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A couple years ago, at a local Flea Market, I found two strange rubbery figures still in original boxes – one quite risqué – both dated 1960s. I paid the asking price of a buck each, figuring anything from the 60s still in original box was easily worth $10 or so. I had never heard of “Oily Jigglers” before that, and upon researching them …I stumbled across one of those rare unknown collectibles that can be a real “Home Run” when you find them. So I want to share with my fellow “Hunters”.

Oily Jigglers first appeared in the mid 1960s, and was marketed by Russ Berrie (Of “Trolls” fame), and a couple other smaller companies out of California. Most of these strange figurines could be found hanging from the rear view mirror of a car, or propped in a dorm room on campus.
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So why should you know about these? Because some of those are now bringing in the HUNDREDS of dollars. That’s “Hundreds”. Each. and Loose. Heres a few examples from recent Ebay sales:
 
This “All American Football Player” brought $299.99, the “Caveman Swinger” sold for $260, and the Mermaid brought $160.49. 

Those examples I bought a few years ago brought over $50 each on Ebay back then, however the Risqué one pictured below was kicked off from Ebay – and get this – not because it was sorta pornographic, which it is, but because it showed the Confederate Battle Flag, which was considered more offensive than a Redneck exhibiting his “thingy”.  Can you believe it? Well THANK YOU EBAY!!!, because it is now still sitting in my collection here several years later, and worth considerably more. (PS: Pardon the pictures but I have censored them as best I could).

Ask yourself…if tomorrow morning you were unable to speak or move, what would happen to your business. Would your Significant Other, or partner, your "Back-Up-Person" (BUP) be able to carry on? If not, what would happen to your customer base (and reputation)?


How would your income stream continue?

If you have auctions online, can somebody fill those orders when the auctions end?
Website orders & inquiries?

Questions from potential cutomers?

We might often think of our Etsy, Ebay, or Antique Booth businesses as a “one horse show”, but it can all end rather unpleasantly with a few unfulfilled orders and the resulting negative feedback.

I learned the hard way the importance of disaster planning ahead of time. In my case, it was an unexpected Stroke, but it could also be the result of a fire, an accident, or natural disasters such as a tornado, hurricane, or flood. I had done a few things discussing “what ifs” beforehand with my wife, but not nearly enough.  SO, here’s a few suggestions that might help:

1. Access to Data. Do you have available log-Ins & Passwords to your web stores, email addresses, and financial accounts? While there are many digital “vaults” available now to store all that information in  (Norton has an excellent product), my fear has been that if that one App or Program is hacked……well, that thief now has access to everything. I use an “old school” method: a small flip open paper Memo Pad with each Log-In and Password written down. I can take it with me on trips in case there is a problem while away from my office, or simply toss it in my safe for protection. My wife and I have everything shared in it, and it proved very worthwhile for her to have available during my hospital stay.                                                                                                                                                                              
2. Processes: Does your back-up person (BUP) know how (and where) your inventory is stored? Have they ever packed an item - as you would - to ship it? Do they know how to purchase and print out a shipping label?  This is a great thing to practice together ahead of time
3. Stages of Sales: If you have online stores, do you wish to continue receiving orders or suspend them during an event?  Does your BUP know how to suspend your store sales, or in the case of Ebay or Etsy, to put them in “Vacation Mode”, which will temporarily suspend sales? If not, the processes should be practiced ahead of time and also written down.
4. Fees: Does your BUP know how various fees are paid? If not automatically taken out, that is another area to address. Likewise, if PayPal fees are not automatically sent to you, they should be aware of how to transfer funds to your bank if required.
5. Problems: How do you respond to potential “problem” customers (or even scammers)? If no set policy is in place one should be discussed. We state our policies under the “terms & conditions” section on each individual web store, so they are easy to reference, or refer customers to. If a negative case is opened, a BUP should be aware of how it is preferred to respond.

OK.....Now try this: Copy and paste the above five suggestions and print out, then use it as a checklist. When everyone is comfortable, you have a plan. If not, you know where to focus.
Good Luck & Good Hunting!

Every year or so it seems we run across a yard sale or a storage unit that has a bottle or two of unopened wine or liquor, usually in the form of a Jim Beam collectible decanter that someone tucked away.  Knowing that some vintage liquors can be quite valuable, we always keep our eyes open for just that. Some early scotches can bring well over $1,000 if unopened. Like most collectibles, the value is in sealed bottles with intact tax stamps, not opened bottles.

One of my favorite vendors at a local Flea Market buys defaulted Storage Units, and frequently doesn't have time to go through every box before the weekend,  so he sometimes opens them at the Flea Market while setting up, occassionally allowing those he knows to dig through "virgin" unopened totes....so you never really know just what you'll find.  That was the case last weekend, and I opened one finding a newspaper wrapped 1961 Special Edition bottle of Walker's Deluxe Bourbon, still sealed.  I continued digging to come up with three more sealed bottles along with a Canadian Club Lucite Paperweight. Following a bit of good natured back-and-forth regarding the pricing, we owned the lot for $25. I didn't really know the value of those Bourbons, but that way, if the Bourbon turned out to be of little value....well, we could always drink it. Important Note: Sealed bottles of hard liquor don't usually go bad like wine or beer. If they are clear, they are most likely perfectly safe to enjoy.

Being a Scotch Drinker, I was very aware of what some early scotches are worth, especially single malts or - should you be so lucky as to find one - pre-prohibition bottles. I celebrated my 50th Birthday (yes...a few years ago) sharing a bottle of Pinch that was tax stamped in the 1930s. I came across that bottle at a Yard Sale while still living in Maine in the 1980s, and saved it for a special occasion. Turning 50 seemed like a good excuse.  I hadn't paid much attention to the values of Bourbon or other liquors, other than follow the values of the large assortment of Jim Beam decanters. Because whatever value they had was from the decanters - not the liquor - and the fact that one couldn't legally sell full bottles online through most venues, the liquor usually was moved to a generic decanter and enjoyed. The empty decanter was sold separately. Most older Jim Bean decanters have a value in the $10 - $15 range, although some cross-collectible decanters can bring in the $30 - $60 range.  Very few are worth over $75, most exceptions being Jim Beam Convention versions, which were very limited production.

Both of the larger bottles we found were limited edition Walkers Deluxe Bourbon in "Pint" Special Edition Gold Bottles, the oldest being an individually numbered bottle - number 169 - out of a run of 600, all bottled June 27, 1961. The other was bottled January 23, 1973 celebrating - and coming from - the 8,000,000 barrel of aged whiskey, and was presented to employees of Hiram Walker. The number produced is unknown, but likely to be extremely low. In addition, it has a Mississippi "Special Order" Tax Stamp, which is quite unusual. In researching values for these, I was pleasantly surprised to learn that beginning in 2012, vintage bourbon values have been rising rapidly in price. A good sealed 4/5ths bottle of Walkers, from the same period (1960s - 1970s) will bring in the $100 to $200 on the collectors market today.

We found a couple great websites regarding Vintage Liquor Values. The first is www.drinksplanet.com, where its free to register and post. They also have an option to have an expert appraise your bottle for a small fee, and they cover the full spectrum of alcoholic drinks including beers and wines. While perusing the pages, it's obvious that they have many potential buyers participating with those seeking values, and both can communicate directly once registered.

Another website we found interesting  is the L.A. Whiskey Society. They describe themselves as a "Private Club, but a Public Resource". There  you will find all kinds of information on Whiskeys including Ratings, Reviews, Articles and, if you scroll down the page, a guide on selling rare whiskeys and whiskey bottles.

So just how high a price can some of liquors bring? Well, until 2014 the world record for a liquor sale was held by a Macallan whisky, a 64-year-old scotch that went for $460,000 in New York in 2010. That number, however, was shattered by another Macallan that brought the princely sum of $628,205 at a Sotheby's auction in Hong Kong in January that year.

Leaving out examples where the bottles are encrusted with jewels or precious metals, instead focusing on the contents, it is not uncommon for examples to bring in the tens of thousands of dollars. Here's a good link to the ten most expensive Whiskeys as of this year: Click Here

One of the most interesting facets to learn while investigating these collectible liquors? Most of the liquors between $50 and $400 are bought.....to drink.  What does that say? That these can only get rarer, and should prove to be great investments should you want to keep it as an investment rather than imbibe.

Cheers!

It seems like it's all too often we find these 3 3/4" GI Joe Figures in pieces, but did you know a five minute repair is not only easy...it's cheap, costing only the price of an "O" ring? This not only brings new life and value to broken figures, but can also be used to "firm up" loose figures, and will work on almost any of this size figure in addition to the Hasbro GI Joe line.

What causes these to go bad? Age. They are held together by one rubber "O" ring that is likely now 30+ years old and brittle. On the left you will see three vintage Joe figures we picked up with a small collection last weekend. The owner had attempted to repair them with the wrong size "O" rings but evidently couldn't figure out how to attach them to the upper body. Notice the size difference between the ones I use in the boxes and the ones he had inserted into the lower body sections.

There are several sizes that will work, but I have had the best luck with "O" Rings having a 9/16" Outside Diameter (O.D.) and either a 3/8" or 7/16" Inside Diameter (I.D.), and a thickness of either 3/32" or 1/16". Remember that once the figures are reassembled with a new ring, nothing shows...so as long as they hold the figure together properly they'll work just fine. The ones shown here are Danco #8 and a Danco #41, and were purchased at a Home Depot store. You will also need a small Phillips Screwdriver, and a Paper Clip. 

​The first step will be to unscrew the Phillips Head screw located in the hole on the backside of the body. The upper body section will then fall into 5 separate pieces.

The bottom body section consists of two leg sections held together with a metal hook piece, and the butt section.  Slide the correct size "O" Ring onto the body section metal hook, then bend  the paper Clip until you get a small hook on one end and feed it through the butt section and pull the "O" ring up through. The back portion of the main body has a post that the "O" ring mounts onto, and you may need to remove any old pieces of the original "O" ring that may be stuck there (see picture on the right). The new "O" Ring can then be pulled up and  slid around and over the post. If you move the ring all the way to the rear with a small screwdriver, the body section should stay in place with the bottom body section. Next lay out the arms and head in "spread eagle" fashion.

Carefully insert the front body section into place and hold it firmly together with your fingers, then flip it over and reinstall the Phillips Screw.  Your Joe figure is now ready to go into action!

Who knew?  Coffee Mugs bringing well over $100?  Yep. All the mugs above - a John Wayne "McQ" Movie Mug, a Little Red Riding Hood Pottery  Mug from the 1940s and an early Starbucks mug - did just that. In fact the Little Red Riding Hood mug brought over $400. So how do you tell what's worth money and what's not? You can start here by reviewing this excellent article at BottomLinePersonal.com.  CLICK HERE

That twenty-five cent Coffee Cup purchase at your next Yard Sale might hold a lot more than just Java! Good Hunting!

We have recently added several new resource links to our Coins & Stamps Research Page, including direct links to two of the most trusted grading services.

A while ago we received a very nice email from Ryan inviting us to check out their website at www.usacoinbook.com. We receive solicitations like this nearly every day, and so unfortunately this drifted down the email string, and was lost until last week. I was in the process of trying to identify an unusual U.S.  Coin (or token) I have had for some time  that has proved to be quite a challenge, and stumbled across the email again and decided to check out the website. I was pleasantly surprised! It is a fantastic destination for anyone seeking information on United States coinage, or even those beginners that are new to numismatics. In addition, they have set up their own coin "buy - sell" resources, and even have included an on-line database that will allow individuals to keep track of their own collections. As an example, below is a sample of their "How To Grade Coins and Conditions" taken from their Encyclopedia Page at their website.  For a link to that entire page (which includes much, much more)  CLICK HERE.

"How to Grade Coins and Conditions*

Pretty much anyone can grade circulated coins once they are exposed to coins and get a good reference to which grade corresponds with what. Unless you are an expert or know enough about coins, you should only worry about trying to grade circulated coins. Most uncirculated coins, especially old ones should be submitted to professional coin grading agencies such as PCGS or NGC for precise grading. It may cost some additional money but it is usually worth it for older coins or coins that you suspect of being near perfect conditions since the highest grade coins can easily be worth thousands of dollars, even modern perfect coins.

For the average or novice collector, the first step is to start working on some regular circulated coins containing old ones and common pocket change. It is also advised to have uncirculated mint state coins at hand to use as a reference and compare your coins with. Many of these kinds of coins are easy to obtain anyways. The first thing you need to start grading coins is a good bright light source. If you are serious and really want to get good at it, you should pick up a magnifier with up to 8x zoom. You do not need anything more powerful than 8x since this is the standard limit that the professionals would use. The magnifier is also best used for fine details or determining a specific coin grade, especially with uncirculated coins mostly, but it is a good tool to have on hand.

If you have a big pile of coins, the best thing to do is look at each coin with the naked eye and separate according to how well they look. Many people put the worst coins on the left and the best looking coins on the right, up next to the uncirculated reference coin (that you probably should have in a plastic holder of sorts!). If you have a coin that looks much like the uncirculated coin, then this must be in "About Uncirculated" condition since it is nearly uncirculated but you know it is circulated since you are touching it. View the references below to choose if your "AU" coin is a low grade one with lots of contact marks or if it is highly visually appealing.

Look at all the coins next to each other from poorest condition to best condition. You can start to get an idea of how you can classify each coin, especially if you have a large number of coins in a wide variety of conditions. Many modern coins will never have conditions below Very Fine in some cases so you might need some older coins like Buffalo Nickels, Indian Head Pennies and Mercury Dimes to work with. These are usually great coins for learning coin grading techniques since their conditions vary widely from heavily worn to very nice looking. Once you get good at grading coins, you can start to safely put them in cardboard coin flips like the one shown on the left or the really nice ones in the Air-Tite plastic holders, and then mark their grade on them. This is how many coin dealers do it and how you can milk a little extra profit or get the best deals just by having good coin grading knowledge.

• Poor or Basal (P - 1) - This is the worst condition of coin. The coin must be identifiable, have a mintmark and a date, otherwise the coin is pretty much worthless. Usually the coin is just barely identifiable or has a lot of damage which make them poor or basal.
• Fair (FR - 2) - Fair coins are usually very smooth like poor coins but do not contain heavy damage.
• About Good (AG - 3) - About good is slightly better than fair coins and the date is hard to read but even the major details are worn down or nearly removed from the coin due to wear.
• Good (G - 4) - Good coins have heavy wear but you can still see the date. Usually the date is worn down or merges with the rim of the coin. The major details are also smoothed out or mostly gone.
• Very Good (VG - 8) - Coins in very good condition have heavy wear on them but the major details are more visible. The central details are still worn down and barely existing.
• Fine (F - 12) - Fine coins still contain a lot of wear but the overall design is bold and clear. Also, the rims of the coins are nearly separated as well.
• Very Fine (VF - 20) - A Very Fine coin grade indicates that the rims are clear and much of the wording is clear. There is moderate wear to the coin and the finer details are beginning to appear.
• Extremely (Extra) Fine (EF - 40) - A grade of Extra Fine or Extremely Fine is given to a coin with very little wear and much of the major and minor details are clear and bold.
• About Uncirculated (AU - 50) - A coin that is about or nearly uncirculated has very little wear but may have contact marks or scratches from other coins that came in contact or from the machines. AU-50 is not a very appealing coin but it is still nearly uncirculated.
• Very Choice About Uncirculated (AU - 58) - A Choice About Uncirculated coin is much like the AU-50 variety but has almost no contact marks, there almost full luster and the coin is visually appealing.
• Uncirculated - Mint State Basal (MS - 60) - These coins are uncirculated but usually have a lot of ugly contact marks and scratches usually resulting from wear and tear of flowing through the machines at the mint. There is almost no luster and the coin is not visually appealing, but it is still uncirculated.
• Choice Brilliant Gem Uncirculated (MS - 65) - A choice brilliant uncirculated is a coin with nearly full luster, almost no contact marks and is highly appealing with a great strike at the mint.
• Premium Quality Mint State Uncirculated (MS - 68) - These are highly attractive coins with a sharp strike. Premium Quality coins have a perfect luster and there are no visual contact marks to the naked eye.
• All But Perfect Mint State Uncirculated (MS - 69) - An all-but-perfect coin is highly appealing visual and has a perfect luster and perfect strike. The only thing that makes this coin not perfect is that there are microscopic flaws in the magnitude 8x range that include either contact marks or flaws in the planchet that the coin was struck on.
• Perfect (MS - 70) - A Perfect coin of the mint state uncirculated type is totally flawless even on the microscopic scale up to a magnification of 8x. The coin is also perfectly centered with full, highly appealing original luster. A perfect coin is also struck sharply on a flawless planchet. These are some of the most valuable and sought-after coins for collectors and numismatists.
• Proof (PR - 65) - The PR scale is used for proof coins and runs from 1 to 70 just like the normal MS scale. A Proof 65 coins is just like a Choice Brilliant Gem Uncirculated MS-65 coin except the coin is a proof. Proof coins are those with mirror-like surfaces which are specially struck longer and with greater pressure with thicker planchets. Typically, these special coins are meant only for collectors and are found in cases or sets."

*Credit: Copyright USA Coin Book

Last year we wrote about finding this rarer 1952 BMC "Senior Police" Pedal Car at a local Yard Sale. It was a good, solid original car - complete with original paint - but missing the steering wheel, windshield, and seat cushion. It sold online to a customer here in Virginia who picked it up, giving us a chance to chat about the car and other pedal cars he had restored. I really thought this car had a lot of potential if properly restored, and asked him to shoot me a few pictures if he did restore it. Last week the pictures arrived.  Wow.

Below are what it looked like last year when we sold it.

As these pictures show, the car was completely stripped, the body properly filled, sanded, primed and painted. He wrote that finding original parts was a bit of a challenge, especially the windshield.  But I'll let him tell the story:

"Good morning Stu . I always take lots of photos of my restorations. Here's a few more of the police car if they help . I think part of your story can be as with probably any toys,  folks want to find the unusual or the ones no one else has. This was the case with this BMC. I knew it was unusual . I had only ever seen one other. The down side with that is finding parts for that rare pedal car or toy . If you want to try and truly restore your  item to its original condition, it becomes more of a challenge. I could have put any number of aftermarket parts on , but didn't really want to do that. Long story short was trying to find the windshield. I couldn't even find an aftermarket place who sold this particular one.

As I started calling around the country I found that there are a few old guys who have purchased the original presses who could press me a new windshield from an original mold. These older fellows don't have a "stock ", but if you can talk them into it, will go into their shop and make you one. You also find some of the men are so old and frail, that they don't really make parts any longer but still have the equipment . Anyway , I got one pressed. I had to cut it out myself and trim it up. I was just very thankful I was able to find this gentlemen,  and develop enough of a relationship that he would go to the trouble to press this for me. It sounds like this fellow is making parts for many of the aftermarket vendors. When he does that he makes 100's at a time for their stock .

Thanks for showing interest. I currently have four projects I'm working on and would be happy to keep you up to date on those if you want. Trying to get the wife interested in selling a few. We are planning to go to an antique toy sort of show in Pigeon Forge in May, just to see what others are doing."

Here is the finished Pedal Car, properly restored. Great Job! There is a lot of satisfaction seeing those old toys returned to their original condition.

If you have an interest in seeing this project, along with his other cars, here's the link to the event in May: The Smokey Mountain Antique Toy and Pedal Car Show

Just a few years ago, finding boxes of tokens for sale at a Yard or Estate Sale would likely have been overlooked by most of us.  No more. Tokens are fast becoming a sought after collectible, and prices on many of the rarer tokens are zooming, while "real" coin collecting values have somewhat stagnated or even reversed over the past few years (with exception of rare "variations" that will always hold investment value). It makes sense that this would happen when you think about it. Most national coinage was issued in the hundreds of thousands, or millions, of coins.  While fun to collect as a kid, or just as a hobby, the sheer numbers produced exclude them from being anything but quite easy to find, and therefore, cheap to buy.

Tokens, on the other hand, were usually a localized production and produced in very limited quantities, often in quantities of  several hundred to several thousand.  Because of those limited quantities, many versions today have only a very few examples that have survived, and even fewer that survived in finer grades.

Tokens were produced by States, by Towns, and by Counties. They were produced by private businesses, by banks, by organizations, and often produced for events ranging from World fairs to Local Bridge or Building Ribbon Cuttings.  What tokens lacked in production numbers for an individual token, they made up for in the sheer number of varieties that were made.  Up until recently, most could be purchased very, very cheaply...so one could build an impressive collection without "breaking the bank". Even today, most tokens can be purchased for just a few dollars or less, however some of the rarer versions that just a few years ago sold in this range are now bringing hundreds - or in some cases thousands - of dollars.

One of the most common type of older tokens we've seen out there are "Sales Tax Tokens" produced by individual states.  Most were produced from 1933 until the early 1940s. There were twelve states that produced these,  Alabama, Arizona, Colorado, Illinois, Kansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Utah, and Washington, and they come in a variety of materials such as brass, zinc, aluminum. fiber, plastic, and even paper. In researching these, one of the surprises is that while most are only worth a dollar or so, some of the later version plastic tokens can be the most valuable.  Paper versions, called "scrip", can also be quite valuable, sometimes into the hundreds of dollars. So how do you find what they are worth? We found a great website that explains in great detail what to look for regarding rarity, provided by the American Tax Token Society:  CLICK HERE for the link.

In our next blog entry we'll be discussing a bit more about types and values of tokens, so find that box of old tokens, dig'em out and check back shortly!

Talk to any purist collector and they'll all usually echo the same chant....that restored toys are "worthless". Well, that's all slowly changing, and with good reason. First, not everyone is a purist collector. Second, not everyone has the bucks to pay the absolutely premium prices that mint and/or mint-in-box vintage toys now bring. Third, sometimes really rare pieces are found damaged or needing repair anyway, so what's the difference between a crappy looking, repaired original and a totally restored repaired original? NADA. Finally, what do you do with all those cool, earlier toys that lack good paint and tires?

Why NOT restore them?  Most of us run across early rough die cast cars frequently, and they can most likely be purchased for next to nothing because most sellers have been conditioned to believe that because restored toys are basically worthless, then toys that need restoring are worse than worthless.  Well guess what...properly restored toys are now selling very well online. And its not that hard to to turn these below on the left, into those on the right. Yes, they are the same cars. The truck was restored at the same time.

We've put together a little video on our YouTube Channel that follows how these were restored step-by-step, using everyday common materials (we purposely didn't get out our airbrush, but even used store bought spray paint).  The video can be seen by visiting out FunOfTheHunt Youtube Page or you can just click here:   Restoring Tootsietoys

We'll also provide a quick overview here for those of you who don't want to use your finger to click the link.

To start with, here's what you'll need to begin your restoration project. A few basic tools, a dremel tool, oven cleaner, rubber gloves, matching paints, a waterproof work box, a toothbrush, a couple coat hangers, and some 100 grit and 400 grit sandpaper.  We also suggest having some correct replacement tires on hand before you begin the project (most are available online). Begin by spraying the toys thoroughly with the oven cleaner, then allow several hours for it to work (do not hurry it).

Once the oven cleaner has properly loosened the paint (several hours), put on the gloves and use the toothbrush to scrub the toys thoroughly, then rinse them under running water. Allow them to dry overnight. Using a wire brush attachment on the Dremel Tool, carefully remove remaining paint and surface oxidation.  Perform any repairs that are needed, and replace any tires that needed replacement.

Carefully sand areas with corrosion and/or high spots with the 400 grit sandpaper. Really rough spots may require the 100 grit to begin with.  Mask out the tires with masking tape, and bend up a couple pieces of a coat hanger to provide a painting stand for the toys.  Begin painting with a very light coat (not even enough to fully color it - this is a "base coat"), then allow 10 - 15 minutes to set up before applying another very light coat.  Again, wait another 10 - 15 minutes, then lightly apply the final coat using just enough paint to look "wet".

Allow the paint to dry overnight. Larger Tootsietoys (4" and up) had silver painted grills and bumpers. We use silver model paint and a brush to complete the detail on these toys. Remove the masking tape, and the Tootsietoy is ready for display. Enjoy your restoration!

To view this whole process from start to finish, including an unexpected repair, visit out YouTube channel: CLICK HERE

Happy Hunting!
Stu