After sharing my article highlighting five reasons not to end an online auction early in a recent newsletter, I got a few emails in response. Knowing there might be others who have something to say on this topic, I just created a "Readers Respond" page. If you've got a story to share about ending online auctions early, share them here, or scroll to the bottom of the story mentioned above to find the Readers Respond link.

Always looking for good resources to recommend to fellow jewelry collectors, I looked forward to sitting down with Kovel's Buyers' Guide To Costume Jewelry: Parts 1 & 2 to see what they had to offer. The verdict? Not bad for beginners. What that means is that I didn't find a lot of information advanced collectors would find useful, but that's not really who these booklets were designed to serve. Read more...

While you probably won't hear the name Pickard nearly as often as Limoges, they do have a history that fits together quite nicely. But Pickard Decorating Studios used white ware blanks from other areas well beyond Limoges, France and they purchased them in the U.S., too. In fact, this American company eventually began manufacturing their own china to decorate and they're still in business today. Read more...

I hear stories from time to time about people who ended an online auction early to accept a "buy it now" offer only to find out that the buyer resold the item for big bucks. It's disappointing for the auction seller when this happens, but all I can really say is shame on them for taking the bait. Ending an auction early is one of the biggest mistakes online auction sellers can make, and it's totally avoidable. Read more...