by Roy Nuhn “Chim-chim-ney, chim-chim-ney, chim-chim charee, a sweep is as lucky as lucky can be. Chim-chim-ney, chim-chim-ney, chim-chim-charoo, good luck will rub off when I shake hands with you.”  Remember that song from Disney’s 1964 movie hit, “Mary Poppins”?  The film and the tune romanticized the chimney sweep of old.  Actually it was a very dangerous and dirty job.  […]

December 1, 1955 The Montgomery bus boycott began after Rosa Parks was arrested for refusing to give up her seat on a bus in Montgomery, Alabama. December 5, 1933 The 18th Amendment, which prohibited alcohol, was repealed with the ratification of the 21st Amendment, officially ending Prohibition. December 6, 1865: The 13th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which abolished slavery, […]

By Robert Reed Part of the enduring Christmas season has always been the music. For decades much of it was captured on phonograph records and colorful long playing albums. Today many of those well-packaged Yule tunes are sounding very collectible. “In the past few years the growth of Christmas music has been obvious,” wrote author Tim Neely in the 1997 […]

By Anne Gilbert Pay no attention to the person who says “nobody is collecting books these days.” Book auctions prove there are plenty of collectors. However selling your old books is a challenge these days. Sometimes 20th century books can sell for more than 17th century examples. What you don’t know about old and recent books can cost you. At […]