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Saturday, October 20, 2001

Fellow Belleekers !!  (lettre # 5.6)

** IN SYMPATHY !! **

I extend my most sincere sympathies and reverent 
prayers to all those whose lives were affected 
directly or indirectly by the vicious terrorist 
attacks on humanity !!  I direct my heartfelt 
thoughts not only to all Belleekers worldwide, 
but to ALL free persons as well as those oppressed 
freedom fighters around the globe !!  I give special 
thanks to ALL those, who in this GREAT time of 
sorrow, have gathered together in undaunted 
determination and reached out with their love 
to provide comfort and service to those in need !!

We must be willing to pay a price for freedom, 
for no price that is ever asked for it is half 
the cost of doing without it.     - H. L. Mencken
 
** LATE BREAKING NEWS !! **

I actually begin the typing of this newslettre WAY 
back on 01-October-2001 and look where we are now !! 

To date, I have been struggling to bring my Web 
Site up to date with the current environment !!

** CHICAGO SUMMER ANTIQUE FAIR **

This of course is 'THE YEARLY SHOW', which is 
sponsored by Dolphin Promotions and situated at 
the expansive Rosemont Convention Center in Chicago, 
Illinois !!

Unfortunately, this year, attendance was rather 
depressed due, I suspect, to prevailing economic 
and political conditions within this Great U.S.ofA. 
and around the remainder of the Free World !!

On a lighter note though, this provided better 
selection for those of us in attendance !!  AND 
the dealers were MUCH more prone to negotiate 
with us buyers regarding, that ever present 
constraint, COST and MONIES !!  

My particular coffers ran dry by the close of 
Day Two !!

** UPDATED SALES AND WANTED PAGES **

Well, I continue AND continue promising all you 
Belleekers out there SOME sort of resolve on the 
updating of my Forsale and Wanted Lists !!

Well, they're DONE !! Or at LEAST the Wanted Page 
is !!  I will be adding to the Forsale page like 
weekly, for the next couple of weekends !!

PLEASE announce this to your fellow Chapter Members !!

If you would like pictures of ANY ITEM, PLEASE let 
me know and I will forward one out to you !!  AND 
then, probably place it out on the Web Site !!

LOOK for a 'REVISION DATE' in October on BOTH my 
SALES and WANTED pages as it is this date that 
obviously reflects the 'latest' modifications !!

** THE GREAT GRASS PATTERN !! **

I was prompted to compose this bit as the majority 
of my purchases this year have been in an 
unrelenting effort and inexorable search of 
completing my daughters Grass Pattern Teaset !!
  
Over the years I have been the proud owner of 13, 
YES, THIRTEEN, different Belleek Teasets and I 
will have to admit that the Grass Pattern has 
always been my favourite !!

I begin the acquisition of this Grass Teaset rather 
by accident and TOTALLY unknown way back in the 
beforetime of 1971 !!  I had just returned to the 
beautiful Pacific NorthWest following my graduate 
studies at Oregon State University and was busy one 
beautiful afternoon playing telephone directory 
operator and calling EVERY antiques shop in the 
greater Seattle, Washington area !!  This alone 
turned out to be quite the task !!

In any case, the calls DID prove rather successful 
as I located several items of Irish Belleek !!
  
One chap said he had a single plate but didn't 
know much about it other than that !!  This 
tempted me to place a visit to his shop rather 
high on my lists of shops to visit !!  As I begin 
my journeys the next couple of weekends, I arrived 
at this particular shop and from all appearances 
one DEFINITELY would not be urged to venture inside !!
  
What was once quite the structure, in its' time, 
was now just a dilapidated shell of an ill 
maintained shack with what pretended to be walls 
and roof supported by what had to be the rusted 
farm implements propped against them !!

In any case, as all undaunted Belleekers KNOW QUITE 
WELL, this is NO deterrent to the avid collector in 
search of new and hidden treasures !!

Upon entry, I was greeted by the proprietor who in 
ALL honesty was quite pleased with his gathering 
of what I will just have to describe as EARLY 
AMERICANA !!

We shuffled thru the dust and cobwebs, AND ABOUT 
THIS I FOOL YOU NOT, till we arrived at what I can 
only describe the filthiest display cabinet I have 
ever experienced !!  In fact, it could have doubled 
for a playground for small children with the amount 
of dirt and dust covering it !!  Following a swift 
broom sweeping of the face and top of the cabinet, 
I could makeout what appeared to be a rather 
interesting 'large' dish !!

Being a TOTAL Belleek neophyte, at this time, I had 
NO idea of what I was viewing !!  I did know that a 
BLACK mark was 'GOOD' !!  So I proceeded to examine 
what was obviously Belleek !!
 
I finally questioned the kind gentleman as to 'just 
what do you need to realize for this item' ??  He 
replied that the ABSOLUTE BEST he could do, at this 
time, would be $50.00 !!

Well, the rest is HISTORY !!  Of course, up here 
in Washington, there IS a sales tax, BUT he threw 
in the packaging !!  My SURPRISE, was upon arriving 
home, I researched this new acquired treasure and 
to my glee it was THE GRASS TEATRAY !!

The follow is a picture of my acquisitions of Grass 
Items this year ONLY !!  The Cavalier is like a ten 
year old purchase, but beginning with this gallant 
gentleman and proceeding in clockwise direction we 
see the Medium Teapot, Covered Muffin or Biscuit 
Dish, Coffee Pot, Tray to the Butter or Preserve 
Covered Dish and finally the Carving Platter !!




Belleekingly,

Del E. Domke, Belleek Consultant
16142 N.E. 15th. Street
Bellevue,  WA    98008-2711
U.S.A.

Telephone :  1 (425) 746-6363
Message :    1 (425) 746-6363
FAX :        1 (425) 746-6363 
E-mail :     delyicious@comcast.net
Web-site :   The Beauty and Romance of Irish Belleek  (or) : 
              http://delyicious.magix.net/public/index.html