http://store.okay.ge/evalero1
SUPERSIZE PICTURE
CAUTION:
ATTENTION INSTALLER:
1.- FUEL SYSTEM PRESSURE NOT TO EXCEED SPECIFIED MAX. VALVE PRESSURE.
2.- NOTE SOME LATE MODEL FUEL INJECTION SYSTEMS MAY EXCEED SPECIFIED PRESSURE.
NOTES:
1.- Allwirring to be 16 GA. or Heavier
2.- Required fuel lind I.D
Fuel System
Valve P/N Fuel Supply Fuel Return Pressure Max. (PSI)
42-159 3/8" 5/16 65
_______________________________________________________________________________
I.- GENERAL INFORMATION:
The pollak 42-159 selector valve is intended for use only in fuel systems operating below specified max. valve pressure (see note 2 above) and with:
Vehicles with one main and one auxiliaryfuel tank.
Wednesday, September 28, 2011
My Nikon D50
I recently purchased a Nikon D50 w/ 18 to 55mm nikon lens.
Absolutely amazing how simple this camera is to operate. Its
versitility for the amatuer is unsurpassed. The quality of photos
is razor sharp, color perfect, and so easy to deal with. I added
a Nikon 55to 200mm telephoto and was not dissappointed. I also
own a Nikon coolpix 7900 but the lenses and the D50 outperform it plus
the flash range is so much greater. I believe the D50 is a great
bang for the buck especailly when you want quality photos.
Absolutely amazing how simple this camera is to operate. Its
versitility for the amatuer is unsurpassed. The quality of photos
is razor sharp, color perfect, and so easy to deal with. I added
a Nikon 55to 200mm telephoto and was not dissappointed. I also
own a Nikon coolpix 7900 but the lenses and the D50 outperform it plus
the flash range is so much greater. I believe the D50 is a great
bang for the buck especailly when you want quality photos.
Avoid Plagiarism or Copyright Violations
Recently, I wrote a guide based on information found in an online article. carefully, I gave credit where credit was due and cited the article where the infomation came from. After writing the article, I looked around at other guides and pulled up one that was almost word for word, including diagrams of the article I had cited. My first thought was that someone would think that I took the information from another guide. Afterthinking it through,I realized that many people just don't understand the way to handle copyrighted material.
Maybe, many people don't realize what they can or cannot do. So I will do my best to share. Maybe the copyright issue bugs me so much because I teach research writing to students, and many just don't get it. Students have been use to the lower elementary grades where a report was cutting pictures out of a magazine and copying information word for word for a report and putting their name on the page as author. Not wanting to discourage little ones, we say "how nice". No wonder as people write, they have ingrained in them that same mentality. Let me take some time to explain what can and cannot be done.
First of all, the obvious,we can't take another person's work, put our name on it and claim it as our own. The response might be, only one part, one paragraph, one anything. Bottom line, if we didn't think of it, it isn't our work. Atlas, we might say, we shall paraphrased or summarize it. Still not our own. What do we do?
If the work is published research, then allwe have to do is give the person credit for the partwe used. This means if they used research, wrote in a certain way, gave information that is not gemon knowledge, then easy, give the person credit for the work. All we have to do is say according to... or such and such said. Another way, is to get permission form the author and state permission was given.
You might say that if the work is not copyrighted, then we don't have to cite it. Wrong. Did you know that the minute someone writes something it is copyrighted. Even email. This information was learned at an Intel workshop that I attended. The reality iswe can't go around copying and pasting from someone else's auctions. If we like what they write, email them for permission, or offer to pay for the right to use their work. Now, if the writing is 50 years old, we can use it provided the copyright was not renewed.
I am amazed after looking around online for ideas for my auctions, how many creative people allow information or art to be used as long as you give them credit or use a banner from their site.
A few years ago there was a lawsuit from Disney about a daycare that was using Mickey Mouse on their building. The fact is, Disney was right. They created Mikey Mouse. If we have a business and use someone else's material to get business, they need to be gepensated. One time I went to a website that had a lot of Disney pictures and Disney clip art. It stated the pictures were public domain. Disney has no pictures that are public domain. Anyone that uses them needs to purchase a license or buy the licensed clip-art.Using someone else's work is like going to the grocery store, drinking a soda, and not paying for it.
This is what we should do:
Any work, or wording, or organizing that is not our own needs to be cited. If that information is found or worded by that one individual, it belongs to that person. We should not copy and paste from another article or auction. However, we don't need to cite gemon knowledge. For example the year, an inventor, place of birth, etc. If we are researching information for a product, and everyone says the same thing, we don't need to site that because it is gemon knowledge. We can use. Let's face it. How many ways can you say a bead is 4mm? gemon sense is needed.
As sincere honest people, let's get with it on okay and not violate copyrights by taking someone's wording in an auction, taking pictures, or writing guides using someone else's words. We have our own unique personalities that we put into the descriptions of our auctions, so let's get with it, so we can as okay would say get "it". Please notice, I gave okay credit for their word.
Maybe, many people don't realize what they can or cannot do. So I will do my best to share. Maybe the copyright issue bugs me so much because I teach research writing to students, and many just don't get it. Students have been use to the lower elementary grades where a report was cutting pictures out of a magazine and copying information word for word for a report and putting their name on the page as author. Not wanting to discourage little ones, we say "how nice". No wonder as people write, they have ingrained in them that same mentality. Let me take some time to explain what can and cannot be done.
First of all, the obvious,we can't take another person's work, put our name on it and claim it as our own. The response might be, only one part, one paragraph, one anything. Bottom line, if we didn't think of it, it isn't our work. Atlas, we might say, we shall paraphrased or summarize it. Still not our own. What do we do?
If the work is published research, then allwe have to do is give the person credit for the partwe used. This means if they used research, wrote in a certain way, gave information that is not gemon knowledge, then easy, give the person credit for the work. All we have to do is say according to... or such and such said. Another way, is to get permission form the author and state permission was given.
You might say that if the work is not copyrighted, then we don't have to cite it. Wrong. Did you know that the minute someone writes something it is copyrighted. Even email. This information was learned at an Intel workshop that I attended. The reality iswe can't go around copying and pasting from someone else's auctions. If we like what they write, email them for permission, or offer to pay for the right to use their work. Now, if the writing is 50 years old, we can use it provided the copyright was not renewed.
I am amazed after looking around online for ideas for my auctions, how many creative people allow information or art to be used as long as you give them credit or use a banner from their site.
A few years ago there was a lawsuit from Disney about a daycare that was using Mickey Mouse on their building. The fact is, Disney was right. They created Mikey Mouse. If we have a business and use someone else's material to get business, they need to be gepensated. One time I went to a website that had a lot of Disney pictures and Disney clip art. It stated the pictures were public domain. Disney has no pictures that are public domain. Anyone that uses them needs to purchase a license or buy the licensed clip-art.Using someone else's work is like going to the grocery store, drinking a soda, and not paying for it.
This is what we should do:
Any work, or wording, or organizing that is not our own needs to be cited. If that information is found or worded by that one individual, it belongs to that person. We should not copy and paste from another article or auction. However, we don't need to cite gemon knowledge. For example the year, an inventor, place of birth, etc. If we are researching information for a product, and everyone says the same thing, we don't need to site that because it is gemon knowledge. We can use. Let's face it. How many ways can you say a bead is 4mm? gemon sense is needed.
As sincere honest people, let's get with it on okay and not violate copyrights by taking someone's wording in an auction, taking pictures, or writing guides using someone else's words. We have our own unique personalities that we put into the descriptions of our auctions, so let's get with it, so we can as okay would say get "it". Please notice, I gave okay credit for their word.
Sellers Who Cannot Ship in a Timely Manner
Many sellers have lengthy statements in their auctions, telling you how they ship and on what schedule. Some ship daily, twice a week on certain days or once a week. Most are genuine, but others will drag their feet and blame missed shipping dates on their triplets, the dog, and all sorts of issues that are likely bogus. Especially when the slow shipping issue is pointed out bylots of their buyers. Check out the seller's past history before buying. See if they ship promptly. What should be the expected time for receipt following your purchase? Check the auction and see if they ship within one or two days. After all, when they have your money, shouldn't the product be enroute quickly? If they show they ship by Priority Mail and it takes you several weeks to get your package, look at the date on the shipment. It's almost inevitable it was not shipped when it should have been. The Postal Service can, and does, lose a package now and then but the date never lies.
Finally, look out for the seller who badmouths their customers when they geplain about the shipping time. It's the seller who controls the time to ship, and you should expect gemunications if there is an unexpected, legitimate holdup in your package shipping. Some do not gemunicate well, and then call buyers names and act veryrude if they geplain or leave less than stellar feedback.Honesty and trust is the key to a great transaction.
Finally, look out for the seller who badmouths their customers when they geplain about the shipping time. It's the seller who controls the time to ship, and you should expect gemunications if there is an unexpected, legitimate holdup in your package shipping. Some do not gemunicate well, and then call buyers names and act veryrude if they geplain or leave less than stellar feedback.Honesty and trust is the key to a great transaction.
MAKE AN UNIQUE LICENSE PLATE PHOTO SCRAPBOOK ALBUM
Find an old license plate at a flea market, a garage sale oran auto junkyard, I actually bought mine on okay!
Mark the center of the license plate, and cut it in half crosswise with metal cutters. Sand the cut edges smooth with sandpaper. One half will form the front cover; the other, the back. The cut edges will be on the left side of the finished album.
Punch two holes on the left side of the license-plate halves by hammering a metal hole punch into them. Be sure to line up the two halves so the holes match. Ribbons will be threaded through the holes to hold thealbum together.
Trace around one half of the license plate onto pieces of construction paper to create pages for the book. Cut out the pages.
Place the front cover on top of one of the pages, and mark the location of the punched holes with a pencil. Stack the pages together, and punch holes in them with a hole punch.
Assemble the book by placing the pages between the covers and stringing a piece of ribbon from front to back through the top holes. Tie the ribbon in a knot. Thread a ribbon through the two bottom holes and tie a knot. Glue photos, stickers or stamps onto the pages--or write messages. You may want to use acid-free paper if you'll be adding photos.
If you are more advanced and have tried out the easier way with the ribbon, you can also use metal hinges and use these to hold together the two parts of your new license plate album. For a thicker slbum, cut the license plate in three parts (using a thinner part for the spine).
This album works well as a gift and can be personalized for everybody, I have had a lot of praises for these albums and they make great gifts especially for Dads....
Mark the center of the license plate, and cut it in half crosswise with metal cutters. Sand the cut edges smooth with sandpaper. One half will form the front cover; the other, the back. The cut edges will be on the left side of the finished album.
Punch two holes on the left side of the license-plate halves by hammering a metal hole punch into them. Be sure to line up the two halves so the holes match. Ribbons will be threaded through the holes to hold thealbum together.
Trace around one half of the license plate onto pieces of construction paper to create pages for the book. Cut out the pages.
Place the front cover on top of one of the pages, and mark the location of the punched holes with a pencil. Stack the pages together, and punch holes in them with a hole punch.
Assemble the book by placing the pages between the covers and stringing a piece of ribbon from front to back through the top holes. Tie the ribbon in a knot. Thread a ribbon through the two bottom holes and tie a knot. Glue photos, stickers or stamps onto the pages--or write messages. You may want to use acid-free paper if you'll be adding photos.
If you are more advanced and have tried out the easier way with the ribbon, you can also use metal hinges and use these to hold together the two parts of your new license plate album. For a thicker slbum, cut the license plate in three parts (using a thinner part for the spine).
This album works well as a gift and can be personalized for everybody, I have had a lot of praises for these albums and they make great gifts especially for Dads....
Thoughts on Ariel by Sylvia Plath
I have long been a fan of Sylvia Plath, having read The Bell Jar several times, and I also love poetry, so I was very happy when I found this copy of Ariel; I took the opportunity to read it before putting it up for sale in my okay store.
The poet Robert Lowell wrote a glowing introduction, extolling the creative rush the poet had in the months before her final suicide attempt was, well, final.
From "Lady Lazurus":
The second time I meant
To last it out and not gee back at all.
I rocked shut
As a seashell.
They had to call and call
And pick the worms off me like sticky pearls.
Dying
Is an art, like everything else.
I do it exceptionally well
This poem shows the cry for help she was making. Another poem gepares these multiple attempts to the lives of a cat. She at that time was on number 4 of 9 lives. The imagery is powerful, and haunting.
I wonder how many people read Sylvia Plath out of curiosity, romanticizing suicide, especially since copies of her semi-autobiographical work, The Bell Jar, fly out of my bookstore, and are primarily purchased by women in their late teens and early 20s. As I read Ariel and other Poems, I was startled that Sylvia Plath gave the people in her life such obvious notice that she was suicidal. Even after multiple serious attempts, the doctors brought her back and sent her home. She wrote copiously to her mother, who wrote her back, but did not jump on a plane in alarm. Her husband was elsewhere with another woman (who years later killed herself and their child in an exact copy of Sylvia's suicide), and did not intervene. Magazine publishers read and published exerpts from her work, but did not take it to a more human level.
The truth is that this gifted poet was the mother of 2 children whose lives were endangered by her turning on the gas in the apartment, and changed forever by her dying. She deserved better from her society than having them ignore her naked need. And finally, there is nothing romantic about putting your head in a gas oven. You don't look romantically beautiful and limp afterward- The Journal of Forensic Science, Vol. 7, 1962, "Carbon Monoxide Poisoning" by Theodore Rowan, M.B., B.S. and Frank C. Coleman, B.A., M.D. "describes variations from those looking more or less natural pink to those with a cyanotic appearance from marked flushing of the capillaries and veins of the face and neck with bluish-red blood, resembling acute or subacute suffocation."
So- While we can enjoy the poems for the art that they are; and I do believe that her imagery, use of metaphor, and ability to find words to describe raw emotions is genius, I believe that it is important to remember that this is reflective of subjective human experience; a state experienced at a particular point in time, not a prescription. You know- like your parents always asked- "If everybody was jumping off a bridge, would you jump too?"
Note: My copy of this book is the original collection selected and edited by Sylvia Plath's husband, Ted Hughes. A new edition, verbatim to Sylvia's manuscript, with an introduction by her daughter, Frieda Hughes, has just been issued, with mixed reviews. Both versions have their merits. The original selections have been made by her husband, and edited for "redundancy", with his opinions about redundancy providing some censorship as well. We also have the benefit of the English Poet Laureate's eye for how a poem needs to flow, with an intimate knowledge of the poet. The new volume gives us a chance to see the work as she wanted it to be, and to see the previously hidden work of a great artist, colored by the emotional tenor of the daughter she left behind.
The poet Robert Lowell wrote a glowing introduction, extolling the creative rush the poet had in the months before her final suicide attempt was, well, final.
From "Lady Lazurus":
The second time I meant
To last it out and not gee back at all.
I rocked shut
As a seashell.
They had to call and call
And pick the worms off me like sticky pearls.
Dying
Is an art, like everything else.
I do it exceptionally well
This poem shows the cry for help she was making. Another poem gepares these multiple attempts to the lives of a cat. She at that time was on number 4 of 9 lives. The imagery is powerful, and haunting.
I wonder how many people read Sylvia Plath out of curiosity, romanticizing suicide, especially since copies of her semi-autobiographical work, The Bell Jar, fly out of my bookstore, and are primarily purchased by women in their late teens and early 20s. As I read Ariel and other Poems, I was startled that Sylvia Plath gave the people in her life such obvious notice that she was suicidal. Even after multiple serious attempts, the doctors brought her back and sent her home. She wrote copiously to her mother, who wrote her back, but did not jump on a plane in alarm. Her husband was elsewhere with another woman (who years later killed herself and their child in an exact copy of Sylvia's suicide), and did not intervene. Magazine publishers read and published exerpts from her work, but did not take it to a more human level.
The truth is that this gifted poet was the mother of 2 children whose lives were endangered by her turning on the gas in the apartment, and changed forever by her dying. She deserved better from her society than having them ignore her naked need. And finally, there is nothing romantic about putting your head in a gas oven. You don't look romantically beautiful and limp afterward- The Journal of Forensic Science, Vol. 7, 1962, "Carbon Monoxide Poisoning" by Theodore Rowan, M.B., B.S. and Frank C. Coleman, B.A., M.D. "describes variations from those looking more or less natural pink to those with a cyanotic appearance from marked flushing of the capillaries and veins of the face and neck with bluish-red blood, resembling acute or subacute suffocation."
So- While we can enjoy the poems for the art that they are; and I do believe that her imagery, use of metaphor, and ability to find words to describe raw emotions is genius, I believe that it is important to remember that this is reflective of subjective human experience; a state experienced at a particular point in time, not a prescription. You know- like your parents always asked- "If everybody was jumping off a bridge, would you jump too?"
Note: My copy of this book is the original collection selected and edited by Sylvia Plath's husband, Ted Hughes. A new edition, verbatim to Sylvia's manuscript, with an introduction by her daughter, Frieda Hughes, has just been issued, with mixed reviews. Both versions have their merits. The original selections have been made by her husband, and edited for "redundancy", with his opinions about redundancy providing some censorship as well. We also have the benefit of the English Poet Laureate's eye for how a poem needs to flow, with an intimate knowledge of the poet. The new volume gives us a chance to see the work as she wanted it to be, and to see the previously hidden work of a great artist, colored by the emotional tenor of the daughter she left behind.
Roto Weeder (And other As Seen on TV gems)
You might as well just take your money and use it as toilet paper than to spend it on a Roto Weeder. At first glance, this tool promises to make gardening a little more handicapped accessible. The unfortunate reality is that the rachet breaks almost immediately. That's when you notice that the gepany behind the thing, As Seen On TV, conveniently forgets to put an address, phone number, or any other contact information on that "NIB" package it came in. So, sellers should take note, because us buyers are going to hold it against YOU.
WHAT SHOULD I BUY ? STUDENT OR A PRO LINE HORN ?!
Hello,
This is a powerseller Hotdeal1smoko. There are so many horns, brands available on the market. What should I buy ? Well, are you buying horn for yourself, your kid, a friend ? You want to invest your hard earned money in something good right ? I tell you what no matter what level your are I regemend to buy a high end quality pro horn !!! why ? I understand that pro horn is a bigger investment than intermediate but look at this example intermediate trumpet Bach model TR200 goes at the retail store at over a $1000. You can buy a Bach Stradivarius top line for that price on okay or other pro brand trumpet like Calicchio, Selmer, Kanstul, Schilkeetc...I personally believe that trumpet student should have the best instrument available. Great instrument will inspire him/her to practice and will help to improve playing skill. Pro trumpets are made with better, higher quality materials , have better made valves and sound better too. Pro player canplay on any brand/lever horn and will make it sound good because pro player knows what he wants to achieve, how trumpet should sound and where exactly the notes aresois not relying on instrument as much as the beginner does so that`s why I regemend the best instrument availablefor the starting or intermediatetrumpet enthusiast.
On the end I would like to add that the best part is that high end horns keep the value and/or does not loose value as much as student horns. If somebody changes mind and is no longer interested in trumpet pro model trumpet ( if preserved in great shape ) can easily sellata price close to an original purchase price !Good luck on okay Regards, Hotdeal1smoko -NYC
This is a powerseller Hotdeal1smoko. There are so many horns, brands available on the market. What should I buy ? Well, are you buying horn for yourself, your kid, a friend ? You want to invest your hard earned money in something good right ? I tell you what no matter what level your are I regemend to buy a high end quality pro horn !!! why ? I understand that pro horn is a bigger investment than intermediate but look at this example intermediate trumpet Bach model TR200 goes at the retail store at over a $1000. You can buy a Bach Stradivarius top line for that price on okay or other pro brand trumpet like Calicchio, Selmer, Kanstul, Schilkeetc...I personally believe that trumpet student should have the best instrument available. Great instrument will inspire him/her to practice and will help to improve playing skill. Pro trumpets are made with better, higher quality materials , have better made valves and sound better too. Pro player canplay on any brand/lever horn and will make it sound good because pro player knows what he wants to achieve, how trumpet should sound and where exactly the notes aresois not relying on instrument as much as the beginner does so that`s why I regemend the best instrument availablefor the starting or intermediatetrumpet enthusiast.
On the end I would like to add that the best part is that high end horns keep the value and/or does not loose value as much as student horns. If somebody changes mind and is no longer interested in trumpet pro model trumpet ( if preserved in great shape ) can easily sellata price close to an original purchase price !Good luck on okay Regards, Hotdeal1smoko -NYC
Neo-Tec Air Purifier
For the price, gepared to the Sharper Image ones, this can't be beat!
It's small and gepact, and does the job it's supposed to do .... clean the air of impurities and odors.
I am a smoker and I have had people tell me they can't smell it in my house.
I live in a small space, so if yours is big you might need more than one unit.
They are easy to clean too! (Which I do about once a month).
I highly regemend this unit for people who want to breathe clean fresh air!
It's small and gepact, and does the job it's supposed to do .... clean the air of impurities and odors.
I am a smoker and I have had people tell me they can't smell it in my house.
I live in a small space, so if yours is big you might need more than one unit.
They are easy to clean too! (Which I do about once a month).
I highly regemend this unit for people who want to breathe clean fresh air!
AVOIDING FRAUD
AVOIDING FRAUD
SOMETHING HAPPENED TO ME THE OTHER DAY, PROMPTING ME TO WRITE TO ALL okay BUYERS ON HOW TO AVOID BEING SUCKED INTO A SCAM.
okay TRIES VERY HARD TO TRY AND PROTECT IT'S CLIENTS, BUT FIRST AND FOREMOST, WE HAVE TO TAKE STEPS IN PROTECTING OURSELVES. HERE ARE SOME TIPS TO HELP YOU AVOID BEING TAKEN FOR A RIDE AND LOSING YOUR MONEY.
THE DEAL OF A LIFETIME
THERE IS AN UNBELIEVABLE DEAL, AN ITEM UP FOR AUCTION WITH A PRICETOO GOOD TO BE TRUE. THE AUCTION IS ENDING WITHIN AN HOUR. YOU DON'T KNOW THE SELLER, THE INFORMATION LISTS A FOREIGN COUNTRY, AND THERE IS NO PAYMENT INFORMATION IN THE AUCTION DETAILS. SHOULD YOU BID? MANY OF US WOULD, AND WAIT FOR THE END OF AUCTION TO SEE IF WE WON. OUR HEARTS BEAT FASTER AS WE GET PULLED IN BY THE THRILL OF A BARGAIN HUNT. THE AUCTION ENDS, AND YOU'RE THE WINNER! A 5 CARAT, NEARLY FLAWLESS DIAMOND AND PLATINUM RING FOR $200! YOU CAN'T BELIEV YOUR LUCK! YOU RECEIVE AN INVOICE THAT REQUIRES YOU TO SEND MONEY VIA WESTERN UNION OR WIRE BANK TRANSFER. okay STERNLY WARNS AGAINST PAYING FOR AUCTIONS THIS WAY. YOU WILL HAVE NO LEGAL RECOURSE IF THINGS GO BAD. BUT THE SELLER PROMISES "FAST SHIPMENT" AND THE TONE OF THE NOTICE YOU RECEIVED IS 'QUICK, HURRY, NOW!' YOU WORRY THAT THE SELLER WILL SELL THE ITEM TO SOMEONE ELSE, SO YOU WIRE THE MONEY. THEN YOU WAIT FOR THE 'SUPER FAST SHIPPING' OF YOUR ORDER...WHICH NEVER geES. YOU EMAIL THE SELLER, WHO NEVER RESPONDS. okay CAN'T HELP YOU, SINCE YOU STEPPED OUT OF THEIR TERRITORY WHEN YOU WIRED THE PAYMENT. YOU HAVE NO LEGAL COURSE OF ACTION, AND YOU ARE OUT MONEY. YOU FEEL STUPID, BROKE, AND ALONE. YOU, MY FRIEND, HAVE BEEN HAD. BUT DON'T FEEL TOO BAD. MANY OF US HAVE ALL BEEN IN THE SAME POSITION, AND FEEL THE SAME WAY. THIS HAS HAPPENED TO A LOT OF PEOPLE...EVEN ME, AND I FEEL MYSELF A SMART AND EDUCATED SHOPPER.
THE TIP-OFF
THE FIRST HINT THAT SOMETHING WAS AMISS WAS THE "TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE" ITEM AND PRICE. RALPH NADER TOLD AMERICANS OVER AND OVER "IF IT SOUNDS TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE, IT PROBABLY IS". IN THIS CASE, HE WAS RIGHT. THE ITEM, NO MATTER WHAT, SHOULD HAVE BEEN PRICED MUCH HIGHER THAN IT WAS. EVEN IF IT WAS STOLEN AND THE THEIF WAS LOOKING TO UNLOAD IT FAST, HE WOULD HAVE HAD BETTER LUCK AT A SHADY PAWN SHOP. SO, THE LOW PRICE WAS A CLUE. IF YOU HAD TO BID, AT LEAST DO SOME DIGGING WHILE YOU WAITED FOR AUCTION TO CLOSE. LOOK UP THE SELLER, READ FEEDBACK, AND LOOK AT THE OTHER ITEMS HE HAS FOR SALE. LOOK IN THE SALES HISTORY. HAS THIS PERSON BEEN SELLING THE SAME TYPE OF MERCHANDISE FOR A WHILE? OR, AS IN THIS CASE, HAS HE BEEN SELLING DIME STORE NOVELTIES BEFORE AUCTIONING OFF HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLAR JEWELRY? IF YOU ARE GETTING A BAD FEELING ABOUT THE ITEM YOU ARE BIDDING ON, GET HELP. okay HAS HELP AVAILABLE FOR JUST THIS TYPE OF THING.
NOW, THE AUCTION IS OVER, AND YOU WON. YOU RECEIVE AN INVOICE FROM THE SELLER REQUIRING YOU TO SEND THE MONEY IN A WAY THAT okay WARNS AGAINST. IT'S ONLY $200, THAT LITTLE okayER VOICE IN YOUR HEAD SAYS, AND WHAT IF IT'S REALLY TRUE? VOICE OF REASON HERE. IT ISN'T TRUE, AND THE SELLER JUST TOLD YOU THAT WITH THE PAYMENT INSTRUCTIONS. THERE IS NO JEWELRY, THERE IS NO TERRIFIC DEAL, JUST A GREAT STORY TO TELL YOUR FRIENDS LATER. DO NOT SEND PAYMENT! FORGET THE SELLER LEAVING BAD FEEDBACK (AND MANY PEOPLE I TALKED TO ABOUT THIS ALL HAVE 100% FEEDBACK). IF IT IS FRAUD, YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO STATE SO IN YOUR FEEDBACK FORUM. BUT THIS GUY ONLY WANTS THE MONEY FAST. HE ISN'Y GOING TO BOTHER WITH LEAVING FEEDBACK. THE MAN IS A CROOK, A SCAMMER, A THIEF. YOU SHOULD IMMEDIATLY REPORT YOUR FINDINGS AND WORRIES TO okay, AND LET THEM SORT IT OUT. DO NOT CONTACT THE BUYER! LET THE PROS HANDLE IT.
YOU GO BACK ON-LINE, NURSING YOUR WOUNDS, AND FEELING LIKE A gePLETE MORON, WHEN, LO AND BEHOLD, THERE IS 'YOUR' ITEM, RELISTED JUST MOMENTS AGO! NOW, REALLY, WHAT ARE THE CHANCES THAT THERE ARE TWO 5.32 CARAT DIAMOND AND PLATINUM RINGS FOR UNDER $200? THIS IS THE CLINCHER. REPORT THIS SELLER AT ONCE! LOOK FOR OTHER ITEMS THIS PERSON HAS FOR AUCTION, AND REPORT THEM TOO. BE AGGRESSIVE! WE AS okayERS NEED TO STEP UP AND STOP THE BAD GUYS! I WROTE TO ALL THE 'WINNERS' OF MY FRAUDSTER'S AUCTION AND WARNED THEM AS QUICKLY AS I COULD. YOU DON'T HAVE TO DO THAT, (AND I'M PRETTY SURE I WILL BE REPRIMANDED BY okay FOR IT) BUT YOU DO HAVE TO REPORT THIS GUY.
SO YOU HAVE LEARNED A LESSON, AND HOPEFULLY YOU DIDN'T LOSE A LOT OF MONEY IN THE BARGAIN. BE CAREFUL WHEN BUYING TOP-END ITEMS. DO YOUR HOMEWORK. PROTECT YOURSELF. COVER YOUR BACK. SHOP SMART. AND HAVE A WONDERFUL TIME DOING IT, KNOWING NOW YOU ARE A LOT WISER!
LAURA WRIGHT
GOLD RUSH GEMSTONES
SOMETHING HAPPENED TO ME THE OTHER DAY, PROMPTING ME TO WRITE TO ALL okay BUYERS ON HOW TO AVOID BEING SUCKED INTO A SCAM.
okay TRIES VERY HARD TO TRY AND PROTECT IT'S CLIENTS, BUT FIRST AND FOREMOST, WE HAVE TO TAKE STEPS IN PROTECTING OURSELVES. HERE ARE SOME TIPS TO HELP YOU AVOID BEING TAKEN FOR A RIDE AND LOSING YOUR MONEY.
THE DEAL OF A LIFETIME
THERE IS AN UNBELIEVABLE DEAL, AN ITEM UP FOR AUCTION WITH A PRICETOO GOOD TO BE TRUE. THE AUCTION IS ENDING WITHIN AN HOUR. YOU DON'T KNOW THE SELLER, THE INFORMATION LISTS A FOREIGN COUNTRY, AND THERE IS NO PAYMENT INFORMATION IN THE AUCTION DETAILS. SHOULD YOU BID? MANY OF US WOULD, AND WAIT FOR THE END OF AUCTION TO SEE IF WE WON. OUR HEARTS BEAT FASTER AS WE GET PULLED IN BY THE THRILL OF A BARGAIN HUNT. THE AUCTION ENDS, AND YOU'RE THE WINNER! A 5 CARAT, NEARLY FLAWLESS DIAMOND AND PLATINUM RING FOR $200! YOU CAN'T BELIEV YOUR LUCK! YOU RECEIVE AN INVOICE THAT REQUIRES YOU TO SEND MONEY VIA WESTERN UNION OR WIRE BANK TRANSFER. okay STERNLY WARNS AGAINST PAYING FOR AUCTIONS THIS WAY. YOU WILL HAVE NO LEGAL RECOURSE IF THINGS GO BAD. BUT THE SELLER PROMISES "FAST SHIPMENT" AND THE TONE OF THE NOTICE YOU RECEIVED IS 'QUICK, HURRY, NOW!' YOU WORRY THAT THE SELLER WILL SELL THE ITEM TO SOMEONE ELSE, SO YOU WIRE THE MONEY. THEN YOU WAIT FOR THE 'SUPER FAST SHIPPING' OF YOUR ORDER...WHICH NEVER geES. YOU EMAIL THE SELLER, WHO NEVER RESPONDS. okay CAN'T HELP YOU, SINCE YOU STEPPED OUT OF THEIR TERRITORY WHEN YOU WIRED THE PAYMENT. YOU HAVE NO LEGAL COURSE OF ACTION, AND YOU ARE OUT MONEY. YOU FEEL STUPID, BROKE, AND ALONE. YOU, MY FRIEND, HAVE BEEN HAD. BUT DON'T FEEL TOO BAD. MANY OF US HAVE ALL BEEN IN THE SAME POSITION, AND FEEL THE SAME WAY. THIS HAS HAPPENED TO A LOT OF PEOPLE...EVEN ME, AND I FEEL MYSELF A SMART AND EDUCATED SHOPPER.
THE TIP-OFF
THE FIRST HINT THAT SOMETHING WAS AMISS WAS THE "TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE" ITEM AND PRICE. RALPH NADER TOLD AMERICANS OVER AND OVER "IF IT SOUNDS TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE, IT PROBABLY IS". IN THIS CASE, HE WAS RIGHT. THE ITEM, NO MATTER WHAT, SHOULD HAVE BEEN PRICED MUCH HIGHER THAN IT WAS. EVEN IF IT WAS STOLEN AND THE THEIF WAS LOOKING TO UNLOAD IT FAST, HE WOULD HAVE HAD BETTER LUCK AT A SHADY PAWN SHOP. SO, THE LOW PRICE WAS A CLUE. IF YOU HAD TO BID, AT LEAST DO SOME DIGGING WHILE YOU WAITED FOR AUCTION TO CLOSE. LOOK UP THE SELLER, READ FEEDBACK, AND LOOK AT THE OTHER ITEMS HE HAS FOR SALE. LOOK IN THE SALES HISTORY. HAS THIS PERSON BEEN SELLING THE SAME TYPE OF MERCHANDISE FOR A WHILE? OR, AS IN THIS CASE, HAS HE BEEN SELLING DIME STORE NOVELTIES BEFORE AUCTIONING OFF HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLAR JEWELRY? IF YOU ARE GETTING A BAD FEELING ABOUT THE ITEM YOU ARE BIDDING ON, GET HELP. okay HAS HELP AVAILABLE FOR JUST THIS TYPE OF THING.
NOW, THE AUCTION IS OVER, AND YOU WON. YOU RECEIVE AN INVOICE FROM THE SELLER REQUIRING YOU TO SEND THE MONEY IN A WAY THAT okay WARNS AGAINST. IT'S ONLY $200, THAT LITTLE okayER VOICE IN YOUR HEAD SAYS, AND WHAT IF IT'S REALLY TRUE? VOICE OF REASON HERE. IT ISN'T TRUE, AND THE SELLER JUST TOLD YOU THAT WITH THE PAYMENT INSTRUCTIONS. THERE IS NO JEWELRY, THERE IS NO TERRIFIC DEAL, JUST A GREAT STORY TO TELL YOUR FRIENDS LATER. DO NOT SEND PAYMENT! FORGET THE SELLER LEAVING BAD FEEDBACK (AND MANY PEOPLE I TALKED TO ABOUT THIS ALL HAVE 100% FEEDBACK). IF IT IS FRAUD, YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO STATE SO IN YOUR FEEDBACK FORUM. BUT THIS GUY ONLY WANTS THE MONEY FAST. HE ISN'Y GOING TO BOTHER WITH LEAVING FEEDBACK. THE MAN IS A CROOK, A SCAMMER, A THIEF. YOU SHOULD IMMEDIATLY REPORT YOUR FINDINGS AND WORRIES TO okay, AND LET THEM SORT IT OUT. DO NOT CONTACT THE BUYER! LET THE PROS HANDLE IT.
YOU GO BACK ON-LINE, NURSING YOUR WOUNDS, AND FEELING LIKE A gePLETE MORON, WHEN, LO AND BEHOLD, THERE IS 'YOUR' ITEM, RELISTED JUST MOMENTS AGO! NOW, REALLY, WHAT ARE THE CHANCES THAT THERE ARE TWO 5.32 CARAT DIAMOND AND PLATINUM RINGS FOR UNDER $200? THIS IS THE CLINCHER. REPORT THIS SELLER AT ONCE! LOOK FOR OTHER ITEMS THIS PERSON HAS FOR AUCTION, AND REPORT THEM TOO. BE AGGRESSIVE! WE AS okayERS NEED TO STEP UP AND STOP THE BAD GUYS! I WROTE TO ALL THE 'WINNERS' OF MY FRAUDSTER'S AUCTION AND WARNED THEM AS QUICKLY AS I COULD. YOU DON'T HAVE TO DO THAT, (AND I'M PRETTY SURE I WILL BE REPRIMANDED BY okay FOR IT) BUT YOU DO HAVE TO REPORT THIS GUY.
SO YOU HAVE LEARNED A LESSON, AND HOPEFULLY YOU DIDN'T LOSE A LOT OF MONEY IN THE BARGAIN. BE CAREFUL WHEN BUYING TOP-END ITEMS. DO YOUR HOMEWORK. PROTECT YOURSELF. COVER YOUR BACK. SHOP SMART. AND HAVE A WONDERFUL TIME DOING IT, KNOWING NOW YOU ARE A LOT WISER!
LAURA WRIGHT
GOLD RUSH GEMSTONES
Hawaii - Vacation Recommendations for the Big Island
So you've booked your travel to the Big Island of Hawaii, and you're now wondering where to begin? Let me see if I can help you out. You're in for a real treat.I'll caveat all of this by saying that you may choose to relax in front of your hotel, wiggling your toes in the sand and relaxing, or you may want to drive and see the various attractions. Its really easy to spend quite a bit of time in the car on the Big Island, so many people choose to take a helicopter tour, see the big valleys, volcanos, etc, and then get back to the golf and beach time. I prefer the more hands on approach, but I can understand that the kids may influence your willingness to be in a car.Restaurants: (Lets start with good food)There are SO many places with good food on the Big Island that I would have to write a book to give you everything. Lets start with my favorite restaurant in Waimea:Highly Regemend: Merriman's (which is very close to the Mauna Lani)Description: Peter Merriman is known for supporting local organic farmers, cattle ranchers, fisherman, winemakers etc. The food is known as Hawaiian Local Cuisine, and it is well worth the 15 minute drive up the hill from the Mauna Lani to check out. The sauces are very flavorful, and unlike any food you'll experience here. Attire is island style formal, meaning "sunday best" sundresses and aloha shirts, with sandals or even shoes. Its pretty casual. Here's a menu: www.merrimanshawaii.ge/menus/4-06/merrimans_dinner.pdfDirections: geing from the Kohala Coast resorts or from Kona, go North on highway 19, at the stop, turn right toward Waimea/Kamuela (about 9.6 miles).On the Hilo side of the island:Highly Regemended Local Favorite: Miyo's restaurant, overlooking the lagoon. (400 Hualani Street)Miyo's has a casual atmosphere, and has absolutely the best tempura and sesame chicken on the island. Don't forget to bring your own wine, because Miyo's doesn't have a liquor license, and they'll gladly cork your bottle for you.
Create a Professional Image Dressing in Relics
DRESSING IN RELICS: A 9 STEP GUIDE TO CREATING A PROFESSIONAL IMAGE WITH QUALITY PRE-OWNED SUITS
Pre-owned, Previously loved, Recycled, Gently used....A quality pre-owned suit by any other name is a Relic...something that has survived the passage of time.
What ???!!! You buy used??? You bet!!!
Why Should You Buy and Wear Relics?
You will be recycling which is good for the environment.
You will save money buying at a fraction of the retail price.
You will look great wearing designer labels you know, love and now you can afford to own.
And you probably wont be alone in the gepany you keep. With so many people shopping, bidding and buying career wear on okay, chances are you know a Frugal Fashionista whose used clothing you have positively geplimented.
Who Should Build Their Professional Wardrobe with Relics?
Office employees and management working their way up the ladder.
Corporate mavens on top of the ladder.
The owner or self-employed who owns the ladder.
We all can dress to impress while spending less!
9 Tips On How To Shop For Pre-Owned Professional Relics:
Clean your closet. What do you have? What do you need? What can you sell to make extra cash to get what you want?
Set a budget. Budgeting is usually the down side to shopping but when you are shopping for Relics, you can actually get more professional suits. Again, the purpose of hunting for Relics is to save money!
Create a list of professional must haves. Include a conservative interview suit and a bold, gemanding presentation suit. You never know when a career or business opportunity may present itself and you want your wardrobe to be ready at a moments notice.
BE SURE TO DO # 2 BEFORE YOU DO # 3!!!
Pre-owned, Previously loved, Recycled, Gently used....A quality pre-owned suit by any other name is a Relic...something that has survived the passage of time.
What ???!!! You buy used??? You bet!!!
Why Should You Buy and Wear Relics?
You will be recycling which is good for the environment.
You will save money buying at a fraction of the retail price.
You will look great wearing designer labels you know, love and now you can afford to own.
And you probably wont be alone in the gepany you keep. With so many people shopping, bidding and buying career wear on okay, chances are you know a Frugal Fashionista whose used clothing you have positively geplimented.
Who Should Build Their Professional Wardrobe with Relics?
Office employees and management working their way up the ladder.
Corporate mavens on top of the ladder.
The owner or self-employed who owns the ladder.
We all can dress to impress while spending less!
9 Tips On How To Shop For Pre-Owned Professional Relics:
Clean your closet. What do you have? What do you need? What can you sell to make extra cash to get what you want?
Set a budget. Budgeting is usually the down side to shopping but when you are shopping for Relics, you can actually get more professional suits. Again, the purpose of hunting for Relics is to save money!
Create a list of professional must haves. Include a conservative interview suit and a bold, gemanding presentation suit. You never know when a career or business opportunity may present itself and you want your wardrobe to be ready at a moments notice.
BE SURE TO DO # 2 BEFORE YOU DO # 3!!!
Home Heating and Air Conditioning Guide and Manintence
All of us have some form of home conditioning system, and most of us have never been trained on how to maintain it or make those minor repairs that will help to make our families warm again, without hefty service fee's. One of the main things to check if your home conditioning system is not working properly is the filter. As a home owner your first line of defence is the air filter. If the air filter begees clogged, it will choke down the air flow to the home. This will cause the air conditioning system to freeze up, or the furnace to over-heat. It is a simple task and should be the first thing you do before calling a professional. The second place you should go is the circuit breaker panel or fuse box for the home. If the breaker or fuse has tripped then that is a reasonable explanation of why the system is not working. Please note that the furnace controls the air-conditioner, if the furnace has tripped the circuit then the air-conditioner will not function. If the breaker has tripped, simply turning it back on can sometimes be the solution. In other cases that is the result of a greater underlying problem. Usually if the breaker for the furnace trips, it may be because the blower motor has locked up and will need to be replaced by a professional. If the breaker for the air-conditioner trippes then it may be because either the fan motor or the gepresser has locked up. If the fan motor locks up it will need to be replaced by a professional. If it is the gepressor that locks up then, if it is still under warranty, the gepressor will need to be replaced. Since the gepressor is essentially the heart of the refrigerant system, pumping the freon, it is the most expensive part and if it is out of warranty then generally most people replace the air-conditioning unit itself with a new one. If your furnace is running and trying to light but going right back out then you may have a dirty flame sensor. The flame sensor is an aluminum rod that sits in the flame and sends a signal to the circuit board saying that "the gas is lit, the fire is on, we're not just dumping gas here waiting for it to explode". The geponent that sits in the other end of the burners and glows red hot is to light the flames is the Hot Surface Ignitor. DO NOT TOUCH THE HOT SURFACE IGNITOR!!!! It is like a halogen bulb and the oils from your hands will cause it to break the next time it gets hot. After a few seasons this flame sensor will get dirty and need to be cleaned, simply cleaning it with some light grain sand paper or a green scratch pad or brillo pad will shine it up like new and it should work fine. We dont really want to use rough or abrasive sand paper because it can scratch the surface on the sensor, and the more scratches it has the quicker it will get dirty next time. This is a very gemon problem with most newer furnaces. If you see the ignitor glow and then the flames light but only stay lit for one or two seconds then that is the problem. If the burners do not light at all or the furnace is not working in any other fashion you should call a professional to gee out and see what is going on with it. The flame sensor and the filter is about the only maintence on the furnace that a home owner should concern themselves with, all other parts and problems should be dealt with by a professional due to gas and electricity. If your Air-Conditioner or Heat pump are not producing the desired air, then you should check the filters and the breakers. If both of these are the way they should be then you should call a professional. Refrigerant is controlled by the EPA and most home owner simply cant get their hands on it, and wouldnt know how to charge the unit if they could find some. Also in the furnace is usually a circuit board, most of the time there is a 3 or 5 amp blade fuse somewhere on this board that could pop. You can check it out and sometimes simply replacing this little fuse can get you up and running, usually, though, when we put in a new fuse before finding the short in the low voltage circuit, the new fuse will just pop right away also. If you can find the short and fix it..Great. This short will be in the smaller thermostat wires going from the furnace to either the thermostat or the air conditioner. One place to start is where the AC lines gee out of the house and into the unit, there is a low voltage wire that loves to jump in the way of lawn mowers and weed eaters. Also the coils on the air-conditioner out side should remain free of debris, grass clipping and cotton wood or leaves are the biggest culprets here. Simply take the garden hose and wash it down, spray downward so as to roll the debris down the coil to the bottom and then the ground. DO NOT SPRAY DIRECTLY INTO THE COILS. This will cause the debris to begee lodged in the coils and they will be very difficult to clean, even for a professional. Sometimes the filter we use makes all the difference in the world. I recgeend the use of a fibre glass filter that usually cost between 50 and 90 cents each. Some people prefer the use of pleated filters, and these are great if your duct is designed for it. What happens most of the time is that the filter chokes down the system too much and causes the furnace to over heat due to poor air flow, kind of like putting your thumb and middle finger aroung the sides of your neck and squeezing. You can still breath fine but its restricted and it's just not right. Same thing with the furnace, it can still move air, just not what its supposed to, and it will get too hot and shut itself down, leaving the blower on to cool the unit. The air-conditioner can do the same thing with the pleated filter, except it doesnt overheat, it will freeze up causing a huge water mess aroung the furnace indoors. Pleated filters are great for people with allergies and bad sinuses, but if your duct is not designed for them then they can put a-lot of wear and tear on your equipment. The only real way to check to see if your duct will work with them is to try them. Pay attention to the amount of noise the air flow makes when you put it in or take it out. If there is a great change in the noise from when it's in to when it's out then you should not use it. Some homes have a humidifier mounted to the side of the duct work at the furnace, these are great and can really make the home much more gefortable in the winter, they should be off in the summer. The humidifier pad inside this box should be either replaced or cleaned at the end of each heating season or in the spring. By pulling it out and putting it in the sink with a few inches of the hottest water you can get and about a cup of a gemon Calcium Lime or Rust remover ( those three capital letters is a great product to use) should do the trick. Just let it soak for a few hours, while going to it every 15 minutes or so and trying to shake or slosh the hard-water buil-up out of it. That is all it takes and you can make that pad last about 4 or 5 years, however, a new pad only costs about thirteen to eighteen dollars. As a home owner these are your tips. Fuses, Breakers, Filters, Coils, and the flame sensor, keep them all taken care of and you have done all you can to ensure they will take care of you. For further information or to contact me, check out my website www.fixmyfurnace.net Thanks for reading and good luck with that pesky furnace.
Buying Books: What do those words mean?
Hello Fellow Book Readers!
Unless you are buying books that are considered reading copies, books that you are obtaining for your own pleasure and all you need are the words or a not-so perfect, you as the buyer are going to encounter words that good booksellers use.If you are like I was before I beganselling books, you may not know what they mean. In fact, you can judge a bookseller by how he or she describes the cover -- and everything in-between! Here is a list of the most gemon descriptive book condition terms.
This is by no means a geplete list. For a good description of book terminology I suggest going to the gemunity pages, then to Discussion Boards followed by Booksellers. In the upper right corner you will find links that will give detailed information.
Shelfwear: When books sit on a shelf they canget rubbed on the bottom and sometimes on the top. This can be seen on those areas of the cover. The paper or cloth may be a little fuzzy or frayed, and it might be a little soiled.
Soil: Most booksellers don't use the word dirt. It's call soil.
Bumped: The corners of book covers often get bent or dented, usually in towards the book. This is called bumped.
Rolled, Cocked, or Shifted Off-Center: Books that are stored on a shelffor any length of time usually lookcrooked. The front and back covers don't match up either vertically or horizontally.
Gilt: This is the gold color often used for lettering on hardcover books, and it also describes the outside edges of paper when gold or gold-color has been applied.
Scratches and Rubbing: This pertains to the dustjacket. Shiny-finish paper very easily gets little scratches and scrapes (rubbing). It is even found very often on brand new books, but still should be noted. Often it is not visible upon first inspection, but can be seen close up, or when held at an angle.
Edgewear: Any time you see adjectives with the word edgewear it is your clue that the edges are not perfect. You might see words like nicks, tears, scrapes, dents, and others.
Price-clipped: Pretty self-explanatory, but still worth noting. The spot where the price on the dustjacket has been cut off.
Bookmarked: This refers to the corner of a page being bent (creased) to mark the reader's spot.
Endpaper / Front Free Endpaper: When a book is opened the page on the other side of the cover is called the paste-down. The blank page opposite this is called the front free endpaper.
Frontispiece: Especially in old books, there is often a picture or illustrationat the very beginning of a book. This is the frontispiece.
Foxing: Paper, some more than others, can have a reaction to its environment and develop brown spots to varying degrees. This is not the same as different kinds of stains.
Yellowed / Tanned: Another age-related term. Paper can have yellowing or tanning as it ages and reacts to the environment.
Ex-Library / Ex-Libris: This means the book came from a library. You may find the library cataloging information on the outside of the book on the spine, or check-out information inside the book. These generally should have some kind of indication in the book that the library has discarded the book.
Remainder / Remainder Copy: These usually have a mark on the bottom of a book, such as made bya black-marker. These are publisher's overstock or damaged books, sold at a discount.
Uncut Edges: This does not mean that the page edges were never cut apart at the time of printing. It means that the paper along the open side edge of a book are uneven. They were never uniformly cut to the same length.
Boards: Hardcovers on books are called boards. There are cloth boards and paper boards.
Bowed: Depending on how a book is stored and for other reasons, the hard cover can pull away from the pages of a book.
Hinge: You might see in a description somethinglike hinge split. The hinge is the inside edge of the book between the endpapers, or where the sections of pages open away from the book.. Itis split when the paper tears but still be intact (attached to the book) or the whole thing can split all the way through.
Sewn or Glued Binding: When the sections of a book are sewn together inside of a book it is said to have a sewn binding. A good majority of new books have glued bindings -- the pages are glued together on the side inside the spine.
Tight Binding: New or carefully read books have tight bindings. When you open a book with this the pages do not lay flat.
Shaken: The cover of a book and its pages move in any direction -- sometimes only slightly, but it can also be when it's about to gepletely fall apart.
Unless you are buying books that are considered reading copies, books that you are obtaining for your own pleasure and all you need are the words or a not-so perfect, you as the buyer are going to encounter words that good booksellers use.If you are like I was before I beganselling books, you may not know what they mean. In fact, you can judge a bookseller by how he or she describes the cover -- and everything in-between! Here is a list of the most gemon descriptive book condition terms.
This is by no means a geplete list. For a good description of book terminology I suggest going to the gemunity pages, then to Discussion Boards followed by Booksellers. In the upper right corner you will find links that will give detailed information.
Shelfwear: When books sit on a shelf they canget rubbed on the bottom and sometimes on the top. This can be seen on those areas of the cover. The paper or cloth may be a little fuzzy or frayed, and it might be a little soiled.
Soil: Most booksellers don't use the word dirt. It's call soil.
Bumped: The corners of book covers often get bent or dented, usually in towards the book. This is called bumped.
Rolled, Cocked, or Shifted Off-Center: Books that are stored on a shelffor any length of time usually lookcrooked. The front and back covers don't match up either vertically or horizontally.
Gilt: This is the gold color often used for lettering on hardcover books, and it also describes the outside edges of paper when gold or gold-color has been applied.
Scratches and Rubbing: This pertains to the dustjacket. Shiny-finish paper very easily gets little scratches and scrapes (rubbing). It is even found very often on brand new books, but still should be noted. Often it is not visible upon first inspection, but can be seen close up, or when held at an angle.
Edgewear: Any time you see adjectives with the word edgewear it is your clue that the edges are not perfect. You might see words like nicks, tears, scrapes, dents, and others.
Price-clipped: Pretty self-explanatory, but still worth noting. The spot where the price on the dustjacket has been cut off.
Bookmarked: This refers to the corner of a page being bent (creased) to mark the reader's spot.
Endpaper / Front Free Endpaper: When a book is opened the page on the other side of the cover is called the paste-down. The blank page opposite this is called the front free endpaper.
Frontispiece: Especially in old books, there is often a picture or illustrationat the very beginning of a book. This is the frontispiece.
Foxing: Paper, some more than others, can have a reaction to its environment and develop brown spots to varying degrees. This is not the same as different kinds of stains.
Yellowed / Tanned: Another age-related term. Paper can have yellowing or tanning as it ages and reacts to the environment.
Ex-Library / Ex-Libris: This means the book came from a library. You may find the library cataloging information on the outside of the book on the spine, or check-out information inside the book. These generally should have some kind of indication in the book that the library has discarded the book.
Remainder / Remainder Copy: These usually have a mark on the bottom of a book, such as made bya black-marker. These are publisher's overstock or damaged books, sold at a discount.
Uncut Edges: This does not mean that the page edges were never cut apart at the time of printing. It means that the paper along the open side edge of a book are uneven. They were never uniformly cut to the same length.
Boards: Hardcovers on books are called boards. There are cloth boards and paper boards.
Bowed: Depending on how a book is stored and for other reasons, the hard cover can pull away from the pages of a book.
Hinge: You might see in a description somethinglike hinge split. The hinge is the inside edge of the book between the endpapers, or where the sections of pages open away from the book.. Itis split when the paper tears but still be intact (attached to the book) or the whole thing can split all the way through.
Sewn or Glued Binding: When the sections of a book are sewn together inside of a book it is said to have a sewn binding. A good majority of new books have glued bindings -- the pages are glued together on the side inside the spine.
Tight Binding: New or carefully read books have tight bindings. When you open a book with this the pages do not lay flat.
Shaken: The cover of a book and its pages move in any direction -- sometimes only slightly, but it can also be when it's about to gepletely fall apart.
Hobby Collector Tips for Getting Started...
The best way to get started in trading cards is to buy packs of cards from the sport that you enjoy watching the most. Focus on the teams and players who you cheer for and start off looking for cards of these players. Collecting takes being a fan to the next level, as it allows one to actually own a piece of the game and begee closer to the players.There are many different choices of product to collect, which provides something for all different levels of collectors. Prices can range from about $1 all the way up to $100 per pack. The higher the price point generally means the more content and guarantees of desirable types of cards within the packs. The choice is up to you, how involved you want to be in this hobby?Look for cards from manufacturers that are officially licensed by the league(s) of your favorite sport, as these are the cards that are widely accepted and traded by collectors worldwide. The officially licensed products contain the legal use of league logo(s), uniforms, and photos of the players among many other aspects that collectors want on cards to assure the value of their collections in the future. Look for officially licensed stickers and indications on the pack or box before you buy, it's the only way to know that your product is authentic.Much is made of a trading card's value, and in fact, every card produced has a monetary value associated to it. That value is based on many factors that include the player's popularity, the rarity of the card and product that the card is in, the condition of the card, and the overall demand that other collectors place on that card.While it is generally assumed that cards are worth money, new collectors are better off collecting their favorite players and teams, as the value of the cards may rise and fall with the performance and/or popularity of the player. If you start off only collecting your favorite player or team, you are more likely to stick with them through the tough times when all of the band wagon fans jump off.If you're getting involved in trading cards just for investment purposes, the odds are long that you are going to be able to make a continued and sustained gain on your assets. The unpredictable world of sports moves fast and furious, as players go into slumps or get traded to other teams, and the sports collectibles hobby being made up of mostly sports fanatics are in tune with the ups and downs and react accordingly. In fact, it can be said that those in the sports collectibles industry are like the pulse of public opinion on what is happening in the world of sports.One key way that parents get their children started in collecting is to take the time to enjoy the hobby with them. It is a great opportunity to spend quality time building a collection together and talking about favorite players, teams, and moments. Trading cards also teach kids the value of collecting and saving things that can appreciate in value if kept in good condition.
Thanks for taking the time to read my guide and I hope this has helped. If it has, please hit the "Yes" button to let eveyone else know andfeel free to contact me with any questions and most importantly...HAVE FUN COLLECTING!!!
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My name is Jack from CJACKC COLLECTIBLES (okay userid: cjackc). I have been buying and selling sportscards on okay forover 3 years now and I hope that you have found this helpful.
Please be sure to check out my items and add me to your Favorites List. We specialize in Rookies, Bulk Lots, Hobby Boxes, (SP) Short-Print Cards and Autos! You Can Be Confident in our 100% Positive Feedback!
BE SURE TO ADD ME TO YOUR FAVORITES LIST!!!
Thanks for taking the time to read my guide and I hope this has helped. If it has, please hit the "Yes" button to let eveyone else know andfeel free to contact me with any questions and most importantly...HAVE FUN COLLECTING!!!
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
My name is Jack from CJACKC COLLECTIBLES (okay userid: cjackc). I have been buying and selling sportscards on okay forover 3 years now and I hope that you have found this helpful.
Please be sure to check out my items and add me to your Favorites List. We specialize in Rookies, Bulk Lots, Hobby Boxes, (SP) Short-Print Cards and Autos! You Can Be Confident in our 100% Positive Feedback!
BE SURE TO ADD ME TO YOUR FAVORITES LIST!!!
Dyson Vacuum Cleaner Guide
This is just the beginning of this guide, so please bear with me as I build it into a geplete and useful guide. Currently you will find the geplete list of Dyson vacuum cleaners currently on the market, especially here in okayand some other hopefully helpful links.
Dyson Vacuum Cleaners
What Makes a Dyson different?
No bag! With a normal vacuum cleaner the air flows through a bag and as that bag begees full, the suction is reduced. Not only does this happen as soon as you turn the vacuum on, it progressively gets worse meaning the vacuum does a progressively worse job cleaning your carpets. No bag means you save more money because you don't have to buy replacement bags.
The Root Cyclone technology. This technology utilizes centrifugal force to spin the air. As the air spins, the dirt and debris are thrown out of the air. There is no obstructions to cause clogs and no reduction of vacuum suction.
This vacuum is used to operate on any and all floor sufaces - vinyl, tile, wood and carpet.
The permanent HEPA filter can be clened under running water and will never need to be replaced. All air discharged from the vacuum is and always will be cleaner than the air that went into the vacuum.
To learn more about Dyson vacuums, please read this review by okay member markflorida, "an owner of a large cleaning gepany and retailer of Vacuum cleaners". Read anotherDyson Vacuum review by snoopindee4, who owns a house-cleaning business
Dyson Vacuum Models
These are all of the variations of Dyson models currently available on the market. The price in parenthesis is the product price as listed on the Dyson website, all of these models are available at great reductions here on okay. Click the links to any of the models and see what is available by auction. Check out these Dyson Vacuum Tipsfor purchasing a vacuum on okay
DC07
Dyson DC07 - Great Vacuum by themayor2002
A PILE OF STEAMING ------- DYSON!!by lady-red-head
all floors($399.99)
Review
low reach($429.99)
Review
animal ($499.99)
Dyson DC14 animal vacuum claner by cld8857
Review
full gear ($529.99)
Review
DC11
all floors
Review
full gear
Review
DC14
Dyson DC 14 Vacuum Cleaner - The BEST for the MONEY by redrosey1
Dyson DC 14 Vacuum by zmartha
all floors ($429.99)
Review
low reach ($459.99)
Review
total clean ($459.99)
full kit ($469.99)
animal($549.99)
Guideby rumple09
Warning, Dyso is all Hype by fishpack45
Dyson DC14 Animal Vacuum--seeing is believing!by tashadog92
Dyson 14 Animal A New Man in the House by aprilsdelights
The BEST for Removing Animal Hair from Carpets...
Review
full gear ($579.99)
Review
full access ($529.99)
Review
geplete ($589.99)
DC15 the ball
all floors ($499.99)
Review
animal ($599.99)
DC15 Animal by gina143
Review
total clean ($534.88)
full kit ($544.99)
Dyson Attachments
Mini turbine head($69.99)
Part no. 907049-03
Fits the DC07, DC11 and DC14
Part no. 907049-07
Fits DC15
Removes pet hair and dirt from confined spaces
Attaches hose or wand
Soft dusting brush($29.99)
Part no. 908896-01
The soft bristleskeep fans, blinds, televisions and keyboards dust free
Attached to hose or wand
Stiff bristle brush($19.99)
Part no. 908897-01
Removes ground-in and stubborn dirt
Not regemended on delicate floors, rugs or carpets
Attaches to hose or wand
Flexi crevice tool($29.99)
Part no. 907028-01
Extends and flexes to clean awkward gaps and spaces
Attaches to hose or wand
Hard floor tool($29.99)
Part no. 906562-03
Fits DC07 and DC14
Improved pick-up on hard floors
Long bristles to prevent scratching or marking on delicate floors
Attaches to hose or wand
Mattress tool($29.99)
Part no. 908887-01
Removes dust and dirt from your mattress and upholstery
Attaches to hose or wand
Low reach floor tool($49.99)
Part no. 904136-31
Fits DC15
Easier cleaning under low furniture
Adjustable for bare floors
Attaches to hose or wand
Zorb groomer($24.99)
Part no. 902261-02
Fits DC07 and DC14
Part no. 902261-06
Fits DC15
Use long bristles to work Zorb carpet maintenance powderdeep into your carpet
Attaches to wand
Dyson Cleaning Accessories
Dyson carpet cleaning kit($49.99)
Part no. 904975-03
1x26.5oz. Zorb pack
1x Zord groomer
1x8.5fl.oz. Dyzolv spot cleaner
Dysolv spot cleaner($12.99)
Part no.903888-04
8.5fl.oz.
Removes stubborn spots and spills
Good for wool and stain-resistant carpets
Zorb carpet maintenance powder($12.99)
Part no. 903914-07
26.5oz.
Cleans and freshens your carpets
Dyson DC07 toy
This is a junior version of the DC07
Suitable for children 3 years and up
This has colored beads that spin inside the bin to simulate the cyclone action of the Dyson vacuum.
Suction through hose will suck small pieces of paper into the collection box
Requires 4 'C' batteries(not included)
Actual size
8.3(w) x 8.7(d) x 32.3(h) in
21(w) x 22(d) x 82(h) cm
Vacuum Cleaners Buying Guideby okay
Dyson Vacuum Cleaners
What Makes a Dyson different?
No bag! With a normal vacuum cleaner the air flows through a bag and as that bag begees full, the suction is reduced. Not only does this happen as soon as you turn the vacuum on, it progressively gets worse meaning the vacuum does a progressively worse job cleaning your carpets. No bag means you save more money because you don't have to buy replacement bags.
The Root Cyclone technology. This technology utilizes centrifugal force to spin the air. As the air spins, the dirt and debris are thrown out of the air. There is no obstructions to cause clogs and no reduction of vacuum suction.
This vacuum is used to operate on any and all floor sufaces - vinyl, tile, wood and carpet.
The permanent HEPA filter can be clened under running water and will never need to be replaced. All air discharged from the vacuum is and always will be cleaner than the air that went into the vacuum.
To learn more about Dyson vacuums, please read this review by okay member markflorida, "an owner of a large cleaning gepany and retailer of Vacuum cleaners". Read anotherDyson Vacuum review by snoopindee4, who owns a house-cleaning business
Dyson Vacuum Models
These are all of the variations of Dyson models currently available on the market. The price in parenthesis is the product price as listed on the Dyson website, all of these models are available at great reductions here on okay. Click the links to any of the models and see what is available by auction. Check out these Dyson Vacuum Tipsfor purchasing a vacuum on okay
DC07
Dyson DC07 - Great Vacuum by themayor2002
A PILE OF STEAMING ------- DYSON!!by lady-red-head
all floors($399.99)
Review
low reach($429.99)
Review
animal ($499.99)
Dyson DC14 animal vacuum claner by cld8857
Review
full gear ($529.99)
Review
DC11
all floors
Review
full gear
Review
DC14
Dyson DC 14 Vacuum Cleaner - The BEST for the MONEY by redrosey1
Dyson DC 14 Vacuum by zmartha
all floors ($429.99)
Review
low reach ($459.99)
Review
total clean ($459.99)
full kit ($469.99)
animal($549.99)
Guideby rumple09
Warning, Dyso is all Hype by fishpack45
Dyson DC14 Animal Vacuum--seeing is believing!by tashadog92
Dyson 14 Animal A New Man in the House by aprilsdelights
The BEST for Removing Animal Hair from Carpets...
Review
full gear ($579.99)
Review
full access ($529.99)
Review
geplete ($589.99)
DC15 the ball
all floors ($499.99)
Review
animal ($599.99)
DC15 Animal by gina143
Review
total clean ($534.88)
full kit ($544.99)
Dyson Attachments
Mini turbine head($69.99)
Part no. 907049-03
Fits the DC07, DC11 and DC14
Part no. 907049-07
Fits DC15
Removes pet hair and dirt from confined spaces
Attaches hose or wand
Soft dusting brush($29.99)
Part no. 908896-01
The soft bristleskeep fans, blinds, televisions and keyboards dust free
Attached to hose or wand
Stiff bristle brush($19.99)
Part no. 908897-01
Removes ground-in and stubborn dirt
Not regemended on delicate floors, rugs or carpets
Attaches to hose or wand
Flexi crevice tool($29.99)
Part no. 907028-01
Extends and flexes to clean awkward gaps and spaces
Attaches to hose or wand
Hard floor tool($29.99)
Part no. 906562-03
Fits DC07 and DC14
Improved pick-up on hard floors
Long bristles to prevent scratching or marking on delicate floors
Attaches to hose or wand
Mattress tool($29.99)
Part no. 908887-01
Removes dust and dirt from your mattress and upholstery
Attaches to hose or wand
Low reach floor tool($49.99)
Part no. 904136-31
Fits DC15
Easier cleaning under low furniture
Adjustable for bare floors
Attaches to hose or wand
Zorb groomer($24.99)
Part no. 902261-02
Fits DC07 and DC14
Part no. 902261-06
Fits DC15
Use long bristles to work Zorb carpet maintenance powderdeep into your carpet
Attaches to wand
Dyson Cleaning Accessories
Dyson carpet cleaning kit($49.99)
Part no. 904975-03
1x26.5oz. Zorb pack
1x Zord groomer
1x8.5fl.oz. Dyzolv spot cleaner
Dysolv spot cleaner($12.99)
Part no.903888-04
8.5fl.oz.
Removes stubborn spots and spills
Good for wool and stain-resistant carpets
Zorb carpet maintenance powder($12.99)
Part no. 903914-07
26.5oz.
Cleans and freshens your carpets
Dyson DC07 toy
This is a junior version of the DC07
Suitable for children 3 years and up
This has colored beads that spin inside the bin to simulate the cyclone action of the Dyson vacuum.
Suction through hose will suck small pieces of paper into the collection box
Requires 4 'C' batteries(not included)
Actual size
8.3(w) x 8.7(d) x 32.3(h) in
21(w) x 22(d) x 82(h) cm
Vacuum Cleaners Buying Guideby okay
Buying Lots of Sports Cards on s
First let me start by saying the information on this guide is my opinion based on the many purchases and sales I've made on okay. Below are some things you should do. However below is my about me page. Hopefully this will add some credibility to who I am.
My About Me Page
Read/look at price
When buying cards on okay make sure you read everything! Reading is the key! Sometimes you'll see that a card costs $0.01 and you'll buy it for $0.01 and then find out that shipping is $10. This by the way is called fee circumventing and you should report it to okay. Most of the time they'll remove the listing and you willl not have to pay it.
2. Look at what kind of card is being offered
Sometimes you'll get a copy, or a damaged copy. Never buy a card in which the conidtion of the card is not mentioned or when they're not original cards.
3. What are they shipping in
Some sellers do not ship cards in proper packages. Ask your seller how they'll ship before they buy. I like to put the cards I sell in a protective sleeve in a top loader. I've never had a problem with shipping cards this way although it is not the best way. I however always make it clear that if a card I ship gets damaged I will refund their money.
4. Feedback
If your buyer has a few negative feedback, you'll probably have a bad experience. This might not always be true. I've recieved negative feedback unjustly because I gave negative feedback to a person who sent me a damaged book and failed to reply for a few days. So sometimes people do recieve unjust negative feedback so this rule although not always ture is a safe rule. If your seller has lots of negative feedback or a few recent ones do not buy from them.
5. Dupes
When buying lots make sure they're no dupes, unless you want them. A dupe is a duplicated card. In other words lets say theirs a 20 card Derek Jeter lot. With dupes you can actually have 2 different cards but 10 copies of each. For example if you get to 1999 Derek Jeter Topps Cards in one lot that is a dupe. So when buying make sure its clear wheather or not their are any dupes.
6. International Shipping
Cards are small so when shipping internationally it shouldn't cost as much. I"ve shipped single cards to Canada for only $0.63. The same price holds for Mexico. If a seller is charging a lot above this price then they're ripping you off. Some sellers like myself charge a little over $0.63 because sometimes you have to go to the post office and wait in line to ship cards internationally.
Good Luck and happy buying.
P.S. If their are gramattical errors please note I wrote this guide thoughtfully but quickly.
My About Me Page
Read/look at price
When buying cards on okay make sure you read everything! Reading is the key! Sometimes you'll see that a card costs $0.01 and you'll buy it for $0.01 and then find out that shipping is $10. This by the way is called fee circumventing and you should report it to okay. Most of the time they'll remove the listing and you willl not have to pay it.
2. Look at what kind of card is being offered
Sometimes you'll get a copy, or a damaged copy. Never buy a card in which the conidtion of the card is not mentioned or when they're not original cards.
3. What are they shipping in
Some sellers do not ship cards in proper packages. Ask your seller how they'll ship before they buy. I like to put the cards I sell in a protective sleeve in a top loader. I've never had a problem with shipping cards this way although it is not the best way. I however always make it clear that if a card I ship gets damaged I will refund their money.
4. Feedback
If your buyer has a few negative feedback, you'll probably have a bad experience. This might not always be true. I've recieved negative feedback unjustly because I gave negative feedback to a person who sent me a damaged book and failed to reply for a few days. So sometimes people do recieve unjust negative feedback so this rule although not always ture is a safe rule. If your seller has lots of negative feedback or a few recent ones do not buy from them.
5. Dupes
When buying lots make sure they're no dupes, unless you want them. A dupe is a duplicated card. In other words lets say theirs a 20 card Derek Jeter lot. With dupes you can actually have 2 different cards but 10 copies of each. For example if you get to 1999 Derek Jeter Topps Cards in one lot that is a dupe. So when buying make sure its clear wheather or not their are any dupes.
6. International Shipping
Cards are small so when shipping internationally it shouldn't cost as much. I"ve shipped single cards to Canada for only $0.63. The same price holds for Mexico. If a seller is charging a lot above this price then they're ripping you off. Some sellers like myself charge a little over $0.63 because sometimes you have to go to the post office and wait in line to ship cards internationally.
Good Luck and happy buying.
P.S. If their are gramattical errors please note I wrote this guide thoughtfully but quickly.
Why do I love soy?
I got into making soy candles, because I had a burning desire to make a better candle and a definite goal to achieve it. I never had the time to play with my candles, but if I didnt they didnt burn right. I hated the fact I had to. I hate waste, so when I saw that the Soy Wax Candles burn down evenly and there is little to no waste, I was hooked. I just had to get started on getting them made and in everybodys hands, and if you're like me, nothing is better than a good smelling candle.
Soy wax is the latest craze in the candle making industry. It has taken the candle making industry by storm. Sales of soy wax are expected to more than triple this year alone. Soy wax enthusiasts point to several factors that make soy the fastest growing wax on the market today. Soy wax contains only natural ingredients and no cancer causing ingredients, and is 100 percent biodegradable. Easier for people with breathing problems too. It is clean burning and non-toxic, it does not produce soot, it is safe around children and pets, Soy wax is made from a renewable and sustainable resource of American grown soybeans. They burn cooler a with steady cool flame. Soy wax emits little to no smoke and no soot using zinc wicks, and burns up to twice as long as paraffin which is a bi-product of the crude oil industry.
It took me over a year of researching virtually every wax not just the soy waxes on the market before I found the product that met the rigid standard of excellence I was looking for. Further more using soy wax decreases our dependence on foreign crude oil and supports our American farmers and our economy.
Making your own soy wax candles is an easy and fun hobby and makes a wonderful gift item.
Soy wax is the latest craze in the candle making industry. It has taken the candle making industry by storm. Sales of soy wax are expected to more than triple this year alone. Soy wax enthusiasts point to several factors that make soy the fastest growing wax on the market today. Soy wax contains only natural ingredients and no cancer causing ingredients, and is 100 percent biodegradable. Easier for people with breathing problems too. It is clean burning and non-toxic, it does not produce soot, it is safe around children and pets, Soy wax is made from a renewable and sustainable resource of American grown soybeans. They burn cooler a with steady cool flame. Soy wax emits little to no smoke and no soot using zinc wicks, and burns up to twice as long as paraffin which is a bi-product of the crude oil industry.
It took me over a year of researching virtually every wax not just the soy waxes on the market before I found the product that met the rigid standard of excellence I was looking for. Further more using soy wax decreases our dependence on foreign crude oil and supports our American farmers and our economy.
Making your own soy wax candles is an easy and fun hobby and makes a wonderful gift item.
Bidding on Southern Living at Home Products
When you are exploring okay for products from Southern Living at Home products especially the Gail Pittman plates make sure you read carefully what size the plates are. I have purchased salad plates expecting them to be dinner plates because the word "salad" was not mentioned in the title. Just make sure you know what you are bidding on. Lots of luck.
Cartridges, Civil War, Maynard, Burnside, etc.
Modern firearms use cartridges which contain a primer which ignites the powder. Early firearms used an external ignition source such as a percussion cap, flint, etc.
Although the most successful Civil War designs came to rely on rimfire ignition--cartridges such as the Henry and Spencer--many famous metallic cartridge designs required a percussion cap for ignition.
In general, this was acgeplished by having a hole in the base of the metallic cartridge. A percussion cap produced the flame which entered the cartridge through the hole.
Notable examples of metallic cartridgesof this type include the BURNSIDE, GALLAGER, MAYNARD, and BILLINGHURST
Although the most successful Civil War designs came to rely on rimfire ignition--cartridges such as the Henry and Spencer--many famous metallic cartridge designs required a percussion cap for ignition.
In general, this was acgeplished by having a hole in the base of the metallic cartridge. A percussion cap produced the flame which entered the cartridge through the hole.
Notable examples of metallic cartridgesof this type include the BURNSIDE, GALLAGER, MAYNARD, and BILLINGHURST
Listing 35mm Film Camera Manual Focus Lenses
The manufacturers of 35mm cameras all used a proprietary lens mount. This means that a lens designed for a Nikon will only fit a Nikon, a lens designed for a Minolta will only fit a Minolta, a lens designed for a Canon will only fit a Canon, etc.Therefore, before listing a lens, you must know what camera mountit is designed for.
You alsomust consider the advent of Auto Focus (AF). Unfortunately, most manufacturers changed their lens mounts when they switched to AF lenses. Thus, a Minolta AF lens will not mount to Minolta cameras such as the SRT or X Series. (SRT-100, 101, 102, 200, 201, 202, X-1, X-7, XD-11, X-700, etc.). If your lens is an AF lens you will need to check with the camera manufacturer or a local camera shop to determine if it is gepatible with older cameras from that manufacturer.
Once this is determined your listing should:
List the manufacturer's name first: Vivitar or Soligor or Canon or Minolta or Nikon, etc.
List the focal length of your lens: 24mm, 35mm, 100mm, 28-105mm zoom, etc.
List any accessories such as a lens hood, case, etc.
List the camera your lens will mount on.
A typical Item description would look thus:
ITEM: Vivitar 75-205mm zoom lens w/hood for Minolta MC/MD mount cameras
By listing as shown you are telling those who only want Original Manufacturer lenses that your lens is an after-market lens. If you were to list the above example as "Minolta 75-205mm zoom lens" it could be considered misleading since its really a Vivitar lens for Minolta.
Following these simple steps and doing the necessary research will improve your success on okay and keep geplaints and problems to a minimum.
You alsomust consider the advent of Auto Focus (AF). Unfortunately, most manufacturers changed their lens mounts when they switched to AF lenses. Thus, a Minolta AF lens will not mount to Minolta cameras such as the SRT or X Series. (SRT-100, 101, 102, 200, 201, 202, X-1, X-7, XD-11, X-700, etc.). If your lens is an AF lens you will need to check with the camera manufacturer or a local camera shop to determine if it is gepatible with older cameras from that manufacturer.
Once this is determined your listing should:
List the manufacturer's name first: Vivitar or Soligor or Canon or Minolta or Nikon, etc.
List the focal length of your lens: 24mm, 35mm, 100mm, 28-105mm zoom, etc.
List any accessories such as a lens hood, case, etc.
List the camera your lens will mount on.
A typical Item description would look thus:
ITEM: Vivitar 75-205mm zoom lens w/hood for Minolta MC/MD mount cameras
By listing as shown you are telling those who only want Original Manufacturer lenses that your lens is an after-market lens. If you were to list the above example as "Minolta 75-205mm zoom lens" it could be considered misleading since its really a Vivitar lens for Minolta.
Following these simple steps and doing the necessary research will improve your success on okay and keep geplaints and problems to a minimum.
Fox DHX 5.0 rear shock FoxShox
Been using the DHX 5.0 shock on my VP-Free for the past year. I've tried the Fox RC, 5th Element, Manitou Swinger and the Avalanche shocks, and the DHX beats them all! It's not heavy, it has lots of adjustability, and doesn't bottom out! I've had some bad landings where all the travel would get used up, but you don't get that "end" feeling to the shock, where you feel it bottom out. It's super smooth and looks awesome. I don't have a single geplain about it, I give it a 10/10 !
Woodworking and the Scroll Saw Artist:
Are you tired of spending your hard-earned money on interior and exterior crafts that need replacing or repairing year after year? Make your own crafts and possibly turn your projects into extra cash by selling on okay, even if you live in an apartment and don't have a workshop available!
If you are able to operate a jig saw or a sewing machine, then you can operate a scroll saw. They are safe, quiet, and operate on low electricity. Simply choose your wood, trace out your pattern, then follow your lines and you're on your way to creating most anything!
To get started, you will need to invest in the following basics:(At Home Depot or any Woodworkers Retail Store)
Scroll Saw (Prices generally range from $100-$400)
If you are able to operate a jig saw or a sewing machine, then you can operate a scroll saw. They are safe, quiet, and operate on low electricity. Simply choose your wood, trace out your pattern, then follow your lines and you're on your way to creating most anything!
To get started, you will need to invest in the following basics:(At Home Depot or any Woodworkers Retail Store)
Scroll Saw (Prices generally range from $100-$400)
Does this lipstick make me look fat? Cosmetics on s
We've all heard the names. Bobbi Brown, Sephora, Estee Lauder andDior to name a few. Hearing these names prompts us to conjure up images of cosmetic adds with flawless skin, shiny lips and lashes to die for. Can a self-proclaimed "make-up junkie" really use okay to sample these alluring and mysterious wonders of cosmetics and not end up bleary eyed and broke? The answer, my fellow junkies, is yes. Walking into any department store cosmetic counter can cause the best of us to break out in a oil-blotting sweat. The women in the white coats and blue uniforms all seem to be at least six feet tall and flawless. If you are like me, quite challenged in the height department and rounder than most, you may feel that you would rather buy your make-up at a dime store and end up with 2/3rds of it in a cosmetic drawer at home realizing that the drop dead red you chose for your lips is really more suited to Bozo than yourself. So while we may be facinated and drawn to the cosmetic counter, most will continue the course we always have and dump our drawers out when they hit their limit of junk. So, what are we to do? If, like most closet make-up junkies, we have our latest copies of Allure and Vouge and Cosmo we know the names. We know the claims. okay is a treasure trove of all things cosmetic. And, most of the time, you are able to find samples of a item you'ld like to try. I'll see an add that draws me in like a moth to a flame and go straight to okay and see if it's available. Yes, I have gotten things that I love. And also things that didn't turn out quite like I had planned (my lashes still didn't reach my eyebrows). But at a fraction of the cost to my pride and my wallet. I love samples. Just be aware of exactly what you are getting. Size matters. Do a little research on the product you're intrested in and read feedback. Always good rules no matter what your purchasing. So to all my fellow junkies, try it out on okay.Samples are your best friends.
How to prepare an acoustic guitar for shipment.
Acoustic guitars are delicate instruments and require additional detail to packaging when preparing for shipment.
1} Detune the guitar...the strings should be loose on the guitar so as not to place any tension on the instrument neck.
2} Note, and record in writing, any visible damage (scratches, dings, etc.) to the instrument before wrapping for shipment.
3} If the guitar is to be shipped in a HARDSHELL case, wrap the guitar headstock with bubble pack and line the neck trough and other voids in the case with additional bubble pack or similiar to stabilize the guitar for shipment. (A guitar WILL MOVE inside its' case, during shipment, unless stabilized!)
4} Acquire a shipping box that's big enough to acgemodate the hard shell case. (Most music stores will be glad to give you several, FOR FREE...as the shipping boxes are trash to them)
5} Carefully place the hardshell case inside the shipping box and fill ALL VOIDS with peanut foam , wadded up newspaper, or similiar material. If this is done properly, the hardshell case SHOULD NOT MOVE inside the shipping box.
6} If the guitar is to be shipped WITHOUT a case or with a CHIPBOARD CASE (these kind of cases offer absolutely no protection for shipping purposes), the ENTIRE INSTRUMENT must be wrapped in bubble wrap...2 geplete layers regemended, top to bottom.
7} Again, place the instrument inside a shipping box that closely matches the size of the instrument and fill all voids with peanut foam, wadded up newspaper, or similiar material;so as to prevent the guitar from moving.
8) Place this shipping box inside a larger shipping box and ,once again, fill all voids with peanut foam or similiar material. (We're double boxing here because the guitar is not being shipping in a hardshell case)
This kind of attention to detail, when packaging an acoustic guitar, will greatly reduce the chances of damage to the instrument during shipment,.....after all.....the idea is to get the instrument from seller to buyer in one piece.....NOT IN PIECES!
1} Detune the guitar...the strings should be loose on the guitar so as not to place any tension on the instrument neck.
2} Note, and record in writing, any visible damage (scratches, dings, etc.) to the instrument before wrapping for shipment.
3} If the guitar is to be shipped in a HARDSHELL case, wrap the guitar headstock with bubble pack and line the neck trough and other voids in the case with additional bubble pack or similiar to stabilize the guitar for shipment. (A guitar WILL MOVE inside its' case, during shipment, unless stabilized!)
4} Acquire a shipping box that's big enough to acgemodate the hard shell case. (Most music stores will be glad to give you several, FOR FREE...as the shipping boxes are trash to them)
5} Carefully place the hardshell case inside the shipping box and fill ALL VOIDS with peanut foam , wadded up newspaper, or similiar material. If this is done properly, the hardshell case SHOULD NOT MOVE inside the shipping box.
6} If the guitar is to be shipped WITHOUT a case or with a CHIPBOARD CASE (these kind of cases offer absolutely no protection for shipping purposes), the ENTIRE INSTRUMENT must be wrapped in bubble wrap...2 geplete layers regemended, top to bottom.
7} Again, place the instrument inside a shipping box that closely matches the size of the instrument and fill all voids with peanut foam, wadded up newspaper, or similiar material;so as to prevent the guitar from moving.
8) Place this shipping box inside a larger shipping box and ,once again, fill all voids with peanut foam or similiar material. (We're double boxing here because the guitar is not being shipping in a hardshell case)
This kind of attention to detail, when packaging an acoustic guitar, will greatly reduce the chances of damage to the instrument during shipment,.....after all.....the idea is to get the instrument from seller to buyer in one piece.....NOT IN PIECES!
Tea and Herbs for Weight Loss
Healthy Weight Loss
Alfalfa, Corn Silk, Dandelion, Juniper, Parsley, Uva Ursi, Yarrow - Any of these can be used for diuretic properties and natural herb for weight loss. Most are available in "tea" form as well as tablets.
Aloe Vera Juice is reported to improve the digestion and to help cleanse the digestive system. Available in tablets and liquid.
Bladderwrack and Hawthorn Berry is reported to improve thyroid function and boost adrenal glands. This is important for your natural weight loss program.
Cinnamon is great for lowering cholesterol, is used in Chai and may been added as flavoring to many teas and dishes. Cinnamon is extremely versital natural herb for weight loss. Cinnamon is one of the oldest remedies used in traditional Chinese herbalism for digestive support, recent studies have shown cinnamon (Cinnamomum aromaticum) may support healthy blood sugar levels, when used as part of your diet, by activating insulin and glucose transport and improving glucose metabolism.
There are many tasty and simple ways you can enjoy this tasty spice called cinnamon. Try these:
Steeping your favorite herbal or any tea with cinnamon adds flavor to it and enhances your natural weight loss efforts. Add one-half teaspoon of cinnamon to unsweetened applesauce Add cinnamon to your breakfast cereal, pancakes or oatmeal Sprinkle on toast, bread, rolls, biscuits and buns Add cinnamon to butter, majorine or cream cheese Sprinkle cinnamon on your morning cup of coffee, cocoa or cappuccino Sprinkle on frozen or regular vanilla yogurt Flavor pumpkin, winter squash or sweet potatoes. Flavor apples or other fruits, pudding and other deserts Use on fish before frying, it helps eliminate odor Sprinkle on meats, expecially chicken or pork Sprinkle on coleslaw and salads Sprinkle on soups and sauces Add to jello mix
Cinnamon is particularly good with lamb in Indian curries and various Greek dishes. Use it in beef stews
Alfalfa, Corn Silk, Dandelion, Juniper, Parsley, Uva Ursi, Yarrow - Any of these can be used for diuretic properties and natural herb for weight loss. Most are available in "tea" form as well as tablets.
Aloe Vera Juice is reported to improve the digestion and to help cleanse the digestive system. Available in tablets and liquid.
Bladderwrack and Hawthorn Berry is reported to improve thyroid function and boost adrenal glands. This is important for your natural weight loss program.
Cinnamon is great for lowering cholesterol, is used in Chai and may been added as flavoring to many teas and dishes. Cinnamon is extremely versital natural herb for weight loss. Cinnamon is one of the oldest remedies used in traditional Chinese herbalism for digestive support, recent studies have shown cinnamon (Cinnamomum aromaticum) may support healthy blood sugar levels, when used as part of your diet, by activating insulin and glucose transport and improving glucose metabolism.
There are many tasty and simple ways you can enjoy this tasty spice called cinnamon. Try these:
Steeping your favorite herbal or any tea with cinnamon adds flavor to it and enhances your natural weight loss efforts. Add one-half teaspoon of cinnamon to unsweetened applesauce Add cinnamon to your breakfast cereal, pancakes or oatmeal Sprinkle on toast, bread, rolls, biscuits and buns Add cinnamon to butter, majorine or cream cheese Sprinkle cinnamon on your morning cup of coffee, cocoa or cappuccino Sprinkle on frozen or regular vanilla yogurt Flavor pumpkin, winter squash or sweet potatoes. Flavor apples or other fruits, pudding and other deserts Use on fish before frying, it helps eliminate odor Sprinkle on meats, expecially chicken or pork Sprinkle on coleslaw and salads Sprinkle on soups and sauces Add to jello mix
Cinnamon is particularly good with lamb in Indian curries and various Greek dishes. Use it in beef stews
What your newborn really needs
These are the top baby items we used everyday for our newborn (to 3 mos). With so much stuff to buy, and now with baby registries, you can fill your nursery, empty your pocketbook, and still not have what you need or have too much of what you don't.
The Graco pack and play with bassinet and changer in Renassaince. He slept perfectly next to our bed, making it easy for me feed him at night, and it made him easy to pick up after my c-section. The dark blue with the contrasting white lines were visually stimulating to him, so that when I had to set him down he was safe and stimulated. We also took our newborn on 2 trips in state and 1 out of state. Hotel beds are notoriously unsafe and not many rewalatives have a safe crib set up for guests. But with the pack and play our son slept safely and geforatbly everywhere we went-- an invaluable home and Travel tool!!! plus when you are done using this as a bed it's a safe place to put your toddler to play when you can't watch them.
It's the law that you must have a car safety seat, I suggest getting the safeest. The bRitax gepanion is the only car seat to protect your infant in a side impact crash, plus it is the only on the an anti-rebound bar. GET THE SAFEST CAR SEAT!! We thankfully never had a crash with out son but I was gratful every time I drove that he was secure.
The Fluerville Mothership is a fabulous looking diaper bag with wipe clean exterior and interior, changing pad, wipes case and bottle holder. It also has perfect pockets and a cell phone pocket. With no horrendous decorations, it is a quiet savvy looking bag that men and women alike can feel geforatble holding. The bag stays uprighta nd can be packed for overnight or day trips - great design in form and function!
Angel baby has a moniter that rests under the mattress or pack and play pad that moniters your baby's breating. This was a true life-saver for me even though my baby was healthy. I loved that, when he let me sleep, I could really sleep without worrying or rousing myself for breathing checks. If you are going to have a moniter why have any moniter that can't actually keep your baby safe. ABSOLUTlY FABULOUS!!!
Nearly everything else is optional - wipes warmer, changing tables, diaper pails, etc are all ways to spend money that outlive their usefulness long before they are used up. SO I would avoid buying much else for your infant and wait to spend your money on fun things they can really use later Like washing machines so they can have the box : )
The Graco pack and play with bassinet and changer in Renassaince. He slept perfectly next to our bed, making it easy for me feed him at night, and it made him easy to pick up after my c-section. The dark blue with the contrasting white lines were visually stimulating to him, so that when I had to set him down he was safe and stimulated. We also took our newborn on 2 trips in state and 1 out of state. Hotel beds are notoriously unsafe and not many rewalatives have a safe crib set up for guests. But with the pack and play our son slept safely and geforatbly everywhere we went-- an invaluable home and Travel tool!!! plus when you are done using this as a bed it's a safe place to put your toddler to play when you can't watch them.
It's the law that you must have a car safety seat, I suggest getting the safeest. The bRitax gepanion is the only car seat to protect your infant in a side impact crash, plus it is the only on the an anti-rebound bar. GET THE SAFEST CAR SEAT!! We thankfully never had a crash with out son but I was gratful every time I drove that he was secure.
The Fluerville Mothership is a fabulous looking diaper bag with wipe clean exterior and interior, changing pad, wipes case and bottle holder. It also has perfect pockets and a cell phone pocket. With no horrendous decorations, it is a quiet savvy looking bag that men and women alike can feel geforatble holding. The bag stays uprighta nd can be packed for overnight or day trips - great design in form and function!
Angel baby has a moniter that rests under the mattress or pack and play pad that moniters your baby's breating. This was a true life-saver for me even though my baby was healthy. I loved that, when he let me sleep, I could really sleep without worrying or rousing myself for breathing checks. If you are going to have a moniter why have any moniter that can't actually keep your baby safe. ABSOLUTlY FABULOUS!!!
Nearly everything else is optional - wipes warmer, changing tables, diaper pails, etc are all ways to spend money that outlive their usefulness long before they are used up. SO I would avoid buying much else for your infant and wait to spend your money on fun things they can really use later Like washing machines so they can have the box : )
Monday, September 26, 2011
Altec speakers
I worked with an Altec contractor in the 1970's. I also worked for Altec very briefly then.I collect older Altecs, and soon hope to have an info page up on the net.There is a great deal of confusion about Altec's history and products, so I felt maybe I could shed some light andcorrect a few misconceptions.One of the most gemon is that Altec and JBL were the same gepany. This simply isn't true.Altec was formed out of the Service group ( All Technical Products) for Western Electric. Due to an anti-trust ruling, WE had to sell off it's motion picture interests for the US market. All Technical Products essentially took over the designs. for the next 20 years till the late 50's select WE designs could be had with Altec or WE labels. Most gemon is the 755.During this time All Technical got shortened to Altec.Altec was a service and marketing gepany, without manufacturing capability.Lansing Machine, Jim Lansing's first gepany, was going bankrupt. Altec bought them, and the Lansing name. The merger created Altec Lansing.After WW II Jim Lansing went off, with the blessing of those at Altec, to form a new gepany. relations were not always good. When he tried to use "Lansing' Altec sued that they owned it. He settled on his initials JBL for James Bullough Lansing.Altec's EIA (manufacturer) code is 391. A real Altec speaker will have a usually 6 digit number 391xxx, the xxx portion being date code, first digit is last number of year, next two are week of year.. I am trying to keep this basic, my aim is to provide directions for further search rather than write an encyclopedia.Altec did source speakers, primarily CTS and Utah, for it's home stereo units, at least the less expensive ones. One unit has a Heppner horn. Google will give those EIA codes. these are AFAIK all stamped frames, if you have a cast frame unit it should bear 391.A small but very vocal group points to the "rca" letters in some parts and insists there were RCA speakers involved- not likely since RCA was having it's own issues, and there are no units I have ever seen with an EIA code for RCA.In the early '80s (Reaganomics et al) Altec went bankrupt. They had struggled for a long time.Uninformed people insist Altec has been bought and sold a number of times. Not accurate. Sparkomatic bought the name for home stereo. Any Altec stereo units after about '84 are not true Altecs- made in China or such with an Altec label slapped on. Most Altec boards refuse to discuss these. There may be some usable cheap speakers there, but they won't go up in value.Altec professional pretty much stayed intact, but it's parent gepanies went thru a couple changes. Altec finally was shut down. around 2000. Sparkomatic bought the remaining rights and tried to found a Pro divisions, but the market at this point did not want Chinese product relabeled with an American name. They failed dismally.I have had people insist they had Altec speakers because the serial number was stamped in green ink. Sorry but no way.Without a 391 manufacture code it's most likely not Altec. And if it is a stereo speaker after 1984 or a geputer speaker, the only thing Altec is the label.There is a Lansing Heritage website, an Altec unofficial website, and an Altec User's board.Google is your friend.
Tube Works Real Tube RT-902 Overdrive Preamp
This is a tube driven (12AX7A) Overdrive/preamp. It was designed by the legendary B.K. Butler and manufactured in the USA by Keynote Ind. Great to add some real tube harmonics to your solid state amp, overdrive your clean tube amp, or for direct recording!First off, you can pick from a wide variety of tubes and change the character of the amp as easy as pluging in a lightbulb.The GT is a screamer that gets nice and chunky when you back off it.
The sovtek is like a bath of warm fuzz :) The tung-sol (my favorite)
has a hint of fuzz but more biting than the sovtek. The JJ is really
fat and more bluesy.Inside the case. Really thick sheet metal lets this rack mount unit hold up to tons of abuse.The bypass and boost switches. Can also be controlled with a foot switch. The boost gives you just that little bit extra for face melting solos.The best thing about this preamp is the amount of tone controls it has. Drive - this is the main distortion controlContour - fine tone controlBias - scoops out the midrange for that classic crunch soundMaster - output levelLow - boost or cut the low frequencyMid - boost or cut the mid frequencyHigh - boost or cut the high frequencyThe second best thing is the amount of in/outs!Line and instrument level in/outs and inputs for the Boost/Bypass foot switches. The line outs are great for recording directly into your mixer and the line ins are great for using this as a FX unit to add distortion or brighten a track.With all the controls this thing is a tone monster. Lots of fun tweaking away all day on the knobs. I can get everything from SCREAMING solos to chunky rhythm to clean sparkle out of this.I regemend picking one of these up if you can find it. I know I am never selling mine!Rock On! \m/
The sovtek is like a bath of warm fuzz :) The tung-sol (my favorite)
has a hint of fuzz but more biting than the sovtek. The JJ is really
fat and more bluesy.Inside the case. Really thick sheet metal lets this rack mount unit hold up to tons of abuse.The bypass and boost switches. Can also be controlled with a foot switch. The boost gives you just that little bit extra for face melting solos.The best thing about this preamp is the amount of tone controls it has. Drive - this is the main distortion controlContour - fine tone controlBias - scoops out the midrange for that classic crunch soundMaster - output levelLow - boost or cut the low frequencyMid - boost or cut the mid frequencyHigh - boost or cut the high frequencyThe second best thing is the amount of in/outs!Line and instrument level in/outs and inputs for the Boost/Bypass foot switches. The line outs are great for recording directly into your mixer and the line ins are great for using this as a FX unit to add distortion or brighten a track.With all the controls this thing is a tone monster. Lots of fun tweaking away all day on the knobs. I can get everything from SCREAMING solos to chunky rhythm to clean sparkle out of this.I regemend picking one of these up if you can find it. I know I am never selling mine!Rock On! \m/
Advice for new sellers: How to sell on s Part Two
Advice for new sellers on okay: Part twoSome of what you will read in this guide may seem like gemon sense to most, but to others it is very important. PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE, if you find any part of this guide informative or important, take the time to vote 'yes' at the top of the page.This is part two of the guide that I wrote for new sellers on okay. Part one covers things that you should do, and this part is the things that you should not do; it was originally one guide, but was too long for okay standards. This part of the guide is not meant to offend anyone, but is problems that I have gee across as either a buyer or a seller, and are things that you should definitely keep in mind if you are to be successful on okay. There is both basic information on this guide, as well as some very helpful information for the seasoned sellers on okay; and definitely is worth a look.Don't:These are the things that kill people on okay the most...1. Don't skimp on customer care.Package your items carefully, and take the extra few moments to put some effort into the sale. I have had small handwritten notes placed into shipments I receive, bows tied around the item, special wrapping paper around the item; all personal touches that I appreciated. Remember, your customer can't see your smile as you hand them their widget across the counter, or hear the sincerity in your voice when you say thank you. The face that you put on your sale is in the form of the packaging that you provide. A shirt shoved in an envelope, without an invoice or note, leaves your customers kind of flat. If it is a delicate item, and packed poorly, even if it arrives in good shape, the customer is generally upset at your careless approach to the shipment; and this fact gets mentioned more often than not in the feedback. Remember, your packing is the face that you put on the sale.2. Don't nickle and dime your customers:I would never consider emailing a customer to tell them that their shipping cost was $.35 more than they paid, but I know that there are some sellers that do. If I under-estimate the cost of shipping, that is my fault, so I eat the cost.Don't ever refuse to sell an item because it sold for less than you expected. okay will not force you to sell an item, but it is bad business. Period. You are inviting negative feedback for doing so, and I will not bid on an item if I see negative feedback that states that a seller wouldn't geplete the sale, and I know that there are other okayers out there that do the same thing. This kind of feedback will cost you more money in the long run, in bidders who wont bid on future items you list, than you will lose in the one sale.Another don't that goes hand in hand with this is, I personally don't bid on and don't list items with a reserve. That is just a personal thing with me, but you will lose out on bids if you do list items that way. I have found that, more often than not, items that are well presented from a reputable seller sell for what they are worth on okay, because so many people have a chance to look at them. If you must list with a reserve, it is helpful to put the amount of the reserve in the auction; that way people looking at your item at least know if they are willing to pay it or not. The other thing is that, traffic on okay is much higher during the fall and winter months; more people trapped inside because of the cold, it is gloomy and rainy, and people shop on their geputer more to raise their spirits. If you have an item you are really concerned about, hold onto it until the peak times of selling; the fall season. I personally stock-pile items that are very high-end until that time of year; it is like a savings account.3. Use words very carefully when leaving or responding to negative feedback.When I am checking someones feedback, no matter if I am buying from them or selling to them, I always look to see what their response was. You can tell a great deal about the person you are dealing with in how they respond to adversity. Rude, name calling people are people that I avoid on okay. On the other hand, someone who owns up to their mistake, and takes responsibility for it, earns my respect every time. This is the easiest way to judge someones character on okay, so take time to cool down and think about how you will deal with the situation; once feedback is left, it is there for life... even if there is mutual feedback removal. Then there are the people who don't respond to negative feedback at all. When I see this, I instantly assume that they don't care about the feedback. When you are dealing with someone who doesn't care about their feedback, you can expect poor customer service to say the least. Dealing with these people is hit or miss at best.In the same vein, I personally don't ever respond to positive feedback that mentions something negative. Occasionally I will get a positive feedback from someone who will state something negative in the feedback; the shipping was fast, but the shirt didn't fit. Leaving a response to the gement draws attention to it, and someone flipping through your feedback will be drawn automatically to the extra line where you left a response. If you simply let it go, it will blend in with the woodwork. This kind of thing happens more than you might expect. I also don't retaliate with feedback. I leave detailed feedback, and mention the customer by name and what they bought for all my customers, no matter what they say in their positive feedback.The other thing to know about feedback is that there are customers out there who will use feedback to blackmail you into giving them more than they deserve; this should begee very interesting now that buyers can only receive positive feedback. Ex: "Either you can lower your shipping to $X.XX or I will leave you negative feedback." Know that you don't have to cave-in to these people in order to save your feedback rating. Feedback blackmail is prohibited on okay, and you can report people for doing so. If it is found by okay that your claim is legit, they will remove the feedback from your score; the feedback will remain, but will carry a note saying that it was removed by okay. Then you would simply want to respond to the feedback politely explaining that the buyer was engaged in feedback blackmail; most buyers will see it for what it is.The last thing about feedback is that there is a web site that will search for negative and neutral feedback exclusively, and it is a handy tool when buying or selling on okay.http://toolhaus.org/A word of caution though, as by only reading someones negative feedback, it paints a very bad picture of them; as you are only reading what bad things were written. When using this tool, you have to learn to place it in perspective, or you will never buy or sell anything on okay. I look for the dates and frequency of the negatives, and again, check the feedback that they leave for others; as this is another option on this site, and will give you a peak into their character.4. Don't ever ship an item without tracking:This cannot be emphasized enough. The simple truth is, as far as Pay-Pal is concerned, if you cannot track the item, and there is a problem, you are the one who is out the money; period. It doesn't matter if you offer insurance, and the customer declines. It doesn't matter if you can prove that the item was shipped, providing receipts or whatever. If you cannot prove that the item was delivered, and the customer files a claim with Pay-Pal, they will yank that money out of your account, and hold it until the dispute is closed. They even have a policy that you cannot offer a partial refund, it is 100%. I had a situation where me and one of my customers had agreed to split the loss, because they didn't buy insurance and I had a customs number showing that the item had been shipped, and Pay-Pal wouldn't allow the partial refund.Now, tracking for domestic shipping is only $.65; free if you process your own shipping on line. The catch is with international shipping. The USPS offers regular air mail for international shipping at a fairly reasonable rate, but you cannot have tracking on air mail; and to have an item tracked internationally, you must get express mail, which costs three times as much in most cases. Express mail gees with tracking and $100 of insurance; though they will only cover the value you place on the customs form, and your customer will pay duty fees on that value. Express is also much faster than air mail. I have had shipments to Italy take (literally) two months to clear customs, when express clears in a few days; and many countries are the same with that... Russia is even worse. A two month wait in customs will automatically trigger a Pay-Pal dispute, as your customer only has a limited time to file a claim; and most will. Once the claim is filed, you have to prove that they received the item; they don't have to prove anything. So you run the risk of losing the item you shipped, plus the cost of shipping the item, and Pay-Pal hands all the money you collected for the item back to your customer. I even had a Pay-Pal customer service rep tell me that "choosing to accept Pay-Pal as a form of payment, without tracking, is a business decision that I had to make, as I was responsible for making sure that package arrived safely". The bottom line is, track everything, or accept the loss when it goes bad.5. Don't ever lie to your customers:This almost seems silly to mention, but when dealing with people on line, the temptation is definitely there, and therefore, worth mentioning. I have caught both buyers and sellers in lies while dealing with people on okay, and from that point on, they are just about done in my book. If I make an error in a transaction, I admit to it immediately, and take responsibility for it; and customers appreciate that fact. Very rarely do you ever find yourself in a situation that a person doesn't appreciate the fact that you have told the truth in a matter when it would have been very easy to lie in, and customers respond very well to that type of honesty. Lieing on the other hand, almost always returns to bite you in the end. I know, gemon sense to most...I hope that this guide provided some helpful hints for you to start selling on okay, and that you make a ton of money doing so. Again, if anything in this guide proved helpful, please take a second to vote yes at the bottom of the page. This guide took me quite some time to put together, and a bit of recognition is always nice. Best of luck to you in your okay future, and God bless!Jon
MICH TC-2000 Combat Helmet
MICH TC-2000 gebat Helmet
The Modular Integrated gemunications Helmet (MICH), also known as the Advanced gebat Helmet (ACH), was developed by the United States Army Soldier Systems Center to be the next generation of protective gebat helmets for use by the United States Army.
Service
As of June 2006, it is being fielded throughout the US Army with the goal of eventually replacing the PASGT "K-pot" helmet by the end of 2007. The ACH is approximately 3.5 lb (1.5 kg) lighter than the PASGT, ranging in weight from 3 to 3.6 lb (1.4 to 1.6 kg) depending on the helmet size. It uses a new, more advanced type of Kevlar and provides increased protection against handgun rounds.
Design
A pad system and four-point retention system, similar to the cushions and straps found on bicycle helmets, replaces the nylon cord suspension system, sweatband and chinstrap found on the PASGT helmet. The change provides greater impact protection and gefort for the wearer. It can be fitted with a mounting bracket for an AN/PVS-14 monocular night vision device (MNVD) on the front, similar to that on the PASGT helmet, as seen in the above image. It can also be fitted with a pair of straps on the rear to keep protective eyewear in place, as well as cloth helmet covers in varying camouflage patterns including US Woodland, three-color desert, ACUPAT, and solid black for use with SWAT teams.
Pictured: MICH with AN/PVS-14 (Left) and PASGT (Right)
The ACH is also slightly smaller than the PASGT, providing 8% less coverage. This accounts for some of the reduced weight and allows for both greater situational awareness and less obstruction of the wearer's vision, particularly when gebined with Interceptor body armor. Previously, soldiers had geplained that the high collar of the Interceptor pushed the back of the helmet forward, in turn moving the helmet brim over their eyes when they attempted to fire from a prone position.
Thanks for looking. If you find this guide helpful or at least mildly interesting, please click "Yes" below.reds_renders - Veteran of:Operation Desert Shield / Desert StormOperation Restore Hope / United Nations Operations in Somalia IIOperation Enduring FreedomOperation Iraqi Freedom III
The Modular Integrated gemunications Helmet (MICH), also known as the Advanced gebat Helmet (ACH), was developed by the United States Army Soldier Systems Center to be the next generation of protective gebat helmets for use by the United States Army.
Service
As of June 2006, it is being fielded throughout the US Army with the goal of eventually replacing the PASGT "K-pot" helmet by the end of 2007. The ACH is approximately 3.5 lb (1.5 kg) lighter than the PASGT, ranging in weight from 3 to 3.6 lb (1.4 to 1.6 kg) depending on the helmet size. It uses a new, more advanced type of Kevlar and provides increased protection against handgun rounds.
Design
A pad system and four-point retention system, similar to the cushions and straps found on bicycle helmets, replaces the nylon cord suspension system, sweatband and chinstrap found on the PASGT helmet. The change provides greater impact protection and gefort for the wearer. It can be fitted with a mounting bracket for an AN/PVS-14 monocular night vision device (MNVD) on the front, similar to that on the PASGT helmet, as seen in the above image. It can also be fitted with a pair of straps on the rear to keep protective eyewear in place, as well as cloth helmet covers in varying camouflage patterns including US Woodland, three-color desert, ACUPAT, and solid black for use with SWAT teams.
Pictured: MICH with AN/PVS-14 (Left) and PASGT (Right)
The ACH is also slightly smaller than the PASGT, providing 8% less coverage. This accounts for some of the reduced weight and allows for both greater situational awareness and less obstruction of the wearer's vision, particularly when gebined with Interceptor body armor. Previously, soldiers had geplained that the high collar of the Interceptor pushed the back of the helmet forward, in turn moving the helmet brim over their eyes when they attempted to fire from a prone position.
Thanks for looking. If you find this guide helpful or at least mildly interesting, please click "Yes" below.reds_renders - Veteran of:Operation Desert Shield / Desert StormOperation Restore Hope / United Nations Operations in Somalia IIOperation Enduring FreedomOperation Iraqi Freedom III
Guardians and Inhabitants - Not wish granting slaves.
So you've found yourself browsing through Metaphysical. There are all sorts of items floating around here; genies, wishes, spells, anything you can desire! Is it all for real?The sad thing is, the answer is more than likely "no." There are many real sellers here on okay; though we've only been using this medium for a short time, we can feel that there are honest sellers out there. However, more often than not, the people who seem most popular are the people who do not put dedication into their work, or don't really '"work" at all. These people are the ones who can craft fabulous stories and make it seem like anything can happen; you know what? It can, but why would they be selling you something that could make solid gold fall into your lap? They wouldn't need okay if that were true.We have a few other things that we've noticed, and we thought that perhaps we might help some of the buyers out there by sharing knowledge we've learned over the years. It doesn't necessarily stand as "proven fact," as little in the metaphysical really is, but they are things that we ourselves have observed during our practices.As always, your mileage may vary, but don't expect to cross mountains in a rowboat.These items are not one of a kind. There will be people who dispute this, even seasoned veterans, but I have to say it. Nothing is one of a kind, especially if you browse through the listings; it's funny how many people say they have "one-of-a-kind" and "royal" entities. Let me ask you a question; if you were an all-powerful, unique, "royal" entity, would you want to be bound to some little ring and serve a human for the rest of your days? I don't think any one of you can honestly say you believe a godlike entity would want to sit on this plane in a little bauble waiting to grant the wish of one person. But the main point behind this is that nothing is "one-of-a-kind." Yes, every real entity has its own personality, its own likes and dislikes, and its own goals in being here. However, there are hundreds, thousands, millions of other entities out there with the potential to have the same powers. Think about how many humans live on this planet. Now think about how big the universe is. Now, think how big the spiritual or astral planes are. They aren't just contained to Earth, are they? I know it may gee off as a little bit harsh, but I want potential buyers to realize that there are more entities than you can possibly imagine out there. (Or maybe not, I won't limit your powers of imagination!) Even if not impossible, it is extremely unlikely that something truly "one-of-a-kind" (at least in the manner that fraudulent metaphysical okayers like to claim) is being sold on this site.They will not make millions fall into your lap. I hate to say it, because I really wish Ravyn and I could conjure an entity that would make millions of dollars just appear in the middle of our room. On that note, I wish we could conjure an entity that would do all of our housework and go to work for us. Unfortunately, that just isn't the way it works, and anyone who claims such things, or who claims they will "make all wishes gee true" is, at the very least, jerking you around just a bit.Guardians, whatever kind they may be, will help you. If you are in need of money, they will guide you as best they can towards it; maybe you'll notice a job listing you wouldn't have before, or maybe you'll get a raise. I've found money just lying on the street when I needed it desperately, and you may too. These guys won't, CAN'T, just make wealth materialize in front of you, though. If you want a million dollars, your gepanion will help you as much as it can to earn or find it, but don't count on finding a treasure chest full of gold the next day. Be reasonable. Even though they can manifest, they are not, despite what people will claim, amazing miracle workers.Can they work miracles? Yes. But they aren't Genie from "Aladdin." It takes a little more effort than that.Not everything inhabits the jewelry of some old rich lady. And even if it did, why do you think it would want to serve someone else because they bought it at an estate sale. More than likely, the entity would just leave, unless it was bound there against its will, which is an entirely different story. Many people make it seem like binding is "permanent," but generally it is only permanent for one person, or a family line if the entity wishes to continue to serve and guard. We'll address the issue of unwilling binding later in this guide, however.The point is, imagine you agreed to help one person out. You had a good relationship with them; there were some rough spots, but you did your best. They had no children and no relatives, so you were more than happy to stay and be there for them. Now, imagine that person died. "Okay," you think, "I can go home now. I did my best." Now imagine that someone gees along and says, "No, you can't leave now, I'm going to pay this lawyer so now you have to gee serve me and do everything I say!"How would you feel? And if there was nothing holding you there but an agreement that already ended when the person passed, would you continue to stay?Entities don't inhabit one place for centuries or millenniums just for you to pick them up and buy them on okay. I know it's a pleasant thought. It's a very nice thought; this creature has been around since the dawn of time, waiting for someone to excavate it and bring it to you. And who's to say that it might not be plausible? But somehow, we highly doubt that there are hundreds of entities using okay as a medium for finding someone they've been seeking for ages. Can they call to you through okay? Of course. But if something has really been waiting for so long to find you, why would they risk falling into the hands of another when there are much more efficient ways to influence finding their way into your hands?More than likely, if someone has found an "ancient" artifact, its powers have already fled. Entities are more likely to be bound to one place for a reason, and when finally moved from that spot, they have no reason to remain anymore. Alternatively, they were bound against their will, and the seller has no business selling them in the first place. An ethical practitioner would release these poor souls immediately rather than keep them jailed up unwittingly. A third possibility is that the entity is a new one bound to an old item; after all, it is very easy to find "ancient" pieces (or at least pieces which look ancient!) on okay.There are plenty of real entities on okay, and they can call through the internet just as well as they can call through any other method. However, in all honesty, if we found a priceless artifact from an ancient civilization, and the entity was still intact and still willing to serve, we wouldn't sell it. Especially not on okay. Why do you think anyone else would willingly give up such a "priceless" item for a few bucks on this site?Anything bound to this plane does so of its own intelligent and free will. If you ever see someone advertising creatures who have been forced to serve, DO NOT BUY THEM. Neither of us can stress that enough. Either they are lying and have nothing there, or they truly do have the power to bind creatures unwittingly and they are practicing in slavery. Would you wish to be dragged to a new place and held against your will, away from all of your friends and family? People seem to forget that entities from other realms of existence are intelligent not just for them, but in general as well. You have a life; why shouldn't they?Entities that gee here do so of their own free will. Some of them feel a calling, some of them wish to travel, and some of them simply want to learn more about their world. There is a contract of sorts, in our way of working; these entities gee to serve for a period of time, generally a human lifespan, and then they are free to leave. Many of them will form a bond and be happy to stay through generations, but it isn't required. Anything else is eternal jail.Besides, having an unwittingly bound entity won't lead to any blessings for you. These creatures will make your life impossible if they can; they want freedom, not to serve without question. Think about it: if you had someone wrongly accused of being a murderer, but their only punishment was to serve you eternally, don't you think they would do their best to gain freedom again? Binding something against its will is much the same. These creatures only want to have the life they so rightfully deserve.If you ever obtain a piece that has a soul bound unwittingly to it, please release it if you can. Your reward will be much greater than trying to greedily hoard it.Dragons, djinn, vampires, and the rest are NOT what you've heard in "Dungeons and Dragons." I know this seems like a silly point to make, but we see so many descriptions that are exactly like that. One good example is the tendency for certain people to claim all dragons belong to set "colour groups" and will have personalities based on that nature. Please, as people who love working with dragons and finding them good keepers, let us share a bit of information with you. Not only is this assumption narrow minded and incorrect, it is, quite honestly, rather racist. You wouldn't want someone to assume that you were ditzy just because you were blond, or good at athletics just because you aren't overweight, would you? A word now; if you crack open a role playing book, you will find that certain sellers have more or less copied descriptions word for word. Some of them have even copied pictures from these games to describe their dragons! Yes, dragons gee in all sorts of colours, and yes, some of them can shape shift into one or two various forms. There are elemental dragons, and there are certain "races" of dragons that gee generally in certain colours or appearances. However, it seems extremely rude to assume that every red dragon is cruel, vicious, and fire breathing, isn't it? If someone is selling a real dragon, they will describe that dragon's personality, his individual appearance (if they have good enough sight, which hopefully they do if they're bothering to deal in conjuration!), his likes, his dislikes... Everything that you would need to know about that dragon, rather than everything you need to know about the stereotypical human views of his "kind" of dragon.The same goes for djinn, vampires, demons, and all the rest. These entities aren't goods being traded. They are intelligent, individual beings that will require your attention and your caring to their individual needs. We don't specialize in everything, but we know that not all djinn appear out of lamps, and they don't all manifest as fire blazing around the room. Vampires aren't all dark and mysterious, and they don't all want to have relations with you. Demons are not all evil and they certainly don't all have horns and cloven hooves. If you find an entity for sale, make sure that you ask questions about it. Make sure the seller knows the creature well, and make sure you're a match for its particular likes and dislikes.If someone is doing a custom conjuration for you, they should be able to describe the entity they've found for you before you receive the vessel and entity contained within. They should be able to tell you about some of the previous entities they work with. Even if they have generalizations (we, for example, will not work with dragons that are not at least somewhat friendly, so we do make a note that our dragons are friendly, since we don't want anyone to end up with a mean gepanion!), they should be able to explain why, and go into detail about the individual and what makes him or her different from those generalizations.Do your research. Everything we've said here is a good guideline, but listen to your heart and your head. You should be able to feel if someone is honest or not, but if you're not certain, do a little research. Even if someone has 99% positive feedback, maybe everyone else is afraid. Check that one negative. Even just one claim of being a fraud among a sea of "item as described" and "thank you" might give you a clue. Alternatively, one bad feedback could be a hint of sabotage; what do people say about the person? Do they only say thank you, or do they really seem to feel energy and power? Do they really seem satisfied, or are they only giving feedback because yes, sure, the ring got there alright?Poke around a little. Ask questions. No honest seller should be afraid to answer your questions, and they should be able to give you detailed answers, not just some vague or generalized hint. Listen to your heart, and listen to your intuition. You'll know when something is fishy if you just open yourself a bit.There are many sellers on okay, and there are many who are honest, hardworking, and really will help you. On the flip side, there are many who are making thousands of dollars for nothing. Please, help fight the ones who truly don't care about you. Ask, listen, and learn. Educate yourself, and encourage the education of others. Even just one question might be enough to expose someone who really isn't "real." Support the ones who are.- River Three and Raven Starr : The Twilight Moon
Choosing a Trombone / Identifying Types of Trombones
I recently thought it would be entertaining to look for bass trombones. Imagine my surprise when most of the listings in my search were trombones that were -not- bass trombones. So I thought I'd write a guide to explain the different type of trombones and give people some idea of how to choose a trombone.
First, I'll describe the three main types of trombones (alto, tenor, bass). Then, I'll talk about the different types of rotors and wraps and how they affect the sound. But first, some terms:
bore - the diameter of a tube. Trombones may have several bores. All bore numbers listed in this guide are approximate.
shank - the part of the mouthpiece that fits inside the horn. Mouthpieces either have a small or large shank.
Types of Trombones
Alto Trombones
There's a good review on these already, so I don't say much about them except to say that these are the only trombones that are not pitched based on concert Bb. Most brass instruments play a Bb (and harmonics thereof) when you play them without pressing any valves or with the slide all the way in. Alto trombones sound an Eb or an F. If you're a trombone player, this will really mess with your head. Unless you have a reason to buy one, just don't....
Tenor Trombones
The vast majority of trombones are tenor trombones. A tenor trombone has either no valves or a single rotary valve controlled by a thumb trigger. This trigger drops the horn down to an F. If you pull the valve's tuning slide almost all the way out, you can turn it into an E rotor, which is occasionally convenient if a piece calls for a lot of low Bs.
There are two basic groups of tenor trombones: small more and large bore. Small bore tenor trombones use small shank mouthpieces (more later) and typically have a bore from .48" to about .508", give or take. Large bore tenor trombones use a large shank mouthpiece and range from about .510" to .55", give or take.
Bass Trombones
Bass trombones are distinguished from a tenor trombone by a larger bore (.55" and up). Generally speaking, most bass trombones have two thumb triggers, though there are a few exceptions. A bass trombone requires more air because of the larger bore, and thus is ideally suited if you are playing a lot of low notes below the bass clef staff.
In my opinion, buying a bass trombone without a second trigger doesn't make a lot of sense. The extra air needed makes a bass trombone a poor choice for a beginner, and once you get into material above that level, you will run into low Bs far more often than you'd like to deal with when playing on a single trigger. Honestly, I'd be wary of calling a single trigger horn a bass trombone at all; most horns with a single trigger are really tenor trombones.
Types of Rotors and Wraps
When buying a horn with an F rotor (or with two rotors), there are two things you should pay attention to: wrap and rotor type.
The wrap refers to how the tubing is shaped. All older trombones and many newer trombones have what is called a closed wrap. This means that the rotor tubing is curled up in a tight fashion so that it does not stick beyond the end of the instrument. The result is that it looks like a coil, forming a full circle when you look at it from the side. Many newer trombones use an open wrap. This means that the rotor tubing is basically a single, large loop instead of being coiled up. The tubing sticks out beyond the end of the instrument.
The wrap has the largest effect on the sound of a trigger. Every time air moves around a corner, it produces backpressure. The tighter the curve, the more backpressure. A little backpressure is necessary, but too much backpressure, and it sounds stuffy. Significant changes in backpressure also lead to undesirable changes in the tone of an instrument, and thus should be avoided where possible.
When you depress a trigger, the backpressure must, by definition, increase due to the increased tube length. However, ideally, it should only increase by about the same amount as pushing the slide out to sixth position. This theoretical ideal instrument would feel very natural because using the trigger would be indistinguishable from using the slide. In reality, of course, the backpressure will increase more than using the slide because of the additional curves, though the better instruments try to get as close to ideal as possible.
This brings us back to the two types of wrap. A closed wrap results in a stuffy sound because of the backpressure caused by the tighter curves. This makes the trigger feel significantly stuffier than kicking the slide out to sixth position. For this reason, unless cost is a dominant factor, an open wrap is preferable. The difference in feel should be very obvious to even the casual player (assuming the casual player plays low notes). That said, the closed wrap does have advantages for younger players in that it is somewhat protected by being nestled inside the bell, and thus less likely to get severely dented on the music stand of the percussionist sitting behind the student....
Also, there are open wraps and then there are open wraps. Differences in the way the air passes through the valve can make a significant difference in the feel of the instrument. For example, with a standard rotary valve, I found the Benge open wrap to feel more open than the Bach open wrap. This was almost 13 years ago, however, so the standard rotary valve designs may have changed since then.
The rotor type makes a much smaller difference so long as it is designed reasonably well, but it does make a difference. Inside the valve, you have a series of tubes that either connect the slide directly to the bell or connect the slide to one end of the rotor tube and the bell to the other end, depending on whether the trigger is depressed. These tubes are, by nature, curved. Those curves add additional backpressure just like the curves in the tubing itself. The tighter those curves, the more the valve itself affects the sound. Modern valves such as the Thayer valve (read the Wikipedia article on Thayer valves for a list of other similar valves) significantly reduce those curves, resulting in a less stuffy tone when the valve is depressed.
Trombone Opinions
I'm a bit reticent about giving opinions of a lot of different models, but I will say what I've played and owned and give a quick summary. I'm about 90% sure about these models, but don't quote me on that.
Yamaha YSL-354
This is a student line trombone with a small bore. If you want a trombone that you can really overpower for a harsh, edgy tone, this is a good choice. If you want a trombone for a new trombone player with small lungs, this is also a reasonable choice. It's good for what it is---a relatively basic trombone for the beginning player. Expect to outgrow it in 2-3 years---much sooner if you are switching from another instrument like baritone.
King 4B (4BF)
This thing is a tank. I marched with an old one with F rotor. Got a couple of really nasty dents in the slide, but after appropriate straightening, it still played well. The closed wrap is somewhat stuffy, but not as bad as some closed wraps I've seen. If you're looking for a good horn for an intermediate player, a used 4BF is a great buy. Beyond the closed wrap, the trigger itself is a little bit different on this one because it tilts instead of swinging at an angle. That doesn't significantly impact playability in my experience, but it does feel a little different.
Benge 190F
This is my current trombone. Benge doesn't make these anymore, apparently. That's too bad, as it outplayed the Conn trombones I've played. If you want to buy a truly excellent used horn, watch for one of these.
About the Author
I've been playing trombone since sixth grade (back in 1988). I am a gemunity member of the UCSC Wind Ensemble, and regularly play trumpet and trombone for various church events with the Diocesan Choir of Monterey, CA. Professionally, I'm an author and software engineer.
First, I'll describe the three main types of trombones (alto, tenor, bass). Then, I'll talk about the different types of rotors and wraps and how they affect the sound. But first, some terms:
bore - the diameter of a tube. Trombones may have several bores. All bore numbers listed in this guide are approximate.
shank - the part of the mouthpiece that fits inside the horn. Mouthpieces either have a small or large shank.
Types of Trombones
Alto Trombones
There's a good review on these already, so I don't say much about them except to say that these are the only trombones that are not pitched based on concert Bb. Most brass instruments play a Bb (and harmonics thereof) when you play them without pressing any valves or with the slide all the way in. Alto trombones sound an Eb or an F. If you're a trombone player, this will really mess with your head. Unless you have a reason to buy one, just don't....
Tenor Trombones
The vast majority of trombones are tenor trombones. A tenor trombone has either no valves or a single rotary valve controlled by a thumb trigger. This trigger drops the horn down to an F. If you pull the valve's tuning slide almost all the way out, you can turn it into an E rotor, which is occasionally convenient if a piece calls for a lot of low Bs.
There are two basic groups of tenor trombones: small more and large bore. Small bore tenor trombones use small shank mouthpieces (more later) and typically have a bore from .48" to about .508", give or take. Large bore tenor trombones use a large shank mouthpiece and range from about .510" to .55", give or take.
Bass Trombones
Bass trombones are distinguished from a tenor trombone by a larger bore (.55" and up). Generally speaking, most bass trombones have two thumb triggers, though there are a few exceptions. A bass trombone requires more air because of the larger bore, and thus is ideally suited if you are playing a lot of low notes below the bass clef staff.
In my opinion, buying a bass trombone without a second trigger doesn't make a lot of sense. The extra air needed makes a bass trombone a poor choice for a beginner, and once you get into material above that level, you will run into low Bs far more often than you'd like to deal with when playing on a single trigger. Honestly, I'd be wary of calling a single trigger horn a bass trombone at all; most horns with a single trigger are really tenor trombones.
Types of Rotors and Wraps
When buying a horn with an F rotor (or with two rotors), there are two things you should pay attention to: wrap and rotor type.
The wrap refers to how the tubing is shaped. All older trombones and many newer trombones have what is called a closed wrap. This means that the rotor tubing is curled up in a tight fashion so that it does not stick beyond the end of the instrument. The result is that it looks like a coil, forming a full circle when you look at it from the side. Many newer trombones use an open wrap. This means that the rotor tubing is basically a single, large loop instead of being coiled up. The tubing sticks out beyond the end of the instrument.
The wrap has the largest effect on the sound of a trigger. Every time air moves around a corner, it produces backpressure. The tighter the curve, the more backpressure. A little backpressure is necessary, but too much backpressure, and it sounds stuffy. Significant changes in backpressure also lead to undesirable changes in the tone of an instrument, and thus should be avoided where possible.
When you depress a trigger, the backpressure must, by definition, increase due to the increased tube length. However, ideally, it should only increase by about the same amount as pushing the slide out to sixth position. This theoretical ideal instrument would feel very natural because using the trigger would be indistinguishable from using the slide. In reality, of course, the backpressure will increase more than using the slide because of the additional curves, though the better instruments try to get as close to ideal as possible.
This brings us back to the two types of wrap. A closed wrap results in a stuffy sound because of the backpressure caused by the tighter curves. This makes the trigger feel significantly stuffier than kicking the slide out to sixth position. For this reason, unless cost is a dominant factor, an open wrap is preferable. The difference in feel should be very obvious to even the casual player (assuming the casual player plays low notes). That said, the closed wrap does have advantages for younger players in that it is somewhat protected by being nestled inside the bell, and thus less likely to get severely dented on the music stand of the percussionist sitting behind the student....
Also, there are open wraps and then there are open wraps. Differences in the way the air passes through the valve can make a significant difference in the feel of the instrument. For example, with a standard rotary valve, I found the Benge open wrap to feel more open than the Bach open wrap. This was almost 13 years ago, however, so the standard rotary valve designs may have changed since then.
The rotor type makes a much smaller difference so long as it is designed reasonably well, but it does make a difference. Inside the valve, you have a series of tubes that either connect the slide directly to the bell or connect the slide to one end of the rotor tube and the bell to the other end, depending on whether the trigger is depressed. These tubes are, by nature, curved. Those curves add additional backpressure just like the curves in the tubing itself. The tighter those curves, the more the valve itself affects the sound. Modern valves such as the Thayer valve (read the Wikipedia article on Thayer valves for a list of other similar valves) significantly reduce those curves, resulting in a less stuffy tone when the valve is depressed.
Trombone Opinions
I'm a bit reticent about giving opinions of a lot of different models, but I will say what I've played and owned and give a quick summary. I'm about 90% sure about these models, but don't quote me on that.
Yamaha YSL-354
This is a student line trombone with a small bore. If you want a trombone that you can really overpower for a harsh, edgy tone, this is a good choice. If you want a trombone for a new trombone player with small lungs, this is also a reasonable choice. It's good for what it is---a relatively basic trombone for the beginning player. Expect to outgrow it in 2-3 years---much sooner if you are switching from another instrument like baritone.
King 4B (4BF)
This thing is a tank. I marched with an old one with F rotor. Got a couple of really nasty dents in the slide, but after appropriate straightening, it still played well. The closed wrap is somewhat stuffy, but not as bad as some closed wraps I've seen. If you're looking for a good horn for an intermediate player, a used 4BF is a great buy. Beyond the closed wrap, the trigger itself is a little bit different on this one because it tilts instead of swinging at an angle. That doesn't significantly impact playability in my experience, but it does feel a little different.
Benge 190F
This is my current trombone. Benge doesn't make these anymore, apparently. That's too bad, as it outplayed the Conn trombones I've played. If you want to buy a truly excellent used horn, watch for one of these.
About the Author
I've been playing trombone since sixth grade (back in 1988). I am a gemunity member of the UCSC Wind Ensemble, and regularly play trumpet and trombone for various church events with the Diocesan Choir of Monterey, CA. Professionally, I'm an author and software engineer.
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