Market $$$ Warriors, Friends' Treasures

       Public Broadcasting Stations are worth a second look especially when favorite shows are threatened. Because of Market Warriors I have learned a few new words when it comes to treasure, and antique hunting. Market Warriors is something like The Antiques road show but a tad more educational in a way we all need to know what will sell and where. Here is why it has become even more interesting to me.
     A friend of mine who has a collection of about five or six different kinds of memorabilia wasn't sure of it's worth. She and I talked about this a few times over the past few years. My interest was solely in her and her now late husband getting insurance, not just for her home furnishings but those collections.
    Now with her as a sole owner, it's more important to have insurance. Here is where John and Tina Bruno come in. They are the owners of Flamingo Events. and or Flamingo Productions  I've visited this site a few times this weekend and learned more and more about the Bruno's, past and present.
       With years of expertise and wisdom I spoke with Tina Bruno who offered such great advice on how to go about getting an appraisal for my friend. I then spoke with my friend in New York who is now more anxious to learn and go about sorting, arranging, indexing and getting a value on her collections.Sometime within a month, hopefully this process can be started.
     Now, back to PBS and Market Warriors. The cast of Market Warriors are as I first mentioned John Bruno, also known as The Professor,Bob Richter, The Designer, Bene Raia, The Auctioneer, Miller Gafney, The Assessor and finally Kevin Bruneau, The Prowler. Mark Walberg is the host.
    This show is to go off the air ! Why? I don't know but can guess it has to do with money. How many shows today offer such a variety of intellectual cast members in culture, age, gender and minority. IS this something PBS is afraid of?
      This show needs to be passed on, and used as an example to our children and grandchildren concerned with generations of values, and where we place our value. Each cast member has their own take on what is valuable and why. It's that individual self-worth, that individual culture and life experiences that makes this show unique. One of a kind Market Warriors is soon to be gone. What does that happen. It's the one of a kind we need, we need to save. Please, anyone and everyone who values their own cultures and history and generations of history, call your Public Broadcasting station and let them know how and why you fell to keep this show as it is and where it is. At the very least, let another station pick it up. If I can't watch it here, I'll travel at least once a month to watch it elsewhere.
    Don't let go of this show. It is not just entertainment, it teaches us all. Market Warriors let those who don't know if an item is worth keeping or not and why. It could be a cultural value history as well as financial. Many times something is worth a lot of money in Georgia for example, but   not much in another state. We hear about Sothebys, and Christies and other auctions houses, but on Market Warriors, it's you who counts and now is your time to be counted again. Save this program. Call PBS-it takes five minutes. Thanks
P.S. Don't Throw it out, check it out!
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Two Boys and a Junk Store

       A little old man sat in the doorway as we walked in. He wasn't the owner. I knew we should have gone to church, but just haven't felt like it lately, so we went exploring instead. I told the visiting boys, lets get in my church car and see where it goes. Well it, Little Nick as I call it decided not to go too far, just to a small town square where a man owns what appears to be an antique store.
      
      The building was more of an antique than anything else. Wooden furniture sits outside in all kinds of weather, covered by a roof, but with windswept rains I wouldn't buy anything from there made of wood, although I did buy one thing about two months ago. I can't mention it now as it' or part of it will be a gift for my daughter. She reads this so...
       Well we get inside and this well dressed man, golden wedding ring stands out on his finger, white hair, wearing a fedora and back turned away from us as we enter. Yet he knows a woman has walked in as he greets me, hello Mrs....Wow I haven't heard that term that way in years. Since I don't like Mrs. I just said a quite hello and we walked down through the, body style selfish isles which mattered not to the boys. I squeezed, stood sideways, stretched taller, curved where I could in an effort not to knock anything over, after all I am a Viking! Boxes and boxes, glass counters stood piled high with things collected from anywhere and everywhere. Dust covered things, but most things were cleaned simply from handling. If we only had a ladder!
       AHA! A treasure was found. I heard one brother say to the other do you have any money? Noo, I spent it all, remember? Me too said the older brother. Coming closer to me he says, look, look what I found! It was a comic, an old one but in nice condition. I told him to ask the man behind the counter how much it was. He came back too fast. It's only fifty cents he said. Good I told him and walked away. I was smiling to myself as he followed and asked can I get this instead of ice cream? Yes he was thinking. Sure, and he bought his comic as his little brother looked on. His little brother, with big brown eyes said I want ice cream in a sad and small voice. I knew he also wanted a treasure, and it wasn't long before he found it, a book. He said he never read that book before. Both boys read a lot of books. We made two trips  to the library, taking out eight books for each child and they read them.
         As we were leaving the older man with the white hair and fedora asked the boys if they had fun. They gave me a lot of that feel good stuff, when almost at the same time said we always have fun with her, but what they didn't know is, I had the most fun. So we left, got in the car and I told them, let's go to Rutters, an area convenience store. The younger boy asked if we were getting ice cream. Noooo remember, you spent your money and also bought a treasure. He said but, but, but I said I wanted ice cream...and you didn't answer me. I inside smiled, quietly said lets go. In the car they hopped, happy with a treasure, sad without ice cream.
         I bought The New York Sunday News as they stood side by side, looking down into the ice cream case, lowered bottom lips. The woman behind the counter asked, Can I help you boys? I wish you could have seen their faces. You know what they said? Can she help us, looking pleadingly at me.
I smiled, said yeah, she can help you. She can even help me too. Grabbing our ice cream bars from the counter we jumped in the car, talking and planning the rest of the afternoon. They wanted to go back to the Antique/junk/treasure store.
                                                           Now that's a Viking day!