Hobbies Articles & News
Start Your Own Sheet Music Collection
Starting a sheet music collection is easy, once you’ve decided what you want to collect. Sheet music is inexpensive and relatively easy to find. You can find music at yard sales, antique shows and on the internet. Only music that is very scarce or rare is expensive. Most pieces can be found at a price between three and twenty five dollars. Extremely rare sheet music can carry a price of up to a thousand dollars, but few pieces fall into this category. You will find music in any color graphic or ...
Retro Toys – Who’s Buying Them?
The shelves are packed with toys with a cross generational appeal, but which demographic is buying most? As Christmas looms ahead, thoughts move towards the hottest toys this year and parents steel themselves in the annual slog to make sure they get the sought after merchandise. And so do a lot of grown men. The recent trend for retro toys has had an impact on the sort of shopper we find in toy stores and online. A two tier market has developed, stimulated by ...
Coin Collecting Throughout The Ages
Coin collecting, or numismatics is a hobby as old as time. As a hobby, it has been around for more than 2,500 years. This is surprising since the use of coins has been around for pretty much that same amount of time too. Man has always had a fixation for small, round, shiny things. And throughout the ages, coin collectors have always been on the prowl for the oldest, rarest, most attractive coins around. Numismatics comes from the Greek word nomisma, meaning ‘currency,’ or ...
Finding The Right Cigar
You've decided that you want to try smoking a cigar. You're intrigued by them, and by the people that smoke them. To some, cigars are a status symbol, a symbol of wealth and class. People describe them like they would a fine wine. A cigar can have full to medium body or a smooth and creamy medium bodied taste or they talk about the exceptional construction and cool smoke. What does all this mean and how do you go about choosing a cigar? Before we go any further, know the health ...
Animation Art - 5 Of The Most Common Mediums Purchased By Collectors
Animation Cels - A cel (short for celluloid) is a blank clear plastic sheet used by the studio artist to paint an animated character or object based on the animator's original pencil drawing. The cels are then placed over a background and photographed in sequence to produce an illusion of life in the completed film or cartoon short. Every cel is different but this does not mean that every cel is unique. Often multiple copies of a cel were created by the Inkers as color models in order to ...
How Could Your Hobby be the Key to Financial Success?
Virtually everyone has the knowledge they need to make a fortune. Everyone has an interest, hobby or has knowledge about a particular subject. It could be anything, and I really mean anything! From gardening to model planes, childcare, from dog training to sports, everyone has knowledge that someone else wants. The problem is that most people have no idea how much their knowledge is worth because information online is worth much more today.
Green Thumb Not Required
Ah, the sweet smell of fresh flowers, herbs and fruit. But what if you don’t have room for a flower garden or a fruit tree? What about if you always over or under water your herb garden? What happens when your house just doesn’t get a lot of sun? And what about when you try and try but you just don’t have that coveted green thumb? Sigh. And even if you could grow that prize winning dahlia, what happens in the winter when you crave that subtle floral scent wafting through the house, room to ...
Antiques The Modern Day Treasure Hunt
In today's world, everything that’s old can be described as antiques and generally speaking that’s quite true. A product is considered to be an antique if it is over a hundred years old or is rare enough to have some value. In other words, these are old items that are in limited supply.
Antiques – The Modern Day Treasure Hunt
In today's world, everything that’s old can be described as antiques and generally speaking that’s quite true. A product is considered to be an antique if it is over a hundred years old or is rare enough to have some value. In other words, these are old items that are in limited supply.
10 Slam Dunk Crafts For Little Kids And Bigger Kids Too!
Crafting with young children really isn't about creating something in particular. Most young children don't have the foresight to see what a project is going to be.
Production and Pricing of Craft Show Items
This is where you can really make or break your craft show career. Being able to produce quality crafts as efficiently and affordably as possible is the key to making a tidy profit from craft shows.
Green Thumb Not Required
Ah, the sweet smell of fresh flowers, herbs and fruit. But what if you don’t have room for a flower garden or a fruit tree? What about if you always over or under water your herb garden? What happens when your house just doesn’t get a lot of sun? And what about when you try and try but you just don’t have that coveted green thumb? Sigh. And even if you could grow that prize winning dahlia, what happens in the winter when you crave that subtle floral scent wafting through the house, room to ...
The Surprising Popularity of Cigar Smoking
The practice of cigar smoking has been on the rise in the U.S. since the early 90’s. In part due to a reputation as a glamorous alternative to cigarette smoking, the increase can also be tied to its popularity among celebrities, as well as to the social nature of its practice. But whatever the reason, it is clear that cigars are big business in the U.S. with higher sales of premium brands each and every year.
How To Make a Pinata
MATERIALS A Large Round or Oval Balloon Newspaper, torn into 1 inch by 6-8" inch strips White computer paper or paper towels, torn into strips Flour and water mixture for paper mache paste Salt Vegetable oil Paint Tissue paper Crepe paper String or yarn for hanging INSTRUCTIONS Prepare: Prepare your work surface with a layer of newspaper you can discard, or an old plastic tablecloth you can ...
Preparing For a Leather Craft Project
Once you've decided on your leather craft project, you'll need the right tools and room to do the work. Being prepared ahead of time will make your task more enjoyable and give you a sense of satisfation when you're done. If you're like most of us you'll probably be working on more leather craft projects over time, so creating a designated area is probably a good idea.
More Than A Memory A Legacy
Everyone has that box of pictures either in a close or in a garage. Even worse yet in a magnetic album. Years go by and unless there is a date notation from the picture process, the dates and places fade into the recess of time.
How I Spent My Summer Vacation
The song says it all, "Hot Fun in the Summertime.” Our summer was certainly full of fun: outdoor barbeques, neighborhood cookouts, making ice cream, 4th of July parades, a trip to grandpa’s house, sleeping late, moving my oldest daughter into her first apartment… It never seems like the season is long enough to do everything we want to do.
Leather Work Tips
For leather work, consider the basics: an awl and spare point, a retractable X-acto knife and spare blades, a retractable knife with a break-off blade and a rotary punch. In addition, you’ll need needles, a lump of beeswax and some waxed linen thread.
How to Clean Your Jewelry at Home or Work
It looks like a million dollars but after a couple of months it doesn't have the same 'Sparkle' or look it once had (a bit like me really).
How to Invest in Antique, Vintage, or Modern Jewelry
As Antique Jewelry is 'Really' based on the 'Collectability' and Style of an item, it is hard for clients to appreciate the 'Craft' involved in Handmade work, as they only see the Gold value or Diamond Value fluctuate over the years.
Jewelry Insurance Hints and Tips So You Don't Get Ripped Off
As crime and drug use increases, the risks involved in having Antique and Estate Jewelry just lying around your home seem to treble. It becomes a nightmare and you find you are just not sure what to do.
Why You Should Race RC Cars, and Not Just Bash
For those of you who have been racing your RC cars for years, and have a friend or two who you have been trying to get out to the RC tracks, this article is for you. Feel free to forward it to them.
Ideas for Making Gift Baskets
Do you want to give gifts to your friends or family for birthdays, Christmas or some other holiday, but you just don't know what to get them?
Blown Glass: They Do Still Make It Like They Used To
Blown art glass is quickly becoming one of the fastest growing hobbies in North America... and it is about time. Glassblowing has been around since 27 BC in Syria, though the first evidence of manmade glass products occurs in Mesopotamia in the late 3rd century BC. But the advancement of actual "blowing" glass using a tube transformed the materials usefulness. The new technique quickly spread throughout the Roman world.
Amish Quilts – A Dying American Art
Amish quilting has been a tradition for more than a century here in rural Pennsylvania. Amish women create quilts, often in groups called quilting bees. This “bee” affords them the opportunity to gather in a social setting as well as give a rare opportunity to be creative and expressive in a community that frowns on pride and fanciful possessions. Because the quilts are a functional creation for use in the home, the women are permitted to create these amazing pieces of art. They boldly ...
Gold Jewelry Hallmarking Secrets Revealed
We should be familiar with the BASIC hallmarks mentioned on the website. It might pay you to read them again, just to bring you up to speed and ensure you have grasped the principles. If you have not yet had the chance to read them please go to the website listed below.
Be Your Own Way, but Still Use the Safe Tools
It is so often that people are not aware with the tools they use when doing their home improvement. Sometimes they use wrong tools just because they want something quick to be done. Well, you must change that attitude. You have to understand that by using the correct tool it can avoid you from hurting and damaging the project you are trying to repair. Well, it sure does. Don’t think you know everything about tools before you really search for tools information.
Jewelry and the Art of Selling
Two of the most frequently asked questions we get at the Online Jewelry Appraisal Center is: "How do I sell an item of Antique or Estate Jewelry?" or... "How much should I ask for it?" Very often people receive an item as a 'Hand Down' or 'Bequest' after someone has passed away. It may or may not be worth something, or the person 'Just doesn't like it'.... So what to do? # RULE 1: Take back control. The Antique Trade in ...
What is a Battle Ready Sword?
You’d think that the term “battle ready sword” would be pretty much self explanatory wouldn’t you?
Marking Tools and Laser Marking Machines for Marking on Metals
Marking tools are used for marking metals and non-metal surfaces. Mark can be a company logo designed with alphabets, numeric pattern or any graphical shape. It distinguishes one company from others. Marking also keeps you ahead of your competitors. Customers usually recognize companies with their logo or mark. Marking is the quick and easy way of identification among other products.