See my Vesuviana Cappuccino Electric Espresso Maker on eBay!

http://cgi.ebay.ca/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT&item=170299849081

My lovely vintage electric espresso-cappuccino maker has 6 bids, 16 (now 17) watchers, and 134 (now 136) views, with just over a day left. I'm hoping for a good price. I sold my Sunbeam vacuum brewer for just over asking price -- with the combined fees (buyer pays shipping) I think I might just have broken even. That's not exactly my goal...

My Sunbeam percolator: http://cgi.ebay.ca/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT&item=170299862146 has a few views and two watchers; I don't expect to get much for it, although it's just gorgeous. I hope to get my asking price on this one.

I've a few visits to my 1975 Bialetti stovetop Moka but no watchers and no bids: http://cgi.ebay.ca/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT&item=170299850862

I do have quite a bit of fun writing up the item descriptions, though, and I enjoy bringing life back to a dusty or greasy treasure. And eBay now gives some great tools, like shipping labels paid through PayPal and Canada Post and printable off a laser printer. I still have to go to a CPC dropoff but it'll be a lot quicker.

I've found that a sinkful very hot water with about a 1/4 cup of washing soda (Borax) will take the skin right off your hands and soften baked-on grease marks off old Pyrex glass and newer Corningware (white with the cornflower pattern) so that they can be removed with a scrubbing pad (dollar store variety). President's Choice Green Multi-Purpose Cleaning Putty (which I got in a bag of full-sized freebies at the Green Living Show last spring) does a good job at polishing up chrome and stainless steel, as will a gentle scouring with baking soda on a damp cloth, plus I keep a handy suppy of elbow grease. I use wooden toothpicks for everything but my teeth---they are gentle yet firm when I need to reach into crevices to restore an item to a clean condition. I can't get away from the toxic copper cleaner, though---it does such a good job, and if you're not careful while polishing you'll return the patina to the copper surface (that's not a bad thing, always).

I found a genuine Oster spare glass jar and lid for my genuine Osterizer chrome beehive blender at a good price. However, there was no gasket, blade, or jar nut. Luckily some replacement parts are available. With the US exchange and shipping I figure I'll have a complete spare mixing jar for about $30 CA. Not bad. All the parts are genuine Oster...and I can return at least one of the parts if it doesn't fit.

I suppose my goal is to declutter the house of items that I don't use that are usable but that I don't want to drop back off to the thrift store where I got them. When I sold on eBay a few years ago the goal was to make some money for my kitchen reno (and, what the heck, to share some vintage items). I did OK. I hope to do some more OK stuff.

Speaking of vintage, I used a free download coupon to buy a Stan Rogers tune that's been running through my head. He was a great Canadian artist who can never be replaced. The song I bought was "The Mary Ellen Carter." Chills are still running down my spine.