What a Block Plane Can Do For You

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We have an outstanding collection of antique tools in our current auction items 1-4.

Some of our tools were made by The Ohio Tool Company which was founded in Columbus Ohio in 1851 by Peter Hayden, of P. Hayden & Co. which had been doing business using other names since 1842. Ohio Tool continued P. Hayden & Company's tradition of often using prison labor for the production of tools. By 1880 the use of prison labor had ceased, and in 1893 the company merged with the Auburn Tool Company of New York. In 1913 the Ohio factory was destroyed by a flood. A new factory was opened in Charleston, WV the following year. The company ceased business in 1920. (Historical information comes from Emil and Martyl Pollak A Guide to the Makers of American Wooden Planes, 3rd edition (Astragal Press, 1984).

our item 1.

Thomas McKenna and the Fine Woodworking site shares with us that a block plane is one of the most versatile tools to have in the workshop and here are some of the ways they can be used.

Chamfers  A good block plane will cut precise bevels on both long grain and end grain.

End grain  A well-honed low-angle block plane can easily tackle end grain cuts, often encountered when flushing dovetail pins to a drawer side, or when flushing a rail to a stile on a door assembly.

Cornering  A block plane should be able to level corner joints, where grain changes direction. Face frame construction is perhaps the most common example where block plane cornering comes into play.

Curved Edges  Low-angle block planes excel at smoothing away the machine marks left by a bandsaw on curved cuts.

Easing Edges  Perhaps the most common use for a block plane is the easing of sharp edges on furniture components, normally carried out right before finishing.

Also Congratulations to Roy Underhill for celebrating 33 years of successful programing! You may want to watch a few of the Woodwrights Shop Episodes that are available on PBS because now you know what a block plane can do for you.  Happy Woodworking!

Happy Bidding!

Liz

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The Purpose of Life... Magazine

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Perhaps like you, I grew up with Life Magazines and National Geographic and inherited a love of travel and photography.  We are so excited that this auction features a wonderful collection of Life Magazines.  See items 37-39.

I was surprised to find that Life Magazine was published as a humor and general interest magazine from 1883 to 1972. Time Magazine founder Henry Luce bought the magazine in 1936 solely so that he could acquire the rights to its name when it became a weekly news magazine with a strong emphasis on photojournalism. Life was published weekly until 1972, as an intermittent "special" until 1978, and then as a monthly from 1978 to the present. It became a weekly newspaper supplement published by Time Inc. from 2004 to 2007 and was included in some American newspapers. Now they are online.

On November 18, 2008, Google began hosting an archive of the magazine's photographs, as part of a joint effort with Life. Many images in this archive were never published in the magazine. The archive is accessible through Google Image. The full archive of the issues of the main run (1936–1972) is available through Google Book Search.

The motto of the first issue of was: "While there’s Life, there's hope."  

You may have seen the 2013 movie The Secret Life of Walter Mitty. It stars Ben Stiller in the lead role as a Life magazine photo editor who retreats into an intensely vivid fantasy world in times of stress.  As the employees race to publish the last edition, Walter is guided along his quest by these words.  “To see the world, things dangerous to come to, to see behind walls, draw closer, to find each other, and to feel. That is the purpose of life.”

Much of the film is set in the meticulously recreated offices of Life Magazine. Along the halls are mural-sized versions of Life magazine covers through the years. Only nine of them were real. Most of them were classic Life photographs but never real covers.  

If you want the real covers along with all the great content, be sure to be the winning bidder of our collection of Life Magazines in our current auction.

We hope you will enjoy the chance to purchase wonderful shots of American history.

Happy Bidding!

Liz

www.ayptoday.com

Fishing for Fun

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Wherever you like to fish,from a lakeside morning to an outing at a State Park, we have some ideas and some items to help you discover what it takes to bring home your next trophy catch. See Fishing Gear Items 73-78.

Your fishing rod is one of the most important items you need. They can be made from materials including bamboo, graphite, fiberglass and composite blends. Materials impact the rod’s action and should be designed for your skill level according to our expert. Try some different materials and see what you like best.  Orvis Stores, Bass Pro Shops and Cabela's offer fly fishing classes and plenty of advice to help you fish for fun.

• Fiberglass rods: Typically geared towards beginners. These rods need little maintenance, have an average weight and solid rod strength. If you are fishing for larger fish, you’ll need a heavy, durable rod.
• Graphite rods: Usually preferred by advanced anglers due to their superior strength and lightness. The lightweight graphite handles most fishing situations well, providing more fighting power in the rod.
• Bamboo rods: Produces a smooth, fluid back cast which provides its own dampening effect at the end of the back cast, featuring the highest quality built from Tonkin cane.

Some of our rods have very nice reels.  We also have waders to keep your feet dry. Item 77 What to put  your tackle box is a carefully guarded secret for some.  Get a jump on the action with our stocked tackle box.

Where to fish might be a dilemma as there are plenty of fun spots to try close to Pittsburgh. Here are two of our new favorites.

1. Cross Creek Lake - Washington County

This county-owned, 258-acre stocked lake offers plenty of shore fishing for panfish, as well as excellent bass fishing. A county permit is required for boating.

2. Point State Park

The Pittsburgh TriAnglers welcomes both members and non-members to try their hand at fishing from the riverfront wall at Point State Park every Wednesday from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. (many members come on their lunch hour - some even dressed in suits!). Free fishing tackle and instruction. Participants need only show up with a license and a sense of adventure. What fun!

Remember you will need a fishing license. A Pennsylvania fishing license, including stamps and permits, can be purchased at one of over 1,300 official License Issuing Agents, County Treasurer offices and Fish & Boat Commission offices in the state of Pennsylvania. This includes most major sporting goods retailers.

Don’t forget the bait.  I will let you in on a family secret... the best bait is the last dead shrimp.  I was 10 and saltwater fishing off a dock in Florida. We only had one dead shrimp. Dad said I would never catch anything with that. So you know what happened next?  I caught the biggest snook of my life.  After a long time, I was too tired to reel it in so Dad got to help. A 20 pound beautiful snook that was mounted for all to see.

Best day of our lives. Big fish or small - fishing for fun is guaranteed. Happy Fishing!

                     

Happy Bidding!

Liz

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Staging Secrets Saves a Scholar

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What do you do with a new home and all of those empty built-in bookcases?  This is the tricky problem for a friend of mine who also happens to be a college professor with more books than the law allows. The shelves needed to be arranged by type so she could find them but also look attractive enough for company as the empty bookcases were in the living room.

Here were the Staging Rules we followed:

-Think out of the box.

Her husband was kind enough to build shelves to put some of the books in the basement

-Pare down and clean up the clutter.

She went through all of the books.  Some went to the library to be donated. Some went on the shelves and most went to the basement.

-Clean out the space.

That was easy for her the new shelves were empty.

-Add some attractive accents.

This is where AYPToday comes to the rescue.  Our Decorative Pieces and Decorative Vases are just the categories to meet her needs. While it is hard to pick favorites, we love them all, these are some that will fit on any shelf and save my friend or any of our other friends who find themselves in need of staging their home.

 

Happy Bidding!

Liz

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Department 56 Celebrate the Season at Auction Your Possessions Today

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Department 56 began one Christmas evening, a group of friends set off to enjoy a dinner of celebration at a small country inn nestled in a quiet river town.  There they saw the small, old-fashioned village decorated for the holidays.  That spark of an idea became a reality when, in 1976, the company introduced a series of six hand-painted, ceramic buildings.  Many other high quality collections followed.

In 1987  Winter and Holiday Silhouettes were created.  All white bisque porcelain figurines with Victorian detail. These have been discontinued but their appeal remains. Some figures were enhanced with silver tone metal bells, runners and trees.  Children, families and celebrations from another day are wonderfully created to last for generations to appreciate.

Get inspired! Decorating traditions can start with just a few pieces of product combined with your personal touches and creativity!  You can get started on a mantle, a bookcase or a table. We know you will amaze yourself with the  eye-catching displays you can create for the Holidays or for any day in your own home.  see item 122.

                     

Southern Living Magazine gave these tips on how to Start a Christmas Village Display but the advice is the same for any Department 56 display you would with to create:

Put away or move unnecessary furnishings and accessories that are typically out year-round.  Choose a low-traffic area that includes an electrical outlet near end tables, bookshelves, dressers, nightstands, cabinets, desks, or armoires.

Integrate your collection with other items in the home such as books, angels, ornaments, and Christmas plates.  Dress the village backgrounds with less expensive accessories, such as trees, cotton batting and snow to complement the detailed buildings.  Hide wires and plugs with powdered snow for more authentic scenery.

You can see in this display a few beautiful blossoms and with the right Department 56 Accessories anyone can make the perfect Spring Centerpiece!

Happy Bidding!

Liz

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Sports Jerseys are Fantastic!

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Want to show you are a die-hard fan of your team?  Get a vintage throwback sports jersey from www.ayptoday!  There are thousands of jerseys being sold online at any given time, but not all of them are worth buying.  We think ours are fantastic!

While many people like to wear jerseys, others prefer to have them framed as part of decorating the bedroom or basement.  What about a customized garage with a TV and framed jerseys surrounding the cars?  What a thrill for a basketball fan.  What fun to be surrounded by these sports heroes’ jerseys!

If you are thinking about starting a collection. Look carefully at all of the jersey pictures and the description before bidding on any jersey.  Make sure that the jersey has the proper tags, and how well it was made.  Check the authenticity, notice the condition, make sure the pictures show something you would want to own. Also  watch the size. The most durable jerseys are made by well-known jersey companies. (Nike, Majestic, Adidas, Reebok, Russell Athletic, Champion, etc.) Then choose your favorite team, player, or moment in basketball history like the Harlem Globetrotters see item 46 or you can speculate.

Lebron James and Dwanye Wade are the most electrifying players in the NBA today. However, the seasoned veterans are still holding their own, on the court and in the sports memorabilia market. The NBA’s Scottie Pippen see item 50 has put up the numbers, while Muggsy Bogues see item 42 is a great story of success against all odds. Fan fave Shaquille O’Neal see item 48 has been the most dominant big man on the court and

is a sure thing for the Hall of Fame in my opinion.   Any of our fourteen jersey would look fantastic on you or on any wall in your home. see Sports Jersey

Happy Bidding!

Liz

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Krementz Identify Excellence

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The current action has Four pieces of Krementz Jewelry Three Bracelets and a Necklace see items 68 and 80.

            

They are all signed and we began to wonder how did this begin and the answer was The Krementz Collar Button! In 1866, George Krementz began a business making collar buttons out of gold in Newark, NJ. Ingenuity, a strong policy of service and versatility in product kept Krementz & Co. thriving for many years. It was one of the most well-known names in the jewelry business. Their process of high pressure welded rolled gold overlay was one of the best in the business.                                    

At the same time Krementz was exploding with its collar button sales, the company employed jewelers who specialized in designing by hand - fashionable, exquisite karat gold, colored stone and enamel jewelry for women. “They were very much aware of the new designs coming over from Europe, and they were always very much interested in design,” Richard Krementz Jr. reminisced. Richard’s love was gemstones. Alexandrite. Paraiba. Chrysoberyl. Tanzanite. Tourmaline. Fire opals. Aquamarines. Sapphires that came in "every color in the heavens from dusk until dawn." To jeweler Richard Krementz Jr., these were the gemstones that propelled his company beyond the ordinary to secure a place in international jewelry circles.

Krementz traveled the world in his hunt for rare gems — and along the way, encountered adventure. When he and his party traveled to Myanmar — then Burma — it was a virtually closed society. So few Westerners had been allowed to visit that their visas were numbered 7, 8, and 9. He traveled to Sri Lanka in 1964, when there had been so little contact with Western commerce that no one knew what to do with dollars.

Richard Krementz, Jr, president of Richard Krementz Gemstones, passed away November 21, 2012 at age 86. And the company closed. After 147 years, the Krementz family no longer is in the jewelry business. However their wonderful work remains for us to enjoy. Krementz signed pieces still identify excellence.

Happy Bidding!

Liz

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