History and Traditions of Leap Year

Well folks, today is Leap Day, February 29, 2012. My cousin's mom (yes, I know technically she'd be an aunt, but since she and my Uncle divorced I think it's simpler to say my cousin's mom) but I digress....the point I started to make is that my cousin's mom was born on Leap Day. I've always found that extremely cool that one year a day exists and for three other years its as if the day vanished into the ether. It got me wondering how Leap Year came to be and if there were any special traditions or superstitions regarding that day (aside from aging more slowly then your contemporaries.) I believe my ex-aunt is technically younger then my cousins.

So here's what my super sleuthing skills came up with:

• A leap year consists of 366 days as opposed to our usual 365. (mad math skills)
• Leap Years occur about every four years but special criteria must be met.
• The year is evenly divisible by 4;
• If the year can be evenly divided by 100, it is NOT a leap year, unless;
• The year is also evenly divisible by 400. Then it is a leap year.
• Due to the Earth's rotation if we didn't add an extra day every 4 or so years we'd lose six hours a year and after 100 years our calendar would be off over 20 days.
  
• Julius Caesar invented the leap year but his criteria was only that the year be divided by 4.
• Also, traditionally mens' and womens' roles reverse on this day and women can propose marriage to men. If the man turns her down he is expected to pay a penalty and give her a new gown or 12 pairs of gloves to hide the shame of no engagement ring on her hand.
• Leap Year and this tradition are also where we (in the USA) get the tradition of February Sadie Hawkins dances where the woman asks the man.
  

According to the Guinness Book of Records, the only verified example of a family producing three consecutive generations born on February 29 is that of the Keogh family.

Peter Anthony was born in Ireland on February 29, 1940, while his son Peter Eric was born on the Leap Day in the United Kingdom (UK) in 1964. His daughter, Bethany Wealth, was, in turn, born in the UK on February 29, 1996. (timeanddate.com)

A Norwegian family named Henriksen from Andenes holds the official record of number of children born on February 29. Mrs. Karin Henriksen gave birth to 3 children on consecutive February 29; her daughter Heidi in 1960 and her sons Olav and Leif-Martin in 1964 and 1968 respectively.(timeanddate.com)

Hope that thirst for information has been quenched but if not check back...you never know what my eclectic brain will uncover.

About Estate Sales and Liquidations

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Here’s What We Offer: • FREE appointment/consultation to discuss the best means of liquidating your personal property. There are a variety of ways to liquidate personal property, aside from the traditional on-site estate sale. Let us explore the options with you. • FREE appraisal/evaluation of items by a certified and experienced appraiser should you choose our firm to liquidate your property. (Written appraisals for tax/estate/donation purposes are available on a separate fee schedule.) • FREE advertising of your estate sale in a variety of venues. (Antique News Publications, Local Newspapers, and Online Ad Services such as Craigslist, Fogster and Ebay.) • FREE promotion, we promote your sale on our website in addition to advertising. We also prominently place signs guiding people to the sale. • FREE credit card processing. Sometimes, a sale would be lost if the customer couldn’t pay with a credit card. We never want our clients to lose a sale due to their inability to accept all types of payment. Our company absorbs the high cost of credit card processing and you benefit from increased sales. • Event hotline and email newsletter: We have a number where the public may call to ascertain information on our upcoming sales and we also regularly send out information in our online newsletter and daily blog. • We work on commission. It is in both our best interests to garner the maximum prices for your merchandise while still maintaining its salability. • We will sell everything possible from the muffin papers in the kitchen cabinet to the family car in the garage. • We conduct on-site or online estate sales. Sometimes due to inclement weather it would better serve our clients to have an online estate sale. (Ask us for our flyer detailing both.) • We give you a clear list letting you know which items sold and for how much and you’ll have your check by Certified Mail within 14 days of the close of the sale. • Items not sold, if salable will be picked up and donated to a local charity. • Broom-Clean, we will leave your home clean and free of debris generated from the sale. If you require additional removal or clean-out of non-salable items we offer clean-out services.

Antique Victorian Meerschaum Pipe French Carved Woman Leather Case JF Paris

This is a breathtaking antique meerschaum pipe. It comes in its original lined case. The interior of the case is marked with a cherub and JF Paris. The case is is scuffed on the exterior but is solid and sturdy. It measures about 5 1/2". The pipe itself has discolored from years of tobacco use but is absolutely gorgeous. It measures about 3 1/4" from the bowl to the end of the screw edge. There is no mouthpiece.

The Do's and Don'ts Before Downsizing or Liquidating an Estate

Do’s and Don’ts Before An Estate Sale

• DO NOT, DO NOT throw anything away. Even if you think that old Hershey’s chocolate box holding dad’s nails in the garage is nothing but rubbish, LEAVE IT BE!!! You would be surprised at how many times we’ve had a buyer come looking for a specific item only to be told by the owner that it had been thrown out. Please do not clean or throw out anything. We are professionals and know what buyers are looking for as well as how to best clean and present the items to potential buyers.
• Do NOT sell anything prior to the estate sale or have your own yard sale without first consulting with an appraiser. We are professionals and know which items are valuable and which are not. We can liquidate the entire contents of the home quickly and efficiently without the emotional strain placed on the owners/family.
• Do NOT sell piece-meal to dealers. When doing this it allows the best pieces to go before the sale opens leaving the less desirable objects behind. This will deter buyers from even looking.
• Do Cover the property with insurance.
• Do tell friends and family about the sale and the dates available for shopping. If two or more family members want the same item leave it in the sale. The family member that wants it the most will purchase it from the sale and eliminate all of the fighting.

A Letter To Our Appraiser

Dear Amanda,

I want to thank you for serving as our “celebrity guest” and liaison with the KMAX T.V. Crew during our 44th Annual Christmas Arts and Crafts Fair on Historic Sutter Street in Folsom on December 5th. Countless shoppers and collectors were made... aware of our event as a result of your live broadcast the day of the event. You were very gracious setting aside the time from your busy schedule and arriving at any early hour!

We certainly look forward to visits from you at future events.

cc: Jim Snook, President, Board of Directors, Folsom Historic District Association



Shannon Cheyne, Manager, Folsom Historic District Association

Sincerely,

Carole Berry, Event Coordinator
Folsom Historic District Association

A Tip About Antique Glass

Something I was just reminded of in an unpleasant way!!! Glass is fragile and does not handle extremes in temperature change very well. Many people store their fine china or crystal and pull it out for use around the holidays. Before unpacking glass or china that has been stored in a cold environment be sure to let it warm up before handling or washing it. The change between cold glass and warm wash water can lead to a disaster.

Jewish Bridal Belt

An interesting appraisal that came across my desk. It is estimated that a group of wealthy Jews immigrated to Yemen in approximately 629 BCE. There relationship with the Arab world, and their traditions are different then any other Jews in the rest of the world. The Yemenite Jews faced times of equality with the rulers of Yemen as well as times of oppression. There are still Yemenite Jews today although the populace is much smaller then it was prior to the formation of the State of Israel and the Jewish immigration of the 1950's. The Yemenite Jews passed along some of their arts and crafts to the Israeli Jews but many of the Yemenite traditions have been lost over time. The Yemenite Jews were unique in that they manufactured and crafted their jewelry and religious artifacts themselves and often times from raw materials they themselves made. The Yemenite Jews were the leaders in the arts and crafts industry. Almost all jewelry in Yemen was made by Jewish artisans. It was against several Muslim rules for the Jewish people to have better items then their Muslim counterparts. Therefore the Jewish people of Yemen adopted a look a faux poverty. The exception to this was in the elaborate jewelry worn by Jewish women. Since the Jewish people were the ones making the jewelry they made exceptional pieces for themselves particularly bridal jewelry.

The item being appraised was a Jewish bridal belt possibly from Yemen. Circa late 1800's. It was common for the Yemenite Jews to make jewelry out of silver with gilt accents. I would suspect this is made of silver with gilt accents, but it is difficult to tell without seeing the item in person. Yemenite Jews were plainly dressed with the exception of brides and new mothers. Both women were allowed to wear exceptional jewelry on those occasions. The Yemenite Jews were exceptional craftsmen as evidenced by the surviving 19th century jewelry. This belt is elaborate in both craftsmanship and design. The bridal belt is exchanged with the groom on the eve of the wedding signifying the bride and grooms lives being tied together. These belts were generally elaborate pieces of jewelry and were sometimes loaned out by synagogues to a bride who could not afford her own. I was able to locate only four other bridal belts in my research and could not find auction results for any comparable pieces. My price estimate is based on auction results for other Judaic artifacts. I would not be at all surprised to see auction results
* Current Fair Market Value: $1,500.00
* Replacement Cost: $3,000.00