Almost all of us have, at one time or another, sent or received a Christmas card. These printed holiday greetings are a mainstay of the Christmas season in the United States and many other countries around the world. But did you ever stop to wonder how this tradition got started? Who sent the first Christmas card?

QUESTION: I have a breakfast set consisting of six cups and saucers, six cereal bowls, 6 plates, and a creamer and sugar. The color transfers feature a pair of Dutch children walking atop a dike with a canal and windmills in the background. The plates are marked “ZELL” on the bottom. An Iowa grandma collected them and believes they were made in the mid-1920s in Germany. I have looked and looked for years in an attempt to find additional pieces but without success. What is my breakfast set worth? – AW, Modesto, CA

Autumn is a great time to get out and visit your favorite antique mall, flea market or local estate sale. For those that like antiquing, this is a favorite Fall past-time. But, if you've never had an interest in antiquing let me give you a few reasons why this is fun, economical, and a great way to recycle.

Few garnishes are needed to compliment the Holiday bird when artfully displayed on a beautiful platter.

The first red flag is a booth in which objects are not priced. I have no desire to be “sized up” based on what a dealer thinks is my potential to pay. A marked or listed price is the dealer’s offer to sell. I have no respect for dealers who hide behind a “verbal” price. If the price is not on a sticker or tag, I walk away.

By: Ellen Bell

Decorated evergreen trees are a beloved symbol of the Christian holiday of Christmas. However, history tells us that conifer trees were worshipped by various societies long before Christians caught on to the idea.

In November 1987, I began buying toys and putting them away in a closet. My plan is simple: repeat the buying process for thirty years. It was not as daunting a task in 1987. It is twenty-two years later. In the thirty-first year, I will take the first year’s toys out of the closet and compare their initial cost with their current value in the collectibles market, repeating the process for twenty-nine years until the project concludes in 2046, at which point, assuming I am alive, I will be one hundred and five years old.

The first question I ask when considering a purchase is do I want it—do I really, really want it. My tastes are eclectic. I love it everything, so technically all I see is fair game. Need is not a consideration. Collecting is not about need. It is about want.

A new purchase has to supplement one of my collections—strengthen an existing collection or build a new one. The older I get, the more selective I am. There are so many things and so little money. Further, I no longer have five and ten dollar tastes.

AOL recently posted a Top Fifty list of television comedy shows. I am a sucker for “Top Lists” so I put my work aside and clicked my way through the list. Normally, I agree with top list choices, especially Top Ten lists. This time I had problems.

[Before proceeding, take time to develop you own all time Top Ten television comedies list.]

- The oldest Snow Baby figures manufactured in the early 1900s and sold in popular department stores measure a mere one to three inches tall.

- Antique snow babies that were made in Germany are the most desirable and valuable to collectors.

- Newer Snowbabies figurines by Dept. 56 probably won’t increase drastically in value over time unless they are limited edition pieces or special character editions.