Well, this is embarrassing (but not to me)

There's a huge controversy stirring at WTJU, the station I volunteer for (but this post isn't about that). The University wants to makeover the station, and listeners are understandably upset (OK, me too). The University hurriedly set up a forum for listeners and volunteers to share their thoughts.

They came up with a really nice header for the site. (Click to enlarge) This is the embarrassing part.

You see, I recognized the image -- because I took it. Here's the original. (Click on image to enlarge.)

Notice the computer screen -- it's showing the playlist blog for my show "Gamut" that I was updating at the time.

I didn't give the University permission to use this image, so where did it come from? Well, I posted it on my Facebook page, so it apparently was lifted from there. So here's the dilemma. Do I send a take-down notice to the University for the unauthorized use of my work? Or leave it alone?

The takeaway (as if I didn't already know it), is that anything online is fair game -- to anyone.
 - Ralph

Straco Express - A closer look

Here's a little bit more on this toy train I've been nattering on about.in the last two posts.

The Straco Express was an HO-scale electric train imported by the FJ Strauss Company around 1960. The set consisted of a locomotive, a boxcar, a gondola car, and a caboose. It also included an oval of sectional track, three railroad signs, and a battery-operated transformer.

Below are photos of each of the cars (click on each image to enlarge), and a special bonus video!

The locomotive is the most detailed component, and -- as it's all embossed metal -- the most complex to assemble. It mostly resembles an EMD SW-1, a very popular switch engine (especially among toy train makers) at the time.

The boxcar is also embossed metal and shares the same frame as the gondola car. I'm not sure the U.S. Mail ever had boxcars painted red, white, and blue -- but Lionel did. Their 6428 U.S. Post Office boxcar was offered in the early and middle 1960's.

The gondola car shared the same frame as the box car. It had a lithographed floor -- an impressive amount of detail for such an inexpensive item. The edges of the body are curled in, giving the sides added strength. And although very hard to see the white letters against the pale yellow sides, the gondola is marked N.Y.C. (New York Central)

To me, it looks like the creative team ran out of gas when they got to the caboose. The locomotive and freight cars are fairly well proportioned, but the caboose is a little small. Nevertheless, it still has an impressive amount of detail, particularly the railings on the ends of the car.

Although I don't have a complete circle of track, I did have enough to do a test run. The battery-powered transformer's control isn't very subtle -- it's basically on or off. Here's the Straco Express, barreling down the track across the wasteland of my desk. All aboard!


 - Ralph

BTW - If anyone has an extra curved section of track from an FJ Strauss, MRK, or Americo tin toy train set, let me know!

#Straco

Straco Express - A Better Story

Last post I shared an Antiques Roadshow version of my purchase of a small, tin toy train. But there's an even odder story (and I think a more interesting one) associated with the Straco Express.

The train was offered for sale "as is." (There's a picture of the Straco Express I purchased at right). It was in a small cardboard box with the locomotive, two cars, and a caboose. Included was the battery-powered transformer, and some track. Not enough track to make a complete circle, but what survived from the original set.

One of the reasons I decided to purchase the set was because I recognized the sectional track in the box. It seemed to be a match to the ones that came with a small toy train set I had as a child (pictured at right).

When we got back to Dad's house, we pulled out the old set, and the sectional track matched! We had tested the Straco locomotive, and it worked, so I was excited to put all the track together and start running trains.

But when I combined the tracks from the Straco set and my old set, I was exactly one piece short. I couldn't complete the circle. The set was HO scale (sort of), so I invested in a circle of modern HO sectional track. No luck. The flanges on the wheels are wider than those of most HO-scale locomotives, which causes the engine to bounce up and down on the ties of the track, breaking the electrical connection.

So I'm stuck until I can find a curved piece of track.

But that's not the whole story. The train I bought was the Straco Express, a Japanese-made toy for the American-based Strauss Company (not the same ones who make the jeans). But the one I already owned, though also Japanese in origin, was not. And with the exception of the track, the trains have almost nothing in common.

In the photo below, the boxcar from the Straco Express (left) is next to one from my childhood Santa Fe set. The two boxcars have different frames, different body styles, different trucks (wheel assemblies) and different roofs (angled vs. rounded).  Click on images to enlarge.

Did two different companies sub-contract to the same source for the track? Did one Japanese company actually make both sets for different American firms based on client designs? I don't know -- but I'd sure like to find out. Internet searches have yielded almost no additional information about the train of my childhood.

#Straco

The Golden Ticket and the NPR Time Delay

At this point I'm used to the time lag between when news breaks and when mainstream media gets around to reporting it. It's still a little disconcerting when I run across an specific example -- especially from a usually reliable source like National Public Radio.

On July 16, NPR reported on a new opera premiering in St. Louis. The article was a pretty good informative piece about The Golden Ticket, an opera based on Roald Dahl's "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. But the date's important. According to the article,

The opera called The Golden Ticket seemed like just that — a natural way for opera companies to attract new audiences by bringing families into the opera house. But the world premiere under way now at Opera Theatre of St. Louis did not have a sweet ride from conception to opening night.

Felicity Dahl says that if sweets improve with age, then The Golden Ticket is ready to be tasted. 

"It naturally takes a long time, but this took far too long," she says. "I take my hat off to St. Louis for biting the bullet, and I don't think they'll live to regret it."

The story makes it all sound like no one knows yet how the work will be received.

But I already knew.

One of the cast members, Jennifer Rivera, wrote in her blog "Trying to Remain Opera-tional" on July 14,

So last night, at our opening of The Golden Ticket, something wonderful happened.

The real story is the World Premiere, and that it was a success. I can say that it felt from stage as if the audience was with us every step of the way. They laughed in all the right moments, and even in some new moments where we hadn't necessarily anticipated the laughs.

[Ms. Rivera's post tells of something else that happened at the world premiere -- I encourage you to read it].

And the St. Louis Post-Dispatch wrote on the same day:

There aren’t that many new operas designed to make the audience laugh out loud. “Ticket,” which opened Sunday evening, does just that — and with honest, sweet humor — combining ingenious music that neatly parodies assorted operatic cliches and a clever libretto that has fun with Dahl’s delicious morality play. Add to that a nearly ideal cast, and you have something enjoyable for adults and children alike.

So let's review:

The evening of the premier Jennifer Rivera posts that the opera was a hit with the audience. The same night the St. Louis paper says the same thing. So the word's out to those following this story -- the opera's a success.

Two days later NPR reports on this new opera being staged in St. Louis. The basic thrust of their story:  How will the audience receive it? Only time will tell.

Time's already told.

Come on, even if the story was written before the premier, a quick check on the 15th would have pulled up those stories, and the article could have been made current before being released on the 16th.

Running out-of-date stories? Now that's lamestream media.

 - Ralph

Medieval vs. Modern

I'm currently rereading Barbara W. Tuchman's "A Distant Mirror: The Calamitous 14th Century." Some people think that history is irrelevant -- and really old history is really irrelevant. I disagree. People don't really change that much over time, and seeing how others act in similar situations to ours can be illustrative (plus there's the added insight of understanding how we got to where we are).

Case in point: a passage from Tuchman's book talking about one of the few female practicing doctors of the age:

At the University of Bologna in the 1360s the faculty included Novella d'Andrea, a woman so renowned for her beauty that she lectured behind a veil lest her students be distracted. Nothing is said, however, of her professional capacity.

And then this news item from last week, where Debrahlee Lorenzana claims in court papers that she was forced out of her Manhattan Citibank job because she was too good looking. Her male managers found her appearance "too distracting."

Two women at work, separated by almost 900 years. So how much have we really progressed?

Legacy strips:frozen or fresh? Part 2

Time Magazine published a list of the ten longest-running newspaper comic strips. In part 1 I talked about those that seems frozen in time -- and creatively frozen as well. But just because the original artist dies, the creative development of the comic strip doesn't have to die as well (or turn into a zombie). It can become the starting point for the the new artistic team. From Time Magazine's list, here are the strips I think are fresh rather than frozen.

Little Orphan Annie - The last creative team to work on Annie did the best they could to update this 86-year-old strip. Annie started wearing jeans, the stories had contemporary settings, but it was all for naught. People who came to the comic because they loved the movie didn't relate to the adventure-style stories. Unlike times past, readers are receptive to new gag strips, but are completely uninterested in new (or even revamped) narrative strips. A noble effort, nonetheless.

Gasoline Alley - This is one of the few strips where characters age (albeit not quite as quickly as in the real world). The current artist, Jim Scancarelli has made major changes in Gasoline Alley, keeping the story -- and the world it inhabits -- growing and evolving. Phyllis Wallet, a mainstay of the strip since the 1930's died of old age during his tenure. Characters leave the strip, and new ones appear. Situations change, and children are born. Just like the real world, life goes on. Slow, organic growth that results in major changes over time.Very fresh, though with a patina of age.

Prince Valiant - Another strip where characters age. When Hal Foster created Val, he was a young boy newly arrived at King Arthur's court. Over a half century later (being a Sunday-only strip, time moves very slowly), he's now a late middle-aged family man. The current creative team of Gary Gianni and Mark Schultz are moving the stories in a more fantasy-oriented direction, bringing them in line with current tastes of comics readers. Maintaining the high standards of the past in contemporary form, fresh in look and stories.

Brenda Starr - Currently written by a journalist, this strip has dramatically changed since Dale Messick's death. Characters have aged, and the trials and tribulations of Ms. Starr reflect the current unsettled market of newspaper reporters in general. The strip has hit the right balance of adventure, drama, and commentary on the very medium it's printed on (thanks to current writer Mary Schmich, a reporter for the Chicago Tribune) and a clean, modern graphic look as drawn by June Brigman. Building a new story on a strong foundation -- fresher than the newspapers that carry it.

Legacy strips: frozen or fresh? Part 1

The big news in sequential art (newspaper comic strips) was the demise of Little Orphan Annie. After 86 years, the strip's syndicator called it quits. In honor of the event, Time Magazine published a list of the 10 longest-running comic strips. It's an interesting lineup.

1. B.C.
2. Dennis the Menace
3. Beetle Baily
4. Annie
5. The Katzenjammer Kids
6. Gasoline Alley
7. Blondie
8. Dick Tracy
9. Prince Valiant
10. Brenda Starr

As I view it, the strips seem to fall into two categories: those hampered by their legacies, and those trying to build on them.This post we'll look at former from Time Magazine's list.

What happens when a legacy strip's frozen? It's pretty much the way the original artist left it. The style of the artwork is followed as closely as possible. The cast of characters doesn't change.The clothes, the gags, settings and tropes don't change, and everything remains just the way the artist left it. From Time Magazine's list, here are the frozen:

B.C. - Did you know the original creators are long dead? You can't tell from the strip, which hasn't changed at all. B.C. is so frozen its got freezer burn.

Dennis the Menace - The art's changed slightly, but the last new character added was tomboy Gina, back in the 1970's. Dennis still bugs Mr. Wilson, still reveals embarrassing secrets, and so on. Brrr.

Beetle Bailey - The addition of Gizmo as the tech-crazy IT guy updates the strip slightly, but you can count on seeing Sarge falling off a cliff and hanging from a branch at least once a month. And Beetle will appear beaten to a pulp at least twice monthly. Pretty frosty

The Katzenjammer Kids - The hi-jinx of these mischevious kids has been toned down as sensibilities changed, and the art is cleaner and less detailed -- a nod to the shrinking panel size. Although still set in German South-West Africa (as it has since its inception in 1897), the native population has virtually disappeared from the strip, primarily due to evolving attitudes about depicting the same. In terms of creative development, though, it's still 1916. Slightly thawed, but only slightly.

Blondie - Although the characters don't age, there have been changes to the strip. Since Chic Young died, Blondie has started a catering business, Dagwood now carpools instead of catching the bus, J.C. Dithers and CO. uses computers instead of typewriters, etc. Although the basic gags remain the same, this is a strip that comfortably works within its established boundries rather than be hampered by them. Defrosted.

Dick Tracy - Max Allan Collins stove mightily to update the character after the death of creator Chester Gould, but he was only partially successful. Dick Tracy is no longer involved with the Moon men (don't ask), but he still fights an endless stream of grotesque villains with Dickensian name in the pattern established by Gould. The only real difference is that the art is less detailed (shrinking space) and the story arcs are shorter. The current Dick Tracy does little more than recycle past glories without the seat-of-the-pants inventiveness Gould brought to the strip. Permafrost's building on this one.

Next: Fresh not frozen! The comic strips that effectively build on their legacies.

Apple vs EMI vs Apple?

It all seems pretty simple. Apple wants the Beatles catalog on iTunes. Customers want the Beatles catalog on iTunes. The surviving Beatles seem to want their catalog on iTunes. So why hasn't it happened? According to Paul McCartney:

"It's been business hassles, not with us, or iTunes. It's the people in the middle, the record label. There have been all sorts of reasons why they don't want to do it."

And so we've had a wave of commentary berating said record label -- EMI -- for their wrong-headed stance. But there might be more to the story.

I've spent the past twelve years (in part) creating CD compilations primarily for public radio stations. And I can tell you that rights issues -- even among small independent labels and artists -- can be messy. One of our client stations has artists perform live in the studio. When they do, the artist signs a waiver allowing the station to use that recording for non-commercial purposes, such as a fund raising CD.

Sounds straightforward, right? Well, sometimes the artist has an exclusive contract with a label that covers any and all recordings made, regardless of the venue. Which means the artist had no legal right to sign that waiver. It's up to the label to decide if the track can be used.

Other times the artist is just fine, and the label doesn't have any controlling interest, but the artist's management has exclusive right to make any such deals (and management is seldom on hand when the artist is at the station). So it's the management that has to make that decision.

Now while most times the labels and management organizations will let us use the those tracks, the wheels can move very slowly. Sometimes too slowly and the track has to be dropped in order for the disc to ship on time for the station's fund drive.

No one's the bad guy. They're just following the procedures they are legally bound to. End result's the same, though. The radio station wants the artist on the CD, the artist wants to be on the CD, but it doesn't happen.

EMI doesn't own the Beatles catalog. They represent the Beatles' recorded music on behalf of Apple Corp. (the legal entity of the Beatles) in an arrangement that has a long and complicated history. That catalog has been locked down from the very beginning. Beatles tracks never appear on Greatest Hits or Top 40 collections. Their use has been very carefully controlled. And while it might be EMI, it also might be EMI following the procedures and guidelines laid down in the agreement with Apple.

According to David Kronemyer:

[Beatles manager] Klein was determined that Apple really should be the manufacturer of Beatles (and non-Beatles) records. He wanted to control all activities that a manufacturer possibly could control. The 1969 agreements went further than most royalty contracts in that they gave approval of product, packaging, pickup albums, etc. to the Beatles. Klein not only wanted to keep those features but also add release dates, pricing, approval and placing of advertising, promotion, publicity, etc.

So while Paul McCartney the artist may say he doesn't understand what the problem is, in the end it may very well be that it lies not with EMI, but with his legal avatar, Apple Corp.

 - Ralph

The Mozart Effect, Effectively Dead

So now it's official: the "Mozart Effect" is bogus.

According to University of Vienna researchers Jakob Pietschnig, Martin Voracek and Anton K. Formann listening to Mozart won't make you smarter. According to Science Digest

The comprehensive study of studies synthesizes the entirety of the scientific record on the topic. Retrieved for this systematic investigation were about 40 independent studies, published ones as well as a number of unpublished academic theses from the US and elsewhere, totaling more than 3000 participants.

The University of Vienna researchers' key finding is clear-cut: based on the culminated evidence, there remains no support for gains in spatial ability specifically due to listening to Mozart music.

Many parents over the past 15 years purchased Baby Genius and Mozart Effect music (and many other such series) to make their babies smarter -- to no avail.

I, for one, am glad. Mozart, unlike spinach, shouldn't be consumed just because it's good for you. It's time to stop treating him as such. Plus, if Mozart isn't something the parents normally listen to, then any "exposure" won't do much, either. Kids are very quick to figure out that things parents don't participate in aren't that important.

Want your kids to be familiar with classical music? You need to listen to it yourself. Want them to be readers? You need to read books, too. Is it important for your kids to be active? Then you have to turn off the computer and get out there, too.

"I recommend listening to Mozart to everyone, but it will not meet expectations of boosting cognitive abilities," says Jakob Pietschnig, lead author of the study.

I concur. Everyone should listen to Mozart. Not because it will make you smarter, but just because.

Lessons from York - A mixed message

Dad and I just returned from our semi-annual trip to York, PA for the Train Collectors Association Eastern Division toy train meet. Now whether you're interested in trains or not, please read on, because I'm asking for your input.

In the past I've tried reading what happened at the meet as an economic indicator. In the fall, there were a lot of abandoned tables, suggesting either money was too tight for vendors to commit, or perhaps had committed but didn't have the funds to travel (the show pulls attendees and vendors primarily from the East Coast, but some travel cross country to attend).

The 1931 Lionel Catalog featured an evergreen trophy item -- the
standard gauge State Set (the passenger train in the foreground). The
remaining items pictured all either merely desirable or highly desirable.

This time virtually all the tables were full and attended. So perhaps a segment of the economy has picked up.What interested me, though -- and where I'm looking for insight -- is what we saw at the show. Although toy trains have been around for more than a century, what shows up on the market tends to run in cycles. At least in this hobby, many try to collect what they fondly remember from their childhood. So as time passes, the desirability (and value) of items rise and fall in a fairly predictable fashion.

At York, though, we saw a lot of something that I consider a trophy item. That is, an object that was unsuccessful in the marketplace initially, which meant very few were ever in circulation. This makes the object extremely rare, which drives up its value. And while a trophy item still isn't desirable on its own merits, its rareness makes it a crown jewel in any collection. For cars, I think of the Edsel. For stamps, the air mail upside down plane. The thing that lets someone say, "Oh yes, I'm a serious collector. Why I even have a [trophy item]!"

In this case, it was the Lionel Girl's Train. (pictured right, from the Toy Metal Museum) That's right. In 1957, Lionel decided to market to girls and offered a train in pastel shades. It bombed. Girls interested in trains wanted the same ones the boys did.

As time passed, the Girl's Train became a trophy item -- something no truly complete collection could be without. Although to my knowledge no one ever wanted one to actually run, even when it was new.

At York this time we saw no less than ten Girl's Train sets for sale, plus several more partial sets and some individual pieces. Why is this coming back on the market now -- and en masse? Collectors of postwar Lionel were the most interested in the Girl's Train, and that population is just reaching retirement age. The next generation is focused on the offerings of the mid- to late sixties.

The value of the set remains quite high. So are people selling to raise cash? Are they trimming their collections in preparation for moving to smaller homes? Or has the bloom finally fallen off this rose?

So my question is this: what's happening with your hobby's trophy items? Are they showing up in the marketplace? Has the perceived desirability of them changed?

I'd be interested in learning if this is something unique to the small world of toy trains, or part of a larger phenomenon.

- Ralph

#York

Red Scare Redux

I ran across a small publication stuck in a collection of my grandfather’s books. It’s something that was published by the American Legion back in the early 1920’s and as you can see from the cartoon on the cover (left) it was concerned with the perceived threat of a communist takeover.

Now at the time, the Red Scare was a serious concern. Just as terrorist bombings capture the headlines today, bombings by anarchists and revolutionaries prompted the same degree of outcry in 1918-1920.

This little booklet was designed to make Real Americans aware of this insidious threat to their way of life. The left hand pages had news photos of worker riots or the aftermath of bombings, always pointing out how many foreign-born agitators were involved. The right hand pages had the narrative, with supporting newspaper clippings. The text read:

Hundreds of thousands of agitators are at work in this country. They are amply supplied with funds from some source. They work under cover. (page 2)

They spread the doctrines of sabotage and destruction hoping to bring about a state of confusion and fear which will enable them to dominate industry. (page 3)

They preach the bomb and the barricade to wreck the machinery of civilization that they may build a tyranny of their own upon the ruins.(page 4)

 - One the headlines on this page reads: [President] Harding Quits Pew to Praise Preacher.  Dr. Clark Warns of Republic Being Turned Into Socialistic Democracy. “White” Plea Is Made.

Self preservation demands that we rid ourselves of those who plan destruction of all we have built. (page 5)
- One of the headlines on this page reads: Worker Party Out for Red Revolution and Soviet America

They work secretly and cunningly and appeal to the uninformed because their cause is hopeless if exposed to the light of reason. (page 6)

Preachers of communism and anarchy abuse “free speech” by attacking the government which guarantees them “free speech.” (page 7)

- One of the clippings on this page reads: Asks South to Lead Fight on Radicals. Reds are Inciting Negroes

So here we are almost ninety years after this booklet was written. In a new century, in a new world. And yet, it seems to me that the tropes haven’t changed that much. Alarmist outrage fueled by fear – it all seems sadly familiar.

- Ralph

The Principles of Collecting - Part 5, Understand the market dynamics

If someone's just starting out in the field of collecting, there are a few things to keep in mind. Personally, I think you can boil them down to five basic principles. And these should work whether you're collecting subway tokens or vintage clothing. In the other parts of this series I talked about ways to determine what to collect and how to shape your collection.

But collecting requires acquisition. And for most collectors, that means purchasing items. And that leads us to the final principle.

Understand the market dynamics of your collecting subject

In the first post I talked about the importance of collecting your passion, rather than to make a quick buck. But that's not to say that knowing the value of what collect isn't important.

Even if you don't intend to sell anything, and let your heirs decide what's to become of your collection, it's good to understand value -- and how it's determined.

Basically, the value of any collectible is a function of condition, desirability, and availability.

Not all old objects are valuable. If they were very common (and easily found) then prices will remain low. If they're something that's not very desirable (say, hospital bedpans), then even if they're sort of scarce, they won't be worth much.

Remember, though, that the value of a collectible object isn't determined by the general public, but by other collectors. And so it's important to know what features make a particular item desirable.

Know the standards

For the average person, it doesn't matter if a book has a dust cover or not. It matters greatly to the book collector, and its presence (or absence) and condition impacts value. And if you're looking to add that volume to your collection, having that knowledge can be the difference between finding a bargain and getting fleeced.

Some objects decrease in value when reproductions arrive on the market, because it affects availability. Some don't. And sometimes the reproductions themselves become desirable.

And remember when we're talking about condition, it's not necessarily new-in-the-box. Some antiques are more valuable if they show wear. And for very old objects, some types of damage is acceptable (while other kinds are considered deal-breakers). Same with repairs and replacement parts. For some objects, these kinds of alterations don't affect value, but for others, repairs or partial replacement parts can make them practically worthless.

Nothing lasts forever (especially collector demand)

Fashions change, too. Rare objects in great condition still arent' worth much if they're no longer desirable. Think Beanie Babies, or pogs. Red-hot for a while, now just yard sale fodder. That's not to say that the value on these items might not increase should they become desirable again.

For many collectors, the thrill is in the hunt. Understanding the market dynamics just helps get you through the jungle safely while you're hunting.

- Ralph

#collecting

The Principles of Collecting - Part 4. Build a solid knowledge base

So what advice would you offer someone starting a collection? Regardless of what one chooses to collect, I think there are five basic principles to keep in mind. Pick something you're passionate about, keep it focused, and know how you want to organize and/or display it. Which leads us to the fourth principle.
Build a solid knowledge base about the subject of your collection

If you follow the other three principles, this one should just naturally develop. It's one of the primary reasons to collect something you're really interested in, instead of something you hope to make a quick buck on. Because research is an important part of collecting, and having to study a subject you're especially fond of is, well, too much like work.

So where does this knowledge come from? All over. And all of it can have its own set of rewards.

Talk with fellow collectors - especially when you're starting out, visiting other more experienced collectors can be very helpful. First, there's the sense of camaraderie that comes from "talking shop" with someone who's just as into a subject as you are. You can also see what your collection can potentially grow into, look at display and organizing solutions, and so on. You might see fairly rare pieces up close. And by talking with other collectors you'll generally get some hands-on tips about what to look for, what things are truly worth and so on.

Personal experience - over time, you'll become one of the collectors I just talked about in the paragraph above. Chance are you'll get burned on some purchases, you'll learn the hard way that all that glitters is not gold (or even pyrite). If you learn from your mistakes, you'll eventually develop an instinct that will help you when you encounter something out of the ordinary.

Case in point: at a recent toy train show, someone brought in an unusual piece: a vintage Lionel steam engine with an "Eastern Railroads" decal on its tender. It was decided a one-of-a-kind item, so looking it up online or in a reference book wasn't going to help. First off, what was it, and secondly, was it real?

I happened to be there during the discussion when this item was presented, and the collective wisdom of the folks examining it went as follows:

"Eastern Railroads" a road name used in the "Railroads at Work" diorama at the 1939 World's Fair Railroad Building (sponsored by the Eastern Railroads Presidents' Conference).

Could this be a surviving piece from that legendary display?

No, because the engine was an off-the-shelf O-gauge locomotive. And while it was made in the late 1930's the railroad exhibit used all hand-made smaller scale models.

Could it have been a display piece from some other part of the railroads pavilion?

Possibly, but the trim actually dated the locomotive as coming from a run made after 1939, and therefore not likely to have been at the Fair.

What about the paper decal?

Decidedly of the right age, but hand-applied. And such decals were known to exist.

Most likely explaination: someone with connections to the Fair had obtained the decals and made their own souvenier by converting a locomotive they already owned. There was probably no intent do defraud, and so this is an interesting curiousity, even though not an actual piece of the 1939 American Railroads exhibit.

All of which, of course, greatly impacted the value.

Reference Works - reading up on the subject of your collection can help greatly in several areas. Sometimes the way a reference book is laid out can give you ideas on how to organize your collection. And while it can give you relative values, don't take them to heart -- most price guides are out of date before they roll off the printing presses. Such guides can, however, be useful in helping you understand what's out there in your field, and how available (or scarce) particular objects might be.

Historical reference works are useful, too. Lists with prices are great as shopping guides, but to really understand the nature of the objects in your collection and the reason why some are more valuable than others, you'll need to understand the background of your objects.

If you're familiar with the history of Arm & Hammer, you'll have a better idea of why tins from certain years are more valuable (and more desirable) than others. And if you're collecting any type of object from the past, just understanding the general history of the time will help tremendously, too. The scrap tin drives of the Second World War took a heavy toll on inexpensive prewar toys.

And don't forget original sources. Again, if you're collecting something from the past, company records may be spotty or even non-existent. The best references for 1920's Tootsietoy dollhouse furniture are the catalogs the company sent out to retail buyers. You'll see what was available, when it was available, and in what colors. If you look at successive years, you'll know when items were discontinued, redesigned, recolored, and/or repackaged. All of which helps accurately date objects when you find them in the wild -- the very kind of information used to determine that the World's Fair locomotive couldn't be authentic.

If you're collecting your passion, then all of this research -- both written and oral -- will just add to your appreciation of your hobby.

- Ralph

#collecting

The Principles of Collecting - Part 3, Have a plan for organizing/storing your collection

So what advice would you give to someone thinking of starting a collection as a hobby? I think there are five basic principles to keep in mind, whether its Victorian birdhouses or Christmas Seals, or anything in between. In part one we talked about how to choose your collecting subject, and in part two we suggested how to keep the collection manageable.

But there's another important point to consider before you go too far down the collecting path, which may actually determine the subject and focus of your collection.

Have a plan for the organization and storage/display of your collection

Let's break that principle down into its component parts.

Storage - It's usually not the first thing a collector thinks of, but it's often the first problem one runs into. Say your interest is nautical memorabilia -- and you live in a tiny New York City apartment. Deciding to collect ship's wheels wouldn't be very practical. But steamship dinner menus, small box compasses, a sextant or two, etc. could be things that one could collect and enjoy in such a small space.

And storage isn't just a question for bulkier items, like oil paintings or Chippendale furniture. Even small objects can reach critical mass.

I know someone who has a massive book collection. Now she doesn't follow our second principle -- have a focus. She continually brings home boxes of books from auctions and estate sales that are only marginally related to her primary subject, and after years of doing this she has yet to separate the wheat from the chaff of her collection.

Her library has outgrown the house, as well as the small detached building built for her use. A portion of the barn on the property has also been converted to book storage, and that's currently overflowing as well.

Here's the thing -- many of those books which she "rescued" from the dumpster by bringing them home are deteriorating a rapid rate. The volumes in the barn are exposed to extreme temperature, excessive moisture, and various critters who find old paper quite tasty.

Had she kept the confines of her library building, her collection of books might be one of a limited number of volumes, but one that could be continually refined and upgraded. As it is, most of her collection is simply disintegrating because storage wasn't considered.

Collect your passion, but consider the space you have available to indulge it.

Organization - So let's assume you have the space you need for your collection to grow into. How will you organize it? Thinking about this may also help the direction your collection will take. Decided to collect stamps? Cool. Chances are the albums you purchase will help you organize your treasures better than a shoe box.

Collect LPs? Then organize them by label, year, genre, artist, or some other theme that makes sense to you. Dolls can be arranged by size, or perhaps by age. Vintage stock certificates by company, or engraver, or year.

The point of organizing is two-fold. First, it's a good way to maintain an idea of what's in your collection. Because there will come a time (sooner or later), when you can't remember everything you have, and you'll start unintentionally duplicating objects.

Secondly, it's a good way to evaluate your collection. If you're looking to collect a particular run or sequence of objects (like all the baseball cards of the 1954 American League), then you can readily find the gaps and know what you should look for.

It's also an opportunity to take a hard look at what you have and ask what objects need to remain. Organizing isn't a one-time activity. Regular organizing helps you reevaluate your collection and help you keep it pruned. After all, tastes change, and sometimes those oh-so-desirable objects have become "what-was-I-thinking?" embarrassments. Let your collection change and grow with your interests.

Display - And finally, there's the question of display. Perhaps you don't want to show off your collection. That's your choice, of course. Maybe for security reasons you'd rather not have everyone know just what stamps or coins you've collected.

But since a good collection reflects the collector's passion, it's safe to assume that you'd want to display some of it. Maybe your collection is such that only a few pieces can be shown. You may have thousands of antique post cards, for example, but only choose (or have the space) to frame and hang ten of the most interesting.

Maybe you'll want to have a bookcase for your collection, or (depending on the size) a dedicated room. While your collection may start small, it's a good idea to think of these kinds of things early.

I know someone who has their collection scattered about their home. Things were just placed anywhere temporarily -- and never moved. Just about every flat surface is filled with something from their collection, which makes it hard to see exactly what the collection's about (and kind of looks like the first stage of hoarding to me).

So go ahead and collect those soda pop bottle caps. But while you still just have five or six, think about what you're going to do if you accumulate several hundred of them. Having piles of bottle caps on a card table is not an attractive long-term solution.

- Ralph

#collecting

The Principles of Collecting - Part 2, Have a focus to your collection

What advice would you give someone thinking of starting a collection as a hobby? That's the question my father and I attempted to answer, and came up with what I think are five universal principles. Collect something you're passionate about seems a good place to start, but then what?

Have a focus to your collection
Here's the reality: for virtually field, it's impossible to collect it all. Romance novels, coins, dolls, stamps, Civil War memorabilia -- there's just too much.

Someone I know "collects" pigs. Well, it's something she's passionate about, but there's no focus to her collection. Anything that's generally pig-shaped is fine with her, from the cheapest plastic knick-knack to expensive crystal sculptures. It's not so much a collection as a pile objects indiscriminately thrown together.

Museums have a plan for obtaining objects, and so should the collector. Museums are after things that fit into their overall mission, that helps tell their story. A museum that's focussed on 19th century life may have a few contemporary newspapers to help illustrate daily life. A newspaper museum would have thousands -- but none of the 19th century clothing, furniture, etc. that the other museum would have. Both museums could have the same objects, but use them in different contexts.

Same with personal collections. Having a focus makes the collection manageable, and at the same time gives it a purpose.

Let's go back to that pig collection. Currently, it suggests someone who's a borderline hoarder. But suppose it had a little focus. In addition to her affinity for pigs, she likes crystal. Combining those two passions, she could collect only cut or blown glass pigs. It would actually make each object mean more to her, and also tell a story of her interests. If she liked a particular studio, or school of design, she could further narrow her collection, while increasing its interest not only to her, but to others as well.

The more focussed a collection, the easier it is for non-collectors to understand. I'm not saying you should collect for the approbation of others -- collect your passion. But you can communication that passion, and perhaps pass on an appreciation of your interest to others if there's a purpose to your collection.

A collection of 19th century cast-iron piggy banks is tells a story -- several, actually. This is the level of technology for these type of objects in the 1890's; this was the shared cultural perception of pigs; this is an example of 19th century life; look at the variety of form and quality in these pieces all made around the same time.

And having a focused collection makes it easier to decide what belongs, and what doesn't. That doesn't mean you have to be draconian -- it's your collection, you make the rules, and you decide when to break or bend them. So that collection of cast-iron banks may have a lone plastic piggy bank from the 1950's, the bank the collector owned as a child, or perhaps was given by a dear friend.

And it's best to decide on the focus of your collection as early into the process as possible. It's always easier to not bring something into the home, then to try to get it out again -- and more economical, too.

- Ralph

#collecting

WQXR - The Finest of the Flavors

There seemed to be a little bit of confusion about the intent of my post about WQXR's revamped programming. Let's see if an analogy will help.

Let's say that instead of music, WQXR served up ice cream. WNYC acquired WQXR and had to move them to a new frequency with a lower coverage area. Sort of like relocating an ice cream store to a different neighborhood with a smaller local customer base.

Continuing with the ice cream analogy, WNYC's announcement (reported in a New York Times article) might be paraphrased like this: WQXR will combine "the longstanding tradition of being a full-service ice cream parlor with WNYC’s passion and commitment to discovery.”

Now there're two ways you can go with ice cream. You can sell all kinds of exotic flavors, or you can stick the basics. Baskin-Robbins, Ben and Jerry's, et al. do just that (although some have more variety than others).

Or you can just stick to the basics and maximize sales. Dairy Queen, Tastee Freez et al. only offer vanilla, chocolate, and strawberry, the three most popular flavors.

Now it's obvious what's going on with our radio/ice cream parlor analogy. Smaller market, need to recoup investment as quickly as possible -- going with the three most popular ice cream flavors makes sense. If anyone's going to buy ice cream, there's a very good chance they'll settle for one of those three flavors.

Nothing wrong with that, but what would you think if you had a "passion and commitment to discovering" new ice cream flavors and walked into the WQXR store. They said they share your passion, but instead of a Baskin-Robbins-type store, you only have the choice of vanilla, chocolate, or strawberry? And, when you asked about the limited choices, how would you feel when the clerk told you (paraphrasing from the article again), "There may indeed be times when you have a taste for cookie dough, or chocolate mint chip, but we will not favor them over the flavors that speaks directly to the needs of the taste buds.... Vanilla trumps Rocky Road.”

And you had your heart set on Heath Bar Crunch. Feel like you've been a victim of a little bait and switch?

Right. That's one of my points. If you're just going to provide the three basic flavors, fine. But don't try to spin it into something grander.

As several observers have pointed out, we may all agree with the Bare Naked Ladies when they sang in "One Week" that vanilla is the finest of the flavors. But how many servings will it take before even the "finest of the flavors" becomes boring and unappealing?

And finally, what about the people who like fruit-flavored desserts? Or desserts with nuts? Or desserts with caramel, or marshmallows, or -- you get the idea.

If their only exposure to ice cream is vanilla, chocolate, or strawberry (if you want to go wild) they'll come away with the impression that ice cream is never a good choice for dessert. It has none of the flavors they like.

Does that grow or shrink the market for ice cream? There's a reason why those specialty ice cream parlors offer more than three flavors...

- Ralph

Day 174 of the WJMA Podwatch.

The Great Race and Steampunk

When it comes to any creative work, the reference point of the audience changes over time. I thought of that while watching "The Great Race." This 1965 Blake Edwards comedy chronicles a mythical 1903 New York to Paris road race. Tony Curtis (the Great Leslie) and Jack Lemon (Professor Fate) represent good and evil in a way that was meant to mirror the conventions of silent movies of the 1920's -- although Professor Fate seemed to be more a cross between Snidely Whiplash and Wile E. Coyote.

Blake makes his intentions clear, right from the opening credits. He's paying homage to early film comedies of the 1920's.



The movie featured imaginative and retro-looking automobiles, including Professor Fate's formidable Hannibal 8. This vehicle had everything needed for Fate to win the race by cheating. It came with a smoke screen, a heat cone, a retractable cannon (!), and a body that could be raised and lowered (as you can see below).

For 1965 audiences, the quaintness of turn-of-the-century technology and actions was amusing. But when I watched this movie in 2009, I had a different thought. Professor Fate's inventions are straight-up steampunk.

There's an entire sub-genre of science fiction devoted to retro-futurism, extrapolating devices from late nineteenth and very early twentieth century technologies. Which is exactly what Blake Edwards does in "The Great Race." It seems to me this film potentially could attract a whole new audience from steampunk devotees, many of whom the film predates by at least twenty years.

Reference points change over time. Has the time come for "The Great Race" to be popular again -- for slightly different reasons?

- Ralph

BTW - Henry Mancini's ballad "The Sweetheart Tree" alone is worth the price of admission.

The Faux-ward Award

I'm very excited. Our small business just won 2009 Best of Orange (Virginia) Award for eating places by the US Commerce Association.

My partner and I have been running Digital Chips, Inc. since 1997 and it's nice to have some recognition. All I have to do is just pay for the cost of the award plaque (pictured, left), and we'll have something we can proudly display in our business.

I'm sure the US Commerce Association doesn't hand out awards frivolously.

I wonder when their examiners came to Orange to do their evaluations of our business? What was it that made them consider us the best? Was it our famous digital chips that won them over?

Tough to say.

Because, of course, this entire award is a sham. First off, we're not located in Orange. Our business' official address is 391 CC Road, Hood, Virginia (about 20 miles NW of Orange). We do use Dominion Market Research in Orange, Virginia for our warehousing and order fulfillment, but I don't recall them having anything especially good to eat there.

Secondly, Digital Chips, Inc. isn't even in the food service industry at all. We create custom music compilations for various clients (mostly public radio stations) and also run DCD Records and Distribution. The only platters we sell are vinyl.

The Better Business Bureau had some additional info about this organization that awards businesses for a non-existent restaurant in the wrong town.

So to sum up, an organization I've never heard of notifies me that I've won a contest I didn't enter. And that, for a small fee, I'll be able to collect my prize.

Sound familiar? It's the old lottery scam, a variant on the Nigerian 419 scam.

Boy, did they pick the wrong people! Just ask our Nigerian correspondents!

- Ralph

At The Stroke of Midnight

I would be very surprised if a single person reading this knew who John K. Butler was. It's a shame, but not surprising.

Butler was one of the many second-tier authors whose stories populated the pulp magazines from the 1920's through the 1940's. Butler didn't stay a pulp writer long -- he went to Hollywood in 1943 and wrote scripts for movies and later TV shows.

Butler wrote a fair amount of crime stories, among pretty respectable company. Some of the best-known mystery authors of the era got their start in the pulps -- Erle Stanley Gardner, Dashiell Hammett, Leslie Charteris, and Raymond Chandler to name a few (and if you don't recognize those authors, shame on you).

Raymond Chandler and Dashiell Hammett set the standard (after John Carroll Daly's lead) for hard-boiled detective fiction, but many, like Butler, had their own takes on the genre.

Butler's main contribution was a series of nine novelettes (each about 12,000 words in length) featuring Steve Middleton Knight, nicknamed "Steve Midnight," driver for the Red Owl Cab Company in Los Angeles. The stories, published in Dime Detective from 1940-1942, are tightly written, and have a gritty realism that make them interesting reading even a half-century later.

Steve Midnight isn't Jessica Fletcher in a cab, or even a Sam Spade. Unlike the stereotypical hard-boiled detective, he isn't especially world-weary, nor overly cynical. He only gets involved with crime when someone cheats him out of a fare, or is jumped, or the actions of others cost him his job. And his goals are equally simple. He's not out to catch a murderer -- that's for the police. He just wants to get his money or his job back.

According to the back story, Knight used to be a millionaire playboy until the Depression hit. The family fortune disappeared, and Knight's father committed suicide. Suddenly, Knight, with no job skills and no money, had to support his mother and ailing sister. Fast-forward to 1940 when the first story begins, and the former playboy's now behind the wheel of a cab. But Knight's not bitter, or resentful, which makes the character far more complex than one generally gets in the genre. He's just doing what has to be done to survive.

Butler follows the convention of narrating the stories in the first person. But the prose doesn't sound forced or overly dramatic. Here's Steve Midnight describing a regular fare:

She was a small, sad-eyed blonde with a veneer of glamor. She always dressed to the hilt and wore the latest screwy hats and affected the glib sophistication of a telephone operator out on Saturday's date. The veneer was an attempt to cover the disappointment in the tough life she had to lead -- singing in cheap clubs like the Corinthian, mailing money to her folks in Kansas, and at the same time supporting a stumble-bum prize fighter named Poke Haley who divided his time between being counted out on the ring canvas and taking alcoholic cures in all the local sanitariums.

(from "Hacker's Holiday")

I first ran across Steve Midnight in "The Hard-Boiled Dicks," a 1967 anthology by Ron Goulart. I was struck by the quality of the writing, and so it was only a matter of time before I purchased "At the Stroke of Midnight," which collects all of the Steve Midnight stories together.

Butler had an understated, compelling style that I thoroughly enjoyed. If you're a fan of hard-boiled detectives (new or old), film noir, or just plain good fiction-writing, I recommend "At the Stroke of Midnight."

"A racket plied against lonely people, against the sick, against the worried, against the aged. The lousiest racket in the world, hiding behind the cloak of spiritual religion and defying you to prove it's just a cloak."

Talking about some aspects of today's health-care debate? Nope, Steve Midnight making an observation in "The Saint in Silver" in 1941.

- Ralph

The Hubble Deep Field 3D Image

DeepAstronomy.com produced and posted this wonderful video that explains the importance of the Hubble Deep Field photo, and why it matters to all of us.



I came across it shortly after reading about another town hall meeting disrupted by angry people shouting their views and attempting to shut down opponents expressing theirs.

How small we all are. How small our differences in a universe where large numbers of galaxies can go undetected because they're so far away. Maybe a little stargazing would do us all some good.

- Ralph