold spray and may even be hard to see at times.
Millersburg's Diamonds, Dugan's Quill, and Imperial's Windmill.
What are the colors of the above tumblers? One of the most confusing aspects of Carnival glass is determining the color. You can't always tell what it is by looking at the surface. For example, the three tumblers on the left are all amethyst glass. The glass color is what determines the color, not the iridescence. To determine the true glass color, you may have to look through the base of a piece, which in classic-era Carnival is not iridized.
Northwood's Grape and Cable hatpin holder in ice blue, Millersburg's Hobstar and Feather spittoon whimsey from a rosebowl in amethyst, Northwood's Peacock ruffled bowl in marigold, Fenton's Captive Rose plate in green, Northwood's Leaf and Beads rosebowl in aqua opal, Fenton's Lily of the Valley water pitcher in blue, and Fenton's Plume Panels vase in red.
The patterns of Carnival Glass The biggest challenge for newcomers to Carnival Glass collecting is learning the patterns. There are probably 2,000 patterns, although only about 1,000 are relatively common. Learning the design and names of the patterns is crucial to the enjoyment of collecting this glass. Where to begin? Start with a particular pattern and learn about that, or begin with a shape or color that interests you. Then expand into other areas. One thing I always suggest to new collectors is to start with tumblers. There are several advantages: There is a wide variety of patterns and colors; the cost is low so you won't have a big starting investment; and they take up little space.
Checking glass When you're looking at a piece of glass to add to your collection, here's how to do it. 1. Make sure you know the essentials. Here is a 9-inch Northwood Grape and Cable bowl in amethyst with pie crust edge. First impression is good. Average to better iridescence with nice blues and yellows. Not electric iridescence, but quite nice 2. Close examination of the pattern confirms the good iridescence and shows a nice strike. No damage to pattern. 3. The back looks good. Decent iridescence on the basketweave pattern. Base looks good with just a couple of manufacturing marks around the edge. 4. Close examination of the base shows several lines called strawmarks. These were caused during the making and are found in a lot of Carnival from the classic era. This makes little difference in the value. There is a faint Northwood mark, but the presence or absence makes no difference. 5. Looking at the bowl with light from the back shows good amethyst/purple color. No cracks, although there is a curved line in the base. Not a crack, probably just a swirl of darker glass. 6. Oops! Checking the edge carefully shows a missing tooth. Hard to see on edges like this. Looks polished and not iridized over. Too bad as it reduces the value significantly. Still, if you could live with the damage, it might be worth picking up for a reasonable price. A lot of Carnival has such damage, and none of it is getting any better.
Care and Cleaning I probably don't have to remind you that Carnival Glass is quite fragile. Even the slightest hit on another piece of glass or even ring can leave it damaged. Care should be taken when moving or packing it. Glass can also be affected by sunlight, which alters the glass color over time. Be particularly careful about changes in temperature; Carnival has a lot of internal stress and cracks can develop when moved from cold to hot or vice versa. Don't pick up pieces like water pitchers with their handle--they frequently have stress, where the handle joins the body. It should be obvious, but don't put Carnival in the dishwasher. When cleaning glass, use room temperature water for both washing and rinsing. Dish washing liquid is fine, and use a plastic wash dish. Dry with a soft cloth and use it to polish the piece. Sediment in the bottom of deep bowls or vases can ofter be removed with a couple of tablets of denture cleaner. For residue left by stickers and for other tough spots, try one of the commercial gunk removers such as Goo Gone or De-Solv-It
|
Basic 33 RPM LP Cover / Jacket Repair
By: Mike Williams / BnB Beatles Depot
Many times basic repairs to your LP jackets can really spruce up the cover and increase the grade a notch. For example, A VG- cover can increase to a VG grade, a VG moves up to a VG+. Below are some basic repair tips I have gleaned over time that I will share with you.
Seam & Spine Splits - Repairing with Glue . Many people tend to shy away from buying records with split seams and spines. However, if you are willing to spend a little time doing some repairs, you could end up getting your record cheap and with a nice looking cover after you refurbish it.
• If at all possible, always make your seam and spine repairs using glue. I have found that Elmer's Office Glue Stick works great. It's a gel adhesive that comes is a push-up stick and dries clear and bonds very well. You will need to have a small flathead screwdriver to apply the glue. Scrape the screwdriver across the glue stick so the top of the screwdriver has a small amount of adhesive on the tip. Now carefully open the split seam enough so you can apply the glue from the tip of the screwdriver to the inside of the cover. Be sure to apply at the very top of the inside of the LP jacket. If you apply the glue to low, you won't be able to slide your LP inner sleeve in when it dries.
• Once you have applied the glue along the seam (one side of the seam is fine), press the seam together and take a paper towel, lightly dampened with water, and slide it along the top of the seam or spine you just glued. What this does is remove any excess glue on the outside of the LP cover and smooths out the flaking from the seam being broken.
• Now clamp the seam or spine down with a series of black binder clips. Make sure the binder clips are positioned so they are clamped to the very top of the repaired seam or spine. Let the clamped cover sit for several hours.
• After several hours, you can remove the binder clips. Your seam or spine is now repaired.
Seam & Spine Splits - Repairing with Tape . I recommend making repairs with glue, but if you decide to go the tape route then I recommend using acid-free photo & document tape. Make sure the tape is clear and not opaque (the brand I use is Scotch). The acid-free part is very important because acid-free tape will not yellow over time.
Simply measure out the piece you need and press the tape onto the front side of the LP cover. Now flip the jacket over and gently pull the tape so
there is a tight fit over the spine or seam and then press down. Trim the excess tape at the corners or LP opening with a straight edge razor.
The straight edge razor ensures a very clean cut up against the LP slick. Since the tape is clear document and photo quality, it will blend nicely into the LP front / back slick. I have applied this technique with some of my LP covers and the blending is excellent.
Seam Separation Repairs : This is different than a seam split. A seam separation is when the LP jacket's seam becomes separated (versus a split) due to the original glue used by the record company becoming aged or brittle and no longer able to adhere the cover together. This is prevalent with covers manufactured starting in the 1980's.
• You can use the Elmer's Glue Stick, but I found a very quick and effective fix is to apply double-sided tape over the original glue line. Scotch sells the double-sided tape in handheld dispensers and it works great. Apply the double-sided tape with two to three runs to make sure you have enough adhesive and then simply press down. Removing Stickers . Most stickers will come off by applying a product like Goo Gone to the label or sticker. • Take a Q-Tip and dip it into the Goo Gone. Now apply the Goo Gone to the entire surface of the sticker and of course along the edges. Let the Goo Gone sit for a few minutes. After a few minutes, use your fingernail and gently pull back the sticker or label. Do NOT attempt to take the sticker or label off in one fell swoop. You will tear the LP slick. Once you get an edge of the sticker lifted, dip your Q-Tip back in the Goo Gone and dab underneath the lifted section of the sticker. Allow the Goo Gone to sit a couple of minutes so it can dissove the adhesive. Continue this process until the sticker or label is completely removed. |
• I do not recommend using Isopropyl alcohol. Too much Isopropyl alcohol will leave a permanent pink discoloration. If you have ever seen a peeled Beatles Butcher with a pink hue to it, that's why. The cover was peeled using too much Isopropyl alcohol.
To remove stickers, nothing beats Ronsonol lighter fluid. It will not leave any dark marks (which Goo Gone can be guilty of). It evaporates in minutes and will not eat at the colors or paper. Using a Q-Tip, apply the lighter fluid to the entire sticker and then set a poly outer sleeve and a book as a weight on top of the sticker, Wait one to two minutes and peel the sticker away. Technique and length of application varies based on different adhesives, but three minutes would be the high end. As with Acetone, do not drip Ronsonol on your vinyl . It will damage the record surface.
Removing Ink & Markers : This is by far the most difficult repair to make. Permanent markers and pen ink are extremely tough to remove. In most cases, if the writing is not overly intrusive, it is best to leave well enough alone. But here are some techniques that I have used with varying levels of success:
• If you are looking to remove marker or ink from a laminated cover like the old Beatle UK flipback jackets, I found success in removing both marker and ink by using a dry erase marker. Simply apply the dry erase marker over the writing you are looking to remove. Let dry for a several seconds and then wipe. The old marker and ink writing will also rub off. Do not apply this technique to a non-laminated cover . The dry erase marker will have the same effect as a permanent marker and you just made your situation worse.
• Concentrated (non-diluted) Simple Green works well on removing ballpoint ink from covers, but it does not do as good a job on permanent marker. You need to be careful not to rub too hard, otherwise you will remove the print from the LP jacket.
• If the writing is in pencil, I have found an eraser like a Staedtler Mars Plastic works great. You can pick one up in any office supply store. I have even found it works fairly well on ink if the ink was written lightly. Be careful on LP labels, though. You run the risk of removing the color from the label if you erase.
• Another technique is to apply acetone. Acetone evaporates in seconds and is very good at removing ink and markers. However, there are two things you need to know: Never spill acetone on your vinyl records. It will damage the record instantly. Also, if the ink or marker has set for a long time, you will not be able to completely remove all the writing. The trick to working with acetone is to apply it in a targeted fashion with a Q-Tip and then immediately dab with clean, soft cloth. Repeat this process until the un-wanted blemish has been removed to your satisfaction.
• To remove pencil, dirt and grime, try a Kneaded Eraser. They are clean with minimal crumbling and non-abrasive. Rub with light pressure to remove pencil marks, dirt, and grime. Be sure to "knead" the dirty portion of the eraser back in so you are always working with a clean section of the eraser. The eraser will need to be replaced after a dozen covers or so, but they are inexpensive and can be purchased at any art or stationery store.
• To remove ink, try a product called "Krazy Kloth". It will do an excellent job of removing most inks. It will leave a slight oily residue that comes off upon wiping with a paper towel, leaving no marks. As with any ink-removing product, it is highly recommended you practice and test on junk covers before attempting a fix on one of your prized LP jackets . If you rub too hard or to long, you will remove the cover art ink.
Word of caution : I have found that attempting to remove marker or ink from a label usually ends up making the situation worse. Before getting bold and tackling one of your prized LPs, I would practice on some junk vinyl. This way you won't destroy your collectible copies if your experiment ends up less than desirable. You can pick up some cheap records at a thrift store or flea market to experiment with.
Cleaning Up Dirt & Grunge from LP Slicks :
• Use a product like a contractor's soot and dirt removing to wipe the cover's surface area. This is a dry sponge that requires no water, and you can find them at hardware stores. You will be astonished at how much the sponge picks up after wiping the album cover surface several times. This |
sponge works especially well on textured, non-glossy slicks (e.g., George Harrison's All Things Must Pass and Bangladesh).
• This next step is to spray some Windex on a paper towel. Do not saturate. Gently wipe the jacket surface area with the sprayed towel. More dirt will come off. After a few minutes, the cover will be completely dry and you should see a marked difference in appearance. Do not rub hard otherwise you run the risk of removing the print on the slick. Be especially careful with Sgt Pepper slicks. It doesn't take much rubbing to remove the blue background on the front cover.
• For UK laminated covers (front and back), applying concentrated Simple Green onto a paper towel and then wiping both the laminated front slick and the non-laminated back cover works great. Let the covers dry for several hours after cleaning them. You may see some dampness in between cracks in the laminate, but not to worry. After letting the cover dry, the damp spots will evaporate and disappear.
• For removing dirt, soot, gunk and some ink and watermarks, try Magic Eraser. The best types are those that can be rinsed and reused. Very lightly dampen one end of the sponge and stroke or rub lightly and specifically where needed. Then use the dry end of the sponge to quickly pick-up any residual grime. Quickly wipe with a dry paper towel. This approach does not work well on porous paper covers but works great on most LP jackets. This technique takes a bit of practice so it is recommend you try it out on some junk covers until you get it down to your satisfaction. Results are excellent.
Repairing Tears or Rips :
• If there is a tear in the slick and the torn piece of the slick is still present, apply the Elmer's Glue Stick and press down. It works great.
• If you have a tear at the opening or mouth of the LP cover, take a piece of tape and apply it to the inside of the cover and then press down. I normally use clear packaging tape for this type of repair because packaging tape is far more durable than run-of-the-mill Scotch tape.
Restoring a White Album Cover : Virtually all Beatle White Album covers have ring and shelf wear unless the record was purchased and immediately stored in a vault. They are also notorious for seam splits. Well, the seam splits can be repaired as described above, but what about restoring the front and back slick? Here's how:
• First, remove the records from the jacket! Use the contractor's sponge described above to remove any overt topical dirt. Then use the Windex on a paper towel to remove any additional embedded dirt and grime. These first two steps are important. Do not skip over them. Now with a clean automobile waxing applicator, dab a little Scratch Out (yes, the same Scratch Out used on cars.) You can get it at any auto supply store. Rub the scratch out on the LP slick in a circular motion. Wait a few minutes and let the Scratch Out dry. With a clean cotton cloth, gently polish the cover free of the Scratch Out. Most of the ring wear and jacket wear disappear before your eyes. Not only will your White Album look much cleaner, but it will also have a nice glossy sheen.
• If your White Album is numbered, do not apply the Scratch Out on the number - work around it. Rubbing the Scratch Out on the number may remove / fade the numeric print.
• This technique does not remove water damage or ink and markers.
Removing Mildew & Storage Odor : Mildew is tough to combat, but I have had decent success with this method;
• Remove the LP and inner sleeve from the jacket. Open the mouth of the LP cover (not too much - you don't want to split seams) and spray a shot of a odor neutralizing product like Oust into the inside of the cover. Make sure you are using an aerosol spray and not a liquid spray. A liquid spray product will wet the inside of the jacket and you run the risk of damaging your cover. Let the LP cover sit overnight. Do not seal it up or close up the opening of the cover. The next day you should notice a lot less of the mildew or storage scent. If the cover needs another dosage, simply repeat the process.
Put the cover (without the record inside) in the microwave for 20-30 seconds. The microwave will extract the moisture. Repeat as necessary for a clean-smelling sleeve.
|
Chicago, The Thrifty City
By: Angela Mullican
Mucho fabrico! Yes, that is a partial BOLT of cool damask fabric
We recently went on vacation to visit family in the Chicago area. Due to the traffic/parking issues, we chose to stay out of the big city as much as possible. With this in mind, we scoured the Internet finding thrift stores in the Joliet area. One particular store we visited (twice) deserves major props!! Unique Thrift Store on W. Jefferson St. was the cleanest, most orderly thrift store I've EVER been in. Not only were the clothes clean, but sorted by styles and then color (going strictly by the color prism!!!) So, the first isle we saw upon entering was an entire rack of women's tank tops in a sorted rainbow of colors!! You would think with this much attention to merchandising detail would cause the prices to go up. Not so! Everything was very affordable.
My 70's dishes & trivet. Can you guess why I like "Daisy" glasses?? It's a chicken/egg thing. Not sure which came first, my love of the name Daisy or the cool daisies on 60's & 70's dishes
|
Our first visit was a Sunday afternoon and I found loads of cool stuff. Vintage fabrics & ladies handkerchiefs, 70's dishes (yippee for me) and shoes galore. My 7-year-old daughter was in Imelda Marcos heaven!! We had the buggy packed full and looked up at a huge banner that read "Every Monday Everything in the Store is 1/2 off." I'll admit I was tempted to empty the whole buggy into a huge toy box and return the next morning. I refrained from such greedy behavior. I did put back a few things for the next day. On Mondays - the Sabbath of the Thrift Gods - the store opens bright and early at 5 a.m. We made it there by ten after with the junk store angels a-singin'. Filled another buggy with 5 or 6 pairs of stylish cargo shorts for my hubby, more fabric, bag full of greeting cards, a cute frog trivet (housework gives you warts!!), a few collectibles, a cool car M&M dispenser, a few bathing suits for the girl, some daisy glasses, and BOOKS!! It was a good thing we drove a truck!
Daisy at home modeling her vintage 70's wedge shoes and holding my prize umbrella - yes, those would be orange, teal and yellow peacock feathers on the umbrella!!
Some folks like to sightsee while on vacation....we like to go 'junkin'!!
|
THRIFTER OF THE MONTH
My Life as a Thrifter by Paul Kane a.k.a. Big Daddy Audio
I wasn't born into a family that thrifted with any regularity. The extent to which I was exposed to "thrifting" wasn't really "thrifting" at all, but centered on buying used bicycles through the want ads. There were six kids in my family, and new bikes for everyone was cost-prohibitive. A set of three bikes, including a really cool Ross Barracuda with a high sissy bar and a spring-loaded rack over the front wheel, was part of one such deal. That bike was promptly stolen. My second used bike was purchased used from a bike retailer's basement back on Long Island, New York, where I grew up. That was my first Schwinn. It was a blue 5-speed Fastback, and this was back in the days when a Schwinn was pretty much the best bike out there for a kid. Sure, we dropped lots of things off at the local St. Vincent de Paul, but we rarely actually bought anything there. I attended one police auction with my schoolmate Fred, who bought a Schwinn Le Tour frame. We built it up into a bike for him, but it was also stolen. I used to stop occasionally at garage sales while pedaling around my hometown, but I have no remarkable memories. That is my sum total of thrifting as a youth.
My love and desire for thrifting, as far as I can determine, surfaced when a friend of mine bought a slot car set for his son. We started hitting the thrift stores in an effort to accumulate more sets in an effort to expand the layout in his basement. We were very
successful in accumulating way more track than we needed, but my interest in thrifts was ignited. I had noticed interesting things in these thrift stores, many of which harkened |
back to my childhood: Games, toys, kitchen items, electronics, books, records, et cetera. While this was going on, I learned of the existence of eBay. We were able to find all the specialty pieces we needed for the monstrous basement slot car layout, while at the same time finding that there was a market for a lot of things that were available for a song at the local thrifts. Initially, I started thrifting to support my slot car hobby with Doug. I then realized that there was more money to be made, and things took off from there.
While not being a mercenary thrifter, I always kept an eye out for things that I liked aesthetically. I have a notebook which lists, page after page, things that I find aesthetically pleasing. I also realized that I would go broke if I bought everything that I liked, even in a thrift store. I narrowed it down to things I liked that could serve a useful purpose. I focused on stereos and cameras. I found that I could search and find stereo gear and photographic equipment, try things out, see what I liked, and then sell it if it wasn't my cup of tea - almost always at a profit. There were few thrift stores in my area of New York that were fair sources for these things.
In the summer 2002, we moved from Long Island to Phoenix, Arizona, and a whole new world of thrift shopping opened up for me. There were dozens of stores all over the valley that had loads of the things I was interested in. My interest in thrifting really took off as my travels with work took me all over the greater Phoenix area. No matter where I went, there was a thrift store that had a few things that I liked that were in good shape and reasonably priced. I started to stock up, keeping the best stuff for myself and selling the rest during the boom on eBay from 2002 to about 2006. I was able to sell enough thrift store finds to pay for two vacations to Disneyland. The best find I ever made was a set of 4 higher-end stereo components, which I used for a year and then sold at a huge profit. Today I still visit thrift stores. My buying has calmed down to some extent due to the fact that there are a lot more people out there scouring the thrifts doing what I did a few years back. I am currently in a mode that I like to refer to as my "upgrade mode." If I see an item that would be an upgrade over something that I already have and I can do the deal, I will. I realize that I'll have to move the older item, either through Craigslist or a garage sale, and so I try to be very judicious in what I accumulate. The things I look for today also include movies, cassette tapes, records, electronic equipment, and clothing, to some extent. I still visit thrift stores, still get excited about the hunt, and still usually find something at a bargain.
That Is All
|
|
|
