Play time
For adult collectors of figurines, they're art -- not toys
By Don Mayhew
The Fresno Bee
"It's a worldwide craze,' says Jason Pistoressi, owner of the specialty store Sugarhill in the Tower District. Pistoressi plans to open a second location in northwest Fresno chock full of toy lines with such odd names as Brooklyn Qee, Uglydoll, Spastik Plastik and Dunces."

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Greenwich Time - $$$ for toys: Toy Roadshow is looking for attic treasures:
By Barbara A. Heins
Staff Writer
April 8, 2004
"What's at the top of collectors' lists these days?

According to McCurley, it's pre-1970s trains, robots, windup toys and dolls (Barbie and GI Joe, not Cabbage Patch or Beanie Babies, which were all the rage in the 1980s and 1990s).

"Trains have been one of the hottest trends for the last five to eight months," especially the post-World War II Lionel trains in the 0 gauge and standard gauge, says McCurley."

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ESPN.com - SPORTSBUSINESS - Bonds flexes his muscles:
"Collectibles with Barry Bonds' signature already command a pretty penny, with baseballs typically costing in the $300 to $400 range.
But the price is likely to go up soon, as the only way to get a new authentic Bonds signature will be through his Web site."

Treasure Hunting :: Mining for gold:
"Need a reason to dig a little deeper in that box of junk jewelry at a flea market or garage sale? Here's a story about a Rhode Island man who dug up a Victorian brooch set with a rare purple quahog (clam) pearl and diamonds.
He paid $14 for the piece and hopes to sell it for more than $ 1 million."

Upper Deck chills hockey card collectors with ICE::
By DOUG CATALDO
phillyBurbs.com

"All right. Stop, collaborate and listen: UD ICE is back with some brand new inventions.

OK, so much for Rapmaster Dougie Fresh trying to kick it like Vanilla Ice. But I really want to express my feelings to you about the return of ICE hockey cards from Upper Deck."

Okay, now that I'm wondering about Fire King, had to find some kind of half assed link for identification:
Fire King Clarifications

Seems to be lots of books out there, though:
Anchor Hocking's Fire-King and More: Identification and Value Guide Including Early American Prescot and Wexford (Anchor Hockings Fire King & More)

Just wanted to sample this Fire King phenomena:
"The Slim Chocolate Mug is the most elusive jadite mug on the market.
What sets these aside from the rest, is the unique size.
At 3 3/8' x 3 1/8' they are 'the' most desired jadeite mug on eBay."

Winning bid was $182.50, Feb. 23, 2004 (set of four)

Collecting remains a serious game:
Adult hobbyists, dealers keep sports card trade flush
By Paul Harber, Globe Staff, 3/28/2004

"...Old cards maintain their value. Mickey Mantle's rookie card, a '52 Topps, sold on eBay on March 20 for $38,900. Prices for complete sets from that era continue to rise, selling for thousands of dollars.

Newer cards, on the other hand, have perceived value because of marketing strategies to ensure that demand exceeds supply. Companies are numbering cards and issuing short prints, cards that aren't printed as many times as common cards.

One new basketball card perceived to have value is the LeBron James rookie card by Upper Deck. It has a swatch of his uniform embedded in the card. There are only 25 of these, and each is embossed with a number, such as 1 of 25, 2 of 25, and so on, to create rarity. One of these was sold on eBay on March 19 for $1,900."

Vintage T's rock: Castoffs fetch big bucks, but beware of imitations
Lauren Bishop
Cincinnati Enquirer
Mar. 24, 2004 12:00 AM
Shannen Tucker's parents probably were hipper than most. They took her to rock concerts when she was growing up, and she has an enviable collection of vintage rock and roll T-shirts: a Black Sabbath shirt from 1975 (formerly her father's), a Night Ranger shirt from a concert she thinks she went to and a Def Leppard shirt from the band's heyday in the '80s."

Fire King - The Attraction Continues:

"Fire King glassware continues to attract a lot of bids on eBay. Who knew? This highly collectible glassware has had staying power in a sea of bottom feeder prices. Currently, a 'burger king' mug is over $50.00, with 5 bids, and more than 5 days to run. Wow! "
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Child's play: Collectors preserve their past with favorite toys
KRT Wire | 03/31/2004 |
"Toys represent a big segment of the boomer market. The most popular, Kovel said, include Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse items, Madame Alexander and GI Joe dolls, robots, space toys, comic-related items, early Star Wars items and Shirley Temple dolls, an earlier icon whose popularity was renewed in the 1960s.
But toys aren't all boomers are buying. Kovel and Neary said much of what boomers are collecting is related to what they saw on television, particularly the decor on the TV-show sets. Mid-century modern furniture is popular now, along with brightly colored Fiesta dinnerware, Formica with the familiar amoeba design, vintage barware, old sports equipment and cookware such as fondue pots and old coffee makers. And more than 6,000 lunchboxes are sold each month on eBay, Neary said."

AuctionIntelligence Analysis Tool Helps Sellers on eBay :: Certes Consulting
"Certes Consulting has released the newest version of the popular AuctionIntelligence this month, a software tool that helps eBay sellers analyze eBay auctions. The program works by first scanning all of the auctions that meet specific search criteria, belong to an eBay category, or were listed by a particular seller. It then generates over a dozen reports to help sellers analyze the wealth of information that has been collected."