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Remember the Beanie Baby craze? Hordes of folks rushing off at any hour to buy the latest little beanbag creatures, positive that the cute collectibles would appreciate in value and ensure a sumptuous retirement? If you were one of those enthusiasts, you probably have amassed a menagerie that takes up a lot of room and, you're beginning to suspect, most likely never will put you on easy street.
But that doesn't mean your collection can't be richly rewarding nevertheless. June Connolly of Spring Hill has a great-nephew serving with the Army in Iraq, and he needs Beanie Babies to hand out to Iraqi children. June hopes readers with Beanie Babies new or old will contribute them to this worthy cause. A little stuffed pet could be a great comfort to little ones trying to cope with the upheavals of war, and it is also a great comfort to us to hear about this young man's kindness. June may be reached at (352) 597-3451.
Jeanne is moving and wishes to give away her collection of 331/3 rpm LPs, each in its original album cover. The covers are a bit frayed, but the records are in fine condition. The musical genres represented are movie soundtracks; classical; '70s vintage rock/folk (Carole King, Joan Baez, Joni Mitchell); and Irish/Gaelic. That's right; they are free, but you'll need to take the lot of them. So, get in the groove, so to speak, and call (727) 642-5191.
Barb Capodanno has just the right thing for the advanced crafters among us: a great collection of various craft supplies that includes crystal beads, jewelry findings, craft paints, colored pencils, crayons, feathers, chenille balls of all sizes, raffia, sequins, embroidery hoops, stencils, craft sticks, painted miniatures for baby books and so on. For quilters or sewing groups, she has a box of fabrics, many in bright colors and patterns, in addition to blouse and other kinds of patterns. Barb's phone number is (727) 845-3397.
A few years ago, while attending a local quilt show, Sandra Gregory saw a beautiful quilt she would like to make, but she cannot locate the pattern. It featured butterflies made of ladies' handkerchiefs, which were folded into butterfly shape, then appliqued to the block. Sandra has collected hankies and is raring to start - if someone will share the pattern. Please call (727) 525-7957 if you can help.
The school in Pippa Passes, Ky., whose students have been assisted by readers from time to time, must have a special place in its heart for Betty Salemi of Oldsmar, who has been knitting mittens and hats for the kids for two years. Now, she'd like to start making ponchos. She needs patterns in any size for either knitting or crocheting. Please call (727) 771-9289. And, Betty, keep up the good work!
Halsey Peterson, a St. Petersburg artist, needs a slide projector to use in presentations of his work and to evaluate slides of his work that will be made into photos for jury use in exhibitions. His phone number is (727) 528-8250.
Just by happenstance, another reader, from Crystal River, has a request for a carousel slide projector. This person also would much appreciate knitters looking through their pattern book collection to see if they have the book whose front features a child wearing a sweater with flowers made from bobbles on the pocket. If you can help on either score, please call (352) 564-0017.
Thank-you notes"There is nobody who has more faith in the readers' responses than I," writes Joan Roche of St. Petersburg. "But this beats all of my hopes and expectations." She's speaking about the response to her request for patterns for dog and kitty pillows. Actually, in some mysterious way, she received her own patterns, accidentally donated with some fabric to an organization several years ago.
Seems incredible, doesn't it? The reader who called about the patterns had bought them at a yard sale, and when Joan saw them she recognized certain distinguishing marks that she had added previously. Another reader sent a pattern that, although different from the one Joan was seeking, was pretty darned cute, too.
At any rate, Joan's daughter, who was the one who wished to continue her mother's tradition of making these pillows for special people, is already at work on one.
Evelyn Rohrabacher of Dunedin wishes to thank the anonymous reader who provided her with a copy of the sheet music for None But the Lonely Heart. "It's a song that brings tears to my eyes, but also revives warm, precious memories," Evelyn writes.
- Send requests to Reader Exchange, Floridian, St. Petersburg Times, P.O. Box 1121, St. Petersburg 33731 or e-mail cole@sptimes.com Requests will be accepted only by mail or e-mail. This is an exchange column, so we will not run items that are for sale.