Skyline Sofa

Notturno a New York or Nighttime in New York is the name of a sofa-skyline enveloped by a Starry Sky. Sink into this soft city and leave your troubles behind as the sun goes down and the building lights are illuminated. Melt into a metropolis with the limited edition (only 200) designed by Piero Lissoni for Cassina. Nighttime in New York is a reference to 'Tramonto a New York' (sunset) by Gaetano Pesce — an iconic Cassina sofa from the 1980s. Notturno a New York measures 10¾ feet long with images from computerized weaving. Cassina describes it as: "The upholstery is in a tapestry-like fabric, replete with the smallest of details. A sophisticated weaving technique is used to produce 14,000 warp and weft stitches, generating extremely high definition images. The 3D nature of the skyscrapers is achieved thanks to a larger yarn, weaved together with the numerous colored yarns."

Christ the Redeemer Statue

What has become a national symbol of Brazil, the Christ the Redeemer statue towers over the city of Rio de Janeiro. The statue of Jesus Christ is considered the second largest Art Deco statue in the world. Standing 39.6 meters (130 ft) tall, including its 9.5-meter (31 feet) pedestal, it weighs 635 tons. Located at the peak of the 700-meter Corcovado mountain in the Tijuca Forest National Park, he overlooks the city below. A symbol of Christianity, the statue has become an icon of Rio and Brazil. Local engineer Heitor da Silva Costa designed the statue and it was then sculpted by French sculptor Paul Landowski. Constructed out of reinforced concrete, the outer layers are soapstone, chosen for its enduring qualities and ease of use. Construction took nine years - from 1922 to 1931. In 2007, Christ the Redeemer was named one of the New Seven Wonders of the World. Souvenir replicas of the statue vary in size and material – from pot metal to plastic.

Eiffel Tower Desert Ideas

The holiday party season is in full swing from now through January. Architectural fans can impress their guests with building-shaped deserts. Here is a recipe to build an Eiffel Tower using sugar wafers as building blocks and frosting as cement. An Eiffel-Towering cake is also a popular design. The mother of all sweet confections must be the 12-foot-tall chocolate Eiffel tower created for Paris’ St. Pancras railway station, from which the Eurostar train departs. This gingerbread and hazelnut tower is for those with a very big sweet tooth. Previously, I’ve written about other building-shaped cakes, chocolate and even JELLO. Bon appetit !

Architectural Hanukkah Menorah

The Jewish holiday Hanukkah is an eight-day Festival of Lights commemorating the rededication of the Holy Temple in Jerusalem. Central to the holiday is the menorah. Architect Richard Meier designed a Hanukkah lamp for an exhibition at the Israel Museum entitled Nerot Mitzvah: Contemporary Ideas for Light in Jewish Ritual. This pewter menorah with architectural themes measures 8-1/2 x 14 x 2 inches. Meier wrote, "In the design of the Hanukkah lamp, I was trying to express the collective memory of the Jewish people. Each candleholder is an abstracted representation of an architectural style from significant moments of persecution in the history of the Jews. These are not intended as literal representations of specific events but rather as reminders of the common past and struggles that Jewish people have suffered and their resilience and strength that is so wonderfully captured by the Hanukkah story." An original of this menorah, in tin-coated copper, is in the permanent collection of The Jewish Museum. It has been reproduced in a limited edition of 500 units in pewter. Other menorah also have building and architect designs. A replica of the 15th-Century Great Synagogue in Toledo, Spain is made of resin and measures 15 x 9 x 6 inches. The white arches are portion of one of two remaining Synagogue buildings left in Toledo, once the capital of the thriving Jewish community of Spain. Another item of Judaica was designed by Heather Goldminc. The Jerusalem Village menorah holds Each candle within a small cityscape with the center building being the temple. Standing 12" long x 4" tall, the hand-painted ceramic menorah holds standard Chanukah candles.

Architectural Sculptures Made of Sugar

One lump or two? Artist Brendan Jamison takes a lot of lumps in order to sculpt and carve sugar cubes into architectural models. From castles to office buildings, he patiently stacks sugar cubes into skyscraper skylines.

EVOL Building Street Art

We pass by them every day and never give them a second look. Utilitarian rectangular electrical boxes are a necessity in most cities. EVOL, a Berlin-based street artist, transforms banal urban surfaces into miniature architecture. Using pasted paper, EVOL transforms electric boxes, small planters and other geometric city forms into miniature apartment buildings and other structures.

Macy’s Parade Building Floats

Watching today’s Macy’s Thanksgiving’s day parade, I noticed one float in the shape of Mount Rushmore. I wondered what other architectural floats might have been created for this parade and others around the country. In 2006, a Macy’s Parade float depicted the Empire State building. Human-powered yellow taxi cabs buzzed around the iconic building. Other parades featured floats in the shape of the Eiffel Tower and Leaning Tower of Pisa.

Discovering Souvenir Buildings

Your eyes scan the shelves in search of your target. There! You spot one. Your heart skips a beat and your pulse quickens, as you get closer. The thrill of the hunt is what keeps many collectors motivated. What might you find? Whether it’s an antique store or souvenir store, you have to check just one more. A collector’s eyes become trained to move quickly and zero in – despite the other items surrounding or hiding the target. Above are some photos I’ve taken during my travels in search of souvenir buildings. Far too often; however, what are found unwanted generic buildings or Banthrico still banks that are not buildings. We’ve all seen the cars and busts of famous people. There must be people out there who collect these, but they don’t seem as popular as souvenir buildings because the heads and autos are everywhere. Stacked on top of each other like miniature a demolition derby or a pile-on fight of famous heads. Once, I stopped at a very out-of-the-way flea market and though, surely I might find a building there. Not a chance. What I did happen upon was an entire table full of Banthrico automobile banks. It must have been the seller’s collection and he was tired of it. I walked away dreaming that if the table was filled with Banthrico buildings instead, I would have been ecstatically purchased the entire lot. Do you have an interesting or unusual shopping story? Tell us via the ‘comments’ link below.

Stacked Staple Skyline

A while ago, I wrote about an artist who patiently stacks staples on end to create miniature cities. I recently found a video of him at work. I just have to wonder, what happens if you knock one over and a chain reaction is set off - flattening days of work.

Chrysler Building Lantern

During a recent brief trip to Manhattan, I stopped into Fishs Eddy. This store sells an unusual mix of new and vintage diner ware and kitchen items. They also had some cast iron Chrysler Building lanterns. With dimensions of 4.75" x 4.75"x 15" they were a good size and priced at $64.95 You can also order online if you can’t get to NYC.

Darron's Souvenir Building Collection

Souvenir Building Collector Society members got the opportunity to visit the collection of current SBCS President Darron C. this past June in Connecticut. Over the last 16 years, he has accumulated over 1,000 building but only displays 800 which are on view in his dining room, living room and a small room dedicated to just replica buildings. His collection received some media attention recently with an article in the Stamford Advocate. I also interviewed Daron to delve deeper into this dedicated displayer of destinations. He got started collecting souvenir buildings when, “I was inspired by an advertisement in an Architectural Digest issue which showed a coffee table showcasing miniatures of famous landmarks like the Eiffel Tower, Big Ben and Statue of Liberty. I thought that this would be something cool to display in my home to reference some of my vacation destinations by picking up a miniature at one of the gift shops. At the time I thought I was just going to purchase 5 or 6 for my coffee table. Why do you collect souvenir buildings? “I think I enjoy the hunt more than the actual building. As a child my favorite holiday was Easter because there was always the annual Easter Egg hunt. Even then, it was such a rush to find an egg hidden in a tree or in the high grass. In many ways hunting for souvenir buildings in flea markets and collectible stores brings back that thrill. Now the rush comes from finding a building in a box of grandmom's china marked "Everything in this box is $2" at a flea market,” Darron said. “The first replica I purchased was a replica of the Sydney Opera House. I was on vacation in Australia in 1995. As one can imagine, there were so many versions available to purchase. At the time I was looking for replicas that looked as close to the real structure as possible. I remember that it took me almost two days to decide on a replica that I felt closely resembled the Opera House. I finally decided to purchase my replica from an artist that made ceramic versions and hand painted each one. I shunned the mass produced souvenir versions and deemed them "tacky tourist" trash. I guess my concept of tacky tourist trash must have changed.” Darron’s favorite building in his collection is an Ironbound Trust Building from Newark, NJ. “I found this rare building inkwell on my first visit to Brimfield Antique Show. It has great significance to me because my father commuted to Newark, NJ from Trenton, NJ on the train for over 25 years and walked past this building everyday. On family outings to various Spanish and Portuguese restaurants in Newark, he always took the time to point out historic landmarks and buildings in and always liked to point out the Ironbound Trust as one of his favorite buildings. The miniature is not in perfect condition but brings back a flood of family memories that makes it quite special to me,” he remembered. Collectors always have various methods for growing their displays. “Most of my souvenir buildings come from flea markets and collectible shops. Early in my collecting adventures, I had purchased a lot of buildings on eBay. Over the years, I have refrained from buying on eBay because I prefer the hunt and ability to examine my find in person. Many of my purchases have come from visiting flea markets and collectible shops in other parts of the US and around the world. I find it more satisfying to know that when I pick up a building I found at a Estonian flea market, I can associate it quickly with Tallinn and my holiday in 2007. You cannot experience that same feeling buying on EBay,” he said. Most often, a visitor to a building collector’s home knows almost immediately about the home-owner’s hobby. The collection is display proudly and prominently. This is of course true for Darron and Martin’s home. “After many years of displaying my collection all over the house (in my office, family room, dining room, etc.), I decided to higher a carpenter in 2010 to design some wooden built-in display shelves/storage to go in an unused area of my house. Now I have confined the collection to my family room and dining room. In my dining room I used a china display cabinet to house my collection of foreign souvenir buildings. I also have a separate trophy case to highlight what I call my sub-collections: building salt & peppers, building pencil sharpeners and sports arenas. But I find that how I display evolves and next year, I may group my buildings by color or material,” Darron said. Collectors are always ready with interesting stories about their collecting experience. “Last year (2009), on my trip to Moscow, I had an opportunity to take an elevator ride to the top of the Ostankino Tower. The tower had been closed for many years in order to repair the elevator that had caught fire. So the visitor’s center had only been open a few weeks. While I was there I asked the tour director if they sold any replicas of the tower but found out they did not. In fact there had not been replicas of Ostankino made for at least 10 years. I showed her a picture of my TV Tower collection. She was so intrigued and amazed at the miniatures, that she gave me a delft Ostankino ceramic replica that was on her desk. The replica had been given to her many years ago as a gift to employees. When I told her I couldn't possibly accept it (there were no extras laying around), she told me that I must take it because it belonged with the others!”

Salt Crystal Salt Shed

A new ‘crystal palace?’ When I first saw the architectural model of a proposed structure in New York City, I thought the model was made of salt. Turns out, its actually a futuristic building to house salt. Howie G. sent me this tip about the controversial road salt shed. I love the design. Why not be imaginiative with architecture even if it has a mundane purpose? Too often, we throw up the most boring municipal structures just to save a buck. Most people know these normally utilitarian salt building as they pass them on a highway. Whereas, here Architect Mike Friedlander envisioned a sodium shack modeled after angled salt crystals. Granted, the cost is $10 million, but this unique building won’t melt in the rain. What do you think of unusual architecture for common structures?

Architecture Halloween Costumes

Scary skyscrapers and boo-iful buildings. While many people dress as a vampire or witch, architecture fans can don more imaginative costumes for Halloween. Are you a Marcel Breuer, Frank Lloyd Wright or Sanna fan? Three kids paid homage to them with their costumes of The Whitney, Guggenheim and the New Musem. You can also dress up as a famous architect by doning iconic Phillip Johnson-style eyewear. The Chrysler building is a popular costume with many variations. I’ve also written about architects who’ve doned costumes of the buildings they designed. UPDATE: Reader Paul C. send me a great vintage black and white image of a woman wearing a towering costume of Vienna's Stephansdom Cathedral.

Guggenheim Museum YouTube Projection

Tonight, YouTube will stream a live video from the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum in New York, N.Y. at 8pm ET, Oct 21. Architectural models and souvenir buildings of the Guggenheim Museum include those made of LEGOS, dinner china and lamps in the shape of the famous museum. Currently available on the Guggenheim online gift shop sells wooden models, snow globes and tree ornaments. Famous buildings have been a canvas for projected images in the past.

Artistic Artistic Sand Castle Sculptures

Soaring sand skyscrapers and monumental mounds. This past summer, 40 artists from 9 different nations sculpted scenes made of sand in Blankenberge, Belgium. The annual sand sculpture festival’s theme this year was aptly-named 'Around the World.' A total of 171 scenes have been sculpted: 73 European, 43 Asian, 19 African, 17 North American, 10 South American and 9 Ocean scenes. Some 40 countries on six continents are represented in minuscule grain depicting world wonders, the most visited cultural monuments, and meet some of the greatest heroes of our history. Organizers of the event left nothing to chance for the delicate creations and set up many artworks under tents. Check out more creations in this photo gallery. I’ve written in the past about other sand structures.

KLM Porcelain Empire State Building

Well known for their miniatures modeled after Old Dutch Houses, KLM has allowed an artist to make enormous porcelain Empire State Building. The iconic NYC building replica has a delft blue glaze, sits on a wooden base and stands 1.2 meters tall. The work, entitled House 83.5, was created utilizing hundreds of relief tiles which Jill Magid made at De Porseleyne Fles in Delft. The scale of Magid's tower is 1:100 proportion to the original skyscraper. In a desire to make a work of Dutch Royalty, Jill Magid asked KLM to grant her permission to name her porcelain Empire State Building House #83.5 and to introduce the House to passengers in their in-flight magazine, The Flying Dutchman. They agreed and she also convinced them to pay for it. I’ve written in the past about the KLM house miniatures which are filled with the Bols Royal Jenever alcohol and given away to First Class passengers on KLM airplanes. The KLM miniature houses are numbered 1 – 83 and are collected by both airline passengers and souvenir building fans.

Christopher Columbus Statues & Monuments

Today, we celebrate a navigator, colonizer and explorer. Christopher Columbus was from the Republic of Genoa in what is now Italy. He embarked on voyages across the Atlantic Ocean led to general European awareness of the American continents in the Western Hemisphere. With his four voyages of exploration and several attempts at establishing a settlement on the island of Hispaniola, all funded by Isabella I of Castile, he initiated the process of Spanish colonization which foreshadowed general European colonization of the "New World". Although not the first to reach the Americas from Europe, he was preceded by at least one other group, the Norse, led by Leif Ericson, who built a temporary settlement 500 years earlier at L'Anse aux Meadows. Columbus, however, initiated widespread contact between Europeans and indigenous Americans. Columbus Day first became an official state holiday in Colorado in 1906 and became a federal holiday in 1934. However, people have celebrated Columbus' voyage since the colonial period. In 1792, New York City and other U.S. cities celebrated the 300th anniversary of his landing in the New World. In 1892, President Benjamin Harrison call

ed upon the people of the United States to celebrate Columbus Day on the 400th anniversary of the event. There are many statues and monuments to Columbus around the world, and a few how these have been reproduced in miniature. One of the most difficult to find is the souvenir replica of the Christopher Columbus Memorial Fountain and Statue in front of Union Station in Washington, D.C. Also referred to as "Columbus Fountain" or "Columbus Memorial Fountain", this monument was created by American sculptor Lorado Taft. The statue was dedicated June 8, 1912 and, as you might guess, was paid for by the Knights of Columbus. It is a focal point for D.C.'s Columbus Day celebrations. An inscription on the real monument reads, "To the memory of Christopher Columbus whose high faith and indomitable courage gave to mankind a new world / Born MCDXXXVI / Died MDIV." In the monument, Columbus is depicted looking beyond the winged figurehead representing Discovery on the ship's prow. On his right, facing west, is an American Indian representing the New World. On his left, facing east (see image below), is an elderly man representing the Old World. Above him, supported by four eagles, is a sphere bearing the outline of the western hemisphere. The souvenir replica of this monument only stands a few inches high and on the back is printed, "1492 1912 Hathaway Wash D.C." It was created for the Columbus Day Memorial Celebration and the dedication of this memorial on June 8, 1912 and Hathaway must have produced the replicas. This one is not listed in the book, Monumental Miniatures. Another statue which has an accompanying miniature is the columbus statue in Huelva, Spain.Designed by Gertrude V. Whitney, the large statue

comemorates the departure of the explorer on his third voyage of discovey. Columbus is thought by most to have been born in Genoa, Italy around 1451. After years of seeking funding support for an expedition which was to find a sea route to Asia, Columbus finally came to an agreement with King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella of Spain. They would (along with a number of Italian financiers) back his expedition in return for dominion over the any new lands. Columbus would be awarded titles and, of course, a percentage of any fortune that was made. Miniatures of this statue appear to be brass or pot metal and stand on a wooden base. The most common Columbus miniature is that of the statue and columbus in Barcelona, Spain. It stands about 7 inches tall and made of metal. The real Columbus Monument (Monument a Colom in Catalan, also known as the Monumento a Colón and Mirador de Colón in Spanish) is a 60 m (197 ft) tall monument at the lower end of La Rambla, Barcelona, Spain. It was constructed for the Exposición Universal de Barcelona and is located at the site where Columbus returned to Spain after his first voyage to the Americas. The monument serves as a reminder that Barcelona is where Christopher Columbus reported to Queen Isabella and Ferdinand after Columbus' most famous trip. Standing majestically atop a 40 m (131 ft) tall Corinthian column is the 7.2 m (24 ft) tall bronze statue. Sculpted by Rafael Atché, the statue depicts Columbus pointing towards the New World with his right hand, while holding a scroll in the left. As it was sited, instead of pointing to the west towards the New World, the statue points east towards Columbus's supposed home city of Genoa. Do you know of other miniature memorials to old Chris Columbus?

Souvenir Building Collector in the News

SBCS President Darron and his impressive collection were featured in his local newspaper, the Stamford Advocate today. Darron discusses his strategies of collecting and his passion for the hunt.

Vice President's House Miniature Replica

So, I'm walking down the street in Washington, D.C. and noticed a new souvenir store. Some people might think - All souvenir shops have the same stuff. Not true, I've found. Inside, most of the items were the typical souvenir stock: T-shirts, mugs, snow globes. However, almost lost in a display case was a small ceramic building which I could not identify. I asked to see it and it turned out to be a miniature of Number One Observatory Circle. While not as famous as another address in D.C., this is the official residence of the Vice President. The best part about this souvenir building was reviled when I turned it over. On the bottom is hand written, "June 21st 1983. To Sue Block - With great friendship and love - Barbara Bush." Yeah, that Barbara Bush - former First Lady of the United States. Also on the bottom, perhaps written by the person who hand painted the colorful house, is "The Vice President's House Washington, D.C. 140 Anna." The roof comes off of the porcelain trinket box which stands about two to three inches tall. The bottom of the roof is marked with Hurley Porcelain's mark and 1981. Looks like Herley made a series of historic homes in miniature, but I was unable to find much information about the company. The only thing I didn't like about this mini replica was the price. When I first glanced at the tag, I thought it read read $39, which was not bad. Then, I looked again and realized it actually read $395. Wow. Thats a lot for a ceramic building, but I'm sure most of the value is in the signature. Located on the grounds of the United States Naval Observatory, the white 19th Century house at Number One Observatory Circle in northwestern Washington, D.C., was built in 1893. Originally intended for the superintendent of the USNO, the house was so impressive that the chief of naval operations kicked out the superintendent so he could move in himself in 1923. Historically, Vice Presidents and their families lived in their own homes, but the cost of securing these private residences grew substantially over the years. Finally, in 1974, Congress agreed to refurbish the house at the Naval Observatory as a home for the Vice President. Three years passed before any Vice President actually lived at Number One Observatory Circle. Vice President Gerald Ford acceded to the Presidency before he could use the home and his Vice President, Nelson Rockefeller, only used it for entertaining. Walter Mondale was the first Vice President to move into the home. It has since been home to the families of Vice Presidents Bush, Quayle, Gore, and Cheney. Vice President and Dr. Biden currently reside there. The house is built in the Queen Anne style popular in the last quarter of the nineteenth century. Hallmarks of the Queen Anne style are an asymmetrical floor plan, a series of rooms opening to each other rather than a common central hall, round turret rooms, inglenooks near fireplaces, and broad verandas wrapping the ground floor, all of which are found at Number One Observatory Circle.

Miniature Monuments on Mad Men

Are you a mad man or mad woman? Do you dig the dapper Don, perky Peggy and fabulous furniture? Watchers with keen eyes during the AMC TV show, Mad Men, might have noticed the souvenir buildings. During this past Sunday's episode (Season 4, episode 8: The Summer Man), Joan walks into Lane's office. On his desk sits an Empire State Building souvenir and behind him is a Statue of Liberty replica. Lane, a British character, seems to be taking a shine to his new New York home and wants to be surrounded by souvenirs. He might also just look out of his Madison Avenue window to see the real thing, but who's asking. Have you seen souvenir replicas on TV shows or Movies lately? In the past, I've written about sightings on Heros, Cold Case and the B&W movie The Lavender Hill Mob.

Hung Hom Station Souvenir Building

The first time I saw this building replica of the Hung Home Station, it reminded me of the Colorado Federal Savings Bank. Both buildings have a distinctive wavy or W-shaped roof. The Hung Hom Station model measures 4" inches wide by 2" inches deep at the base and 1.25" inches tall. It sits on a base inscribed with the words "Hung Hom Station" in English on one side and in Chinese characters on the other. Hung Hom Station, formerly known as Kowloon Station, is a station on the East Rail Line and West Rail Line in Hong Kong. Built in 2004, It is located in Hung Hom, Kowloon. Hung Hom Station is one of the three Hong Kong ports-of-entry on the MTR network, along with Lo Wu Station and Lok Ma Chau Station. Hung Hom serves as the southern terminus of both East Rail Line and West Rail Line, as well as the terminus of cross-border. The similarly-styled replica of the Denver bank branch building was made by Banthrico. In Redwine's book, its Plate 562 and has a rarity rating D. In Oldham's 2001 Banthrico guide,its listed as rarity 'D.' Tokyo Tower replicas are often confused with the those of the Eiffel Tower. Do you know of other buildings which look alike and have souvenir buildings made?

World Trade Center Souvenir Buildings

Today marks the 9-year anniversary of the destruction of the World Trade Center towers in the September 11, 2001 attacks. Over the years, many replicas of the Twin Towers have been produced both before and after the event which destroyed the structures. I recently found this extremely large metal replica of the WTC Towers. It seems to be a presentation piece and has a plaque which reads, "The Twin Towers Light. A gift of light in remembrance of the World Trade Center, New York, USA September 11, 2001." It also commemorates the other events that day as the base is in the 5-sided shape of the Pentagon and another plaque has an outline of Pennsylvania and a Liberty Bell. The entire piece is very large and measures 15 inches tall and 18 inches wide. Sticker on bottom reads "Imena Azul LLC" but I've been unable to find info about this company. Its electrified and two lights stand inside the two towers. Four other buildings are also depicted in the miniature which made up the World Trade Center. Another large replica is now being auctioned on eBay. This one claims to be a one-of-a-kind architectural model of the WTC. It measures 12" X 16" X 28" and is made of plexiglass and basswood. The buy-it-now price is a whopping $2,987. Many other replicas have been made in various materials and sizes. I've written before about a WTC replica made of gold and diamonds and another replica cut from recovered Ground Zero steel.

Souvenir Buildings in Advertising

Now that souvenir buildings made the front page of the Wall Street Journal, the miniature replicas are receiving even more attention. I noticed a poster in a FedEx store using a miniature metal Eiffel Tower to highlight their shipping services. Another ad I saw in a magazine is for United Airlines' Visa credit card and shows a happy family standing in front of the Eiffel Tower in Paris. Their infant daughter (a future member of the SBCS?) holds a miniature version of the famous tower. I find it interesting that both used the same landmark. Is the Eiffel Tower souvenir the most popular and recognizable? Have you seen building replicas used in advertising? If so, send me examples.

Antiques Roadshow Washington D.C. Report

Earlier this year, when I heard the Television show, Antiques Roadshow, was planning a summer visit to Washington D.C. for a taping, I just had to go. We signed up online a few months ago and were lucky enough to win the lottery for free tickets. It was a great deal because, while standing in line, someone told us he made a donation of $400 to PBS to get tickets for the appraisal event. I also found out 23,000 people signed up and vied for only 5,000 allowed tickets for entry. For 14 years, Antiques Roadshow appraisers have been discovering hidden treasures in American's attics and revealing the finds on the PBS TV show. The organizers did a great job with our assigned-time tickets and keep the line moving inside the Washington Convention Center. We waited in the serpentining line for and hour and 45 minutes and chatted with others who brought a plethora of antique items to be appraised. One woman inched along atop a vintage metal peddle car which she used herself as a child. A man carried an antique print for which he claimed to have paid $10,000. Another man jokingly offered anyone who would listen big money for their items. Daniel V. said, "This is actually like show-and-tell for adults." As we approached the show floor, we described our items - only 2 per person allowed - and got tickets to specific item categories: collectables, furniture, paintings, Sports memorabilia and so on. Naturally, I bought some souvenir buildings and was sent to the collectables table for an appraisal. After another short line, we arrived at the table and I displayed the buildings I brought. I chose two miniature architectural replicas from my collection which were antique and had stories behind them. The Statue of Liberty I brought was originally sold for $1 to raise money to fund the construction of Ms. Liberty's base. The original Union Dime Savings Bank is very rare and made by Rehberger. Our appraiser, however, didn't think much of them. "You and get these Statue of Liberty's all over New York." He said. When I told him the history behind this miniature statue, he didn't seem too impressed and gave it a price of $35. Hummm. He priced the Union Dime the same and I had to smirk. I'm sure anyone who reads this blog knows the value of this baby is in mid 3 figures. I forgive the appraiser as he has to be a generalist and can't know the details and nuances of each type of collectable. I was happier with what the decorative arts appraiser told me about the mid-century Eero Saarinen-designed floor lamp I brought. Alas, in the end, our items did not deem worthy of an on-camera interview and appraisal, but we did record something in the Feedback Booth. We tried to say something unique and interesting and will cross our fingers until next year when this episode airs. We also got to meet the rockstars of the antique world, the Keno brothers, and had both Leigh and Leslie autograph the back of our tickets. It was a fascinating behind-the-scenes look at this popular TV show - the ONLY show I must watch each week.

LIUNA Labor Union's Moreschi Building Replica

The Moreschi Building, located at 905 16th Street, N.W., in downtown Washington, D.C., serves as headquarters of the Laborers' International Union of North America (LIUNA). The modernist office building was constructed in 1959 and dedicated in 1960. To commemorate that dedication, a miniature replica of the building was produced as a souvenir of the event. Made of pot metal, the Moreschi Building replica measures 10 1/4 by 6 3/4 and is 4 inches tall. An attached plaque reads, "DEDICATION GENERAL HEADQUARTERS BUILDING OF INTERNATIONAL HOD CARRIERS BUILDING AND COMMON LABORERS' UNION OF AMERICA MORESCHI BUILDING MAY 14, 1960 WASHINGTON, D.C." A pair of removable black glass ashtrays rest on either side of the building miniature. LIUNA, often shortened to just the Laborers' Union, is an American and Canadian labor union formed in 1903. As of 2005, they have about 700,000 members, including about 80,000 in its Mail Handler's division and about 80,000 members in Canada.