may 10, 2008, new epier auction

I've got another Francie item added to my sales list at epier. I intend to list all of my Francie sale merchandise over the next few weeks. This is the sweater to Gad Abouts.
http://www.epier.com/BiddingForm_edit.asp?1723122

may 4, 2008, tv season cancellations

I calculated that there were 13 series that I watched since last September. Five of them were cancelled, one of them I'm not watching anymore, and, with one exception, the shows that I loved were cancelled and the ones that were just okay got renewed. Anyone see a pattern here?

Please note that the asterisks are series that were cancelled.

Brothers & Sisters/ABC
Cane*/ABC
Chuck/NBC
CSI: NY/CBS
Eli Stone/ABC
Eureka/SciFi
Jericho*/CBS
K-Ville*/Fox
Life is Wild*/CW
Men in Trees/ABC
Reaper/CW
Ugly Betty/ABC
Viva Laughlin*/ABC

You will notice that I do not watch any reality series. You will note that the only procedural that I watched is CSI: NY, and the only reason I watched it was because I like Gary Sinise, not because of the subject matter. You will also note that the only sitcoms that I watch are reruns on PBS of the British series As Time Goes By and My Family.

I was angry enough with CBS when it cancelled Jericho last year that I quit watching my only other CBS series, but returned to CBS when it announced it was returning Jericho. However, Jericho got cancelled again, so I've stopped watching CSI: NY again. This time I won't be back.

There are several reasons why the shows I like get cancelled, and none of them have to do with quality. Obviously, everybody else has very different tastes than I do; hence the low ratings for shows I love and the high ratings for programs that bore me out of my skull. Also, the ones that I watch that do get renewed are the ones that I could take or leave because they are just mediocre. They may have been interesting in the beginning but now are somewhat tedious and don't have much happening. The following shows fall into that category: Brothers & Sisters, Chuck, Eureka, Men in Trees, Reaper and Ugly Betty.

The only show that survives that I can honestly say I am close to loving is Eli Stone, and the reasons I watch it are because it is a fantasy series, it's a musical, it has lots of elements of Everwood and a few elements of Jericho. Although I cannot figure out why Eli Stone lasted and Viva Laughlin didn't, because both are musicals and both are fantasies, and VL actually had a much better cast and better singers.

The other big reason that so many shows get cancelled is because they have shortened seasons, and this situation started occurring long before the infamous writers' strike. How can a series develop a following if it has a season of only eight or 10 or 12 episodes, and no repeats? Not only do the regular viewers tend to forget about the program, any new viewers don't have a chance to get involved. I miss the old days, with 26 episodes from September through April, then reruns of the entire (or almost entire) season from April through September. Now at least one series starts a new season every month, and then the season lasts for only two months, and then the season isn't seen again until it's released on DVD. Yes, I know it's a way to make money, but I don't understand why the networks rely more on DVD sales now for revenue than they do on regular programming.

No wonder I'm watching so much less TV than I used to. Doesn't have anything to do with having a busier lifestyle, or being on the computer more, or working more, or going to bed earlier, all of which I've heard about personally or read constantly on the Internet in the past few years. It simply has to do that there are fewer programs that I enjoy, and the ones that I do watch aren't on the air for a reasonable period of time.

may 3, 2008, epier listing

In the past year I've found a number of small Francie items for sale, which I am beginning to list. I don't know why it's suddenly easier to find Francie items at garage sales, flea markets and antique malls. I also don't know why they're not selling, because Francie merchandise always sold before. Anyway, this is what I listed this week:
It's the hat to the 1969 outfit Land Ho!
http://www.epier.com/BiddingForm_edit.asp?1719997

may 1, 2008, wcpo pre-emptions

WCPO did surprisingly few pre-emptions in April, and I think that the rest of the local affiliates did none. I wish it were this way every month:
Saturday, April 19, 9-11 p.m., Reality Checked, Insider’s List and Chuckwagon Cook instead of Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban.

april 27, 2008, finished skipper list

I inserted my 1964 to 1999 Skipper list a bit prematurely earlier this month. I kept having to add to it, but I think it is finished now. As you will see, if you compare the Skipper list to the Barbie list, the Skipper list is much more thorough, simply because there were far fewer dolls made.
I've also been periodically updating the Barbie list if I learn of other dolls. I think I've got every American version of Barbie listed made between 1959 and 1999. It's just that whenever I acquire a new reference book, I find other foreign-market dolls that I never knew existed.
So as of right now, I believe that I've got close to 2,400 versions of Barbie listed. In contrast, I've got about 150 different versions of Skipper, and with her list I've included her friends and acquaintances. In regards to Skipper, I've also included the stock number, country of origin and other pertinent details. There are just a few tiny holes of information that I hope I can someday fill in. I specifically want to thank Cindy Bin for looking up a stock number for me.

april 26, 2008, epier listing

When I was collecting new Barbie items in the 80s and 90s, I would periodically find foreign-market merchandise in the local chain stores here in the States. This is one of them:
http://www.epier.com/BiddingForm_edit.asp?1717087
It's for a doll named Miami Ken. That's what that line of swimsuit dolls was called in 1997 in Europe. The American version box would say Splash N Color Ken.

april 19 2008 epier listing

I've switched back to Saturday to begin my new week's sale listings. Saturday morning is the time I used to post listings when I first joined ebay five years ago, and had better luck then.
What I've listed this week are the rare accessories to one of the rare 1965 Barbie Sew Free outfits. I've got not one but two blue drawstring purses.
http://www.epier.com/BiddingForm_edit.asp?1714460