4. Stories for our 1000th+ newsletter !!!   
      
   The writers of these stories won one of these: http://on.fb.me/1BMIdwz Submit   
   a story about your favorite antique or collectible to support@tias.com today   
   and you may win one as well !   
      
   We try to post stories and comments from our readers each week. Send your   
   story to newsletter@tias.com and we'll publish it in an upcoming newsletter.    
   Please share your story about what you collect and what got you started   
   collecting.  We *love* to hear your stories!  If you have a story you'd like   
   to share, tell us about it and if you have any photos, we'd love to see them!    
   Send us an email to newsletter@tias.com so we can share your story with the   
   rest of our readers.   
   ==   
      
   My husband and I collect all kind of items-whatever strikes our fancy.  A few   
   years ago, he and I went to a subdivision yard sale and at one of the houses,   
   I spotted a ceramic ashtray with a baby and a dog on it.  On the bottom was   
   marked Imperial Porcelain.  I did not know of Imperial Porcelain, but thought   
   this I should buy.  As I do not like to pay full price, I asked if the $2   
   price was firm.  I bought it for a dollar.  I just feel like bargaining over a   
   price. While researching the item, found out it was Paul Webb's collectibles.    
   Although there is not a book available about this collection, we have managed   
   to put together about 30 pieces.  I love the collection of hillbilly items.    
   Still looking for more of the animals and figurines.  Pat H of Louisiana   
   ==   
      
   Collecting Carnival Glass   
      
   By Scott Beale   
      
   The subject of collecting carnival glass is a subject that I normally do not   
   write about.  However, back in the mid-1980s that is exactly what I started   
   out collecting in the glass category.  As a shaker collector, perhaps that is   
   why I have a special interest in old carnival glass shakers.  I sold off my   
   carnival glass collection many years ago but my interest has been rekindled in   
   the past couple of years.  I guess once you collect carnival glass it never   
   really leaves you.  In my travels looking for shakers, should I see a nice   
   piece of carnival glass, I do not hesitate to buy it.  It finally got to the   
   point where I realized that I had over 100 pieces!   
      
   I would like to mention the late Lamar Sharp and how he really was a mentor to   
   me in collecting carnival glass, many years ago.  The Sharps were wonderful   
   people and I'm indebted to them for teaching me so much.  I have such great   
   memories visiting their house that was filled with so many beautiful examples   
   of this great glass.  Lamar loved his glass so much, you could just see it in   
   him when he talked about it and one of his favorite pieces was the Butterfly &   
   Tulip bowl.  When Lamar passed away, his wife Mary, had an image of this bowl   
   carved into his gravestone.  One may think that is kind of strange but in some   
   ways it identified something that was such a big part of his life.   
      
   For those who may not be familiar with carnival glass, it was first introduced   
   approx.  1907 and lasted into the 1920s when tastes began to change.  However,   
   carnival glass has lasted in various forms well into the 1960s and even the   
   1970s.  However, I'm concentrating on the early production for my collecting   
   interests.  Produced in the US as well as other countries, carnival glass must   
   possess two key components, it must have a pattern and must be iridized.   
      
   In those early days, Lamar Sharp instilled in me that condition and color are   
   key.  It does not have to necessarily be a rare pattern or color, but the very   
   best example you can find.  As far as the glass itself, in addition to the   
   pattern and the iridescence, carnival glass comes in many colors.  Color is   
   identified by the base glass color in most cases and not so much the   
   iridescence.  But do not count iridescence out for color identification!  It   
   does play a role in color identification.  Examples of that would be   
   descriptions like "Electric Blue" or "Emerald Green" to name just a couple.    
   But in most cases, identification would come through the base glass color.   
   There are a couple of colors produced on clear glass where iridescence is what   
   identifies the color.  That would be Marigold and White, both very different   
   colors but both beautiful in their own ways.   
   [continued...]   
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   --- BBBS/Li6 v4.10 Dada-2   
    * Origin: Prism bbs (1:261/38)