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Fire Retardant for Show Tablecloths: 7 oz Borax (laundry soap aisle at Supermarket has it) added to 2 quarts warm water. Make a paste of 3 ounces Boric Acid (pharmacy has it) and add to above. Wet cloth & dip in the solution. Hang to dry. Must be re-done after each washing. Notes from Debbie's personal experience: MESSY MESSY MESSY!!! Use a large bucket and work outdoors! Use a stick to stir the solution which likes to clump and not mix in well. Hang soaked cloth to dry outside. This will make it stiff when dry, so you'll need to iron it. Next time, I will look for commercial spray-on retardant or search for material such as that used in Children's Pajamas (must be fire retardant by law.) Some shows allow the disposable plastic tablecloths in lieu of fire retardant cloth ones. Check with your show promoter. Debbie Jones |
Fire Retardant: CIMTA requires that all covers be fire retardant. Several years ago they suggested several different ways to make your table covers fire retardant.. Eileen Vernon |
Auction Additional Charges: I have been active on eBay for over a year. I have had many good experiences with it. Unfortunately, there are "not quite honest" folks there as anyplace else. I would suggest you contact the seller and tell her/him how you feel. The worst that can happen is they refuse your bids in future. No matter how well you like their items, if you feel you are being abused, it takes a lot of the fun out of it. Be very specific about such details as shipping. I save ALL email contact from buyers and sellers for future reference. It sounds like you did the electronic thing with your checking account. Everyone, be very careful about doing this. Not just on the Internet, but anywhere. Once you have given them permission to do that, they can do it anytime they want. I found this out the hard way with a book company. I thought it only applied to a particular purchase. Not so , replied my bank. Okay. Enough doom and gloom. Joyce |
Auction Additional Charges: It doesn't matter whether it's eBay or not, it is illegal for people who accept credit cards to charge more than they are authorized by the buyer. If the 2nd auction was $50 plus $5 shipping the buyer was only authorized to charge $55 no matter what happened previously unless you gave them permission to add on more money for something else. The seller should have asked your permission first and since she/he didn't you can dispute the extra charge with your bank. Carol, S P Miniatures |
Auction Additional Charges: The cost of shipping a package is usually more than the cost of the stamps... the box and packing material are an expense the sender has to pay, as well as the mileage to the post office (and the high cost of gas can add something to that expense)... even the time involved in going to PO is an actual expense especially if you have to stand in long lines at PO. And I noticed that if you send something UPS, they didn't include the cost of the insurance in the postage stamp on the box. When I asked why, they said it was so the delivery people wouldn't see how much it was insured for and be tempted to steal it. Usually, though, the sender will absorb some of those "hidden" expenses themselves. I try to charge only the actual postage (not the packaging materials) but unless I make two trips to the PO, one to get the actual cost to report to the buyer, and a second one to do the actual mailing. To avoid two trips, I am forced to "guess" at the cost of postage, since my PO is one of those that has long lines. Sometimes there are as many as 50 people ahead of me, at those times, I tend to turn around and go home as I feel too much time is wasted standing in line. I try again another time. Hope that helps to understand to some degree why postage can be higher than "If the seller made a postage mistake with the first package, well, it is their fault and they should take the hit on it, learn the lesson." I agree, we should not have to pay for someone else's mistake. If the extra cost of postage charged was for a former mailing... I'd not feel obliged to pay it. Viola |
eBay payments from/to abroad: There has been some discussion on payment from non US residents for items sold from the US on eBay. Also, someone had a seller charge for more than was authorized on an order, due to extra shipping on a previous order. No one has mentioned PayPal, which allows one to pay by credit card, without giving out your credit card number to the seller. Therefore, the seller gets only the amount you send him/her. For further information, go to http://www.paypal.com . Since I live in Israel, and am an eBay addict, I find this works very well for me. There is also another option for those of us who don't live in the US - BidPay. With BidPay, you use your credit card to have US Western Union money order sent to whoever you want in the US, for an auction payment. True, there is a fee ($5 for a MO up to $100, and slightly higher fees for higher-valued MOs), but it would cost me much more to go to my bank and buy a check in US dollars, not to mention the time wasted going to the bank, waiting in line, and then going to the post office to send it, etc. http://www.bidpay.com I have no affiliation with either PayPal or BidPay, other than using their services, and finding them safe, convenient and useful. I hope this information helps... Jonathan in Israel |
Miniature Show Dates: They are listed in the mini magazines but they are also online in several places. Always, always, check first before you go to the show. Show dates change or are canceled or the listing is in error. Carol |
Miniature Show Dates: Miniature show dates are available to be found in many of the larger websites such as http://www.miniaturemall.com, Lisa Vollrath's About.Com miniature newsletter, and online at http://www.tombishopshow.com , http://www.mollycromwell.com . etc. Many upcoming shows are mentioned in this newsletter Susan Flaks |
Miniature Show Dates: Here are a few sites that list show schedules: Marilyn, MI |
Postage Rates: Here is a tip on postage. If you get a good scale (you can get them form Staples and places like that for a really inexpensive price) you can get postage costs from http://www.usps.gov.ncsc/ They have both International and Domestic postage rates. Just click on the one you want and fill in the information. Then you can make a choice of what postage rate you want to send your package. You will be within pennies of the correct postage if you have a good scale. Hope this helps. Grace Shaw |
Postage Rates: To avoid two trips to post office go to the US Mail web site and calculate postage and insurance for the zip code package is being sent to. http://www.usps.gov There is a postage calculation wizard at the site. I use it all the time prior to mailing packages or large envelopes to OK and TX for family. You will need a scale [a food scale works just fine] to weigh the package. UPS http://www.ups.com also has a calculator on site. Click on the calculator icon. FedEx http://www.fedex.com also has a calculator on site. Click on the rates tab [orange color]. Hope this helps everyone with their package shipping. Will save you at least one trip to shipping facility. BTW did you know that UPS and FedEx will pickup for a nominal charge at home? US Post Office will do the same if you have an account with them or subscribe to their on-line postage service. Patricia / Redwood City, CA |
UK Postage weights and prices: The weight limit for sending things "small packet" rate from the UK is 2 kilos, or 4.4 pounds. Weight limits and postal prices can be checked by looking up Royal Mail's website, on http://www.royalmail.com Actually, my posting on SS about postage costs from the UK seems to have been edited - what I actually said was that it usually costs us under two pounds to send a rocking horse airmail using the 'small packet' service, but I used the pound sign and the numeral. Obviously it didn't travel too well!! Annie Logan |
Postage Costs-England: For certain countries including the USA, Mexico, Australia, South Africa, etc. English Air Mail, letters and/or Small Packets are only insured to the value of £28 - if the contents are of greater value and there is Loss and/or Damage the only compensation available from the Post Office is £28. For these more valuable parcels we have to use Parcel Force where the compensation level is higher, and can be increased if required. Unless someone else has another solution!?! David Betts |
Priority Mail supplies: I have a standing order with the Post Office for Priority Mail boxes, tape and mailing labels. They are all free. The PO sends them to me periodically. I placed the original order from their website (which is a navigation nightmare IMO!) Here's a more specific URL: http://supplies.usps.gov/disclaimer.htm I Anne |
International sales: For those of you in the UK who sell to the US but do not have credit card facilities, Citibank allow you to deposit a dollar cheque same as a sterling one with no charge. I also agree with Jonathan re BidPay. I use this facility regularly for eBay purchases and it has always run very smoothly and is fast. Karon |
Money orders: I have never paid to have a money order cashed. Don't try to change one at the post office in Canada though, they don't give a fair rate. Actually, they don't give a good rate on US money either. I went in to a post office here once with an American $20 to pay for postage on something (only thing I had, I guess I should just have gone to the bank) , and left with it intact because of the ridiculous exchange they wanted to give me (practically on par, for gosh sakes!). Kim from Canada, |
Moving 60" Dollhouse Shell: Consider having Mott's not connect additions to main section of dollhouse. Have each section assembled & wired independently. You can bridge wire connections between sections (Mott's knows how to do this) or use separate transformers if you plan to have lots of lights. We would also recommend the use a 1/2" or 3/4" piece of plywood as a "yard" for landscaping. The stable base will make the move & re-assembly of the total dollhouse much more manageable. Gail MacDonald |
Charitable Donations: It is much better to give the item you want to donate to charity to an organization and let them raffle it off. In that way they have a much better chance of making more than you would probably sell it for! Make sure to get a receipt for whatever price you could have sold it for so you can deduct it as a charitable donation. Alice Zinn |
Miniature stores in Italy FLORENCE La Bolgetta Club Regalo Dreoni Giocattoli ROME Le Case Di Flora Baby's Store Modellismo Giorni Giocattoli Giorni Modellismo VENICE EMMEBI Case di Bambola Emporio Pettenello there is also a very very very beautiful store in MILAN: Cose Di Un Altro Mondo Harriett - Framingham, MA |
British Antiques Fairs: If you are visiting GB and touring, I'm fairly sure you'd enjoy a big antiques fair, simply due to all the STUFF that one can see, touch, feel. Try the site http://www.dmgantiquefairs.comfor dates of a few. Helen from York, England |
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