golf yesterday….

Spring is beginning to rear its welcome head here in Chicago…which means it is time to hit the links!!!

 

yesterday, was rough however.  9 holes and only two pars, lots of bogeys and double bogeys…perhaps today will bring the first birdie of the season.

 

 

As far as corkscrews are concerned, I am anxiously awaiting the new ferd peters & bert guilian text on pocket corkscrews…!!!!

a rather successful party

A good time was had by all… along with bottles of clos pegase hommage, helen turley zin, provenance cabs and merlots, 93 fisher wedding vineyard cabs, mayo zins, and 30 or so other bottles that were pulled from the cellar. 

 

Three of the guests decided to start collecting corkscrews after seeing my collection…thankfully, they live in other parts of the country, so I will not have increased competition for the few that surface in and around the windy city.

 

I did manage "find" a cool corkscrew yesterday.  A boxed Don Stampler’s Steak Corkscrew.  Steak Corkscrew? you ask.  Check the photos…

 

 

the KING corkscrew and a dinner party for 50

After weeks of waiting, I received a corkscrew yesterday that was featured in an ebay listing with a horrible picture, and even worse description.  With a little brass polish, and a little elbow grease.  The corkscrew pictured below revealed itself.  I am putting this one up on ebay, but it was a nice find.

 

The lovely bride invited a few people over for dinner…and, i will be cooking for 50…EEEEK!.  The wine will flow, and we will be opening some of the BIG bottles reserved for such occasions; a 3 liter of clos pegase hommage, and an early 90’s mayacamas will be the highlights, although there may be one or two helen turley zins and montelena cabs.  YUM!

 

 

no corkscrews

Ordinarily, I would have something to say about a great corkscrew find…but, I go outside to walk Sonoma the Wonderdog this morning, and see that the back of my Mini is partially bashed in by some idiot who apparently doesn’t know how to parallel park–this is not a "door-ding" this will require going to the body shop!

 

And, of course, they would have had to hit my car with a certain amount of force.  The Jackass would of have to of known, but there was no note, no apologies, just damage.  GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!!!!!!!

 

 

the prodigal corkscrew returns

some time ago, I wanted to buy a rather expensive corkscrew, and sold a silver overlay piece to Peter to fund the purchase.  He gave me a fair price, and I had buyer’s remorse the minute I dropped it in the mail.  It was stunning.

 

Well, as luck would have it, Peter has begun to sell of several of his pieces, and I asked if he wouldn’t mind sending it back to me for a fair price.  So, a deal was made, and the corkscrew has arrived back in Chicago.

 

As handsome as I remembered, it looks to be a theiry and croselmire 1886 patent, where the silver was applied, and then sections cut away to create a decoration.

 

 

questions about the crest

In a previous entry, I mentioned that both CB and Peter explained to me that the crest on the King’s screw that I have is the "royal" crest.  But, does anyone have more information on this…

 

 

back from SB — arrivals and syroco stuff

After 4 days in Santa Barbara filled with sun, rain, wine, food, wine, wine, wine, wine, and a little wine, I headed over to the poop office box today to find a heeley double lever, a couple of syroco brushes (pictured below), an awesome engraved roundlet (also pictured), and yet another package for Peter.

 

I picked up the syroco clothes brushes as they have the same heads as on the corkscrews…they really have awesome character; the laughing man one especially, who really is my favorite of all the syrocos.

 

I also arrived home to 324 emails.  300 of which were spam…it is getting worse, not better.  I appreciate my spam protector, but it still seems ridiculous.  And, quite frankly I do not want to give my bank information to the cousin of the son of a daughter of a friend of a second cousin of a relative of a neighbor’s son of a king from Lagos.  No, my ebay account had no brute force entries… And, viagra is not in my immediate future, I am still in my thirties for pete’s sake .

 

I am back on the hunt for corkscrews, and there is a curley listed currently which is garnering much interest.  Not in bids, but the seller contacted be for advice as far as the binners…and, there were some interesting names he gave out… i won’t say who…but, it extends beyond the normal pirates…

 

Also, if you have access to a wine made by Wing Canyon, you should pick up a bottle; the cabernet preferably, it is insanely huge!, and reminiscent of early bottlings of Dunn Howell Mountain. 

 

 

 

off to Santa Barbara for a few days

Today it is supposed to Snow in Chicago–has no body realized it’s spring!!!  But, as luck would have it, the lovely and I are winging it to Santa Barbara for some much needed spa-ing, relaxation, and perhaps a bit of wine. 

 

Enjoy the corkscrew hunting!

 

being a corkscrew broker

Well, it has happened again.  A collector want to off their collection, and it is beyond my reach.  So, the emails have gone out, and responses are forthcoming. 

 

I love that I have all kinds of contacts, but how much should one charge for negotiating a deal for someone.  10%, 20%, 25%?  Or, should I simply ask for pick of the litter.  For instance, if I am helping to sell a collection of 500 pieces, and the seller happens to have a Hull Club….should I just ask for the club, and not worry about the cash?  Or, should I worry about the cash, and forget the pick of the litter.

 

Oh well, we will work it out.

 

 

the best eBay question ever!!!!

Within the options on eBay, potential buyers are allowed to ask sellers questions.  This may be regarding, condition, shipping costs, adding a buy it now, etc.  However, there is a mermaid corkscrew that is ending in an hour or so that has the best question ever placed…and, no, it wasn’t me that asked.

 

The potential buyer asked:

 

Q:        RESERVE NOT MET???!!! GOOD GOD ITS JUST A KNIFE!! LOL!! PEOPLE ARE LOOSIN IT TO EVEN BID WHAT ITS AT RIGHT NOW! WOW!!

           

The seller responded:

 

A:        Is there a question here?

 

 

I don’t at what point the question was asked, but at last check the mermaid was at 665.00 and the reserve still wasn’t met….!