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Susan Cramer's BlogPosted by Susan Cramer Last weekend, I went to see Capture the Moment, a traveling exhibit of Pulitzer Prize winning photographs at the Ohio Historical Society in Columbus, Ohio. These are photos that you see with your heart as well as your eyes. Many are disturbing. Many are heart warming. The best ones seem somehow, to be both. Vewing them outside their original context, as part of the exhibit, Capture the Moment, it was sometimes difficult to remember that these photographs are news first, and art second. What was amazing about these pictures was the obvious emotional involvement of the photographers, most of which, one assumes, are/were experienced, hardbitten photojournalists. It is somehow clear that the person behind the camera was deeply moved by what was in front of it. Nat Fein’s 1949 photograph of Babe Ruth Retiring #3 is just such a photo. In it, the babe stands in front of a sea of faces, and although we see him only from the back, despair is writ large in every line of his failing body as he makes his farewell appearence at the House that Ruth Built. These pictures are not only about news, they’re about people, and how they’re affected by news. Except for the 2002 winner, The Attack on the World Trade Center. For me, this photograph was most disturbing of all, not because of content, but because unlike its counterparts, it was utterly lacking in the humanity that made the other winners so compelling. It’s beautifully composed and framed, the strong horizontals a good graphic counterpoint to the strong verticals. The orange fireball contrasts nicely with the clear blue of the September sky, and the small pieces of airbourne debris add a satisfying textural effect. It’s all there, except the terrible cost to the victims and the country.Posted by Susan Cramer Prices for gold have come down from record heights for the first time since late in 2007. Prices for the precious metal have been falling in recent weeks, but yesterday showed a steep decline, falling below $800 per ounce to a close of $787 per ounce, down from a March 2007 high of $1,018.50. This is more than a 22% loss, a sharp decline for a commodity boom that was predicted to soar to previously unknown heights. This may have been due to the growing demand for commodities from the emerging markets of China and India. Gold’s plunge may signal good news for the weak U.S. economy, as analysts point to the strengthening dollar against international currency, and the easing of high prices for crude oil as factors in the falling price of gold. The improvement in other market segments may make this precious metal less appealing to investors. However, some analysts point out that the rise in the dollar is against flagging international currencies, and does not signal an improvement in the U.S. economy so much as a slowdown of the global economy. Another factor in the price drop, according to the Columbus Dispatch for Saturday, August 16th, ‘”May have been the Federal Reserve’s report of higher-than-expected industrial outputs for July.'" Silver prices have fallen as well, down more than 14% from $21 in July.Posted by Susan Cramer Barak Obama just wanted to eat his brekkie in peace, but the Philadelphia Diner, crammed with reporters and secret service agents proved too chaotic. After only about half the waffle and a few nibbles on the accompanying sausage, Obama gave up, leaving his unfinished breakfast as he went off to sign some autographs, pose for pictures, and receive his very own Glider Diner souvenir T. The unfinished waffle was spirited away by a member of the Diner wait staff, who passed it off to another patron who listed it on eBay, where it was bid up to an unbelievable $10,000 before eBay pulled the plug. Glider Diner proprietor, Charles LeStrange said, “the remains of the breakfast were wrapped up and given to a patron. I think they must have had an agreement between them.. . . Maybe they just wanted to see what would happen (on eBay)” LeStrange said, adding, “I felt it wasn’t right.” He asked eBay to end the auction, and eBay officials complied, citing their policy that prohibits the auction of perishable food items. Source: The Columbus Dispatch 27 April 2008Posted by Susan Cramer What do Larry Byrd, Kurt Cobain & my teenage son have in common? Their choice of footwear! Happy Birthday, Converse! Once the shoe of choice for famous basketball players, Converse shoes have for years, been the symbol of edgy anti-consumer consumers, outsiders, punk rockers, and anti-prep teenage boys. The shoe of athletes and alternatives is helping Converse celebrate its 100 birthday. Converse will be bringing out special editions of the All Star and the Black Fives models to celebrate the anniversary of the rubber soled work shoe first designed by Marquis Mills Converse in Boston in 1908. Special Issue Shoes for Collectors The special issue will include a $200 version of the Black Fives, the brown leather classic worn by the legendary Harlem Renaissance basket ball team in the 1930’s. Also available will be an anniversary issue of the All Stars. These shoes are a tribute to the memory of Chuck Taylor, a player and salesman who sold the original All Star High Tops out of the trunk of his car. Kurt Cobain’s Shoes for the Disenfranchised Due out in May 2008, is a series of All Stars and One Stars with a facsimile Cobain signature, accompanied by excerpts such as “punk rock means freedom” taken from Cobain’s journals. The new Cobain Converse will sell for between $50-$65. Converse (which was purchased by Nike in 2003) expects the shoes to be purchased (but never worn) by collectors.Posted by Susan Cramer Considering the mess our Paul got himself into since losing her, it's time to cut Linda a break. After all, she clearly kept him out of trouble for the 30 years they were married. While it's true that she broke our hearts and crushed our secret dreams by marrying our favorite Beatle, it's been forty years, and probably time to get over the disappointment. Fiinally, it's time for us to judge her talent as an artist purely on the basis of her skill, and not filtered through the lens of jelousy. And here's our chance: The Hyman Gallery in London, England exhibit of Linda McCartney's photographs, scheduled to coincide with the 10th anniversary of her death in 1998 at the age of 56. The twenty -eight photographs that make up the exhibit were picked from her collection by Paul, and include portraits of Mick Jagger, John Lennon. Janis Joplin, and Paul Simon & Art Garfunkel. But the exhibit is not merely a hall of fame of 60's rock stars. Also included are shots of Linda and her husband and children, including a self portrait done during a course of chemo therapy for the breast cancer that ultimately killed her. The photographs are printed on the paper she preferred using her preferred process by the same studio she used. Prints of the photographs will be available for purchase starting at $9,500 each.Posted by Susan Cramer Just north of downtown Cincinnati you’ll find an old brick building. The bland exterior gives few hints that inside is a blazing tribute to America’s love affair with the auto. Here you’ll find every kind of sign, from paint store in neon, to a fiberglass genie for Aladdin carpets to an illuminated sputnik replica. All the big names in American retail are here, from Rexall to Big Boy. Though it is billed as The Sign Museum, it’s really the museum of American tastes told through the history of signage. Sunoco, DeSoto, Colonel Sanders, and Howard Johnson’s,are represented, but so are Dutch Boy Donuts, the SkyVu Motel, and United Pentecostal Church from Shreveport, La. These signs are familiar to every baby boomer who ever went on a family road trip or a Sunday drive. Tod Swormstedt, president of the museum has been searching for and purchasing signs for the museum’s growing collection since 1999. Having spent his career at Sign of the Times, an industry Trade journal, Mr. Swormstedt knows his business. The journal’s parent company chipped in $1.5 million for the non-profit museum which opened its doors in 2005. The museum will be relocated to a considerably larger space that will include 28 foot tall ceilings in late 2008 or early 2009. The American Sign Museum is located at 2515 Essex Place in Cincinnati, Ohio Tours are by appointment (1-800-925-1110 ext 336) Admission is $10 for adults, children under 12 are free. Group rates are offered. SOURCE: The Columbus Dispatch wednesday 27 February 2008Posted by Susan Cramer Employees Drop from 8,200 to 2,575 in Eight Years The Newark, Ohio basket company made headlines yet again with the announcement of additional staff reductions, this time mostly at its manufacturing campus in Frazysburg, Ohio. The bulk of the departing employees are basket weavers and others working in basket making support. These outgoing employess are on indefinite layoff, with recall rights for one year. In December, the company eliminated 150 positions at corporate headquarters, bringing the tally of departing employees up to 1,084 in less than a year. However, 471 of those have since been recalled. At its busiest, in 200, the company had 8,200 employees, now down to about 2,575 with the latest round of cuts. It's the Economy, Stupid Tami Longaberger, chief executive officer and acting president said, "This tough economy requires difficult but common sense decisions to insure we remain in a strong financial position." Within the company, there seems to be reason to hope that business will rebound. Longaberger reported record crowds at The Homestead, the company's shopping and dining destination, at which customers arrive by the busload. In January, the company saw a surge in new consultants. Online sales exceeded expectations by 100 percent in 2007. Streamlining Upper Management Taking over from departing President, Jim Gimeson, Longaberger decided the company was top heavy, and required streamling in order to make decisions more quickly and efficiently. On the plus side, the company rehired Kelly Walker as Vice President of Operations. Walker was previously employed by Longaberger, but left, rumor had it , because it was just too weird to work there.Posted by Susan Cramer Viktor Schrekengost 1906-2008 With the death of Viktor Schreckengost on January 26th, 2008, America may well have lost its last Industrial Design Giant. Along with the likes of Walter Teague, Raymond Lowey, and Norman Bel Geddes,Schreckengost created quality designs for almost evey facet of modern life. From the first cab-over engine truck, which he designed for White Motor Company, to Murray Bicycles and Pedal Cars for Sears, his designs were fresh, innovative, accessible, and top quality. Cleveland Institute of Art to Vienna Schreckengost attended the Cleveland Institue of Art and after that, the University of Applied Arts in Vienna. Upon his return to Cleveland in 1930, he began teaching part time at his alma mater, and did so up until his death last week during a visit with relatives in Tallahasse, Florida. The Jazz Bowl and other Things He may be most famous for a large punch bowl decorated with Jazz and Art Deco motifs that he created for an unknown client who turned out to be Eleanor Roosevelt, but it has been said that every adult in America may have used his products which include, stoves, refrigerators, machine tools, flashlights, theater costumes, broadcast equipment, artificial limbs, stage sets, dinnerware, street light, coffins, electric fans, calendars, and ball gowns. Schreckengost received the National Medal of Arts in 2006, which was presented to him by President George W. Bush. The Columbus Dispatch January 29th 2008, Cleveland.comPosted by Susan Cramer Michael Jordan's Dream Team Jersey worth a Bundle The shirt in question was once considered one of the Holy Grails of sports memorabelia- Michael Jordan's game worn jersey from the 1992 Olympic "Dream Team" US basketball team. Complete with what was considered an undisputable provenance and a Michael Jordan signature, the jersey had originally been donated to a Ronald MacDonald charity auction, where it brought $19,500. Four years later, in a Christie's sports auction, it went for $60,000. To add to its distinction, it was part of an exhibit at Chicago's Museum of Science and Industry in 2001. How to Turn $50,000 into $2,000 Its most recent owner consigned it to a Robert Edward Auction, and this is where the shirt went south. According to Antique Week, Robert Edwards Auctions sent it to a sports authenticator whose research determined that while the jersey had belonged to Michael Jordan, based on the photographic record, there was no evidence that it was game used. The authenticators at MEARS (Memorabelia Evaluation and Research Services) said that based on the evidence, the shirt was never game worn, although it was possible that it had been worn in practice, adding that this was pure speculation.Posted by Susan Cramer Air Jordan 23 Later this month, Nike will be releasing the 23rd edition of its popular Air Jordan Series, the shoe that changed the face of the business of athletics. Endorsed by basketball great Michael Jordan who played for the Chicago Bulls, the shoe was rolled out in 1984 when Jordan was named Rookie of the Year. Each year, Nike presented a new version, and Jordan wore them on the court although early on, they were not approved by the NBA, and he was fined $5,000 per game. Nike picked up the tab. Air Jordans- the Must Have Shoe Athletes had been endorsing products long before Jordan, but it consisted of signing their names to existing products. The original Air Jordan was designed specifically with its namesake in mind, and was bold and charismatic, and included Jordan's jersey number 23. The ovewhelming and instant popularity of the shoe surprized both Nike and Jordan. Release dates for the latest models were switched to weekends, to keep kids from skipping school to buy them. It became dangerous to wear them, as owners were being mugged and sometimes killed for them. Limited Edition Air Jordan XX3 Most popular products spawn collectors, and Air Jordans are no exception. These are the folks who line up to buy them immediately after their release, and never take them out of their boxes. This year's realease, the Air Jordan XX3, will be available on January 25th, but only from 23 retailers. The original offering will be a limited edition selling for $230. Later, a $185. version will be rolled out nationally. Rumors that this may be the last year for the shoes will undoubtedly drive the prices much higher. Source: The Columbus Dispatch Wednesday 16 January 2008Posted by Susan Cramer Young Collectors Discover Magic Used to be, collectors of magic tricks & magic memorabelia were guys in their fifties. Lately, however young collectors are entering the field. Prices are influenced by popular movies and books, according to Forbes magazine. A 2006 article noted a rise in popularity after the publication of a novel called Carter Beats the Devil, by Glen David Gold, a fascinating work of historical fiction where Charles Carter, a contemporary of Harry Houdini, performs his tricks for the likes of Warren G' Harding and the Marx Brothers. And for the slightly younger set, the Harry Potter phenomenon has certainly introduced a whole generation to magic and its accoutrements. Presto:A Poster Record! Collectors seek everything including books about magic, trick locks, cards, handcuff, scarves, top hats, photos, autographs, and stage props, like magicians' desks, and the box in which a magician saws his assistant in half. Not surprizingly, anything witha provenance that ties it to the biggest names in magic commands the highest sums. Houdini remains the gold standard of magic collectibles. Last year, according to the Kovels, an original Houdini poster set a record, with a sale price of $78,000.Posted by Susan Cramer I live in a small town surrounded by corn fields, cow pastures, and other small towns. We have a drugstore, a grocery store, a book store, and a library. This makes life easier for someone who can get lost on her way from the living room to the laundry room. I like to think this is because I’m so busy thinking deep thoughts that I miss all visual cues, but the fact is I have no instinct for geography. Actually, I do have instincts, but they’re very, very bad ones. Sometimes, I try to second guess myself-when my initial instinct is to turn right, I do the opposite. This never works however, and I end up pulling up at a great sale only to see another dealer walking away with something I would have bought had I made a right instead of a left onto East Main. My garage sale partner, Mrs. B, is only marginally better. She lives next door, so we start out without getting lost. Sometimes, we make it to the end of the street without disagreement. All that is due to change, though, now that I am the owner of a Global Positioning System in the form of a Garmin Nuvii! I can travel anywhere in the world, with directions translated into any language, listening to Paradise Lost on the way. Satellite technology meets second-hand serving pieces right in my own car.Posted by Susan Cramer 2007 Auction Scene Sets Records:
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