PREVIOUS NEWS
Monday, August 8, 2005
Belleek Newslettre (# 9.3)
** MAILING LIST ?? **
If you read my Newslettres regularly and
would like to be in on my 'Automatic' Mailing
List, ALL you need do is to drop me a SHORT
note indicating 'that you would like automatic
notification of new Newslettres' !! And,
BINGO, I'll ADD you to my list and you'll
begin receiving upcoming Newslettre
notifications !!
For those of you I've 'lost contact' with,
if you WERE receiving my Newslettre and have
NOT received one in a bit, it's MOST probably
due to a Change in YOUR E-mail ID !! Post me,
i.e., E-mail, your current ID and I'll get
you back on our list !!
** AND DON'T FORGET !!
For those of you who missed this information
from my Previous Newsletters !! I'm NOW
Cable Ready, HIGH Speed Internet AND Wireless !!
This necessitates several VERY important
modifications for those of you whom wish
to maintain contact with me, as you will
note, BOTH my Telephone and E-mail ID have
CHANGED !!
My NEW Telephone is (my OLD FAX Line) :
1.425.746.6363 that's 1.425.PHONEME !!
And, my E-mail ID is delyicious@comcast.net !!
I have NO idea whether or not it was out
of respect or admiration or just plain lack
of interest, BUT I thoroughly enjoyed the
fact that Comcast had {delyicious} available
for me !! I'm JUST getting TOO old to modify
everything over nite !!
So, PLEASE take a moment and Update your
PhoneBooks with my new contact information !!
** I'll BE SEEING 'YA !!
I'll be seeing all my friends in JUST
another month now, as the Convention
IS UPON US !!
IF, I hadn't SEVERELY procrastinated,
I would actually have FAIRLY decent travel
arrangements !! The way it stands, I'll
be in Chicago avernite as I leave my crib
at 7AM Wednesday and arrive in Chicago at
7PM that nite ??
I DID discouver several interesting routes
though !! There ARE connections from Chicago
to Grand Rapids, VIA Cincinnati and Detroit !!
BUT, for those of you that have even (possibly)
procrastinated in EXCESS, here's ONE more chance
for you all !!
** MICHIGAN IS ALIVE
IN 2005 !! **
The Great Lakes Chapter is inviting ALL
Belleekers to meet them in Grand Rapids,
Michigan. They will be hosting the Belleek
Collectors' International Convention
September 8, 9 and 10 at the Crowne Plaza
Hotel. It is 5 minutes from the Gerald Ford
Airport that has connections to the major
airline hubs.
Registration forms were inserted in your
latest copy of the B.C.I.S. Newsletter !!
If you have NOT as yet received one, PLEASE
contact our Convention Coordinator Phyllis
via E-mail at :
phyllisbagnall@msn.com
** ADDITIONAL CONVENTION
INFORMATION !!
My name is Bill Lynch, and my daughter
owns Lynch's Lair, an Irish/Celtic Gift
Shop in Grand Rapids, Michigan. We are
very excited about the Belleek Collector's
International Society's 2005 Convention
being held in our city. So much so, we have
added a special page to our website for the
Great Lakes Chapter to help promote the
Convention to BCIS Members. We would
appreciate it if you could help get the word
out in your newsletter about this page
dedicated to the convention. It can be
found at :
http://www.lynchslair.com
by clicking on the BCIS Logo on the left
hand side, about half way down. You can
also link it from this picture if you
would like .. ..
Actual URL (i.e., Web Site) :
http://mysite.verizon.net/resojwaz/lynchslairgiftshop/id20.html
** CONVENTION RECIPES !! **
The Great Lakes Chapter would like to put
a cookbook together and have it ready for
the 2005 Convention in Grand Rapids, MI. !!
If anyone in your Chapter would like to
submit a yummy dessert recipe worthy of
serving on or in pieces of Belleek, please
have them submit them to Phyllis as soon as
possible !! And if they have a picture of
the dessert, even better. Send that along
also !!
The recipes can be sent to :
Phyllis Bagnall
10295 Carriage Way
Davison, MI 48423
or they may be E-mailed to :
phyllisbagnall@msn.com !!
Don't hold back on us. Send us your very
best to ooohhh and aaaahhh over and be
included in this unique book !! Be sure
to include your name, address, phone no.,
E-mail address and where your recipe came
from or a story about it !!
** FISHING !! **
NO, this is NOT the sport !! It's a VERY
'nasty' method that unscrupulous folks are
using these days in attempts to deceive
those of us whom are basically honest !!
It comes under the disguise of either Spam,
Spoofs or Phishing !! BUT, regardless of
it's name, form or content, it's ALL the
same !! Dishonest 'idiots' out to swipe
YOUR identity !!
These are E-mails or Pop-ups that arrive
on our Computers AND at times we're VERY
tempted to respond !! BUT BEWARE !!
NOTHING IN LIFE IS FREE !!
The BEST 'rule of thumb', if you aren't
expecting it, DELETE it !!
ALTHOUGH, there's VERY good exceptions to
this rule !! For example, several weeks
ago, I unfortunately LOST an E-Bay Auction,
although, I WAS the 'Second High Bidder' !!
Shortly following Auction End, I received an
E-mail offering me (my) Royal Doulton
'Flambe' Penguin !!
NOW, in these cases, one CAN contact the
REAL owner of the item, as E-Bay offers you
the ability to contact the Seller via E-Bay
DIRECTLY !! I.e., from the (Item's) Auction
Site, you may 'Contact the Seller' !! If you
initiate contact via this option, E-bay is in
control of the communication and your E-mail
will be directed TO THE PERSON AUCTIONING THE
ITEM !! NOT TO JUST ANYONE WHOM HAPPENED TO
OBTAIN YOUR E-MAIL ID !!
In my case, the Seller informed me that she, in
actuality, had TWO items and had in GOOD FAITH
made me a proper offer on the second item !!
I LOVE MY PENQUIN !!
In any case, in cases of suspected fraud from
EITHER E-Bay or PayPal, you should FORWARD the
E-mail in question to :
spoof@ebay.com or spoof@paypal.com
Either of these organizations will verify
whether the E-mail you received is 'real'
or NOT !!
Other than these two entities, you may
attempt to contact {support@domain name.com}
where {domain name.com} is the 'sender's ISP
and organization style !! For example, MY
'support' folks would be support@comcast.net !!
** PROFOUND QUOTE !!
"With this work I hope to bring that ideal
one small step nearer, but no one realizes
so well as I how far short of my goal I have
fallen. The road stretches into the dim
future, far beyond the possible accomplishments
of any single lifetime, but if in this I have
been able to point the direction and inspire
others to carry on from the point I have left
off, I shall consider my efforts worthwhile."
Robert F. Stroud "Stroud's Digest on the
Diseases of Birds"
a.k.a. "The Birdman of Alcatraz"
** THE MOST ASKED QUESTION !! **
Invariably, is seems wherever I wander,
I'm always confronted with the pertinent
question :
What's this piece of Belleek worth ??
My most profound answer always appears
identical :
It depends !!
Depends on what ?? Well, let's explore that
for awhile here !! I'll dissect this topic
into six different circumstances !!
The first is, what we ALL wish for, that
'Lucky' discouvery at an Antique Fair or
garage sale !! JUST every once in a while,
LONG WHILE, one of us VERY LUCKY Belleekers
will stumble upon a 'treasure' at someone's
household or garage sale !! IF the seller
has NO idea of what they possess, we sometimes
find ourselves the new owners of another
addition to our collection !! Unfortunately,
with the 'professional' appraisers about and
more knowledgeable dealers, these forms of
discouvery seemingly are becoming rarer !!
To digress somewhat, my MOST notable discouvery
occurred approximately 30 years ago, when, I
telephoned ALL the antique dealers in the
(greater) Seattle area and one said they had
but ONE Belleek 'plate' !! They refused LESS
THAN $50 for their treasure, which, turned out
to be a First Period Grass Tea Tray !!
The second valuation, and I'm NOT necessarily
presenting these in any specific order, is the
value realized at an auction, antique or
otherwise !! This valuation is somewhat unique,
in that it's dependent on several factors !!
I believe the MOST important consideration of
auction evaluations, is inherently the interest
displayed in any INDIVIDUAL item !! I.e., if
ONLY a single person is excited by an item,
the auctioneer may 'let' the item slip by for
a song, whereas, if two or MORE persons show
interest, ANY item is capable of actually
EXCEEDING its value !!
My third category, is actually somewhat
encompassed within my second, i.e., that
of the auction !! It's the age old saga
of dealer versus the individual !! In THEORY,
the poor individual should ALWAYS be the
successful purchaser or bid winner, up against
the seasoned professional !! Unfortunately,
this is NOT always the case, as our dealer
MAY have an 'immediate' purchaser sitting in
the wings !! More than likely, though, the
lucky individual will be successful versus
the professional due to the fact that the
dealer MUST purchase with resale on their
mind, i.e., to make a profit they're going
to have to 'mark it up' !!
The last three categories become somewhat
esoteric !! First, there's the insurance
evaluation !! This category becomes VERY
confusing !! For example, if you are lucky
enough to discouver a 'sleeper' at an auction
and you have the auction house package and ship
your find to you, they will, in most cases,
insure ONLY for the final hammer value (plus
any buyers premium and taxes, etc.) which,
UNFORTUNATELY, will NOT be sufficient, in most
cases to cover any 'replacement' !! I.e.,
shippers, like our favourite post office, UPS,
etc., ALL will ONLY reimburse you for the
Insured Value of your parcel !!
FORTUNATELY, once your treasure is safely
within your collection, you SHOULD get a
proper insurance estimate from a licensed
appraiser !! This evaluation SHOULD be what
it would cost you to REPLACE this item, ANY
item !! I.e., even though you might have paid
ONLY, let's say, $40 for a cup and saucer, IF
you would have to pay $160 TOMORROW, if it were
destroyed, then, $160 is the PROPER insurance
value !!
Next, and I find this to be a VERY exciting a
class, that of the 'completion' of a set !!
Be it a saucer for a cup, a sugar for a cream
or the 'left' vase to match its 'right' mate,
my GENERAL rule of thumb (and there's LOTs of
thumbs here), is that the 'mate' is worth the
EXCESSIVE cost !! WHY ?? SIMPLE !! The
completed SET is worth in excess of the
'sum of its individual components' !!
A splendid example of my theory, can be seen
below !! My museum contained this 'lone'
Belfast Crested Miniature Irish Pot !! Then,
all of a sudden, out of the Australian Outback,
appears its mate, in the Cream Pitcher !! I,
of course, went nuts !! NOW, my Pot is NO
longer alone, but lives happily along side its
mate !!
Miniature 'Belfast' Crest, Irish Pot, Cream and Tyg !!
I paid a 'PREMIUM' for the Cream,
as I needed it to 'complete' the set !!
NOTE : ALL three carry the
Robinson & Cleaver, Belfast Mark !!
Of course, our final category is the PURELY
intrinsic value !! I.e., ANY item cherished
by MOM or grandma ?? What can I say ??
LOVE HAS NO VALUE !!
SEE YOU ALL IN GRAND RAPIDS !!
ENJOY !!
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