Archive for July, 2011
Thomas Sabo Jewelry Featured On E-Commerce Store Rebel Junction
Vancouver, BC (PRWEB) July 31, 2011
McBurney Junction is owned by Karla Burton, who started her retail career there when she answered a “help wanted” sign posted in the store window. Within a month, Burton had offered to buy the store and along with her husband Reid and her best friend Nikki Martine, were the proud owners of a small home decor store.
The store is now a thriving company that focuses on handcrafted Canadian made furniture, interior design, and the trend-setting Thomas Sabo and Pandora lines of jewelry.
Now, they are launching their latest venture, selling Thomas Sabo’s high quality line of jewelry at www.rebeljunction.com.
The site features a range of watches, sterling silver charms and other jewelry, in styles ranging from classic to gothic.
“The Thomas Sabo Charm Club is extremely popular and very well known. It has something for absolutely everyone,” Burton said.
There are charms for every occasion, with styles ranging from fairy tale, to girls night out, to love and peace, to undersea charms, to sports and hobby charms, and much more.
“We’re very exited about this new venture, because Thomas Sabo jewelry is attractive, stylish, and of the highest quality,” Burton said.
The Thomas Sabo company was founded in Germany in 1984 by designer Thomas Sabo, and the company has now grown to be an international success, with customers eagerly awaiting his latest designs.
Those seeking more information may visit www.rebeljunction.com.
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For the original version on PRWeb visit: www.prweb.com/releases/prweb2011/7/prweb8681031.htm
Some folk taleschange message over the years
Some folk taleschange message over the years
The 17th
Folk tales like Little Red Riding Hood have been part of everyone’s childhood since the 14th century. The stories taught lessons. Red Riding Hood originally was the story of a young girl going into dark woods filled with dangers. In these early tales, the girl met an ogre or a werewolf who eats the grandmother and lures the girl into bed. But she escapes using her wits (no huntsman was there to save her). By the 17th century, the many versions of the story told of a young country girl meeting a wolf and telling him about her grandmother’s house. The wolf is then able to eat Grandma and the girl. The tale reminds young girls of the dangers of following the advice of strangers. Through the years, the story became a morality tale warning about strange men. But by the 1800s, the story had Grandma and Red Riding Hood outwitting the fox and being saved by a hunter. Still later, the tale represented the views of Freud and feminists. Today the tale is often reworked as satire or comedy. Through all the years, pictures and figurines depicting Red Riding Hood have remained popular. In the 19th century, Staffordshire potters made dozens of figures of the girl with or without Grandma or the wolf. Try collecting things related to a single folk tale or nursery rhyme.
Q: An aunt handed down a vanity that was made by Stickley Brothers between 1926 and 1928. There’s a sticker inside the top drawer that says “Quaint Furniture of Character.” What can you tell me about the vanity?
A: Quaint Furniture was one of the lines made by Stickley Brothers Co. of Grand Rapids, Mich. The company was founded in 1891 by John George and Albert Stickley. Their Quaint Line of furniture was introduced in 1902. Quaint Mission was made first. Other Quaint lines included Quaint Arts Crafts (1904), Quaint Tudor (1914), Quaint Manor (1914), Quaint American (1920s) and Quaint Colonial (1920s). John George left the firm in 1902 and Albert retired in 1927. Your vanity in good condition is worth about $300.
Q: I have two 1936 booklets titled “Kellogg’s Singing Lady Party Kit” published by the Kellogg Co. I understand “The Singing Lady” was an NBC radio show. The books come with pop-out invitations, games, place cards, favors, masks, verses, recipes and cake decorations. Are they worth much?
A: “The Singing Lady,” the first network radio program for children, was broadcast from 1931 to 1941. Ireene Wicker, the Singing Lady, sang and told stories for children. The show was sponsored by Kellogg’s. A Singing Lady songbook was offered as a Kellogg’s premium in 1932. The Singing Lady Party Kit was published in 1936 and 1937. It sells for about $15 to $20.
Q: I recently bought a box full of stuff at a garage sale. In the box I found a Beatles souvenir spoon. The heads of the four Beatles are pictured on the insert at the top of the spoon handle. The spoon is 41/4 inches long. What is it worth?
A: Your stainless-steel spoon is one of a set of five. The other four picture each Beatle individually. An individual spoon like yours recently sold for $6.50.
Q: I have four small plates, about 41/2 inches in diameter, each decorated with a picture of a Greek god. The plates are white with gold-leaf trim. The backs are stamped “Mitologia” over a picture of a hand holding a paintbrush. Below that it says, “Fornasette-Milano, Made in Italy, Exclusive for Bonwit Teller.” Are they old or valuable?
A: Your small plates or coasters were designed in the 1960s by Piero Fornasetti for Bonwit Teller, a high-end New York department store. The complete set included eight different designs of mythological figures. Fornasetti (1913-1988) made several other coaster sets with different themes for Bonwit Teller. The department store was founded in New York City in 1895 and eventually opened branches in several other cities. After the chain declared bankruptcy in 1989, most of the stores closed. Fornasetti was a painter, sculptor and designer who lived in Milan, Italy. His furniture and other products are popular collectibles today. The value of a set of four coasters is about $50.
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Weekend Garage Sales in Albany, July 30-31
Here’s a round-up of yard and garage sales in Albany this weekend. List your garage sales free on Albany Patch by clicking here.
SATURDAY JULY 30
Huge garage sale, 844 Carmel Ave. 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Items being sold include: Furniture, clothes, workout equipment (weights, roller skates, bike); Children, teen and adult books; Model airplanes, collector doll houses, kitchenware, glass, kids’ toys and games, other household items.
Corner of Ohlone and Gooding. (Use 755 Ohlone Ave. as the address to find this location.) Building 115 Apt. 344. Phone: 831-419-4001. 9 a.m.
We are moving next week and need everything to go. We need to sale as much as possible to be able to move across the country for an internship. We have lots of things: Baby clothes (boys/girls 0-24 months), kitchenware, electronics, rug, decor, books, toys, SO MUCH MORE!
MULTI-FAMILY GARAGE SALE: Come find your treasures. 840/841 Hillside Ave. 8 a.m to 1 p.m.
What we have for you… Clothes, hand gags/purses, key chains, luggage tags, area heaters, tools, toys, nik-naks and MUCH MORE. If you don’t find anything, no worries, come and enjoy the views from Albany Hill.
Garage sale: 1110 Cornell Ave. 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Lots of household items, toys, luggage, children’s and adult clothes, shoes, dog crate ……among many other things.
Come to a Moving Sale, 339 Colusa Circle Ave. in Kensington. 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. both Saturday and Sunday.
Items include: Furniture (Couch, Bed, Tables, TV Stand, Chairs, Desk), lamps, women’s clothes, shoes, jewelry, and handbags, kids’ toys, bedding and pillows, kitchenware, juicer, VCR, home air filter…and more!
Huge Yard Sale! 517 Kains Ave. 9 a.m. to noon.
Items offered: Home office desk and supplies, building materials/tools, books, clothing, collectables. Items will be FREE at the conclusion of the yard sale.
Artists Collectors’ Sale, 931 Jackson St. 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Many decorative, beautiful, collectible unique items. A few strange ones too! Special clothes and vintage hats for the playa at Burning Man, or for every day wear.
List: folksy art and various framed pictures, vintage frames, Steiff cosy bear, ethcnic dolls, gigantic German easter egg, treasure chest boxes
ceramic, porcelain and glass nik-naks and antiques, house-wares and kitchen items, vintage glass cake stands, weird Asian large metal vases, books, antique c.1900 French encyclopedias w/prints, harmonica, elegant alabaster desk lamp, art nouveau hand mirrors, old teapots, cups, tiny spoons, wedgewood compote dish, candle holders, etc., Italian carved cameo sea shell, mission style shelf, table, speakers, Disney and other videos, mid-century space-age, Japanese pedestal clock, interesting, useful and lovely metal objects
and MUCH more.
Moving Sale! 1110 Jackson #904. 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. We will be in the courtyard behind the sign that says “University Village” at the southwest corner of Jackson Monroe.
We have lots of free stuff and books, dressers, chairs, bookcases, kid’s bed, bike (cheap!), Burley bike trailer, bike rack, and much more!
Moving Sale: 1070 Jackson St., Apt. #718, University Village. 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
After a year and a half in Berkeley, we are heading back across the pond to Paris. We are selling all our furniture and small appliances. Prices are firm but you get 30% rebate if you buy it all (FYI other items such as pots and pans etc… are also available)! Could be quasi one-stop furniture shopping for a family moving in the Bay area.
Pictures available online here.
- 1 IKEA Sater sofa, like new ($400 in store): $250
- 1 IKEA extendable dining table with 1 extra leaf seats 8-10 (87/105×39″), a few scratches: $100
- Black barstool: $30
Bedding: All bedding items are 16 months old, in excellent condition (to be picked up on or after Tuesday, August 2nd)
- 1 queen mattress (IKEA, Sultan Hamnvik)+ slatted base (IKEA, Sultan laxeby): $300
- 2 twin foam mattresses (IKEA, Sultan Florvang): $60 each, 100 for the set
- 2 queen comforters (IKEA, 60$ in store): $25 each
- 1 twin comforter (IKEA, 20$ in store): $10
- 3 pillows (IKEA): $5 each
Other Bedroom furniture, all wooden and painted taupe grey: $50 for the set including
- one 4-drawer chest (H: 46,7″;W:36,2″;D:20)
- one 6-drawer dresser (H: 32,4;W: 56,1″;D: 20″)
- 1 desk with shelf forprinter storage, 2 removable thin bookcases on each side and a top shelf (only one on the picture). H: 57”, D:27,6”, Width of the main panel without bookcases: 41,7”, each thin bookcase is 7,5” wide;birch effect and silver color: $50
- IKEA Jules office chair, black: $20
Other items:
- Cast iron French oven, orange, 9.1”: $40
- Panasonic MC-CG467 Multi-Surface Lightweight Canister Vacuum Cleaner, Light Blue (16 months old, bought for 98$ on Amazon): $30
- Glass and white plastic patio table (H=27,1″; L=60,6″; W=38,6″): 20$
List your garage sales free on Albany Patch by clicking here.
Living in style outdoors
Martha Stewart is working hard so you can have a nice backyard.
No, the reigning queen of domesticity is not hunched over, weeding your lawn as you read this. But her goal to make all things beautiful has given the masses access to chic and affordable outdoor furniture and accessories.
To stay in touch with her Canadian partners at Home Depot, the American business magnate and media personality was in Toronto recently doing what she does best – multi-tasking.
In classic Stewart fashion, she was zipping around the city, conducting an interview on Canada AM at the crack of dawn, meeting with Home Depot employees about her new line of products, lunching at trendy OB, checking out Toronto’s high-end home furnishing stores Elte and Gingers, and visiting Jo-Ann and Michaels stores
Oh, and then she whipped off an inspiring speech at Roy Thomson Hall for the Unique Lives Experiences tour, an annual lecture series that also included comedienne Joan Rivers and Eat, Pray, Love author Elizabeth Gilbert.
And in between all of that she squeezed in some time to discuss Home Depot and a partnership that began in January 2010.
“This has been a phenomenal partnership so far, and I expect it to continue to be very, very successful,” says Stewart, the founder of Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, a publishing giant that includes magazines, books, TV and radio shows, along with merchandise.
Stewart says she works closely with six people on her design team to put her personal stamp on hundreds of different products.
These products include 15 styles of outdoor furniture that boast everything from swivel rockers and conversation sets to party bars and umbrellas.
Stewart, who has homes in New York and Maine, understands the need to invest in stylish, yet lightweight outdoor furniture.
The 69-year-old has seen a dramatic shift from the days, as recently as 10 or 20 years ago, when an outdoor chair could be as heavy as a concrete planter.
“It used to be cast-iron furniture, remember? They started in the 19th century and then they were made by Fiske and other such foundries.
“And it was all cast-iron, maybe wooden seats, but very uncomfortable and very heavy, year-round outdoor stuff.
“But now there are chaises, there are fixed cushions, a variety of water-resistant fabrics, and it’s a very different kind of thing. It’s outdoor living.”
She says people are trying very hard to spend more time outdoors, given the growing trend of screened-in rooms, and better furniture choices make the prospect more exciting.
“People are realizing that they can enjoy outdoors as well as indoors, and the furniture is reflecting the more comfortable (choices).”
Stewart stressed that the goal at her company is to offer the best value, with comfort, stylish design and good construction – all while keeping the pieces lightweight.
“It is sturdy without being too heavy,” she says.
For those of us who are not, well, Martha Stewart, she and her team have produced indoor paint, furniture and decor that is colour co-ordinated to make mixing and matching simple and ensuring furniture and accessories
do not clash.
“We have a whole colour co-ordination scheme that is very, very useful for the homemaker,” says Stewart.
“It enables people who think that they are (design) challenged as interior designers to co-ordinate colour … one of our paints, for example, (will match the) colouring of specific rugs, matched to a specific curtain, matched to a specific paint that we are using for kitchen cabinets.”
The colour co-ordination extends to the outdoors “to a degree,” she says, and will continue to grow.
Does Martha Stewart use her own products?
Absolutely.
She is now building a guest house on her sprawling property in Maine, where she is using her own furniture line and an array of her blushcolour toned low-VOC paint, to create a welcoming atmosphere.
“I am creating a large tool workshop where I am using the entire Martha Stewart Living Craft Furniture line designed for the Home Decorators catalogue owned by The Home Depot.
“I use my paints exclusively for all painting projects. And I, of course, am building the interiors of a guest house using several items from the Martha Stewart Living Kitchens line.”
Stewart says there are some people who will walk into Home Depot and buy whole collections.
However, she also acknowledges many will want to refresh their decor in smaller steps.
“Many people have older pieces that they carry over from year to year.
“You can buy the table with two chairs, or you can buy a couch with two chairs and a coffee table.
“But many people do buy the whole set,” she added, “and we try to keep a design at least for two seasons so that you can add to it.”
She says a great way to update an outdoor look on the cheap is to buy new cushions for older furniture if you’re not ready to make the leap to a new set.
And her design advice for mixing and matching old and new?
Pay attention to common tones.
“You can look for similar materials so you don’t have a clashing colour scheme,” she says.
“And then you can get replacement cushions to refresh your older patio with some of the new things. And all of that is absolutely doable, so you don’t have to feel like you have to discard a whole set.”
Now that is a good thing.
American Girl, Designer Brands Top This Weekend’s Garage Sale Lists
Each Friday, Patch compiles a list of garage sales from Johns Creek, Alpharetta, Roswell and Cumming for you. Simply print out this list and plug the addresses into your gps and get ready to shop. Be sure to bring cash and a way to haul away your purchases this weekend.
JOHNS CREEK:
Ashewoode Downs Drive, Saturday, 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. This sale includes many children’s items such as a Barbie jeep, a kitchen, clothes and toys.
4955 Byers Road, Friday and Saturday, 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.This sale will include clothing, furniture, gym equipment, video games and more.
11750 Windbrooke Way, Saturday and Sunday. This is a moving sale and will include furniture and household items.
12620 Concord Hall Drive, Saturday, 8 a.m. This sale includes baby items, furniture and an above-ground pool.
315 Pennbrooke Trace, Friday and Saturday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.This sale includes many appliances, tools, furniture and decorations.
245 Kirkton Knolls, Friday and Saturday, 8 a.m. This sale will include clothes, tools, electronics, furniture and more.
609 Wales Drive, Saturday, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. This sale includes groceries from stock piling, computer items and electronics.
ALPHARETTA:
233 Mossy Place, Friday and Saturday, 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. This sale will include Thomas the Tank Engine, an iPod Touch, an American Girl and many items that are in new in package to vintage.
4000 block of Tiffany Square, Friday and Saturday, 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. This is a multifamily sale.
11075 Taylors Spring Place, Friday and Saturday, 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. This is a multifamily sale and will include furniture and Christmas decorations.
River Trace Drive, Friday, 8 a.m. to noon and Saturday 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. This sale will include furniture, clothing and organizers.
6541 Maid Marion Close, Friday, 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. This sale will include American Girl items, bikes and much more.
11075 Taylors Spring Place, Friday and Saturday, 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. This sale will include many collectibles.
Crooked Creek neighborhood, Saturday, 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. This is a community sale with the proceeds going to charity.
1620 Gantt Road, Friday and Saturday, 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. This is a moving sale with high-end appliances.
920 Herterton Way, 8 a.m. This is a huge sale with dorm items, clothing, furniture and more.
1010 Arborhill Lane, Saturday, 10 a.m. to noon. This sale will include golf clubs, bunk beds and electronics among the many items for sale.
544 Plymouth Lane, Saturday, 8 a.m. to noon. This sale will include many baby items and clothes as well as electronics and other household goods.
ROSWELL:
685 Rounsaville Road, Friday and Saturday, 8 a.m. The last child just moved out so this couple is selling the leftovers including video games, a computer and furniture.
3119 Denton Place, Friday and Saturday. The people hosting this sale say it is the largest sale out there with many name brand items.
57 Webb St., Saturday, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. This is a neighborhood sale with a large variety of items.
705 Oakstone Drive, Friday and Saturday, 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. This sale includes clothes, toys, household goods and a ride-on lawn mower.
440 Taberwood, Friday and Saturday, 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. This is a moving sale with many items.
Wexford Subdivision, Friday and Saturday, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. This is a multifamily neighborhood sale.
145 Buckthorn Court, Friday and Saturday, 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. This is a large sale that includes electronics, furniture, appliances and holiday items.
3900 Glenraven Court, Friday and Saturday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. This is a large garage sale.
Loch Highland subdivision, Friday and Saturday, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. This sale will have women’s items and some children’s clothes.
4435 Mabry Lane, Friday and Saturday, 8 a.m. This is a moving sale and everything must go.
2005 Shallowford Park Manor, Saturday and Sunday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. This sale includes a lot of furniture.
118 Roswell Commons Way, Friday and Saturday. Many children’s items and furniture will be available.
2065 Darien Drive, Friday and Saturday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. This is a whole house sale.
CUMMING:
5270 Breckinridge lane, Friday and Saturday, 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. This sale will include tall men’s clothing, furniture and a great variety of items.
4045 Delemar Drive. Friday and Saturday, 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. This is a moving sale with office supplies, furniture and more.
4515 Canterbury Court, Friday, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., and Saturday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. This sale includes home school supplies and more.
2435 Cheriton Court, Saturday, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. This is a multifamily sale that includes baby items, household goods and furniture to name a few.
6185 Lakeaires Drive, Saturday, 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. This sale includes many designer items and household goods.
2510 Cambridge Hills Road, Friday and Saturday. This moving sale includes electronics and furniture.
4556 Shiloh Road, Friday and Saturday, 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. This is a huge multi-family sale and many tools will be available.
4520 Concord Village Lane, Friday and Saturday, 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. This is a single-family garage sale.
2830 Astoria Avenue, Friday, 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. This sale includes furniture, decorations and much more.
3006 Kentmere Drive, Friday, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. This sale includes many tools.
7695 Rose Lane, Friday and Saturday, 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. This sale includes many kids items.
This list was compiled from Craigslist.
Rising cost of relocation hampers job market
The battered housing market is roughing up the job market, complicating new hires and long-distance moves.
Nati Harnik, AP
Jacob Whitehead, left, and Isaac Huber, center, load a piece of furniture onto a moving truck with Todd Dowd, right, on June 7, 2011.
Nati Harnik, AP Jacob Whitehead, left, and Isaac Huber, center, load a piece of furniture onto a moving truck with Todd Dowd, right, on June 7, 2011.
Few companies still offer straight-forward benefits including guaranteed buyouts of executives’ homes. Instead, creative new enticements are taking their place: Payments to aggressively market a house, bonuses for selling quickly, financial aid for extended temporary housing. The trick is settling the brightest workers into the best spots, while avoiding exorbitant costs related to homes left behind.
Employees, meanwhile, are having to take new risks or bypass enticing job offers. The leap is especially big for the nearly 25% of U.S. mortgage holders who owe more than their homes are worth — or will likely bring at sale.
Linwood Campbell moved 500 miles from Charlotte, N.C., to take a new job as director of catering at Cincinnati’s Hilton Netherland Plaza hotel.
Campbell, who left behind an unsold home in Charlotte, where houses are slow to sell and his property has lost $30,000 in value in the past three years, has been renting a house locally since May. In Charlotte, he’s still shelling out $450 a month to cover a portion of his mortgage not covered by his new tenant’s rent.
“I wanted to move forward in my career, and I couldn’t pass up this opportunity,” he says. “In this economy, you have to make some hard choices.”
Ultimately, the housing slump may have little impact on employee mobility. Out-of-state moves associated with job opportunities remained steady from 2007 to 2009, according to U.S. Census Bureau data.
“The difference between being unemployed and employed is enormous for people,” says Abigail Wozniak, an assistant economics professor at Notre Dame. “Even when it means they have to take a loss on their house, it’s probably a move they’re going to make.”
But the slump clearly is changing the way job moves are handled.
Companies changing programs
Nationwide, a third of 100 companies across a range of industries said they changed programs in 2009 and 2010 to help relocate employees, according to a survey by Worldwide Employee Relocation Council, a national trade group.
Some companies now offer to pay a portion of the loss of a home sale —” ranging from $10,000 to more than $100,000, depending on the relocating employee’s job status. Other employers are redoubling efforts to hire local talent to forego the moving woes and costs altogether.
Before the recession, employers banked on the fact that a relocating employee’s home would be sold quickly. Once the deal was done, companies frequently covered real estate commissions and closing costs.
Many companies also offered programs known as guaranteed buyouts. Typically using a private third-party firm, the company would assure the purchase of a relocating employee’s home if it didn’t sell in a specified amount of time, usually between 60 and 120 days. The employee would be satisfied, and the employer’s mortgage service could turn a fairly easy sale.
Companies “were much more willing to participate in the real estate costs for employees because they knew almost as soon as you could get the sign in your yard, it would be sold,” says Susan Schneider, president of Worldwide ERC.
But then the housing bubble burst, property values dropped and homes went unsold for extended periods of time. As costs climbed, these relocation benefits became too risky and companies phased them out.
Today, companies are spending more time with employees up front, learning about their real estate commitments before job offers are extended. Rather than a one-size-fits-all relocation program, benefits are decided case by case. That’s one of the biggest changes in relocation practice since the recession, says Shirley Siefert, director of corporate business development at Huff Realty.
“If they’re finding an employee is in tough situation, they really want to know how much the company is going to take on,” Siefert says.
Some companies are even offering to pay a portion of a new hire’s rent to steer the employee away from buying a home, Schneider says. Those benefits most often are extended to employees the company expects to relocate again in the near future, she says.
Since 2007, the average cost to relocate a new hire with a home to sell has increased from $61,900 to $66,600, according to Worldwide ERC. The cost to move current, home-owning employees went from $76,600 to $90,000.
The cost to relocate renters, however, has declined from $18,400 to $17,900. The cost to move current employees who rent is now $20,700, down from $22,200.
“We do see a lot of people going into rental positions who would traditionally be buyers,” Schneider says.
Some perks are coming back
As the economy slowly recovers, and more companies look to hire, some firms are again considering perks offered before the recession.
“Some companies are coming back saying, ‘We have to put guaranteed buy-outs in the program if we’re really serious about getting the talent in the right place,’ ” Schneider says.
Mostly, those benefits are being extended to executive, senior-level hires and relocations.
Companies also are reporting an uptick in planned relocations.
In a recent survey by Atlas Van Lines of 1,000 relocation managers across the U.S., 30% said their company plans to move workers this year — the highest percentage since 2005.
The Midwest is now the top destination of transfers, followed by the Northeast, the South and West, according to the survey.
Survey respondents work in human resources-personnel or relocation services departments for service, manufacturing, wholesale-retail and financial or government organizations.
Locally, Seiffert says she began to see an increase in activity in the third quarter of last year.
“We have companies that have been very quietly relocating employees, and even some of our larger clients are starting to pick up now,” she says. “It’s a very encouraging sign.”
Tips for employees, employers
For employees:
•Carefully consider the relocation package offered. Can you afford to cover moving costs that your firm isn’t providing?
•Be prepared to negotiate. Get estimates for moving trucks, and research the cost of living in the city where you’ll move. Actual costs provide hard evidence when you ask for more relocation assistance.
•Know your home’s value and options. Will renting your home be a more viable option than trying to sell in your market?
•Consider tax benefits of a move. If you’re paying out of pocket, a number of moving expenses and other items can be deducted.
•Be a prepared landlord. If you’re renting your home, consider using a third-party manager to handle services for your new tenants. Also hang on to warranties for major appliances that could help you avoid costly maintenance charges.
For employers:
•Conduct frank, pre-decision talks. Help candidates understand the financial impact of a move before they say yes, including: A realistic sale price for the old home, current market conditions in the new locale, a realistic financing sum. Pre-decision services increase the likelihood of a successful move, reducing attrition among key hires after significant investments are made.
•Mandatory broker selection. Requiring your mobile employees to work with brokers with proven relocation expertise can make all the difference between an expedited sale or lingering liability.
•Provide marketing incentives. Allowances to pay for home repairs before listing a house often pay off with quicker sales.
•List price guidelines. Having guidelines under which employees must sell their homes —” listing at no more than 105 % of the appraised value, for example —” can be valuable for both the employee and the company’s bottom line.
•Carefully select a relocation partner. Consider third parties with sufficient talent, resources and financial stability to handle your program. What sort of value-added services, such as in-house tax and consulting expertise, can they offer?
Posted
Auctions: Clothing, memories, some Biedermeier surprises | Philadelphia …
Two suburban sales over the next few days will offer costumes and memories. A third will feature a piece of furniture made in a style whose name was meant as mockery.
The first costume sale will take place beginning at 10 a.m. Saturday in Horsham, where Andi Charkow will offer more than 900 lots of vintage clothing and accessories at the Horsham VFW, 324 Sawmill Lane.
The top item is a dress worn to the 1909 inaugural ball of President William H. Taft by a guest named Rosemary Arnold, who later became an actress. The dress, which is simple enough in its design but comes with a souvenir program, menu/dance cards, and photos, has a presale estimate of $300, Charkow said this week.
The women’s clothing in the sale spans the eras from the Victorian period to the 1970s, including Edwardian, flapper, and 1940s styles. Nothing is expected to sell for more than $325 and most of the clothing is in “excellent” shape, Charkow said. “People can come buy it and wear it right away.”
Among the men’s apparel are an early-1920s baseball uniform, a beaver top hat, expected to bring $75 to $150, and “a lot of fedoras” from the 1950s.
Preview is from 8:30 a.m. to sale time Saturday. For further information, call 215-356-8413, or to see items go to www.auctionzip.com.
Clothing, nostalgia at Bunch’s. William H. Bunch Auctions and Appraisals will also offer clothing, about three dozen lots including many beaded purses, at its August catalog auction of decorative and fine arts. The sale begins at noon Tuesday at the gallery in Chadds Ford. Bidding has already begun online at www.liveauctioneers.com.
But the prime interest in the 600-lot sale is likely to be in the many items dating to the 1940s, ’50s and ’60s.
There are, for instance, three Schwinn bicycles dating to around 1960: a five-speed green tandem bike with original whitewall tires and a red Spacemaster, each with a presale estimate of $200 to $400, and a classic 1958 boy’s Red Phantom with a single gear and coaster brakes, with a presale estimate of $600 to $800.
Advertising and promotional memorabilia include a variety of Coca-Cola items, a Canada Dry advertising chalkboard sign promising “a flavor for every taste” ($50 to $100), and a Jack Armstrong shooting plane (actually a propeller disk) offered by Gold Medal Foods of Minneapolis ($40 to $60). If memory serves correctly, the 1940s radio show about Armstrong as “the All-American Boy” was sponsored by Gold Medal’s Wheaties, “breakfast of champions.”
Among larger nostalgic items are a 1970s Ronald McDonald seesaw from a McDonald’s rest area with a presale estimate of $300 to $500 and a large, elaborately painted 20th-century carousel horse. The online catalog description does not venture a potential manufacturer but assigns it a presale estimate of $400 to $800.
Toys and collectibles in the sale include a German Lehmann’s wind-up car known as “The Naughty Boy” with a presale estimate of $200 to $300, which at the beginning of the week had already attracted more than a dozen online bids, and an A.C. Williams cast iron bank with a two-sided depiction of an American Indian in headdress. It has a presale estimate of $1,000 to $2,000.
Four-figure items. Among the few other items in the auction with presale estimates in the four figures are an 18th-century Chester County walnut Chippendale slant-front desk ($1,500 to $2,500); a bronze nude statue based on Philadelphia artist Harriet Frishmuth’s Crest of the Wave ($1,000 to $2,000), and a scene of a father playing with a baby and kittens by the 19th-century German painter Hermann Sondermann ($1,500 to $2,500).
There are also more than a dozen works by the Philadelphia-area painter Seymour Zayon with presale estimates in the modest three-figure range – a fraction of what dealers are asking.
Previews are from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday and Monday and 9 a.m. to sale time Tuesday at the gallery at One Hillman Dr. just off Route 202, south of Route 1. For further information call 610-558-1800 or go to www.williambunchauctions.com.
Multi-estate sale at Wilson’s. The piece of furniture made in a style whose name was meant as mockery is a Biedermeier tilt-top table. It will be offered by Wilson’s Auction at a sale beginning at 3 p.m. Wednesday at the gallery in Chester Heights, along with a 2006 Ford Explorer with 40,467 miles and a presale estimate of $8,000 to $10,000, and a 2008 Cadillac with 39,295 miles and a presale estimate of $14,000 to $18,000.
Biedermeier was a German-Austrian furniture design that in theory reflected a rejection of the monumental styles of the Napoleonic era after Napoleon’s final defeat. “The prospering middle classes chose a simpler, more functional style,” according to a Wilson’s news release about the piece. It describes Biedermeier as “essentially empire furniture without its ormolu mounts, heavy gilding and blaring boldness,” and with an original geometric shape sometimes regarded as “the forerunner of modern furniture.”
Biedermeier is sometimes thought to be the name of the furniture’s designer. In fact it was a made-up word combining the German bieder (ordinary) and meier (a common German surname). According to several online accounts, including www.biedermeier-vienna.com, the name appeared in the late 1840s in the Viennese satirical magazine Fliegende Blaetter (Flying Leaves) in articles mocking the furniture styles of the preceding era. “Biedermeier,” in turn, denoted middle-class, comfortable, reliable . . . boring.
The piece to be auctioned Wednesday has a story of its own – about the soft prices for many items now coming on the market.
According to Wilson’s release, the table was originally bought from a New York gallery for $17,600; its presale price estimate on Wednesday is $5,000 to $7,000.
Preview is from noon to 7 p.m. Tuesday at the gallery at 344 Valleybrook Rd. For further information call 610-358-9515 or go to www.wilsonsauction.net.
Contact David Iams at daiams@comcast.net.