You can find a large selection of diamond rings

14 things for a man to do in asda

2010-08-27T05:26:00.003-07:00

01. Get 24 boxes of condoms

Caring for your furniture.

2010-08-27T05:26:00.001-07:00

General Care.

All antique furniture requires a little care from time to time. For most items this is just a wax polish using beeswax once a year. This helps to protect the timbers from drying out and builds up to a wonderful patina over time.

Whilst this takes care of the general appearance of your antiique furniture you should also remember the parts that are not seen. At least once a year you should dust the back and the inside of your furniture. This will help to prevent any infestation, which although not a common problem in most circumstances, it can still cause problems if it goes unchecked.

Once a year you should take a candle and rub it on the drawer runners. This will make them operate smoothly and will also help to prevent wear.

Ifyou manage to break or chip a piece then it should be glued back and held with clamps as soon as possible. Remember to use a good quality wood glue. This willensure a good tight repair.

Some tips we have picked up over the years:

Mahogany furniture. Mahogany can be wax polished as with most woods once or twice a year to keep up the general appearance.If the piece is tired and looking dry it will usually respond well to a coat of boiled linseed oil (mixed with a little stain if faded) available from any DIY store. This should be applied generously and left for an hour before wiping off the excess. The day after you should buff lightly with a soft cloth. You can repeat this process many times to build up anice and resilient sheen. Do not apply linseed oil to anything make from plastic, it will melt it! For lightscratches and scuffs you shouldcover using a good mahogany stainthen apply a little linseedoil to finish.

Oak and PineFurniture. If you oak furniture is looking tired or scuffed/ scratchedthen follow the steps above. For pine furniture you are best avoiding linseed oil and just coating with a clear wax and polishing. You should always remember that period oak willusually have a very deep colour and almost mirror-like patina. Under no circumstances should you attempt to clean this. A light wax should be all that is required to ensure your furniturecontinues to look as it should.

Rosewood Furniture. For general polishing you can use either beeswax or petroleum jelly. It is worth trying both out on a small area to see which works best.

Teak Furniture. Apply a light coat of teak oil and follow the steps as per Mahogany furniture.

Gilt Mirrors. These should only ever need a light feather dusting. Never get glass cleaner on the frame as this will wear away the finish.

This guide is an on-going item. We will add to this as often as possible.

There's Faeries and then there's Fairies

2010-08-27T05:25:00.040-07:00

I sell a wide range of Fairies and Fairy related items. I sell Fairies because I love them. They're whimsical, magical, colourful and bring smiles to everyone's faces!

Recently my husband and I attended the Spring Trade Fair at the Birmingham NEC, a famous yearly show held for retailers. It's an opportunity to meet and greet with the vendors who supply my online shop.

The NEC is HUGE and there were hundreds upon hundreds of vendors to visit and place orders with. Decisions, decisions. We knew which Fairies we wanted to stock and were amazed at some of the new lines we discovered. We held the fairies, carefully inspecting their structure, their colours, their consistencies and their quality. At first glimpse, many Fairies looked very nice but the quality and workmanship weren't what we wanted in our shop. Sure we could have bought some butt ugly fairies and flogged them really cheap, but at the end of the day, the customer would not have been totally satisfied to find the pretty fairy in the photo was basically a piece of quickly molded, painted and cheap materials that would never last for long.

After many hours and many visits to the different vendors we settled on the Nene Thomas Faeries, Country Artists Butterfly Fairies and The Fairy Way Fairies, Christine Haworth Faerie Poppets, Nemesis Now Faeries, Leonardo Fairies, Shudehill Fairies and loads of other Fairy accessories like Journals, tiles, mouse mats, gift wrap and so much more.

What do we look for when we purchase our Fairies?

QUALITY

Ceramic - Techniques Of Decoration - Dream Art Gallery

2010-08-27T05:25:00.039-07:00

Ceramic - Techniques Of Decoration - Dream Art Gallery

The manner in which colours have been applied to a ceramic surface offers reliable clues to dating an item, clues which can be seen by the nacked eye or better still under a normal lens with a magnifying power of three to ten magnitudes.In the past the paintbrush was the only means for painting pottery. The loaded paintbrush empties the paint continuosly and the layer of paint becomes thinner as it moves across the surface. This gradual reduction in the quantity of paint on the brush creates subtle differences in the shade of colour lending greater liveliness to the images.The rising labour cost faced by factories in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries led to a widespread search for new mechanized means of decorating pottery. The first to introduce transfer printing was the english ceramicsindustry. The first transfer prints were black and wear applied over or also under the glaze. After 1750 cobalt blue was preferred and used under the glaze. Pieces using this technique cannot therefore have been manufactured before 1750. This technique consists of coating a copperplate with a thin layer of acid-resisting was onto which the etcher draws his design, exposing the bright metal underneath. The plate is then immersed in a bath of diluited acid. The Etched plate is inked and the surface wiped, leaving the ink only in the design. Finally the plate is passed through two rollers and pressed against absorbent paper which, while still wet, is pressed against the surface to be decorated, transferring the engraving to the pottery, which is then put in the oven.The deeper the incision on the copperplate, the greater the amount of colour transferred.Modern printing techniques, like those using photomechanical processes,were applied almost contemporaneously also for the decoration of pottery. The application of colour is uniform.The variation in thickness of the layer of paint and the consequent range of shades created permits a handmade brushstroke to be clearly distinguished from a printed pattern.Towards the end of the 19 th century the four-colour lithographic process was introduced for transfer painting on porcelain. A piece decorated by this method can therefore not dated to before 1880. In modern reproduction we can see the tiny coloured dots typical of the printing process instead of the touches of colour left by a brush.The quality of the painting is of prime importance in determining the commercial and artistic value of a ceramic item. It would be advisable however to adopt different criteria for assessing Asian and western production. Brushstrokes of the fineness we can admire for instance on chinese and japanese pieces can be executed more easily by the skilled hands of Asian painters than by european artists as the art of using the paintbrush for writing is taught to the chinese and japanese from childhood.

Authentic Rare Antique Ceramic

Speed Up Windows Vista using ReadyBoost

2010-08-27T05:25:00.037-07:00

ReadyBoost - Using Your USB 2.0Flash Driveto Speed Up Windows Vista One very cool feature of Windows Vista especially for machines not natively equipped with the kind of horsepower to fully enjoy the rich visuals of Windows Presentation Foundation (Avalon) applications is ReadyBoost. ReadyBoost enables you to plug a USB key into your machine and have Windows Vista use it as memory.

Installing/Configuring the USB 2.0Flash Driveas Memory First I took a standard USB 2.0 key (Ill list the prerequisites shortly) and plugged it into my machine. Upon plugging the USB key into my computer, I was greeted with the standard "AutoPlay" dialog box asking how I wanted to the operating system to treat the USB key. However, with ReadyBoost I get the additional option (circled below in the screen capture) of using the key to "speed up my system".

Once I click the "Speed up my system" option, the Properties dialog box for the device is displayed where I can specify to start/stop ReadyBoost usage of the device and how much space I want used as a memory cache. (Actually, according to one of the Product Specialists here, this space is used more as a flash-based page file than true RAM, but the impact is that the more space you choose here, the more benefit youll get in terms of overall system performance.)

(In order to return to this dialog box, open the Computer window, right-click the drive (F: in this case) and select Properties. From there, click the Memory tab (as shown in the previous screen capture and adjust the settings as needed).

For the inquisitive, opening the drive in an Explorer window reveals that ReadyBoost has created a cache file of the specified size.

Things to Know About ReadyBoost If you have a USB key configured to use ReadyBoost and then insert a second key, Windows Vista will display the Properties dialog box where youll see the message on the Memory tab as shown in the following screen capture.

While ReadyBoost will work with other devices such as SD Card, CompactFlash, etc. Ive only used it with a USB key and here are the baseline requirements the team gave me regarding what ReadyBoost will work with:

The capacity of the removable media must be at least 256 MB Devices larger than 4GB will have only 4GB used for ReadyBoost The device should have an access time of 1ms or less The device must be capable of 2.5 MB/s read speeds for 4 kB random reads spread uniformly across the entire device and 1.75 MB/s write speeds for 512 kB random writes spread uniformly across the device The device must have at least 235 MB of free space NTFS and FAT32 are supported The initial release of ReadyBoost supports onlyONE device

*****************************************************************

Rare

2010-08-27T05:25:00.035-07:00

Light gun games, there are so many excellent ones- we have all heard of Namcos Point Blank

Why do members think its ok to rip you off

2010-08-27T05:25:00.033-07:00

In the last year of trading on ebay i have had a pleasent time and dealt with lots of great members who have either bought from me or i have sold to them, but, it seems in the last 6 weeks that i have had nothing but trouble and have been ripped off on many occasions, how do they sleep at night ? i am carful not to fall in the trap of the scammers but these members are not the every day scammer who is out to take your money, i have just had to take two cases to paypal through members just not sending my items to me, a total of 35 spent and paypal awarded in my favour and all i got was 5 back, why bother i ask myself, am i really covered like ebay and paypal say? No is the answer..... this is not to mention the members who have bought working phones off me and swapped them with there broken models and claim thats the one i sent, yes you read that right, incrediable as it may seem but it happens, i now have to write the emi numbers down of phones i sell so i can check this should it happen again, also i suggest to any dealers like me out there to link themselves with a crediable site that check online fraud, i have just linked with immobilise.com and now check every handset i buy with them, and god help you if you sold me a stolen phone as i will report it to the special police squad set up to tackle this. In short this problem only seems to be getting worse and i for one would like to see any member removed and reported to the police for committing this crime,

RAY-BAN SUNGLASSES

2010-08-27T05:25:00.031-07:00

I feel the time has come to write a guide for people looking for authentic Ray-Ban Products.

Please be aware that Ray-Ban Sunglasses are manufactured by Luxottica and nobody else. Luxottica hold this license and all NEW Ray-Ban Sunglasses and Frames are manufactured in Italy.

If you see a Ray-Ban Product that interests you and you see it at a price that is well below the recommended retail price FIRST check that the lenses are the correct colour for the code that is listed.

I have found a Ray-Ban RB4081 710/13 listed on a US site with a gradient grey lens which is incorrect it is and should be a gradient brown lens.

Do not be fooled by fabulous photographs this does not make the product genuine it is just a good photograph.

Go to the official Ray-Ban Site and CHECK that the colour is correct.

A seller may at some time make a mistake with a listing and forget to put the correct code in, check with the seller, but if the photograph shows the wrong colour frame with the incorrect lens you can be pretty sure this is not genuine.

Ray-Ban Sunglasses are superb if they are genuine and a disappointment if they are not. Only buy the genuine article and you will be delighted.

Prior to Luxottica having the license for Ray-Ban it was Bausch

Wired

2010-08-27T05:25:00.029-07:00

Home Or Office NetworkingWith most homes or offices having a fast broadband connection and an increasing number having more than one computer, more and more people are starting to investigate setting up a network.

Setting up a network is a great way to get more use out of your computers and peripherals, and to have more fun with them. With a network, you can:

Share a single Internet connection among multiple computers.Share files among computers.Use a printer connected to a different computer or to the networkPlay recorded TV, videos, and digital music stored on your computer on your Xbox 360

Choosing which type of network to install can be tricky. A wired network? or a wireless network?

Wired networks, also known as Ethernet networks, connect your computer to your Internet connection and other computers using cables that look like a thick phone wire.

Wireless networks use radio waves to transfer data between computers and peripherals.

While both have their advantages, they also have their disadvantages.

As you will see below, there are many ways in which you can set up a home wired or wireless network. The same applies in an office environment.

The range of equipment available is mind boggling. It varies dramatically in price and function. Having installed well over 500 wired or wireless networks I have come to rely on certain products which, while they may not be the cheapest (but they are far from the most expensive), have proven to be very reliable.

If you would like to know more about setting up a home/office wired or wireless network, or you already have one and would like to make sure it is set up securely and correctly, or you have any questions about computer related issues, then feel free to mail me.

Wireless Networking

Portable

Getting Your Megadrive Working - Simple Fixes

2010-08-27T05:25:00.027-07:00

Here are some simple things to try if you are having problems getting your Megadrive working.

At 8 BitHeaven we test and clean all of our hardware, games and accessories prior to listing them. They are then tested again prior to dispatch. We appreciate that without you, the customer, we would not be able to what we love so much. It is with this in mind that we do take the time to make sure that all of our items reach you in exactly the condition that they are described in the auction.

We hope that this guide was useful and wish you many happy hours of RETRO GAMING.

Please click the following link to view our Megadrive items for sale.

MEGADRIVE CONSOLES, GAMES

Cheap BRAND NAMES and DESIGNER GOODS

2010-08-27T05:25:00.025-07:00

Ebay and TK Maxx i have found to be exceptionally good for buying my brands.

On ebay: TRY:

Mispelling some brand names to pick up the unrevised misspelt listings. EG: Moshino instead of MosChino. A few bargains can come up

....TRY:

Looking worldwide and broading where you want to look for your items. This can be changed down the left hand side in the search tools and brings up worldwidebargains where people forget to look.

... TRY:

Looking on Ebay shops as well as the main auction

....TRY: typing in many different ways of saying what your looking for, as sellers may word something slightly differently than you'd think. Also type TK Maxx as hidden brands can be listed under this store without consern for the major brand label inside the item.

In TK Maxx in UK or TJ Maxx in USA

... TRY looking in the clearance and looking for different brands to sell on, Spot popular makes at 60% less than the retail at.

.. TRY rumaging through, it looks daunting but there is order in this store, size and type- ie smart, fashion, sport. ETC/ looking through physically is like searching on here and bargains can be picked up what someone else has missed.

BARGAIN BRANDS AVAILABLE .. if you just know where to look,... now you do.

Stompgrip tank pads

2010-08-27T05:25:00.023-07:00

PLEASE VOTE ON THIS GUIDE AT THE BOTTOM!!!

I purchased a set of these for my K4 gixxer 750 as I was suffering with aching wrists after long rides, and I needed grip on the tank to make cornering easier.

Fitted them no problems at all, just clean the tank with alcohol wipe then stick them on. Best when warmed up a bit, and make sure no bubbles underneath!

Highly recommended product!

Gordon Ramsey - Humble Pie

2010-08-27T05:25:00.021-07:00

At first I thoughtGordon Ramsay was a rude idiot, that was until I started watching his F word and reading his Autobiography book Humble Pie. My girlfriend thinks he's great and with his drop dead gorgeous eyes (she says) she is oftenin the kitchen cooking recipes from his cook books which is great for me as I don't need to lift a finger. The book details his childhood and how his abusive father could never hold down a job let alone keep an house, Gordon was forever on the move and never stayed in the same place too long. He comes from a very poor background and originallyhemade hiscareer in football until he had an knee injury to which he then turned to cookery. The book also talks about his drug user brother Ronnie, how Gordon met Tana and how rough Gordon was treated when he was a young chef (properly explains why he swears alot now). The book has lots ofnitty gritty inand is a great read. Now Gordon has gone to the US topromote Hells KitchenI can't wait to watch andread his next book.

Make honest money on eBay.

2010-08-27T05:25:00.019-07:00

Everyone has an idea on how to make millions on ebay

Stop now

There are some very simple rules and if you follow them you can make good money, but not millions.

Here we go

Know your product. It is vital that you know what you are selling.I love Psion computers and know them inside out. That wayI know what to pay and what the value is on resale. I can even repair and upgrade Psions. This adds more value on resales

If you do not know your product you are doomed to fail.

If you do not know your product research values well before listing.

Know your market. It is very easy to get sucked in to high volume markets but your profit margin is much reduced and you risk the dreaded relist if you do not sell. Smaller nich markets do well.

Persistant relists will reduce your profit margins very quickly.

If you have a listing price of 1.50 and a sale item of 40. 5 relists will cost you 7.50

If you have a listing price of 50p and a sale item of 6. 5 relists will cost you 2.50

You can see the profit loss.

Don`t look for massive profits. Buyers will feel they are being done. A profit of 20% is good. Remember that what every you make, profit is profit.

I have tried and tested many ways of sellling and this is my advice:-

Write a profile of yourself. This will allow buyers to know a little about you and your philsophy as a seller

Low value items should be listed at the 99p start with no reserve or buy me price

Mid value items should be listed with a realistic initial bid but with the price you want as a buy me pric

High value items should belisted inthe same way but ensure your start price is realisticfor the item

Don`t use reserves as they put people off. state in your ad that the initial price is the lowest you will accept and that there is no reserve. Your initial price should be your reserve pric

Be aware of the reserve trap. most mid value items will atract a reserve of 50. Most ebayers know this and will wait until the last minute to put in a bid of 50. It will also put buyers off as they may be happy to pay 45.

Remember profit is profit and don`t get greedy.

Watch your P

Nokia Mobile phones UNLOCKING

2010-08-27T05:25:00.017-07:00

I have noticed lots of sellers listing Nokia mobile phones eg 6680,n70,n80,6280 etc as being easy to unlock etc.
Nokia have in the last few years introduced a code named BB5 into these and similar handsets, the codes to unlock the handsets to allow other simcards to be used, can only be obtained from Nokia via the network.
These phones CANNOT be unlocked by a mate or high street shops or on the web.
The sellers claiming these phones are easy to unlock are lying, eveybody knows an unlocked handset can fetch a higher price than a locked handset so ask yourself why if it's so easy to unlock, the seller hasn't done this?
The general rule is if the handset is on the 3 network only the the original registered owner can apply for the unlocking code.
If the phone is for example on T-Mobile ,Orange,Vodaphone or O2 anyone can apply for the unlocking code and will be charged a fee of around 20.00.
If you have brought a handset that is on 3 that the seller has claimed can be unlocked firstly contact the seller if they're the original owner they maybe able to help, if they can't or wont help contact Paypal and demand a FULL refund.
So the general rule is if the handset is a Nokia on the 3 network unless you intend to use a 3 simcard STAY WELL CLEAR.
If in doubt call me on 0785 989 7184.

ww2 american mk2 frag grenade fakes

2010-08-27T05:25:00.015-07:00

please be aware when buying grenades under the title ww2 frag grenade..the fake mk2 almost always has a blue m22 practice lever and fuze on it..the real mk2 frag had a m10a1/2/3 leve/fuze without the 2 prongs on the igniter head,instead opting for the turned over effect.the lever of a high explosive mk2 frag is ovulated towards the base and not dog legged as with the m22 lever.the igniter head of the genuine mk2 will be maizac with a flash tube 2-3 cm long... also on the bodyfake tends to be wider at the shoulders and the segments are are more rounded where as with the real grenade the segments are more straight edged.also the fake 9 times out of ten will have a hole in the bottom ,now this is true of the genuine mk2 fragrfx practice from post/pre war,but any grenade colored OD green with rfx is a fake rendition of a high explosive grenade..only experience will tell you when you have been stitched up and sold a duff grenade..i Hope this helps as I'm at my wits end when grenades are sold as genuine when all the ebayers of any stature ordnance wise are screaming no there not..if you are in any doubt and need assistance whether to bid or not,dont hesitate to contact me by email,just send a pic or item number to zachary_binx2003@msn.com

postal order scam

2010-08-27T05:25:00.013-07:00

as an ebay buyer and a post office clerk Im well aware of the scam that robtay777 wrote... yes postal orders can be checked to see if they were cashed so ALWAYS keep the reciept that you are given and never send it of with the order or throw away like so many do!! tho not everyone has them crossed its the best way of ensuring that only your seller can put the order into their account.. the clerk serving you will always put the name of your seller and cross the postal order for you something I always advise customers to do if its for ebay... its very simple to keep it secure! the choice is yours!

How do I check my tension?

2010-08-27T05:25:00.011-07:00

As I've stated in my measurement guide, this is a vital part of making your garment. Knitting instructions always give a tension guide but sometimes we choose to ignore this in our keeness to start a new project.This can be a fatal error and is really worth the time spent on it.

Work a sample using the yarn and recommended needle size for the project. If the instructions specify 22 stitches and 30 rows to 10cm/4" I would cast on30 or so stitches and work 36 rows. The instructionsshould say if the tension guide is worked in a specific pattern otherwise presume its the main pattern used in the instructions. Lay the swatch flat without stretching it. Count4 stitches in from the edge and place a pin between this and the next stitch. Count across the row the number of stitches stated in the tension i.e 22 and place another pin there. Be careful with this - even one stitch over 10cm multiplies to a big size difference over the whole garment ad the results could be verydisappointing. Now measure the distance between the pins.If your tension is correct it will measure exactly 10cm/4". If the distance is less, your work is too tight- try again with larger size needles. If it is more, your work is too loose - try again with smaller size needles.

The horizontal tension is the most important to get right if you can't match both stitches and rows by altering needle size, as vertical tension can be usually be corrected by adding or subtracting rows.Some knitters find it easier to count the 'bumps' on the reverse of a stocking stitch/ stockinette tension swatch rather than the smooth side.

If you suspect the yarn you are using may shrink, it is important to wash your swatch and repeat the measuring.

Core 2 Duo/Core Duo - Blasting the myth!

2010-08-27T05:25:00.009-07:00

Considering purchase of a Core 2 Duo laptop (or Core Duo)?

Many of our customers (both on ebay and in our shop) have questioned us about the latest Core 2 Duo laptops and why they are so expensive given such a low speed compared to older Pentium M Centrino laptops. When making such a sizeable investment of up to 4 figures it is important to understand what you are purchasing and why your expections probably won't be met.

First point of note is that multi core processors are still not fully utilised by software companies, in order to gain anything like a noticable speed gain from this technology both the operating system and the application need to be specifically compiled and developed to access the dual core functionality of Intel's latest processor. Here is a classic example.

Sony Core Duo 15.4 widescreen laptop 1.6ghz = CPU speed rating index of 4.1 under Windows Vista Ultimate.Dell D800 Centrino 15.4widescreen laptop 1.6ghz CPU speed rating index of 4.1 under Windows Vista Ultimate.

These machines have 24 months between them in production dates, use different technologies and yet produce identical results in Windows Vista performance tests. This is the situation, if you have money to burn be our guest, it's your money to waste. However Core Duo is a marketing mans dream and for twice the money for atleast the next 12 months will not actually give a noticable increase in a correctly configured machine.

Spend your money on a laptop with more memory, matched pairs of memory (to enable dual channel mode for even greater speed) and a faster hard drive of 5400rpm. You will find you have money to spare and still have a future proof laptop which will happily run the latest version of Windows for the next 4-5 years. We don't like seeing people get ripped off or wasting their money.

Vista isn't required nor is Core 2 Duo unless you are encoding raw video files 24/7 or rendering the next animated Walt Disney blockbuster movie on your laptop, save time, save money, avoid both believe me.

Painting Unfinished Wood Miniatures

2010-08-27T05:25:00.007-07:00

Here are some basic guidelines, by no means exhaustive, to start you off.

Unfinished wood miniatures offer a great opportunity to personalise your house or diorama and so to create a unique project.

Remember the golden rules:-

There are no mistakes, ideas just change and evolve
Dont be afraid to experiment
Basic guidelines

ABOVE ALL, read the labels and be careful. Do not allow children or animals in close proximity when you are painting or mixing.

When I am painting I use a white emulsion as an undercoat. This soaks into the wood and adds depth to the colour. I use taster pots of emulsion from DIY stores, leftovers from family and friends decorating projects and occasionally model, water based paints.

Most importantly have fun and enjoy your creations.

What is healthy eating

2010-08-27T05:25:00.005-07:00

Are you still confused abouth food and health, there is no need any longer. For at least 20 years nutritionists, dieticans and doctors have provided the same diet information and recommended the same basic foods and health principles to guide us all to healthier eating. Research will confirm what you already know ignore the fad diets and follow these simple steps below to reduce risk of weight related illness and manage your weight.

Eat five portions of fruit and vegetables each day. This can include fruit juice

Change the way you cook. Grilling instead of frying this makes a hugh difference alone, steam those vegetables instead of boiling this way more of the goodness is saved.

Reduce the amount of fat and sugar in your diet. Always check the food labels for amount of fat and suger.

Increase your intake of starchy foods. This means more pasta, rice and potatoes.

Just as good food and health go hand in hand, you also need to combine all this with a more physicallifestyle to improve your overall health. It is also very important to enjoy healthier eating as you are more likely to stick to the changes you make.

So in quick more fruit and veg less salt and suger, grill instead of fry more pasta and rice less bread and chips.

More walking or cycling less car and bus.

All of the above is achievable but remember it is a lifestyle change and you will need to keep trying, the results will be positive and you will not look back. If you have a moment of weakness please think moderation.

Hope this guide helps you, please click enabling this guide to be more visable to others. Thankyou.

Volvo 340

2010-08-27T05:25:00.003-07:00

The Volvo 340 comes with either a 1.4 or 1.7 engine.

The 1.4 is by no means a sporty car; by today's standards it's rather sluggish and staid. It comes without power steering and can be a bit heavy to drive at times. Whilst the 1.4 couldn't be described as a gas-guzzler it isn't as economical as other later, small engined cars it's no better (or worse) than the 1.7. For their size they're a surprisingly heavy car. 30 mpg is the norm.

They are boringly reliable and tend to plod on year after year. The styling is now quite dated and second hand, they are not a particularly popular model. Servicing and parts are relatively inexpensive. At present, breakers yards are still a good source of second hand parts. There doesn't appear to be any inherent faults with these cars. Just keep an eye out for rust around the rear arches.

The plus point is they're so cheap to buy now. 5 years ago (2003) it was possible to pay 300 for a 1989 one-owner, 26,000 mile example with complete service history. There's still plenty of low mileage examples out there, and they are worth very little indeed. It's a buyers market. A couple of hundred quid should get you a very good tidy example indeed with service history.

Car auction prices? (like British Car Auctions or the Scottish Motor Auction Group). Early 2007 an example with 50,000 on the clock was sold for 35. Yes, that's thirty five pounds. The second hand value of these cars is almost non-existent. They're almost impossible to get rid of because of their very dated styling and image. The reality is that it's difficult to give one of these cars away.

If given the choice, go for the 1.7 engine model. They're no more expensive than the 1.4 variant.

Don't goby the year of the car - it makes no difference to the price. Condition, length of mot and service history is the yardstick. They're cheap to insure as well.

If this guide has been of any interest/use to you please vote for it. You may help another member.

Driving lessons on Ebay- be carefull!

2010-08-27T05:25:00.001-07:00

For christmas 2006, I really wanted to buy my partner driving lessons but they are so expensive. When I came across driving lessons on Ebay for a cheaper price tag, I couldn't believe my luck. The lessons were from the AA, and were in block of hours. I was abit unsure about bidding but the sellers 100% feedback gave me the confidence to bid. He claimed to work for the AA and recieved massive discounts for buying block bookings. He provided a refrence number so you could check your lessons existed and you recieved a welcome pack from the AA. I went ahead and bidded, after bidding over 350 I won. I spoke to the seller on the phone and he seemed friendly and genuine. He said he didnt have a paypal account and I was to pay the money into his bank account at Natwest. This striked me as a bit odd but he said it was for work resons. If i didnt pay he would leave me negative feedback. So I paid the money into his account. A couple of weeks passed and no welcome pack arrived. I started to worry but yet again the seller reasured me my lessons were still vaid. A couple of days passed when we recieved a letter from the AA, they had found out about the man selling lessons on E-bay and it was being investigated by the fraud squad, all lessons bought with the same credit card were cancelled. By this time, rumours were flying round E-bay. All the people who had bought from this man had lost there lessons and a lot of money. So i wasn't on my own,I feelt cheated and stupid for paying the money into his accont. He carried on to sell lessons on E-bay and I e-mailed the people bidding and urged them not to bid or part with there money. Afterward the sellers account was removed and his mobile was didconected. He was gone along with all the money he took. I did report to it the police station and E-bay but never heard anything back. When buying driving lessons, be carefull. There are alot of genuine sellers out there but also con artist... as I found out

10 Most Common Cleaning Questions

2010-08-27T05:24:00.008-07:00

10 Most Common Cleaning Questions

1. Should I dust or vacuum first? Some people say that you should vacuum first because the vacuum spews dust into the air. My answer to that is to get another vacuum! Definitely dust first and then vacuum anything that might fall to the floor. I also believe in top to bottom logic, putting the vacuuming at the bottom makes it the last thing to do (before mopping). 2. How can I make housecleaning go faster and not turn my morning into a cleaning marathon? I think the easiest way is to do it in stages. Some 80% or more of cleaning time is spent just putting things away and straightening. That can turn a morning of cleaning into an all-day event!When I think of cleaning, I think of the actual act of cleaning, not putting away items or straightening and picking up clothes off the floor, for example. I also dont like to lump laundry into cleaning either. Personally, I spend time picking up and straightening the night before I clean. Then, the next morning Im ready to scrub, dust, vacuum, and mop strictly cleaning.3. How can I get my kids to clean? Generations of mothers had the credo that before you could go to play or go to a friends house, your chores had to be done. Seems fair and it reinforces the life principle that you cant do what you want to do until you do what you have to do. 4. How can I get my husband to help around the house? Divvy up the chores. Tell your husband that vacuuming is like indoor mowing! Really. And, just plain ask. Many women just expect their husbands to see them huffing and puffing and just know to help out. Instead of getting mad because they didnt read our minds, we should instruct them on how to clean a toilet, run the vacuum, and wipe counters.5. Does more (soap, bleach, detergent, ammonia, etc.) mean more clean? No, in fact its a case of diminishing returns. If you put too much soap in the mop water, for instance, the floors will be sticky and that actually attracts more dirt, making the floors get dirtier faster. Not only that, but its wasteful. And, depending on the cleaner you use, you could just be dumping excess chemicals into your home environment, which can be aggravating if you have allergies or someone in your home has asthma. I usually recommend using half of the recommended amounts that manufacturers suggest because these are at the higher end of effectiveness which makes you use more product and buy more. 6. The dishes in my dishwasher never look clean and sparkling. Why? One of the problems here is that the water temperature isnt getting hot enough. An effective way to handle this is to check the temperature of the water during the wash cycle. It should be about 140 degrees or higher. Be sure to run the hot water in your sink before starting the dishwasher to make sure the washer pulls in hot water when it fills the tub. If the water isnt hot enough, you may need to turn up your hot water heater higher. Another problem could actually be too much soap. Most people overfill their soap receptacles. More isnt better. Try using half your usual amount. Lastly, check to be certain your dishwasher drain is clean and that food and other items arent trapped in the drain.7. I hate laundry. What can I do to make it easier and faster? Me, too! I like to do laundry on a Friday night. How exciting is that? I like to watch TV on Friday nights and this is a good time to fold laundry. Then by early Saturday morning its all done and ready to put away. I dont believe in doing itty bitty loads all the time, either. Its a waste of time, water, and energy. Save laundry up enough to do full loads. And, clean the dryer lint trap every single time it reduces drying time significantly.8. Stains are all over my carpet. What can I do about it? Well, that depends. If you have pet stains, read my article Keeping a Clean Home When You Have Pets. Pet stains need to be treated with odour blockers and enzyme cleaners especially for cat urine. If you have run-of-the-mill stains on your carpet (red wine, mud, coffee, etc.), try spot cleaning with an Oxiclean Carpet Cleaner. Its my hands down commercially-available product. Treat stains as they happen. Dont let them sit and your carpets will look like new for years. 9. My walls are stained and nasty. How can I clean them? Wipe the walls every time you clean with a damp microfiber cloth. Regular cleaning is the best way to keep walls looking good. If your walls are painted with flat paint, use a Mr. Clean Magic Eraser to get up stubborn stains. This is truly a miracle cleaning product. One of the best ways to keep your walls looking good is to make them cleanable. Few flat paints are cleanable, so dont waste your time with flat paint. Consider painting as many of your walls as possible with cleanable paint. Its the best way to keep walls clean.10. It always seems like I need to sweep. Why do my floors get dirty so fast? It may be incomplete sweeping that causes the problem. Few vacuums really get the edges of where the floor meets the wall good and clean. This dirt can find its way out to the main walkways. Take out your vacuum hose and sweep the edges of all your floors when you vacuum. The extra five minutes you spend doing this will help keep your floors cleaner. Also, be sure to have doormats at every entrance and rugs or mats inside, too. Another idea to keep floors extra clean is to ban shoes. Have everyone leave shoes at the entrances and dirt will be greatly reduced. Lastly, get a small vacuum that works on smooth and carpeted floors for quick touch ups. I do all of these things and Im not constantly sweeping, I know it can help you, too!

Wholesale Bargain Store

mini moto history

2010-08-27T05:24:00.007-07:00

Minimotos are now one of the fastest growing categories in motor sport, because of the low running costs involved and closeness of the racing. Whether its just a quick thrash around the local airfield (with permission of course) or a full on assault on the track the sense of excitement and fun you can get from minimotos is awe inspiring.

Origin of the minimotoThe first series of minimotos originated from Japan, with modest power outputs these were quickly superseded by the superior performance of the European models, particularly the Italian Polini engined variety which is one of the quickest accelerating minimotos. The Chinese have now jumped on the bandwagon and have produced a series of easily affordable minimotos priced below 200, with all the features and capable of speeds upto50 miles an hour in some cases in standard trim.

Minimotos or as the Chinese call them gas scooters are scaled down versions of true GP racing motorcycles. The latest minimotos run cutting edge technology with a floating disk brake at the front and a single disc at the rear, running on racing compound slick tires. The bodywork is beautifully styled with both full fairing versions and half fairing models. Not to be out done by their big brothers these miniature racing bikes come with a hi-tech polished aluminium/magnesium alloy cast frame with integral swinging arm.

Minimoto performanceMost common engine sizes for minimotos are 47cc to 49cc, generally a two stroke air cooled motor requiring unleaded fuel premixed with fully synthetic two stroke oil. The higher performance minimotos are notably water cooled.

Minimotos are available in two sizes: a mini with a 27" wheelbase and a midi with a 30" wheelbase. Engine horsepower choices are available from a 4.2 HP model up to the 15 HP race machines that can actually reach speeds of upto 75 miles an hour which feels more like 150 miles an hour when you are so low to the ground Transporting your minimoto also represents very few problems due to there compactness 1m - 1.3m long and weighing in at only 23kg., if you have a spare suitcase it will not be a problem

Minimotos are suitable for children aged 7 and upwards but only under the strict supervision of a responsible adult. Even though these machines are small miniature works of art most will carry a 250lb adult.

Most successful stars of today in World Superbike and MotoGP started there racing in the minimoto category many moons ago. The best example is Valentino Rossi. He was Italian pocketbike Champ twice before becoming 125, 250,500 and MotoGP World Champion. So give it a go and who knows!!

Before purchasing buy one get one free tickets...

2010-08-27T05:24:00.005-07:00

... check the auction very carefully for clues.

I am planning a trip to Blackpool soon with some friends, and went on to ebay to search for promotional vouchers.I found one advertised as buy 2 wristbands and get 1 free.

I received it, and the vouchers seemed genuine, however the following week i got a voucher book from leisure vouchers with the exact same voucher in it. What the seller failed to tell me was to use this voucher, you must first purchase leisure vouchers, and use them as part payment when redeeming the vouchers. So yes i can use it, but i would have to buy some leisure vouchers first, then take them with me. Not as easy as just going to the ticket kiosk and handing over some cash and the voucher.

It is therefore, worth asking the seller if there are any other requirements to use the vouchers!

Hope this helps you save a few pennies!

BEWARE OF EBAY ACCOUNT THIEVES, ACCOUNT HACKERS

2010-08-27T05:24:00.003-07:00

We recently been a victim of un-authorised bidding activities in our auctions, All genuinesellers and buyers be aware of ebay's latest fraud members. Who is hacking hundreds of ebay other members account. Using it to buy or bids on hundreds of items on ebay. This thieves are buying like crasy on ebay and not pay for it. In just two weeks alone we had 4 listing with buy it now, that bought by a hacker or account thieves people. luckily ebay refunded us all our listing, because we reported it to ebay. Also luckily we managed to relist the item without starting the process from the very beggining again, because we use turbo lister and save all our templates on each listings.

My tips to sellers Specially new sellers, Use turbo lister and Save your templates on eash listings. Because when your item will be removed by ebay due to the un-authorised bidding activities. ebay cannot re-list it authomaticaly for you. You have to do it again for yourself. Also another tips is that save your photographs as long you can.

Recent account hackers: are from Germany, Australia, and Wales.

My best ps2 games ever

2010-08-27T05:24:00.001-07:00

Here are my all time best ps2 games in the different categories

role playing games

1) Kingdom hearts 2- Amazing graphics and outstanding gameplay- a masterpiece.

2) Final Fantasy 12- the wait only made it more rewarding when it finally came. One of the biggest of them all.

3)Dragon quest- The characters look great. An epic.

4)Dark chronicle- Another great game

5)Rogue galaxy- brilliant plot and it looks good too.

Platformers

1)Ratchet and clank 3- Colourful graphics, amazing weapons and action packed levels.

2) Psychonauts- weird and wonderful. The levels take place inside peoples minds are some levels are really original

3)Jake 2 renegade- A massive world (which the psp game daxter expands on ) Great!

4)Sly 3- Cartoony graphics and animal characters make up a peculiar but wonderful game

5) Jak 3- The tonnes of vehicles make this game great fun.

Shooters

1) Timesplitters 2- Fast and furious, this is the king of shooters

2) Black- realistic graphics, and although linear at times, still an excellent game

3)Resident evil 4- Blowing heads off spanish sounding zombies with a shotgun with all the lights off. Genius

4) Call of duty 3- Best world war 2 shooter. looks good on ps2, great on ps3.

5)Half life- very good shooter

Driving

1)Gran tourismo 4- stunning level details. especially the tracks e.g. the canyon and great handling vehicles. A must buy.

2) Burnout denominator- Extremely fast, smooth and action packed. Brilliant

3)Toca racing driver 3- even more types of cars than gran tourismo 4

4)Outrun 2006 coast to coast- sublime graphics, gameplay and that feel good factor

5)Need for speed most wanted- I think its more original and exciting than its newer sibling need for speed carbon.

Action games

1)Spartan total warrior- bloody and great, the levels and weapons in this are really varied.

2)Metal gear solid 3- full of meaning as well as action

3) god of war 2-another epic- you have to learn fast as it starts amazingly think big)

4)Resident evil 4- packed with awesome bossess. Scary.

5) Grand theft auto san andreas- so big its unbelievable.

Sports games-

1)virtua tennis 3- addicitve gameplay and minigames are funny.

2)ssx3- beautiful courses and awesome tricks to do.

3) Pro evolution soccer 6- the best football game out there.

4)Tony hawk's pro skater 3- the first and arguably best tony hawk skating game.

5)Fifa 07- still a great footbal game, let down by gameplay.

The top five ever ps2 games.

1)grand theft auto san andreas

2) Spartan total warrior

3)metal gear solid 3

4) resident evil 4

5)ratchet and clank 3

Thanks for reading, hope you have seen some of your favourite games on my list too!

ERA Mini Turbo

2010-08-06T06:59:00.027-07:00

The
E.R.A Mini Turbo was conceived as a 1980s replacement for the Mini
Cooper S. A car with all the key characteristics of the Cooper speed,
handling, excitement - but one which would introduce into the concept the
refinement
and comfort lacking in the original, but so necessary for modern
motoring.

E.R.A set out to engineer a car to the highest automotive standards.
There would be no compromise on engineering quality. The car should
use as many tried and tested standard Austin Rover components as possible.
It should minimise the use of special tooling to avoid lengthy testing
and uneconomic
production batches. It should be easily and readily serviceable by any Austin Rover dealer.

The car should be styled so as to be instantly recognisable as a Mini, and
yet to be distinctive. It was to be trimmed and equipped internally to modern
standards, but with a hint of classicism no digital instruments or
super modern gimmicks.

It was to be the fastest ever production Mini, but not by using an intractable
high revving competition engine. It must have excellent torque and mid range
performance to cope with modern traffic conditions.

It was to be safe and predictable in the hands of the inexperienced.

E.R.A believes that these demanding criteria have been met satisfactorily.

The body modifications and spoilers were styled by Dennis Adams, the designer
of the Marcos sports cars and the Probe concept car.

It is aggressive without being boy racer. And the body kit is properly tooled to
provide a good fit on the Mini shell and be of considerable strength.

The interior is almost totally changed. Gone are the standard Mini seats and
the 'bus driver' position. Gone also is the noise and harshness of the standard car.
Specially designed and tested sports style seats have been installed, giving excellent support and
comfort.

The car has a full range of VDO traditional dial instrumentation on an entirely
new instrument panel. A sunroof lightens the interior and the car is trimmed
in a careful combination of best Connolly hide, cloth, ambla and deep sound
deadening carpet.

The power for the E.R.A Mini comes from the well tried Austin Rover A series
1300 turbo engine which gives a smooth and reliable 94 bhp at 6200 rpm but,
more important than out and out power, the mid range torque has been matched
by careful testing on the E.R.A test beds to suit the required performance of
the car. It is easily sufficient to provide excitement and satisfaction to the
user, yet docile in traffic.

Installation of the turbo unit in a Mini involved modification of the body
shell and many hours of development to ensure that the tight squeeze did nothing
to impair reliability. Modifications to the water and oil cooling systems ensure
that the power unit and transmission remain adequately cool even in high ambient
temperatures.

Of course more power in a Mini would be useless and potentially dangerous without
adequate suspension and brakes. Suspension modification was planned using computer
simulation and then tried out in practice at racing speeds on high speed test
tracks and at Castle Combe race track.

Specially made lower front suspension arms provide the necessary 1.5 degrees
of negative camber which, combined with increased front wheel toe-out, minimises
torque steer; a common problem with powerful front wheel drive cars. New adjustable
damper units and bump stops are fitted all round and the car is lowered.

The car is fitted with ventilated front discs and four pot callipers and modified
drum rear brakes. A servo system ensures acceptably light pedal pressures. Extensive
development work has been carried out on the braking system to optimise stability
under harsh braking conditions.

All alloy, one piece, 6 x 13 wheels are used all round with
either Goodyear or Dunlop 165:13:60 section, low profile tyres HR rated. The
wheels have been fully impact and fatigue tested
and each wheel is fitted with a disc type knave plate and tamper proof lock.

One of the press pictures.

The ERA Mini is far more than just an engine conversion, although
just swapping the engines seems such a logical move that you wonder why there
isn't a thriving cottage industry engaged in making demon Minis, like latter
day John Coopers.

As we'll see, there's rather more to it than just dropping in the engine
and ERA are determined to do it properly, reworking other elements of the
car to
produce a car that can handle the extra power and performance as though it
were
made for it. Although out of the public gaze for so long, ERA have a reputation
inside the industry to protect and have to get this car right as it has to
be
a success to allow them to carry on and build the next project, which will
have far more overt ERA content.

Nevertheless the foundation of the ERA Mini
is an ordinary Mini City selected off the production line, painted and
with glass fitted. Once that's
arrived at ERA's Dunstable works, a team of three descends on the car and
the conversion unfolds.

The engine is the standard Metro Turbo unit, the old
A-Series (or rather A Plus after its update of a few years ago) in
1275cc form. Despite the
presence
of
a substantial Garrett AiResearch T3 turbo, it runs a 9.4:1 compression
ratio without complaint.

The ERAs plush interior.

Reproduction Metal Shoulder Titles

2010-08-06T06:59:00.025-07:00

With the prices currently being fetched for British Army Metal Shoulder Titles it is perhaps little wonder that an increasing number of 'reproduction' titles are appearing. I despair day by day that the fakers have moved in. Not a new phenomenon, even before Ray Westlakes excellent work appeared in the early 1980's, I can remember being offered (and sad to say obtaining)such unworthy specimens as T/RFA/R.W.KENT and T/RFA/WELCH. In some cases original dies are used, and most of the TYNESIDE/SCOTTISH offerings fall into this category from a rash of restrikes in the 1980's, and more recently the HMRR HUSSARS/DRAGOONS

A quick guide to buying import video games

2010-08-06T06:59:00.023-07:00

Before you buy import games, make sure your system can play them:

For your reference

UK, Australia, New Zealand and other parts of Europe - games are PAL format, consoles accept PAL games only

USA and Canada - games are NTSC format (referred to as NTSC U), consoles accept NTSC U games only

Japan, Korea and Asia - games are NTSC format (referred to as NTSC J), consoles accept NTSC J games only

The consoles that I know of that play games from all regions are:

Neo Geo, GameBoy (Original, Pocket, Advance, SP, Micro, DS) and PSP. These consoles have no region protection.

Why buy import consoles and games?

Most Pal consoles pre-Dreamcast (1998/1999) ran games at 50Hz,games running with borders on the top and bottom of the picture on the TV- giving the game a widescreen, squashed kind of look!! If this wasn't bad enough - the games also ran 17.5% slower than the NTSC version of the game!!

NTSC consoles ran games at the originally intended full speed at 60Hz and usually at full screen.

Things to watch out for..

Please note that if you buy games from abroad, then items 18 or over(declared as 'merchandise' on the customs label) or 36 or over (declared as 'gift' on the customs label) are subject to custom charges. Parcels sent by standard airmail over these values will generally be charged 17.5% of the value of the parcel plus 5 handling charge from Royal Mail. If the parcel is sent by EMS (Express Mail Service) - the parcel will be delivered by Parcelforce Worldwide once in the UK. Parcels sent by EMS over these values will generally be charged 17.5% and about 10 handling costs - so watch out!!! You could buy a game for 20 and if sent by EMS then you could pay 20 + 3.50 + 10 = 33.50 for 20 worth of games!!

Some sellers from abroad offer postage discounts but take in account the total costs of the games first before choosing combined shipping. For example, if you want 2 games, 1 priced 15 and 1 priced 17 and the seller offers combined shipping (probably save yourself 1.50 in postage costs), the total price of the 2 items in 1 parcel will be 32. If the parcel is declared at this value as merchandise and customs notice it, then you could be paying an additional 10.60 in customs fees. But if you had the items sent separately, then you would not have had any custom fees as each parcel was worth less than 18 - so bare this in mind, combined postage does not always save you money!!

In general, not all parcels are declared at their true value and Royal Mail/Parcelforce do not always bother if the value is slightly over 18.

All custom fees are the responsibility of the buyer NOT the seller. I usually have my games sent by registered airmail. This is a very cheap service and is safe and insured. Delivery time is usually between 5 to 10 days.

Good luck and thanks for looking!!

BUYING LINGERIE FOR YOU OR OTHERS - HOW TO GET IT RIGHT

2010-08-06T06:59:00.021-07:00

Firstly, lets deal with the issue of guys buying Lingerie as a present for their partner. In order to make sure you select the right sort of lingerie start off by knowing her sizes, if you don't just check out a few of the labels in her wardrobe for the correct size. If she is between a UK Size 8 - 14 you will find it much easier to select a correct sized item if you purchase an item that is ONE SIZE FITS MOST as it takes the guess work out of most of it. Secondly, think about what your partner likes, her favourite colours, styles etc i.e. does she prefer a thong or full back pantie bottom etc and choose an item you think your partner will want to wear and that will make her feel sexy and desired, would she like a Bodystocking or would she prefer a Sexy Cami Set

Grow Bamboo Plants From Seed

2010-08-06T06:59:00.019-07:00

Buy RARE Bamboo Seeds

Propagation from seed is a cost effective and efficient way of propagation. When bamboos flower and set seed, which can take place over a number of years or even decades , the natural regeneration and survival of the bamboo is ensured through the millions of seeds that the bamboo produces. In the year following the flowering of the bamboo (or years in the case of gregarious flowering), blooms tend to be concentrated in the months between November and April. Seeds tend to be generally available then from March to April onwards, however seeds in the period May to July tend to have better viability and reproductive ability.

Plants originating from seeds do take longer to develop into mature clumps than plant material derived through vegetative methods of propagation. However seed based propagation does ensure diversity of the bamboo."Different bamboos have different sized bamboo seeds

" The seeds of the Bambusa Tulda and Bambusa Nutans produce very small seeds, typically there could be 125,000 seeds per kilogram

" The seeds of the Dendroclamus Species tend to be larger than the bambusa species, however each individual type of Dendrocalamus seeds does in itself vary in size

" The seeds of Melaconna baccifera are very large and a kilogram of seed may only contain 65-70 seeds. These are around the size of a guava or small apple

Seed Quantities

The quantity of seeds produced by a clump or over a certain area (depending on the type of bamboo) also varies from species to species.

" Bambusa bambos produces seeds in large quantities, which can form dense carpets on the forest floor,

" Dendrocalamus strictus - a clump of this bamboo can produce around 30-35 kilograms of seed

However, some bamboos species do not flower at all, or it may be that there are no recorded instances of flowering as there is much still to learn about the flowering of bamboos particularly in the extremely remote areas where access is limited . Some species of bamboo do flower but do not set seed, other bamboos do produce seed but only in very small quantities, therefore seeds from these species are very difficult to obtain particularly if the seed is scattered over a large area.

As previously discussed there are problems with relying on bamboo seeds as a means of propagation as it is only available on rare occasions and its predictability cannot be guaranteed since the flowering cycle of many species is extremely long.

Two of the most common Bambusa are Bambusa Balcooa and Bambusa Vulgaris, these species flower but only very rarely. So when flowering does occur, it is extremely sporadic in nature and the seeds tend to be scattered and confined to just a few bamboo clumps at a time. Such flowering does not result in setting of seed, these species can therefore only be regularly multiplied vegatatively through traditional propagation methods. Although an alternative to this method is to propagate them from tissue cultured plants,

Q. How Are Seeds Collected?

After flowering the bamboo seed falls to the ground, although the bamboo culm can be shaken to dislodge any ripe seeds, this latter method of collection from the culm does result in a cleaner collection of seeds than if they were picked from the ground. Seeds that does fall to the ground is at risk from insects, birds, rats and other animals. It is also often difficult to collect seed from the wild as concentrations of growing stock tend to be in dense forests, and the fallen seeds of common clumping species tend to germinate in just a few weeks therefore the seed must be collected as soon as possible to ensure the quality and viability of the seeds is at its maximum.

Therefore seed collection is easier if it is controlled, this can be done by clearing the bamboo clumps of other vegetation and placing a large clean cloth or tarpaulin onto the ground where the seeds may fall, the fallen seeds will stand a better chance of survival from the elements and will be cleaner than if left to fall on the ground. Any seeds that do fall to the ground should be cleaned by shaking free any dirt and removing any insects so that the rest of the seeds during storage do not become contaminated or eaten!

Seed Storage

It is essential that seeds are stored immediately and in controlled conditions as soon as they are collected as fresh bamboo seeds germinate better than those that are stored but provided that the correct storage conditions are maintained the viability of the seed can be maintained. Seeds need to be stored in low moisture and in cool dry conditions. The seed must not be stored in humid conditions where it is warm and damp i.e. like that of a greenhouse.

It is important to process and transfer seeds to the ideal storage conditions as quickly as possible to avoid any loss in viability. Only those seeds of a high quality with high viability rates should be chosen for storage. Care should be taken to ensure that the seeds are clean from insects, dirt and any fungal debris so as not to infect or damage other seeds which may be in stor

THE COMIC PRICE GUIDE FOR GREAT BRITAIN 4 (C-D)

2010-08-06T06:59:00.017-07:00

(see The Comic Price Guide for Great Britain 3) Please vote if you find it interesting!

CATWEAZLE ANNUAL. World Distrbutors. 1971-1972Scarce, collectible annuals based on children's television series starring Geoffrey Bayldon. The copyright indicia inside says the previous year ie MCMLXX as the first annual was published around September 1970 for the Christmas market but is regarded as a 1971 annual. Longer shelf-life, more sales is a very common thought behind dating annuals.PR GD VG FN VF NM MINT1.0 2.0 4.0 6.0 8.0 9.0 10.0 1971 black cover, Catweazle close-up photo cover.50 2.00 4.00 8.00 12.50 25.00CHALLENGERS OF THE UNKNOWN. Strato. 1-4. 1960'sPR GD VG FN VF NM MINT1.0 2.0 4.0 6.0 8.0 9.0 10.0 1 reprints classic Challengers with outstanding Jack Kirby art.50 2.00 4.00 10.00 20.00 40.00CHAMPION. Fleetway. 26th Feb 1966-4th Jun 1966 (15 un-numbered issues, joins Lion)A very surprisingly short-lived title and one that is very collectible for the Jet Jordan strip and artwork featured by Eric Bradbury and Carlos Cruz. A companion paper to Hurricane. The free gift is issue #1 Screamer Balloon is very scarce and would add 75-90 to the value I would have thought. Only ever seenone Near Mint copy of issue #1. The 1967 and 1968 annuals don't show up that often either.PR GD VG FN VF NM MINT1.0 2.0 4.0 6.0 8.0 9.0 10.0 26th Feb 1966 Jet Jordan, School for Spacemen, Return of the Stormtroopers by Eric Bradbury, When The Sky Turned Green by Carlos Cruz all begin1.00 2.00 5.00 10.00 20.00 40.00CHAMPION THE WONDER HORSE ANNUAL. Daily Mirror/World/Purnell. 1953-1962PR GD VG FN VF NM MINT1.0 2.0 4.0 6.0 8.0 9.0 10.0 1953 based on televison series.50 2.00 4.00 8.00 12.50 25.00CHARLIE'S ANGELS ANNUAL. Stafford Pemberton. 1978-1981PR GD VG FN VF NM MINT1.0 2.0 4.0 6.0 8.0 9.0 10.0 1978 based on televison series; includes photo profiles of Farrah Fawcett, Kate Jackson and Jacyln Smith.50 2.00 4.00 8.00 12.50 25.00COMBAT PICTURE ANNUAL. Micron. 1962PR GD VG FN VF NM MINT1.0 2.0 4.0 6.0 8.0 9.0 10.0 1962 rare, 256 pages, comes with dust-jacket1.00 3.00 10.00 30.00 60.00COMBAT PICTURE LIBRARY. Micron/Smith. 1 Mar 1959-1212 Jun 1985The 'forgotten' war picture library comic but still very collectible.PR GD VG FN VF NM MINT1.0 2.0 4.0 6.0 8.0 9.0 10.0 1 68 pages pocket size; Sea Hunt1.00 2.00 5.00 15.00 30.00 60.00COMET, THE. Allen/Amalgamated Press. 1 20th Sep 1946-17th Oct 1958 (580 issues, numbered to 566. Joins Tiger)Popularity for this title has wained as early readers who collected it are now much older and dying off. Notable for comic strips like Kit Carson, , Dick Barton and Strongbow the Mighty. If you could find a first issue, 50-75 in VG perhaps. Kit Carson began in #113 (16th Sep 1950), Dick Barton in #247 (11th Apr 1963).COMMANDO LIBRARY. D.C. Thomson. 1 Jul 1961-present (4050 as at Oct 2007)This is a title that has exploded in collectibility in recent years with issues under #100 of particular interest and value. In fact issues up to about 500 seem to sell well. #478 was the last cover price one shilling before decimalized 5p cover price in 1971, an important cut-off point in my opinion. Never liked those dual cover priced issues anyway! There were annuals published in 1989 and 1990 featuring 7 new stories in each. Today you can buy softcover collections at most large bookstores. I've seen four: Anzac at War, True Brit, All Guns Blazing and The Dirty Dozen. Fifteen stories reprinted at 15.99. Can't be bad! A recent E Bay sales: #1 in VG with tape on spine for 460. #1 in VG with cover crease for 510 (Jan 2008). #1 in FN- for 550 - it looked like a nice copy and at this price may be considered a bargain. The Buy It Now Price as 750 which was about right!PR GD VG FN VF NM MINT1.0 2.0 4.0 6.0 8.0 9.0 10.0 1 Walk or Die with art by Amador Garcia7.50 40.00 125.00 300.00 450.002 They Call Him Coward with art by Armando Banato2.50 15.00 50.00 125.00 250.003 A Guy Needs Guts with art by C.T. Rigby2.00 10.00 35.00 90.00 175.004 Mercy for None with art by Gordon Livingstone1.50 8.00 30.00 80.00 150.005 Hellfire Landing with art by Ortiz1.50 8.00 30.00 80.00 150.006 They Came By Night with art by Ros1.25 6.00 20.00 60.00 120.007 The Ship They Couldn't Sink with art by Savi1.25 6.00 20.00 60.00 120.008 Red Runs The River with art by Rafael Auraleon1.25 6.00 20.00 60.00 120.009 Jungle Fury! with art by Madaigan1.25 6.00 20.00 60.00 120.0010 Hun Bait with art by Gordon Livingstone1.25 6.00 20.00 60.00 120.0011 Closer Than Brothers with art by Ortiz1.00 5.00 17.50 50.00 100.0012 The Desperate Days with art by Gordon Livingstone1.00 5.00 17.50 50.00 100.0013 Death in the Sun1.00 5.00 17.50 50.00 100.0014 Fly Fast, Shoot Fast1.00 5.00 17.50 50.00 100.0015 J*p Killer1.00 5.00 17.50 50.00 100.00COR!! IPC. 6th Jun 1970-15th Jun 1974 (196 un-numbered issues)Early issues (#1-10) more difficult to find. Annuals (1972-1979) and Summer Specials (1972-1979) very plentiful on E Bay. The 1977 softcover Book of Gags is harder to find.PR GD VG FN VF NM MINT1.0 2.0 4.0 6.0 8.0 9.0 10.0 6th Jun 1970 Gus Gorilla by Alf Saporito, Tom Boy by Brian Lewis, Ivor Lott

How to tile a wall - ceramic tile : kitchen splashback

2010-08-06T06:59:00.015-07:00

Hello and welcome to : How to tile a kitchen splashback using Ceramic tiles.

In this first guide we will cover:

Tools required for job
Initial measuring of project to determine tile amounts
Setting out of tiles
Correct adhesive application
Cutting tiles
Difficult cuts
Grout application.
Finish

Tools required for job.

To tile a kitchen splashback you will need the following.

A sharpened pencil
A tape measure
A calculator
A level (we recomended a Rubi 50cm and a Rubi 70cm) - obviously both of which are available from our shop.
One- 4mm wall trowel (different trowel sizes are used for different jobs wall, floor, mosaic)
One tile cutter - We use Rubi TS tile cutters in our professional fitting and of course we recomend the same, you can buy other tile cutter tools obviously from ebay. which may be cheaper than a Rubi, but for atruly professional cut use Rubi.
1 x tile nippers
One bag of 2mm tile spacers (inc. 500 spacers)
Onegrout float
One tile sponge (excellent for cleaning car once rinsed completly of grout residue)
One plastic spatula
WD40 - or similar
Lint free cloth
Twoclean buckets
Ready Mixed Wall Tile Adhesive
Grout (powder)
A foldable workbench
2 x screwdrivers - 1 x phillips - 1 x straight edge - (really depends on the screws on the plug and fuse sockets).
1 x roll of brown wrapping paper and 1 x duct tape.
latex gloves (adhesive and grout are irritants to the skin)
optional1 x tile wet cutter (for a truly professional finish.)
1 cup of tea / coffee one or two packets of biscuits. We prefer chocolate digestive. I once fitted a job where the customer insisted that I stop work for thirty minutes in the morning and afternoon, so I could take tea and biscuits in her kitchen and we could chat. (I love my job).

onto the next section...

Initial measuring of project to determine tile amounts.

Break the wallinto seperate squares or rectangles.Of course if you are only tiling behind the cooker, then the measurement should be quite straight forward.

An area of a rectangle or square is determined by multiplying two sides, (for the rectangle it will be the lowest side then the shortest), when the full area to be tiled has been calculated, add an extra ten percent. I'm sorry if this feels like a Maths GCSE, but the extra ten percent is necessary for any cuts that may have to be made, or miss cut tiles.

This calculation will know serve three purposes, it will determine the amount of tiles you require, the amount of adhesive and the amount of grout.

One tub of10ltrTile Adhesivewill cover roughly 10m2 on a perfectflat, smooth wall. 1litre = 1 metre (visit- ardex.co.uk -and use the tile adhesive and grout calculator to determine the correct amounts for the job - this is not a link to sell outside ebay)

One bag of 10kg Wall Grout will grout 32m2, based on a 10cm x 10cm tile 6mm thick with a 2mm jon space between tiles. Other tile sizes and joint spaces will differ grout amount, we will of course advise you of the correct amount of adhesive and grout based upon your calculations.

Bearing in mind also that site conditions and wastage will also effect the amount required. (Not to try and deter you,but its not to late to call in the professionals.)

Setting out of tiles.

There are two ways to determine the laying out of tiles: centre tile and tile edge. Using your tape measure find the centre of the wall you are going to tile, mark it with the pencil and then run a plumb line down using your level and pencil, do the same across until the centre of wall is found. Take your tile and determine where you get the least cuts, if any hopefully, by either; placing the tile centre or from thetile edge.

Once this has been completed, place on tile on two 2mm spacers, one on each corner, level on the counter top. mark the top with your pencil. Remove tile, then with your level, draw a line horizontally, left to right, this will insure your row of tiles are level. We recommend you keep doing this step both vertically and horizontally to enable you to have a guidance line, to tile to.

Correct adhesive application.

So you have decided were the tiles are going to go, we are now almost ready to put them on the wall.

This next step is important. before you even open the tub of adhesive, we recomend you unroll the brown paper on the work top and cover cover it, sticking the paper down accordingly using the duct tape. The last thing you need is adhesive on your counter top or oven.

Using the trowel place the adhesive on the wall, when this has been achieved run the notched edge through the adhesive ,holding the trowel at a 45 degree angle and working left to right, to insure nice even tram lines through the adhesive. (remember -always tile from the bottom and work up.)

With this task done, take a tile, placeon the bottom middle, pushand twist lightly into the adhesive to insure full contact and you now have your first tile.Insert your spacers (they look like this ) into each corner and continue tiling, left or right then up, adding more adhesive as you finish one piece. We recommend only tiling 0.5 m at a time, until you get the hang of it. The adhesive will be workable on the wall for about 45 minutes.

So your going along nicely, when you reach a cabinet edge and you only need half a tile, so you take your pencil flip the tile over, with the back facing you and mark of thelength required. Now when you cut the tile, you will be able to place thecut edge against the cabinet, thus insuring you get a professional finish.

Cutting tiles.

This part is made easy, with the use of the tile cutter. Set up the work bench and assemble the tile cutter (tile cutters come in various sizes and various price ranges and without getting into too mush detail, I will assume you are using a TS40 - a tile cutter that will take a tile upto 40cm in length), place the tile at the far end, above the breaker point, take the cutting wheel handle and cut the tile, move the cutting handle back, grab the breaking mechanism handle, pull down and 'snap' a clean cut tile.

Difficult cuts.

For uneven shaped cutsthe use of a wet cutter could be used, a wet cutter consists of a diamond coated blade that is cooled by water. The blade will cut through ceramic, porcelain, slate, stone. However, for a first attempt at tiling I won't go into detail, but if your feeling brave, remember to always follow the manufactures advice, oh and please only use outside, not in the house.

It possible with a bit of practice to cut a tile into an L shap, using only the tile cutter and tile nippers. draw out the shape you need on the tile and then using the tile cutter, scour up and across on the piece you wish to cut, so you are left with a section covered in small squares, take the nippers, hold the tile firmly on a flat surface and nip away at the the cut section. AsI say, a bit of practice may be required, but it is possible.

Grout Application.

Well done, you have reached this far, now stand back and let the tiles sit and the adhesive dry off overnight before attempting the next stage.

Ready to go, then take one bucket, insuring it is clean and fill it to the top with clean cold water, put aside with the sponge.

Take the other bucket and mix the grout as per the manufacturers instructions on the back, the grout should be slump resistant (that is when you pick it up using the rubber grout float, it should stay on the float).

Again, we recommend working only a small piece at a time, the grout will dry quite quickly and it is difficult to removeonce it has dried.

Work the grout into the joints, removing any access grout from the tile surface, leave for a minute for the groat to dry slightly and now take the sponge, soak it in the clean water and thenring out as much water as possible. Now run the sponge over the tiles in a figure eight pattern, firm and slow, and the grout will be removed from the tiles. This step will probably have to be repeated several times butjust change the water regularly to keepitclean and remember tosqueeze the sponge before use.

Again this part can be messy, and we always recommend the use of gloves to protect the skin and any other safety equipment recommended.

So there you are, a nice beautiful tiled wall.

TRADE TIP.

You often find that after all your hard work the tiles will be covered with a dusty grout film, butdon't worry. Take the lint free cloth and spray lightly with WD40 - or similar and thenwipe over the tiles, to achieve a polished finish. It can be quite dusty so a face mask is recommended.

Insure you spray the cloth and not the tiles, we dont want to stain the nice white grout.

Job done (almost). At the bottom edge, where the tiles meet the work top and any corners, you find over time that movement cracks will appear in the grout, sowith thetube of silicon sealant, run a line along the bottom, where the tiles meet the counter top and also any corners.

Job Done. Make tea, sit back, invite your friendsand be proud of your accomplishment.

THE COMIC PRICE GUIDE FOR GREAT BRITAIN 3 (B-C)

2010-08-06T06:59:00.013-07:00

(see The Comic Price Guide for Great Britain 2) Please vote if you find it interesting!

BEEZER SUMMER SPECIAL. D.C. Thomson. Jun 1973-May 1992Beezer
Summer Specials happened relatively late in the scheme of things
(likewise Topper) so they are very plentiful on E Bay - none of this
scarce and rare stuff that you get from vendors. They're not!! In very
high grade however it's fair to say that they are tough, particularly
the first couple.PR GD VG FN VF NM MINT1.0 2.0 4.0 6.0 8.0 9.0 10.01973.25 .50 1.50 4.00 7.50 15.00BERYL THE PERIL ANNUAL. D.C. Thomson. 1959-1977 (bi-annual), 1981, 1987, 1988.Following
the success of the Beano spin-off Dennis the Menace into a separate
bi-annual publication, Beryl appeared in Sep 1958 in her own first
annual for the Christmas market though it is the 1959 annual. From 1961
the covers were laminated in line with Dandy and Beano books. InMar
2007 Comic Book Postal Auctions sold the first Beryl annual in VFN for
170.PR GD VG FN VF NM MINT1.0 2.0 4.0 6.0 8.0 9.0 10.0 1959 no date on cover; Beryl appears through hole she's cut out with a saw2.00 10.00 20.00 60.00 120.00 250.00BLACK MAGIC. Arnold Book Company. 1 1952-16 1954PR GD VG FN VF NM MINT1.0 2.0 4.0 6.0 8.0 9.0 10.0 1 68 pages; reprints from Prize Publishing featuring fantastic artwork from Joe Simon and Jack Kirby2.00 12.50 25.00 65.00 110.00BLACK MAGIC ALBUM. Arnold Book Company. nn 1954Only ever seen one on E Bay and it sold for 63 in VG condition (Nov 2007).PR GD VG FN VF NM MINT1.0 2.0 4.0 6.0 8.0 9.0 10.0 1954 no
number on cover, 160 pages, rare. Pre Code horror stories stuffed full
of Jack Kirby artwork. This comic was cited in a campaign against
horror comics in the UK at the time as being too violent and certainly
"Not for the Squeamish" as the sub-title celebrates!3.00 20.00 60.00 125.00BLUE PETER ANNUAL. IPC/BBC. 1 1964-presentThese
annuals turn up a lot on E-Bay though not so much #1. The demand was
under-estimated for this and quickly sold out. Issues thereafter are
pretty common but less so in very high grade.PR GD VG FN VF NM MINT1.0 2.0 4.0 6.0 8.0 9.0 10.0 1 scarce2.50 12.50 25.00 75.00 125.00 200.00BOYS' WORLD. Longacre. Vol 1 No. 1 26th Jan 1963-Vol 2 No. 40 3rd Oct 1964 (89 issues, joins Eagle)An
under-rated title as a sort of poor man's Look

FAKE ALERT - CLEVELAND WEDGES

2010-08-06T06:59:00.011-07:00

Be aware of fake cleveland wedges, the clue is in the price!!!!! I recently bought a set of 3 CG10 satin finish wedges which proved to be copies. My local PGA pro said they were very good copies but they were not right because the shafts were 3/4" short and the steps were not in the right place for Dynamic Gold wedge flex shafts. Also the grips were too thin and the lofts and lies were more than 3 deg out. We compared them with the genuine product and the differences became much clearer. The seller gave me a 100% refund but you may not be so lucky.

A Buying Guide To Pocket Sprung Mattress

2010-08-06T06:59:00.009-07:00

A Buying Guide To Pocket Sprung Mattress

A pocket sprung mattress is quite simply the very best that money can buy and a sounds nights sleep is the most sacred thing money can buy. When you consider that a quality mattress will last between 8-10 years the overall price is not a great deal more than buying 2 or 3 inferior quality mattress that will lose tension and sag and may cause sleepless nights and back problems.

Each spring acts independently to allow the contours of the body to be gently supported.

Consider that a standard mattress has 325 springs and when buying a pocket sprung mattress you are ranging from 1000 upto 3000 springs, though in reality you don't need greater than 2000 unless your over 30 Stone.

View are range of beds and mattress - a perfect combination

DON'T BE FOOLED BY MATTRESS MYTHS - marketing will baffle you with numbers. Quantity does not equal quality. You can cram inferior springs into a mattress that have no added benefit to comfort but the higher number givesplays to popular thought that more is better. Advertising will also make claims such as 'orthopedic' or ' postuerpedic'. These terms just mean that the mattress has more springs than average and will give increased support, they are not a medicalcurefor back problems.

The Pocket Sprung Mattress is ideal if there is a weight and size variation between you and your partner. The individual springs will act to take the weight of your partner only so you won't be lifted or roll due to the impact of your partners movements. In a traditional open coil system the springs are interwoven, so when pressure is applied to the spring at one end it can have an effect on the springs at the other end causing the 'roll together' and a feeling of being bounced up when your partner sitsor moveson the bed. These are problems eroded by a pocket sprung mattress.

The Pocket Sprung Mattress is perfect for a slatted bed frame. Memory foam and Visco foam mattress are not a suitable choice for a slatted base bed as they don't offer the same support.

Pocket springs are rows of small diameter, 16 to 17 gauge wire, parallel or barrel-shaped springs, each housed separately in a fabric pocket. The rows of springs are then clipped, tied or glued together. The spring count of a pocket sprung mattress can vary considerably depending on the diameter of the springs.

double pram needed?-I love my mutsy!

2010-08-06T06:59:00.007-07:00

Firstly I need to admit to being a pramaholic! This being my 5th purchase in 2 years, but it will be my last!, I just wish I had found the mutsywhen had my first child.

I bought a mutsy as i was having my 2nd child and needed a double pram/buggy as child no 1 is only just 2 and wasn't walking far. The mutsy was the only system where i could alternate between a double and single seat and isn't the size of a small minibus!

I have the urban rider chassis, a single seat, the duoseat and a maxicosi baby car seat which is also compatible. When just taking the baby out its dead easy to put the carseat on the chassi without waking her up. When I have both childrenthe duoseat is fab and can easily fit through doors etc. Although easy to push anyway I bought some whizzy wheels which are great for doing tight turns in shops. The single seat can go on the chassi forwards or backwards so is great for keeping an eye on small babies but also good for nosey toddlers.

There are really only a couple of downsides. Although it all fits in my car easily (a 307) I have struggled if we have been in other smaller cars. Also the duoseat is heavy to lift in and out of boot, so if you are always in and out of car, this is probably not for you. Finally my son is tall for his age and is nearly touching the hood of the front seat of the duo, however the hoods are removable so I can easily take it off and then it is fine.

I plan on getting a mutsy step up board as my son is now walking more, then I can continue to use the mutsy with my youngest and the single seat as I really love it.

The mutsy isn't cheap but is sturdy, looks fab and really versitile. It is ideal for a first child if you intend having more children, as you can buy extras as you need them,however if you are someone who uses public transport or has a small car I think you would be better off with the traditional double buggy.

Beware of fake Bape and Billionaire Boys Club clothing.

2010-08-06T06:59:00.005-07:00

Hello all,I am writing this guide, after I have noticed a massive increase in counterfeit/fake Bape and Billionaire Boys Club items on eBay lately. For those of you who don't know, Bape and Billionaire Boys Club are extremely exclusive and rare garments, made in Japan by the Bathing Ape Company.There are a number of ways how to spot fake/counterfeit items.Sometimes, it can be difficult to spot on ebay, with pictures, however, always check the persons feedback. Alot of Bape collectors will warn others about fake/counterfeit produtcs on the eBay market, by leaving appropriate feedback about counterfeit/fake items they have bought.A few other ways of spotting fakes are to look at the workmanship on the hoody, once received.Remember, Bape is an exclusive brand, that is very rare , therefore the quality of these hoodies is excellent. When you get your hoody, please check it over carefully before being happy with it.Often, stitching on the fakes are very poor, dangling strings, poor stitiching, and jagged edges are to be looked out for. The zips on fake hoodies are also very poor quality, often the paint on the zip will already have started flaking withing a few days, it's also not common for a zip to break straight away. Genuine Bape garments are alot better in quality and will last you years. The writing on the zips is also very small, and hard to read, genuine Bape hoodies.Coming to the hoodies themselves, fakes are easily spotted.The colours used on fake hoodies is often too bright/saturated. The infamous Baby Milo logo should be a light orange, not a neon, bright orange/red on alot of garments. There should be 2 tags. 1 on the collar, and 1 on the cuff of 1 of the sleeves. Alot of fakes only have 1 on the collar, but be warned, some fakes also have them on the cufflink. To be sure you have a genuine article, again, check workmanship on your hoody, the writing should be easy to read, straight, and pronounced, not poor quality, and shabby.One other major flaw in fake Bape hoodys, is "the fade factor".As already mentioned, genuine Bape are very exclusive and top quality.Fake Bape garments are VERY poor quality, and if you have problems spotting a fake, put it in the wash. All fake Bape's fade the first time they are washed. They fade significantly, which shows poor workmanship, not to mention the actual hoody material "bubbles" after the first wash also.Now onto Billionaire Boys Club jeans.Usually, these are very easily spotted, however, with a rise in the counterfeit market, it is sometimes hard to spot a fake pair from a real pair.Again, the quality of the jeans themselves will be very poor, often the sizes of the jeans you have bought will be too big or small. For example, if you bought a paid of 32" wasit jeans, they would most likely be very tight, and more like a 28" or 30". The print on the jeans, back, and front will also be very poor. As for the Bape hoodies, the print on these jeans will also fade significantly in the wash. Also, alot of the BBC jeans will have VERY poor quality "brand boxes". This is what is found on the back of the jeans, above the belt slit, which identifies which brand the jeans are. BBC jeans ALWAYS have these "boxes, whereas alot of the fakes don't.I hope this guide has helped, being a massive Bape and Billionaire Boys Club fan myself, I would like to spread the word on how to spot real from fake items on eBay.

Mobile Phones Scam: Bulk, Brand New, Beware!!

2010-08-06T06:59:00.003-07:00

Hi, Here's a story about how i was scammed out of my hard earned money by some devious criminal. After buying and selling many mobile phones on ebay, it was becoming like a business, so i was looking to use my profits to expand.. anyways, i saw a lot "Sony-Ericsson P900i Brand New Job Lot" I took a look, all seemed good. even positive feedback. Contacted the seller, even spoke to him on the phone.. arranged to put a special lot on ebay for me to purchase.. which i did "3x Sony-Ericsson P990i" BIN 300. Payed via Bank Transfer to his account. All good, said he would check his account and dispatch, and that's where the fun and games began...

I phoned him and he said he wanted proof that the money had gone from my account.. so i scanned a statement (less all my bank details except my name and the line containing the relevant transaction). He recieved it and said ok, will post tomorrow Royal Mail Special Delivery.. Next day.. nothing.. waited incase he meant the next day.. nothing still.. Emailed and rang to no avail. Starting to panic at this point i rang him again, this time he answered.. and assured me they would be posted that day and i would recieve them tomorrow. Still nothing the next day so i tried to phone him, but nothing. He had also became a non-registered ebay user. After another day of trying to contact him, i went to the police with copies off all mine and his messages, the item ID, uername, bank details, address

False Russian / UK keyboards

2010-08-06T06:59:00.001-07:00

Beware of sellers selling dual Russian/English keyboards.They are nearly always US layoutso expect many of characters to be either missing or/andcompletely inthe wrong place. Oh, and say goodbye to the sign too! You'll have to tell Windows that you are using a US keyboard too otherwise many of the keys wont match up, and again.... UK specific keys will be missing.

One seller in particular, "valeriakomarova", is selling them claimingthe following:

SPECIALLY MADE AND IMPORTED FOR RUSSIAN SPEAKERS IN THE UK

Actually they are not"specially made" at all. They are standard US keyboards and luckily if you look closely at the picture you can make this out by the missing sign.

I emailed the seller about this and asked to make it clearer that they arenot UK spec, after an initial attemptto fob me off, afollowing email contained the following:

1 mind your own business. 2 get a life of your own and stop interfering with others, especially as its none of your business. 3 dont tell me what to do. 4 dont bother replying as it will simply be deleted. bye bye

I doubt that the seller is really Russian at all as we're much more pleasant than that usually! We call such people either"matroshka" or"muzhik".

As I nearly bought one before realizing that it wasn't"SPECIALLY MADE AND IMPORTED FOR RUSSIAN SPEAKERS IN THE UK" after all, I figured thatIwas in fact justified in asking the seller to make it clearer for genuine UK users.

Incidently, using cyrillic stickers is fine. I've had a set that cost me 1 for four years on this very laptop that I'm on now. I simply wanted a full size keyboard but I just bought another UK one for 5 and a sticker set again. It was cheaper too!

Good luck and keep an eye out for Matroshka!

Early Georgian

2010-08-06T06:58:00.020-07:00

What does acid and lignin free mean?

2010-08-06T06:58:00.019-07:00

Here is a simple explanation for some commonly used scrapbooking terms that will help us keep our special memories safe!ACID and LIGNINWhen Scrapbooking, anything that touches your photos should be acid and lignin free, including paper, glue, pens/markers and stickers. The presence of acid and/or lignin would cause the photos to discolour and disintegrate quicker than they would naturally.Acid-free, Lignin free and photo safe products will usually be labelled as such. Acid-free?Acid causes paper and photos to disintegrate. This aging process is significantly slowed when the acid is removed from paper during the manufacturing process. Not all scrapbooking items are photo-safe so be sure to check before you but that your desired items are acid-free or archival quality Lignin free?Lignin is the natural bonding element which holds wood fibres together. Newspaper contains lignin - you will have noticed that newspaper can become brittle and discoloured with age! So, if you want to include Newspaper articles, pictures or announcements in your scrapbook, first photocopy or print on acid and lignin free paper (use off-white paper for an authentic feel!)Like acid, lignin can be removed during the manufacturing process so suitable products should be labelled lignin free or archival quality.ARCHIVAL QUALITYThis term is only applied to products which have been specially tested to measure their acidic and buffered content and it has been shown to fall within acceptable parameters/safe levels.Buffered PaperDuring manufacturing, a buffering agent such as calcium carbonate can be added to paper to neutralize acid contaminants. Such papers usually have a pH of about 8.5 pH FactorThis refers to the acidity level. the pH scales is the standard for measurement of alkalinity and acidity. It runs from 1 to 14 with each number representing a ten-fold increase - pH neutral is 7.Acid-free products have a pH of 7 or above and pH tester pens are available to check acidity, however, acid-free products will be labelled accordingly. PHOTO SAFEThis is a term similar to Archival quality but specific to materials used with photographs. Photo safe products are acid-free.Hope this helps!Visit our shop to view and purchase Great Scrapbooking Products from K

Fake console listings

2010-08-06T06:58:00.017-07:00

It is becoming all too common on Ebay now to see listings for the latest consoles, but not all are as they appear to be.Most are valid sellers, some others are just out to exploit the lack of awareness of Ebay users who are after a quick bargain.One such fake auction is this :The picture scam.Here's an example :I dont need to go into any great detail about this item, the picture is what you are bidding on thats it!Free P

Spotting Fake Bapesta's Bape A Bathing Ape

2010-08-06T06:58:00.015-07:00

Bapesta's (Real) Can Have Both Dull or Pointed Stars (Shown In The Pics Below)

Fake Stas insoles have the bape logo facing the same way.Real Stas Have The Logo facing the opposite way.On The Heel of Real Stas the embroidery is really sharp and clean.On Fakes theres always sloppy stitchingIf you ever see a pair of stas with lacing like this its automatically fake!!!Now Lets take a look at some fake pairs.......On these the logo is facing the same way it has the wrong laces it also has the sizing sticker on the side of the box way to the left when it should be to the right..Many Sellers on eBay mention in there descriptions that there shoes are 100% authentic.....THIS CAN BE A LIE!!!!!Another clue is if you see a pair of stas with a Buy It Now of of anything below 200 dollars its usually FAKE automatically...Real Stas go for 200+ retail and can go a little less if used.Bape Does Not make half sizes after size 11!!!!If the Sellers feedback has a buyer saying he/she was sold fake pairs of sneakers....It usually means the seller always sells fake sneakers.If a seller has only one pic of the shoes ask for more!!!! BAPE DOES NOT WHOLE SALE!!!!! AND CAN ONLY BE BOUGHT AT THE OFFICIAL STORES OR AUTHORIZED RESELLERS!!!! 95% OF EBAYS SELLERS SELL FAKE BAPE CLOTHING/FOOT WEAR!!!HOPEFULLY THIS GUIDE HAS HELPED MANY AND WILL PUT AN END TO BOOTLEGGERS AND SCAMMERS ON THE WEB.

Joy's

2010-08-06T06:58:00.013-07:00

I have read your encounters with Joys Sewing Machines whom I am experiencing problems with, I purchased a steam press from them and it has been returned to them twice now and has come back to me still in disrepair and nobody is getting back to me since collecting it from the delivery company. I really dont know where to go from here.

bo concept furniture

2010-08-06T06:58:00.011-07:00

Well what can i say,-----BO CONCEPT------thesofa that i bought is rubbish,every time we sit on it ,the seat cushions move forward about eight inches and back cushions fall down the back ,when we get up ,every time we have to rearrange the cushions.They do not spring back into shape making the sofa look a complelte mess.In the arms you can feel the wood through the leather. THEY ARE SO OVER PRICED FOR WHAT THEY ARE.Could have got a better sofa else were for much cheaper THEY JUST DONT WANT TO KNOW WHEN I COMPLAINED TO HEAD OFFICE IN DENMARK.THEY TOLD ME------ THAT IWOULD NOT TAKE A PAIR OF SHOES BACK IF THE HEELS FELL OFF AFTER A MONTH OF USE . WELL I WOULD, AND YOU DO HAVE TO USE THE SOFA TO KNOW THATIT DOES THIS----------- NOT JUST SIT ON IT IN THE SHOP FOR 5 MINS ----------------------------------------------SO JUST DONT BUY FROM THEM .LOOK ESLE WERE AND SAVE YOUR SELF MAKING A BIG MISTAKE LIKE I DID.

THEY SAY THE SOFA IS THERE BEST SELLER THERE HAS BEEN A LOT OF PEOPLE BEEN DONE OVER

I WAS GOING TO ASK FOR A JOB THERE BUT NO WAY COULD I SELL VERY EXPENSIVE CRAP

BE WARNED

Tips when buying a latin or ballroom dance dress

2010-08-06T06:58:00.009-07:00

Their are lots of things to look out for when buying your latin or ballroom dress and as it is alot of money to buy one you need to make sure the dress your buying is not going to break any rules.Same designsSome people on ebay are selling two of the same design dress..This is fine if you want matching dresses as you are in an all-girl partnership but if your not or your buying a dress for solo events then you may want to ask the buyer:- If there is more than one of this dress around.As you do not want to be wearing the same dress as some-one else you are competiting against.Made for Latin and ballroom only!You don't want to buy a dress that is made for ice-skating disco or freestyle.Its made for those events not ballroom and latin!ChecklistIf junior - has bra cups fittedLeotard fitted The dress must be regulation (applys mainly to juvinieles)Details have been given of any stones missing or any damage to the dressYou may want to ask for the length of the dress ( mainly for ballroom ).At some competitions if you are competiting in an event that for example is pre-bronze and begginers you may need to wear a dress with no decoration even if you are pre-bronze and not begginer.This I know from personal experience, I wore my decorated ballroom gown and was disqualified from that event as the category was pre-bronze and begginers. ( this applys mainlyto juniors )Don't be afraid to ask the seller as many questions as you like. Remember your paying for it!Their are very strict rules for juvinieles (under 12's):The dress may only be ONE colour.It may not be stoned.It cannot have sequins or metalic threadPratically all decoration is not allowed.No metallic patterns.You don't want to pay out lots of money and then get disqualified from your event!Their is another guide on here explaining a few more of the juviniele rules.I hope this has been helpful!REMEMBER.....DON'T BE SCARED TO ASK QUESTIONS!CHECK IF THE DRESS IS REGULATION!MAKE SURE IT IS MADE FOR BALLROOM AND LATIN!If you have any other questions then feel free to message me and I'll try and help you :)Happy buying.

Toyota - Estima - Lucida - Emina

2010-08-06T06:58:00.007-07:00

THINKING OF BUYING A ESTIMA,LUCIDA,EMINA ? BEEN TOLD YOU CAN'T GET PARTS OR SERVICING DONE IN THE UK? WORRIED ABOUT INSURANCE? WORRIED ABOUT THE SPEC OF THE CAR? TAKE A LOOK HERE estimaownersclub com .WE HAVE HAD OUR FOR 2 YEARS NOW AND WOULD NOT BE WITH OUT IT.

How to fix the Xbox 360 Red Ring Of Death With Towels.

2010-08-06T06:58:00.005-07:00

Tommee Tippee Nappy Wrapper Bin

2010-08-06T06:58:00.003-07:00

Hello Everyone,

If any one is interested in buying a nappy bin please go to your local Tesco, as they are clearing all the Tommee Tippee Nappy Wrapper bins as there is a new design being launched RRP is 35. On offer at 8.47 with 5 cassettes. I have purchased mine at the (Bradford,West Yorkshire) if you do not see them on clearnce approach the customer services desk and tell them about the offer, get them to call the Bradford store for confirmation, they have to honour this price. Sorry to all you people selling them its just that expecting mums and new mums are streatched on budget for babies as they are very expensive.

Hope you found this helpfull

Kind Regards

Outdoor Christmas Lights for Trees

2010-08-06T06:58:00.001-07:00

Illuminating Trees - The Lights4fun way.

Lighting up a tree can be a very rewarding experience but will almost certainly take longer than you think.

"Where is my power supply?"

"Firstly think how are you going to get power to the tree?"

With our connectable range or either Traditional outdoor String Lights or connectable outdoor LED fariy lights we offer extension cables in various lengths from 5 to 20 metre. All our outdoor ranges are designed for the worst of the British weather.

"What style shall I drape the lights in?"

Are you going to drape the Christmas lights around the tree in hoops, at random or up and down from top to bottom?

To be creative you may possibly need more lights than you originally calculate. Our LED string lights are available in 10 metre lengths with 100 bulbs. We offer multi point connections and T connections plus 5, 10 and 20 metre extension cables to make the installation easier.

Is there a quick and easy solution to lighting my small tree? Yes - for a 2 minute, stunning installation, simply throw a Net Lights over your tree or bush for an instant symmetrical distribution of light.

Buy These Lights in our Ebay Shop

We have a full range of connectible outdoor LED net lights in green or white cable. Green cable tends to blend with the foliage better during the daytime and be less noticable. White cable makes a bold statement and is ideal for weddings, marquees, parties, snow etc. The photograph above was taken with a 2 x 1m net light on a weeping fig tree, approx 4ft tall. For bigger trees use larger net lights or connect several net lights together.

Illuminating Larger Trees.

Lighting up large trees with Christmas lights is great fun but beware it can be very time consuming. Here are a few tips....

How high is the tree? To help decide how many sets of lights you need, you will need to 'guestimate' the height and width. A good tip is to stand someone you know near the tree and then step back and calculate the height. Remember to also guess the width at the widest point.

How many sets of lights will I need? Much depends on the effect you are trying to create. Are you looking to drape lights like garlands, or go all the way round the tree or up and down from top to bottom. Essentially you need to calculate the surface area you wish to cover, and think about the spacing between the light strings. We have lots of experience in estimating lights usage on trees so please call us free for help on 0800 0612 532.

Will it be safe to use ladders to install lights on a tree?

NO.

We would strongly recommend you never use ladders for installing lights. Use a more stable method of installation, such as an 'access tower', a 'Scissor lift' or a 'cherry picker'. Even better get someone else to install them for you. If you buy our professional range of Outdoor Traditional Light Strings or our LED connecatble fairy light strings then you will only need to install them once. These lights are maintenance free and are designed for extended outdoor use.

Should I choose traditional colour bulbs or LED's. We manufacture both traditional connectable outdoor tree String Lights and new LED connectible outdoor fairy lights.

Lights4fun traditional connectable warm glow outdoor string lights - can connect up to a maximum of 26 sets from one UK socket with power consumption at ONLY 31w pet set.

Lights4fun LED connectible outdoor fairy / Christmas lights are slightly more expensive but they use considerably less energy (up to 90% click here for guide) and will last longer - on average 4 times as long. It is possible to connect up to 60 sets from one UK socket, average power consumption 7.7w per set (depending on colour). Choice of 7 colours.

When is the best time to install Christmas or fairy lights in trees?

There is no need to wait for the cold weather if installing our professional range. Why not put them up in Autumn with the mild weather and use them all year round?

Remember your trees will grow: If the installation is permament or semi permament it is important to allow enough slack in the cable for the tree and it's branches to grow. Do not wrap lights strings around the bark or branches too tightly. It is much better to drape them in a garland effect across the branches and leave room for growth. Also if you are placing the lights in a tree that requires annual pruning such as apple trees, take great care not to damage the cables when pruning.

Look at the projects completed below. These demonstate the flexability of our products and how to create the professional look at home.

BUY THESE LIGHTS HERE

Unlock Samsung G600

2010-07-28T20:02:00.007-07:00

I got this code on ebay, itunlockedmy Samsung G600but it reset imei number to zeros !

I wouldn't recomend using as it may have destroyed my phone

*2767*3855#Instructions:-Power phone of and then power back on. (Without Sim card). Then at "inset sim" screen enter the code above exactly how itappears above. Then power phone off take battery out and replace sim withalternative sim card. Your handset should now be unlocked.If this doesnt work:-Unlock Code#*7337#Entering Code Instructions1. Take out the SIM card from the phone and switch the phone on.2. Enter the unlock code into your handset.3. Now replace your SIM card and turn the phone on.4. Your handset should now be unlocked.Alternative Solution if the above fails.Unlock CodesCode 1: *7465625*28782#Code 2: *7465625*28638#Entering Code Instructions1. Remove SIM card from handset2. Enter Code 1 into the handset( Your handset will display " auto subset lock activated" )3. Enter Code 2 into handset4. Your handset should now be unlocked.a) Enter an alternative network SIM card into your Samsung and reboot.b) The new network should be displayed in handset window.c) If the process is repeated with yet another alternative network SIMcard, you may be requested to input a security or pin code to enablethe use of the new SIM card.d) Enter 00000000 (8 zeros) which should enable the SIM to be accepted.e) Finally once again enter 00000000( 8 zeros) and this shouldpermanently unlock the Samsung.Final alternative Solution if the above failsUnlock Code#7465625*638*7337#Entering Code Instructions1.Take out the SIM card from the phone and switch the phone on.2.Enter the unlock code into handset.3.Now replace your Sim card and turn the phone on.4. Your handset should now be unlocked.

-----

2010-07-28T20:02:00.005-07:00

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

FAKE YU GI OH CARDS

2010-07-28T20:02:00.003-07:00

THERE ARE THOUSANDS OF YU GI OH CARDS ON EBAY BUT THERE ARE ALSO THOUSANDS OF FAKE YU GI OH CARDS ON EBAY TOO !

IF YOU SEE A RARE YU GI OH CARD ON EBAY CHECK ALL PICTURES AND ASK THE SELLER QUESTIONS BEFORE BUYING IT.

MANY SELLERS SELL MORE THAN ONE OF THE SAME CARD IN THEIR LIST OF ITEMS. IF THERE ARE 2 LISTINGS WITH THE SAME TITLE CHECK BOTH OF THEM AND SEE IF THE CARDS HAVE THE SAME NUMBERS AND CODES PRINTED ON THEM.IF THEY DO THEY ARE FAKE.

I HAVE SEEN MANY PEOPLE BUYING 1ST EDITION EGYPTIAN GOD CARDS. WHAT THEY DONT REALISE IS THAT YOU CAN NOT GET A 1ST EDITION GOD CARD.

REAL YU GI OH CARDS ALSO HAVE A CODE ON THE RIGHT CORNER UNDER THE PICTURE THIS WILL ALWAYS START WITH A LETTER ON A GENUINE YU GI OH CARD . MANY FAKE YU GI OH CARDS START WITH A NUMBER.

AN EXAMPLE OF A GENUINE YU GI OH CARD STARTING WITH A LETTER IS: SKE-

THIS IS FROM A YU GI OH KIBA EVOLUTION STARTER DECK.

THIS IS AN EXAMPLE OF A FAKE WHICH IS OFTEN PRINTED : 123-

ALWAYS MAKE SURE THERE IS A PICTURE OF THE BACK OF THE CARD.

GENUINE WILL HAVE A YU GI OH LOGO AND A KONAMI LOGO.

FAKE CARDS MAY JUST HAVE THE BACK GROUND BROWNY GOLD COLOUR.

MANY PEOPLE SELL FAKE RARE CARDS WHICH ARE SHINY ALL OVER THE CARD. THEY OFTEN HAVE THE ATK AND DEF IN A LITTLE BOX IN THE BOTTOM RIGHT CORNER. THESE ARE FAKE .THE SHINY PART OF THE CARD IS MADE FROM SHINY STICKER PAPER OR STICKY BACK PLASTIC.

ALWAYS MAKE SURE WHEN YOU BUY A FIRST EDITION CARD IT HAS A GOLD SQUARE NOT SILVER IN THE BOTTOM RIGHT CORNER. IF IT IS NOT IT IS FAKE.

ALWAYS CHECK THE NAME ON THE CARD AND SPELLINGS MANY PEOPLE WHO MAKE FAKE CARDS CANNOT SPELL .

SOME PEOPLE PUT THE WRONG NAMES ON FAKE CARDS (HOW THICK) LIKE THE SLITHER THE SKY DRAGON CARD : INSTEAD OF PUTTING SLITHER THE SKY DRAGON THEY PUT THINGS LIKE :

ULTRA RED DRAGON , DRAGON OF GOD POWER, DRAGON SKY AND SKY DRAGON OF GODS ETC.

ALWAYS CHECK A SELLERS FEEDBACK IF THEY ARE SELLING YU GI OH CARDS LIKE EXODIA ETC.

A LOT OF SELLERS TAKE A PHOTO OF THE REAL ONES AND SEND YOU FAKE ONES.

ALWAYS READ THE ITEM DESCRIPTION SOME SELLERS PUT "RARE CARD RANDOM LOT" WITH A PICTURE OF EXODIA AND SLITHER THE SKY DRAGON ,WINGED DRAGON OF RA AND OBOLICK THE TORMENTOR. MANY PEOPLE BID AS SOON AS THEY SEE THE PICTURE.WHEN IT SAYS IN THE ITEM DESCRIPTION THAT THE CARDS IN THE PICTURE ARE EXAMPLES ETC.

A LOT OF FAKE CARDS LOOK SLIGHTLY LIGHTER OR DARKER THAN GENUINE CARDS.

ALWAYS CHECK THE LOGO ON THE FRONT TOP RIGHT CORNER NEXT TO THE CARD NAME IF IT SAYS SOMETHING LIKE "POWER" OR "LAND" OR "ULTRA" ETC IT IS FAKE .

THE MAIN PARTS OF THE CARDS THAT CAN NOT BE FAKED IS THE LITTLE SILVER SQUARE ATTHE BOTTOM OF THE CARD . A GENUINE YU GI OH CARD WILL HAVE EQYPTIAN SIGNS AND LOGOS ON THE SILVER SQUARE BUT A FAKE WILL JUST BE A SILVER STICKER.

I KNOW ALL THESE BECAUSE I HAVE BOUGHT FAKE CARDS AND SWAPPED MY GENUINE FOR FAKES ACCIDENTLY IN THE PAST.

I WAS REALLY INTERESTED IN YU GI OH ABOUT 2 YEARS AGO AND I WAS ALWAYS TRYING TO GET RARE CARDS LIKE EXODIA.

I DID COME ACROSS A PERSON AT A SCHOOL CLUB WHO TRADED ME FAKE EXODIA CARDS FOR MY GEUINE RARE CARDS THAT I HAD SPENT LOADS OF MONEY ON

I AM WRITING THIS GUIDE ON MY DADS EBAY ACCOUNT BECAUSE I AM NOT OLD ENOUGH TO HAVE ONE MY SELF.

I AM CONSTANTLY LOOKING AT YU GI OH CARDS , GAMES,MEMORY STICKS AND POKEMON CARDS TO SEE IF THERE ARE ANY NEW VERSIONS OF FAKE YU GI OH CARDS ETC THAT LOOK VERY CLOSE TO THE GENUINE ONES.

BY THE WAY DO NOT BUY POKEMON CHAOS BLACK MY FRIEND BOUGHT IT FROM SKEGGY MARKET (SKEGNESS) AND IT IS CRAP!

I HOPE YOU FOUND THIS GUIDE USEFULL

THANKS LIAM HALL ( AGE 14)

FAKE GHD PLEASE READ

2010-07-28T20:02:00.001-07:00

IF ANY OF YOU HAVE PURCHASED GHD MK4 IRONS ON EBAY GIVE GHD A CALL JUST TO MAKE SURE THEY GENUINE, I BOUGHT A PAIR FOR TWO DIFFERENT FRIENDS AND THEY BOTH TURNED OUT TO BE FAKE, I RANG THE ACTUAL GHD HELPLINE AND QUOTED A NUMBER ON IRON, THEY CAN TELL YOU IF THEY FAKES WITHIN MINUTES, COS NO MATTER WHERE YOU GET GENUINE GHD YOU WILL HAVE A GUARANTEED WARRANTY IF REAL!! THE NUMBER IS 08453301133. if they do turn out to be fake paypal can open a dispute and ypu can get a refund if you spot this within 45 days SO PLEASE HURRY, DONT LET THEM GET AWAY WITH THIS I HAVE LOST BOTH MY FRIENDS MONEY AND BOTH PAIRS HAVE BROKE! recommended ebayer that sells ghd is shimmer girl x

Fake Golf Pride Multicompound Grips

2010-07-28T20:01:00.011-07:00

Hi,I have been the victim of fake Golf Pride Grips. I was lucky enough to get my money back from the seller but I wish to share my knowledge so other people can recognise them -A) The first thing I noticed about the fake grips was they did not have the tacky feel in the soft red rubber part. There meant to be multi compound and the fakes were just the same compound.B) The seller sent me an extra grip by mistake so I putt onto the club and all the colours started running off onto my hands.C) The rubber is quite thin at the ends and the consistency thickness is visibly thinner at the end of the grip.D) The fake grips are a shade lighter.E) The main noticeable difference is the pattern is very, very slightly different.I have included a couple of photos. Beware the fakes are very good and you can only tell by comparing them closely to the real thing. It was the lack of tacky feel that alerted me to have a closer look.

The real grip is the top one with the barcode sticker on. Notice the slight differance in shades!

The grip below is the fake grip!Take a look at the position of the small black crosses next too the white line and compare it to the real one below it.

Fixed wire lug military trench officers WW1 watches

2010-07-28T20:01:00.009-07:00

What is meant by fixed lug, wire lug, trench, or officers watch?Although wrist watches had been made before the First World War (WW1 - 1914 to 1918) they were mainly worn by ladies: they were not fashionable items for men, who mostly wore pocket watches. But the benefits of a wrist watch were well known in military circles. The German Emperor Wilhelm I had ordered a large quantity of wrist watches for the German navy in 1879, and during the Boer war in South Africa (1899 - 1902) British army officers achieved success against the Boers by using precision timing to coordinate simultaneous troop movements, and synchronize flanking attacks against the Boer's formations. Strapping a watch to ones wrist so that it could regularly be checked quickly and easily, rather than having to fumble in a pocket to extract a watch, was essential under fast moving battlefield conditions. Leather straps with cups, such as the one shown below, were made so that pocket watches could be strapped to the wrist. But such applications were restricted to the battlefield, and to small numbers of professional soldiers operating far from home.What really changed public acceptance of men wearing wrist watches was the First World War - WW1. During WW1 military tactics such as the coordinated attack along a long front, synchronised with artillery barrages, demanded precision timing; and unlike any previous conflict, there were millions of men involved. There was a huge
upsurge in demand for wrist watches from military men, who found the still standard issue pocket watch cumbersome to wear in the trenches, under a great coat, or in the cockpit of an aircraft. The easiest way for manufacturers to satisfy this sudden demand for wristwatches was to solder small loops of wire, called lugs, to the case of an existing model of pocket watch, and
pass a strap or band of leather through these to secure the watch to the wrist.
Because the wire loops were fixed to the case, these watches are often referred to as "fixed lug" or "wire lug" watches. You can see an example of a watch with fixed wire lugs soldered to the case in the picture below. As these watches were often purchased by officers for use in the trenches, they are also often referred to as "officers" or "trench" watches. As the war progressed, the public became used to seeing battle hardened military veterans returning from active service still wearing their wristwatches. This soon changed the public perception that wearing a wristwatch was not manly, and sales of wrist watches to the man-in-the-street started to take off. By 1930 sales of wristwatches had overtaken those of pocket watches.For some reason now lost in the mists of time, the width used for
the lugs on these earliest wristwatches was about 10mm, allowing a narrow strap
or band of flexible leather to be looped through and across the back of the case.
This design persisted after the war and into the 1920's, with the lugs gradually increasing
in width to 12mm, 14mm, etc. over the years until they were superceded with the fixed
horns and spring bars seen on modern watches.

The nature and size of these fixed lugs presents a problem to the collector of
these interesting early wristwatches.
After cleaning and servicing, watches that are now around a hundred years old go just
as well now as when they were new, and they cry out to be worn. However, modern
wristwatch straps and bands either just do not fit the narrow fixed wire lugs,
or a narrow strap meant for a ladies watch has to be used, which usually looks completely wrong. A 35mm diameter mans wristwatch on a 10mm wide ladies strap
just looks ridiculous!I had exactly this problem when I wanted to wear my grandfather's 1918 silver Rolex and after much searching I realised that there was nothing suitable available on the market, and that I would have to get a strap made to my own design and specification. I now make these straps available in several different designs and leather colours so that fellow enthusiasts
can enjoy wearing their own vintage watches. It gives me great pleasure to know that a vintage watch, one that perhaps saw service
during the first World War, or belonged to somebody's grandfather like mine, can be worn and
enjoyed today, looking good on a properly designed and made strap. One of the most touching
comments I have received was from a customer who was visiting the First World War battlefields
in France, and he remarked that with the strap I had supplied "I will be able to wear my
grandfather's watch at the very spot where he went 'over the top' on the Somme in 1916." The picture below shows my grandfather's watch on one of my straps.I hope you have found this guide helpful. If you have then I would be grateful if you would register a vote for it. If
you haven't found it helpful for some reason, or if you think that there is something wrong or that could be
improved, then please let me know. Thanks! Regards - David

Morse Taper Sizes

2010-07-28T20:01:00.007-07:00

Many People Have Asked Me " What Morse Taper Size Is My Machine , Or What Morse Taper Size Are My Tools " Well I Hope The Below Table Will Help You Out,,

Mattools

Anchortoolscom

Morse Taper sizes

Different Morse tapers have easily distinguished sizes.

Measure at the big end (ie, the open hole), in inches:

#0 is 0.356

#1 is 0.475

#2 is 0.700

#3 is 0.938

#4 is 1.231,

#5 is 1.748

#6 is 2.494

#7 is 3.270

or in mm..

( remeber the hole at the big end.)

#1 is 12.065

#2 is17.78

#3 is 23.82

#4 is 31.26

#5 is 44.399 mm

ebay would not allow me to paste the complete table

Building a separate Hi-Fi system

2010-07-28T20:01:00.005-07:00

Building a separate Hi-Fi system
What you need and what they are.
Amplifier
Amplifiers are the heart of your hi-fi system, every component feeds in to the amp and feeds it to your speakers. A receiver combines an amp and radio within one box.
Use a good chunk of your budget on the amplifier.
CD Player
CD Compact Disc player is the still the best selling solid media music format. To make the most of your shiny silver discs, invest in a quality player, it will make all the difference
Recording Media
Recording media is no longer just a tape deck you can add a recordable CD, hard disc, cassette and Minidisc recorders , whether you're archiving your recordings, recording live events or simply want to make your own compilations, its all ways a good ideal to have at least one recording media.
Speakers
Speakers take signal from your source units, via your amplifier, and spread sound around your chosen environment. They come in all shapes and sizes, from small and dinky bookshelves, or elegant floor standing, stick to a good make and you should be fine.
Tuner
A good quality tuner makes radio signals sound superb. DAB radio uses digital signals, rather than the traditional analogue, providing super clear, high quality reception, there of also the normal FM AM tuners which can also include RDS. RDS, standing for the Radio Data System, Most FM radio stations in the UK use RDS. Along with the audio, small amounts of text and data are transmitted with the radio signal, and can be picked up and processed by RDS radios . Such radio receivers can display this information. The information commonly transmitted is: Station Name. Programme Type, Travel Information. Radio Text. Enhanced Other Networks - Alternative Frequency. Time and Date..
Turntable
Whether you've got stacks of records, or a few, a turntable is a must. Warmer and mellower than CD, vinyl is still the audiophile's medium of choice, make sure that the amplifier you buy has an Phono (turntable) input, a turntable will not work via a normal aux input If that is all you have you would need to buy a preamp.
Interconnects...they're such an important variable in determining the sound of your system said What Hi-Fi? Sound and Vision magazine. Never sure I agree, they can be a way for retailers to make large profits, so dont go mad, buy good quality but not expensive.

Gold plated banana plugs and good quality speaker cable will make a difference to the performance of your speakers. Again dont go mad with spending loads of money.

Money saving hints and tips for buying in Ebay shops.

2010-07-28T20:01:00.003-07:00

A lot of this will be common knowledge for the more experienced ebayer, but still,maybe worth a read!

I've found over recent months, buying items on ebay is getting increasingly more expensive.

However, there are still a lot of bargains to be had! Also, the following advise could further increase your chance of saving.
Obviously, rule number one is SHOP AROUND!

Firstly, look for sellers who accept the payment method you want to use... not everyone accepts paypal, and strangely, not everyone will let you pay cash

Baltic Amber

2010-07-28T20:01:00.001-07:00

Caution must be used when bidding for Baltic Amber, as quite often it turns out to be Copal Amber, I have bought several lots from the US advertised as Baltic Amber, only to discover they are Copal, the sellers are usually on the offensive, and use the excuse that it must be Baltic Amber, as they have used the same suppliers for years.Even a novice amber buyer can perform some simple tests as outlined in other e bay amber guides, Baltic amber is much harder than Copal due to the vast age difference between them in some cases upwards of 40 million years, most true Baltic Amber is milky and pale under the crust. The warm
"amber" colour occurs first after it has been exposed to oxygen for
about a hundred years, jewelery producers can manipulate the Amber using heat and nitrogen to get the warm brown-reddish amber colour, which often also includes discs, called sunspangles, Copal Amber, is a much younger amber and still retains most of its oils, as a result Copal is much softer and more brittle, and does not polish up as well as Baltic does, and when heated smells like fresh resin, Baltic Amber has more of an incense smell (Borneo Amber has a much sweeter scent), Copal is usually transparent in a champagne colour, and can vary in age from a couple of thousand years to one million years.One final point regarding your Amber, it will not last forever, and over time will develop a thin crust due to oxygen ( Some Ambers from the Dominican Republic have crusts already after 10-20 years), It is possible to polish it, but in order to help abate the ageing process, your amber should be kept away from strong sunlight, and not be worn constantly, also it should be wrapped carefully away after use, I have some polished pieces in storage that have a light coating of linseed oil.

DVD Compatibility

2010-07-23T07:23:00.033-07:00

Region Restrictions

When DVD's were first developed, the world was split into "Regions", this was due to rights issues, and because of the staggered releases of films worldwide.

The Regions are as follows -Region 1: USA, Canada, US TerritoriesRegion 2: Japan, Europe, South Africa, Middle East (including Egypt)Region 3: Southeast Asia and East Asia (including Hong Kong)Region 4: Australia, New Zealand, Pacific Islands, Central America, Mexico, South America, CaribbeanRegion 5: Eastern Europe (Former USSR), Indian Subcontinent, Africa, North Korea, MongoliaRegion 6: ChinaRegion 7: ReservedRegion 8: Special International Venues (Planes, Ships etc)There are also Region Free DVD's which are sometimes called "Region 0"Some players can be modified via entering a code from the remote control, or others can be modified by 'chipping' the player to enable them to play DVD's from all Regions.PAL,NTSC and SECAM

Video on a DVD is stored in a digital format, but it is formatted for one of two incompatible televsion standards NTSC and PAL/SECAM.

This means that there are two different kinds of DVD's, those that are "NTSC" and those that are "PAL".

NTSC is the format used in the US, Canada, Japan, Mexico, the Philippines, Taiwan, South Korea and the Caribbean

PAL is the format used across most of Europe, parts of Africa, China, India, Australia, New Zealand and Israel

SECAM is used in France, and mostly countries with a French heritage.

Most players sold in PAL countries can play both kinds of discs, however, they may not be able to because of region restrictions.

For example, a European player (PAL, Region 2) will be able to play a Japanese disc (NTSC, Region 2), but not necessarily a US (NTSC, Region 1) disc.

These multi-standard (not multi-regional) players convert the NTSC Signal to a format known as 'pseudo-PAL', other players output pure NTSC pictures, and to watch these, you need a multi-standard TV (Most modern PAL TV's are).

Most NTSC players can't play PAL discs, A Japanese Region 2 player can't play a European Region 2 Disc, for example.

However, converters are available to carry out this task.

Pt 4 1998 More Old Country Roses Asian Backstamps

2010-07-23T07:23:00.031-07:00

(Part4 of a five part series)

(Ebay's limit is 10 pics per guide)

so, as it was not possible to put all the relevant photos in PART 1,please read this section after Part1, How to buy Old Country Roses - Royal Albert

As you look at the various photos on this page, you will notice that most of the Asian backstamps look very similar to the English backstamps and so to the unwary eye, it is easy to make a mistake.

Most important of all is that whenever you do not see the word ENGLAND on a backstamp, you can be surethe itemis Asian and most likely INDONESIAN.

According to various sources, Royal Doulton announced on December 20, 2002 that all Old Country Roses production would be transferred to their joint factory , distribution and marketing venture with the Multifortuna Group in Indonesia.

This is not entirely accurate as there are backstamps for product made in China with a 2003 copyright marking which proves that some productionwas transferred to China. Whether the Chinese factory is part of the Multifortuna Group is not yet confirmed.The copyright years found on asian produced OCR are 1962, 1998, 1999, 2002, 2003, 2004.

And of course, Royal Doulton was taken over by Waterford Wedgwood in January 2005. This is the sixth owner in the 44 years existance of Old Country Roses.

Particularly if you are looking for English produced OCR....make sure you check the backstamp carefully, many sellers do not think it important to mention the origin of manufacture in their description and so it is very often not in the description.

other guides in this series are:

Part 2/5 1973-1993 More Old Country Roses English Backstamps

Part 3/5 1993-2002 More Old Country Roses English Backstamps

Part 5/5 More Old Country Roses Factory Seconds Backstamps

Buying synths online..

2010-07-23T07:23:00.029-07:00

There are a few things you should be aware of when buying second hand synthesizers on ebay, for that matter not only on ebay but through the free ads, whether its loot, sound on sound or the plethoror of others available. As you're probably aware many of the synths listed are quite old, some dating from the 60's or earlier. Enviromental conditions take their toll on the internal components of the equipment. Even if externally the synth looks great, chances are that there are problems inside(though this is not always the case). Unfortunately sellers don't usually supply photos of the inards of their instruments and quite often report to never having opened them.. not always true! Oxidisation or rust, degradation of circuit boards(the obreheim 8 suffers terribly from this. As the seperate layers of the pcb slowly seperate, voltage leaking occurs, whichmeans MALFUNCTION). Bodge jobs : bad resoldering, broken trace bypasses. I can't remember the number offuses I've seen replaced with wire/aluminium foil. The list goes on. Keyboard contacts wear and cause intermittant loss of control. Sliders, switches and rotaries become worn. As well as the older synths the newer still suffer from all sorts of problems, a direct result of mass production sometimes means cheaper, inferiorquality components are used. ic's (intergrated circuits) fail, transformers, regulators, capacitors are all prone to damage. So its important to remember that at least when buying from a retailer new you have cover through the warranty supplied by themselves and usually extended through the manufacturer themselves. A security you will not often have whenbuying through auction. So with all that can go wrong and all the risks are there any reasons why you should actually buy one? Of course, there's plenty of equipment up for grabs at the right price and many honest, informed sellers, somethimes there really are bargins to be had.Ok so to minimise the risks of buying a rotting, rusting pile of junk.. Theres always a risk.. make sure your maximun bid is sufficently low to allow for repairs if nessecary, but high enough to actually get the thing(ok, a bit obvious that one) look for actual photos of the equipment, not grabs from vintage synth, turnkey or some similar site, google image search is a good source for synth imagery... Study it carefully, if something looks amiss or not as decribed, ask the seller a question. Do your research, what inherent problems do the synths have, what price should they go for roughly, how much whould it cost to get them fixed. The usual trader guidelines as always apply, watch for ratings, and actually scan through the feedback, what have they been buying, selling etc. see ebays help pages Make sure the seller packs the gear properly, there's nothing more annoying that getting adamaged (once perfectly working) synth in the post. Plus you'll have to go through the insurance process which can be drawn out sometimes and means one of the 2 of you will be out of pocket for a while. Obviously make sure the post is insured. If when delievred the packageIS damaged,take photos and mark the posties signature sheet with 'DAMAGED' or similar. Refusal of delivery may also be an option, depends on who's delivering. Hope this helps a little, do your research and dont let the bidding fever take control of your better sense. Most of all ,enjoy the synth when it arrives.

Address Checker

2010-07-23T07:23:00.027-07:00

This one is for the sellers. It is always worrying, both for you and your feedback reputation, sending a parcel to an unconfirmed address. If you are sending within the UK, go to the Royal Mail's website - www(dot)royalmail(dot)com. Click on Postcode checker / address finder. Sign up for free, and you can use this tool to enter the post code and verify the address. No more worries!See my Items for Sale

WARNING re fossils of chinese origin

2010-07-23T07:23:00.025-07:00

Please DO NOT buy fossils of chinese origin on e-bay. While I have no doubt thata fewmay be genuine it is illegal for a chinese citizen to export a fossil. It is NOT illegal to export a fake good and most sold on e-bay are indeed fake.

I stupidly purchaseda scorpion in "genuine baltic amber" - This is obviously a fake!

Ebay really must stop these chinese sellers. The genuine sellers goods are being swamped by fraudulent sellersand it is becoming increasingly difficult to find the real thing.

Most of the UK based sellers are totally genuine and I strongly recommend that you purchase of them!

yours sincerely,

John

Using a reward Chart for potty training

2010-07-23T07:23:00.023-07:00

USING A REWARD CHART FOR POTTY TRAINING.

It doesn't have to be hard work potty training your child. Begin potty
training when your child is ready, when YOU are ready and when you have
the time to be consistent and patient. You may find the warmer months
to be a good time to start potty training as your child will be wearing
less clothing and also consider holiday periods when you may have more
free time.

It may be a good idea to purchase a potty long before your child is
ready to potty train, so that when your child is ready, the potty is
not so alien to them. Also there are several childrens picture books
that you could also read to your child to introduce them to using a
potty.

OK, so your child is ready, you're ready and the time is right - great!

Your first main goal for potty training is to get your child to stay
dry during the day. Initially, at regular intervals during the day, ask
your child to sit on the potty. They don't need to stay on it for too
long, just for a few minutes. Each time they sit on the potty, and stay
sat for a reasonable amount of time (no more than a couple minutes)
reward them with a sticker on their chart. Use loads of praise, hugs
and kisses. Ask your child regularly if they need to go to the bathroom
and make sure you encourage them to tell you when they need to go. If
they ask to use the potty, even if they don't manage to go, to begin
with you could also reward them with a sticker.

Once your child is confident with sitting on the potty and regularly
asks to use the potty, you can then only reward them when they
successfully use the potty. Again give loads of praise and hugs, as
well as rewarding with a sticker. Now, you could also give them a
sticker to place on their potty or to stick on their jumper. Continue
rewarding with stickers until your child is confident with using the
potty.

PRAMAHOLICS! Anyone had as many as me??!?

2010-07-23T07:23:00.021-07:00

I love all these mums saying theyve had too many prams once they've reached 17-20 in total!

I've had over 200 in the past 3 years now, which if you work it out is2-3 prams every week!!

I've had just about every make from Jive to Bugaboo!!

I'd love to know what people think is the best one. For me it had to be the Bugaboo. I've come to the conclusion that you don't always get what you pay for with prams and pushchairs. Look at the Mothercare Jive for example. Cheap as chips and just fantastic! I'd never be without one!

Then theres the Quinny Zapp and Buzz. Pure pounds and yet total rubbish!!

Anyone else wish Mutsy baskets were bigger and that they prvided you with a manual on how to drive the dam things!??!

Anyway the search goes on for the perfect pushchair. Not got long before the little one will be walking so gotta get it done quick!

Gem xxx

WHAT SHOULD I SELL? Popular items on eBay

2010-07-23T07:23:00.019-07:00

WHAT SHOULD I SELL? Popular items and their sources...

There are various reasons that people start selling on ebay. Some people have a house full of stuff and are trying to make more room by selling off a few things they no longer need. Some have seen their friends having a great time buying and selling and want to join in. Some people start off with the idea that they will take advantage of this great business opportunity and start a new business, selling new stock, bought in specifically. But what to sell? The list is almost endless. People buy all sorts of things, from half empty packets of cigarettes to new yachts!

Depending on your own situation, and it would be silly of me to imagine that I could cover everyones situation in aguide like this one, you will have to read the following and decide which is the route for you. Despite the myriad things sold, there are only a few types of item sold on ebay. The types are very basic: Easily post-able, Not-so-easily post-able, and Collection only (The previous types come in NEW and USED varieties). Most items fall into these categories It doesnt matter what they actually are, its getting them to their buyer thats the issue! (Ebay have banned electronic delivery of non-physical items so postage or collection are your chioces.)

Choosing What Items to Sell.The first consideration, or biggest obstacle, when planning to sell an item on ebay is How much will it cost to get it to the buyer? Most items sold on ebay are sent by post, or by courier, to their destinations. If the cost of transportation (postage) is prohibitive, or more than the value of the item, then its usually a non-starter as a suitable item to sell on ebay. However, if the item can be shown to be worth collecting from your address (a concrete garden ornament or a vehicle for instance) and is reasonably portable, then even though you cannot post it, the item can be considered suitable, as you dont have to consider postage charges.

Another consideration is the profit to be made after the auction listing has been paid! If your item is only worth pennies, then it is hardly worth spending valuable time and money,spending around 25p on a listing when the item will be lucky to make 50p. If you want to make ebay worthwhile you have to aim at products that will reward the time and effort, not to mention the money, put in to selling those items.

Researching Your Planned ItemsIt is worth spending a fewminutes using the ebay search to check out your proposed items. If there are a good few entries and they are selling well (Look for number of bids) then it is likely that your item will also sell The trick then is to maximise your auctions appeal to get the best price. If there are hardly any items the same as yours and they sell well, there is an excellent opportunity of which you can take advantage. However, if there are very few on offer and they are not selling, leave it well alone Dont go thinking that the ten steps can sort out the lack of a market! As you go through your ebay life you will probably find yourself spending quite a bit of time researching what sells and what doesn't.

Other ItemsWorks of art, memorabilia and items that are intrinsically valuable are often worth listing because buyers will spend more than would normally be considered too much to have these items delivered.

Get rid of unwanted items.Even if you choose to specialise in a certain type of product, ebay is an excellent way of making profit from those items in your shed and in the attic that have been cluttering up your home for years. Just because you sell DVDs do not think that clearing the unwanted items from your house is below you, or that it would detract from your proper business. This is a potentially untapped resource that is just crying to become an entry in your profit column. In my trading times I have bought childrens toys from plate glass car dealers, videos from plant nurseries, and cherub wall pictures from the owner of Max-Gigabyte-PCs (Name changed).The wonderful thing about ebay is that it is a great leveller, and you must never lose sight of the fact that you can sell (almost) anything!

Buy stock in to sell?If you choose to, you can buy stock to sell on ebay from many sources. You will expect me to say wholesale warehouses and job lots off ebay. Of course they are the obvious ones, and you can get some excellent stock very cheaply that way. That is a great source for new items. Whilst that is one persons bread and butter it may turn another off. So where can you find a supply of stock, at reasonable prices, that will be suitable for tidying up and selling on ebay? There are many places, just be sure of your prices before you buy in too much stock at once. Its easy once you get the hang of it. For those who prefer to sell used items, the places we bought our stock from are as follows: Car-boot-sales, Jumble Sales, Antique Shops (Our first specific ebay buy-to-sell-on item was bought from an antique shop We made just over 500% profit). EBay is a great place to pick up things to sell (There are plenty of people who get no bids because their auctions look horrible! - Two lines of black on white, pictures from their mobile phone, and bad english to boot). Other sources include: techno-phobic friends and relatives, closing down sales, newspaper classified ads, supermarket notice boards, etc. The list is almost endless Wherever there are items going cheaply, or where there is a serious error in selling strategy, there is your ebay stock opportunity.

So what sells best...

If you look at the highest sellers and see what they're selling that's a good guide to what sells particularly well... Bear in mind also that there are two ways to make a fortune... Sell thousands of things with one pound proffit or sell a few things with thousands of pounds proffit! I can't tell you which way is 'best', just that both, and all points in-between, are viable options! It just depends on how many auctions or listings you like to have going at one time, and how much work you want to put into postage

Cables, Leads and Jack-plugs

2010-07-23T07:23:00.017-07:00

There are akmost as many different cables and leadsoffered retail aa there are guitars, and they are equally as diverse, both in type and quality. So , how do you know if the one you are buying is a good one?

Electric guitar pick-ups, no matter how powerful, give a tiny electrical impulse, which has to be carried to your amplifier before it will make any sound. It is necessary then to consider the cable that carries your signal first. All guitar leads use screened cable - that is,lead which has a centre element surrounded by another webbed shield or screen, which usually forms the other part of the circuit.The length of your lead,differing quality of materials used, both in the metals used for thecabling , the webbed-screen and the insulationitself all contribute toward how much of the original signal gets to your amplifier.If you are unable to find any written description of materials to help your choice, a good rule of thumb is choose the most flexible, soft cable you can find.Soft insulation costs more, generally, than the stiffer kind, and if the manufacturerchooses good quality outer insulation, then the chances are the rest of the materials used will also be of similarquality. Some manufacturers of leadhave their name printed along the length of their own custom madecable, such as 'planet waves', and if they are that proud of their product, it usually means it is ofgood quality. Others offer life time guarantees, such as 'Whirlwind'. Guaranteed it may be , but to actually try to get the guarantee honoured, the lead usually has to be returned to the manufacturer by the claimant,and the cost of postage is usually more than the cost of a replacement anyway !

Length of cable is also an important consideration. Your lead should be no longer than you need, as extra length means more of your guitar signal is lost before it reachesyour amp. I usually find I can mange these days on 3m cables for live work, but if you are more mobile, a 5m may be necessary. Never buy too short a cable for your needs as it will result in embarrassing live experiences. I now make a point of looping my cable through my strap to allow some slack before plugging it into my guitar to avoid standing on it and unplugging it in the middle of a solo!

Jack plugs are also a consideration.take special note of the way the cable emerges from the back of the plug, and how good a strainer is included, as this isthe usual place which causes cable failure. For the most part, I try to avoid moulded plugs, as, by definition, you cannot mend them if they break! I also have had bad experiences with metal 'spring' type strainers, which look very pretty until they stretch, but in fact seem to do nothing at all to protect the lead itself.

If you are handy with a soldering iron, or even if not, it is worth spending time occasionally learning how to mend those cables which have let you down. Good quality plugs are readily and cheaplyavailable if required, but usually the fault is one of the leads, either the centre cable or the screen, has become uinsoldered. When resoldered, the lead is good as new, and saves the cost of replacement - although some modern cables are made not to be resoldered without specialequipment.

My experience of 'radio' guitar connections has not been good as I have not used one yetwhichproduces a consistent sound, and quality systems are just too expensive.

Avoid those spiral 'telephone' extending leads. They are usually of poor quality, always stretch alarmingly, and have really cheap moulded plugs which last about as long as it takes to get home..

Finally, if your lead is noisy when it moves on the floor whenplugged in, then replace it. You willspend hours trying to trace the fault, and then will need to shorten it accordingly to discard the broken part.

How to deal with COMPLAINTS

2010-07-23T07:23:00.015-07:00

A short guide that may help you avoid problems and negatives..I will start with a rule: If a package arrives broken or damaged the buyer will 99/100 initially blame you and your packaging.Now this is mostly unfair as it is normally the "fault" of the carrier but the buyer knows you and your name and not the name of the bloke who threw a 11 kilo post sack on top of you parcel. Accept that your packaging always gets the blame and deal with it. It is best to always reply with a praise sandwich - you know good stuff - bad stuff - good stuff etc. Start by saying that you can appreciate how they feel and that you are sorry that the item was damaged.. Then explain that you packed the item well and that your feedback will demonstrate this. Maybe other similar items arrived ok that day/week. Gently remind them that once the item leaves your care then it is at the mercy of the carrier. End always by actively suggesting a way forward - it may be a claim with Royal Mail, it may be a replacement or a refund of sorts or it may be none of the above but lead the way to the next step. I would end with a "does that sound fair?" type ending - if you always leave them thinking they have the high ground you won't go too far wrong.If you buy something and it arrives broken then same thing kind of applies. Saying to a seller: "thanks for sending the book so quickly, unfortunately it arrived with no cover and the packaging was torn, is there anything that you can do?" is going to get a lot more results than " the book arrived in bits due to your poor wrapping..what are you going to do about it.."Try to speak in real language and do not default into so called "corporate speak" - ie "i write with reference to" - Ebay's advantage is that it is not the world of faceless corporations but real people speaking to real people so speak in emails as you would face to face. Be polite at all times, avoid any insult, try as best you can to turn the tables and imagine how you would feel if you were in their shoes (that is a cliche but really is helpful). If you get a negative don't immediately retaliate - if it is unfair then try and get them to withdraw it (this works well when new Ebayers use the feedback system to post a message that they should have sent by email - "item arrived broken"). Try and always rise above the situation and keep calm, give yourself the night to sleep on it if you get a rude and silly email. Good customer service is not taking it in the neck from all and sundry but being smart, keeping the perceived balance in favour of the customer, knowing your next move, steering transactions the way you want them to and - at times - swallowing pride and looking at the big picture. Rather than spend ages with a crazy who wants to argue, let them win, move on and spend the time making new customers. Always remember.. to know an Ebayer you have to walk a mile in their shoes. That way you will be a mile away from them and you will have their shoes (which you can sell).! Good luck and stay in the good zone.

tv aerial installations

2010-07-23T07:23:00.013-07:00

hi this is a basic guide to installing a tv aerial

firstly decide were u want to mount the aerial if its a loft installation the centre of the loft is the best place avoide pointing the aerial through brick walls .if this is not possible the aerial will need to be mounted out side .always try to avoid trees .raising the hieght of the aerial will not increase signal strength unless u can clear the obstruction . sometimes a better reception can be obtained by moving the aerial to one side .or below the tree canopy .and always think saftey when working at hieghts you will only fall once if u do not feel safe working at hieghts call a proffesional .they will have all the saftey equipment and tools to carry out the installation. i would just like to add some infomation about the equipment you decideto use. it is recommended that a wide band aerial should be used as when the digital switch over takes place some channel will be moved out of band.this applies to all distribution amplifiers as well which will need to be of wide band type. coaxial cable should be of double screened type. please visit my web site for more infomation, www.tvaerialsnorfolk.co.uk

ebays rules on swapping and final value fees

2010-07-23T07:23:00.011-07:00

is it me or do they make it up as they go along,i mean it used to be fine to swap a car on here,then they worked out they were loosing fvf,and got greedy,as they are today,it used to be customer first policy now its about lining thier pockets,and sending out pre written replys to all emails they recieve,it drives me absolutely mad to the extent i shut my account down before for over a year,and used the friday ad instead,this actually gave a much larger profit too!!here is an example for you of the losses to be had here,lol;EXAMPLE: 1)you list a childs teddy bear at 50p start and 50p postage. 2)you are charged around 20p to list if you have a gallery picture 35p 3)you will use your electric and phone line/broadband to ansswer questions 4) it sells last minute for 50p,you then get a 10-15p final value fee charged 5)if they pay via paypal you then have another fee on top of that to recieve payment! 6) so to sumarise you could have saved ;a walk to the post office or fuel cost to drive there about 15p in charges from ebay/paypal plus all your time listing and answering questions,just by putting it in the bin/charity shop/recycling centre box next time you were passing.With that i rest my case.hope this helps anyone,ive seen many adverts asking people to reply if they had a bad experience with ebay,so if you can relate,give me a vote!or you can always mail me of course if you feel stronly!

Postage Insurance - Are You Paying Extra For Nothing?

2010-07-23T07:23:00.009-07:00

A quick note about postal insurance - the FACTS:

Many people charge extra for postal insurance, and many are happy to pay - but are you really covered???

1st

Safeguarding Members ID's is not a License to Shill Bid

2010-07-23T07:23:00.007-07:00

Safeguarding Members ID's

Let me first say that I totally agree with eBay's new Safeguarding Members' IDs policy, because it stops fake second chance offers dead!

Sellers of high value items, like myself, suffer greatly from scammers sending out fake second chance offers to underbidders. The scammers had the underbidders' IDs from the items bid history, and could see just how much that person had bid. So it was pretty easy for them to send out a fake email which looked identical to eBay's own. Too many people have fallen foul of this, and enough of them, sellers and bidders alike, have complained about it that eBay have finally taken action.

This is a controversial decision which many think gives the seller greater scope for shill bidding. This simply isn't true.

In the new style bid history, there is a link to each bidders' bid history, showing their activity not just with the current seller, but with any seller. So if a seller is using a second account to push up the price, which is what shill bidding is all about, it will show. You can see how many times the bidder has bid on this seller's items, how many other sellers' items they have bid on, and other such information which was previously hard work to compile from the various searches available in Advanced Search.

In fact, a glance you can see the whole bidding activity of the bidder, and in far more detail than previously readily available. Coupled with eBay stopping private feedback, this actually reduces the scope for dodgy sellers to push prices up by shill bidding.

It has also been said by others that shill bidding is a "lesser" crime than fake second chance offers, as people who enter their maximum bid, and stick to it, can't be pushed higher by shill bidding. Where as with fake second chance offers, people have been ripped off for hundreds and even thousand of pounds. I'm not so sure I agree with this, but I do understand the sentiments.

So, with the bidder's identity hidden from general view, is it still possible to see if a seller is shill bidding, or getting a mate to regularly bid up their auctions? The answer is basically yes:

1) Using the link provided by eBay you can see how many different items and the number of sellers the bidder has bid on. If the bidder has only ever bid on one seller's auctions, but has bid on many different items, you can draw your own conclusion.

2) If a high value item is re-listed a good number of times, I would suspect the dodgy seller has "won" their own item in their efforts to push the price higher than genuine bidders are willing to pay. Remember there are a number of legitimate reasons why a seller has to re-list an item once or twice, so this isn't a hard and fast rule.

3) Common sense. Never underestimate your gut feeling.

Finally, not all sellers of 99p no reserve auctions are dodgy sellers; some of us use it as a sales pitch to generate more interest in our items :-)

Sean_CoolNess

BEWARE MAMA'S AND PAPA'S ZIKO

2010-07-23T07:23:00.005-07:00

Ipurchased a mama's and papa's ziko in mushy peas in august 2006.

First appearance i thought wonderful pushchair light weight , stylish dont let this desive you.

within 4 weeks of having pram problems start, i put my 8month old baby son in pushchair to go for a walk and to my complete horror the whole pram collapse on my son.On close inspection relised that the bolt keeping the frame together has completely fallen out and the frame colasped.

I contacted mamas and papas head office to be told that i would have to drive to my local store for the manager to inspect and they could not comment on the phone, so i drove the 1/2hr journey to my local store to be told that yes this was a manafacuter fault but no i could not have a refund.

Instead im told that they have been sent replacement bolts for the store to fit and ensured that it would not happen again if does i would be initialed to a full refund.

So to my complete horror on the 4th december 2006 (yes today) i get the pushchair out of my car and guess what yes the pram has again collapsed.

So again i contacted head office to be told the same thing , so i travel again to my local store expecting my full refund .

When i get there, there is no refund i get told that they now have to send the pushchair to head office for them to inspect and apparently i may not get my refund and to put the icing on the cake they now tell me that it will not be back in time for christmas.

mamas and papas its all name no quality , beware before you buy!!!!!!!!!!!!

SAAB 9-3 Air Con Compressor Fitting Guide AC A/C aircon

2010-07-23T07:23:00.003-07:00

Buy SAAB 93 A/C Compressors from 175.00 in our Ebay store. We have a vast selection of SAAB 93 Air Con Compressors, new, reconditioned and remanufactured.

Below is a fitting guide for your convenience - Please give us a positive vote if it proves useful.

When a failed SAAB 93 air conditioning compressor is replaced by a new 93 a/c compressor, it is so important to have the lubricant distributed evenly across the SAAB 9-3 air conditioning compressor and the SAAB 9-3 a/c system before engaging the system for the first time.

If this is overlooked and the SAAB 93 air con compressor is engaged immediately after is has been charged withrefrigerant, it may happen that all the oil in the SAAB 93 a/c compressor will be pushed out all at once while thereis no oil yet to enter the SAAB 93 air conditioning compressor on the other side. This is caused by the fact that it takes some time for the oil to spread across the system and mix with the refrigerant. Eventually the SAAB 93 ac compressormay be damaged because of a lack of lubrication during the first few minutes of operation.

This will of course be more problematic after the system has been flushed, this will mainly be thecase after the SAAB 93 air con compressor has suffered a catastrophic failure with metal particles from the SAAB 93 a/c compressor being spread across the entire system.

A rule of thumb guide when installing a new SAAB 93 air con compressor is to manually turn the 93 a/c compressor pulleyto make sure that the oil is distributed through the SAAB 93 air con compressor evenly. Experienced engineers willnormally turn the SAAB 93 ac compressor 1015 times to ensure that oil has been pushed around the system.

There is still more to do to prepare the SAAB 93 air con compressor, knowing and following the procedure will be ofgreat importance if a newly installed SAAB 93 air conditioning compressor should fail after a short period of time and within its warranty period. There is no bigger disappointment than having a warranty claim denied becausesomething as simple as the following procedure has been overlooked.

Generally new SAAB 93 a/c compressors are supplied charged with oil, but it is always recommended that youcheck this by draining the new SAAB 93 air con compressor to check the amount of oil in the SAAB 93 air conditioning compressor.

Then once you have removed the old SAAB 93 a/c compressor you should do the same again, empty the old SAAB 93 ac compressor of oil to see how much oil was in it and then fill the new SAAB 93 air con compressor with the same amount this is to avoid over charging the system with oil.

After this has been done and the SAAB 93 a/c compressor has been fitted, you do not engage the SAAB 93 air con compressor with the engine running until the following steps have been followed.

1, Open all air louvers at the dash board, 2, Start the engine and let it stabilise at idle speed 3, Set theblower at maximum speed, 4, Engage the SAAB 93 a/c system and operate it continuously for 2 minutes at below1500 rpm.

After the two minutes the SAAB 9-3 air con compressor oil will have distributed evenly throughout the SAAB 9-3 a/c system.

For all of your SAAB 9-3 Air Con Compressor Pumps and other SAAB Air Conditioning parts visit our Ebay Shop

Please click 'Yes' below so this guide can help others.

NIGERIAN SCAMMERS STILL AT IT!!!!

2010-07-23T07:23:00.001-07:00

THEY JUST WONT GIVE IT UP WILL THEY!!!??

I HAVE BEEN SELLING ON EBAY FOR OVER A YEAR NOW BUT HAVE RECENTLY SPLIT FROM MY PARTNER SO HAVE OPENED A NEW ACCOUNT AND HAVE STARTED SELLING ON MY OWN....I WAS LOOKING ON HERE TO SEE WHAT SORT OF PRICE I WOULD GET FOR MY PHONE AND JUST HAPPENED TO NOTICE THE GUIDES ABOUT THE NIGERIAN SCAMMERS.

I decided to put my phone on here anyway, listed it in the normal way, and just sat back and waited to watch the bids cum in! Less than 15 minutes later i recived a message from a member claiming to be a doctor in the US saying that he was in west africa doing medical research, and was interested in the phone for his personal use,(thats a new one, normally they are for his son with 1 leg who was in the army!!!) he went on to offer me 260 pounds and sed he would pay it into my paypal account!!! "suprise, suprise" asking for my email address and name and saying he would pay it in immediatley, telling me that if the offer wasnt good enough, that he would make me a better one. I thought i would mail him back and i warned him that i am aware of the nigerian scammers and knew not to send the item untill the funds had cleared to my bank...i gave him my email address and told him that if he was genuine then he wouldnt have any problems doing that...well what do you know....i got no response!!!

It bugs me that they try and pick on ppl whom they think are newbies, it puts the real new members right off Ebay altoghether!!!. I would like to encourage new and old members alike to stand up to this, as Ebay themselves dont seem to care, i have now warned on my listing that just because my feedback say's 0...dosent mean that i am new, nor infact stupid!!! I am gonna give this members user ID so that n e 1 reading who is thinkin of selling thier phone will know he is infact a fraudster...CARNESURE is his user ID.

One last thing....it seems to me as tho these ppl are more interested in SONY ERICSSONS than any other model of phone at the moment and they are putting in ridiculasly high bids at the last minute...infact yesterday i watched one go for 2,220 pounds!!!! Just be very aware if you want to sell your phone!!!!

THANKS FOR READING MY FIRST GUIDE!!!!!

How to Spot a Fake Replica Rolex Watch?

2010-07-23T07:22:00.033-07:00

How to Spot a Fake Replica Rolex Watch?

You can use a few approaches to identify a replica or fake Rolex, I list some methods below for your references. If you want to buy a genuine Rolex, you must ensure that the product you are getting is authenticate and not an elaborated copy.

Hologram Sticker: For a genuine Rolex you can notice a 3D hologram sticker on the caseback. For models after 2002, a Rolex crown can be viewed on the sticker, and it changes patterns when you see it from different angles. A replica usually has a sticker with Rolex printed on it, and it does not change color patterns when viewed from other angles.

Clear Caseback: A replica Rolex often has a clear caseback. You can easily identify it as a counterfeit, since the only clear caseback Rolex watches were non-production vintage ones in the 1930s. Some fake Rolex watches have opaque casebacks, but have engravings. Almost all genuine Rolex watches have an engraving-free smooth caseback(Exceptions are some ladies models before 1990s).

Tiny Crystal Crown: Only recently(after 2002), Rolex has introduced a tiny crown logo, etched onto the crystal at the area around the six o'clock direction. It is best seen with a magnifying device. Please note, this feature may not be applicable to all Rolex watches.

Too many feedback's,I can't read find all the neg/nuets

2010-07-23T07:22:00.032-07:00

When we joined ebay some sellers had so many feedbacks, it took ages to sort through them to find the negs and neuts, when we wanted to purchase something. We ended up not bothering to look for them, and yes you guessed it, we wish we had bothered, so hears you quick guide on how to find them quickly.

Firstly go onto the chosen sellers/buyers feedback, on the right hand side will be a drop down box, which consists of "last month", "last 6 months", "last 12 months". We usually choose the last 12 months, so we get a good look at all the feedback negs and neuts for the year. When you have decided how long you want to go back and view, hit the "go" button.

Now you will see on the left hand side of the feedback sections of Positives, Negatives, Neutrals, AND withdrawn feedback. Press on your desired choice, and there they all are.

Every neg, and response from the buyer seller can be viewed, all together. The same with neutrals etc....

So you will be able to see quite quickly if someone is not good at shipping for example, or most buyers have stated they are fake goods, or copies etc.

Many new people to ebay don't know this system is present, so don't get stung in future, check out your sellers and buyers.

Enjoy your buying and selling on ebay, it's all great if you take care.

Jewellery

2010-07-23T07:22:00.031-07:00

When buying a piece of jewellery, you need to read what is written and point out key areas and key facts, if these are missing then they are areas to pick up on and to question the seller about.

Belowis in terms of gold crt(carats)

9ct gold contains 37.5% pure gold (375 parts per thousand parts).

14ct gold contains 58.5% pre gold (585 parts per thousand parts).

18ct gold contains 75% pure gold (750 parts per thousand parts).

The rest of the jellewerys metal with be made with a combination of alloys.

2. The weight of the item. This is used wen refering to bracelets, and chains- mainly for men, it is an indecation of how heavy the jewellery is in ounces or grams. For a bracelet, for a man an ounce (33g) may be a good weight, and will be more expensive than 13g of gold or bracelet. The weight tells you how big and chunky and less delicate the item will be. High weight and low price can indicate that you need to look into why the item is cheap or not selling, one reason is plating.

3. Plating is where a base metal is used and then another more precious metal like gold is plated/ placed ontop, so it looks solid but is infact not all gold. This is great for expensive looking jewellery at cheaper prices, but will not be as strong or everlasting, plating can mean that after wear and tear the top layers rub off and the less precious metal is revealed.

4.Items may look expensive and chunky, and the weight may be missing, so question the weight or ask if it is hollow. Sometimes bracelet links are made to be hollow, the shape made out of gold or silver or whatever in what looks likea solid form, but this hollow link of metal will easily dent and will weigh alot less than solid links.

5. Hallmarks and stamps are used by the makers as a mark. This can be used to identify the item more closely.

For 9ct gold the stamp will normally be either the number 375, 9ct, 9kt or 9K.

For 14ct gold the stamp will normally be either the number 417, 14ct, 14kt or 14K.

For 18ct gold the stamp will normally be either the number 750, 18ct, 18kt or 18K.

6. When buying you need to know also the length or size, to know if it will fit that particular body part you want to add the jewellery to. Sometimes jewelers for a fee can make items bigger or smaller, in watches or bracelets, links can be removed and rings can be made smaller, so either get the exact size or something bigger- it is easier to take than add, although with rings, making the ring smaller can move or displace the clasps, diamonds or any design on the ring. Try to get measurements from the sellers and go to the jewellers or try tomeasure yourself the part of the body you are decorating. Takinga ring or piece of jewellery that fits perfectly to measure is usually a good idea.

7. The colour of the metal and the price. Rose, white and yellow gold should all be hallmarked, but the mark does not indecate the colour, so if not photographed, ask the colour. Silver and stainless steel will be the same as white gold, however white gold is usually more grey and denser looking. Rhodium metal is expensive and many white gold items will be rhodium plated, this plating of expensive metals with other expensive metals is to preserve. Titanium and platinum are also other jewellery metals. With titanium used mainly in body piercing jellewery with stainless steel.

8. Another thing to think about is that if buying for others, some people are allergic to some particular metals, gold and more expensive purer metals are better than nickle based cheap jewellery.

SUMMARY--

Think about price, value for money, the purity, the weight, how impressive on the eye, the metals used, how solid and strong and long lasting the item will be and you will be able to quicky and sufficiently bag a bargain.

Want more for your money- ask for your money, how much you getting in carats, ounces, precious metal, and is it hollow or plated. ALSO will it fit, suit and be suitable!!!

Happy bidding.

Building a DVD Collection

2010-07-23T07:22:00.029-07:00

So you want to build a DVD collection? Where do you begin? How do you manage it?

How do I build a DVD collection? Here is a very useful hint don't buy just new releases. Start buying titles that you may already have on VHS, these titles will generally be older films that are now quite cheap to buy on DVD. Studios are continually releasing their back catalogues onto DVD, with many now releasing movies onto DVD only! Another useful hint is not to buy a movie on the day of release unless you are absolutely desperate for it or it is being offered at fantastic 1st day only price.

Once you have started this process why not sell your VHS collection - this will give you more money to spend on DVDs. Note that when selling videos it may be more wise to either sell them individually on ebay or at a carboot as trade-in place such as Blockbusters may only offer you 0.20 each if they take them at all.

When buying make sure that you shop around, prices for a film can vary as much as 8 for a new release and more for older titles. Ebay is a great place to buy from, however check the other internet shops (play.com/amazon.co.uk/sendit.com etc) as well. When buying from an Ebayer make sure that you check their feed back and read the description carefully, a good guide to read isthis one on fake DVDs .

Fairly quickly your collection will go from just a handful of titles to 100 or so, so how do you manage it? There are a few ways you can manage it, you could write them in a pad, use 'word' to just list them, use 'excel' to catalogue them with other information or you could use a specific piece of software to manage them.

I started off by using 'excel' but as my collection grew this became harder and harder to manage, so I downloaded a piece of software called DVD Profiler (dvdprofiler.com). This software is free for the full version (with adverts, but can be upgraded to advert free version for a small one off price).

All you need to do is type in the barcode of the DVD title and it will download lots and lots of information on the film as well as the covers. The software allows you to manage who you have lent movies to, create reports/lists so you know what you have and also provides a useful web based backup service should you computer ever crash.

adam4985d0kr sells fake tops

2010-07-23T07:22:00.027-07:00

This seller supports every club going. If you enquire about Arsenal tops he's an arsenal fan and If you enquire about Tottenham tops he supports spurs. He has mates who work for nike,adidas etc. More like he buys them from asia and gets them drop shipped. Also most of the teams shirts he sells haven't even been launched yetHe is one of many who sells fake tops and surely ebay no about this and about the hundreds of sellers who do sell similar items. Do they do anything NO, and thats because it makes them a nice profit aswell.

GarageSale: best listing tool for Mac OS X / Macintosh

2010-07-23T07:22:00.025-07:00

If you're a Mac user, you'll probably know by now that Turbo Lister, eBay's bulk listing tool, is not for you. How frustrating is that? And if you think eBay is hard at work creating a Mac version of Turbo Lister, you're more likely to win the Lottery before that happens.

Here's what eBay says about Mac users on its Tools Finder page:

"The vast majority of eBay users are PC users and so eBay tools and off eBay tools tend to reflect that. At present that means that Mac users will not be able to download Turbo Lister as it is not compatible with Mac systems. We therefore recommend that you consider our suite of online tools, Selling Manager and Selling Manager Pro."

Well, that's clear enough. But, here's the thing: Selling Manager and Selling Manager Pro are not alternatives to Turbo Lister. It's like comparing apples with pears, but understandable because it's in eBay's commercial interests to offer its own products to the Mac community. What eBay doesn't offer is an independent third-party product that works like Turbo Lister. There is one that works beautifully in Mac OS X, and it's called GarageSale.

Straight off, let me say I don't have any business interests with the creators of GarageSale. I'm recommending it to Mac users because I'm a long-time Mac user who eventually chanced on the product, tried the free demo, liked it (loved it!), bought the licence, and now use it for all my online and offline eBay listings whether it's 1 or 100 items at a time.

GarageSale is fully compatible with eBay.co.uk, works in GBP (), is fully integrated with iPhoto, has a scheduler, an abundance of design templates, an HTML editor . . . and much, much more. The developers, based in Germany, are active in releasing free updates, and in responding to users' queries posted on the GarageSale forum. It's an evolving product, and the developers keep it up-to-date with the ever-changing developments at eBay. Once you've used it, you'll never go back to using the oh-so-slow-and-tedious eBay listing pages.

Here's the sales pitch for GarageSale from the developer's website:

"Are you sick and tired of creating auctions using eBay's slow web site? Have you been waiting patiently for a quality, affordable listing utility for the Mac OS for years? Here comes your deliverance: Ladies and Gentlemen, we're pleased to announce the arrival of GarageSale. (Your auction experience is about to change for the better...)

"GarageSale is a slick, full-featured client application for the eBay online auction system. With GarageSale Mac OS X users can finally compose eye-catching auctions quickly using an intuitive Mac-like interface. (And in the fraction of the time it would take to do it on eBay's web interface.) Not only this, but GarageSale also integrates perfectly with iPhoto, offers WYSIWYG text editing and comes with over 50 free design templates.

"GarageSale is now Intel-ready! You can now run GarageSale natively on your new Intel-Mac, tapping into the power and speed of the Intel Duo Core processor."

TRY IT OUT

Links are not allowed outside of eBay, so you will need to copy and paste these, remembering to insert www. at the front:

The developers' website, where you can download GarageSale (demo and full versions), and take a product tour:
iwascoding.com/GarageSale/

The online GarageSale manual:
iwascoding.com/mediawiki/index.php/Main_Page

COSTS

You can buy the GarageSale licence:

At the developers' website (US $29.99 / approximately 15.50) see link above.
Through the developers' Buy-It-Now listing on eBay ( US $43.39 / approximately 22.16) run a search for "GarageSale".

High Positive Feedback But Still a SCAM

2010-07-23T07:22:00.023-07:00

Scammers are sadly a common problem on eBay.Recently there has been a new wave of more clever scammers.A bold statement i know, however, true never the less.Im sure your wondering, "what makes them so clever?"Well, it seems that these scammers are buying into high feedback accounts in the hope to gain trust of the buyer, ultimately resulting in loss of payment.These accounts are being sold for large sums of money, accounts with a heatlhy number of positive feedback, which are then being used to scam.There was once a time where a user with high positive feedback rating, was one that could be easily trusted, but with the age of bulk selling, power selling and massive foriegn importers, building up a high feedback is easy thus resulting in the sale of thier account [knowing full well building up another account would not be troublesome for them]You're probably wondering now, "this is a guide, so where is the guidance?"To spot this new age scam, it is wise to check the users recent feedback, noting down thier feedback rating would not suffice, instead view their last 5-10 feedback left, try to spot a pattern with the dates recieved.Many of the high volume sellers will have recieved thier feedback one soon after the other. Therefore if you notice a gap from their last positive feedback to the date of the listing your interested in [in some cases upto 3months without feedback, then suddenly, a top of the range mobile phone listed at an unbeatable price] then that user had most likely bought into this account thus a scam.Now im sure this guide would not appeal to those honest ebay users that simply dont sell every day of every month, as im pretty much branding them as scammers, but please use your initiative.If the item for sale is too good to be true, and they have high feedback, CHECK IT, see if the is a gap between, what looks like alot of feedback, and the time of listing. If the gap is large, then beware.Good luck and happy eBay'ingCheck out my other guides, they might help you.

Scammed for 550 Pounds on e bay! dont be fooled!

2010-07-23T07:22:00.021-07:00

hi, i was scammed for this auction - "Asus W2c Laptop/Notebook (DVD/RW, 2GHZ, Centrino More (8799088417)"for the value of a total of 550 pounds, e bay confirmed the auction as i asked them prior to bidding and paying, 2 days after paying e bay tells me that it might be unsafe! i lost my money and didnt get the laptop i bid for! the seller insisted on a bank transfer, which i did, as i didnt use paypal, e bay will not cover me for 550 pounds, i think this is very unfair, e bay should not allow payment methjods for which they do not offer some form of full cover, after all, e bay makes a LOT of money! i have been on e bay for a long time and have a feedback of 69 as of now, i am checking my legal standing at the moment to take the necesary action to recover my hard earned cash. all i want is my money back or my laptop that i bid for! 2/3 other buyers were also scammed for 700 pounds! i go as sanj_g on e bay, if anyone has been scammed by this seller, please contact me via e bay. I AM DISSAPPOINTED WITH THE E BAY SUPPORT - I SAW A SIMILAR LISTING RECENTLY, I AM WONDERING IF THIS SCAMMER KEEPS STEALING ACCOUNTS OR CREATING NEW ACCOUNTS AND IS STILL SCAMMING ON E BAY! BE WARNED!

Buying genuine Disney DVDs

2010-07-23T07:22:00.019-07:00

I have been on ebay for over four years now and I am sick to death with the amount of fake Disney DVDs that are on ebay. I only sell 100% genuine Disney DVDs. If you are buying a Disney DVD, please bare the following in mind:

if the seller says that it is an import, it means that it is a fake.
if the seller says 'email me if you are not sure what I am selling', he means that it is a fake.
if the seller says that it is Region 0/will play on any DVD player, it is a fake.
if it does not have the Mickey Mouse hologram on the back or the spine, it is a fake.

I would estimate that about 80% - 90% of Disney DVDs on ebay are fake. I am a father and collect Disney DVDs for my young son so I am in the same boat as most of the ebayers that buy Disney DVDs which is why I have taken the time to write this guide.

If you are going to buy a Disney DVD, please make sure that:

it is Region 2.
it has the Mickey Mouse hologram on the back or the spine of the DVD case.
it has the green triangle with a 'U' inside it, on the front cover (normally in the bottom left hand corner).

Finally, check the seller's feedback. This is not a guarentee of buying a geniune Disney DVD as I have seen plenty of sellers that have good feedback despite selling fake DVDs. However, it may highlight some questionable sellers.

All the best.

Dax

Buying Guide: Real Leather Sofas

2010-07-23T07:22:00.017-07:00

Adding a real leather sofa and chairs to your living room can bring great style, if you choose carefully.

Real LeatherDo you want a sofa made from real cow leather?

If you do, then take care to read eBay offers, otherwise you could make an expensive mistake. There are plenty sofas and chairs for sale on eBay which may appear to be real leather, but are described as: like leather, leather style or faux-leather. These chairs are not made from real cow leather at all, but often from cheap PVC.

To find sofas and chair made from real leather, use search terms such as real leather or black real leather sofa, but still read the offers very carefully, because some sellers will have the words like: real leather, in their titles to try and mislead the eBay search engine.

Look for known brands such as Lazy Dog or others that you know.

What Size?Identifying what you like can be fairly simple.

Check the measurements quoted in the offer. If the offer doesnt show the width, depth or height of the chair, then send a query to the seller for more details.

When you have the measurements to hand, you can check the space in your living room to make sure they will fit.

Just as important, is deciding whether a large two or three seater sofa will fit through the living room door, or round awkward corners. The last thing you will want, is furniture stuck round a corner or finding it is impossible to put the sofas where you want.

Shipment

Tempur Alternative

2010-07-23T07:22:00.015-07:00

Its easy to buy a cheap Tempur stylemattress on eBay no matter how much you pay for it! Surelythe art is to buy a quality Tempur stylemattress at a cheap price, what are the odds of that happening??? (Please check our feedback to find the answer).

I receive several emails a day asking me what the difference isbetween a genuine Tempur

UK guide - Postage Charges - When is it excessive?

2010-07-23T07:22:00.013-07:00

Sometimes when you're bidding on an item, you think to yourself...
Are you paying too much?

There are several things to consider when looking at postage and packing (or shipping and handling) costs.

If you're buying an item, the P

Auctions getting cancelled because the Word CASH in des

2010-07-23T07:22:00.011-07:00

Just a quick note to say DONT mention the word CASH in your description, title or payment instructions because it will get cancelled by e-bay??? why you ask?. e-bay say its because "Sellers may not solicit buyers to mail cash". Utter nonsense yes ok its not safe to send cash but if you send CASH by recorded or special delivery then its safe! I listed my items but i put cash accepted because i sell a lot of cars and expensive car items so people like to collect and pay cash, but e-bay never contacted me and gave me a chance to explain my WORDING they just cancelled all my auctions and now i have to do them all again. Perhaps e-bay should concentrate on running paypal properly instead of worrying about petty matters thats where the big problems lye.

Dye Sublimation Printing and what it is all about

2010-07-23T07:22:00.009-07:00

Dye Sublimation and what it is

I have writen this guide to try and help people understand better the process known as Dye sublimation.

It is basically speaking a process where a solid turns to a gas without the transition of liquid.

When printed onto Sublimation paper, Sublimation ink allows for very high quality printing using a heat press, substrates that are polymer based or coated or polyester material.

Given the correct amount of heat, pressure and time you will be left with beautifully printed items, that dont fade or wash out.

Ie, when pressing a mug which has been polymer coated you can run your finger over the image and you wont be able to feel it, this is because the ink has turned to gas when heated, the pores of the polymer coating have open and the gas fills the pores, when cooled the pores close trapping the image behind it, hence it becomes part of the coating.

I get asked all the time about sublimation paper (I sell it), can I use normal ink on this paper to produce heat transfers. NO !!, you need to use Sublimation inks , Artanium UV inks designed for sublimation printing, normal dye inks will not work.

When printing to items that are not polymer coated or polyester based the results will be far lower than that of ones that are.

IE: if you print onto a 50/50 poly/cotton mix shirt the result will be one of very faded poor quality print, you should use a polyester micro weave cotton shirt designed for sublimation printing for great results.

The short of it all is a simple (ish) process which consists5 stages.

Print transfer (using sublimation ink and paper)

Cut transfer

Heat tape tanfser to substrate (mug etc)

place in heat press for desired time (mugs 180c for approx 3-3.5 mins)

remove item and transfer

What you should be left with is a beautiful item with crisp images and bright colours.

I know this guide probably dosent cover everything but it really designed to help all those who dont know what Dye Sublimation is.

Many thanks for taking the time to read this guide and if you have any questions or comment please contact me and I will do my utmost to answer them or include any imformation given in this guide.

Regards

The MoneyMan

Beware Of Fake Jade

2010-07-23T07:22:00.007-07:00

A Brief Introduction To Spotting Fake Jade

Firstly it is important to realise that with Jade, even if you are in a shop and touching it, is very difficult to tell the genuine from the fake. Some cheap resins can almost perfectly imitate Jade and even feel cool to the touch.

Obviously buying Jade online is a risky business especially if it is being shipped from China. Ebay has excellent anti-fraud procedures in place but realistically cannot cater for all eventualities.

Another difficulty may arise because the word Jade, in China, not only refers to Nephrite and Jadeite, (which we tend to think of as true Jade), but also to Green Serpentine and Soapstone. These can look similar to and closely resemble Jade. Even if you receive a certificate of authenticity from an overseas Jade supplier and you can prove the item to be Soapstone the supplier may well have the law on their side if Soapstone is commonly referred to as Jade in that country.

Additional names to bear in mind which may cause confusion would be - Korean Jade referring to Serpentine, (Bowenite).- Transvaal Jade referring to Green Hydrogrossular Garnet.- Oregon Jade referring to green Chalcedony.- Indian Jade referring to Aventurine.- Amazon Jade" referring to Amazonite which can be turquoise or green feldspar.- Mexican Jade referring to green (dyed) Calcite.

There are others so be careful.

In addition actual Jade, (the real stuff ok?), varies greatly in quality. It's beyond the scope of this article but the actual buying of true Jade in Burma is a fascinating, (at least to me), and risky business for dealers. Low quality Jade can be stained to make it look more valuable.

Real Jade Is Not Cheap.

There are tests that can be done but common sense tells us that it is virtually impossible to test an object until you receive it and by then a dodgy dealer will have disappeard anyway. What are the tests? Well, one is a density test the other is a hardness test. Both are difficult for the untrained without the correct apparatus to perform.

The scratching, (hardness) test is the one usually performed. If Nephrite jade is scratched very hard with a steel object it can leave a mark in the softer stones. Jade is hard and will pass this test easily. Try to use a rounded steel and do not dig into the surface. You can see even this test requires a certain amount of expertise and a "feel" for Jade. Both types of true Jade, (Jadeite and Nephrite), are hard stones that do not chip easily.

Jadeite is the more rare and therefore the most expensive. It is mainly found in Burma with a few deposits in Guatemala and a few other areas. It occurs in many colours including green, white, yellow, black, red and even lavender. There are moree colours. Translucent emarald green Jadeite which is evenly coloured is called Imperial Jade.

Nephrite does not have as many colours as Jadeite. THe green hues are often more subdued than in Jadeite. It is also not as hard as Jadeite. Because of this it is not possible to finish a piece to such a high polish.

This is just a brief introduction to Jade. Be careful. If you like a piece of "Jade" and it is reasonably priced then buy it for what it is. If you are spending a lot of money then find yourself someone who knows about Jade and how to source the real thing.

Good Jade Hunting.

Ade

Hacked / Fake sized Mp4 Players

2010-07-23T07:22:00.005-07:00

Its Christmas 2006 and you are thinking what to buy for your loved ones, and what better to buy than something electrical and new...you could buy an Mp3 player, but they are old hat now, however you could buy one of the new Mp4 Players which not only displays sound, but movies and pictures too!! Sounds great doesnt it...and you wouldnt be wrong. They are an amazing present, however a word of warning to you...

On ebay hundreds of these are being sold every day, some are great, however some are not all that they seem. Hacked Mp4 players are sold on ebay all the time and whats worse getting positive feedback as people do not realise what these are.

Hacked (or sometimes refered to as fake) Mp4 players are basically a scam. They are sold as 4Gb players, but sometimes they only holdas much as 1Gb or less really. A tell tale sign is if the instructions say NOT to format the disc, this is because it shows the true size of the player.

A common problem is with the lookalike ipod nano (not the real ipods, they are fine) I bought one of these from Hong Kong and recieved 2Gb not 4Gb and no way to resolve this and huge disappointment. However I did only pay 30.00, so at this even a 2Gb one is good I suppose.

If you buy one my advise is to look at the samsung processor number and google it to make sure what you have recieved is the real thing that you paid for, and if there is a problem query it.

Also DO NOT leave feedback until you have checked this, if you do you have next to no way of getting your money back.

AND MOST OF ALL DO NOT PAY BY ANY MEANS OTHER THAN PAYPAL. Its the safest and securest way and you can claim your money back through it even if your seller is a pain.

On a side note, those saying this guideis not helpful are probably those selling hacked Mp4 players!

Having said all this, most Mp4 players sold on ebaydo not have this problem and soebay is a great place to shop for Chrismas.

But please do your research and check your sellers feedback thoughrouly, this wayyou will have no problems or disappointmentswhat so ever.

Lifan LF125 - 30

2010-07-23T07:22:00.003-07:00

Just thought I would pop a quick review up on these as I have just brought one, it goes well, Rev Counter is a little tempramental, as is the gear display !! but hey its cheap what do you expect !!! as far as ridability goes, its a reasonable machine accelerates well, is relatively quick for a big heavy bike. If you want something that looks the business then your not going to go far wrong, this is the sort of bike that looks and sounds like a big bike but is only a 125 so learner leagal. Aprilla's go faster and look better but also cost 4 times as much !!!! All I can say is if your starting on a budget and once something thats ok then you probably wont go far wrong. I will post more thoughts the longer I own it !!!!

Had it 4 months now, everything still works well, i have done 2,000kms on it and it hasnt missed a beat, I have to keep tightening the chain, dont know if thats normal or not !! i have put it through a few knocks, and had to replace a few bits of fairing, they are readily available and easy to order over the net through Llexeter. All in all I am happy with the way the bike is performing.

not got good news after 11 months the engine has blown and i am have a real struggle with the company i got the bike from, they claim an engine going is not covered by a warrenty ???

wwe tickets

2010-07-23T07:22:00.001-07:00

i am disgusted that there are sellers out there selling wwe raw/smackdown tickets here on ebay way above the face value having recently bought wwe raw tickets for earls court london on the 23/04/2007 and thats block 1 row a the best there is that only cost me 133.60 and you people are selling them for over 300 i think you guys are rip offs so if people are thinking about buying from these money grabbers think again and for those selling them if you are not going DONT BUY TICKETS!!!!!! give other people a chance who can afford it andnot pay those STUPID PRICES that they cant... just another thought u PAY for these tickets now but you wont receive them until up to 10 days before the show...also people who have children who really want to see the WWE SHOW like my son for instance can only AFFORD THE FACE VALUE not 3xtimes the amount

Your Mobile Phone's IMEI Number

2010-07-22T04:23:00.035-07:00

What is an IMEI number?IMEI number or International Mobile Equipment Identity is the unique serial number of every GSM or UMTS mobile phone. The IMEI number is used by networks/service providers to identify valid phones and block stolen or blacklisted phones from accessing the network. The IMEI number of a mobile phone can also be used to retrieve the unique unlock code for that phone. An IMEI number is either 15 or 17 digits long.How do you find your mobile phone's IMEI number?

Method 1: It is usually found printed on the phone underneath the battery

Method 2:

Switch on your phone with or without any SIM cardType *#06# on your mobile phoneYour mobile phone will automatically display a 15 or 17 digit number. This number is your mobile phone's IMEI NumberHow do you check to see if an IMEI number is correct?

You can use this website to check the validity of IMEI numbers: http://www.numberingplans.com/?page=analysis

High Alert- The Western Union Scam - Look Now Be Aware!

2010-07-22T04:23:00.033-07:00

The Western Union Scam This scam is becoming one of the most common scams used by scammers and very closely resembles the Romanian Laptop Scam already found on this site. Essentially, a Western Union scam is any scam that takes place using the Western Union method of payment. Most commonly, there is a situation where a buyer pays for something via Western Union, and then never receives what was paid for; or the buyer pays for an item via Western Union, and then receives an item of a value far lower than what was actually paid for. For Example: Buyer pays for a brand new laptop valued at 1000. Buyer never receives laptop. Buyer pays for a brand new laptop valued at 1000. Buyer receives an old, used, 100 laptop. ScamsOnEbay.com has nothing against the Western Union service, it is just not supposed to be used for online purchases from unknown sellers. If you visit the Western Union website, it clearly states Western Union is NOT to be used for sending money to people you don't know. The Scam Itself: Please note this scam takes a various number of forms for a wide variety of items. Just because it does not match exactly your transaction or potential transaction, does not mean it is not the same scam. In other words, avoid any scams the resembling the following MO (situation). Buyer finds an item at a price far lower that what would actually be paid for that item. The buyer either finds this item on an ebay auction, or on a website, or most commonly, they are contacted by another ebayer after placing a bid on similar items. In such a situation the buyer usually receives an email with the following format: I am a such and such (respectable ebay seller, owner of a small company, wholesaler, etc.) I noticed you bid on a some item on ebay (this can be anything from a laptop, to a keyboard, to a guitar, to Disney World tickets... Basically it can be anything priced over 10) I can sell you said item, for a price far lower than retail (or any price lower than what you would normally pay). Note: some sellers do ask the retail price for the item, so just because they are asking retail price, does not mean they are not a crook. It is just more common for them to offer a lower price, because they can attract more potential victims. I can only accept money via Western Union money transfer, however I can provide you with a shipment tracking number to ensure you, that I have sent your item. (This is just a way to may victims feel safe before sending their money; the tracking number is usually fake, yet it appears to be real.) Note: Sometimes thieves do provide real tracking numbers and may even be willing to "ship" your item before they get their money. In such scenarios the thief is likely sending an empty box, or an item worth far less than what was paid for (IE a 1.00 brass chain instead of a 1000.00 24K gold necklace). Buyer shows interest in the item, thinks the deal is too good to pass up, and asks for more information on how to complete the transaction. The scammer knows the victim is already interested because they were already bidding on similar items on ebay. The seller tells the buyer to send the money via Western Union, the seller then asks for the Western Union MTCN # or the money transfer number (this is basically a number that gives the thief access the money). Once the thief has the MTCN or money transfer number, he/she can pick up the money at any Western Union worldwide and disappear. The buyer has paid, but the item that was paid for will never be sent. Further Information About Western Union In case you haven't understood the meaning behind this article, allow me to spell it out for you.
WHEN BUYING ONLINE NEVER PAY WITH WESTERN UNION! THAT MEANS NEVER NOT UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES!