smokey and the bunnies

It seems that Peter Borrett has a bunny problem near his home in the UK.  It isn’t that there are too many little bunnies running around.  It is that there seems to be one perpetually hanging from his cat’s mouth.   Smokey has decided that the bunnies are good hunting, and has taken it upon his feline self to catch one after another.  In order to help break Smokey of his bunny munching habit, I propose posting the  picture below near his favorite hunting hideout.

 

Surely this will do the trick.

 

A Little WHHOOOSSSHHHHIIINNGGG of my own

I had negotiated a deal on a 6th sterling silver roundlet, then the seller emailed saying she had an additional corkscrew to sell.  She said it was quite lovely, and was looking for a specific price.  After explaining the theory of supply and demand, issues of whhoosshhing and my lack of funds, as well as a few other key statements, she came down dramatically in price.  And, the corkscrew is whhhoossshhhiinnnggg its way to me from London.

 

This will be a nice homecoming gift after the CCCC AGM….although I have a feeling, CB will be trying to buy it from me over dinner and drinks later this week.

 

 

 

Packing for the CCCC AGM

I’m leavin’ on a jet plane, don’t know when Ill be back again, Leaving on a jet plane…. (everybody sing)

 

• So, I packed up various items including a lovely cork puller with original advertising card for CB, and get to hope that the corkscrew gods shine upon me, whilst the airline baggage gods look the other way.  Two days in Seattle before we hit Vancouver…I wonder if there will be any corkscrews to be found, or have all the other CCCC’rs scoured the place?

• I am still waiting on the Bremen Key in the original box to bring to the meeting.  I never fails to amaze me how someone on ebay will charge you for priority shipping, and then take 2 weeks before they decide to drop the item in a priority box…  It is called priority mail for a reason…

• The lovely and I will stop by one of our food and wine haunts in Seattle to stock the traveling wine cellar.  I am sure with all the corkscrews to be had, an extra case of wine might be mandatory in our room…one does have to test drive the corkscrews before consumating the deal, don’t they?

• Had a fabulous Garretson Grenache "The Spainneach" last night with dinner at Meritage in Chicago.  Huge Wine….you simply must pick some up…

leaving ebay for a while

Well… vacation starts on Saturday morning, when we hop a plane to Seattle and Vancouver…  10 days with no eBay…then, I head for Maine for a week to work on our house there.  7 days and no eBay.    Not that I am going to go through withdrawls or anything.  However, I would assume that there are those who will rejoice in the absence of Iwascorkscrewed from the auction/snipe/bin site.

 

So…those who hang their heads in your hands when you are sniped in the closing seconds , those who scream out in frustration when an item suddenly dissappears from your "my watch list,"  those who have attached several expletives to eBay names like iwascorkscrewed, corkscrew_sniper, kriskork, antiquewinestuff, or corkscrew_uk  know that one of us is leaving his laptop at home.

 

Of course…I don’t leave till Saturday…  So… there may be a snipe or two still to be set. 

 

 

 

 

The clown picture is of the latest snipe…

 

 

 

 

 

Hercules versus Dunish and Scholer

I snapped up this spring assist corkscrew last week on eBay, as it looked remarkably like the ribbed handled Dunish and Scholer 1883 corkscrew listed in Don Bull’s book.  I was also with Peter Borrett outside of London where he found a similar one.  So, I was looking forward to receiving the item, as the description was, at best, non descriptive.

 

Well, it arrived, and where I thought would be a DRP 27175 mark, is instead a Hercules mark.  However, the ribbed handle is the same as the one in Bull’s book.  So, does the Hercules mark take away from the value, add to the value, or make it just another spring assist corkscrew that will be relisted on ebay…

 

I am thinking, that the ribbed (for her pleasure) handle would be enough to garner interest… 

no wins, but a neat find

Several weeks back, I found a Buy it Now item on ebay that mentioned unusual corkscrews in a magazine.  I decided the dollar and a half was worth the item, and promptly hit the buy it button.

 

It arrived yesterday, and within a 1977 magazine entitled Antique Collecting is a neat little article by Bernard Watney with loads of pictures   Anyone who wants a copy, drop me a line… I will gladly send one off.

 

3 gallons of paint, tub of spackle, and misc. hardware

Not the usual trip to california, as usually there is a corkscrew involved.  Well, technically there was, as much wine was consumed.  But largely the trip was focused on dolling up the mother in law’s condo.  With those tasks achieved, we are back…  No corkscrews, but I am sure a trip to the PO Box will garner a few interesting arrivals…

 

Speaking of interesting, Chris Bristow said that if I didn’t have a snipe set he would eat his hat…  I look forward to seeing this in the upcoming week in Vancouver…

 

 

off to california

The plane departs in a couple hours… and, I have no snipes set on ebay.  Yes, for the two of you that actually read this, ebay is yours for the pillaging for the weekend…

 

 

 

still more paypal whhhoooossshhhhiiiinnnngggg

Hey… a corkscrew snuck through with only one bid…and it was mine!!!!!  And, for those interested, there is a full figured syroco indian listed on ebay… I bid, I will bid again, I will bid again, and I may bid after that

whhhooossshhhhiiinnnnggggg of paypal

Whilst my comrades in arms spend a great deal of time whooossshing cash from their wallet on lovely items from UK auction houses, I seem to have gone on a tear on ebay as of late.  Nothing extraordinary as far as price…but I have made some interesting purchases…  And, there are more to come.  So, while I can’t compete in rarity, I seem to be making up ground in sheer volume.  The pictures are from the last day or so…