First, we would like to thank you for visiting our site and signing up for our newsletter, The Antiques Hound. We at Sleeping Beagle appreciate your support and hope you enjoy the Antiques Hound! From Tish, the CBO (Chief Beagle Officer): I keep hearing the people on TV talking about "patina" this or "We are applying a coat of "Patina" to some new item. I think folks use this word a lot when they really mean a coat of greenish paint or rubbed out varnish. Patina is something that happens to the surface of an item as it ages, the faded paint or mellow color that only time can really apply. Heck, maybe if I tossed my supper dish out in the yard it would get a nice Patina...naw, I lick it clean too often! AAAARRRRROOOOO What is "Ephemera"? By: Janis Dority This Greek word meaning things that last for a day is used to describe all kinds of printed matter that is designed for immediate use and then to be thrown away. Printed ephemera includes a number of categories which have long been collectable in their own right, from train tickets to matchbox labels and even postage stamps and postcards; but the term is now more generally applied to miscellaneous examples of printed matter which were not intended for permanent preservation. This explains the relative scarcity of older material. One may point out the case of a small, private London library which, on disposal of the estate, was found to contain many hundreds of early London bus tickets which had been used by the owner as bookmarks. Packaging is a large part of this field, somewhat neglected until recently but now receiving serious attention. Certain categories, like cigarette packets, trade card wrappers, matchbox labels, wine and beer and soda pop labels, each have a strong following. Collecting cheese labels (fromology) and milk tops (operculism) even have pseudo-scientific names. Packaging developed in the early 19th century when the retailing of branded goods became popular. The earliest examples of wrappers and labels were rather plain in design but by the turn of the 20th century had become increasingly pictorial, often including use of chromolithography. Of particular interest are packets or labels that serve a dual purpose, not only promoting the manufacturer of the goods but also providing space for propaganda or public service announcements. Good examples include wartime packaging that incorporates patriotic or morale-boosting slogans and images, and, more recently, the use of milk cartons to draw the public's attention to missing children. Considerable attention has been given to the labeling of wines and spirits and this attained its artistic peak at the turn of the century when chromolithographic reproductions of paintings were widely employed. People continue to collect these labels to mark sentimental occasions in their lives. Occasionally unmounted labels may be obtained direct from the manufacturers, left in attic storerooms or closets these are considered "NOS" meaning "New Old Stock". Today collectors use their labels, cards and advertisements as framed art , in collages and in the very popular hobby of scrapbooking. For more information on ephemera, visit: www.ephemerasociety.org Looking for a unique holiday gift? Join the pack with a Sleeping Beagle t-shirt available in Large, X-Large, or XX-Large in either natural or slate blue. Visit www.sleepingbeagle.com/beagletshirt.htm for pictures and ordering information! Also check out our wide variety of Kustom Kraniums at www.sleepingbeagle.com/kustomcraniums.htm!

Wishing you and your family the warmest holiday wishes, www.sleepingbeagle.com

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