The Buffalo News : Life

The Abigail Fillmore Chapter of the National Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution will meet Friday at the Buffalo Historical Society, 25 Nottingham Court, for a meeting and guided tour on American Heritage and Conservation. (Updated: 11/19/09 7:08 AM )

1. Budding artists learn more at the Botanical Gardens. (Updated: 11/19/09 7:08 AM )

WASHINGTON (AP) — Rose Percy has a long history with the American Red Cross. Complete with an extensive wardrobe and her own Tiffany jewelry, this 23-inch wax doll was first sold for $1,200 back in 1864 to benefit the U. S. Sanitary Commission, the precursor to one of best-known U. S. charities. (Updated: 11/17/09 6:48 AM )

Every Thanksgiving, the temptation looms to cast aside style in favor of succor—a natural reaction in anticipation of complete culinary debauchery. (Updated: 11/15/09 8:07 AM )

TODAY (Updated: 11/15/09 8:07 AM )

Although the news media is always telling us about the bad economy, there are some bright spots in the antiques world. An important collection of toys is being sold in a series of auctions by Bertoia Auctions of Vineland, N. J. At the two auctions held so far, several records have been set, including $149,500 for a 1912 toy fire pumper. Toys were made to replicate real full-size items, and this German-made Marklin toy powered by live steam was a copy of a real fire truck. It was in very good condition. Only five examples of the toy are known to exist, and this one is going back to Europe. In spite of the economy, the spring sale of this collection brought $4.2 million, and the fall sale took in more than $3 million. More sales of the collection are to come. The lesson for collectors is clear. Boy’s toys have long been at the top of toy collectors’ choices. Trains, cars, robots and mechanical banks are popular with grown men who remember them from their childhood. The best-of-the- best of any type of collection holds its value and can be resold at good prices. And it’s not just items at the $100,000 level. Other records set so far this year include $8,250 for a Winking Cat glass candy container, $2,700 for a Daum Nancy toothpick holder, $8,500 for a 1955 Regency transistor radio and $23,444 for an 1890s fishing creel. (Updated: 11/14/09 8:08 AM )

Benjamin Franklin, the nation’s first postmaster general and the first to appear on a U. S. stamp, was truly a man for all seasons. (Updated: 11/14/09 8:07 AM )

Bridge is bouncing back. After years of declining interest, the complex card game favored by the senior set is experiencing a resurgence, according to Jerry Fleming, president of the American Contract Bridge League. (Updated: 11/14/09 10:03 AM )

Bridge to the future (Updated: 11/14/09 8:07 AM )

We match from opposite sides of the color wheel, we don’t wear white after Labor Day (which is a pretty good rule unless you live in Miami) and we don’t mix appliance colors in the kitchen. (Updated: 11/13/09 8:13 AM )

The Orchard Park Women’s Club will have a meeting at noon Wednesday in the Orchard Park Municipal Building. A program on Habitat for Humanity will be given by guest speaker Patricia Weinreich. New members welcome. (Updated: 11/12/09 7:09 AM )

1. Steven Spielberg, eat your heart out. The next generation of filmmakers has arrived. See the results at 3 p. m. Sunday when Squeaky Wheel and Preservation Buffalo Niagara screen some thought-provoking shorts from Buffalo Youth Media Institute. (Updated: 11/12/09 11:05 AM )

BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. (AP) — It’s a seemingly simple approach to one of the modern world’s most vexing political problems: By marrying the lutes of the East with violas of the West, composer Hafez Nazeri says he wants to create harmony between the U. S. and his native Iran. (Updated: 11/10/09 7:02 AM )

TUESDAY (Updated: 11/10/09 12:43 PM )

Recycling and reusing is not a new idea. In the 18th century, well-to-do European and American families bought made-to-order dinner sets from China that were sent across the ocean in ships. (Updated: 11/07/09 8:38 AM )