Gen X and Millennials love their books and toys, but don’t we all? My 
generation loves their Barbies and G. I. Joes. The 70’s and 80’s collectibles of Star Wars toys are also setting records. My nieces fell in love with Harry Potter books when their grandmother (my mom, Mary Helen) bought them the first American printing of J. K. Rowling’s, “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone” in October 1998. Each new release “MeMe” bought them the new book. That American first printing of The Sorcerer’s Stone is now worth about $6500 (it has its dust jacket and is in fine to near fine condition).
The second book, “Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets” can be worth 
up to $9000. If you are among the few who happen to have a First Printing First Edition of the UK edition of the first book, which was called, “Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone”, you really have a treasure! Auction prices for this book have been rising dramatically over recent months. Heritage Auctions in Dallas sold one on September 14 for $81,250. This particular book did not have a dust jacket, but was in fine condition. The reason the UK editions are worth so much more than US printings is due to the number printed. The first printings of this book in the UK only consisted of 500 books and 300 of them were distributed to libraries. The publisher had no idea that the book would be so popular. When the book was successful in the United Kingdom, United States publishers printed thousands of books on the first release; hence, the lower value. The first four books in the Harry Potter series are highly sought after. The value goes down with each release due to large numbers that are available, but they are still worth several hundred dollars. The original list price was $25.95.
How do you tell if you have a first printing of the first edition of a Harry Potter book? Go to the copyright page and look at the series of numbers printed on that page. A UK printing should have a print line that reads “10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1” and credits of “Joanne Rowling” rather than JK. Hardcover first editions of the American version of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone—check for the number line of 1 3 5 7 9 10 8 6 4 2 8 9/9 0/0 01 02″ on the copyright page, along with “Printed in the U.S.A.23″ and “First American edition, October 1998. The third book, “Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban”, had some early prints of this book mistakenly printed with “Joanne Rowling” rather than “JK Rowling” on the copyright page. Naturally, this screw-up renders this version of the book far more valuable—signed copies in excellent condition can go for up to $12,000. Again, look for that 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 number line. For the fourth book, “Harry Potter 
and The Goblet of Fire”, look for the limited editions with original watercolor illustrations by Giles Greenfield (Bloomsbury’s UK edition) and Mary GrandPre (Scholastic’s US edition, of which only 25 copies were made). They will be worth four digits. A first edition, first US Printing book should fetch three digits. Look for the 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 and 0/0 01 02, etc. It will have a maroon board with a black cloth binding. The number 4 will be embossed in gold on the binding and the dust jacket. The original price of $25.95 will be printed on the inside fold, upper corner of the dust jacket.
I happen to have a client who has a US first printing of this fourth book for sale for $150. Let me know if you are interested.
money as desired. What do you love? What interests do you find enjoyable? Do you enjoy the hunt? Starting a collection with no more investment than your time and energy is easy, if you enjoy treasure hunting. Whether it be scoping the beach for seashells or things that get washed up on shore or digging in the dirt of an old farm or landfill in search of bottles and discarded items of long ago, one can find things that tell a story and can make an interesting collection. Just two or more things that have something in common is all you need to begin a collection.
have suffered loss. It is heartbreaking to see the sadness and pain in their eyes. My mother suffered a stroke, one of my closest friends lost his mother, my brother and sister suffered severe flood damage to their homes due to Hurricane Harvey, another dear friend lost his brother and a friend within 3 weeks of each other, my brother’s sister-in-law lost her husband to cancer, and my niece’s husband lost his grandparents within weeks of each other. All of these people, including myself, have asked themselves that question, as well as, “What do I do now?”
them a chance to talk. Just having someone to listen to them is often more helpful than you can imagine. Giving to others often lessens the pain and takes one’s mind off their troubles. Feeling pain after a loss is normal. You can’t cure normal. Only time heals. One’s purpose can simply be to be a good friend or loved one to others and keep living. Those that were lost to us on earth would want us to keep living and moving forward. Remember them fondly and live life for them.
shooting. He was a licensed gun dealer, member of the NRA, and a trained concealed handgun instructor. As can be expected, my siblings and I grew up around guns and were taught by our father to respect a gun’s power and the damage it could cause. We were instructed about how to hold, fire, clean, and store a firearm. When my sister and I became independent and moved into our own apartment, Daddy made sure that we each had a handgun for personal protection.
rifle, Springfield rifle, Sharps single shot, and Spencer Seven Shooter. The Spencer’s were the first to see action and were designed to meet the needs of the military. They were easier to load than the Colt and other repeaters. Even though they were heavy, they were widely distributed to the Union troops. The Civil War was when the rifle became a truly decisive weapon. The Springfield rifle, in the hands of Federal troops, along with anti-personnel artillery fire, stopped General Lee’s mass assaults at Gettysburg (July 1863) and ended the tactics of the Napoleonic age of warfare (maneuvering masses of troops in open country).
upon the condition, rarity, and historical association of the weapon. If you are lucky enough to own one of these five rifles, you have a true part of American history. Some recent research revealed that a Kentucky rifle in good condition would be worth about $4000, an 1863 Springfield musket rifle about the same, a Spencer Seven Shooter (rare in good condition) is about $3000, a Sharps single shot is about $2200-$2800, and an 1841 Mississippi rifle is about $3150.
suffer a new or recurrent stroke each year and it is the 5th leading cause of death in the United States. 37% of all Americans cannot accurately identify even one warning sign of stroke. What exactly is a stroke? It is a brain injury caused when a blood vessel to the brain becomes blocked or bursts, cutting off blood flow and oxygen to the brain. 87% of stroke victims have what is called an Ischemic stroke, which occurs from a blockage in the blood vessels to the brain. The other 13% suffer a hemorrhagic stroke, which is caused by a burst or leaking of blood from the vessels in the brain.
the time that the first symptoms appeared. This is important in proper treatment at the hospital. The sooner a stroke victim gets medical treatment, the better the chances they will survive or get better. Of course, you want to prevent a stroke from ever happening, so being more health conscious is a must. Don’t smoke, exercise regularly, lose excess weight, lower cholesterol, eat less sodium, and control high blood pressure.
on its age, quality, and condition. Most of the milk glass seen in flea markets and antique malls is from the 1940’s and 50’s that were once wedding gifts to brides during that time. Much of the quality is not as nice as the much older versions of milk glass that are true antiques. There is also a large supply of really cheap milk glass that came from the floral shops in the late 20th Century. How do you tell the difference in quality and old versus new?
1960’s and 70’s, Schroy advises, “… are pale, usually widely spaced hollow back hobnails patterns. If you find these pieces at garage sales, flea markets, and can pick them up cheaply, they make cute containers for bathroom accessories, etc., but probably will never appreciate much in value.”
different versions of how her name came about. According to “The Collector’s Encyclopedia of Barbie Dolls & Collectibles” by Sibyl DeWein & Joan Ashabraner, Ruth named the doll after her daughter. My studies at the Asheford Institute of Antiques stated that Barbie was based on a doll called, “Bildhilli” from Europe that Ruth Handler came across in her travels. They both agree that Barbie was first introduced at the American Toy Fair in 1959 held in New York. The first Barbie doll was sold that year. Mattel became a major player in toys due to Barbie.
Series dolls that were made in the 1980’s and onward, you will be disappointed to know that they are not worth more than you paid 20-30 years ago. The reason for this is mass production. Mattel made millions of these dolls and many of them are still around (even in an unopened box). These dolls may have cost anywhere from $25 and up when they first came out. Today, you would be lucky to get what you paid for it.
with and probably more valuable to me in the memories of playing with them endlessly as a child. What was your favorite toy?
special in the vintage toy category – an old Buddy L toy Cement Mixer. It was very rusty and dirty, so it took me a few minutes to find the labels on the piece to help identify it. The lady who brought the piece in had no idea what it was and said it had been out in the yard and then moved into her garage for a number of years. Little did she know what a buried treasure she had found!
company was in the automobile parts business, but started making metal toys in 1921. He made toys for his son out of scrap metal and turned that into a business. They made pull toys, small trucks and other work vehicles, and large vehicles children could ride. Buddy L was considered a pioneer in the steel toy field and held contracts with Marshall Fields and F. A. O. Schwarz. The company was sold during the depression.
keep its original condition and labeling. If there is a box, make sure to keep the box and the toy together. That will increase its value. Early cast iron banks, cap guns, horse drawn carriages, pull toys, tools, figures, trains, and animals are sought after collectibles. If you are seeking to buy these items, just be careful of reproductions. Most toys of age will have a certain patina, show signs of wear, have older construction methods, and older types of paints that cannot be used today (lead).
seasoned life people against current scams. The police have received multiple reports of certain types of scams that have a common theme.
the holiday shopping season begins. Scammers are casing parking lots of shopping centers or malls looking for people “who are interested in a great deal” on an XBOX or Apple tablet (or some other highly desirable item). They will claim they overbought and the boss is on their case to move the merchandise at any cost. The motto of “If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.” is what the police suggest you keep in mind. Much of the time that $100 XBOX was a box filled with rocks. I would like to add that you just pass anyone by in the parking lot that approaches you with a simple, “No thank you.”
Phishing is an email scam that comes in a variety of ways, but the one thing in common is that they always are trying to get you to log into some account, whether it be your email account, bank account, credit card account, Facebook, and so on. The emails usually claim they are requiring an update in your account information or there is some problem and they provide a link in the body of the email for you to use to log in to your account. These emails often look very official with company logos and addresses. Do not fall for it. These links are taking you to a fake website that when you enter your user name and password, they have now captured your information to hack your account. When you get any email that looks like this and you are not sure, open a new tab in your browser and type in the web address for the company who (supposedly) sent the email. Log in from the company website. If they truly sent you a message, you should see some notice in your account messages prompting you with instructions.
refinishing it with a rustic look. There are now tons of stores selling brands of chalk paint and even offering classes for the do-it-yourself people. Although chalk paint is the trend right now, you will not find many professional furniture re-finishers using it.
furniture. Sanding is the next step, but it is not necessary to completely remove all the old finish. Sand just enough to allow the base coat of paint to adhere. Always use a flat white paint for the base coat due the the fact that old dark stains will bleed through any pastel shades. If the finish is very dark, it may require more than one coat of the primer paint. The final coat of base paint must be allowed to dry completely before any further steps or decoration. You can check for any tackiness to determine when it is dry. It is important the final coat be smooth, which may mean a little more light sanding.
to the overtone. As the piece ages, this varnish will enhance the appearance of the piece. Doing any type of re-finishing on furniture requires patience. Do not rush it. Try this treatment on a small inexpensive piece to gain experience before tackling a bigger piece.