Marianne Faithful

Ready Steady Girls! is a very groovy website!
It’s devoted to fab female singers of the 1960s.

RSG is base in the UK, so much of the focus is on European femmes; there’s Dusty from Britain, Francoise from France and Mina from Italy.
You’ll find bios, rare video clips and links.

Dusty in Memphis LP cover

I first became aware of Ready Steady Girls! after doing research on a compilation CD that came out earlier this year. It’s called Chicas!: Spanish Female Singer 1962-1974 and I think it’s one of the best CDs of the year.

So go-go on over to Ready Steady Girls! Have fun!

I’m reading a fantastic new book about the history of fonts.
It’s called Just My Type and is by Simon Garfield.

Many of us take for granted or don’t realize the variety of fonts we confront in our everyday lives.
But, typeface can make an impact or generate feelings we may not realize.

I first came to appreciate typography when I was living in London.
I became friends with a German woman who was going to the Royal College of Art and was studying typography.
We had many discussions about fonts.
Once I asked her what typeface exemplifies the US, she said the fonts used in westerns (like Bonanza or saloon signs) and on the NYC subway.

Helvetica font used for the NYC subway system

Differences in sign lettering in the UK

I’m not by any means a font geek or nerd, but if you are, please let us know!
Oh, and let us know how you really feel about comic sans!?

Differences in lower-case g

Beatles For Sale comes in a slipcase

There are record collectors and then there are Beatle record collectors.
If you’re the latter, then the smallest of details can make all the difference.

Beatle collectors ask questions like:
Where is the publisher’s credit located on the label?
What size is the ‘mono’ font on the upper right corner of the cover?
Is the photo credit between the ‘g’ & the ‘s’ or is it after the ‘s’?

Beatles For Sale on Parlophone Records is an extraordinary new book and it answers these questions.
The book was written by Bruce Spizer and Frank Daniels.
It is the ultimate discography of all Beatles records released in the United Kingdom.

She Loves You 1963 release

I bought my copy a couple of weeks ago and all I can say is “Wow.”

All the photos posted here are from the book.
They’re just a small sampling of the hundreds found in this 444-page book.
No record label and album cover is left unturned.
And the stories of the recording sessions make it a fun and informative read!

Pages of subtle label differences

Variations on the album Revolver

Small sample of record sleeve variations

Cover variations for Please Please Me

Labels for 1964's Beatles For Sale

Have you ever left something inside a book and forgot about it?
Then when you donated, returned or sold the book, the item tucked inside went along with it?

Wedding photos from Forgotten Bookmarks

Well, here’s a wonderful blog of found items tucked in between the pages of books.

The blog is called Forgotten Bookmarks.
The images are compiled and posted by someone who works at a used and rare bookstore.

Many thanks to The Savvy Seller for mentioning this blog on her Facebook fan page recently.

Recipe from Forgotten Bookmarks

Last month, Dianne and yours truly took a day trip to the Big Apple.
We arrived in the city just in time to catch a walking tour of Central Park.

Our tour began in an area called the Sheep Meadow.
In 1864, 200 sheep were brought in and grazed in this area.
During the Great Depression, the sheep were removed in an effort to protect them from the starving unemployed. The sheep were sent to Brooklyn.

In the pics to the right and left is the famous carousel in Central Park.
It’s the fourth carousel to be built here since 1871.
Back then, a mule and horse kept it spinning.

Big Onion tour guide

A guy from The Big Onion Walking Tours was our guide.

The park was designed by landscape architects Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux.
The park is entirely man-made with every tree, flower and rock purposely placed there.
There are 7 bodies of water, 36 bridges and 8,968 benches!

In today’s post I want to show some items I’ll sell when the time is right.

Peyo Smurf figurines from the late 1970s

George Harrison & Ravi Shankar 1974 Tour Book

Prohibition era postcard

I wanted to talk about collectible market timing – the strategy of listing items as a certain vintage collectible gets “hot.”
I brought up how I think Smurf items, George Harrison’s solo records and ephemera from the Prohibition era could generate interest among collectors later this year.

To find out why I think this theory holds true, please give a listen to this excerpt.

Please your feedback! I’d love to hear your thoughts!
If you’d like to hear the full interview, then just click here.

If you’re a Tiki collector, then you probably already know about Tiki Lounge Talk.
It’s a fun website/blog devoted to all things Tiki.
Recipes, music and Mod Movie Mondays make this a site to check out.

And an aside:
One of my first blog posts was of a vintage newspaper ad to a once legendary Tiki restaurant in Boston’s Chinatown.
Tiki Tribute: Bob Lee’s Islander

Ask Janelle Radio I’ve only recently started listening to this podcast.
A half-hour packed with great selling advice from host Jannelle Elms.

PowerSellingMom
Danna Crawford is the power selling mom.
She’s always eager to share her selling stories and help promote other sellers.

The River, The Ranch and The Bay A weekly two hour program lead by Melinda Jackson and co-host Bryan Goodman.
A casual format and great source to find the latest news from Amazon, Bonaza and eBay.

The Savvy Seller
The official name of this podcast is ‘Tips from the Top.’
It’s hosted by Marlene Gavens and I had the pleasure of hearing her speak at a recent sellers group in New Hampshire.

The Hunt For Vintage
A fun blog I only recently discovered. Very eclectic.