January Is National Hobby Month

January is National Hobby Month- what better time to get your collectibles organized and your collections valued from the holiday haul? Choose a hobby that you have always wanted to pick up and make a New Year's resolution to let yourself indulge in your new activity. If you have children, help them beat the winter blahs by assisting them with starting a new collection or craft interest. If you need any more ideas, check out this article's list. Add your newly acquired pieces into your iTaggit collection and show them off to our other users. I hope you enjoy your new 2008 pastime and Happy National Hobby Month!

Invasion Of The Uglydolls!

Uglydolls were first introduced by independent toy designers David Horvath and Sun-Min Kim in 2002. They are distinguished by a balance of the traditional plush and soft features that normally accompany stuffed dolls and the ugliness that only an owner could love. In 2006, Uglydolls were awarded the Specialty Toy of the Year title by the Toy Industry of America, and have appeared in several television shows and movies. They are primarily sold at independent and specialty toy stores, but have recently become available at Tower Records, Nordstrom, and Urban Outfitters. iTaggit user Ummjamiesha has organized her collectibles, as well as found the value of her collection of Uglydolls with us. Click on a picture below for more information on that item itself.

Inventory Can Help Ease Stresses Of Fire, Flood Or Theft

iTaggit always places an emphasis on the importance of securely storing your items information and history on our site. We strive to organize to your life and serve to bring clarity about your things during a time of need. If only the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library and Museum had known about us, they might not be facing the organizing woes they are today.
The Associated Press has published a report citing that the library in Simi Valley was unable to properly account for more than 80,000 objects out of its collection of some 100,000 artifacts. The audit in question is connected to an investigation into allegations that a former employee stole from the Reagans' collection of gifts from foreign leaders and other dignitaries. Sadly, the sloppy record keeping at the library has hindered the efforts of the investigators to the point of possibly never completely covering the scope of what all is missing. Numerous storage lapses have also occurred, such as pieces of art being stacked on top of one another, and unwrapped sculptures and vases lying openly in an area prone to earthquakes.
Currently, the situation is bringing about some improvements. Some library volunteers said they were asked this summer to start an inventory project, which could take years to complete. Part of the major problem is that many presidential libraries are understaffed and don't have the same strict preservation guidelines used by most museums, as well as consistently struggling for funding. For more on this story, click here.
iTaggit comes in very handy when you need a quick inventory of your belongings for those “just in case” reasons, such as fire, flood or theft. To start a running inventory of your valuables now will undoubtedly save you time and effort in the future. Let us know if you need any help!

Painting Found in Trash Worth $1 Million

This is a great little story about sheer luck and circumstance. I found it originally on AOL.com and you can click here to read the full version, but a recap goes something like this:

One March morning four years ago, Elizabeth Gibson was on her way to get coffee, when she spotted a large and colorful abstract canvas nestled between two big garbage bags in front of the Alexandria, an apartment building on the northwest corner of Broadway and 72nd Street in Manhattan.

“I had a real debate with myself,” said Ms. Gibson, a writer and self-professed Dumpster diver. “I almost left it there because it was so big, and I kept thinking to myself, ‘Why are you taking this back to your crammed apartment?’” But, she said, she felt she simply had to have the 38-by-51-inch painting, because “it had a strange power.”

Art experts would agree with her. As it turns out, the painting was “Three People,” a 1970 canvas by the celebrated 20th-century Mexican artist Rufino Tamayo that was stolen 20 years ago and is the subject of an F.B.I. Investigation.

Experts say the painting — a largely abstract depiction of a man, a woman and an androgynous figure in vibrant purples, oranges and yellows — is in miraculously good condition and worth about $1 million. Ms. Gibson returned the painting to it's original owner and will receive the promised $15,000 reward from the seller, as well as a smaller finder’s fee from Sotheby’s, which the auction house declined to disclose. On Nov. 20 it is to go on the block at Sotheby’s as one of the highlights of a Latin American art auction.

Need help getting through your piles of collectibles? Let iTaggit help! We help manage collections for those who need it most. Organize collections by adding in your item's important information and pictures on iTaggit. Show them off in our Gallery and send them to your friends to check out or add to. Research collections with our Google search tool to learn more about your things. Whatever it is that you seek for your collections, iTaggit will help you!