The Love/Hate Relationship of GRADING

In today’s collecting world when it comes to comic books, trading cards, toys, and video games you typically now hear the word “graded” in the same sentence. It’s been over twenty years since professional grading has entered the collectibles market, but more than ever over the past five years have we seen it become the forefront of people’s interest in the space.

“Graded” means that a professional, third party company has taken your collectible and encapsulated it within a protective holder while also assigning a numeric value representing its condition. Higher the grade, better the example, making it rarer and ultimately increasing its value, and in some cases exponentially. I happen to focus on pop culture, but coins, paper money, sports cards, autographs, stamps and now even VHS tapes and posters are all gradable items.

Grading ensures the items are properly represented and gives collectors an added level of security if their item is real, has no restoration, and no issues that may not be immediately apparent. There is no question a graded example is always going to sell for more when it comes to high end collectibles. A collector is going to bid more confidently knowing the comic book is a true 9.4 compared to a raw copy appearing near mint.

Especially through COVID, collectors have bitten into

By Travis Landry Auctioneer & Specialist Bruneau & Co. Auctioneers Cranston, RI

this system full throttle, accelerating the market. It has taken what was once a simple past time of collecting and making it a commoditized asset no different than your stock portfolio or trading on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange. It’s fast paced; demand and values can change overnight. While the majority have embraced the system and are okay with never actually reading their comic book or touching their toy, there is still a dedicated group who go against the grain and do not believe in encapsulation.

Should a comic book be read, a poster displayed, or should all these things we love be sealed in acrylic to never be touched by human hands again? They are just playthings anyway, right? Some argue collectible toys, trading cards, and comics were meant to be handled in the first place, but in my opinion, grading is a necessary evil. I started collecting at nine years old with Transformers, and I still to this day prefer them displayed. I do not like loose toy grading, but if it’s a good piece and it is factory sealed it has to go into acrylic - It is just the way the world works today.

The warning I have for you is that while grading is good - it is also very expensive. You can quickly spend too much money grading items that should not be graded because the quality or the collectability is so low. That’s why when deciding to part with your collection, it is always best to seek help from a trusted expert. You never want to sell outright; working on consignment maximizes the potential value of your collection!

If you’re into graded collectibles, Bruneau & Co. Auctioneers is hosting a Graded Showcase Auction consisting of comic books, toys, and video games all to be sold individually and in graded condition on Saturday May 6th in Cranston, Rhode Island – Come check it out!

Springtime Perfection: Easy and Colorful Meringue Cookies With a Secret Twist!

Could these cookies be any more perfect for springtime? I think not. They’re sweet, pastel and light as a feather. The technique of making meringue has been used in European baking since the 17th century and is a staple ingredient in classic desserts like pavlova and lemon meringue pie.

While they look impressive, they’re astonishingly easy to make. And if I can make these, you can make these. Let everyone think you moonlight as a pastry chef in a French patisserie. It’ll be our secret.

Speaking of secret, there’s an unexpected ingredient in these meringue-based cookies. We use gelatin dessert powder (such as Jell-O brand). Besides giving these cookies their beautiful colors and fun fruity flavors, the gelatin makes the meringue exceptionally stable and very easy to work with. The stable texture makes using a piping bag with a tip to create beautiful flower shapes easy and fun.

I imagine my dear readers rolling their eyes thinking, “She’s lost her mind. Not only is she expecting us to make meringue, but she wants us to use a piping bag.” Believe me, I used to be scared of both things, too. But as I said, if I can do this, anybody can.

If you can use a mixer, you can make meringue. You simply whip the egg whites, adding sugar and gelatin powder. If you choose not to pipe them, just plop by the spoonful and bake. Using a piping bag is great fun. I have no piping skills whatsoever! The internet is filled with easy instructional videos. You can invest in some reusable bags and a few tips for under $5. Any mistakes you make you can scoop back into the bag and try again. Or just eat them. I won’t tell.

Pastel Meringue Cookies

Yield: approximately 36 cookies

Total Time: 2 1/2 hours

4 egg whites

1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar

1/2 cup sugar

1 (3 ounce) box gelatin, any flavor reach soft peak stage, gradually add the sugar one tablespoon at a time. Continue to beat until stiff peaks form. Turn mixer to low and gradually add gelatin powder until incorporated.

On a parchment lined baking sheet, drop mixture by tablespoonfuls or use your piping bag fitted with a decorative tip to pipe meringue mixture into shapes as desired. Bake for 1 hour, then turn off heat. Without opening the oven door, leave them in the oven for another hour to further dry.

Once dried, these cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a week, or in the freezer for up to a month.

I made these cookies using five flavors of gelatin. Pineapple was the family favorite, but each flavor was enjoyable.

Unfortunately, adding the gelatin means they’re not Kosher for Passover. Of course, you can omit the gelatin, double the sugar, add a teaspoon of vanilla and a few drops of food coloring. Et Voila!

Perfect for Easter, bridal or baby showers, these cookies are a showstopper. You can add sprinkles, top with colored sugar or dip the bottoms in melted chocolate. You can combine different colored batters in the piping bag for multicolor swirl effects. At a cost of under $2 a batch, these spectacular cookies are certainly frugal and fabulous! ***

Preheat oven to 225 F. Carefully separate egg yolks from the whites, taking care that absolutely no yolks get in the whites. Reserve yolks for another purpose.

In a completely clean and dry mixing bowl, beat egg whites and cream of tartar on high speed. When whites

Lifestyle expert Patti Diamond is the penny-pinching, party-planning, recipe developer and content creator of the website Divas On A Dime — Where Frugal, Meets Fabulous! Visit Patti at www.divasonadime.com and join the conversation on Facebook at DivasOnADimeDotCom. Email Patti at divapatti@divasonadime .com

© 2023 King Features Synd., Inc.

HOLLYWOOD — Bill Skarsgard was third-billed for “John Wick,” probably because of his visibility as Pennywise in “It” (2017), which catapulted the $40-million film to a $70l.8 million gross. And in 2019, the sequel, “It Chapter Two,” turned a $79 million cost into $473.1 million at the box office.

This year, Skarsgard is working nonstop — first up, he has “Boy Kills World” (about a deaf-mute who escapes after his family is murdered into the jungle where he’s trained by a mysterious mentor). Then, he has the $50-million supernatural superhero film “The Crow,” opposite Danny Huston, as well as the Gothic horror film “Nosferatu,” co-starring LilyRose Depp (Johnny Depp’s daughter), Nicholas Hoult and Willem Dafoe. Not bad for a budding 32-yearold star.

***

Keanu Reeves, now 58, is lighting his wick at both ends. He jumped right from “John Wick: Chapter 4,” which opened last week, into yet another “John Wick” feature — a spin-off called “Ballerina,” co-starring Ana de Armas as a ballerina-assassin, Ian McShane, Lance Reddick, Anjelica Huston, Bill Skarsgard, Gabriel Byrne and “The Walking Dead’s” Norman Reedus. Shooting began in Prague last November.

***

“The Walking Dead’s” not done with Norman Reedus. He’s headlining the upcoming AMC spin-off “The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon,” which drops later this year. In the interim, he’s starring opposite Austin Butler, Jodie Comer, Michael Shannon and Tom Hardy in the upcoming drama film “The Bikeriders.”

Meanwhile, Butler is toplining the AppleTV+ series “Masters of the Air,” in the vein of “Band of Brothers.”

***

Morgan Freeman is still going strong at 85, with over 100 films under his belt. Among them are such classics as “Street Smart” (1987), which brought him his first Oscar nom; 1989’s “Driving Miss Daisy,” which brought him his second Oscar nom; “The Shawshank Redemption” (1994); and 2004’s “Million Dollar Baby,” which earned him his Oscar win for Best Supporting Actor.

Freeman is now starring in “The Ritual Killer,” with Cole Hauser, which arrived March 10. “A Good Person,” with Florence Pugh and Molly Shannon, opened March 24, and he also has the upcoming sci-fi thriller “57 Seconds,” with Josh Hutcherson, as well as the Paramount+ spy series “Lioness,” opposite Zoe Saldana and Nicole Kidman

Freeman, who played God in 2003’s “Bruce Almighty” and 2007’s “Evan Almighty,” has shared his views on God. “I think we invented God,” he explained. “So, if I believe in God, and I do, it’s because I think I’m God!”

Freeman is a practicing Zoroastrian who has been married and divorced twice. He has fathered four children and divides his time between Charleston, Mississippi, and a home in New York City. He got his pilot’s license at 65 and owns three private planes.

It stands to reason — if you’re a method actor and you’re playing God, you have to believe you are God! Holy moly!

© 2023 King Features Synd., Inc.