Canada Post Posts Profit

Canada Post is posting a profit for the fourth quarter of 2014, which makes me happy.  No, I don't work for Canada Post but as an eBay seller I do use Canada Post's services almost every single business day of the year and I would like to see them continue to be an option for shipping my parcels.

The headline I caught reads, "The crown corporation reported third-quarter earnings on Wednesday that showed the post office segment recorded a before-tax profit of $13 million, compared to a $129 million loss in the same period a year earlier."

This result is in part from an increase in revenue from parcel services. Canada Post says it had anticipated moving 800,000 parcels a day during the holiday season. The actual number of parcels shipped increased by 3 million in the third quarter with revenue up from the previous year by 8 per cent.

I know that the increased revenue comes from other controversial changes like increased prices, the move to community mailboxes and lower employee benefit costs. However, I think we all know and can agree that the crown corporation could not continue to operate with a deficit of $129 million.  Something had to change.

Postage cost is just one challenge of selling on eBay. The cost of shipping is much more expensive than the cost of shipping in the U.S.  It definitely puts Canadian sellers at a big disadvantage.

I look to the new year to see what the next changes from Canada Post will be. There is always a price increase so that will not be a surprise to me, but I do wonder what else we have to look forward to. Personally, I would like to see tracking on all of Canada Post's parcel services, a feature that many of my American customers expect to see when I ship their parcels.

Brenda
Treasures By Brenda
You never know what treasures
I might have in store for you!

Quick Links:

Facts and figures from The Star business section. 



Soffieria de Carlini Cat Christmas Ornament


'Tis the season for lovely stories like this one in which a woman breaks a prized Christmas ornament that she purchased at Lord and Taylor  in the 1980s when she travelled there with her now-deceased brothers. 

Her daughter, seeing her mother remember that Christmas ornament each year, eventually reaches out online for help and readers help her locate the ornament on eBay. Given eBay's vast selection of listings and global community, the fact that they found it on that site really does not really surprise me but it is heart warming that people online helped put the person who wanted to replace a treasured memory together with a seller who had one for sale.

The ornament is a hand blown and hand painted glass Italian Soffieria de Carlini Christmas ornament. Unfortunately, the one shown here is no longer available on eBay but there are other pieces, which you can find by clicking right here.

Merry Christmas!
Brenda

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eBay Makes Christmas Wishes Come True

At Christmastime, there are lots of great stories online about people helping people. Here's a lovely story that I discovered today. A short video that shows how eBay made the Christmas wishes of a group of children come true.

It reminds me, in a way, of last year's viral video about the West Jet Christmas, which you can view here.

The eBay doesn't seem as big or as flashy as the West Jet one but it is still a lovely story that those little girls and boys will remember forever.

Watch the video yourself here:



I hope that giving in one way or another is a part of your holiday season.

Merry Christmas!
Brenda


John Lewis' Penguin Ad Causes Toy Penguin Sales to Skyrocket

In 2014, John Lewis' Penguin Ad Caused Toy Penguin Sales to Skyrocket. Learn more here.

It takes a lot to surprise me and I have to say that I am not really surprised that the sales of and searches for penguins on eBay have skyrocketed on eBay since the release of the John Lewis Christmas advertisement for 2014.

The ad shares the story of a boy and his love for his toy penguin, Monty. You can watch the ad for yourself here:


Apparently, the toy penguins representing Monty and Mabel sold out at John Lewis’ stores within 24 hours.

People quickly turned to eBay to see if they could find a plush Monty and Mable and to see what other penguin toys are available that are similar to that new celebrity couple.

According to The Independent, 2,638 penguin toys were sold on eBay in the time frame of November 6 to November 17 or approximately 240 stuffed penguins per day. Of course, the Monty & Mabel John Lewis' stuffed penguins started showing up on eBay Immediately after they sold out at John Lewis. 

Monty & Mabel Penguin BagIf you just want an attractive plush penguin, eBay presents a huge variety of new, used and vintage penguins.  My search just now for plush penguins turned up more than 15,000 penguin toys to choose from. You might narrow that search down a little bit by using the name of a brand of plush toys that you like. Perhaps Steiff, Gund or even Hugsy though Hugsy is far from a realistic stuffed penguin.

Who is Hugsy? Hugsy is yet another celebrity penguin. He is famous from the television series Friends. However, Hugsy's story is material for yet a blog post in the future.

Anyway, I do see a few Monty and Mabel themed listings on eBay here. Since John Lewis is a British company, you will have to shop on eBay.co.uk and you will want to shop carefully if you want to have a real John Lewis plush penguin. 

This fun Monty and Mabel shopping tote bag shown here was from eBay seller BeMineClothing, who does not appear to have a shop on eBay anymore. I think it could be part of a great gift set. Simply use a tote bag like this one as a handsome reusable gift bag and include a couple of other interesting Penguin-themed items, perhaps a plush toy and a copy of the documentary film, The March of the Penguins.

Brenda
Treasures By Brenda
You never know what treasures
I might have in store for you!


EBAY CARTOON: A Picture Really Is Worth A Thousand Words


Whichever side of the transaction you find yourself on on eBay, be it the buyer or the seller or maybe even both, you are found to enjoy the sentiment shared on this New Yorker cartoon by Lee Lorenz.  

The caption reads, "It's eBay fever - we'll have to pull the plug." A sentiment that can be applied equally to both the eBay shopping addict and the eBay selling hoarder. 

If you are the buyer, you can relate to finding all kinds of cool, unique, unusual, new, used and vintage treasures on eBay.

If you are an eBay seller, you are well aware of how easy it is to find merchandise to sell on eBay and how quickly it can pile up if you do not stay on top of listing...

'Till next time, keep on doing whichever it is you do!   I'll try to keep on listing.

Brenda
You Never Know 

What Treasure I Might Have 
in Store For You!

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Travel Calendar 2015


I stumbled across this travel-themed calendar from the Rifle Paper Company today on Pinterest and decided it is going on my Christmas wish list. I have not written a lot about our travels on this blog but we do love to travel.

Included within the covers are a few places that we have visited like Paris and London but many that we have yet to visit like the Amalfi Coast, Kyoto and Havana.

To be honest, my husband's work took him to many of the other places shared in this calendar but thank goodness he is happy to revisit them with me.

I love the images, which are from hand-painted, vintage-style illustrations of some of the world's most interesting destinations and, at 11 by 17 inches, the pictures are all generously sized making this a nice piece of artwork for your wall for the year 2015.

I think this Travel the World calendar would make a great gift idea for anyone who loves to travel or even simply someone who simply dreams of travelling.  Will you be putting it on your wish list?

Brenda
Treasures By Brenda
You Never Know What
I Might Have in Store For You!

Quick Link:

Buy this Travel calendar on eBay.

Fantastical Fairies By Jasmine Becket-Griffith / Strangeling

Let Me Introduce You To Jasmine Becket-Griffith's Fairies Pictures...


Every now and then, I have the good luck to stumble across a remarkable artist online. In this case, I have discovered Jasmine Becket-Griffith who is a full-time, self-employed artist who paints mostly in acrylics and whose genre covers fairy, fantasy, and gothic artwork. Ms. Becket-Griffith works under the name of STRANGELING.
In particular, I love her fairy pictures. If you love fairies, you too will be amazed at Ms. Becket-Griffith's work, at where you can find it and at what you will find it on. Even if you do not LOVE fairies, you will probably still appreciate this artwork.
You will find Ms. Becket-Griffith's artwork in retail stores, in books, in art galleries in the United States and conveniently you will find a collection of her fairy pieces available on Zazzle by clicking here.
Brenda 
Treasures By Brenda
You never know what I 
might have in store for you!

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Martha Stewart Halloween Magazine 2014

Every year, I wait anxiously for the Halloween issue of Martha Stewart Living.  Well, here it is, at last.

The magazine this year is two sided with one side representing the regular monthly issue of Martha Stewart Living magazine. It's done in grays and oranges with ornate pumpkins and a handsome owl and really is a lovely image, don't you think? Kudos to those fabulous photographers and of course to those who give the photographers some pretty great props to photograph.

The flip side of this issue, called Martha Stewart Living A Special Section, features Martha looking pretty amazing in silvery white and blue. Her turquoise eyes (or maybe that color really is Martha's robin's egg blue) really pop. When you look at that picture for more than a moment you see more and more levels of detail. I expect it must have been difficult for the costume designers to know when to stop.

If you were looking for a Martha Stewart Living special edition for 2014, I think it is safe to say that you can stop looking.  The presence of the words "A Special Section" on the backside of this October issue confirms at least in my mind that there will not be a dedicated special this year.

If you'd like to add this year's issue to your collection, you can find it at Amazon by clicking right here.

I'm off now to add this page to my Martha Stewart Living Halloween magazine index page. If you would like to take a peek at most of the Martha Stewart Living Halloween themed magazines and special editions produced since 1997, you will find them there.

Happy Haunting

Boo-renda!

Quick Links:

Buy Martha Stewart's Halloween 2014 issue on Amazon.
Martha Stewart Halloween Magazine Index


How To Replace A Broken Coffee Mug on eBay

How To Replace A Broken Coffee Mug on eBay
Mug Emergency! I often receive a question about how to locate a specific mug, especially after a much beloved mug has been broken. 

In June, I received a message from a desperate man. He was in the middle of a just such a mug emergency and he said:

"Help! I've just chipped my fiancée's favourite Whittards mug. She's had it for maybe eight or nine years. It has stars on it, it is blue on the inside... If you could find said mug - I can send a picture - I would be willing to pay... If not, any advice would be gratefully appreciated."

I sell a lot of mugs on eBay and have written about them here on this blog and on social media. In this case, Thomas found my page here on Hubpages about Whittard of Chelsea mugs and wrote to me hopeful that I might actually have a replacement coffee mug to sell to him.

Unfortunately for both Thomas and his fiancée, I do not have any Whittard mugs in my eBay store. Truth be told, I have three in my cupboard including a replacement for the broken one shown here in this image.  Whittard of Chelsea mugs really are so nice that any that I find to sell usually wind-up taking up home in my personal coffee mug collection.

So I told Thomas what I often tell others, and that is to set up a saved search on eBay. Once you have done so, eBay will search every day for the item you are looking for and send you a notification when one becomes available.  For this to be a reasonable option, you have to be able to narrow down your search so that eBay doesn't turn up hundreds of mugs every day.  

Here's what I told Thomas to do. You can do the same, changing the search words to words related to the mug that you are searching for.

HOW TO CREATE A SAVED SEARCH ON EBAY:
  1. Start by searching for the mug that you are looking for -- in Thomas' case, I would use "whittard mug blue stars" -- without the quotation marks.  
  2. Then you will see a button called "Follow this search." Click on that button and check the little box to have eBay send you an email if one becomes available.  
It really is that simple. The hardest part is manipulating eBay's search to turn up a reasonable (small) number of results.  Try the most important search words first and, if that brings too many eBay results, add another one.  I do not recommend using the word coffee because some sellers sell mugs without actually saying coffee mug.

When I broke my mug, it took me about six months to replace it.  That is because there are not many Whittard mugs available in North America. They are sold in the United Kingdom and few find there way to North America. In the end I paid a bit of a premium for my replacement mug because it was located in England and I live in Canada and because shipping is expensive but it was worth it because I really do love my Whittard of Chelsea coffee mug.  If you have a mug that you love as much as I love mine, you might even consider buying a replacement before you break it, which is what I wish I had done! 

Good luck replacing your broken coffee mug! Of course, this method would work for any coffee mug you have seen and want to add to your collection and for almost any product that you are trying to find. 

Brenda
Treasures By Brenda

Vintage McCoy Smiley Face Mugs


How To Clean Your Gremlin Gizmo Plush Toy Pillow

How To Clean Your Gremlin Gizmo Plush Toy PillowI'm not sure why the Gremlins Gizmo or "Giz" as he is sometimes called is eternally popular but he is. I guess it might be because he's furry and cute, he's not wicked and he's quite smart being very talented with electrical devices and weaponry. Of course, that makes sense because a "gizmo" is actually another word for a gadget...

Anyway, I digress. This page wasn't meant to be a biography of Gizmo but rather a helpful page about how to wash your giant stuffed plush Gizmo.  He's pretty big, measuring about 20 inches across, which adds another complication when you're trying to figure out how to clean him. 

Those who own this Gizmo, love him a lot, which means he is often in desperate need of being cleaned. Mine was actually in very good condition and clean but I washed him anyway since I like knowing that all of the plush toys in my home and in my eBay store are clean and fresh.  

Anyway, a friendly query arrived in my email last month from Amanda in the United Kingdom. She called her question cheeky but I did not really consider it so. Besides, I am always happy to answer any friendly cheeky question! 

Amanda said that she has a Gizmo pillow desperately in need of a cleaning so I shared my experience with her of how I cleaned my Gizmo. My answer is shown below but please don't take it as a guarantee. It is what I did with my Gizmo and what I have done with countless other plush toys but of course there is no telling what might happen when you wash yours... 

If Gizmo will fit in your washing machine, you should be able to wash him in there.  I washed my Gizmo in my slightly-oversized washer with hot water. Choose a gentle cycle, if you can, though I cannot remember if that is what I did and throw something in like a towel or two to counter the weight. If Gizmo doesn't fit in your machine, I would take him to a laundromat (a coin-operated laundry facility) where they usually have an oversized washer.  

I air dried him in my dryer which has actually has a setting called 'air' that is perfect for stuffed animals when you don't know how their fur will react to the heat of a dryer.  I actually may have dried him with heat because I often forget to use the air cycle, though I cannot really remember. I do know that some plush fur, particularly long, fluffy fur, like that around Gizmo's eye sometimes cannot tolerate the heat of a dryer so I recommend using an air cycle if you can.

If you're washing your Gizmo, I wish you luck! If you're interested in buying a plush Gremlin Gizmo pillow on eBay, just click here.

Brenda
Treasures By Brenda


The Great Glebe Garage Sale

The Great Glebe Garage Sale

Another year, another wonderful day at the Great Glebe Garage Sale in Ottawa. This year my husband went with me. We were there bright and early and had found a cart full of treasures for my eBay store by 10 a.m.

The Big Hug Mug A cart is a must since the Glebe sale is a huge neighborhood sale at which you must park your car and walk and, if you are really going to shop and not just to soak in the atmosphere or people watch, you definitely should take something to help you carry around your treasures.

This year I was thrilled to find a Big Hug Mug. It's a mug that I have written about on this blog before and one that was, just a few months ago, selling for up to $100 on eBay. However, due to the natural laws of supply and demand, this mug is now more readily available on eBay and therefore, much less expensive.  If you are curious about what all the fuss is about this particular coffee mug, you can read my original post about the Big Hug Mug here or if you are looking to buy one, you can check this one out on eBay by clicking here.

The items I found included a vintage talking Garfield that has never been removed from the box, a couple of new Lego sets and a new pair of leather Reebok hi top sneakers that, if they fit, are destined for the feet of my grown son rather than my eBay store.

Farm Team Cookhouse & BarWe loaded our finds into the car and headed for the FarmTeam Cookhouse & Bar, who is no longer in business, where we were early enough to choose a wonderful street-side table on the patio from which to enjoy breakfast and do a bit of people watching ourselves.  The fact that the cookhouse created a special menu for the day is testament to just how crazy busy the Great Glebe Garage Sale is. 

What a wonderful day out! I hope you did something fun this weekend, too!

You Never Know What I Might
Have In Store For You!
Brenda





Quick Links:

Buy this Big Hug Mug on eBay.
Visit Treasures By Brenda on eBay.



Buy a Vintage Pink Rotary Telephone

Sandra Boynton's Vintage Pink Rotary Telephone

How cool are vintage phones? It was author and artist Sandra Boynton's picture of her pink pig rotary phone as shown here that made me wonder if you can still buy a pink rotary phone. It turns out, of course, that you can.

I think rotary phones are pretty cool though you will not find one with a pink pig mounted on it like Ms. Boynton's phone, which was created for her by Frank Grusauskaws. You can find more information about Ms. Boynton's piggy phone on her page on Facebook.

In my opinion, pink phones are perfect for anyone who has a pig obsession. They're also perfect for someone with a very pink room. Or for someone wanting a singular stand-out pink accessory. Or for someone with a love of vintage phones or things vintage in general. Maybe a Mary Kay consultant, LOL?

It turns out that rotary phones in general are a sought-after collectible and a quick and unscientific look at the pink ones seems to show that they sell well on eBay.

As I write this, the highest priced sale of a pink rotary phone on eBay is a pink desktop version made by Western Electric that sold for $517 plus shipping. The most unusual one, surpassing even the very interesting and rare Pink Panther telephone, might just be the Stromberg pay phone that sold for $149 plus shipping, which you can buy new or used.

Here's a selection of pink rotary phones that are available via eBay today:

What do you think? Would you like to add a pink phone to your decor? Perhaps not a pink one but a vintage rotary phone?  Do you know if they even work with today's phone systems?

You never know
what I might have in store for you!
Brenda

Quick Links:

See eBay's selection of vintage pink rotary phones.

E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial Video Game: Pop Culture Myth Proven True

E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial Video Game

Made for the Atari 2600, the E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial video game, unlike the movie, was a horrendous flop for Atari.

The video game was created in a short time period instead of the normal four months it took to develop a video game. It was rushed out to be ready for the Christmas market and it was a total disaster.

As a matter of fact, the game is considered to be the worst video game ever made and eventually, Atari decided to cut its losses and dumped the huge remaining stock of plastic video game cartridges in the desert in New Mexico.

That action lived on and became a pop culture myth that was only proven true this week when a Canadian studio from Ottawa named Fuel Industries quite literally (and deliberately) unearthed the stash of video games. If you are interested, you will want to stay tuned for a documentary movie on the subject.

Meanwhile, I'm wondering if the cult status of the movie or even the news of its existence in a dump in the middle of the dessert has caused it to be a good seller on eBay.

I looked and I see that there are quite a few listed...the lowest priced one a used copy listed for $3.99 plus shipping. If it is a new copy you are after, you will find a new one with an opening bid of $50 and I can see that this item, when new, has sold for up to $150. Click here to see what is available on eBay today.

The news reports say that people want to buy a video game from the dump. They want to own a piece of the legend of Atari burying E.T. in the desert. I guess we will have to wait and see if those video games make an appearance on eBay.

And now for confession time. When I was a high school-er, I saved my dollars and cents and my first big purchase was for a used Atari console. It was most likely the one associated with this game though I do not actually remember.  I do not recall owning the E.T. the Extra Terrestrial video game but I did own Space Invaders and Pac Man.

Do you have any 'vintage' video game memories?

You never know what I might
have in store for you!
Brenda

Quick Links:

See eBay's complete collection of Atari E.T. video games.


Chocolate Easter Bunny True Love Jigsaw Puzzle (2014)

Chocolate Easter Bunny Jigsaw Puzzle

I cannot tell you how many times I have looked for an Easter-themed jigsaw puzzle and found the selection, well, a wee bit wanting. I was pleasantly surprised then when I discovered this one by SunsOut called, "True Love."  It has 550 pieces and features a sweet image of a real rabbit and a chocolate rabbit, perfect for Easter.

Interestingly, I found this Easter bunny puzzle while on Pinterest. Pinterest is a great way to find things that are visual, like this puzzle.  If you are on Pinterest, and you like jigsaw puzzles, you might like to follow my jigsaw puzzle board, which you will find it here.

If you're after an Easter themed puzzle, you will no longer find this one on AmazonI believe it must be retired.  However, you can check eBay's Easter Sunsout puzzles to see if this one shows up by clicking here.

I think a jigsaw puzzle would make a wonderful gift from the Easter bunny, don't you?

Happy Puzzling!
Brenda

Quick Links:

Check out the Easter items in my eBay store here.

Yankee Candle Easter Candles

Yankee Candle Easter Candles

I love it or at least the idea of it for I have not actually had the chance to smell one. The Yankee Candle company released a scented called PEEPS Marshmallow Chicks Collector’s Edition Candle.  How much fun is that? I wonder what it smells like. I  need to sniff out some PEEPS to find out. (Find Peeps candles here on Amazon.) 

A little online sleuthing revealed that this is not the first Easter-scented Yankee Candle. Previous scents included: Bunny Cake, Happy Easter, Easter Egg Hunt, Chocolate Bunnies and White Chocolate Bunnies.  They are all still available either at retail or through resellers on Amazon and eBay. 


A quick peek on ebay when I wrote this revealed 233 Yankee Candle Easter themed listings, some of which are actually candles and some of which are candle holders and accessories. I really thought the Easter Bunny Topper, seen here, was particularly cute and I will admit that prior to writing this post I did not know there was such a thing as a candle accessory. However, if it is actually an Easter candle you are after, you can see what is available today on eBay by clicking right here.


I did know that Yankee Candles are highly collectible with buyers seeking out favorite scents long after they have been discontinued.  As is often the case, eBay is the best place to turn when you are looking for out-of-production items like these scented candles.


When I wrote this, eBay showed over 20,000 Yankee Candle listings. The highest sale price for a single candle was $173 plus shipping for a scent known as Waterfall Canyon. That's a lot of money for a single candle but it just shows you how very popular these candles are and of course, that is an extreme example. Many other new and discontinued scents are available at much more reasonable prices.


You never know what I might
have in store for you!
Brenda


Quick Links:


Check out the candle-themed listings in my eBay store.


Kleenex on eBay?

Kleenex? Yes, I am writing about Kleenex today. I read a decorating post this morning about decorating with Kleenex that was written by blogger Eclectically Vintage about the style of the new Kleenex boxes and I wondered what I'd find if I searched for Kleenex on eBay.

Well, of course, I found lots of Kleenex because you can buy ANYTHING on eBay and you can definitely buy a humble box of Kleenex or even a crate load of them if that is your hearts desire.

You can also buy tissue box covers like the ones that are part of a typical bathroom accessories set. More interestingly, however, is the fact that you can buy Kleenex box covers in all sorts of materials, colours and themes including but in no way limited to ceramic, plastic and metal. Whatever you are into, there is likely a tissue box cover for you.

Some of the themes are very interesting, even if you might not want to own it, like the fairly rare Famicom Nintendo Kleenex box cover, suitable for the family room or the mancave.

The most expensive Kleenex box cover I saw was a wooden one, the Acanthus antique baroque-style Kleenex box cover, which is available in silver and gold. It's is quite elaborate and would suit a fancy bathroom.

Of course, on eBay I also saw a lot of interesting Kleenex items relating to the history of the company Kleenex, a few of which made me smile, like the Disney movie posters for a movie called How To Catch Cold a Disney movie I have never heard of, the Kleenex vending machines that I had no idea existed and a 1962 Chevy Kleenex dispenser, which in my humble opinion  could possibly be one of the most practical car accessories ever invented after, of course, the coffee mug holder.

Of course, knowing that there is a t-shirt for every theme, there are even Kleenex-themed t-shirts, should you be interested.

A visit to Amazon found tons of Kleenex box covers to choose from, like this humorous Egyptian-themed Kleenex box cover featuring King Tut, as well as your ordinary humble boxes of Kleenex.

Personally, I use whatever box Kleenex provides me with and it is often not Kleenex brand.  I enjoy some of the themes the tissue companies create like the Christmastime boxes and, when my boys were little, the children's themed boxes but I will admit that most of the time, I do not think about the box that my Kleenex comes in...

How about you? Do you use a Kleenex box straight from the store or do you dress yours up a bit? And do tell, is your Kleenex or another brand?

You never know
what I might have in store for you!
Brenda






The Big Hug Mug From True Detective

The Big Hug Mug From True Detective

The Big Hug Mug From True Detective

If you are watching the gritty HBO crime series True Detective with Matthew McConaughey and Woody Harrelson as Louisiana State Police detectives, you might have noticed the Big Hug Mug seen during an interrogation with McConaughey’s character Rust Cohle as shown here.

It happens from time to time that an item which appears in a television program or a movie becomes a part of pop culture and that is the case with this simple coffee mug, which started life in the 1980s as a small floral arrangement known as the FTD Big Hug Mug Bouquet.

Since appearing on True Detective, the Big Hug Mug has become a sought after item and fans are turning to eBay to buy themselves one. If you are looking to add a Big Hug Mug to your collection or want to gift one to a True Detective fan, you can find one on eBay by clicking right here.

You Never Know What I Might
Have In Store For You!
Brenda

Quick Links:

Buy a Big Hug Mug.
Read about the  Isadora Diamond Necklace from How to Lose A Guy in 10 Days.

Vintage Baldelli Owl Piggy Bank

Vintage Baldelli Owl Piggy Bank

I LOVED this little owl, I did and he turned out to be a learning experience for me.

I sold him on ebay after picking him up for resale on a whim and discovering that he is a piggy bank that was made by Baldelli Ceramics, an Italian firm created by Ceramiche Baldelli that has been in business since 1943 in Citta di Castello, Italy.

This lovely green owl has gone to a new home in the United States. I don’t know if the buyer collects owls, Baldelli, mid-century modern pieces, piggy banks or simply was drawn to this little fellow. Whatever the buyer's reason, this owl is in my opinion a wise and handsome addition to his or her décor.

I checked and that there are a few other Baldelli pieces available on eBay. You can see more Baldelli piggy banks, in the form of owls, cats and other creatures for yourself by clicking right here.

You Never Know What
I Might Have In Store For You!
Brenda

Quick Links:

Check out the owls in my eBay store.



Walt Disney World Sorcerer's Hat Adventure Playset

Walt Disney World Sorcerer's Hat Adventure Playset
Last week's treasures included this unusual Walt Disney World Sorcerer's Hat Adventure Playset. It is a fun children's playset that allows your child to recreate a Hollywood Studio with Mickey Mouse as the director.

The hat itself is a handsome piece and measures about 10.75 inches in height and the accessories are tiny so this set is definitely not appropriate for children under the age of three.

The set I found is incomplete but all of the battery operated pieces are operating although I will not be providing batteries.

New sets are occasionally available on eBay and retail for as much as $157, including shipping. 

Used sets also turn up occasionally though they are usually without any of the minifigures or accessories.  They still sell but at a much reduced rate.

This set is the only used set I could find that includes many though not all of the accessories. You can see some of the pieces I have included with my set in these pictures or you can click through to my listing on eBay to see a written list of what pieces are included in my listing.

Walt Disney World Sorcerer's Hat Adventure Playset

I have priced mine at auction at about what the used ones without accessories usually sell for and offered a higher buy-it-now price in case you do not want to let this item get away. Whether you choose to bid and take your chances or you decide to go ahead and buy it now, if this is on your shopping list, you won't want to let it get away.

Walt Disney World Sorcerer's Hat Adventure Playset

This is exactly the kind of set that our eldest son wanted to purchase as his souvenir of our trip to Walt Disney World. Click here to find your Walt Disney World sorcerer's Hat Adventure Playset on eBay.

Brenda
Treasures By Brenda
You Never Know What
I Might Have In Store For You!





Mother Goose & Grimm's Grimmy Plush Toy

Mother Goose & Grimm's Grimmy Plush Toy
Meet Grimmy of Mother Goose & Grimm fame. 

Mother Goose & Grimm is a comic strip by Mike Peters that first appeared in 1984 and eventually went on to appear in 500 newspapers.

The cartoon became a CBS television series in 1991 and, as evidenced by the year 1987 on this large plush Grimmy's tag, toys were being produced fairly early on.

The comic strip is still in production today and vintage toys like this one are in demand on eBay. Click here to see the plush Grimmys available on eBay right now.

Brenda
Treasures By Brenda
You never know what
I might have in store for you!


Rare Martin Luther King Jr. Speech Found

Rare Martin Luther King Jr. Speech Found It is every thrifter's dream and yes, thrifter is a word these days whether or not it would appear in the dictionary. That dream, to find a super-rare item when shopping or thrifiting, as it is also called.

I remember reading of a famous picture being thrown out with the garbage one time. Another time it was an old Picasso painting unearthed in the art section of a thrift store.  Fascinating subject matter for me because of the often interesting historical topics, because of the good fortune of someone actually finding these artifacts before they were lost and possibly destroyed forever and because I am still waiting for my big find!

This week I read with interest a story from the Ottawa Citizen titled, "Trip to thrift shop turns up copy of rare King speech." Marthin Luther King Jr., that is.

Imagine, if you will. A lady picked from a pile of vintage reel-to-reel tapes a mouldy and torn item that housed the only known copy of a Martin Luther King Jr. speech given at Arizona State University and at a Phoenix church in June of 1964. How cool is that?

The finder was naturally very thrilled with her rare find, definitely a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and has since given the tape to the school.  If you are interested, I have read that you can listen to the sound portion of this hour-long speech on Arizona State University's website until June 30, 2014. However, my computer crashed twice this morning when attempting to find a link to the speech on the ASU website so I am unable to provide it for you.

I can, however, offer you these other interesting signed Martin Luther King Jr. items to look at, all of which are available on eBay right now by clicking here.  There are quite a few very interesting listings and I suppose a careful reading of the items might reveal where these treasures were found...



You never know what treasures
I might have in store for you!
Brenda

Quick Links:

See the assortment of vintage and antique Martin Luther King Jr. items on eBay.




Movie Prop from Jumanji

Original Jumanji Game from the making of the movie sells on eBay.
We were fascinated to read yesterday about one of the original Jumanji game movie props selling at auction for a whopping $60,800 on eBay.  We know that movie props can command a lot of money but this sale seems pretty high for a "fake" game board that was used in a movie!

Jumanji started as a book by Chris Van Allsburg in 1995 and went on to  become a now-iconic movie starring Robin Williams.   My children enjoyed both but probably remember best the movie because it really brought to life the story...and because they eventually owned a copy of the Jumanji board game.  

Almost twenty years later, the board game is still a sought-after game that sells regularly on eBay from $30 to over $100, depending on condition and completeness. Right now, a brand-new copy of the game goes for $175 on Amazon.com.

Are you a Jumanji fan? Would you like to see a remake of the movie Jumanji?

Brenda
Treasures By Brenda
You never know what
I might have in store for you!

Quick Links:

Learn more about the Jumanji game.
Check out the new, used and vintage board games in my eBay store.

Antiques Roadshow 2014 Calendar

Antiques Roadshow Calendar
Antiques Roadshow Calendar

Love, LOVE, love this Antiques Roadshow 2014 Daily Calendar through which you can enjoy "discovering America's hidden treasures" every single day!  Each page 
is fairly simple but at the same time interesting for those who either work buying and selling antiques or for those who are addicted to this and the multitude of other thrifting television programs.

Brenda
Treasures By Brenda
You never know what
I might have in store for you!

Click here to order your Antiques Roadshow calendar from Amazon.

New Old Spice Mom Commercial 2014

New Old Spice Mom Commercial 2014
Old Spice has done it again! As the mom of a couple of young men, I found this new Old Spice commercial positively hysterical.

I am not sure how the young men in my life will like it but I do hope that they will laugh at it, too and that they know that while I love them A LOT, I am not like the mother you will see here in the advertisement for Old Spice Refresh Body Sprays:
 

So, what did you think?
I hope it made you laugh!

Brenda
Treasures By Brenda
You never know what
I might have in store for you!

Order some Old Spice Body Wash from Amazon for your son!

Are You A Rockstar? I Am!

Are You A Rockstar? I Am!
Just asked what I am a rockstar at, I replied:

Yikes! What am I a rockstar at? I'm pretty diverse:

I try to rock at board games but am often defeated by my family members and friends.

I try to rock in the kitchen but my accomplishments there tend to **POOF** disappear very quickly.

I'm successful at selling on eBay but always waiting to rock another sale!

Right now I need to get off the computer and go rock the snow shovel in the driveway.

Hey, what do you know? When I read this again I realize that I am a rockstar after all!

How about you? What do you rock at?

Brenda
Treasures By Brenda
You never know what I
might have in store for you!

Christmas and My Board Game Collection

Christmas and My Board Game CollectionThe 2013 holiday season is almost gone and for me it was a highly successful celebration.

I define a successful holiday season as one in which my family is together and has time to enjoy our favorite pursuits including plenty of good food, a couple of great movies and LOTS of board games from our game collection.

This year was wonderful!

Our youngest son, now 20, returned home from university for a couple of weeks. Having him around the house is always fun.

We were thrilled to squeeze in a number of visits with our oldest son, who lives nearby in Ottawa, when he was between shifts.

We took a 24-hour trip to Amherst Island to visit my brother-in-law, his wife and their four children.

We had my sister-in-law visit for a number of days.

And yes, we have had plenty of delicious meals, including family favorites like the best-ever sloppy joes and the best-ever cranberry coffee cake and we even tried a few new recipes from Pinterest, too.

We finally saw Catching Fire at the movie theatre.

But most importantly, we played a number of both new and favorite board games. This year that list included Smallworld, Outburst, Trivial Pursuit Young Players' Edition, Settlers of Catan and even Yahtzee.

Because games play an important part in our family's tradition, I was thrilled to be able to put eBay's new Collections feature to use when I created my Board Game Collection, as shown in the picture on this page.

My new 'collection' on eBay includes some of the games we own and have played over and over again as well as others that are available for sale on eBay, either in my own eBay store or in the eBay store of other sellers. Wherever we have played the game, I have added a personal note to the description of the game. I love the fact that this collection of board games will continue to grow as I discover new games in my personal life and for my eBay business. If you are on eBay and love board games, be sure to check it out and follow my collection so that you will be able to look back later and see what interesting board games I have added.

If you are an eBay seller of just plain curious, you might be interested in knowing what my best selling eBay category was for the last 90 days of 2013...

How about you? How were your holidays?

Did you play any board games?

Brenda
Treasures By Brenda
You never know what I
might have in store for you!






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