Hobbies
Hope Chests
by Alyice Edrich
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Expert Tidbit
Did You Know That it Only Takes 15 Minutes a Day to Alleviate the Stress in Your Home? Taking 15 minutes a day to gather your family and as a group straighten your home will not only work wonders in the organization of your household, but will also greatly reduce your stress level. Give it a try! For more organization tips like this Click here.
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A Hope Chest was originally used as a dowry. It was property that a woman owned and brought into her marriage. Some women could not find a suitable husband, for various factors; therefore, the dowry was used as a way of enticing a man into marriage.
The idea of a Hope Chest symbolizes so many hopes and dreams¯to me. It’s about seeing the future unfolding before one's very eyes. It's about preserving a lifetime of memories and building a family legacy¯a heritage.
A Hope Chest is really nothing more than a wooden chest, a closet, a storage unit, or a large box full of items that have been collected over time. But inside that object, is something much more special¯it’s a place where one places all her treasures and dreams, as she waits for life to unfold.
I would like for you (the parent) to close your eyes and think for a moment. What would you like to see your child have as she (or he) leaves your home and enters the world?
Now, imagine your child’s reaction when she opens her Hope Chest and begins placing those items¯one by one¯throughout her new home. Can you see the memories she will have as she reflects on each item and the time the two of your purchased that item? (That's a total “Miracles on 34th Street” feeling.)
Hope Chests also offer a great way to teach your child to start her life debt-free; because a lot of the necessities and/or knick knacks will have already been purchased. Wouldn’t it be nice if your child could start collecting some of those things now, so that she does not have to go into debt to acquire those things later?
Just think how less stressful your child's life with be if she could find that perfect apartment and immediately begin to decorate it¯to make it feel like home?
There are many ways one can accumulate things for a Hope Chest:
• Ask family members to share their treasures. Anything that holds a special memory should be accompanied with a story/letter.
• Purchase items while on vacation or attend auctions and rummage sales together.
• Ask friends and family members to purchase things that your child would one-day want to own in her own home.
• As your child begins to work, she can purchase the smaller ticketed items and place them into storage.
• You can also save for the larger ticketed items in a special “move out” savings account. The important thing to keep in mind, is that a Hope Chest is much like a treasure chest... to be filled with things one will hold dear for the rest of her life. Each item should symbolize a special moment, place, or time in your child's life, or the life of the giver.
Keywords: hope chests treasure boxes children heritage
About the Author
Alyice Edrich, Merrill, WI USA
http://thedabblingmum.com
Alyice Edrich is the author of several work from home e-books, and the editor-in-chief of a national publication for BUSY parents. Subscribe to her free e-newsletter at http://thedabblingmum.com/joinezine.htm to win a free book!
HOW TO PRESERVE OLD AND BRITTLE NEWSPAPER CLIPPINGS
Dissolve 1 milk of magnesia tablet in 1 quart of club soda. Let stand overnight Stir well and pour into a shallow pan Lay newspaper clipping flat in pan and soak for 1 to 2 hours Carefully remove and place on soft towel to dry The clipping will remain preserved for several decades.
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I am kind of a journal addict. I love to keep all kinds of journals -travel journals, journals to my children, homemaking journals and more. I also really love reading and writing and encouraging these skills in my children. When I saw this idea for a poetry collection, I really liked it because it incorporates all of these things together into one book.
Jacquelline Kennedy Onassis loved poetry. She wanted to pass her love for poems onto her children so she started a poetry collection. She would have John and Caroline each write their own poem or choose one that they related to, valued or spoke to them in some way; and they would compile them into a poetry book.
Imagine how precious that book is to Caroline today!
You can also start a poetry collection. If you homeschool, this would be a fantastic project. But even if you just like to journal or love poems and want to use this idea to make poetry real to your children and spark an interest in them for the love of words.. this would be a fabulous tradition to start. You can haphazardly put poems into the album when you find the time or assign special days or holidays as deadlines for finding a poem and inserting it into
the album.
Whichever way you decide to go about it - I know this will be a fun and growing project for you and your children. I think it will prove to be truly treasured as time goes on.
~ Dionna Sanchez loves to find new ideas for creating family traditions. You can find more ideas at her Emphasis On Moms website – http://www.EmphasisOnMoms.com
Heirloom Memoir Writing
I have always been fascinated by the lifestyles and traditions of the past, especially the eras of my mother and grandmother. Since my grandmother was born in 1892, and my mother in 1916, quite a span of history is covered by their lives.
By recording the stories and events of our ancestors' lives, we not only preserve memories, but it gives us a deeper sense of who we are. These happenings are so easily forgotten if we don't write them down. Heirloom memoir writing is a simple way to capture your family's past, or even your own. It's never too early to start. Here are a few simple ideas to get you started.
1. Make a commitment to write a little every day. Set aside fifteen minutes for writing. Don't overwhelm yourself with too much. Enjoy it.
2. Decide on topics. Narrow them down. Be specific. I've written about laundry care in the 1920's, Depression quilts, country dinners of my great-grandparents, and old fashioned homemaking routines. I've told the story of my grandparents' travels to the country in their Velie, an old time car. Once you start thinking, more and more ideas will come to you. Write about what interests you about the past.
3. Talk to your parents, grandparents, and older relatives. Before you do, write out a list of questions you want to ask them, or points you wish to cover. Get their permission to tape record the conversation. This way you can go back and take notes at your own speed.
Don't worry about too much organization at this point. Just write down everything you can. Take thorough notes. Make sure your information is accurate.
4. Make an outline. Start organizing your information. Go down through your notes and place each fact under the appropriate topic. Remember, you're still jotting facts. Don't be concerned about complete sentences yet.
5. Create a rough draft. Now start turning your outline into an article or story. Each Roman numeral can be a paragraph. Turn the facts into complete sentences.
6. Write your final copy. Polish up your work. Use a spell-checker, thesaurus, or dictionary. Check grammar and punctuation. Make your words and sentences descriptive and interesting.
7. Publish your writing. After you have compiled a collection of stories and articles, it is time to publish them. This could be as sophisticated as using a real publisher, or simply typing them out and placing them in a scrapbook along with old pictures. Whichever direction you decide to go, there are many resources to help you out.
Remember, you are creating a priceless heirloom when you record family history stories. The time and effort you put into it now will not only give you information and enjoyment, but will be a rich heritage to leave to your children and grandchildren.
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Inez Haythorn is a Christian wife, mother, elementary school teacher, pianist, and freelance writer. Her main writing interests are Christian writing, and writing about lifestyles and memoirs of the past. She is the publisher of Christian Family Treasures, Heirloom Memories, and Cherished Collections. Her goal is to glorify and honor God, and bless and help others. Copyright 2003. All rights reserved.
http://www.christianfamilytreasures.com
http://www.heirloom-memories.com
MIRRORS - SILVERING AND RE-SILVERING
Solution No. 1:
Nitrate of Silver (pure) . . . . . . . . 40 grains Nitrate of Silver (pure) . . . . . . . . 32 grains Distilled Water . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 pint Ammonia, 26% . . . . . . . . . . . . . . To be used as directed.
Take one pint of distilled water, pour 4 ounces of this into a glass, and into this put 40 grains of Nitrate of Silver. Dissolve the Nitrate of Silver thoroughly by stirring the water with glass strip (no spoon, or stick, or metal should be used). When it is all thoroughly dissolved, take your medicine dropper and drop 26% Ammonia Water into it one drop at a time; at first it will turn dark; keep dropping the ammonia until it becomes clear again, which will generally take about thirty drops; stopping the addition as soon as it clears.
Very often after dropping 30 drops of Ammonia, it does not clear. In that case stir the solution slowly with your left hand and continue dropping the ammonia with the right hand, one drop at a time until it does clear, which it will generally do after dropping a few more times. If after dropping seven drops more it does not clear (which takes 37 drops in all) do not drop any more Ammonia, as you are apt to spoil the solution.
Then add 32 grains of the Nitrate of Silver, additional. Dissolve by stirring with your glass strip. When it is all dissolved, pour the mixture back into the pint of water first measured out. Let it stand for one hour or more to allow the sediment to settle on the bottom. Then filter the solution through white blotting paper; this blotting paper you should put into your funnel, cone-shaped so that the solution will have to pass through it before it can enter the bottle (any druggist can show you how to fold filter paper). Put the funnel into the neck of the bottle and proceed to pour the solution into the funnel. In this way the solution passes through the blotting paper before it gets into the bottle, which is called filtering. After the solution is filtered into the bottle it should look like clear water. Cork bottle tightly, and keep in a cool dark place and label it No. 1 solution.
Solution No. 2:
24 grains of Rochelle Salts 25 grains of Nitrate of Silver (pure) 1 pint of Distilled Water
Take one pint of warm distilled water and pour it into a porcelain lined vessel, put it on the stove, and then put 24 grains of Rochelle Salts into it, and let this boil strongly for about one minute, and then add 25 grains of Nitrate of Silver, and let it boil for five minutes longer, take it form the stove and let it stand one hour or longer to allow the sediment to settle. As soon as the solution is cool it is best to pour it out of the porcelain lined vessel into some glass vessel or other porcelain lined vessel, as the vessel that you boiled this solution in will be quite dirty. When it is allowed to settle in another vessel the solution will be much clearer when you go to filter it. You want to bottle this solution just the same way as you do the No. 1 solution and label this one No. 2 solution.
Note: This solution will boil away a little when preparing it, but do no add any more water to it.
HOW TO SILVER MIRRORS:
In the first place a clean room should be used for the work. Place the glass on a level surface and bank the sides to prevent the solution running off, or place in a plating bath tube. It is not necessary that you should have a steam table in order to make good mirrors. By having your room at a temperature of 85 to 100 degrees F and using warm distilled water to rinse and level your glass with, you can easily get your glass up to the temperature of 90 to 100 degrees F., which will cause the silver to precipitate. The glass to be silvered must be thoroughly cleaned as the least speck of dust, grease, dirt or finer marks will show and cause you trouble. Place wooden wedges under the corners of the glass having warm distilled water on the glass and change the wedges under it until the water lays in an even depth all over the glass; this is to warm the glass and get it even. When you have the glass warm and level, raise one side or end level, raise one side or end and gently let all the water run off, now lay the glass gently back in the same place. Then pour No. 1 and No. 2 Silvering solutions into your traduate glass or glass pitcher in equal parts; stir them as quickly as possible with your glass strip, and then pour them onto the glass by first starting at the center and letting them flow out, then start at one corner and keep going around in a circular way until the entire surface of the glass is covered, and let the solution lay on it in an even layer. Let the solutions stand on the glass for about 30 minutes; then tip the glass on one corner on end and drain off the solution - drain all that will run off; rinse the glass coating off thoroughly with distilled water, and stand glass on one end to drain and dry. When dry apply backing paint.
If the silver coating is not heavy enough it needs a second coat, which you can do by pouring on the solutions as you did the first coat, after the first coat has been rinsed off with distilled water and allowed to drain for a few minutes. Do not let the first coat get dry before putting on the second coat.
You will get a much heavier coating of silver by putting the bottles which contain your solutions into hot water a few minutes before you mix and use them.
HOW TO CLEAN YOUR GLASS:
The best way to do this is by taking some polishing Rouge in powdered form, the same as jewelers use for polishing silverware, or powdered prepared Whiting which you can get at any drug store. Take the Rouge or Whiting, and put into a bag of two or three thicknesses of bed ticking or cotton flannel and sew this up; then put the bag into water to soak up. Make a polisher by taking a piece of wood 4 by 4 inches and about 9 inches long and bore a hole in each end and near the top to take a broom handle, the handles should be about 4 inches long on each end of your polisher, so as to allow you a good hold.
Then get some felt about one inch thick; if possible to get - use the felt that harness makers use for padding harness - which is about one inch thick, as it is the best to use. Then screw the felt onto the bottom of the polisher, with brass screws. Be sure that the screws are counter-sunk, so that they will not come in contact with your glass when you are polishing it and scratch it.
Once the felt is fastened on, put the polisher into water and let it soak. When polishing and cleansing your glass all you have to do is to take the bag from water, and squeeze a little of the Rouge or Whiting upon the glass; then take your polisher from the water, and with both hands take the polisher by the handles and proceed to polish the glass right to the edges. This will take about 10 minutes. When glass is polished, rinse off with distilled water until it is perfectly clean.
To make good mirrors you want to use a good grade of glass. The German or American Plate, either double or single, are the best cheaper grades to use, as they are well polished and free form defects. If your local dealer does not handle this glass he can easily get it for you. The Pittsburgh Plate Glass Co., 622 Fort Duquesne Blvd., Pittsburgh, PA is a very good firm to do business with. They have branch offices in most all the larger cities - see classified phone book.
HOW TO MAKE BACKING PAINT:
The very best backing paint that you can use is made by taking equal parts of White Demer Varnish and Asphaltum Varnish and mixing. If it is too heavy to work freely, add a little turpentine. Apply this paint to the silver coating as soon as it is dry, with a camel’s hair brush as lightly as possible - as the silver coating can easily be rubbed off. One coat is enough, but if you wish to apply a second coat you can do so before the first coat gets thoroughly dry.
HOW TO REMOVE OLD BACKING PAINT AND SILVER
For removing old backing paint, take strong lye and put it in a little water, and pour this on the old paint while the mirror is in a level position; and let it stand until the paint becomes soft; then take a small mop and mop it up. Sometimes the paint is a little hard to remove, in which case you can take a strong piece of cardboard and scrape it off by grasping the cardboard in both hands, and pushing forward with enough pressure to cause the cardboard to go between the paint and the glass. Another way is to buy a can of Boston or other kind of paint and varnish remover, and use according to directions. If the silver still sticks to the glass, pour undiluted nitric acid on it and let stand until the back can easily be removed with a mop or rag. Then clean your glass as directed.
ONE-WAY OR X-RAY MIRRORS
These mirrors, although new to the public at the present time - are old to manufacturers, having been made and installed in designated places several years ago. These can be made in any one of three ways.
(1) The ordinary mirroring solution is diluted from 50% to 75% with distilled water.
(2) In making the mirroring solution use 1/2 to 3/4 less Silver Nitrate and Rochelle Salts, but do not reduce the amount of water used.
(3) The ordinary mirroring solution is used but let it set to deposit only half as long as you do ordinary mirroring, and pour off the balance of the water. If a mirror is placed under the glass that is being silvered, on an angle, the reflections of the results of precipitation will be clearly shown and you can tell when to discard the water on the glass and also note the transparency.
When silvered, if held up to the face, it can be looked through from the front, seeing everything in front of it clearly, but to anyone on the other side or front of the mirror, it looks like just an ordinary mirror showing their image and they are unable to see your features at the back.
When silvering is dry, varnish with good transparent spar varnish, using a thin coat with a soft haired brush. Collodion thinned with acetone is also used for backing. If either of these can be put on with a spray gun it will be much better and danger of scratching on the thin coat of silver is reduced or eliminated altogether. For greater safety and durability, place a glass of the same size over the mirror back. This can be held in a frame with quarter round or smaller stock fastened with brads or long thin screws.
This type of mirror has been and still is in use in large hotels, institutions, roadhouses, blind pigs, secret societies and lodges, night clubs, cars, by secret police, detectives, etc. A pan of this type mirror is placed in a panel of the front door. The visitor sees only an ordinary mirror staring him in the face, but the one on the other side of the door can see through it and tell who it is without being seen or opening the door. This way many police raids on blind pigs, gambling dens, houses of vice, etc. have been thwarted. Usually a curtain or blind is pulled down over the glass from the inside so that patrons won’t notice it and talk out of turn.
SIMPLE METHOD OF RESILVERING DAMAGED MIRRORS
Pour upon a sheet of tin foil three drams of quicksilver to the square foot of foil. Rub smartly with a piece of buckskin until the foil becomes brilliant. Lay the glass upon a flat table face downward, place the foil upon the damaged portion of the glass, lay a sheet of paper over the foil, and place upon it a block of wood or a piece of marble with a perfectly flat surface, put upon it sufficient weight to press it down tight; let it remain in this position a few hours. The foil will adhere to the glass.
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A SIMPLE FORMULA FOR RECOGNIZING AMERICAN COINS WHICH ARE WORTH MORE THAN THEIR FACE VALUE
Remember the year 1933 for 1 cent coins
Remember the year 1945 for 5 cent coins
Remember the year 1964 for 10 cent and 25 cent coins
All coins minted in those years or before are worth more than their face value.
All $1 coins, regardless of the year in which they were minted, are worth more than their face value.
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HOW TO SELL HOBBY ITEMS BY MAIL
You can, if you are ambitious, start a Mail Order Business selling collectibles to hobbyists by mail. To begin, you must first find a hobby that appeals to you. Next, you must spend several weeks researching that hobby. You must learn what collectors want and how much they are willing to pay for it. You should also know what other dealers are willing to pay for the merchandise which they sell. And you must be willing to pay the same amounts.
Perhaps you already know exactly what you want to sell. If you have been collecting old Valentines, then start a Mail Order business buying and selling old Valentines. Or stamps. Or comic books. The first rule of Mail Order Selling is to sell what you yourself would buy. To give you an idea of what collectors buy and sell by mail, here is a partial list of today’s collectibles!
Phonograph Records Street Car Tokens Boat Photographs Cigar Labels Fruit Jar Labels Advertising Cards License Plates Old Magazines Dog Pictures Beer Labels Gun Catalogs Movie Magazines Circus Posters Paper Currency Autographs Music Boxes Cartoon Books Dolls Salt/Pepper Shakers Theatre Programs Hunting Licenses Greeting Cards Political Buttons Valentines Old Pencils Baseball Cards Cookbooks Atlases Children’s Books Beatles Items Military Medals Stock Certificates StampsSheet Music Old Toys Indian Relics Doll Clothes Gems, Minerals Railroad Books Menus Belt Buckles Fishing Licenses Cigar Boxes Airplane Photos Comic Books Train Photos FBI Posters Thimbles Old Calendars Newspapers Automobile Manuals Maps Coins Diaries Postcards Arrowheads Antique Barbed Wire Buttons Old Jewelry Railroad Passes
I would like to suggest that you send for sample copies of two magazines. They are read avidly by hobby dealers and hobby collectors alike:
THE COLLECTORS NEWS Box 156 Grundy Center, IA 50638
THE ANTIQUE TRADER WEEKY Box 1050 Dubuque, IA 52001
Each of these publications contain around 70 or 80 pages of ads from dealers and collectors. Almost every hobby publication, large or small, if listed within its pages.
Once you have selected your field, start a file. Keep copies of all the ads selling your kind of merchandise. Also keep ads showing the dealers buying prices. If price lists are offered in ads, send for them and STUDY them.
MAKE YOURSELF AN EXPERT IN YOUR FIELD.
Try to locate any publication that deals with your field. Often, you can locate small mimeographed publications and newsletters which will give you all kinds of useful information.
Your next step is to look for merchandise in your own community. Here are some suggestions:
1. Start by attending flea markets and antique shows. Don’t be afraid to make inquiries of dealers. They often have what they consider 'junk' stashed away, assuming that it isn’t of much value to anyone. I once discovered a fabulous stamp collection that way!
2. Browse around through Thrift Shops.
3. Study the garage sale ads in your local newspaper. Visit any that sound promising. (Sometimes, it pays to telephone for, they may be able to direct you to others who have exactly what you need!)
4. Place 'Wanted to Buy' ads in your local Swapper’s News, or your local newspaper. Be sure to list your phone number.
It is amazing what you can find in your local community if you work at it. However, if you can’t find enough merchandise locally, run ads in the Collector’s Magazines listed above. Their rates are very, very low. And you will soon discover that they are widely read!
Once you have accumulated a decent stock of merchandise, you are ready to begin selling it. If there are publications specializing in your field, by all means advertise there. You have a ready-made audience! Also run ads in the big hobby magazines.
Type up a list of what you have and have an Instant Printer make a hundred or so copies for you. Hobbyists don’t mind typewritten mimeographed, or Xerox copies - it’s half the fun of collecting. Then run your ad. Your ad can merely offer your list to interested collectors free (or for a stamp, to week out coupon clippers). Or you can offer to make a sale straight from the ad. If you do the latter, stick in your price list with the merchandise. It will read...eagerly!
Here are a few sample ads run by hobby dealers for your consideration:
* 'Railroad Timetables, 1940’s Four Different - $4.00 postpaid.'
* 'Old Children’s Books and Texts. Stamp for List.'
* '85,000 Comic Books, Movie Magazines, Funnies, etc., 1900-1957. Catalog $1.00 (Refundable).'
* 'Original Movie Posters, Pressbooks, Stills, 1919-1975. Catalog - $.50
* 'Sleigh Bells! Stamp for list.'
Just in case you are not familiar with the phrase, 'SASE' means 'Self-addressed, stamped envelope'. As you progress, you will learn continually. Most hobby dealers will tell you that they learn more from the collectors who buy from them that they could ever learn from any other source.
Below are some other hobby publications that may interest you. You can write to these publications and request a sample copy. However, it would be a good idea to include postage when requesting copies form the publisher.
HOBBIES LYNN’S WEEKLY STAMP NEWS 1006 S. MICHIGAN AVE. BOX 29 CHICAGO, IL 60605 SIDNEY, OH 45365
THE AUTOGRAPH NEWS DOLL CASTLE NEWS 7540 S. MEMORIAL PARKWAY BRASS CASTLE HUNTSVILLE, AL 35802 WASHINGTON, NJ 07882
WESTERN STAMP COLLECTOR JESSIE’S HOMEMAKER BOX 10 731 BLUE BELL STREET ALBANY, OR 97321 FT. COLLINS, CO 80521
COIN & STAMP TRADING NEWS CANADIAN HOBBY SHOPPER BOX 11101 BOX 3382 - HALIFAX SOUTH, NS SANTA ROSA, CA 95406 CANADA B3J 3J1
OLD TIME RADIO CLUB STAMPS MAGAZIN EBROADCAST BILLY 153 WAVERLY PLACE BOX 72-C NEW YORK, NY 1001 4BELPRE, OH 4571
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SETTING UP YOUR OWN CRAFT CONSIGNMENT SHOP
1993 by Home Business Publications
Sell arts and craft items to the public on a commission basis from your converted garage workshop or basement showroom. If you have access to a public location, a garage or small building (even a portable building) on your lot, along the highway or well-traveled street frontage or can rent space in a marketable area, the consignment business is worthy of consideration.
Note that some small towns these days have stores with very reasonable rent.
Many people who enjoy (and are good at) making craft or art items do not like (or don’t have the means) to sell them. Some simply can’t (or won’t) and others are actually too embarrassed (self conscious) to market their own creations.
Most crafts people do not even recover the cost of their materials! These crafters will welcome a service to market their creations. They won’t have to worry about that part of it, and will probably realize more for their efforts even after your commission.
They would undoubtedly realize even LESS than if they sold their own products at wholesale prices. With you taking care of the selling, they can devote their time and talents to creating more products.
Of course you can also make and sell your own craft products in your spare time, or offer instructions to others. This type of business is not limited to any certain type of crafts. In fact, it is quite flexible and can easily be adapted to whatever products are available and in demand in your area.
You should have a written agreement with each consignor. The easiest way is to have your terms printed on receipts you give them for their crafts. If there is any possibility of a misunderstanding, make sure they understand the agreement.
The printed terms should have a place for a minimum price desired by the owner and cover a specific period of time so you don’t become overloaded with things that won’t sell at the prices you must ask. Something like thirty days would be fine for most articles. If it hasn’t sold by then you can either re-negotiate with the owner or give it back.
Retain a copy of each receipt in your permanent files. You also have the option of buying items outright -- the craft person might be willing (even anxious) to sell at a good price for cash. In a very short time, you will be able to judge what will sell and how much it will bring. You can also stock craft supplies -- some of which you can sell to your crafters for even more profit and service to your clientele (both customers and clients).
You will be responsible for reasonable care and safeguarding of merchandise consigned to you (insurance for that should not be terribly expensive) as well as collecting for sales, withholding any tax, computing and paying the consignors their share. With this in mind, be extra careful about giving credit, because it will be YOUR funds that are lent, NOT the consignor’s!
For consignment sales, it is a good idea to consider renting a store unless you already have a suitable area where prospective customers will come to your display. Build or buy adequate shelves and display areas so you will have plenty of room to 'showcase' the craft items tastefully and attractively.
The display area should be well-lighted,neat and offer sufficient protection to goods consigned to your care. There should be enough room for customers to view the items that you have strategically arranged to make them look their best. If the place looks cluttered and unkempt, you will have to lower your prices to match your sales environment (presentation).
The bottom line is that you are in the business of selling craft items. In order to do this effectively, you must present those items to the public in 'style', so they will not only sell, but bring the best possible prices. If your place looks junky, people will want to pay junk prices.
Other possibilities include specialty foods such as home grown strawberries, chocolate pies, homemade pickles, etc.. this category, however, requires care not to violate pure food laws or possible liability. If you consider any type of foods, find about any needed permits or even get legal advice before going ahead.
Still other alternatives are antiques, selected household items, holiday decorations and potted plants.
The above alternative suggestions can be test-marketed easily. In the case of potted plants, for example, simply place a few in your display area and see how they do. If they don’t sell, try something else; if they do, expand this feature and make more profit.
Use all the free advertising you can get. A way to get it is to write little articles about your consignors and feed them to your local paper --human interest stories: what they make, how they make it, and of course, where you can find their fine products.
It would be even better if you could provide pictures. If you do,, use a good quality BLACK AND WHITE film (it is easier to process for printing in the paper).
The editor probably won’t take more than one article about your shop,, but he may welcome items about different people in the community (even if your shop does get a lug here and there).
Think of the free advertising you might get by writing little items about art exhibits in your studio.
With a good sign and a little publicity, a small (2 or 3 inch) contract ad in the local paper may be all the commercial advertising you need. This type of ad allows you to change all or part of your copy each week or month, so you can feature different items every week.
People (especially in small towns) get to where they look for your ad to see what is on special each week.
Finally,make sure you take in all craft related activities in your area. Attend craft shows, work with stores that craft supplies (they will welcome the opportunity to tell their customers where they can sell their completed projects), and talk 'crafts' whenever you can.
To help create more interest in crafts, consider conducting classes at your place -- if necessary hire a teacher and charge tuition to cover that expense.
BUSINESS SOURCES
HOBBY INDUSTRY ASSOCIATION OF AMERICA, 319 E 54th St.,Elmwood Park, NJ 07407. Assn of hobby crafters and businessmen.
GLASS STUDIO, Box 23383, Portland, OR 97223. Trade magazine for arts and crafts dealers.
MIESEL HARDWARE SPECIALTIES, Box 257, Mound, MI 55364, 800/441-9870. Hardware for hobbyists (hinges, to eyes, clock parts, wooden wheels); catalog $1.
TOYS, HOBBIES & CRAFTS, 454 5th Ave.,New York, NY 10017. Trade magazine for hobby and craft dealers.
LHL ENTERPRISES, Box 241, Solebury, PA 18963. Hobby and craft supplies.
AMERICAN CRAFT COUNCIL, 44 W. 53rd St.,New York, NY 10019. Publishes CRAFTS HORIZONS, POPULAR MAGAZINE (good place to advertise crafts); prints information on craft shows.
CRAFTS REPORT, 1529 E. 19th St.,Brooklyn, NY 11230. Specialty magazine for crafters (good place to advertise).
TOLE & DECORATIVE PAINTERS, National Association of, Box 808, Newton, KS 67114. Association of people interested in painting scenes on wooden objects, etc.
U.S. SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION, 1441 L St.,NW.,Washington, DC 20416. Offers free pamphlet on making and selling of craft items.
QUILL CORPORATION, 100 Schelter Rd.,Lincolnshire, IL 60917-4700, 312/634-4800. Office and computer supplies.
IVEY PRINTING, Box 761. Meridan, TX 76665. Letterhead: 400 sheets plus 200 matching envelopes - $18.
SWEDCO, Box 29, Mooresville, NC 28115. Three line rubber stamps - $3; business cards - $13 per thousand.
ZPS, Box 581, Libertyville, IL 60048-2556.. Business cards (raised print - $11.50 per K) and letterhead stationery. Will print your copy ready logo or design, even whole card.
WALTER DRAKE, 4119 Drake Bldg.,Colorado Springs, CO 80940. Short run business cards (250 - $3) and stationery. Good quality raised print, but no choice of style or color ink.
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HOW TO SUCCESSFULLY MARKET YOUR HOBBY PRODUCTS
1996 Home Business Publications
If you are not necessarily trying to get rich buy but would like your hobby to at least pay for itself and perhaps grow into something someday, try considering your hobby as small business. Even if you don’t get rich you may be able to deduct the cost of your materials.
A serviceman stationed in Alaska loved to go fishing but found it to be very expensive sport up there. So he bought a fishing fly winding outfit and started making his own flies to save money. When discovered his lures were as good if not better for Alaskan fish he decided to try and sell some of them to help cover the costs of his 'vice.' he sold a few dozen to an Anchorage department store every few months and not only made enough to pay for his fishing, but helped his photography 'habit' as well!
For tax purposes there is a fine line between a hobby and a business. The IRS defines a hobby as 'an activity from which you do not expect to make a profit' (this makes the U.S. Government a hobby!). The general rule is that you must make some profit in three out of five years to legally take the hobby expenses as business deductions.
This rule is not generally applied to obvious businesses like a shoe store on Main Street. However, it is for racehorses and leather crafts, which they consider more likely to be hobbies than businesses (and they’re probably right most of the time).
Business expenses and losses are deductible; hobby losses can ply be deducted up to a amount taken in, and then only if you itemize on Schedule A.
When you make the decision to convert you hobby into a business it is necessary to do several additional things.
First, you should figure out exactly what it costs to make each product (including you labor at the going rate). You must be able to intelligently predict how many you can turn out and how soon.
Keep accurate records of all business related transactions. You can only deduct expenses for which you have records! Once you compute your production costs, you can estimate your retail and/or retail rates.
A general rule is 2 times your cost for wholesale; 4 times for retail.
For example, something that costs $5 to make would be priced at $12.50 wholesale and $20.00 retail. You must be able to make a fair profit at the wholesale price and dealers should receive about 40% of the retail price as their profit.
Note that if you retail and wholesale both, you must be careful not to undercut your dealers. When you say the suggested retail price is $20, make sure you do not sell that product for any less of your dealers will leave you cold!
It really doesn’t matter what your hobby is, so long as it is a product or service that others will buy. As you convert to a business, it might (or might not) be necessary to alter your production methods and even the products themselves.
If you make a nice hobby horse you will probably want to make some jigs and figure out a way to make them more efficiently. You have the choice of turning out one masterpiece a week for $100 or 10 good ones at $10 apiece.
Your decisions may well be influenced by demand as well as your personal preference. If you make pillows and someone likes your work and wants a bedspread, why not?
You can do just that one bedspread or expand your business to include bedspreads as an additional product if it looks like they will sell well.
Depending on the degree that you would like to go into marketing, plan to {'showcase' your products or show them in their best possible light. Notice how jewelry stores display their wares exquisitely on dark velvet under small spotlights (not ordinary florescent lights) to make them gleam and sparkle. That’s showcasing!
If you are artistic and have the means to make up a catalog to send prospective customers, fine. Take flattering pictures of your products with complementing backgrounds and have them printed in brochures or booklets. Black and white pictures are better for non-color reproductions because they offer better contrast.
You can also advertise (with pictures, if available) in the local media: newspapers, radio, cable TV, small magazines or even by mail. It is usually a good idea to test market your products (and ad comparison) before spending a lot on advertising.
If the response to your testing is poor it could be yours ads, timing, prices, the vehicle or that you simply haven’t reached your intended audience. The testing period is when you experiment: try various size ads, wording, pricing, etc.
How do you get usable advice? In some cases, merely by asking.. A tip is to check with retailers of similar products. Since they don’t make them, they will often give you their unbiased opinion of why they do or do not sell.
When you find one that will advise you, ask for their suggestions on quality, pricing and potential salability of your products (this, by the way, may help your chances of selling to them later).
Once you have determined that your product will sell at a price to make you a reasonable profit, make up samples and good quality photographs and start contacting potential markets. If you -plan to wholesale, call on prospective clients and give them full information pricing, quality and your return policy (yes, you should have one).
A shorter method is to offer your products on consignment to local stores. They usually won’t buy very much until they know there is a market (why should they replace something that DOES sell with something that MIGHT?).
remember, however, that your intent is to get as many of your products on display as possible, so consignment is good for both you and the store in the early stages.
If you plan to retail, you need an advertising plan for ads, displays, notices, announcements, news coverage and perhaps prizes in local contests. Ads in the local paper (also, radio and cable TV) might start out with a larger (e.g. 3' x 5') announcement of your product and possibly an introductory special, followed by smaller display and a less expensive, permanent classified ad.
Displays are any means of showing your product to the public, such as renting space in a vacant store window or giving a merchant a special deal to allow you to set up a display.
Notices can be put up on store and church bulletin boards or listed on cable TV. Announcements can be ads, radio spots, posters, signs that simply inform the public that your product exists.
News coverage is usually very effective and should be a major consideration. When you place your initial ads in the local paper. ASK THEM to send out a reporter!
Most local and small town papers are happy to do this because the articles are local interest. Make the best use of their exposure: focus on your products, not your ego!
When you are satisfied your market potential and ready to produce in volume at a good wholesale price,, start contacting progressively and larger markets.
Check on mail order companies, distributors and catalog of publishers. If you retail, place ads in vehicles with larger circulation. Send out professionally done brochures and price lists among with a short but cordial cover letter describing your product and offering additional information. Be sure to include information on how to order. For retail customers, include a 'handy' order blank and possibly an addresses return envelope.
Depending on the product of your hobby and its acceptance, your small business venture might keep growing. Many of today’s large businesses started out as small hobbies. Some craft products can profitably be marketed through large catalog houses. Others are best for local retail sales and a few lend themselves to customizing, where customers come directly to you for personal service.
Your success in marketing your hobby depends on the demand for the product (which you try to stimulate), the price quality, plus your ingenuity, determination and enthusiasm.
Something as uncomplicated as renting a flea market stall once a week may be just the ticket. It may be as far as you really want to go. But, if things go well, you may want to expand your production and sales efforts.
When you expand, think about buying and selling COMPATIBLE but non-competing items made by other hobbyists (or supplied by hobby manufacturers). After all, your marketing system is in place and is working, so why not make extra profit for relatively little extra work or cost?
One mistake many hobbyists make in the business world is to put so much time, effort and TLC into their products that can’t possibly sell for their actual worth.
If you are going into business, find a happy medium so you can turn out quality products at an affordable price and still make a fair profit. A second tip is to be able to separate your product from your ego. Never take rejection for it to flop that have nothing to do with you! Keep your mind and ego clear so you can concentrate on improving the product’s acceptability!
BUSINESS SOURCES
MIESEL HARDWARE SPECIALTIES, Box 247, Mound, MI 55364. 800/441-9870. Hardware for hobbies and toys: eyes, miniature wooden wheels, brass hinges, etc.
LHL ENTERPRISES Box 241, Solebury, PA 18963. Hobby and craft supplies.
TOYS, HOBBIES $ CRAFTS. Edgel Publishing Co.,545 Fifth Ave.,New York, NY 10017. Magazine for hobby and craft dealers. Check their ads for good supplier sources.
SBA MANAGEMENT ASSISTANCE PUBLICATION, P.O. Box 15434, Ft Worth, TX 76119. SBB-1 lists 26 types of crafts and 341 available craft booklets.
NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF TOLE & DECORATIVE PAINTERS. Box 808, Newton, KS 67114. Association of people interested in painting or enameling on wood and metal.
HOBBY INDUSTRY ASSOCIATION OF AMERICA, 319 E 54th St.,Elmwood Park, NJ 07507. Association of hobby crafters and hobby business people.
HOBBY PUBLICATIONS, Box 420, Englishtown, NJ 07726. Publishes ANNUAL TRADE DIRECTORY for hobby sources.
AMERICAN CRAFT COUNCIL. 44 West 53rd St.,New York, NY 10019. Publishes CRAFT HORIZONS magazine for small crafts. Includes information on craft shows... Good place to advertise crafts. Also publishes AMERICAN CRAFT with coverage of Christmas ornament crafts.
CRAFTS. 1529 East 19th St.,Brooklyn, NY 11230. Specialty magazine about crafts.
INNOVATIONS, 1555 Ashdale, Sugarland, TX 77478. Buys handmade crafts, especially Christmas and child heirloom merchandise. Send color photo & price.
DOVER PUBLICATIONS, INC.,31 East 2nd St.,Mineola, NY 11051. Discount books, clip art, stencils, etc.
QUILL CORPORATION, 100 Schelter Rd.,Lincolnshire, IL 60917-4700, 312/634-4800. Office supplies.
NEBS, 500 Main St.,Groton, MA 04171, 800/225-6380. Office supplies.
IVEY PRINTING, Box 761, Meridan, TX 76665. Low priced letterhead and stationery.
ZPS, Box 581, Libertyville, IL 60048-2556. Raised print business cards and letterhead stationery. Will print your copy ready logo or design. Excellent prices.
WALTER DRAKE & Sons, Inc.,4119 Drake Bldg.,Colorado, Springs, CO 80940. Short run business cards, stationery, etc. Good quality but little choice of style or color. Can be difficult to deal with (they are a 'short-order' mail order house).
ARTS AND CRAFT NEWSLETTER. West Oak Hill, Willison, UT 05495. Newsletter for people interested in arts and crafts.
ARTS & CRAFT CATALYST. P.O. Box 15102, Ft Wayne, IN 46885. Bi-monthly publication with information on craft shows across the country.
DISCOUNT CRAFT SUPPLY. 6234 2nd Ave.,North, St Petersburg, FL 33710. Beads, felt, etc.
HP BOOKS, Tucson, AZ 85703. Offers book: 'catalog Sources for Creative People' with 2,000 sources for patterns, plans, kits, etc.. - $9.
CRAFT, MODEL AND HOBBY INDUSTRY DIRECTORY. 255 West 34th St.,New York, NY 10001. Write for details about this directory.
GLASS STUDIO. Box 23383, Portland, OR 97223. Trade magazine for Arts and Crafts Dealers.
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WAYS OF FINDING SILVER COINS
Only coin collectors know about this; but you can still find 40% silver-clad half dollars in circulation today. Here is how.
Go to banks or savings and loan companies, and buy rolls of halves at $10.00 each. Buy as many as you can afford, the more you buy the more you stand to find. Take them home and check them. Keep all halves made before 1971.
U.S. silver dimes, quarters, halves and dollars minted in 1964 or earlier are 90% silver. Then Kennedy half dollars of 1965 through 1970 have a 40% silver content. The 1970 half dollar was not released for public circulation, so any specimen of it would be a mishandled collector’s coin or one which had accidentally been placed in circulation. A coin-collection is stolen and the coins are just spent as regular coins, especially by teenagers who do not know their numismatic value. Sometimes these teenagers just snitch a coin or two and go for a malted at the local drug store or malt shop. So always watch all your coins.
These 1970 half dollars command a sizable premium.
Half dollars after 1970 have no silver in them with the exception of the proof and mint sets (which were not put into circulation - they were for collectors only.)
I have been a coin collector since 1964 and over all I have made money at it - however I collected, bought and sold everything.
I still find 40% silver halves, and once in a great while I find a 90% half. In addition to the banks and the savings and loan companies, I make it a habit to stop at small town banks, and especially country stores and ask them if they can or will sell me some half dollars. Usually they will.
Every time I make a purchase at any store, I ask them if they will sell me some or all the half dollars in their till. Most businesses are glad to get rid of them. No one wants to handle them any more. They all use quarters for making change.
Roll up all the halves that have no silver content and return them to the bank. Cash them in or trade them for more rolls or use them to buy groceries or other merchandise.
So keep at it and don’t get discouraged when you go through several rolls and don’t find any... The law of averages will even it up for you.
If you would like to join the most enjoyable and profitable hobby in the world, visit your local coin shops and attend some coin clubs, and coin shows. You should purchase a copy of A Guidebook of United States Coins, what the coin collector calls the RED BOOK.
You might also want to subscribe to a coin paper such as Coin World. Their address is: Coin World, Sidney, Ohio 45367.
Good Luck!
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TREAT YOUR FRIENDS WITH A MEDIEVAL FEAST Seven Great Recipes
PARSLEY BREAD
2 packages of active dry yeast 1 3/4 cups warm water 6 tbsp. honey 7 to 8 cups (or more) unbleached white wheat flour 6 small whole eggs plus one yolk 2/3 cup currants, softened in warm water 1 2/3 tbsp. melted butter or oil 1 1/2 tsp dried rosemary 1 1/2 tsp. dried basil 2/3 cup finely chopped fresh parsley 1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon Several drops green vegetable color Butter for greasing bowls and cookie sheet
Sprinkle yeast on 1/2 cup of the warm water; stir in honey. Let proof for 5 minutes.
Add remaining warm water; beat in about 2 1/2 to 3 cups of flour. Beat with wooden spoon for about 200 strokes. Cover with damp towel, put in warm place, and allow this sponge to rise for 30-45 minutes, or until doubled.
Stir down.
Beat 5 whole eggs plus one yolk. Stir in currants. Beat in salt and melted butter or oil. Mix into the dough.
In a mortar crush the dried herbs and chopped parsley to a paste. Mix in cinnamon. Add to batter and beat well. (Bread should be a delicate green hue. If color from parsley isn’t strong enough, add green food color - sparingly.) Add remaining flour first with a spoon, then with hands, until dough comes away from the side of the bowl.
Turn out onto lightly floured board or marble and knead until smooth, shiny, and elastic, about 10-12 minutes, adding small amounts of flour if necessary.
Place in buttered bowl; cover with damp towel. Let rise in warm place until doubled in bulk, about 50 minutes.
Punch down. Cover; let rise again until doubled in bulk, about 30 minutes. (This rise, though unnecessary, gives the bread a finer texture.)
Punch down. Turn out onto floured surface. Let rest for five minutes. Shape into one or two free-form curls or twists. Place on buttered cookie sheet. Cover lightly with damp towel and let rise in warm place to double, about 25 minutes.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Brush loaf or leaves with remaining whole egg, beaten. Bake for about 50 minutes, or until nicely browned and loaf sounds hollow when rapped on top and bottom. Cool on rack.
Serve with hard cheese, fresh butter and white wine.
SALAD
1 bunch watercress 1 bunch fennel, thinly sliced 1 clove garlic, minced 6 to 8 scallions, minced 4 shallots, minced 2 leeks, thinly sliced 1/2 tsp. each of dried sage and borage, or a few fresh leaves 1 sprig rosemary 2 tbsp. minced parsley
Vinaigrette Dressing: oil, vinegar, a touch of mustard, salt and pepper
Combine all ingredients except dressing in a bowl. Toss with dressing. Serves 4.
CREAMED TURNIP AND PARSNIP SOUP
1 cup peeled, fresh turnips, diced 1/2 cup scraped, fresh parsnips, diced 1 1/2 cups beef broth 1/2 cup coarsely ground almonds 1 cup heavy cream 3 egg yolks 1/2 tsp. salt Juice of 1/2 lemon
Gently simmer the turnips and parsnips in the broth until the vegetables are soft, about 12 minutes.
Stir in the almonds and heat for 3 minutes.
Mix the yolks and salt with the cream; add the lemon juice; pour 1/2 cup hot soup into egg mixture, stirring well. Then slowly pour this mixture into the soup. Stir well.
Heat 2 or 3 minutes, stirring and serve warm.
MAWNEYE
1 1/4 pounds lean lamb, cut into small pieces 1/2 by 1/2 inch 1/4 tsp. pepper 1/2 tsp. salt 2 tbsp. butter for sautéing 1 cup chicken broth 1 cup dry lentils 4 cups beef broth 1/4 tsp. cinnamon 1/4 tsp. salt 1/2 tsp. dried basil 1 cup diced turnip or squash 1 cup currants 2/3 cup coarsely cut figs
Garnish: 'gold' leaves of any edible plant - such as young celery leaves or 6 to 8 yellow dandelion flowers
Salt and pepper lamb and then brown in melted butter.
Add the cup of chicken broth; gently simmer for 45 minutes or until lamb is tender. Drain.
Bring lentils to boil in 4 cups of beef broth, reducing heat to low; simmer for 15 minutes.
Combine cinnamon, salt, basil and stir into diced turnip.
Add turnip, currants and figs to the lentils and cook very slowly for 10 minutes.
Stir lamb into lentils. Turn out into attractive serving bowl and garnish.
GINGERED CARP
1 1/2 pounds smoked carp or about 12 slices 1/2 cup candied ginger, slivered or coarsely grated 1/2 tsp. rosemary 3/4 tsp. dried sweet basil 1/2 tsp. crushed pine nuts 1/2 cup beef or fish stock Parsley sprigs
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place carp slices side by side in baking dish. Combine spices and herbs with stock. Pour the thick spiced stock onto the sliced carp.
Bake for 10 minutes. Serve hot or cold, making sure flakes of ginger accompany each portion. Garnish with parsley.
LEMON RICE WITH ALMONDS
1 large unblemished lemon 1 cup raw rice 2 cups water 1/2 tsp. salt 1/2 tsp. cinnamon 1 tbsp. butter 2/3 cup coarsely ground almonds 2/3 cup currants 1 cup dry white wine 1 cup fresh peas
Garnish: 12 tsp. honey
Finely grate the skin from the lemon. Then cut the lemon, thoroughly squeezing its juice and removing most of the pulp. Reserve the skin, juice and soft pulp, discarding the membranes and pits.
In a large enameled pot bring to a brisk boil the water, rice, salt, cinnamon, butter and lemon, reducing heat to simmer until most fluid is absorbed (about 10 minutes). Stir once or twice while simmering; otherwise keep pot tightly covered. Remove pot from heat.
Slowly simmer the almonds and currants in white wine for 7 minutes.
Fluff rice gently with a fork. Add the wined almonds to the lemon rice.
Stir in fresh peas. Very slowly simmer for 5 to 7 minutes. If the rice begins to stick to the bottom of the pot, add small amounts of boiling water.
Garnish with 1 tsp. honey for each portion.
MULLED CIDER
12 cups apple cider 1 1/2 tsp. whole cloves 1 1/2 tsp. whole allspice 6 sticks cinnamon 1 1/2 cups brown sugar 1 bottle Calvados or applejack
Put the cider in a large saucepan. Add the spices tied in cheesecloth and the brown sugar. Bring to a boil, stirring gently to dissolve sugar. Simmer for 10 minutes to blend flavors. Add Calvados. Simmer for 1 minute; discard spices. Serve in heated mugs. Makes 18 drinks.
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