One of the challenges of an online doll business is navigating the sometimes frightening world of having to ship your dolls via UPS or Canada Post or whomever you happen to be using. No matter who the carrier is, you can be certain that your package and hence your “doll” will not always be treated gently.

There were several auctions in this area, years ago, that were a weekly event. Every Thursday many people, including myself, went to the auction that was held in a huge old factory building. Due to the size of the building, the auctioneer was able to rent space for a flea market, a snack bar, and also have a huge display area for items that would be offered in future auctions.

Like so many collecting categories, stamp collecting is facing an aging collector base. The average age of an American stamp collector is over 60. The American Philatelic Society constantly surveys its members and aggressively works to attract new collectors of all ages. The efforts have met with mixed success. While the percentage of annual decline in membership has slowed, the bottom still has not been reached.

On January 20, 2012 the world lost one of the all time great rhythm and blues singer, Etta James. She was probably one of the most overlooked R&B musicians not receiving the recognition she deserved until the early 1990's. She received 6 Grammy Awards starting in 1994. Her most well known song “At Last” was given the Grammy Hall of Fame Award. And in 2003 she was awarded the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award. These coming with a list of other awards were all given to her late in life.

Wide eyed, at the age of seven, I found myself sitting in the middle of a Sotheby's auction, in Cape Town, South Africa, with my astute mother and a wide array of smartly dressed bidders. A story in and of itself as to how I got involved in 'antiquing' so young but for this blogs sake we accept the premise that such a thing happens and is normal. And what did I end up bidding on, what caught my attention enough to convince my mother to bid for an early birthday present for me?

I love Ruby Lane. I loved it before I decided to try this on-line selling thing, I loved it during the process of setting up my shop, and I love it now. The Ruby Lane staff members have always been kind and respectful. (To them, there really are no dumb questions!)