Welcome back to the Profiles & Premiums Newsletter!
If it feels like a little longer lag than usual, well, sorry, but it was. There was no April 15 issue. Just got too busy, and before I knew it May 1 rolled around and it just seemed too late to go with it by that point.
So instead we have a double-issue this time around with profiles from both of our excellent writers, Susan M. Kelly and Tammy Stone. Furthermore, I'm excited to announce to debut of two expanded "About the Author" pages for each of our regular scribes. Learn a little more about each writer, Tammy provides several links to other work around the web, and both pages include links to all pieces written for Immortal Ephemera ... each one of which premiered here, in The Movie Profiles & Premiums Newsletter over the past six or seven years.
Hopefully both will stick around long enough to fill their new pages with an even longer list of links!
How about all those changes at eBay? Are you a seller, what do you think? Personally, I like most of what's been done, most of the changes work out quite well for me, but, of course, I'm a little nervous too. How about your buying experiences? Finding it a little tougher, or a little easier, to find those collectible items you're seeking out? My guess is, and this guess is based primarily upon the presumption that you're only shopping for collectibles, more specifically movie collectibles, that your shopping experience has barely changed at all. Let's face it, if you read this newsletter and are inspired to go shopping on eBay for Lillian "Dimples" Walker collectibles, it doesn't make a whole lot of difference to you how they sort out the six items you'll find (incidentally, a full third of those half dozen are being offered by yours truly). With changes coming fast and furious, it's certain that the new eBay will be interesting to follow for the foreseeable future!
I really hope you've noticed, though I only mention it because I realize there's a good chance you haven't, that I've redesigned the home page on things-and-other-stuff.com. There's even a picture of me there now! I tried to do the entire thing in CSS, but got stuck with the double center column not displaying properly in Explorer, so I "cheated" and went with a table there. Still updating so much of the site, always with some unforeseen delay (such as eBay changing their affiliate codes!) setting me back. Thus, I'm still upgrading many of the Profile pages, and getting around to the Photo ID Guides every so often. Basically, being a one-man show, my goal is now to have the entire site designed the same way by the end of the year.
I'm not a big fan of social sites. I never created a MySpace page, I'm not on Facebook, but I do like commenting on blogs and tried to be active on a collectibles social site recently, but quickly lost my energy. But I do like Twitter.
I've placed a box containing my most recent "Tweets" on the home page, just above the feed for my regular blog. If you're unfamiliar, Twitter is microblogging--basically, each post is limited to 140 characters (tough for me, since I tend to drone on and on). You can follow your friends and in return be followed. When you're each following one another you can even communicate in short bursts, like a public and mini-email. I've had a lot of fun the past few weeks basically posting "a day in the life of an eCommerce seller" all the while communicating with great folks like Randy at Blog Utopia, Sue at TameBay, Mike at OnlineAuctionTrader, Auctionwally, and others--obviously I'm using Twitter for business reasons, but the nature of the site really spurs general thought as well. Anyway, I mention this just to let you know I'm currently pretty active over there, feel free to come by, and if you're a member say hi. Go here for Cliff's Tweets.
I'm sure I'm forgetting something here, as I'm nearing the end of my night as I write this, hoping to have it in your inbox by the start of your morning. Let's move on to the features:
That's about all for now. Let's get you to your features:
Updated Photo ID Guide: 1926 Bucktrout & Co. Cinema Stars
This guide is updated since last issue, though it's been up on the main site for awhile now. The page used to have only a Lillian Gish image, but a couple of months ago I acquired a complete set, which is provided with a checklist on the ID Guide page, plus 20 images are now shown (including an example of the reverse side). Some of these cards are still available for sale in my eBay store.
And here's the 1926 Bucktrout & Co. Photo ID Guide ...
Joan Blondell
by Susan M. Kelly
Always the bridesmaid and never the bride, Joan Blondell had no trouble getting a foothold in Hollywood, but despite her looks and talent she could never quite reach the top of the marquee. Still, the perky blonde with the big blue eyes managed to parlay her assets into a successful career.
Born on August 30th, 1906 in New York City, Rose Joan Blondell was the daughter of vaudeville stage comic Eddie Blondell. Having been born into the entertainment world, she made her stage debut at the tender age of three and then went on to attend the Professional Children's School. ...
Go here to read Susan's entire profile of Joan Blondell ...
Susan M. Kelly is a freelance writer who lives and works in Dunellen, New Jersey.
And for the first time this issue ...
... Go here for an expanded "About the Author" look at Susan M. Kelly
Lillian Walker by Tammy Stone
In The Silent Collection
Lillian Walker has graced the screen in over 170 productions - an incredible amount even by the standards of the day. Like many of her peers, she had her own moniker (two, in fact), and her appeal was packaged by the Hollywood brass with finesse to such an extent that she became one of the more popular young starlets of the day.
Lillian was born Lillian Wolke on April 21, 1887 in Brooklyn, New York. As we know from many of the other silent screen biographies, New York was the original hub of the image-making industry. ...
Read Tammy's entire Lillian Walker piece here --
Tammy Stone is a freelance writer and journalist based in Toronto. Watch for her regular column on the greats of the Silent Screen here in The Movie Profiles & Premiums Newsletter.
And for the first time this issue ...
... Go here for an expanded "About the Author" look at Tammy Stone
Aha, I remembered at least one thing that slipped by me in the introduction! Look for new, and hopefully improved, auction listings from me in the very near future. I've finally shelled out for a digital camera and will be doing my best to figure it out this weekend. I'll probably still use the scanner for the majority of movie card listings, as I think they give a truer view of an items actual condition, but I am excited to finally be able to offer single-images for oversized items--no more splitting an item up into 2 or 3 scans to properly capture it.
Why has it taken me so ridiculously long to purchase this affordable piece of equipment for my business? It's actually my second digital camera--I put one on my Sears card back in 2000, it cost me more than the new one did and was probably already a year out of date. It was junk! I can be stubborn, and since then I've operated on the simple theory of "scanner good, camera bad." I really hope I stick with it longer this time, at least I'm excited about my new purchase!
That's it for now. There will be an issue in June, I promise, though I may be a couple of days later than the cover date as usual. The Lillian Walker piece was originally scheduled for the phantom April issue, with Joan Blondell appearing now in May, so for June that means we should enjoy another entry into Tammy Stone's Silent Collection. See you then!
Leave a Reply