(what the heck is a "Ch IRSTmas" ? Typo above :D )


Tuesday, November 29, 2011

12 days of Christmas cost over $100k

from Yahoo.com:
Items in '12 Days of Christmas' now top $100K
Cost of items in '12 Days of Christmas' tops a total of $100,000 for first time


PITTSBURGH (AP) -- The price of partridges, pear trees and turtle doves has spiked, pushing the cost of every item mentioned in the carol "The Twelve Days of Christmas" above $100,000 for the first time.

Holding mostly steady this year: maids-a-milking, ladies dancing, lords-a-leaping and gold rings.

The 364 items repeated across all the song's verses would cost $101,119, an increase of 4.4 percent over last year, according to the annual Christmas Price Index compiled by PNC Wealth Management. The broader government Consumer Price Index increased by 3.9 percent over the same period.

Those with the money to spend would end up with 12 drummers drumming, 22 pipers piping, 30 lords-a-leaping, 36 ladies dancing, 40 maids-a-milking, 42 swans-a-swimming, 42 geese-a-laying, 40 gold rings, 36 calling birds, 30 French hens, 22 turtle doves, and 12 partridges in pear trees. (The price does not include bird maintenance.)

But buying just one set of each verse in the song will cost $24,263 this year — a moderate 3.5 percent rise.

Eleven pipers piping will set you back $2,427, but that's a relative bargain compared to seven swans-a-swimming, which cost $6,300. That's a 12.5 percent rise over last year.

Jim Dunigan, managing executive of investment for PNC Wealth Management, said the core rate of increase is less than half the 9.2 percent jump last year.

"The story in general is wages are still a very sluggish part of this economy," said Dunigan, who noted that the price of eight maids-a-milking at minimum wage was $58 — the same as in 2009.

Five gold rings even declined a bit, Dunigan said, to $645, from $650 last year.

But last-minute shoppers who turn to the Internet may be in for some surprises. The core list that costs about $24,000 in stores will come to $39,860 online — a whopping 16.1 percent increase over Internet prices last year. Dunigan said the high cost of shipping live birds explains some of the difference.

Six items didn't go up in cost this year: French hens, calling birds, gold rings, maids-a-milking, ladies dancing and lords-a-leaping. Pipers piping and drummers drumming rose 3 percent. The partridge is still the cheapest item, at $15, and swans the most expensive.

PNC Financial Services Group Inc. checks jewelry stores, dance companies, pet stores and other sources to compile the list. Some of its sources this year include the National Aviary in Pittsburgh and the Philadelphia-based Pennsylvania Ballet Company.

___

Online:

http://www.pncchristmaspriceindex.com

Friday, October 28, 2011

:O

http://www.ebay.com/itm/VINTAGE-50s-KAMEHAMEHA-MATSON-MENU-EUGENE-SAVAGE-RAYON-HAWAIIAN-SHIRT-XL-/350498688524?pt=Vintage_Men_s_Clothing&hash=item519b598e0c#ht_9051wt_925

Monday, October 24, 2011

24th

nothing today

Tuesday, October 11, 2011

vintage collecting

http://www.collectorsweekly.com/

Love vintage and antiques? You've come to the right place.

from:
http://www.collectorsweekly.com/basics/basics.php

Collecting Basics

Check out these pages for basic information on a variety of collecting related topics such as insurance, appraisals, restoration, reproductions, and tips for taking better photos and building better websites:

What’s it worth: How are values determined for antiques and collectibles? From condition to provenance to scarcity, understand the top ten factors that influence value.
Preservation: Is your collection well protected? Get the basics on preventing damage from light, heat, moisture, pests and humans.
Restoration: Don’t do it, at least until you’ve read this! Understand the pros and cons of restoration, including its potential impact on an item’s value.
Reproductions: Beware of reproductions and fakes, which abound in the world of antiques and collectibles.
Insurance: About insuring your collection. Get the scoop on insurance policies and terminology, and how to select and work with an insurer.
Appraisals: About getting your collection appraised. How to select an appraiser and make sure you get what you need from them.
Web Publishing: Do’s and don’ts for a better website. Read this if you’re thinking about building a website or upgrading one you already have.
Scanning: Scanning tips for your collectible paper and photos. Read this before diving into a big scanning project.
Photography: Want great pictures of your collection? Check out these simple tips for getting better, more consistent shots.

Monday, October 10, 2011

10

d

Wednesday, October 5, 2011

5

5

Sunday, October 2, 2011

2

2

Thursday, September 29, 2011

Thu 9.29.11

and me with only 86 days until Ch IRS tmas :D

Alexa: 9.29.11 - 19,270,088


Christmas Icons

Wednesday, September 28, 2011

tcbs

9.27.11 - 19,246,121

Sunday, September 25, 2011

9.25

Sunday - rantings about my and rankings went back down to NR ... back online now,and working to get the rankings back up

today: nr

Friday, September 23, 2011

. . nr

9.23.11

Friday, September 2, 2011

9.2.11

so much to add - just putting a place marker here for now - bbl

Thursday, September 1, 2011

:D

more to come ...

Wednesday, August 31, 2011

8.31.11

testing to see if you're reading this
which you are
go back to sleep