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Valentine's Day Gift Panic?

2008-02-12T22:40:00Z

If you haven't found that perfect Valentine's Day gift for your sweetie, don't worry there is still time! I know we've all gotten a gift that looks like the person picked it up on the way home. It is the thought that counts but sometimes you just can't imagine what they were thinking. Waiting until the last minute doesn't have to mean a bad gift. If you don't know where to begin, try thinking outside the box this year, instead of candy, flowers or dinner check out the ideas I've compiled for you.

For Him:

If your man is messy why not hire someone to clean his apartment? Coming home to a fresh clean home will be just what he needs to focus on a romantic evening for the two of you. If he is pretty clean on his own maybe he just needs someone to organize collections that he hasn't had time to focus on. I know my fiance has a collection of baseball cards that really needs to be organized and displayed properly. He'd love it if I took care of that for him.

Maybe your guy's passion is comic books. If he already has an extensive collection of graphic novels, you can look into finding out the worth of comics he owns through comic book appraisals. If he doesn't have a collection, find out which books or characters he loved the most growing up, and start one for him. Check the Marvel Comics website for popular titles.

If your boyfriend loves working with his hands, look in to getting him a tool set. It is the perfect gift to help him complete all of his projects. If you can't fit an entire set into your budget, get him a single high quality tool and get it engraved with his initials. For future holidays, you can buy him additional tools and eventually he'll have a high quality personalized set. This one works out for you too since he might become Mr. Handyman.

For the sports nut in your life, why not try sports card memorabilia? Every sport has a set of cards these days, so it won't be hard to find something he'll love. Budget won't be a problem on this gift, you can easily find baseball cards worth hundreds, or if that is too pricey you can find cards for less than a dollar. Maybe your boyfriend doesn't really value baseball cards, don't worry! There are tons of other kinds of sports memorabilia out there. An autographed jersey or maybe even just a shirt with his favorite team's logo would make him happy and sports stuff is just so easy to find.

For Her:

If your girlfriend is the sentimental type, why not find out what her favorite childhood toy was and buy it for her. A vintage toy is a sweet way to show her how well you know her. They are easy to find in antique stores and on the web. When I was a little girl, I had a my little pony named Ember. It would melt my heart if a guy bought that for me.

If you are on a tight budget a sweet and inexpensive gift is a photo collage of the two of you. You can print the photos yourself and put them in a discount frame, or if you have the means, you can have it put together at a frame shop or by a local artist. Either way, your lady will be impressed by your thoughtful gift!

Jewelry is usually a safe bet for Valentine's day, but it doesn't have to be brand new or cost two months salary for your girl to love it. Interesting and beautiful jewelry can be found easily in antique stores. Don't be afraid that the antiques prices will be too high, jewelry from several eras can be found at inexpensive prices. Some of the most fashionable periods right now are Edwardian, Art Deco and Art Nouveau.

A gift that would be perfect for any lady in your life is an outing with you. Personalize the trip to her interests. If she likes drama, buy two tickets to a play. If music is her thing, why not a concert? If she loves animals take her to the zoo, just get creative and think of a place where the two of you can spend time together doing something fun and interesting. There is no greater gift than time with someone you love!

Hopefully this list has given you some ideas for treating your loved one this holiday. You don't have to roam the aisles full of candy boxes and singing stuffed animals, find something he or she can really treasure forever! They'll never know you waited until the last minute if you put real thought into your gift.

That is my take on great Valentine's day gifts, but I could be wrong about all of this. Maybe diamonds really are a girls best friend. Maybe a giant teddy bear balloon is what you were dreaming of. Let me know if I'm a genius, or if my ideas are crazy. I'd also love to hear the best and worst gifts given to you by your sweetie.

What I Like to Read

2007-12-20T11:49:00Z

I enjoy reading, but a lot of technical information on the internet is over my head !

To interest the average computer user with technical information, the writer must adjust his copy to communicate in an effective manner ! Branding an article with terms understood only by engineering types turns me off ! Not every one using the internet communicates with machines, on a daily basis! Many of us interact with other people ! I once had an argument with an engineering professor ! I said that in the area of problem solving, he might when solving a problem, go first to nature for an answer before he built a machine ! I have recently subscribed to a blog that fills the bill ! It is published by Bill Slawski ! The blog is titled SEO By The Sea, and when you[ see] it you will understand why !

http://www.seobythesea.com/

The Web Based Management Movement

2007-11-29T17:48:00Z

With the information age in full swing, the collecting world has seen many changes. These changes have not necessarily come in terms of what is being collected, but more so, how people manage their collectibles. Since the computer has become a common household item, many turned to it to manage their things by using spreadsheets or downloadable software for collectors. Recently though, the trend to managing collectibles has moved in a different direction, and collectors are now capitalizing on dynamic web based applications, such as iTaggit. With a web based item management application, collectors can now build communities based on their interests and find the value of their collectibles easier. The features offered in a web based application allow collectors to manage more information and dig deeper into researching their things. In addition, iTaggit offers a platform for collectors to manage their items and then easily appraise, sell, and share their items, which is better than a dusty old spreadsheet. Best of all, iTaggit is free to users, making web based item management the best option for the modern collector to organize their collections.

Most Popular Museums Across U.S.

2007-10-09T19:03:00Z

When it gets cool in the fall, or in our case it looks like January this year, and you are looking for something to do, head out to your local museum. AOL has a great piece done by Forbes Traveler, which I have reposted for your enjoyment, on some of the nation's most visited museums. Most everyone has had a school or family trip to Washington D.C. and has seen the National Museum of Natural History, but check out some of these others. It's a great way to pass an afternoon and feel enriched when you're finished.

National Museum of Natural History

Location: Washington, D.C.
Annual Visitors: 5.8 million
Scoop: The National Mall's Museum of Natural History is "dedicated to understanding the natural world and our place in it." In 2006, hordes of others shared that dedication -- free of charge. 5.8 million visitors, the most of any U.S. museum, came to gaze at the museum's more than 125 million natural science specimens and cultural artifacts.

Museum of Modern Art

Location: New York
Annual Visitors: 2.22 Million
Scoop: Started in the late 1920s by a trio of philanthropists including Mrs. John D. Rockefeller, Jr., the midtown museum now houses more than 150,000 paintings, sculptures, drawings, prints, photographs, architectural models and drawings, and design objects. A recent renovation nearly doubled the capacity of the former facility.

The J. Paul Getty Museum at the Getty Center

Location: Los Angeles
Annual Visitors: 1.3 million
Scoop: The newest Getty Museum, which opened in 1997 on a hilltop in the Santa Monica mountains, draws as much attention for its architecture as the art within. Its sleek off-white buildings, designed by Richard Meier, house European paintings, drawings, sculpture, illuminated manuscripts, decorative arts, and European and American photographs.

Smithsonian's Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center

Location: Chantilly, Va.
Annual Visitors: 1 million
Scoop: Located near Washington Dulles International Airport, this companion museum to the National Mall's Air and Space center is actually larger than the main space in D.C., and displays aircraft on three levels. Highlights include the space shuttle Enterprise and the Boeing B-29 Superfortress Enola Gay.

Indianapolis Children's Museum

Location: Indianapolis
Annual Vistors: 1.2 million
Scoop: This 400,000-square-foot facility proclaims itself the "largest children's museum in the world." It's interactive exhibits include "Dinosphere: Now You're In Their World," a "one-of-a-kind immersive dinosaur experience."

Having trouble finding how much your items are worth? Our team will do research to value collectibles individually or value collections as a whole for you. All you have to do is include your items in the “What's My Item Worth” section of our Gallery. Our research might take a few days, but thanks to our plethora of value guides and resources, our estimate should be pretty accurate. Good luck finding your buried treasure in your closet!

Letter from Errol Flynn

2007-08-28T15:44:00Z

I came across a letter from Errol Flynn in my mother's belongings. It was sent to my grandmother who lived in Hollywood at the time. It was a letter of thanks for her letter of encouragement. It was typed, but signed by Errol Flynn. Looking for interested collectors. There is also an envelope stamped with the Mulholland Farm Logo as is the stationery.

Which Category is the Right Category?

2006-10-06T14:39:00Z

Everything Else is a great category to use when you can't find a specific category among the iTaggit site. This is a good place to create your own category. At the end of the beta period we will evaluate all the categories you've created and use that information to structure our site for the future.

Thanks, and welcome to iTaggit!

Jean Norton