A Review

of the

TOPHATTER AUCTION WEBSITE

Although Etsy is a on line site for people wishing to sell their craft, supplies or vintage items, a new kid on the block, has appeared.  This new venue is an auction site. I am sure you will be thinking of an auction site, similar to eBay, but this one is different.  It is a real live auction site. Participants are actively engaged throughout the sale. If you list an item to be auctioned you can be present while clients are bidding on your wares.  The new site is: http://.www.Tophatter.com.

This piece was listed at 22.00 to start.
http://www.etsy.com/listing/95972898/ceramic-and-porcelain-inukshuk

When you register to play, you will be allowed to sell and to buy.  There are a lot of good deals that feature odd lots of jewelry, supplies, home decoration items and what-not’s.  If food is your thing, the cookies, taffies and the caramels will entice you to lay down your money. By-the-way. They accept Pay Pal payments.

When you have registered you will be asked the normal questions about who you are, and how you can be contacted. You will also be asked to make an avatar that will represent you in the auction rooms.  Yes, I said auction rooms. 

I also  tried this sculpture with a starting bid of $400.00
http://www.etsy.com/listing/91556218/bronze-sculpture-thinking-by-lazaroff

Tophatter offers auctions that run simultaneous in numerous rooms.  If you want to look at jewelry, you can open the auction room by clicking on the jewelry auction icon. If home products are what you are looking for, you can open "For the Home," auction room.  Clicking on the icon will open up an auction room, and you will see yourself, (your avatar,) standing in an auction room with all the other people who have decided to participate in this auction.  The more people the greater chance of having some good chunks of money changing hands.

Now if you are a seller you can list your objects in a similar manner as one does on Etsy or eBay.  You title the object, choose a category, add your price and fill in the information about shipping.  When you list, you find that Tophatter wants you to list your object at a price, that is, at minimum, 50% of your normal retail selling prices. So, if you sell an item on Etsy at $50.00, you should by rights list your item on Tophatter at $25.00. They allow you up load three photos of the item you wish to sell.  Remember, photos are important, so take your time to create beautiful images of your item.

This is one of my favorites yet it was not sold and it is very difficult to list.
http://www.etsy.com/listing/89900140/ceramic-and-pottery-porcelaine-vase-ooak

When you have completed this task you can then, list the item. There is one catch.  No… you do not have to pay to list.  It is free. If you are new seller, you will be limited to the number of lots you can list.  It the beginning, you will only be able to list one item at a time.  When you list the item, and it sells you will be able to list another.  If your objects sell fast and generate revenue, you will gain priority on listing over other sellers.

When someone purchases your item, you will receive an e-mail to your regular internet mail provider, and you will also have a red indicator that your item has sold, showing in item listings page on the Tophatter site.  Once that sale has been made, you will wait for the client to pay via Pay Pal and then and only then you ship the item.  If the client does not pay you can send reminders and if that fails you can cancel the sale without charge to you. Once you have been paid by the buyer, Tophatter will send you an invoice for 10% of the sale or a $1.00 dollar minimum charge.

The site is very exciting.  You will see your lot come up on the auction block, and will witness the comments of the viewers on the live chat box.  You will also see how the bidding goes.

I was sure that this one would sell under the Home Decor Auction.  But alas it did not.
http://www.etsy.com/listing/33530646/porcelain-guilded-decorative-vase

The menus provided by Tophatter are fairly easy to navigate and you will quickly learn the ropes. 

Tophatter is new, so there are some areas that they need to address.

For example; the archive listings, grows continuously without a method to delete unwanted lots. When you relist the old listing stays in the archives, and a new listing opens in the active list.  For what-ever reason, I cannot seem to clear the archive list. You can however, delete from the active list.  The longer the archive lists becomes the more difficult is will be to manage.  This observation has been raised with the staff, a few times by me, via the direct chat box. The process has not yet been modified.

There is one function of the site that I find frustrating.    When you have made a sale and you try to list again you may have to wait up to a week before your lot comes up for auction. Lately, listing has become impossible. The reason is the big sellers get priority.  This may seem like a great way to make money, but I personally feel that it will limit the scope of what potential sellers have to offer.

These Teabowls were listed at $15.00.   I wondered how low does one have to go to get some excitement going in the auction,
http://www.etsy.com/listing/68900641/ceramic-porcelain-celedon-tea-bowls-for

When I say big seller, it does not necessarily mean that these sellers have generated a lot of money in sales. It could be because they have made many sales, or received positive feedback.

Tophatter has given a list of areas where one wins the priority points for listings.  They state that sellers with a high percentage of successful sales per items listed gain priority.  The average number of bids and average bidders per lot auctioned influence your priority level.  In addition, high final sales prices both in real dollars and the percentage of the retail price will help you climb the ladder of success. Finally, positive feedback is important.

The factors are not limited to the positive.  You can lose priority listing privilege because of a low percentage of successful sales per items listed.  If you have a low number of average bids and average bidders per lot auctioned will bring you down and importantly misleading items, including items with inflated retail prices, misleading images or incorrect descriptions will affect your standing.  Of course if you receive negative feedback from buyers you will drop in standing.

I was sure that  this bowl would get a spot in the auction line up but I guess I just don't have it.

For example, when I sold the third item from my listings, I was told that I could now increase my listing opportunities to one lot per auction three lots at a time.  Meaning; that I can list on lot in "For the Home," one lot in the Boutique, and one lot in the Weekend Bazaar. 

This may sound great, but it is not.  I have tried to list a lot every day for the past two weeks, without success. When I questioned the staff via the chat box, which is very convienient,  I have been told that the auctions that I selected were full.  Yet when I look at the number of listings, there are only 8 to ten listings visible.

When the staff was asked why, I was told that the listing schedule was at 11:00am EST.  Yet when I try to list at this hour, I get the same sorry the auction is full. When I queried the staff as this time, the answer was, “sorry,” yes they were full, but not to worry as one could list via the Standby List.  After trying for a few days I became frustrated and asked again why, I could not list but others could.  The answer to this question was the the lots listed were from sellers who sold more than ten lots.  Finally I now know not to even try to list; just go to the standby list whenever possible.  

I managed to list this vase a few times but I guess $30.00 is too rich for the clientel.

Now what is the Standby list?  This is a method whereby one can list an object into an upcoming auction.  The standby list opens when the auction room opens.  This is normally one hour before the start of the auction. If you wish to list an item on the 11:00am auction for Home Décor, you have to light up your computer about one hour before the scheduled sale, go to Tophatter’s website, and open the auction that you wish to participate with. If you are lucky there will be a way for you to enter a lot into the auction by clicking onto the “Add to the Standby List.”

From there you will go to a window where you choose one of your listings, to be put into the Standby List.    Sounds easy, right?

Now that you have an item in the “Standby List,” It will sit there, waiting for a buyer to place the minimum bid on your lot.  Once someone has place a minimum bid on your piece, it will advance to the regular auction listing, where you can rest assured that it will be sold at your opening bid, to the person who placed the bid. 

Would you believe it?  These bowls sold but the client decided not to pay for them.  I have sent two reminders over a week with no response.    I guess the $20.00 opening bid was a shock for them.

Once in the regular auction. you could quite possibly see the bid go higher.  This depends upon how the object interests possible buyers in the audience.   Lots will advance to the regular auction listings until a time when the regular auction list is considered full.  I do not know what criteria is use to determine that it is full.  I only know that the “Add to the Standby button disappears.

Once the auction becomes full, the standby listing is closed and those items that have not been advanced to the regular auction list will disappear.  So you wait until the next Standby opportunity and, start over.

Oh yes, if you use the standby window to list, you will have to check the little box that says that you cannot promote your item via the live chat window that is open throughout the auction.  This is not a problem as the staff does this regularly throughout the pre-auction period.

I gave this set of bowls away for $35.00
I was happy with the sale because it allowed me to move some old stock.

The whole process is easy, but the system is set up to make you run to the computer every hour or so, in order to have the opportunity to list in the standby listings.  Sometimes, you will go to the window only to find that the auction is already full and you have wasted your time.  This also makes me feel like the little mouse on the tread wheel.   Lately the auctions are closed to anyone who has not sold ten items.  This is another annoyance when trying to list.   When you enter the item you get a message that you piece does not fit the auction criteria and you are asked to list another.  The problem isi that you will not be able to list at all.  So you end up wasting you time again.  Why don't they just tell you straigh up that you cannot list rather than making you jump through hoops.

When the item is listed in the regular auction list, and is sold, and whe you receive payment, you will also receive an invoice from Tophatter for 10% of the sale.  An item that is sold for $50.00 will cost the seller   $5.00. If the item is sold for less than $10:00 the minimum commission will be $1.00 this is very much like the commission charged by eBay.  Only Tophatter does not take any percentage of the shipping costs like EBay.

I have been on Tophatter now for a while, and I have noticed that many sellers are not making any big money on their sales. The average ticket price going in the various auctions are around $20.00.  This is good for the buyer, but it surely must hurt the bottom line of the seller.   I asked some sellers why they were selling their stock as such low prices. The answer was, “Exposure.”  They believe that it is good marketing strategy, and that they are building a customer base.

This was another sale that gave me a return of $34.00.  Again it allowed me to move some old stock.

I have seen items being sold for three dollars.   The seller must give Tophatter $1.00, and Pay Pal their cut.  I cannot see any profit. On top of this, I see many sellers offering free shipping, and still maintaining a low opening bid requirement.

As a seller I would find this very difficult to accept. The shipping cost of the smallest item that I carry is around $16 to $20.00.  I cannot see giving free shipping with my product. Nevertheless sellers on Tophatter continue to do. Again this is a bonus for the buyer.

All in all, if you are a buyer this site can give you some great deals. Suppliers sell large lots of charms and if are close enough to the seller you can enjoy some really great cookies and candies. Every once in a while great objects come up and they sell at bargain prices.



This piece has been relisted a few times but I think the $90.00 price tag keeps it out of sight.

If you are seller, you best be ready to give your work away at very low prices in the hopes of generating a clientele base.  However, you will find a great crowd of people with common interests.  The chat box, prior to the auction, is busy with conversation between friends.

As for myself, I will try Tophatter for a while longer and hope that the frustration surrounding the listing priorities will temper with time.

Great words of Wisdom on Pricing

Every once and a while, when I browse the forums, I come accross tidbits of wisdom.  The other day I opened a forum thread written by Pamela Trow-Johnson from Bend, Oregon.   Pamela is an artist and designer who serves the etsy community with her supply store "Artspassionsdesign"  found at this link:  www.artpassionsdesign.etsy.com . 


Pamela also creates beautiful stationary that speak emotions, greetings, happy wishes and  wisdom.   This etsy shop is called "Artifactori,"  and it can be found here:  http://www.etsy.com/shop/artifactori
These are her own words.   Read and enjoy.

http://www.etsy.com/listing/60983117/set-of-four-humorous-thats-why-theres

As a branding designer in my day job, it always upsets me to see sellers who aren’t selling, lower their prices thinking that will solve their problem. In truth, price is only one ingredient in your recipe for success. 

Many folks think a brand is a logo when a logo is only the visual representation of the brand. Brand is a perception in the mind of a buyer that keeps your product or service first in their thoughts when they are ready to buy. Price is just one of the components of that perception.

http://www.etsy.com/listing/59430852/set-of-three-us-goils-gotta-tawk

But this post is about pricing, so, here’s my 2¢ worth:

1] GET REAL ABOUT YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH MONEY & SELF-ESTEEM. Money is money. It’s a wonderful thing to have. We are not defined by it. It’s fuel to get us were we want to go and it sustains us. Having money isn’t based on our “worthiness”. Get honest on how you look at it and choose to develop a healthier perspective on it. I will say this, if you don’t change your attitude toward money, you’ll never have it.

2] PAY ATTENTION TO ALL ASPECTS OF YOUR BUSINESS. So many other aspects of your business reflect the quality of your product, which then confirms the appropriateness of your price:

a] Are your photos reflecting the true beauty of your product and are they truly showing the product? (i.e., are you focusing on everything around your product rather than the product? is your product too small in the photo, is your photo honest?)

b] Is your logo, banner and avatar communicating the same level of quality and “flavor” as your product? (i.e., does your font match the style of your product, is your type legible, is there a disconnect with the style of your logo to your product?…such as selling clean contemporary art and having a country look to your banner?)

c] Are you being clear in your descriptions and including everything a buyer will want to know? (i.e., are you providing sizes?…this can qualify a price, with vintage…are you showing any defects or hiding them?).

d] Have you differentiated your business? What do you do or offer that makes you and/or your product unique? If you offer and do what 2,000 other shops offer and do, why should a buyer buy from you, no matter what your price? (ways to differentiate include having a particular style or a way you do business).

e] How is everything else reflecting your brand: packaging, policies, customer service, to name a few? (i.e., are you selling a high-end item and packing it in a generic box with no brand identity on it? are your policies written with a lot of “don’ts” rather than “do’s”? are you answering your convos quickly?)

http://www.etsy.com/listing/60464482/set-of-three-blank-congratulations

3] KNOW YOUR AUDIENCE. Don’t try to be everything to all. If you sell to a more “general audience”, it will be more difficult to stand out in the crowd. Niche markets are good. It helps you in figuring out where to sell and helps you with pricing. This also aligns with differentiating (2d).

4] RUN SALES TO PROFIT NOT TO SELL. As a buyer, everyone loves a sale. As a seller, if you do sales often, you’re training your buyers to assume they can always get your items at a price-off. That’s not the perception you want to give. Keep your sales truly SPECIAL. Don’t necessarily follow the pack and run sales on holidays. Run them when they’re least expected so buyers are constantly coming back to your shop. They are likely to do a more immediate buy if they don’t know when your item will be on sale. Buyers want to feel they got a once-in-a-chance buy. Think about it...how many times have you joyously shared a story of getting an unbelievable deal at an unexpected time?

Need some new Charm Ideas?
http://www.etsy.com/listing/83881316/animal-two-brass-moose-charms

5] LEARN TO PRICE TO PROFIT. I believe pricing is a mystery for so many sellers because it’s left-brain, not creative and they just don’t know how to do it. Well, pricing is strategic...concrete...formula-matic. Do a keyword search in the forums with “pricing formula” and you’ll get what you need. Once you know what your profit margin is, don’t lower your prices where you can’t stay in business...because you won’t! I’ve read threads where sellers have said they have lowered their prices to the bare minimum. So, even if it creates sales, you’ll never be able to increase your prices without creating a bad perception in the mind of the buyer. And by the way, once you have a good pricing formula, don’t overlook what is called, perceived value. Your formula may say you can price an item at $100 but if your item looks like it can sell for $125, then price it that way.

6] BENCHMARK. Check out shops that sell in the same category as you, that you consider SUCCESSFUL. Can you apply any of the ways you think contributed to that success to your shop?

Here comes the trains.
http://www.etsy.com/listing/40948568/transportation-12-tiny-brass-train

 

7] EXPAND YOUR DISTRIBUTION SOURCES. Etsy is a fabulous place to sell. But it’s just one marketplace source. This is an area to expand your business knowledge. Check out other online marketplaces, check out brick and mortar shops (as long as you can afford to sell at a wholesale or distributor price,) create your own ecommerce website. Consider craft shows but make sure they attract your audience (i.e., don’t consider a low-end flea market if your items are high-end...you just won’t sell AND don’t even consider lowering your prices to sell in another market.)

8] EDUCATE THE BUYER ON YOUR PRICING. How often are we asked to sell something at a lower price because basically, a buyer can't afford it!?! Well, THEY ARE NOT YOUR AUDIENCE. Don't feel bad that you can't lower your price and don't lower your price because you think you should. Just have a standard considerate reply explaining your price reflects the quality of hand-made product it is. Reducing your price would prevent you from staying in business and doing what you love. Thank them for considering your product. PERIOD. DONE.

Something for the computer whiz.
http://www.etsy.com/listing/48691779/technology-pink-enameled-silver-tone

9] DON’T BE HARD ON YOURSELF + GET HELP. We are in this business because we love to create. But once we decide to make our passion a business, we have to take on more than we enjoy doing...we create, research, produce, sell, account as well as run families and try to have a life. Do you have to do it alone? What can you get help with? Etsy forums, the internet, libraries and business organizations are treasure chests for info. Maybe start an Etsy team in your city and actually meet monthly to get support from each other. Is there a student you can get help with production?
Apply your creativity to solving all kinds of problems.

I hope this helps anyone considering lowering their prices. We’re in this together and I wish you the BEST! Pamela

Get Well.
http://www.etsy.com/listing/60465239/set-of-three-blank-get-well-greeting

Hi all the potters out there. Did you ever think of studying in China?

I consider myself very lucky in that I have had the opportunity to travel to China on four occasions.  When I go I stay at the Sanbao International Ceramic Art Institute, just ten kilometers from Jingdezhen the porcelain capital of the world.  

Even the lamp posts are made of porcelain

One of the great pleasures I have had every time I go is to meet with the West Virginia Ceramic Art Students who come to the Jingdezhen Ceramic Institute to study and to expand their cultural experiences in China.   

One of the faculty buildings at the JCI

If you ever want to study art and to gain University credits this program is something to think about.

I have just received the latest info about the 2012 courses being offered.   I can tell you that this is a great experience at a great price with a great reward of University credits.   Have a read.

The West Virginia University gang building a pizza oven at Sanbao.

Mixing the cement for the pizza oven.
The oven worked.

Dear Colleagues, Students, and Ceramic Enthusiasts,

Through a unique linkage, the Jingdezhen Ceramic Institute, and West Virginia University have teamed to offer a comprehensive study opportunity for students and the serious advanced or professional ceramic artist/potter.
The Jingdezhen Ceramic Institute is considered to be China’s finest ceramics art and design school. We have teamed to offer a study and travel program in the Peoples Republic of China where students will have the opportunity to study with some of China’s most prominent teachers and ceramic artists.

Imperial Blue & White Porcelain Capital of Jingdezhen, Qin's Terra Cotta Army, Great Wall of China, the Forbidden City, the hustle and bustle of Shanghai.

Join us for a experience of a lifetime!

China’s roots in ceramic art history are strong and deep. For thousands of years, Chinese artisans have developed and mastered techniques and artistry that has set the standard of excellence in ceramics throughout the world.

High fired porcelains, underglaze and overglaze techniques, celadons, copper reds, temmoku, yaoware carving, ash glazes and tri-colored lead glazes are just a few of the contributions made by Chinese artisans over the centuries.

Summer Semester 2012
May 24 – June 30
(Dates prices may vary slightly)
6 Credits
Cost: 6-Credits/Tuition and fees: $5900*

This fee covers International airfare, in-country travel, all lodging, food (an exception being during the Beijing travel portion of the program), materials, and 6 graduate or undergraduate transferable credits from West Virginia University.


Fall Semester 2012
September 7 – December 14
(Dates and prices may vary slightly)
12 Credit Hours: Graduate or Undergraduate
Cost: 12 Credits/Tuition and fees $9,900*
6-Credits Studio Ceramics
3-Credits Chinese Ceramic Art History
3-Credits Basic Language and Culture
Participants will be expected to pay for tools not supplied by the program, brushes, personal acquisitions, and local travel outside of the program. Students may also be expected to purchase their own meals during the Beijing visit.

This fee covers the entire cost of International airfare, in-country travel, all program fees, insurance, living accommodations and 12 transferable credits from West Virginia University.


If you or anyone you may be interested in any of the 2 programs, more information and applications are available at:

http://art.ccarts.wvu.edu/international_programs/china_program

If you have any questions feel free to contact us. Hope to see all of you
in Jingdezhen, China!

Shoji Satake
Assistant Professor of Art
West Virginia University
College of Creative Arts
School of Art and Design
Creative Arts Center
PO Box 6111
Morgantown, WV 26506
304-293-3512
shoji.satake@mail.wvu.edu


Robert "Boomer" Moore
Assistant Professor of Art
West Virginia University

It is Time

Well I have been on Artfire for eleven months and I have to make a decision to stay or go.

I have only good words for the Artfire team.  They have put up a very good looking commercial page, and they have maintained good communication with the members.   I however, have found that the number of views was limited and that in turn kept sales away from my shop.  I had only one sale in eleven months.  There is a time when the income versus expenses, dictate what we do.

I realize that my product is a niche and that the number of people looking for ceramics is not the same as those looking at jewelry or children cloths.  I can only assume that is why the views were so low.

I originally came to Artfire because Etsy was making too many changes to the way they ran the website. See (http://etsy-extended.blogspot.com/2011/02/my-turn-to-migrate.html)  These changes however, did make a difference in the number of visitors to my shop.  My sales did not rise but the fact that many people could see my work was just as satisfying as making a sale. I have had a steady sales record on Etsy,  so that is where I will put my future efforts.  I guess that is what counts in the world of sales.

So, my friends on Artfire, I have decided to terminate my shop as of 01 January 2012. I imagine it will take a while for the paid up time to run out.

I wish everyone on Artfire the best of luck with their sales.  Perhaps someday I will return. 

"Having a bad day"  by: Terrance Frank Lazaroff

"Happy New Year 2012"

Merry Christmas to all

Well it has been a great year, and we are now all going to sit down with family and friends to enjoy a bit of Christmas cheer.    To many of us, Christmas is a time to make a bit of extra sales, and of course money.  We work very hard preparing our craft lines so that we can offer our perspective clients a great sellection of good.    Sometimes we forget that Christmas is also for ourselves.   That is why I have selected some items from etsy that I would like to receive as a gift.  They may not appear under my tree this year, but who knows maybe next year.

I just imagine wearing this during our Christmas Réveillon, when I am serving the drinks.  It would spark some great conversations.

http://www.etsy.com/shop/OnceUponABustle?ref=seller_info&show_panel=true


What a great pair of loafer styleVintage Leather Minnetonka Moccasins. Sadly these are a bit to large for me, but perhapes Santa will be able to find a pair my size, for next year.

http://www.etsy.com/shop/memoryvintage?ref=seller_info

Now hats are back in.  I noticed that my sons are now wearing fedoras.    I look at the photograph of my dad when he was about 30 years old, and he carried his fedora very well.   Perhapes one like liss would add to my looks, as well.

http://www.etsy.com/shop/katarinacouture?ref=seller_info

A wallet is always an necessary gift to a man on Christmas Day.   It is one of those things that he usese everyday yet can never find time to buy one, for himself.    A good wallet must have room for the pesky membership cards, and of course the plastic money.    I like this wallet because it is bullet proof. Meaning it will protect my pin money from my lovely bride's fingers.

http://www.etsy.com/shop/RAGGEDedgeGear?ref=seller_info

I have a great love of cookies.  Finding these under the tree, JUST FOR ME,   would make my day.   The nice thing about purchasing these from etsy shops, is that my wife would be able to surprise me, because I would not smell the aroma of the little cookies baking in the oven.   Mmmmmm.

http://www.etsy.com/shop/ThoughtsofHome?ref=seller_info

After eating those cookies, I would go out to shovel the sidewalk.  When I come back into the house I would want to take off my boots, and slip on a nice pair of knitted slippers.  These slippers are soft almost like wearing socks. 

http://www.etsy.com/shop/ArtisanatCadeau?ref=seller_info

Well there are so many items I would like to have under my tree.  I guess I will have to leave this list lying about for the children to see.   Hmmmmm.

Merry. Christmas to all.

Remembrance

Yearly Reflection.

In memory of Private Stephen Lazaroff. who was killed in action in Italy, 1944.

Remembrance Day is a special day for me because I served for 32 years in the Canadian Armed Forces. Every year on the 11th of November, my unit would all fall in for the parade, to pay homage to our brothers in arms, who went off to do their service. Many did not come back, their bodies interred in the battle field cemeteries that are sited throughout the world. Some came home with injuries that would eventually take their life. . Others suffered in silence with mental stress that we cannot understand because we were young and did not know the ravages of war.



Now I am retired.



On the 11th of November every year I put on my military coat and my beret, I pin up my medals, and make my way into the city, to the cenotaph. This day is usually the first real cold day of the season. The wind blows with a bite, forcing us to raise our collars. The ground is frozen solid, making us stamp our feet in order to keep the feeling in our toes. It snows on most Remembrance days, and on some days it would rain. This does not stop us from going. For us, it is a day to remember.



The Remembrance Day gathering is also a time to link up with old friends. Before we would form up for the ceremony, We would wander through the gaggle of men and women, some wearing partial uniforms, others in the legion dress, and sadly many in street clothes that tell of hard times. We would wander about studying the faces of those gathered. Each is searching for someone that they may have served with. Every once in a while walking about, someone would see a face that looked familiar. It may have been a glint in the eye, or the way the lips would turn up in a smile. Sometimes it would be a medal that was worn that told of his service. Most of the gathered would have grey hair. Some would walk with stoop, and others required the assistance of a walking stick or a chair with wheels. I would look at them, and they would peer back. Recognition would result in an exchange greeting, as we tried to remember if it was Corporal Bill Dodds, or was it Lieutenant Dorothy Warner. Sometimes recognition was immediate and the greeting was a warm "How are you doing Jack?" Our eyes would light up when we found old friends.


The reunions were joyous; we would try to jam long periods of separation into a few moments. "Where are you living now? How are the children? I got a bad case of cataracts, or my knees are shot." We would laugh and talk about our grand kids and relate stories about our last trip to the south. There would be a quick shake of hands and a promise keep in touch. Then, we would search out another, and the conversation would repeat itself.



This banter would continue until called to parade. The solemn ceremony would begin and we would all fall silent. Everyone would become an individual thinking of those who died in previous wars, their military service and those who were bravely fighting in theaters of war today.

We would also think of the older veterans who were no longer amongst us. Spaces where they stood with friends now are empty. Many have disappeared. There was one fellow who wore his WWII Khaki uniform with boots, and putties, and full pack. Everybody would shake his hand and complement his dress. He was a reminder to the older veterans of what the young men looked like when they shipped out, in the early days of WWII. Last year I noticed that he was missing.



I always thought that I was one of the younger guys at the parade but last year a young lieutenant came up to me and asked if I would like a chair up front; with a blanket to keep my legs warm, a kind reminder that I am becoming one of the older guys in the parade. I said no thank you; I will stand with the younger crew.



While I am standing quiet I think about my generation of service members. We were fortunate, in that our duty was not as difficult as the Veterans of the great wars and of Korea. My generation served during the Cold War period. We trained and prepared for what I am happy to say, did not materialize. We were the deterrent. Nevertheless, periods of separation from family and friends were difficult. We were lucky because I knew when we would be reunited with our family. Those in the great wars did not know if and or when they would see their families.

Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae's poem "In Flanders Fields."  will echo in my thoughts.

This year when I go the cenotaph, I am sure I will see younger veterans. They carry the medals of Bosnia, Dessert Storm, Afghanistan and other theaters of war. These young people served with pride and they have returned with scars of physical and mental injuries. They will have returned with memories of their brothers in arms who did not. 



So when I stand in the snow, the rain, holding my coat against the damp cold wind and the freezing temperatures, I will remember. I will add the fallen and the injured from these wars to all those of previous wars to my thoughts and prayers. And when the last post sounds, there will be a tear in my eye.



Listen to this: http://www.flixxy.com/trumpet-solo-melissa-venema.htm

Where have you been?

A lot of people have asked about why I have not been to active recently on this blog.   I am sorry if you have been waiting for some new information or perhaps a review of a shop.  The fact is that I have been busy writing a blog for the China tour that I will be leading next autumn.   

Yes,  I am returning to China for the fifth time.  However,  this trip will find me accompanied by a group of travellers who want to experience the rich and mystical culture of the Chinese craft people.

We are planning to leave around the first of October next year.  
If you wish to see where we are going you can visit this blog by going to:   http://2012sanbaochinatour.blogspot.com/

I have a couple of videos and a lot of photos.    I hope you visit and enjoy.