The Buffalo News : Life

It’s a wrap (Updated: 11/22/09 7:25 AM )

SUNDAY (Updated: 11/22/09 7:25 AM )

The wealthy and the almost-wealthy of the late Victorian era chose to take the “Grand Tour” of Europe to show off their sophistication, education and good taste. The tour could take a year or more. (Updated: 11/21/09 6:44 AM )

The key to running a successful bluff is making the story believable. (Updated: 11/21/09 6:44 AM )

Dear Readers: I want to tell you a cautionary tale. One of my beginner students this fall chose Simplicity 2512. It has several different views; they are all very nifty looks. My student chose the one you see here. (Updated: 11/21/09 6:44 AM )

As we discussed previously, the move-by-move coverage by PBS of the 1972 Bobbie Fischer-Boris Spassky Match evoked an extraordinary response, despite the apparent chess illiteracy of the American public. (Updated: 11/21/09 6:44 AM )

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 )