4. This Week's Stories and Requests for Help We try to post stories and
comments from our readers each week. Send your story to newsletter@tias.com
and we'll publish it in an upcoming newsletter.  Please share your story about
what you collect and what got you started collecting.  We *love* to hear your
stories!  If you have a story you'd like to share, tell us about it and if you
have any photos, we'd love to see them!  Send us an email to new
letter@tias.com so we can share your story with the rest of our readers.

Remember that you can check out our Facebook page for some interesting
updates.  Here's the link: https://www.facebook.com/TIASAntiques If you have
photos of items you would like to share you can post them there as well.  You
don't need a Facebook account to visit our page.  If you do have a facebook
account please "Like" us!

Also, everyday, we post a "This Date In History" story on our Facebook page,
along with an item for sale on http://www.tias.com that relates to the event. 
We're also highlighting one item each day that we find particularly
interesting - something that's very unusual!  Check it out!

Thanks to those of you who have responded in the past! We really enjoy, and
appreciate, the feedback!

It's always fun to see what other people own and treasure! Although we can't
put the pictures in this newsletter, please visit our Facebook page to view
the images and learn about those items.  Please let us know if you'd like us
to highlight one of your favorite collectibles!

Diane L. sent us this heartwarming story, along with pictures. Hope you enjoy
reading it as much as we did!

Seems like the right time of year to share a story about the kindness of
strangers.

My husband's grandmother owned a ceramics shop back in the 1950's. She taught
my husband as a young boy about the processes and various paint techniques. 
One of his treasures from those years was a large ashtray he made when he was
10 years old.  It was an ornate leaf shape and had a lovely glazed finish and
was in perfect shape all these years later.  He also had etched his name and
the date on the back of the ashtray.

On a horrible Saturday in recent weeks, I accidentally knocked it off the
table it was sitting on and all four points of the leaf broke off.  They were
clean breaks, but nonetheless, gluing them back on would always be an ugly
reminder of the sad day it crashed to the floor.  My husband was very upset,
sad and not at all happy with me. I wasn't happy with me either.  I felt
terrible!

It sat for at least two weeks on a countertop staring back at me making me
feel awful every time I looked at it and keeping my husband upset about it.  I
finally remembered that I had seen a fun ceramic shop that had recently opened
where they hold painting parties and conduct classes.  I called and asked them
if they ever do repairs to broken items.  They had me bring it up to them and
I told the owner my sad story.  She told me to leave it with her and she'd see
what she could do.

Not five days later, she called me to say it was repaired. When I went to pick
it up, I couldn't believe my eyes.  It was impossible to see where the tips
had broken off.  It was a perfect repair job!  I screeched with glee and
hugged her and that brought a whole bunch of ladies over to see what I was
carrying on about.  She told them how my husband had made it when he was 10
years old and I had accidentally broken it and he had been mad at me ever
since .  .  . all the ladies nodded sympathetically .  .  .  and marveled at
how great it looked.  Then she wrapped it up and handed it to me.  When I
asked her how much I owed her, she just smiled and said, "Nothing, honey, just
tell your husband to stop being mad at you."

The kindness of strangers . . . . I was blown away.


You can see the pictures she sent of her hubby's beloved handmade creation
here:

https://www.facebook.com/TIASAntiques/posts/10152879986883656
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