A Real Door Buster

Just a reminder - we have some door buster specials and great values on our other merchandise. The displays have been re-arranged so please ask to see the specials. As always, we are here the Friday after Thanksgiving and Saturday as well so that you can get started on shopping for that busy season.

Claudia

Advanced Search - It's on our Website

Our website is a work in progress. We still have items that need to be added and pictures that are missing or need to be "tweaked". But there is one thing that I really like about our site, http://www.freshmans.com/ . We have an Advanced Search function that is very powerful. Some people like to browse through multiple pages shopping as they go, some people would like quick information. The advance search becomes a tool for both.

The first screen you see after you enter the Online Store and push the Credit Card button is the New Arrivals page. At the top of the blue column on the left is the search function.







If you click on "advanced" a small box opens up and allows you to pick Item Description and Contains from the drop down menu. If you know you need a crucible but are not sure what kind, put crucible in the product search, click search and you have a list of all of our crucibles.

If you need to check the price on 22 gauge silver sheet, and youknow that the stock number is

SH 1022 from a previous invoice, again "advanced", Item Number, Begins and enter SH 1022 in the search box. The page with the current ounce price for 22 ga sheet is there. Quick and easy.

We know that we have to keep working, but the search function is something we are pleased with on our site. If you have comments on the site or trouble locating an item, please let us know so that we can work on it for you.

Claudia

Treasure - Pieces of 8

Pirates are very in right now, everything cycles. When I was a little girl, the family would watch "The Wonderful World of Disney" on the black and white TV. One show that sticks in my mind was "Treasure Island" with pirates and treasure.....pieces of 8 and gold dubloons. While researching the coin we used when we made this new piece, I found out that pieces of 8 are really 8 Reales; a silver coin usually made in Mexico and then shipped to the East Indies to purchase silk, spices and precious gems.

One ship, the ship this coin came from, The Vliegenthart (Dutch for Flying Heart) left for the East Indies on Feb. 3, 1735. This was a fairly new ship, specially rigged for the dangerous voyage around the Cape of Good Hope. Unfortunately, the ship never left the port of Rammekens in Zeeland (the Netherlands.) Caught by a storm it was slammed into a sand bar, damaging the hull. When the ship slipped off the sand bar, it sunk rapidly in about 60 feet of water; all hands were lost.

The Dutch East India company immediately began a salvage operation but only a few items were found. The treasure would have remained lost, but a secret map was discovered by researchers in 1977 which pinpointed the location. The gold coins recovered were noted carefully in the ship's manifest, but not the silver coins. They are thought to have been stowed on board to exchange in the East Indies where their value was higher. One of the first evidences of smuggling.

Who knew jewelry could be so interesting!

Claudia