red moon corkscrew and tramp updates

For those of you thinking I was going to give you updates about a tramp, I meant the corkscrew variety. That said, it is currently at 511$–a nice chunk of change, but I am sure it will go higher.

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I did manage to snag an interesting corkscrew this morning over coffee. I saw this yesterday on eBay, and emailed the seller to see if the tip of the worm was sharp. The pictures didn’t show one way or the other. She responded with the affirmative, and explained that several people had made offers to her for the piece (BIN’s, selling off eBay, you know the drill). Well, apparently someone made her the "right" offer, as this morning there had been added a buy it now to it.

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I thought about it for a while, and looked closely at the picture. I have seen this shape before, and I am thinking it is probably silver. I am without any corkscrew books at the moment, so I figured…well….what the hell! So, the corkscrew below, with a red moon embossed on what looks to be a silver corkscrew is heading my way. Sorry to who ever asked for the deal…

a fifth tramp

On my website there is pictured a syroco tramp corkscrew, there are only a few known to exist in the various collections around the world, and one just surfaced on eBay. Currently at 260$–a bit more than the 10 bucks I paid for mine–I believe this is going to go very very high. What is your guess (I won’t bid it up) but, I am thinking 1000 bucks or more.

He looks to be in nice shape, with only some stain loss. So, who will be the winning bidder? Art Daum, Andres Breitenmoser, Ray Hanson, Don Bull… Quite the treasure indeed….

indian pics arrive

The indian pictures arrived, and he is quite handsome. Negotiations are bound to begin, and hopefully we will reach an accord.
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Nothing found on the adventure, but a good time was had by all.
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Upon our return, I found out that I won a williamson flash corkscrew for the ripe price of 2 dollars. Quite a deal given there have been some that have been ranging from 100-300 bucks lately.
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sunday adventures

It snowed here last night, and the temperature is finally closer to the 30’s, and not in the single digits… ~

So, last night knowing that our homework is caught up, the lovely asked if there are any antique shows to attend today. And, for some reason, there aren’t any. So, we are packing up the dog and just going for a drive–hoping to see some antique malls, estate sales, and a few coffee houses along the way.
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No pics yet of the aforementioned indian–we can hope they come through–but for those who need a syroco fix, I am including a picture of the indian I already have below…

that’s mine…

I packed up a bottle of vodka (its a long story), some clothes, and one beautiful silver corkscrew and headed back to Boston for the weekend. So, I started to unpack and show the lovely (da luvalie) the various treasures from my latest trip. I promised to make a cosmo with the vodka, and then showed her the corkscrew. "That’s mine," she said–which is not unusual when a corkscrew adorned with silver finds its way into the collection.
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So…all trades for it are off at this point…however, I did just receive an email offering me a syroco indian…we shall see if that becomes tradebait should a deal come to fruition….

trading corkscrews

Finding a nice corkscrew is a fantastic thing. Finding a nice corkscrew and then receiving trade offers is even better. This happens every once in a while, and I simply feel like a kid in a candy store. Oooooh, I want that, and that, and this and that, 4 of those, 3 of these, and definitely that thing over there.
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Of course, the problem is, you usually don’t end up with that, that, this, that, those, these, and that thing over there. And, you have to part with the nice corkscrew that you found. Still the offers pour in, emails are exchanged, and trades arrived at.
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I traded with TC to get the Blatz silver corkscrew, and our trade session usually ends up with each of us grabbing stuff out of each other’s collections, sliding them over to our side of the table and staring each other down… It is pretty funny!
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Now, there is another trade on the table, and you have to think. What do I ask for, what is fair, what is being greedy, what do I really want–two thomasons, a king’s screw, and a pot turtle? Three hollwegs, two ross pigs, and a brass partridge in a pear tree? Or, perhaps a lund lever, tangent lever, two henshalls, and a syroco something. Diamants? Excelsiors? The options are endless!

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What to choose, what to choose, what to choose?

Shopping for Shirts

there is this great little shop on Sheffield Avenue in Chicago called–oddly enough–Shirts on Sheffield.  And, twice a year they have this unbelieveable sale; every shirt in their shop (usually 60-160 bucks) is on sale for 35 dollars!  This week is that sale.  So, I headed off to pick up some new clothes and I did manage to pick up some lovely stuff.

 

Now, here is the odd part.  They have a second location about a mile or so away which is not on Sheffield–called Shirts off Sheffield–and they too are having a sale.  But, there, any shirt is 40 dollars…

 

I have no idea why it is 5 dollars more, or 5 dollars less…on the other hand, when you can get a 130$ shirt for 35 or 40 dollars who really cares…

 

Nothing new on the corkscrew front, except that there is a mumford patent heading my way.  It is a double, if anyone wants to trade…

Schutzenliesl !

It is always nice to have friends who have done plenty of research. The girl on the side of the corkscrew has turned up on another corkscrew, and a couple of pocket knives. Check Don’s site here http://www.bullworks.net/Schutzenliesl/ .

At last year’s JFO convention I saw DB’s corkscrew–Don won some award for best display–and, I had forgotten about it over the passing months. Then, when TC presented this silver(?) overlay corkscrew, I recognized the girl. But, wasn’t sure…was it the same one? After exchanging emails with Don, it definitely is.

Tommy seemed to be pleased with the trade–and now he can have a syroco waiter clock to time the cooking of his ross pig pork butt!

And, I…I have a lovely silver corkscrew which will be used later this evening.

Tommy has started a blog. He kind of new to the game, but he is quickly amassing a nice collection. http://syrocokid.spaces.live.com/

4 in 1

Pretty much anything that has a helix attached to it, is sought after by corkscrew collectors. And, old kitchen tools are no exception. I managed to pick this up yesterday, and was pleased with the sub-10$ price. I have never had one, and it will make a nice addition to the collection–see pic below–

On another note, RL is kicking himself over not buying what might be a repro, but might be an 1881 whelan patent–maybe it will be there next time RL…and, then you can snap it up for less!!!

all is right in the world

I decided to list the Coney & Co picnic corkscrew, and have packed up the stuff that I am trading to TC for the corkscrew with the beer wench on the side. It is 5:40, there is a roaring fire, a bottle of New Zealand Sauv. Blanc has been opened, and we are hanging out before the week of craziness begins tomorrow. All is right in the world! ADCbuild is bidding on my corkscrews, Hunter is snoozing after a long fetch session, and Monday’s homework has been completed.