The Challenge:

I am often disappointed when I win an auction for a near-mint comic, wait in anticipation and when the package arrives, I find the comic is damaged. It is not that I was sent a poor quality book, but that the item was damaged during the shipping process. The situation is even worse when purchasing a CGC graded item. Recently, I purchased a CGC graded copy of Amazing Spiderman 129. The item arrived packaged in a “bubble-pack envelope”. As soon as I saw the envelope I said to myself “I am exhausted with receiving expensive items so carelessly packaged”. Of course the item was damaged, cracked in several places. The common response to a damaged item claim from a seller is “good thing you got the insurance” or “I will send a refund after you return the item .. ps. I do not refund shipping charges”. Who needs the hassle? Who needs the time and money that is wasted chasing damaged item claims?

Listen, I know we all look for ways to cut cost but some corners should not be cut. Here are some “common sense” rules that should always be followed when considering the shipping of a graded or ungraded item.

1. Shipping Cost is not overhead ! The buyer pays the shipping ! The cost of shipping (if you calculated correctly) does not come out of your pocket.

2. Your postal provider does not care about your package any more than you do. A “FRAGILE” stamp on a flimsy package does not cause a carrier to handle your package with acutal care. And what happens when your package is in the cargo hold of a plane with a ton of other packages on top of it? Where is the care in handling then?

3. The Post Office gives away “FREE” boxes in an effort to expedite your shipping needs. So the “I couldn’t find a box” excuse no longer applies.

4. The money spent in ensuring a safe delivery, pales in comparison to the money you lose when your customer returns a damaged item, along with NEGATIVE feedback.

The Solution:

As mentioned previously, the solution is an inexpensive product called “CARDBOARD”. It is simple and easy to use, plus you can get tons of it absolutely FREE !

Packaging an ungraded item enjoys the same procedure as packaging a graded (CGC/PGX) item.

1. Take a cardboard box (stiff, flat, thick) and cut two pieces to the exact dimensions of your “BAGGED AND BOARDED” comic book or GRADED ITEM.

2. Put the item(s) between two pieces of cardboard and tape securely into place. Use clear scotch-type tape, not DUCT tape as I recently encountered in a bubble packed item. Items should not be allowed to slide around between cardboard pieces or damage could still occur to the corners of the item.

3. Place cardboard-secured item into the appropriate sized box with loosely balled-up newspaper as a buffer or insulation. The item should “float” inside the box because of the newspaper you put into the bottom of the box and on every possible side of the item.

4. Close the box and shake gently side to side, listening to hear if the item is sliding around inside box. If it is, add more newspaper to the top or bottom, or side to side because movement equals damage.

5. The newspaper is loosely balled-up because less paper is less weight. On average three comics, packed in a PRIORITY MAIL box, should weigh 1 lb. 11 oz. or less and one CGC item should weigh the same. The Post Office generally charges 4-7 dollars for Priority delivery (less than 2 lbs.) within the continental United States.

REMEMBER:

To pre-cut several pieces of card-board and to have a few boxes and newspaper on hand. This will save you time in the packing process.

NEVER use BUBBLE-PACK envelopes for shipping comics! They only protect against scratches not against impact damage which is the leading cause of damage to shipped items. Plus you will save money by using cardboard because you will never have to purchase another bubble-pack envelope. You will also, save even more money by recycling your newspaper instead of buying bubble-wrap.

This is a cost effective option to securely ship graded and ungraded comics and to ensure a safe, undamaged delivery to your customer. You will have peace-of-mind when shipping delicate and expensive items and your customers will return enthusiastic POSITIVE feedback for the care you have added in packaging their items.

Thank you for reviewing this guide.

Main points: Don’t tighten spokes all the way the first time. Take bulges and dents out of rim and make rim round before tightening spokes. Easy to replace one or two spokes without taking wheel or tire off, except right rear. Problems you may have. All of this is dangerous.

Warning: Bending a rim to straighten it as I describe can weaken the rim, and can cause it to break which could cause injury or death. If you bend a rim, examine it after you bend it to see if it has any cracks in it. If it has a crack in it, do not put it on a bicycle because it could be dangerous. Also, spokes that have been under too much stress could break while someone is riding the bicycle causing a wreck, especially if more than one spoke breaks at the same time.

If the rim is not bent and ALL of the spokes need to be tightened, I have found that this is the best way to do it:

Don’t tighten spokes with the tire aired up because the nipple may drill a hole in the rim liner and in the tube causing a flat. Let some air out of the tire before tightening spokes. Better still, take the tire off the rim to tighten spokes because you need to look at the nipples to see if any spokes are sticking up above the nipple. File off the part of the spoke that is sticking up above the nipple so it won’t punch a hole in the tube.

Get a spoke wrench that almost EXACTLY fits the nipples. Check the width of several nipples because someone may have put in a spoke that has a different width nipple than the rest of the nipples. If you use a spoke wrench that is too large, you may round the corners of the nipples making it impossible to tighten the spokes with ANY spoke wrench.

Do this before tightening ANY spokes:

Use a large adjustable wrench to check the width of the rim everywhere to see if it has been bent in or bent out. Just put the jaws of the wrench so the rim will be between the jaws with the jaws barely touching both sides of the rim. Then move the wrench all around the rim and notice if the rim becomes narrower in some places, and too wide to pass between the jaws of the wrench in other places. If the sides of the rim has been bent in or out, you will need to bend it back to straighten it before you tighten spokes. If one or both sides of the rim is bent, there is a good chance that the rim is not round at the place where it is bent because the rider ran over a rock or something hit the rim. You can usually bend the rim back to make it straight without any special tools. See my guide on how to straighten bent rims.

If the rim is not the same width everywhere, the brakes may grab at the place where it is bent, or the tire could come off the rim while riding the bicycle. If the side of the rim has been bent inward, making the width of the rim narrower at that place, you can bend it back with a LARGE adjustable wrench. If you use a small wrench it will make a dent in the side of the rim. Get a flat piece of steel that comes just to the top of the lip of the rim and put it on the inside surface of the side of the rim. Put the jaws of the adjustable wrench so that the piece of steel and the side of the rim is between the jaws of the wrench. Pull the handle of the wrench bending the side of the rim back until it is straight. If you don’t use a flat piece of steel, you can use the wrench only, but don’t bend the rim much when you pull the handle of the wrench, and move the wrench a little after each pull. You will have to go over the entire length of the bend several times when you use the wrench only if it is a long bend.

To straighten outward bulges in the side of a rim, lay the rim on a flat piece of wood and hit the bulge with a hammer lightly, then hit it harder if needed. Use a hammer that will cover the entire bulge, not just the part of the bulge that is bent out most. Or, you can put the edge of a board on the bulge and hit the board with a hammer. Give plenty of support to the side that is not bent so it will not bend when you hit the other side with a hammer. If the side of the rim has a bulge, there is a good chance that the rim has been bent toward the hub by running over a rock or something, and the rim is no longer round. You can make it round again by bending it back. See my guide on bending rims to straighten them.

Check the rim to see if it is round (see if it is the same distance from the hub everywhere). This can be done in a few seconds by placing a yard stick on the hub and moving the yard stick around the hub. The rim may have high or low spots (places that are too far or too close to the hub) which would make you feel a “bump” as you ride the bicycle. If a rim is not round because it ran over a rock or ran into a tree, you will have to bend it back to make it round. But, if the rim is not round because it was cheaply made, or because someone tightened the spokes improperly, you can easily make it round in most cases by loosening spokes at the low places and tightening spokes at the high places.

To make the rim round when the rim is not actually bent, first TIGHTEN ALL SPOKES THE SAME AS IF THE RIM WAS ROUND. After you tighten all spokes, you can then correct the high and low places. Measure to find the distance that the rim needs to be from the hub. If there are places where the rim is too close to the hub, loosen the spokes in those places and loosen a few spokes on each end of those low places. Loosen more at the middle of the low place, gradually loosening a little less as you loosen spokes toward each end of the low place. Next, you can fix the high places if there are any. If there are places where the rim is too far from the hub, you can tighten spokes at those high places, tightening more at the middle of the high place and gradually tightening fewer turns as you tighten spokes toward the ends of those high places. Notice that you must first loosen spokes at the low places before you tighten spokes at the high places. Tightening spokes at the high places will help to make the low places go up to where they should be if you loosened spokes there first. If you have high places and no low places, you will need to loosen the spokes a little (maybe one-eighth turn) everywhere that is not a high place before you tighten spokes at the high places. If you have to tighten spokes too tight at a high place to make the high place round like the rest of the wheel, maybe you should loosen spokes a little at places that are not high places so you won’t have to tighten spokes so tight at the high place.

Next, you can begin tightening all spokes.

If some nipples will not tighten because of corrosion on the threads of the spoke, first try to break the corrosion and free the nipple by LOOSENING the nipple because it won’t be as hard to turn the nipple that way. If you find ONE nipple that will not tighten because of corrosion, stop and try ALL of the nipples to see if they will turn. Mark the spoke where you stopped so you will know where to start again after you loosen all of the corroded spoke nipples. When you turn a nipple to check it, turn the nipple back to the same position it was in before you turned it because you want to tighten ALL of the nipples the SAME NUMBER of turns when you start tightening them. The truing of the rim is done AFTER you have tightened all spokes.

If you have to replace any spoke, replace only ONE, and then tighten it only to the same degree of looseness as the rest of the spokes. Then, replace another spoke and tighten it only to the same degree of looseness as the other spokes. Repeat this procedure until you have replaced all of the spokes that need to be replaced. When you finish replacing all of the bad spokes, you are now ready to tighten ALL spokes.

DO NOT tighten each spoke until it is tight. DO NOT tighten each spoke all the way the first time around, and maybe not the second time around. If you tighten each spoke as tight as it needs to be the first time you tighten it, the hub will not be in the middle of the rim when you finish and the bicycle will go up and down when you ride it causing a very rough ride.

Before you start tightening spokes, mark the first spoke that you will tighten so you will know when you have PARTLY tightened all of the spokes in the wheel the first time. Tighten each spoke the SAME AMOUNT (same number of turns, not the same tightness). Tighten EACH spoke ONLY one-half turn. Or, tighten all spokes one-fouirth turn if most of the spokes are not very loose. If most of the spokes are very loose, you might tighten each spoke one full turn. IMPORTANT: The first spoke that you partly tighten should still be a little loose, and you should turn each nipple the SAME NUMBER OF TURNS.

After you partly tighten every spoke in the wheel the same number of turns of the nipple, check to see if the spokes are tight enough . The first spoke that you partly tightened and left a little loose will now be tighter than it was after you partly tightened it. Tightening spokes in one place in a wheel will also tighten the spokes that are 180 degrees from them. If ALL spokes still need to be tightened some more, start over and tighten ALL spoke nipples the same number of turns again. Tighten all nipples one-fourth turn, or tighten all nipples one-half turn, whichever you think is best. Do not try to tighten the spokes. Just turn the nipple on EACH spoke the same number of turns. Do not try to do anything to true the rim as you tighten all of the spokes one or two times or more. After MOST of the spokes are tight as they need to be, THEN you can tighten the spokes that were looser than the other spokes. Tighten those remaining spokes to about the same tightness as most of the other spokes that are tight enough.

If most of the spokes seem to be as tight as they need to be, but some spokes still need to be tightened, FIRST make a determination about whether the rim is actually bent or not. If you discover that the rim is bent, it would be better to bend it back until it is straight before you tighten spokes. If some of the spokes are loose and most of the spokes are tight, this may indicate that the rim has been bent and you need to bend it back to make it straight. If the rim is bent, you need to know that before you tighten ANY spokes so you can bend it back straight before tightening spokes.

If the rim is not bent or you have straightened the bends, you have made the wheel round if it had high or low places in it, and you have tightened all spokes so that all are approximately the same tightness, you can begin to true the rim laterally.

One reason for not trying to true a rear rim laterally while you are tightening the spokes is that if the wheel is dished, you don’t want to mess up the dish if it dished correctly. The other reason is that it is just easier to true a rim laterally AFTER you have tightened all spokes IF the rim is not bent. Rear wheels that have a freewheel or cassette are dished so they will run in the middle of the frame and be aligned with the front wheel. The plane of the rim in a rear wheel is closer to the right hub flange than the left flange because the distance from the frame to the hub flange is greater on the right side than on the left side. The plane of the rim in a front wheel is the same distance from the left and right hub flange, so a front wheel does not need to be dished. If you need to correct an improper dish, you can do it after you have tightened all spokes as described above. To correct an improper dish in a wheel, loosen all of the spokes on one side of the wheel the same amount and tighten all spokes on the other side of the wheel the same amount. On the side you tighten, don’t use as much turn of each nipple as you turned the nipples on the side you loosened. Then, if that isn’t enough you can go back and turn each nipple a little more.

You do not need a truing stand to true a rim. Just put the wheel in a frame, tighten the nuts (first tighten bearings if there is too much play in them) and place some object on each side of the rim with white paper underneath and a light shining on the paper so you can easily see the gap between the rim and the object. Turn the wheel and look at the gap between the sides of the rim and the object to see if the width of the gap changes as the wheel turns. This can be dangerous. Do not let any children in the room. Do not let anyone get close enought to touch the wheel or where the spokes could hit them. Don’t turn the wheel fast because someone could get their finger or clothing caught in the wheel. or the wheel could sling something into the eye of someone. There are many ways that someone can be hurt by a bicycle wheel that is turning.

You can true the rim from side to side by tightening or loosening spokes in places where the rim needs to move to one side or the other. If you want the rim to move to the right at a place where it is too far left, first loosen spokes on the left side at that place, loosening more at the middle of the place. If spokes on the left at that place are not tight, you don’t need to loosen them first. Next, tighten spokes on the right of that place, tightening more at the MIDDLE of that place and tightening less as you tighten toward each end of that place.

After you finish tightening spokes and truing the rim, you want all of the spokes in the wheel to be the same tightness if the rim has not actually been bent. Sometimes when the rim has been bent only a little, people will tighten spokes at the bent place to make the rim true enough to not rub the brake shoes too much at the bent place. In that case, the spokes on one side of the bent place will need to be tighter than the other spokes in the wheel and the spokes on the other side of the bent place will need to be looser that the other spokes in the wheel. This is not a good situation. You should bend that place back to make it straight before tightening spokes if you have the time. Also when things are not done right, they can be dangerous causing injury or death to the rider or someone else.

You MAY be able to replace a broken or damaged spoke without taking the wheel or tire off.

First, measure to get the length you need. To measure the length of a spoke, measure from the center of the mushroom that is on one end of a spoke to the end of the threaded end, then subtract 0.5 mm (one-half millimeter). Or, measure the straight part of the spoke. If the spoke is in a wheel and tight, and the wheel is true and round, you can measure from the center of the mushroom to the point where the spoke goes in the hole in the rim.

After you tighten the spoke, the spoke should not quite go all the way through the end of the nipple. This will allow you to tighten the spoke perhaps years later after the spoke has stretched without the spoke going all the way through the nipple where you would need to file it off. If a spoke goes throught the nipple and sticks up some, you would need to file it off so it won’t punch a hole in the tube.

If you have a broken spoke that is causing your wheel to warp to one side, you may be able to easily replace that spoke and make your wheel straight and true again. You may not even need to take the wheel or the tire off the bicycle. If the spoke is NOT on the same side as a freewheel, just let the air out of the tire and pull the rim liner up with a screwdriver so you can remove the old nipple. Then, put in a new nipple, put in a new spoke in the same direction throught the hole in the hub as the old spoke, and tighten the nipple.

You will need a spoke wrench that fits your spoke nipples. Spoke nipples are different widths on different wheels, even if the wheels are the same size. Spoke wrenches that fit only one size nipple will not fit other size nipples that are frequently found on bicycles. Even spoke wrenches that fit 8 different size nipples may not have a slot that fits the nipples on your bicycle precisely enought to avoid rounding the corners of the nipple when you tighten it.

Problems you may have when putting in spokes:

If your rim has been bent by something hitting the rim, you will need to bend the rim back straight before you put in spokes. You may be able to straighten a very small bend in a rim by tightening a spoke at the bend. A rim may look bent where there is a broken spoke, but not be actually bent and will straighten easily just by putting in a new spoke.

If your bicycle has a freewheel or cassette on the rear wheel, you will probably have to take the freewheel or cassette off in order to replace a spoke on that side. A special tool will be needed to take off a freewheel or cassette.

If you want to put in a spoke without taking the wheel or the tire off the bicycle, after you unscrew the old nipple, be careful to not let it fall somewhere inside the tire and be hard to find. If the old nipple falls somewhere in the tire and you don’t get it out, it could cause a hole in the tube.

Don’t turn a nipple to tighten it or loosen it with the tire aired up tightly because the turning action could cause a hole in the rim liner and in the tube. Also, after you tighten a spoke, you want to look at the nipple to see if the spoke has gone all the way throught the nipple, and will punch a hole in the tube if you don’t file it off.

Introduction:

I love steins! My grandmother’s house had many intricate and decorative steins that came from her father and grandfather. This side of my family was originally from Germany, and they brought many of the steins that I now own with them when they emigrated to America.

My most treasured stein is one that I received in 1990, it has a piece of the Berlin Wall on top of the hinged lid, and its artistry commemorates the Falling of the Berlin Wall. When I first saw this stein in a specialty shop, I knew I had to have it. It combined my love of history, politics and steins. That is the uniqueness of stein collecting. Most steins reflect an occasion, a proclamation, are representative of the town they were made, or they tell a story.

I only have a few steins, most didn’t survive the many moves over the years. Some are cracked, stained or missing their hinged lid. But each reminds me of my heritage, or reminds me of a story. I treasure all of them, and am working diligently to preserve the remaining steins so that I can pass on their legacy to my children.

Description:

The word “stein” comes from the German phrase, “Stein Krug” or stone jug. Steins were first introduced in the 14th Century as a preventative measure. The hinged lids protected the beverage from flies, which carried the bubonic plague. The first steins were made of stoneware with an attached pewter lid. In the following centuries; glass, pewter and silver materials were being used to make the stein body. Stein artistry has developed from; telling a historical event, displaying a family crest to commercialism and advertising in the latter 20th Century.

Some of the main producers of current steins are:

Liegl

Kaiser Porcelain

BMF

Zimmerman

Rastal

A J Thewalt

Simon Peter Getz

Albert Stahl and Co.

Linder Porzellan

Just to list a few.

Ebay has a plethora of steins on auction. Whether you are looking for the sentimental, the ornate, the classic or the comical. Commercial Steins, such as Budweiser Steins have become very collectible over the years.

Conclusion:

Steins are collected for many reasons, mine are to remind me of my Grandmother, others are to remember a time or place. Some admire the great artistry and labor that goes into each piece. Whether you are collecting; for monetary gain, sentimental gratification, or just because you like them, take care of them. These pieces are fragile and eventually, unless mass-produced, they are irreplaceable. Take them off the shelf occasionally and look at the story your stein tells. Relay it to your family, you will find your steins become stories and memories of yourself, your heritage and generations to come.

If you are like me, you are very leary about giving out personal information on the internet. I solved this problem for my Ebay buying by using a debit card along with PayPal. I went to my local bank and got a debit card. These cards are accepted anywhere just like a major credit card would be since they are from the same companies and carry their logos. With a debit card though you put the money in up front and then draw from your account. It is very much like having an electronic checking account. I only keep a low amount of money on my card at any one time. This limits How much damage a person can do if they got ahold of your account number. You can deposit more money on your card whenever needed. With PayPal, you give them the information one time when you set up the account and they dispense funds on your say so. You never have to give your account number to anyone else. This protect your personal information. So this way you don’t have to mess with getting a money order or writing a personal check and then mailing it. Your payment to a seller in instantaneous. There is no wondering if the seller got your payment yet and the seller isn’t wondering if you are ever going to pay. This in turn speeds up the delivery of the item you purchased. It is a win/win situation for everyone. Try this and see if it doesn’t simlify your purchases.

Note: Items purchased from an Authorized Oakley retailer must be returned to the place of purchase.

I first saw my first Japanese Geisha dolls in a shop in the town that i live. It was a new shop and it had all sorts of Japanese things in it, but mainly ornaments and pictures. In the window there they were absolutely beautiful!! These graceful oriental ladies, i was automatically hooked,” i want these ” i thought. Then i discovered Ebay. The world of Geisha Dolls opened up to me, i couldnt believe how many different kinds there were, all with a meaning as if they had lived at one time or another. They had names and dances or stories written about them. And the costumes they wore were so beautiful! Old or new they have something special about them. I have about fifty now and i tend to love the silk faced ones the most. The best countries to buy them from are Japan or America, but always email for exact shipping costs before you bid. The better the condition the more you pay because they are very hard to clean and restore as they can be very fragile, as ive found out. To keep clean and dust free and also away from harmful sunlight which fades the dolls clothes and hair they are best displayed in a cabinet,and lightly dusted with a small soft paint brush weekly to keep looking nice and gently polish the black laquered stands as they can flake being even more careful with the older dolls. The silk faced dolls are mainly made by the maker Nishi & Co Ltd, which my collection is mainly made up of, but some dolls have no makers mark at all which is quite frustrating. Then you have the gofun dolls which is crushed shells made into a paste which the head, hands and feet are made out of, and still are. They also have glass inset eyes which makes them look very real. The hair in the very old dolls would of been real hair but at sometime they started to use synthetic hair, maybe someone can let me know when and why?? The facial features are hand painted which gives the doll an individual look and character. The kimonos and obi`s (belts) which can be tied in many different ways reflect the status of the geisha from being a trainee or Maiko to the highest rank or Oiran, all are amazingly beautiful, some are hand painted, some are printed, some are silk, some are for day wear, some are specially for a bride but all are beautifully made. The same goes for the hair acsessories and the way the dolls hair has been styled also reflecting the status of the Geisha. I love the dolls which are depicting a story or dance (Kabuki) or are holding musical instruments, i think giving them just a little bit more interest.

Thanks for reading my guide.