Collectibles -> Animation Art, Characters -> Bratz

Bratz Dolls, produced by MGA Entertainment, are similar to Barbie Dolls in that kids (and adults) love them and love to collect them. But there’s no mistaking a Bratz Doll for a Barbie Doll, not even at a glance. Bratz Dolls are shorter at only 10 inches compared to Barbie’s height of 11.5 inches. Though they’re shorter, they’re chunkier dolls than Barbies, because the dolls features and proportions are slightly larger. They’re further distinguishable from Barbies because they’ve actually replaced her as the top seller in some parts of the world.

Bratz Dolls are relatively new. Cloe, Yasmin, Sasha and Jade, the original dolls, appeared in 2001 and quickly took the doll world by storm. They’re now available in almost 70 countries. And the Bratz line has grown to include new dolls that are friends of the original spunky four, mini-dolls, games, video games, movies, spin-off doll lines, music, a television series, and dozens of other kids’ products from bikes to bedding.

Bratz Dolls are unique, not just because of their sassy appearance, but because the heads are made from hard vinyl, and the feet come off completely. These dolls have predominant feet to show off the stylin’ shoes the girls wear. When it’s time to change to a new, cool pair of shoes, there’s no need to wrestle small shoes onto their feet, the entire foot/shoe combo comes off at the doll’s ankle allowing for quick accessory changes.

Something else that sets Bratz Dolls apart is the makeup the dolls wear, and the focus on appearance and fashion. Some say they flaunt the bad qualities of materialism and narcissism. Some of the clothes have caused a stir, too. Skimpy outfits and outfits that look straight from the pages of Vogue have bothered some parents who feel that they don’t represent good values and that they put even more pressure on girls to look and act a certain way.

But Bratz Dolls have won several industry awards like Toy of the Year and Character Brand License of the Year, in addition to awards given by other organizations like Disney’s Family Fun and the Toy Industry Association. They also represent different ethnicities, instead of just offering blonde, blue-eyed dolls, which is one major point of appeal for kids and adults alike. They come with cool accessories that kids love, and girls tend to collect and play with the dolls longer than they do Barbies, so they have pre-teen and early teen appeal. Long after many girls stop playing with dolls, they still love these fashionable dolls.

When collecting Bratz Dolls, online auctions are probably the best place to find them. Because they’ve only been manufactured since 2001 you’ll want to purchase dolls that are in the original condition, with no wear, repairs or restoration. At the very least, any changes need to be detailed by the seller, as they drop the value. It’s also important to make sure the original packaging is intact and the doll is in the original outfit.

Originally posted 2008-10-07 14:00:26. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

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Collectibles -> Tobacciana -> Cigar

Cigar bands have a rich history, or more accurately, several histories. They’ve been attributed to the Russian queen Catherine the Great, and 19th century England, among other places. One story says that Catherine the Great ordered that her cigars be wrapped in silk to protect her fingers from becoming stained, so that afterwards, rings made of silk were put on cigars to mimic the queen. But even if she had smoked cigars (which there’s no evidence of) and had ordered silk wrappings, that probably wouldn’t have given birth to cigar bands on cigars made in faraway Cuba.

Another version says that in the 1800s, English ladies worried about soiling their white gloves while smoking cigars so they were wrapped with cigar bands allowing them to hold their stogies without staining their hands. And while apparently Spanish cigars from that era actually could stain your fingers, thanks to a chicory-shaded gum that wrapped them, dark wrappers were out of vogue by the middle of the century anyway.

And another version of the origin of cigar bands said they were designed to hold poorly rolled cigars together. Yet, cigar bands were supposed to in no way constrict the cigar. Cigar rolling in Cuba is an art form, with each cigar shaped, packed and rolled by hand. A band to hold it together is unnecessary, and a tight band would alter the density of the cigar, ruining the handwork by the masters. Also, Cuban cigars should have the bands removed before smoking, dispelling this theory.

As the finest cigars in the world have always come from Cuba, their version is more likely to be accurate. Gustave Bock ordered paper rings bearing his signature to be placed on every exported cigar. Banding was common by the middle of the 19th century. The band on a cigar became a badge of honor—people wanted to smoke cigars with cigar bands that bore certain brand names. With the popularity of cigar smoking in Americe, US makers upped production and bands were considered an unnecessary expense. By by the turn of the century, 80% of men in America smoked cigars, and cigar bands became a selling point for certain brands of cigars. Even cheap cigars bore colorful bands as part of their appeal to the consumer.

Cigar bands became throwaway items that people started clamoring to collect, much like matchbooks and bottlecaps. New band styles would sell out quickly, and albums for their collection were handed out by store owners and tobacconists. Then, similar to how green stamps worked, consumers could collect cigar bands and turn them in for other items household items like silverware, bedroom sets, footballs or magazine subscriptions. You could even combine them with tin tags from snuff and coupons from cigarettes.

The cigar bands most in demand are from this era and before. You can usually find vintage lots of cigar bands in online auctions for little money, though some of the more rare brands and designs command higher prices.

Originally posted 2008-10-19 05:00:35. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

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Collectables -> Radio, Phonograph, TV, Phone -> Phonographs, Accessories

Many of us remember, and many of us still own, 45 records. While all vinyl records went out of vogue in the 1980s thanks to the popularity of digital media sources, vinyl records are still manufactured and sold though mostly for use by disc jockeys and certain types of music.

The earliest known recorded sound was in 1860, recorded by what was called a phonautograph, and wasn’t even fully appreciated by its inventor. He wanted to study sound and see it represented, but had no interest in playing it back. Thomas Edison, however, used that phonautograph to build a machine in 1877 that would playback the sound. The sound was recorded on tinfoil with this device that was actually designed for purposes like office dictation. Edward Guilliard improved on the device, though his achievements were absorbed by Edison’s patent, stemming a 26-year fight for the credit. These early inventions were still years away from 45 records.

During the 1880s, this cylinder became a standard in recorded sound. Discs were created bearing sound that was used in toys, then in 1912, discs were created that would play for a solid 4 minutes. The patent for lateral-cut discs expired in 1918, and many companies produced them, making the disc recording much more popular than the cylinder recording. These discs, which were later produced as albums and 45 records, were the primary sound recording medium until the Compact Disc began taking over the marketplace in the 1980s.

The speeds of early disc recordings ranged from 60 to 120 rpm and came in several different sizes. The hand-cranked Victrola’s of the earliest recorded sound playbacks were improved with spring drives over hand drives a regular speed of rotation could be monitored. Apparently, one of the earliest spring-driven Victrolas spun at 78 rpm, and that’s the best guess by most industry insiders as to why the 78 rpm record became the standard speed by 1925. Though there was a variation between America and other parts of the world in the exact speed. 45 records created later had a speed of 45 rpm, thanks to their smaller size.

The 33 1/3 rpm record was introduced by the Columbia Record Company in 1948. The first 45 records were introduced in 1949 by RCA Victor. They were smaller, 7” to the LP’s 12”, and with a large center hole instead of a small one that just fit the spindle on most turntables, to allow them to be used with an automatic changer. A small plastic “spider” was created later that popped into the center hole and allowed the smaller records to be used with an ordinary spindle.

It’s rare to find 45 records in great condition, as many will be scratched to some degree. Thrift shops and online auctions like eBay are great places to find old, popular songs on 45 records. If the original paper or cardboard sleeve is intact, they’re even more sought out by collectors, as often those bear original artwork much like album covers.

Photo Credits: antonfortunato

Originally posted 2008-11-03 14:00:58. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

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Antiques -> Decorative Arts -> Mirrors

Antique mirrors are a highly collectible item, with many of the frames boasting decorative carving and detail much like elaborate, wooden picture frames of old. A mirror itself is little more than glass covering a reflective surface and not very impressive—many of us carry tiny mirrors with us, they’re one of the most common items found households today. But antique mirrors are set apart by their frames and the work and artistry that went into them.

Mirrors began as hand mirrors, used to look at one’s reflection, and were quite common in households by the end of the middle ages. The first large mirrors, big enough to reflect a person’s entire body, weren’t used until the 1st century AD. Often the mirrors were silver or polished bronze during their surge of popularity in the middle ages. Venice mirrors produced in the 12th and 13th century were of exceptional quality and craftsmanship, with their mirror-making secrets leaking to London and Paris, who became centers of mirror production in the 17th century. Few antique mirrors had survived, but even the new mirrors that were produced were very expensive, particularly the large ones used in places like the royal palace at Versailles.

From then on, mirrors became more than reflective pieces of glass, but rather were prized as decorative items. Frames were typically made from silver, ebony, ivory, tortoiseshell or veneered wood, though other frames like those from beads or crafted with needlework were produced, too. Carved frames became popular thanks to craftsmen like Grinling Gibbons, and soon it because vogue to put mirrors, often those in glass frames, above mantelpieces. Robert and James Adam are recognizable names from this period, as antique mirrors they designed usually stretched from the mantelpiece to the ceiling.

Antique mirrors from the late 18th century will often have painted frames rather than carved ones. And the movement began in France to creative oval or round mirrors with spots for candles on each side. Dressing mirrors made from cheval glass that stood alone also appeared as mirror-makers skills improved. The 19th century saw mirrors used in other furniture like wardrobes, because it was becoming less expensive to produce mirrors. Composition frames became common in less expensive mirrors. These were plaster frames on wire bases, that unfortunately didn’t hold up to long term use because of he easily damaged nature of plaster.

Antique mirrors that you can find today are typically valuable, especially those that are part of antique furniture. Things to watch out for are online auctioneers who use the world “antique” to describe a technique used in making the mirror, like antiquing as a finish. Ask about the history of the piece, and how they know it’s antique, because modern furniture can be made to look surprisingly aged and vintage. If you’re shopping flea markets or antique shops, be aware that a true antique mirror was made with more expensive materials than mirrors today. The glass is thicker, so antique mirrors weight much more than modern pieces.

Photo Credits: Nat Pikozh

Originally posted 2008-10-18 14:00:41. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

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