...made in The U.S.A.!

DH & I usually 'go-away' for our anniversary, but this year our schedule only allowed a 'day trip' on Saturday...

A 'Day Trip of MY CHOICE' 8-)... (oh, when will that boy learn?!?)

DESTINATION: Zippo/Case Museum; Bradford, PA (I've wanted to go check it out since I read about it several years ago, and had never made it down there...)

Enroute were several of my old stomping grounds (Alfred Alumni!) that I thought DH might enjoy...

including a stop for tastings at CUBA CHEESE, and Breakfast at SPRAGUE'S MAPLE PANCAKE HOUSE - Yum!

Then, we finally made it!

After 'eating' our way through the Southern Tier of New York, we DID make it to Zippo (Lighter) / Case (Knife) Museum! If any of you are ever so inclined - it is a VERY INFORMATIVE self-guided tour!

We didn't make any major ZIPPO or CASE purchases, but I was really happy that I had thought at the last minute to take along an old ZIPPO lighter of my Dad's that I had tucked away! ZIPPO has a lifetime warrantee on all of their lighters, and I'd read on their website that they will do any repairs for you at the museum where you can watch. Dad's was in pretty rough shape, and I thought this would be a good learning tool - and that it was! When we got there I discovered the 'repair shop' is only open M-F, and since it was Sat. I thought that I would probably have to leave the lighter for repair, but the self-proclaimed 'Girly Girl' at the check-out counter was Wonderful! She took the lighter apart, cleaned it, replaced the flint, cleaned the cotton, added fluid - all the while instructing me as she went along! Then she gave me a booklet that showed me how to read/decipher the ZIPPO dating system on the bottom of lighters - "OH, THIS IS AN OLD ONE! 1982!"~DH & I could barely keep straight faces until we got outside, where we both laughed so hard we were almost in tears... but I guess the lighter was older than her.

WONDERFUL background info!!

Then, DH mentioned that at Sprague's he had seen a pamphlet on an antique mall in 'Salamanca?' - Had I ever heard of it?

EVER HEARD OF IT?!! YEH! (I 'was' going to spare him this 1,000 dealer mall that I had always heard of, but NEVER been to, but since HE mentioned it....!)

...and we ONLY spent 1hour and 20 minutes

and look at the damage we did...

(ROYAL HAEGER by ROYAL HICKMAN, 2010 #25)
CLOUDY BLUE ("TIGHT")

(ROYAL HAEGER; 2010 #26 & 27)

My beloved Mandaring Orange
which, of course, induced MORE playing with the now infamous 'ashtray rack'...

(ROYAL HAEGER 2010 #28 & #29)

A 'new to our collection' glaze - and two pieces of it! Both from the same booth! Both very inexpensive! (Both from the same booth as the two Mandarine pieces - we LIKED that booth!)

May I introduce BLUE INDIGO.

(HAEGER 2010 #30)

One of the standard PEASANT GLAZES from the 70's - Definitely NOT one of my favorites - but an unusual piece with the lid & no chips. I can store STUFF in it! Hey, I couldn't leave it there for $2 !

(HAEGER 2010 #31)

Thank Goodness the Dealer at this booth had NO CLUE what this one was! He is part of HAEGER's BENNINGTON BROWN FOAM figural series of figural planters - there are about nine of them - we only had two, now we have THREE!!! (and he was only $12) Isn't he cute?!

AND

MY MOST FAVORITE PIECE OF THE DAY, Maybe of the YEAR...

We haven't been able to I.D. it in any of the books, so I think it is probably a studio piece...

HAEGER 2010 #32DH's Anniv. present to me.