Bottle Show

I woke up this morning and did my Sunday morning coffee and antique show routine. For some reason, I had missed a couple of show listings, and as luck would have it, Mark emailed to tell me about a show about 30 minutes away, and I headed out. I walked the aisles seeing hundreds and hundreds of bottles, but only one corkscrew; an overpriced syroco waiter. Oh well…I will hit some tag/garage sales.

clinQs

The lovely picked these up a couple of weeks ago. They are an alternative to those little metal wine glass tags that people have started to place on the stem of their glass whilst at parties. Decidedly more fun, some vintage feature corkscrews. Check out their site at http://www.clinqs.com .

Almost Famous

If you click on the picture below you will see that Peter Borrett has become a rockstar in the corkscrew collecting world. This article is from the magazine SAGA. I think it is awesome that his site and even his email is given! And, it is kinda cool that my site is mentioned too.

Hockey Playing Friar

Another Syroco Monk is on its way to 16 Kingston…from the pictures it looks like the fat friar may have started his career as a hockey player, as the bridge of his nose is a little askew.

As I already have two, this fabulous friar may be offered to some of my collecting bretheren… Anyone want to make an offer?

gutta percha corkscrew

I found this on someone’s website the other day. They advertised a folding gutta percha corkscrew. And, while there was no picture, I assumed that what they called gutta percha corkscrew, was actually an 1851 goodyear patent indian rubber roundlet. Well, after several emails of negotiation and pictures, the corkscrew is heading to 16 Kingston! I will look at it closely to see if it is marked…

And, yes… it is the goodyear patent!

a whole lotta stamps….

I received this package the other day that contained a syroco bartender bottle opener. The bartender is in great shape, but the box it came in is equally impressive. Covered from one side to the other with 6 and 8 cent stamps–some dating to before I was born–it is quite the colorful means of covering one’s postage costs. Check out the pics, the box is covered with them!!!!

96?

Well, golf started off ugly, with a 51 on the front 9. That said, it was the first 4 holes which did me in. As we reached 5 – 9, I was striking the ball better, and figured the score would improve. And, it did. 45 on the back 9 (doubling the last two holes). Not a birdie in sight, and only a couple of pars. Still, it was a great morning! And, when I returned there were 5 packages left behind my Phil-the-mailman!!! Yes, there are corkscrews a plenty!

off for 18

I am off to play 18! Be back later with scores and highlights (or low lights). If anyone sees Phil the mailman, can you kindly persuade him to bring the 17 corkscrews that are supposed to arrive?!?

a collection offered.

I was sent an email the other day with pictures of corkscrews that this guy has for sale. The pictures were kind of fuzzy, and the price staggering. I asked for better photos, and a better price. So far only the better photos have come thru….

He has promised to pull these out of the boxes and take a couple more pictures, and I will update the blog if anything of note comes of the deal. As you will see in the pictures, he does have a collection of corkscrews–not corkscrews that I really want, but they are indeed corkscrews.

disparities in pricing

No, this doesn’t have anything to do with corkscrews. So, we are the process of selecting a painting contractor to sand, scrape, prime, and repaint the exterior of our humble abode. And, our initial bid was forty thousand dollars! Forty thousand dollars!???????! To paint?????? After picking myself up off the floor, I called two other painters. Both of whom are licensed, bonded, and insured… Their respective bids? A quarter of what the first guy wanted to charge.

Needless to day, the contractor who is looking for me to pay for his new BMW is not getting the job. Now, it isn’t that I mind being quoted a high price, but 4 times what his peers charge? Insanity!

On a syroco corkscrew/opener note, Tommy sniped a bartender opener this morning, unfortunately his snipe didn’t net out the opener, merely jacked up the price I have to pay for it. Shouldn’t there be some kind of rule, that if you snipe, and it simply raises the price for the other guy, that you should have to pick up part of the tab???