AmG Specialties Fine and Vintage Jewelry, Art, Collectibles

     THIS cup and saucer set is one of several pieces we recently found in a very large estate sale. It was one of the most comprehensive personal tea cup collections we'd ever seen, with many of the items coming from potters we've not before heard of. This ones' a first, though - a luncheon-style 3 piece place setting with the world-renowned emblem of the FREEMASONS. As is typical with the unusual items, we can not find any information specific to tis sets' production, but we did uncover some items relative to the manufacturer, ROSINA. Formerly known as G. Warrilow & Son, Rosina was churning out pottery and related items until just recently; having closed its doors for good in 2000. The open-bottom crown detail of the logo indicates this set was produced between 1946 and 1948.

     AS WITH most all else from this acquisition, this set is all in excellent condition; with no evidence of damage, abuse or wear. The sandwich or bread plate measures an approximate 6 3/8". This set will make a unique addition to any collection of fine china, and will probably prove to be worth much, much more than our asking price. 

THIS WAS TRULY the find of a lifetime for me! Being in sales, I'm hard on cell phone cases, and have a LONG history of going through several in the course of a year. I wear out the velcro, wear holes in the side panels, break the clasps & stitching-whatever can come unravelled, DOES...and QUICKLY! In  search of something durable, I've spent as much as $39.00-plus shipping-and have never gotten more than 3 to 4 months without a failure.

UNTIL NOW! Built of a tough synthetic cloth, this carrying case & belt pack is double-stitched and layered with reinforcements everywhere! There is an additional tough but flexible rubbery panel supporting the lid, and acres of velcro on both sides! There are 2 little accessory niches on each side to carry whatever other gismos you'd like to get out of your pockets (see the photo-I used a lighter & a razor knife). There are also 2 skinny pockets on the inside, with the phone...maybe for credit cards and such? Lastly, you can attach it to yourself by 3 different methods: a sturdily-embedded steel "D" ring, a riveted-in-place steel clip, OR integral belt loops IN BOTH DIRECTIONS! Talk about having some choices...!

If you own a PDA, you know how difficult it is to find a holster that is both sturdy and large enough. Usually I have found myself trying to stuff my Treo 700 into things just a bit too small...if you look at the photos, my Treo is swimming in this thing! To those of you more engineering-minded, you can comfortably start with the mid- to large devices measuring around 2 1/4" across by 4 1/2" high (not counting the antenna) and 1/2" thick. The elasticpanels on the case will gently expand to accomodate a monster portable as large as 2 3/4 across by 5 1/2" high (again w/o the antenna) and up to a nominal 1 2/4" thick!

THESE ARE NEW! Manufactured by a large firm that primarily produces tool holders, work aprons and protective clothing, they have designed and BUILT this product utilizing generations of experience and know-how. If you have struggled to find a dependable cell phone case, THIS IS IT! I promise...you will not be disappointed! 

NOTE: It is now 8 months since I began carrying this holster myself, and I still have the original one I found! I use it every day, and it's still 100% functional! Nothing broken, worn or missing-and no end in sight. This is well over twice as long as the closest competitor.

“Resolved, That two battalions of Marines be raised..."

...and with those words on November 10, 1775 was born the United States Marine Corps. This stunning miniature of a CONTINENTAL MRAINE, circa 1779; is typical of the uniform and equipment issued to the sea-going riflemen of the time. 

This piece (and the 30-or-so other figures we currently have)  was produced by the apparently now-defunct American Military Historical Society, possibly in tandem with the Franklin Mint for their "American Fighting Men" series in the 1970's and 80's.The included photos gives you an idea of the tedious, painstaking quality and attention-to-detail found here...virtues that are rare in any manufacturing endeavor today. Focus is as small as facial expressions, color of eyes, lips, insignia and decorations-note the detail in the Riflemans' uniform buttons, and the musket's lock.

These pieces are all at least 25 years old, and are showing small signs of the ravages of time in spots of flaking paint. There is no real damage to any piece, beyond slight misshape of thinner sections (particularly swords, musket & rifle barrels...the metal is inherently soft, so they can be gently returned to their original state using nothing more than body heat and VERY GENTLE pressure ).

WHEN CONSIDERING THE PRICE: Originally retailing for around $40 each, please remember the current paltry sum includes shipping, and these pieces are made of LEAD! Also, they are relatively fragile and require some "heroic" efforts at packaging to get them to you safely. We've just included 4 new photos of the packaging process so you can get a better idea of the 5-piece "shipping system" we've developed (normally the figure is placed in a polybag first to avoid paint scuffing-that was omitted here for the sake of clarity).

There is no "re-ordering" these...when they're gone-THAT's IT! So...if you were considering one, my advice is to jump on it before it's too late.

     THIS cup and saucer set is one of several pieces we found in a very large estate sale. It was one of the most comprehensive personal tea cup collections we'd ever seen, with many of the items from potters we've not before heard of. This one, "ENGLISH CASTLE", is somewhat basic in its decoration, but still a wonderful example of the benchmark quality of fine English bone china. The cup & saucer both display a bright green leafy vine about 1/4" from the edge - simple but nicely done, possibly by hand (the leaves do not appear to repeat); and are then capped with GOLD trim on the outermost edge. This is still fully intact with no sign of wear. This set appears to be almost perfect, without chips, cracks or crazing; and not even evidence of scuffing.

     Simple though they may be, they are certainly RARE, as we have not found this pattern anywhere. This pair will truly be a prized addition to any set or collection! A wonderful gift idea for that collector in the family.