tennrebgirl

People are actually buying my stuff

2006-01-19T12:24:00.000-08:00

My web site, www.TennRebGirl.com is actually popping now, after 8 months of modest sales. Suddenly, just this month, orders have kept me from preparing for my move to Macon Georgia. I'm not complaining although a friend did say to me recently that I was the only person they knew who was stressed out from people not buying my things and now stressed out because they were. Anxiety about everything runs in my family. I guess it dates back to worries over whether the boat would sink on the journey to America and all those durn Indian attacks while homesteading in Oklahoma. Well, back to work until I can find something else to complain about.

When Collectors Move

2005-12-30T06:37:00.000-08:00

I am now facing the onerous task of transporting all my possessions to another home. Like most collectors, a large percentage of things I have collected fall into the category of "why did I buy that?". Since I am down sizing to an even smaller home,these things now need to be disposed of--the good, the bad, and the ugly alike. My attic is so cluttered that I can't step one foot from the stair well. Where and how to start? I can use the excuse that I've been using that's it's too cold to work in the attic and wait until it's too hot to work there. The only good thing about moving is that now at least my son will have to finally have to remove his stuff. That will almost make the move worthwhile.

I Hate Going to Estate Sales

2005-11-12T11:33:00.000-08:00

I have hated going to estate sales ever since my experience of having an item snatched out of my hands by a "little old lady" who declared "I meant to get that!". Still estate sales and garage sales seem to be the last frontier in the antique business. There are still good things to be found in such sales if you can only stand to get up real early every Thursday, Friday and Saturday of your life and go and stand in line for hours just to be among the first in the door. I rarely go to these things now, preferring to drink my coffee and read the newspaper before stirring out, usually then only to take my morning walk with my four legged side kick. I did go to one this morning after three friends called to suggest that I take in a certain sale. I arrived an hour and a half early only to be among the first 20 or 30 people in line. One person told of having arrived at 4:30 am to find someone's bag first in line. The bag had a note on it which said "gone for coffee". Remarking on this to someone else, the true early bird learned that someone who had gone by the DAY BEFORE to case the place had seen the bag there. As time went by and the coffee bearer did not materialize , the bag was gently lifted and pitched out of the line. As time grew nearer the opening, a gentleman arrived and picked up his bag and crassly moved to the head of the line. I should have said tried to move to the front of the line where he was challenged by the people he was trying to usurp. Banging on the door, he pleaded his case with the estate sale giver who quickly sent him to the rear of the very long line. Shaking his head he was heard to say "This is a sad state of affairs." He obviously thought himself to be the aggrieved party. This type of behavior seems to be common with some of the serious dealers who live or die economically by their finds. Still there is something demeaning about people who run around slapping sold stickers on everything, until they can decide whether they really want to buy it or not or even brazenly removing items from other people's selections. Maybe it's because I have a pension to live on but I just can't stand to act that way or even see others act that way. Oh, and by the way, I didn't find anything.

Guess the Civil War Isn't Over

2005-10-09T16:39:00.000-07:00

I recently experienced something that gave rise to my "Southern hot blood". My family is the subject of a very lengthy web site. It's a great site and meticulously traces our family roots back to the 1600's in England, Ireland, and Scotland. I check it every now and then to see what additions have been made. Thus, I found a page devoted to the veterans of several of our Nation's wars, including a list of Union soldiers. I didn't know I had any Union soldiers in my family tree, possibly they are from some obscure branch. I did know of several Confederate ancestors, including my great-great grandfather and other relatives who fought in Texas units. I thought possibly the individual doing the web site didn't know about the Confederates in our family tree so I sent a listing that I had accumulated from my research. Her reply was that though she knew she had Confederate ancestors, she had chosen to honor only the Union soldiers. I found it most infuriating that this person would not want to honor all of her own relatives' service. I know that this attitude is predominant among many of our Northern citizens (notice I didn't say Yankees) There is a movement to extinguish the Confederate battle flag simply because a bunch of racist red necks have hijacked it. Many in our country are busily trying to erase our Confederate history and symbols. I believe this has inherent dangers which should be obvious to all. There are already people who maintain and evidently believe that the holocaust never happened. I believe it is important to preserve our history, good and bad so that judgments can be made for future. We are in enough trouble now in our country from ignoring the lessons of history.

Here is the information I shared with the person with my DNA who was not interested but I have decided to pay tribute myself to my warrior ancestors, who even in participating in the "lost cause" had as much to do with what we are now as a country as those who were on the winning side.

These are some of my Confederate relatives. I will begin with my great-great grandfather S Thomas Glover, 2nd Lt. 23rd Texas Cavalry,who is pictured, John Phillip Orr who served in Company D, 32nd Texas Cavalry, John Washington Lindley who was in Captain H W Fisher's Company, 3rd Regiment, Sibley's Brigade Mounted Volunteers, James Riley Lindley, Company G, Colonel Hunter's Regiment, also serving under general Joe Shelby, and B W Lindley who served in the Gouldi Regiment.

I would be remiss if I didn't pay tribute to other fighters in our family which includes three famous persons who have made their mark in history. The earliest was Col John Pyle, British Army,who though a doctor, found himself fighting Light Horse Harry Lee in a battle known of Pyle's Massacre, which involved Lee's massacre of Pyle's men at Haw River. Pyle was later pardoned for his actions in treating wounded soldiers on both sides. Other members of the Lindley family, though quakers, fought for the Patriots.

John Lindley, who died at the Alamo

Alvin C York, Hero and Medal of Honor winner from WWI

Woes of Having a Web Site

2005-08-03T15:47:00.000-07:00

My new web site is now about four months old. I have been literally chained to my computer, which is hard for an aging attention deficit challenged person. I now have 2,400 items listed in several collectible categories. This has required me to list 15 to 20 new items a day. Hey this isn't fun, it's work. No more antiquing or or enjoying the life of a retiree. I can't even walk through my house without spotting something that should be offered to others. I'm supposed to be making enough money to be able to move to Georgia to be near my two and a half grandchildren but getting known in the world wide web is very difficult. They say it takes a year for your website to get going and I believe them. When I try to google my items, I give up after the 30th page. I can hardly believe that two customers actually found me that way. They have more patience than I do. Whoops, back to my listings.

eBay and Fraud

2005-08-01T16:52:00.000-07:00

Fraud is rampant on eBay. It not surprising that there are people out there who are willing to cheat others. What is shocking is the systematic toleration of this practice on eBay. In the past you could warn others of fake items by e-mailing the bidder but eBay closed this loop hole to all but the most daring. Reproductions and fantasy items abound. APIC members are working with eBay on dealing with this problem in the political hobby and seem to think they are making progress. but it seems to me that they have been working for a very long time with no results. It is clear to me at least that eBay is more interested in the bottom line, which is immediate profit. eBay needs to take a long range view of this issue because they are losing customers who have been burned by the con artists. I've even heard experienced, knowledgable collectors say that they are afraid to bid on anything on eBay anymore. The latest examples of fraud are the too good to be true Confederate Reunion flags which are being made out of period material. People are paying thousands of dollars for these rip-offs. eBay covers themselves by saying buyers beware, taking no real responsibility for protecting their consumers. Shame on you eBay.

I Miss My Friend, Herb Peck

2005-05-14T06:27:00.000-07:00

You won't know Herb Peck unless you are a Nashvillian, or one who deals in guns or photography. Herb worked in the Fine Arts Department at Vanderbilt University until his retirement. He enjoyed a too short retirement, dying suddenly over a year ago. I first met Herb at the Nashville Flea Market. We kept bumping into each other looking for the same things. We had a very friendly rivalry and traded and sold to each other for years, talking on the phone at least once a week. Herb was an authentic character. He had an unflattering name for everyone, or in my case a sound as well. Whenever he would see me approaching he would start howling like a hound dog. He likened me to a hound dog who slept under the porch until I caught the scent of some prized item. Some people didn't like Herb as he loved stirring up trouble between people and then stepping back and enjoying the ensuing human drama. The one thing everyone agreed on was that Herb knew everything about photography. He had two world class photographic collections, one which was stolen by a local scoundrel over twenty years ago and another which has been dispersed throughout the Civil War collecting community, among those who wanted something to remember "ole Herb" by. He will forever be remembered by his friends and through all of the books which have reproduced Herb's images. Herb used to warn me that it was not my job to educate others but everything I learned about photography I learned from Herb Peck, whom I still miss.

Ebay's Not So Wonderful Anymore-A Seller's View

2005-04-05T07:44:00.000-07:00

Ebay used to be a great site to sell on. It was fun watching the closing minutes of auctions and seeing two people fight over a post card you bought for a dollar and see it pushed to ridiculous levels. That's not happening much anymore. Maybe it's the economy, maybe it's the millions of people who are NOT looking at your item. So much is offered on Ebay, the sophisticated buyer will wait till someone else down the road offers the same item. And they will. It's mind boggling how many people are selling on Ebay and Ebay's new feature of allowing the seller to see how many people are watching an item is just plain depressing. No last minute hopes that ten people will emerge to snipe in the closing seconds. If three people are watching your item one has one just like that and wants to know what it's worth, the other sold it to you and wants to know how much you made on it, and the other will forget to bid. My latest attempts to offer items have had dismal results, with my profits eaten up by fees from the items which did not sell. These are the things that led me to establish my own web site. www.tennrebgirl.com. At least now when my items don't sell I won't have to pay a fee for it.

Ebay Is Not So Wonderful Anymore-A Collector's View

2005-04-05T06:35:00.000-07:00

Ebay has generated so much excitement in the antiques and collectibles field. First of all, Ebay is a well run, dynamic company, constantly expanding and improving it's site. It has some prominent warts, but will discuss these later. In the early days of Ebay it was all that we could talk about. it was the number one topic of conversation among dealers and collectors. Visits to antique malls would invaribly find someone hunkered over a computer, often forgetting to give a friendly greeting. All those interesting smalls, which so many of us seek, were whisked away, never to be seen in the cases, to be offered instead to the world market place. Ditto for the shows. After all why price something you know nothing about when you can test the market? Now we have come to a point where shows are dying, antique malls are closing and flea markets are hardly worth going to anymore. Some buyers spend hours scanning items offered on Ebay just to find those few treasures that have been put in the wrong category or listed as a "buy it now". I have to think that most collectors would agree with me that they are not having as much fun as they used to. After all half of the excitement of collecting was the hunt. Now it's all in one place and it's just not the same.

How to Behave at the Flea Market

2005-04-04T07:19:00.000-07:00

It's a given that flea market dealers build some wiggle room in their prices. Nevertheless, it is best to use some diplomacy in dealing with vendors. A polite "Is this your best price?" will do. Avoid bickering and such comments as "All I can give you is this", or " you know I have to make some money too,". Bickering will stiffen the resolve of many people. You shouldn't expect the seller to be concerned about you making money for THEIR goods. You must realize that most dealers work hard to come up with their items, often pay alot of them, and may sit there all weekend in the hot or cold weather to sell to you. Many have heavy travel and lodging expenses as well. A pleasant manner can go a long way and often you establish friendships with dealers, who in turn begin to look for items that they know you will like. When they save items for you under the table, you know you have arrived.

Advice to the new political collector

2005-04-02T14:14:00.000-08:00

For my first posting I would like to advise the new political collector of some things I have discovered over nearly twenty years of collecting.

The first impulse of the new collector is to buy every button one spots in a mall or flea market. You will quickly learn that you can't have it all, so it just makes sense to be selective. Most old time collectors will advise others to collect only what they love not what they think will be a good investment. I agree with this but in looking at buying collectibles in general, it makes more sense to purchase one $100 button that ten $1 buttons. Scarce and rare buttons tend to increase in value more dramatically that the more common buttons. The political hobby is rife with buttons made for the collectors rather than the campaign and these buttons will rarely appreciate in value.

My strongest advice is to buy every reference work you can afford. I also subscribe to many of the auction catalogs even though I haven't bid on anything in years. I study them frequently so I can familarize myself with the items being offered and the values. The most helpful reference that I have ever read in the hobby is Edmund Sullivan's book, Collecting Politcal Americana. I have read it many times and learn something new everytime. It contains a wealth of material. I try to carry my basic reference books in the car with me so that I'm never caught without them. Remember that it is your knowledge that gives you the edge in spotting valuable items and the smarter you get, the luckier you get.

Many collectors advise others to specialize in one candidate and indeed this is the best way to build a world class collection. I have always been very eclectic in my interests which means I will never have the most or the best of anything. However, one benefit of having a wide range of interests is that you run less risk of being disappointed by not being able to find something is your specialty and it keeps your interest in collecting fresh.

Once you become a collector, it becomes your responsiblity to preserve that part of history. Many historical items are ruined by improper cleaning or lack of attention as to how to store and display things. Paper items need to be kept in acid free holders and celluloids need to be kept in storage which protects them from extreme humidity or swings in temperature. Ryker mounts are preferable to the little plastic sleeves that can trap the moisture inside.

Ebay has expanded the horizens of all collectors, with a wider exposure to items but it has, at the same time, created a huge problem with fraud, with sellers, knowingly or unknowingly, selling bogus items. I have found that Ebay, despite it's pronouncements, is not seriously interested in dealing with the problem of fraud on their site. One is warned not to interfere with auctions by notifying bidders that they are bidding on a repro. I have heard of people in our hobby being suspended from Ebay for trying to educate sellers and warning bidders. It's best to be very careful when bidding on Ebay.

The best move for the political collector is to join APIC. You will be educated, make new friends, learn of shows and collectors in your area, and I know no other hobby that is more diligent in stressing and insisting on ethical behavior from its members. Generally speaking, when you buy from an APIC member you can be assured that you will get what you pay for. Well, that's all for today and thanks for listening.

Welcome!

2005-04-02T06:32:00.000-08:00

Hi, Welcome to my blog .

I recently launched a new web site, "TennRebGirl," selling Americana, Political, Civil War, and Tennesseana. I am a lover of history and around 20 years ago began to collect.

I started collecting political buttons as I had always been fascinated with politics. Eventually I learned of the American Political Items Collectors (APIC) organization and discovered that there were other people who shared my interest. This organization has done much to help me educate myself and be a wise, rather than an obsessive collector. Ok, maybe I'm obsessive too.

I started my collection by hitting all the antique malls, flea markets, and shows. I began going to Civil War shows looking for political items and promptly became hooked on the Civil War- books, documents, letters, and photography. My interest in political celluloid buttons led me to my primary Civil War interest, items from the Confederate Veteran Reunions (UCV). I love the beautiful celluloids, ribbons, and even the graphic paper programs and such.

I have also always been interested in the history of Tennessee and have built up a fairly decent Tennessee Political collection as well as items from the Tennessee Centennial Exposition, held in 1897. I am an eager buyer of Tennessee post cards, particularly Nashville ones. I have found that collecting is a dynamic hobby, one interest leads to another, and you meet good friends who share these interest.

However, as with all collectors, there comes a time when you realize that it is time to start selling so as not to burden your family with the legacy of your interests. This has led me to construct a web site, "TennRebGirl," to sell some of the things I have collected over the years. Currently I have 500 items up for sale and am listing daily with no end in sight. There are many choice items from my collection, things I thought I would never sell, and things that are usually only found in auctions. I hope you can find something that will add to your collection. Please check back with this blog , as when time permits I will be posting some things of interest.