It was an early start this morning @ 7:15am and running late for the ferry!  Figures that Bainbridge Island's "finest" was at the bottom of the hill to catch me speeding for the boat.  LUCKY for me, I got off with only a warning!  If she only knew that would have been my 6th speeding ticket since arriving out here last year.  This was surely to be a good day after all.  Oh, and don't tell my insurance company!  They don't know a thing!

Class at the Apple Store was good.  Hopefully this century I will be able to launch a new website for the corkscrews.  I have let the "corkscrewchicago.com" site expire, on purpose, as motivation to LEARN web design!  Keep your fingers crossed, but don't hold your breath.

I managed to get about 6 hours of hunting in today.  Heading North, I was able to hit about at least 5 new shops and zipped through 5 others.  Needless to say, my luckly streak ended right after the cop stop @ 7:18am.  Desperate for something, I picked up a flash type with "San Francisco" advertising on it.  The "San Fran" collectors are usually aggressive with any advertising corkscrew.  We'll find out soon enough.



The other item picked up was a "No Brainer" for me.  A "Princess Diana Beanie Babie".  This particutlar one is a 1st Edition.  When first released in 1997, only 12 Princess Diana Bears were issued to each vendor.  These bears had P.V.C. Pellets in them (which were found to be flamable), so the next shippments were changed to P.E. Pellets. 

For those who don't know, Beanie Babies were my "First Love".  If you don't believe me, I still have about 500 of them.  :-)

In case you didn't already know, the typical weather forecast out here is:  Rain, Light Showers, Rain, Rain, Rain, Overcast with no possibility of sun, and more Rain.  Well, I believe it's now the 9th day in a row of SUNNY SKIES!  Needless to say, weeding, planting, mowing, and other various small yard projects have been the priority lately.  ANY excuse to get outside and soak up the sun.

Arrivals have been steady, but mostly goodies for Ebay.  Gotta support my "addiction".  If you see one you like, these will be available for your bidding pleasure on Sunday.



I'm venturing off the Island tomorrow to the Apple store in the morning.  The rest of the day will be spent hunting!  I'm hoping to find a Crosby Pup!  Wish me luck!

In case you haven't heard, Don Bull has put together a NEW corkscrew book!  This one is on Figural Corkscrews.  I've already pre-ordered my copy, have you?  If you purchase directly from him, you can actually get it about $20 cheaper than the suggested retail price! 

Click Here to order your copy today!  A MUST have for any serious collector!

Also, check out this short video that is a preview of the book!



   

Thanks Don for ALL your hard work, and sharing your passion with us!

For several years I've always been mystified by the 1917 Brady Patent, aka the "U-Neek".  It may not "technically" have a helix, but it IS a cork extractor, so it falls in under the "Corkscrew" category.  I LOVE IT!  Single cast body, 3 sliding pins, a retaining ring, moving parts, but not really mechanical..... SO COOL!  I've actually had about 3 of these rotate through the collection over the years, but this one is destined to stay!  The nickel plating is about 97% in tack and shiny to boot!  I have JL to thank, but I did have to TRADE for it.  :-)

Also in the trade, a was a Syroco Salesman Sample!  It's a small German Shepherd.  No corkscrew or bottle opener, just the figural composite.  It wasn't really "icing", but it sure was a SWEET part of the trade!

This particular piece really seems to "draw in bidders".  I just hope to save some of my fellow Corkscrew Collectors from bidding on this FAKE item.  It appears to be a Converse Prong Puller with a Metal sheath that JUST SO HAPPENS to have a whistle in it.  Well, it's NOT ORIGINAL.  Unfortunately, his one has previously sold for several hundred dollars. 

A few quick tips to avoid becoming a victim to Bidding on a Fake Corkscrew:

-Don't bother to bid on items "located in Argentina".  NUMEROUS Fake corkscrews have been known to come from this region.
-Look closely at the pictures, heck ask for additional pictures, then compare them to pics in Corkscrew Books, or Corkscrew Collector websites.  Surely you must have seen a picture of the piece you are about to bid on in some book or website!
-If you're unsure, just ask a fellow collector to verify the listing.  It never hurts to ask. 

 

No, I didn't go there.  I'm still stranded on "the rock".  But today I had an unexpected package arrive, with a few goodies.  My friend Jim Caufield, from Chicago, went to London recently.  He and the girlfriend visited the market and happened across a few corkscrews, and who did he think of?  ME!!

Included in the package was a nice faceted bow, a cool brass castle, and a pewter direct pull w/brush.  Thanks Jim!

 
It's good to have friends who buy you corkscrews!

Last week in "The Weekly Screw", Don Bull mentioned a Negbaur Pet (not really sure if it's a "scared cat", dog, or a camel?) but it's been on my Want List for some time now.  I'm not saying I'll trade you the world, or even break the piggy bank for you, but if you have one, I'm sure we can work a deal!  Drop me an email at syrocokid@gmail.com



Oh yeah!  If you don't already subscribe to "The Weekly Screw" CLICK HERE!

This weekend was pretty busy.  Mom's Birthday was yesterday, and of course Mother's Day today, so it was ALL about Mom out here on the Island.  She's nearly impossible to shop for!  Even my dad is stumped on getting her a gift, as "She'll just return them.  I gave up years ago!"  And to have 2 special days "back-to-back", what's a son supposed to do?  2 cards, 2 flowers, 2 boxes of chocolates, and dinner for 3 at Penelope's Italian Restaurant.  Score, Score and SCORE for son #1!!

I, lucky for me, had my own gift arrive on the island yesterday.  Another Heeley Patent was delivered, but with a stunning Copper finish!  I'd have to say it still retains about 98% of the finish.  Very nice!  A real keeper!

Well, another round of the ICCA Corkscrew Auction has ended.  I was pretty "good" this time around as I sold more than I bought.  Usually the other way around.  It arrived on "the rock" yesterday!  SO COOL!!



Also.....Josef and I finally struck a deal this morning.  About 5 months in the making.  I will finally have a U-Neek back in the collection!