Your Guide To Finding The Perfect Metal Gear Solid Figure

If you are a big fan of PlayStation’s Metal Gear Solid action game, then you are in good company. Metal Gear Solid is a wildly popular stealth action video game originating in Japan. The game features cinematic scenes created using outstanding graphics and voice acting. This game is given high acclaims by critics, often being called one of the most well received and popular games ever created. The game has produced several sequels and spin-offs and its legendary character, Solid Snake, is the protagonist that is on missions to destroy.

 Many fans of the game have taken up collecting figurines. Besides just Solid Snake, you can easily locate a Liquid Snaketop metal gear solid figure to get a collection off to a good start. As you know, Liquid Snake is the leader of FoxHound and the key antagonist of the game. Members of FoxHound include Revolver Ocelot, Vulcan Raven, Psycho Mantis and Decoy Octopus – the master of disguise. These would make ideal starter figurines as well and you can generally find them quite readily on collector websites, as well as on auction sites.

 As with any collection, it is best to start by collecting the easier to find figures. As you know the game is over two decades old and there have been figures made for much of that time. Some of the older figures, if you are lucky, can be found laying around in second hand stores. If you happen to live in a large city, then by all means take a Saturday and wander through these stores. Who knows? You may find a jackpot hidden away on a toy shelf or in a box tucked into a corner.  If you are not that ambitious, then you would probably prefer to hunt for your metal gear solid figure from the comfort of your own home.

 Whenever you are searching online for specific items, it is a good idea to jot down the estimated prices of the figures you are interested in so that you do not pay a higher amount than the correct value of the figure. If you want a highly sought after figure, consider paying $200 and pick up something like the latest version of Naked Snake – the cold war version hero. You can get this brand new figure, in-box for $200 and it would make the ultimate addition to a collection, without a doubt! The details are amazing, right down to facial features, his eye patch and ankle holster.

 As with any popular series, the figures are sure to increase with value as the years pass. It is therefore important that you purchase figures for your collection that are in pristine condition and preferably with the original packaging included. There are stores online that have a great supply of brand new figurines, so make sure you have a look before purchasing something second-hand. If for any reason in the future you decide to sell your collection, you will surely get more money for a top quality, un-used metal gear solid figure.

The History of Thimbles

A thimble is a protective shield worn on the finger or thumb generally worn during sewing.

While collecting thimbles became popular in the mid 1800 as a result of the special thimbles that were made for the Great Exhibition held in the Crystal Palace in Hyde Park, London, the earliest known thimble was Roman and found at Pompeii. Made of bronze, it has been dated to the first century AD. A Roman thimble was also found at Verulamium, in the UK. and can be seen in the museum there.

The first thimble made in England was in 1695 by a Dutch metal worker named Lofting. It was called the ” thumb-bell,” because it was worn on the thumb when in use, and shapped like a bell. The shape eventually changed, but the name, softened into thimble, still remains.

Thimbles are usually made from metal, leather, rubber, wood, glass, or china. Early thimbles were sometimes made from whale bone, horn, or ivory. Advanced thimblemakers enhanced thimbles with semi-precious stones to decorating the apex or along the outer rim. Thimble artists would also utilize enameling.

Originally, thimbles were used solely for pushing a needle through fabric or leather as it was being sewn. However they have since gained many other uses and mythologies. In the 1800s they were used to measure spirits (hence the phrase “just a thimbleful”). Women of the night used them in the practice of thimble-knocking where they would tap on a window to announce their presence. Thimble-knocking also refers to the practice of Victorian schoolmistresses who would tap on the heads of unruly pupils with dames thimbles. Thimbles have also been used as love-tokens and to commemorate important events. A miniature thimble is one of the tokens in the game of Monopoly.

Before the 18th century the small dimples on the outside of a thimble were made by hand punching, but in the middle of that century, a machine was invented to do the job. Another consequence of the mechanisation of thimble production is that the shape and the thickness of the metal changed. Early thimbles tend to be quite thick and to have a pronounced dome on the top. The metal on later ones is thinner and the top is flatter.

In the 19th century many thimbles were made from silver. Because this is a soft metal, it is easily pierced by a steel needle. Charles Horner solved the problem by using a steel core covered inside and out by silver. The result was still as pretty as a traditional silver thimble but more practical and durable. He called his thimble the Dorcas and these are now popular with collectors.

Early American thimbles made of whale bone or tooth featuring miniature scrimshaw designs are considered valuable collectibles. Such rare thimbles are prominently featured in a number of New England Whaling Museums.

During the First World War silver thimbles were collected from “those who had nothing to give” by the British government and melted down to buy hospital equipment. In the 1930s and 40s red-topped thimbles were used for advertising. Leaving a sandalwood thimble in a fabric stores helps to keep moths away.

People who collect thimbles are known as digitabulists.

Grading Your Coins – 4 Methods Of Checking Them

A ‘grade’ is a shorthand that numismatists design in order to reveal the appearance of a coin. For instance, if one collector tells another one that he possesses a Charlotte fifty half eagle, both the collectors should have a fair idea of what the coin looks like without having seen the coin by the grade of the coin alone.
Many collectors agree that grading a coin in order to categorize it is more an art than a science as it often subjective and biased. This means that while working on coins of ‘Mint State’, even little differences in grade can make a difference in price.
One can learn, study and apply grade with a predictable outcome, and this does not depend on one’s feelings, but on one’s judgement.
Like any other science, research, sport or language, learning to grade a coin should be done a component at a time with serious experience and study.
Today, most of the coin collectors use ‘Sheldon grading scale’ to grade their coins. Although there are a few people who complain that there are too many grades, most coin graders appreciate and recognise that there are many features between grades.
Strike
This method involves imprinting or stamping a symbol or a drawing into a blank. A strike can either be strong or weak depending on the design of the coin. One example is the ‘gold dollar Type II’ on which the front and the back have perfectly aligned strikes that are the highest. This means that this kind of design needs a weak strike.
Usually, the strike does not play a major role in determining the grade of a coin except when it collection revolves around the value of strikes.
Preserving a coin’s surface
Another significant element for establishing grade is the number of marks on the coin and their placement. Although there are no fixed formulae relating the number of marks on a coin to its grade, there are many regulated standards that highlight the significance of the placement of a mark or scratch.
For example, if a coin has a deep scratch and it is not visible on the reverse side, the coin will not be penalized strictly. However, in case the same scratch is visible on some important central location, like the statue of liberty’s cheek, it will be penalized more.
Lustre or Patina
There are various textures present on a coin’s surface that are influenced by design, the mint of origin and the metal used. Different textures include frosty, proof like, semi-proof-like and satiny.
While examining the surface of a coin according to its grade, there are two things that need to be looked at. The first is the quantity, that is, the state of the original skin; it should be intact. The second is the amount and location of marks.
If one has to determine whether a particular coin has been circulated or not, lustre is an important criteria to consider. A coin which is still in Mint state, will be technically free of wear and abrasion and will not have much break in the lustre.
Color
Color is a subjective element while determining the grade of a coin. For example, one collector might find a gold coin with gold-dark green pigmentation attractive, while another might not.
Gold is a moderately inert metal and hence it does not undergo as much color variance as silver or copper. Still, there is a wide range of existing colors even in gold coins.

When is memorabilia considered to be authentic?

When it comes to V.I.P collectibles, the truest avouchment as to the veracity or ne plus ultra of the item put on the market without a proven lineage via provenance, is to have an accompanying quality certificate pertaining to authenticity, referred to as a COA.
It is not unheard of fans attaching photos of themselves with the celebrity at the time the signature is being signed to authenticate in some small way its heredity. This works for some but there is a caveat, this will never take the place of a modern certificate of authentication from a respected trader.

We already know what honesty means, but what really does it stand for in the sphere of memorabilia business dealings?
One would think that, it would most unequivicolly mean that buyers and sellers alike must have their perceptions soothed by an apparent integrity and reliability in not only the item in question, but also the individual one is ordering from. In brief, does one have absolute assurance in the numerous processes of authentication.

Without being an expert at the paticular types of items they are dealing in, there is limited hope that memorabilia will be assessed as fraudulent immediately. So let’s ponder the other determinants mentioned briefly above in a little more depth.

Firstly, when acquiring any autograph or autographed item purporting to have hailed from a V.I.P, the item should be in the company of a Certificate of Authenticity (COA). But not all COA’s are weighted the same because virtually anyone can allot one. It will not accordingly follow that an object appended with a COA makes it genuinely authentic. The dealer’s reputation that consigns the COA is probably the single most axiomatic constituent in corroborating bona fides. Let’s face it though, even Sotheby’s and Christies has auctioned fakes. Nonetheless, the wholesaler standing behind a trade is often the leading attestation a buyer has today, however indirect. But one must always do their own research and ask a fair share of questions.

The most bona fide collector co-ops for memorabilia offer 100% life enduring guarantees. Invoices should clearly state their trading names, business numbers (if applicable in your jurisdiction) contact numbers, physical and web addreses, emails etc. These contact details must be available. If you are unsure of a reputable dealer , look for an industry certified autograph dealer such as those associated with such organizations as the  International Autograph Collectors Club & Dealers Alliance (IADA-CC)or the Universal Autograph Collectors Club (UACC). There are also many esteemed authentication services out there if you are considering transacting on a commercial scale.

Secondly, collectors should closely consider the form of authentication. It should be accepted as typical in the profession and proven to have withstood the sands of time/have passed the test of trial and error over time.
But how is this accomplished? What is believed to be genuine authentication of memorabilia and more specifically in say the world of Michael Jackson autographed memorabilia, what is considered as an advantageous level of authentication to  entitle a purchased nitty-gritty to pronounce or indeed grow it’s eventual monetary return.
Many hard core devotees of Michael Jackson will purchase for the sake of possessing a product of Michael’s alone. Some are out to make a quick dollar alone. However, everybody who receives any celebrity memorabilia must be mindful of the feasibility of it also metamorphosising into a quality investment at some point in the future.
The most bona fide trading businesses for memorabilia will ordinarily conduct paid exclusive signings of stars. These exclusive signings are usually attested to by a representative of the reliable trading house. The trading firm may chronologically imprint a tamper-proof hologram, which is attached to every certificates of authenticity. A matching tamper proof numbered hologram is then attached to the item with the autograph. This has the affect of creating a validated and genuine match. Numerous dealing houses will also offer a photo of the V.I.P at the signing, which goes with the item. The holograms numbering is then meticulously catalogued and accommodated at the trading co-ops secured location/s.

If these features are not taken seriously in your memorablia acquisition designs then you are running the lion’s share of risk, thereby foolishly gambling with  your potential investment. You weren’t born yesterday, question, research, see how the land lies. Do whatever you must to not be prey to weasels with deals too good to be true.

To your memorablia hunting success.

Ben

Five Advantages of Online Poker Rooms and Online Sports Betting

Online sports betting and online poker rooms have many advantages that can keep you playing and winning real money. Here are five!

1. No big casino pressure: Venture into any casino on the Vegas strip and you will quickly find the kind of pressures that can lead you to losing big money, especially if you are not that familiar with the myriad gaming opportunities available to you. Hundreds of slot machines with different rules, dozens of card games that are more of the same ? it doesn’t matter what you play, you are not just testing your skills when you walk into a physical casino. You are also dealing with impatient gamers waiting for you to get off the machine, crowded and noisy environments, and a house that wants nothing more than to take your money and leave you without any. If you are costing them, they don’t really want you there. With online poker rooms and online sports betting, you can handle it all from the comforts of your home computer.

2. Hone your skills as an online sports betting pro: If online sports betting is your thing, then you live in the right time. Not only do you have the capabilities of doing your online gaming all from your home computer, but you also have instant access to useful statistics and information that could influence the outcome of the sports you are betting on. In a casino, you don’t have time to stop and do research that could lead to a more educated wager.

3. Learn a wide variety of different games, even in online poker rooms: When it comes to online poker rooms, you have a vast array of poker styles to choose from such as Aces and Faces or Texas Hold ‘Em, that will have you becoming a poker aficionado in no time.

4. Take an active role in the sports world: Why sit idly by on the bench and watch the athletes have all the fun? It is definitely cool to have your favorite sports team, and to follow their progress throughout a season, but why should there be nothing more “in it” for you? Being a spectator takes you only so far before you grow bored with the monotony. With online sports betting, your football or basketball or baseball seasons take on a new life, as you stand to win as big as the players.

5. Risk as little as possible: One of the biggest advantages of online sports betting and online poker rooms is that you are under no obligation from anyone to put up the house and the car. In fact, you don’t have to spend a single dime to play and learn the games. Furthermore, you can become quite advanced at the basics before you ever play for any kind of serious money. This fact makes it easier for you to get involved before deciding to “go pro” for real money. And by waiting, you stand a much greater chance of reaping much greater rewards.

All of the above are great reasons to get involved in the world of online sports betting and online poker rooms. But don’t forget the greatest reason of all, and that is to have fun!