The Story Behind the Blue Blur

The SEGA Sonic the Hedgehog games have enjoyed a truly astounding rise in popularity since the release of the first game in 1991. In less than 20 years, Sonic Games have become a part of basic popular culture and a corner-stone for all fans of gaming in general. The great success of the game is mostly attributed to its frequent updates, spin-offs and regular new game releases.

The astounding quantity of releases of the official Sonic Games show a litany of creativity, ingenuity and a never-say-die attitude on the part of the creators of Sonic the Hedgehog, better known as “Team “Sonic”.

Sonic the Hedgehog made his first appearance in 1991 in “Sonic 1” A follow-up was released the very next year in the form of “Sonic 2” which featured fox character “Miles “Tails” Prower”. Two releases in 1994 included Sonic the Hedgehog 3 and “Sonic & Knuckles” in short order. By this time, Sonics’ girlfriend, Amy Rose and long-time companion Metal Sonic had been well entrenched into the Sonic Games mythology. The developers seemed to take a break at this point although Sonic did make appearances in cross-platform games in the background throughout from 1993 to 2007? The next official Sonic Games release was “Sonic Adventure” in 1998/1999.

This is still counted as one of the highest selling video games in history and is merited as still generating revenue a decade later. What made this particular game such a watershed in the franchise was the introduction of a new nemesis, namely “Chaos” who, under the control of the now well known “Dr Eggman” presented a new challenge for the little hero. “Sonic Adventure 2”, released in 2001 was even more over the top and just about managed to please the insatiable requirements of the teaming fan base. In the second adventure, Sonic is on the run from military forces as he has been inaccurately mistaken for a criminal. Very shortly after this release, constant demand saw the showcasing of “Sonic and the Black Night” after the much acclaimed “Sonic and the Secret Rings”. This presented a few spoilers for a story book by the same name which proved a very lucrative spin-off. “Sonic Unleashed”, a 2008 release saw Sonic Games take a new move in the ever-increasing world of this busy little hedgehog. In this version of the game, Sonic acquires the ability to turn into a “werehog”. In exchange for his speed, he receives additional powers that he did not previously possess.

Along with the official game releases, there have been countless cameos and spin-offs. These have included comics, story books and television series. With the ability for fans to create their own flash versions of Sonic Games, it becomes impossible to catalogue the tremendous quantity of gaming pleasure that the character has made available. In addition, the clean, non-violent nature of the games MO has drawn universal appeal from Sonics’ largest group of fans, children. In a world where complicated strategy gaming has become a massive industry, parents are at odds to provide decent gaming entertainment for their kids. The requirements of simple, goal driven games will never die down, as the ongoing success of Sonic Games has proven.

The beauty of the italian ceramics

The beauty and quality of the Italian Ceramics no compares with other kind of ceramics, when you talk about Majolica or Italian Maiolica designates tin glazed pottery dating from the Renaissance often associated with certain regions of Italy like Deruta, Gubbio, Gualdo Tadino and Orvieto, so it is italian ceramics.

Villaggioceramics offers you the best Hand painted ceramics and Italian Decor for your collection or home decorating, you will find Ceramic Plate, Ceramic Tile, Cama Ceramics Deruta, Fima Ceramics Deruta from Raffaellesco or Ricco. All the pieces comes directly from the workshop in Deruta Italy to our client’s across the United States, our love for the Italian way of live encourage us to provide just the best Italian tableware, Italian canisters and Geometric Dinnerware to our clients. Villaggioceramics keep the elegance and the tradition from Deruta, Italy. Their pieces are delicate, made with the patient from Italian families. Ceramics has been produced in many areas and countries, and Italy has certainly always been one of the most well known. The art of making ceramics has seen its flourishing in Italy.

You will find in villaggioceramics Ceramics bowl, Ceramics jar, Tuscany Ceramics, Ceramic vase and Eugenio Dinnerware, who is one of the best master in Deruta. All our Italian imports are genuine articles made entirely in Deruta, we are proud in not only offer to our clients a beautiful art work to look at but also items that can be put to use daily. We offer a huge variety of Italian majolica or majolica Deruta, you can personalize the product you choose like you want, too; when you want to give a good present to your family or friends, villaggioceramics count with Italian ceramics from the best and known maestros like Franco Mari, Eugenio Ricciarelli and Mastro Giorgio Gubbio as the creator of some of the finest Deruta Maiolica over the history and directly from Deruta Italy. Due to the respect for the most traditional techniques combined with their creative approach to majolica, make Fima won his fame as traditional designers, and their designs such as Raffaellesco, Ricco Deruta and Arabesco be well known around the world. I know this ceramics will see beautiful in your rest room, your rooms or wherever that you put them, because there are several forms to use them, many colors, geometric forms and beauty. The variety of this ceramic makes them prefer over the rest of the ceramics, the quality and the work that it drive make them more viewer for the people who like ceramics.

The passion for this kind of ceramic provides long time ago, for the dedication in each piece of the ceramics; the delicate hand painting become the most important thing in their fabrication, many families in Deruta spend their time in the manufacturing of this ceramic, it’s like a tradition for everybody there. The Italian way of life is all about the simple pleasures… family, good food, friends, community. We are committed to offer the same to our clients through our Ceramic art. So directly from Deruta, Italy to U.S.A we bring you the beauty of Italian ceramics fabricate for Italian hands exclusively for our clients. Our clients are the most important of our company; we will make the most beautiful ceramics for you with the dedication that it requires. Visit us I will hope for you.

Barbie 50th Anniversay Silver Collector’s Coin

If you enjoy collecting toys, games, cards and other items then something like the 50th Anniversary Barbie Coin 1 oz Silver Proof Coin from the Perth Mint under licence from Mattel should be something to really pay attention too. This coin is limited to a worldwide release of 20,000 coins and is something that any young girl interested in Barbie would find to be a highly regarded addition to their collection.
Not only is it a treasure for the Barbie name itself and the limited mintage but the coin is made from 99.9% silver so it has a solid investment value as well. The coin also comes with a numbered certificate of authenticity, so as a future investment there’s alot to like about this particular coin.
Size wise its about double the size of a quarter and twice as thick so it’s a good solid 1 ounce coin. It’s cased in a presentation pink box encased in a protective plastic casing. When you buy from the perth mint they offer worldwide express shipping with insurance included so you never have to worry about any collectable coin you buy from them.
As we all know there’s many individual Barbie collector’s fairs and the Barbie brand itself extends around the globe. So there never will be a lack of interest in viewing or reselling at a later day. In fact both Amazon.com and HSN.com both stock these coins but at a significantly higher price than if you just buy directly from the Mint itself.
Both gold and silver are expected to rise in coming years as inflation returns to the economic landscape after a long period of low interest rates. Driven by chinese demand all world commodity markets are subject to large price rises when global economic demand and inflation return. So it makes sense to look at these type of collectable coins before prices for the metals rise even further.
Just a brief word on the Perth Mint that produces the coins. They are located in Pert, Western Australia and are owned by the State Government Of Western Australia. They have been producing gold and silver since the time of production for the British Empire so they have worldwide recogition for what they do. You can also purchase gold and silver bullion directly from them and they offer a price to both buy and sell. So in effect you do not need a broker to invest in precious metals you can deal directly with the producer.
I actually purchased this coin myself so if you would like to see some pictures and learn more about the coin then take a few minutes and Click Here

A nifty idea of a Christmas party with retro stuff collections

Retailer find their ways to market products, they would come up with something new for attracting the customers. But this time round the year, the new is actually quite old. The retro –style is gaining popularity again. As rightly said history repeats itself. This flash back to the classics is not only evident in the home d?cor or in their wardrobes but is also as an interesting theme for the Christmas parties.
People get together for celebrating Christmas; this gives them the chance to be together at least towards that part of the year. People travel miles to reunite with their families and friend – just to celebrate Christmas. You can make this Christmas as special as you want however, incorporating the retro-style of celebrating Christmas might get some beautiful memories back. For the children in the family it would anyway be a new concept and for the elderly many memories would be touched. If you are one of them who are looking forward to have Christmas the retro style this year, the following suggestions would help you get back to the 50’s.
Retro – Christmas Lunch
Retro – Christmas Lunch is quite a traditional lunch. Turkey is served; pudding with custard as the topping; Mince pies. The entire family would dress up nicely and sit together for the retro- Christmas lunch. The table would be decorated with beautiful red candles as center piece. The family would sit around to enjoy the lunch with fresh juices or wine. There could be drinks that are especially retro styled – snow ball classic cocktails.
Retro- Styled Christmas decorations
The traditional Christmas tree is the first choice, though you could go for the artificial tinsel trees if you want to avoid the pain of arranging for a real one. The artificial once could also be managed in retro – style from the 1960’s. Whichever tree that you chose could be decorated only with lights and the shiny balls. People at times also prefer to display there Christmas greeting cards as well. Shiny balls represent the 50s; 60 and 70s clearly. The use of baubles relatively reflects a more modern decoration style. Icicle and bauble with intended or crushed in look are the kinds available.
Retro- Styled Christmas Present
The type of presents presented in the 50’s; 60’s and 70’s would defiantly be different from what people would like to exchange as the Christmas gifts. However, the style of putting the gifts under the Christmas tree remains the same. The gifts would be placed under the Christmas tree by the elderly in the family as the children would run to the Christmas tree in the morning hoping that Santa would come and leave gifts for them under the tree. There are so many things that has changed since then, but thankfully some things are good when are unchanged.
As mentioned the retailers are trying to get the retro trend back, with the above suggestion try to have every thing around the Christmas party to be retro in the real sense of the word. For that matter you could have your home d?cor in the retro style for the year. So stop thinking and enjoy the beauty of good old times in this new modern era.

Recognizing Rare Stamps

Believe it or not, investing in rare stamps is a normal occurrence. Usually, the collection and gathering of rare stamps is a hobby that is better appreciated by the advanced collectors.
Unbelievably, rare stamps are investments that are of the tangible kind. Compared to art they are also a worthwhile and enjoyable investment especially for enthusiasts.
First things first, the fact is that rare stamps are really, definitely very rare. But what is it that makes a stamp rare?
The following are some of the reasons as well as circumstances that makes a stamp that rare, expensive stamp that everyone would want to own.
The mother of all rare stamps
Believe it or not, there exists the stamp that would be considered as the mother of all rare stamps and quite possibly the stamp that – if given the chance – would be the one to rule them all.
The stamp that costs one cent is the British Guiana. This stamp is currently considered as the most rare stamp in the whole world because only one of such kind was made. This stamp was reportedly discovered by a school boy back in the year 1873.
Another valuable rare stamp is called the Penny Black where it is also considered as a very rare and valuable item for collectors.
The father of all rare stamp collectors
A man with the name Philipp von Ferrary who lived during the years 1850 until 1917 was considered to be the collector of all collectors when he was able to amass stamps from all places in the world.
Ferrary, as he was fondly called by his clients and almost everyone, began the hobby of colleting stamps when he was young. Since he was able to inherit a great fortune, he made it his life long quest to buy stamps that are rare.
In the fifteenth of January, 1915, he relegated to the Berlin Postmuseum his collections. But since he was an Austrian – who at that time was residing in France during the first world war – he left his albums to the embassy of Austria & left for Switzerland where he soon died.
Post world war one brought on the government of France to confiscate his collection. Since then, most rare stamps have a stamp of “ex-Ferrary” on them, because almost always, the stamps may have previously belonged to him.
Rare stamps found in a dresser
You know you have in your possession a rare stamp when people are suing you for them to have it back.
It was one hundred and fifty thousand dollars worth of stamps that a judge granted the stamp’s original owners when it was found that it was included in the dresser a Robert Ganter bought in a used store that sells furniture.
The original owners discovered Ganter’s find when the latter issued an ad in a stamp catalogue for collectors and offering it up to be sold.
Buying rare stamps is a cinch
So how I one supposed to buy rare stamps when they see one? The best method is by simply buying the best stamp that one could possibly afford.
New rare stamps recently unveiled in Asia
Beginning April of this year, stamps that highlight Vietnam’s birds, specifically the partridges as well as pheasants of the country was launched in Vietnam’s Ministry of Post and Telecommunication.
These rare stamps provide the people who live in Vietnam with a magnificent documentation of how the country’s birds thrive. The birds that were included in the stamp include a partridge whose neck is range in color, its scientific name is arborophila davidi. Other birds in the stamps include lophura hatinhensis or the more popularly known Vietnamese pheasant.
Why are these birds featured in such a stamp series? For one, putting their pictures on a stamp is one way to immortalize their existence as they are currently considered as endangered. Their populations have been slowly dwindling due to the loss of their natural habitat as well as hunting.
What do the stamps represent then? The series also aims to showcase the varied and special life that Vietnam’s birds live.
All in all, collecting rare stamps is a fun, enjoyable and interesting activity to do especially if rare stamps are your cup of tea.