World-Famous Volleyball Players: Natalia Malaga - An Unknown Biography About Peru's Lady's Iron!

World-Famous Volleyball Players: Natalia Malaga - An Unknown Biography About Peru's Lady's Iron!-Continental Class

Natalia Malaga: Discipline & Passion! 

Continental Class

Colin Powell, the former Secretary of State of America, once said: "There are no secrets to success. Success is the result of perfection, hard work, learning from failure, loyalty to those for whom you work and persistence". Certainly Mr. Powell could well have been talking about Natalia Málaga, the last survivor of the golden generation of Peruvian female volleyball players who won several trophies over the past half-century, putting Latin America's female sport on the Olympic map, alongside Nicaraguan-born Costa Rican Claudia Poll (swimming), Gabriela "Gaby" Sabatini from Argentina (tennis), and the women's basketball side of Brazil, of course.

A-Born Athlete!

Almost everyone in Peru has heard her name in recent decades. Within Peruvian circles, she is one of the two most popular and respected individuals, alongside Gastón Acurio, who is often referred to as one of the gurus in World Gastronomic.

She was born Natalia Maria Málaga Dibos on January 26,1964 into a sporting family in Lima (Peru), the third largest country on the South American mainland. In this context, she showed promise as an athlete at a very young age, winning much encouragement from her teachers, friends, and team-mates. Like several other girls in her hometown, she dreamed of one day playing for Peru's women's volleyball squad.

She was small, but overcame this with her voracious appetite for wins. Over those years, she participated in countless volleyball meets, a sport that more than any other embodies Peru's multi-racial society. Soon afterward, Málaga's outstanding talent and discipline won the attention of many coaches, among them Norma Velarde and Luisa Fuentes (both who fired the national interest in volleyball in the 1970s when they claimed several top honors). 

Not long afterwards, she was promoted to Peru's under-17 national volleyball team. During this period of time, she began to win her first international meets. As early 1980 as, for example, she lifted both the Continental Cup for Girls Under-17 and the Under-19 South American Tournament. That same year, she received favorable notices and was widely mentioned as a possible Olympic sportwoman to go to what is now Russia to compete in the Games of the 23rd Olympiad. However she passed unnoticed in the former Soviet Union when the junior squad competed against senior teams from Iron Curtain countries such as the Democratic German Republic (GDR) and the USSR. At Moscow, for example, the host country beat Peru 3-1. But that was a huge experience in a time when the Latin American republic had not money to make pre-Olympic tours -unlike Cuba, USA, Brazil, and Japan-- on Far East and Eastern Europe. Almost all of Peru's expenses were paid by the Kremlin at the 1980 Moscow Games. 

Thanks to this experience, nearly two years later, an eighteen-year-old rookie, Málaga created a sensation at the Junior South American (SA) Championship when Peru claimed gold at the expense of Brazil. During those years, Peru produced what has been referred to as the "miracle of Latin America". As no other country in the Third World, there were a lot of world-class volleyball players despite many obstacles: Denisse Fajardo, Gina Torrealba, Cecilia del Risco, Cenaida Uribe, and Aurora Heredia, among others international stars.

However in time, by mid-1984 exactly, the nation's head coach Man Bok Park had his eyes on Málaga to replace Carmen Pimentel. Thereafter, she became a celebrity in her home country, along with her other team-mates, as the national side came close to winning the Olympic glory in late 1988. 

Despite being one of the shortest members of the Peruvian volleyball squad, she was one of the greatest players in the history of game in an era when her country had been devastated by one of Latin America's worst conflicts (during those troubled times, the Peruvian squad was an exception in World sports). Her Olympic leadership was (and as coach currently) very similar to the former goalkeeper José Luis Chilavert of Paraguay, who was often referred to as one of the world's top footballers in the past half-century. After a 23-year sporting career, Málaga officially retired from the sport in 2003. Following Peru's declining volleyball image, she turned to coach. She wants to put the Latin American republic back into the international race.

Medals & Trophies

Like no other athlete, Málaga, amassed several international wins around the world, from Tokyo (Japan) and London (UK) to Lausanne (Switzerland) and Santiago (Chile). During the nation's Golden Age, for example, she picked up a total of four world-class medals (3 silver and 1 bronze), aside from winning five Continental golds (Sao Paulo'83, Caracas'85, Maldonado'87, Curitiba '89, Cuzco'93) and three Pan American medals as well as many non-officials tournaments (at that time Peru was regularly invited to play with major teams of Europe, Norceca, Far East, USSR, as well as to other Eastern Bloc countries). A Record for a female athlete from a Third World country as Peru, where there were not sporting facilities to amateur athletes and where Olympic sport has not a place on the government's national agenda. But that was not all! Up to now,she holds the distinction of being one of the youngest medalists in World Cup history following winning the silver medal in her hometown of Lima in late 1982. In addition to this achievement, she was on four different Summer Games: Moscow'80 and USA'84 as well as SKorea'88 and Australia'00, after winning three pre-Olympic meets in Brazil, Uruguay, and Lima (where Málaga played one of her best matches). She also played on the Peruvian national team in 1986, 1990,and 1994 FIVB World Championships.

Mexico City 1981

Working with Luisa Fuentes and Norma Velarde, she became a key sportswoman in the early stages of her sporting career and especially when the country's junior side began a run of success between 1978 and 1982, a team made up of 12 young-up-and- coming athletes, among them Cecilia Tait and Gina Torrealba as well as Denisse Fajardo and Rosa García. It was during this period, for example, where they captured their second consecutive Regional trophy, heralding a new era for Peru.

In fact, the euphoria caused by this new generation had visible effects when the high-flying squad reached to the finals at the Second edition of the FIVB World Youth Volleyball Championship at Mexico City toward the end of 1981, thrilling a country that fourteen months earlier had its first multi-candidate presidential election. During the Junior meet, however, it was all the more shocking as Peru also routed the People's Republic of China (theorically the pre-tournament favorite) 3-1 (15-8, 15-5, 11-15, 17-15), before falling to the South Koreans in the gold-medal match. Around this time, they also had an important win over the Soviet Union (3-1) in despite of the skepticism of journalists in the competition. From the beginning the Peruvian side was not considered a frontrunner at Mexico. At that time, the USSR was hailed as one of the most respected junior delegations in Europe. 

In fact, Málaga and her team-mates led her country to a big dream nurtured for decades by winning the silver medal, the best junior result in Latino volleyball until 1985. But that was only the beginning of a new era. 

Spartakiade Games 1983

From 1980 to 2003, Natalia Málaga was never left outside of the country's senior team, but she was the bottom reserve due to her international inexperience and short height (1,70m-tall). Yet she struggled from the beginning to be accepted as one of the six main athletes after winning a berth as newcomer to attend the 1980 Moscow Summer Games, where she at 16 became one of the youngest entries. By this time, her dream was to become one of the sportswomen of the country's national sextet at the 1984 Los Angeles Games. And that was exactly what she did. 

Since 1983 there were new changes on the national team: Man Bok Park dropped two sportswomen (Ana Cecilia Carrillo and Silvia León) from the Peruvian side that would go on to win the IX Venezuela Pan American Games. Meanwhile, setter Raquel Chumpitaz --whose son (Matthew) plays on the U.S. men's junior national squad since the early 2010s-- could not compete for the Latino side after marrying to an European citizen and moved to her new home: Budapest, Hungary's capital city. Thus, Carmen Pimentel, Denisse Fajardo, and Gina Torrealba were called by Mr. Park to replace Carrillo, León, and the new Hungarian lady. However, in the Venezuelan capital, there were poor results: Peru routed Brazil 3-2 in the bronze-medal game, upon losing to Cuba (0-3) and the States (0-3) in straight sets during the preliminary round and semis. 

Due to their international status as runners-up at the 1982 FIVB World Tournament, Peru was special guest by the USSR Olympic Committee to participate in the Spartakiade Games -a kind of Soviet Olympics during Cold War-- at Moscow in the latter half of 1983, where it did not even make the semis and finishing behind Cuba, Russia and two former Soviet republics. After the demise of the country's national squad at the Pan American Games,emerged the figure of Natalia Málaga. 

Los Angeles (CA) 1984

Peruvian-born Natalia Málaga is a huge inspiration to many Olympic athletes (male or female) of Latin America since the mid-1980s when she began to make a name for herself in the world of volleyball after being regarded as one of the best players at the 23rd Summer Olympics at Los Angeles (CA). Although she missed out on winning a bronze medal, her Olympic performance has become emblematic in global volleyball.

Since then, Málaga was the ideal choice when Mr. Park had serious problems to qualify for the second round at the 1984 L.A Olympics, a goal that was difficult despite a Soviet-led boycott. From the beginning, Málaga did not disappoint when was selected to replace her countrywoman Carmen Pimentel, who had not a good performance during those years.

With a fighting spirit, Málaga led Peruvian delegation to a fourth place in the 1984 Summer Games,following a historic win over South Korea, twice global junior champion (1977 & 1981). This match was strong from the start: Peru beat SK 3-2 with the following scores: 15-8, 15-6, 7-15, 6-15, 15-13; Peru's first victory over SKorea since the 1960s. Two years earlier, the Latin American republic was upset by SK 0-3 in the FIVB Women's World Championships on home soil, one of the world's major sporting occasions. 

As well as winning their match against SK, they knocked Canada 3-0 (15-9, 15-10, 15-4) out of the preliminary round, before losing to Japan 3-0 (15-8, 15-7, 15-5). Soon afterward, in the semi-finals, the Peruvian side was routed by US squad 3-0 (16-14, 15-9, 15-10), before falling to Japan 3-1 (14-16, 15-4, 15-7, 15-10) in the medal-bronze game.

Achieving a high level in volleyball in the mid-1980s, Málaga moved to Seoul to play for a short time in the South Korean championship (one of the most competitives in Far East), becoming one of the first Latino sportswomen to play in the Asian tournament, alongside Maria Isabel Alencar of Brazil (who played in Japan). Although her dream was to become a professional player in either Italy or Brazil. A dream that she realized toward the end of this decade.

The Road to South Korea 1988

In the middle of her golden years, Málaga went to what is now the Czech Republic to compete in the Global Tournament, following capturing the SA title and playing in the Republic of Korea. In the former Czechoslovakia, she and her colleagues gained a bronze medal by defeating East Germany 3-1. Without she, the national team could haven't had so much respect from their rivals as Cuba, the German Democratic Republic (GDR), and the People's Republic of China (PRC). Astonishingly, she could play all the six positions on the court. Over the next year, by 1987, they defeated Brazil 3-0 to win the SA Women's Olympic Games Qualification Tournament at Maldonado, Uruguay, which followed the Peruvian contingent to compete for the XXIV Modern Olympiad, and claimed the Liberation Cup at Czechoslovakia months earlier. Later that event, they went to Japan where winning a Pre-World Cup. Certainly Peru's long dream of Olympic gold in women's team volleyball was almost realized in the following year.

After declining an invitation to compete at an international meet on Cuba's capital city, the South American title-holders went to Korea in the quest for the Olympic glory. Aside from Málaga, the nation's sportswomen were led by the future Hall of Famers Cecilia Tait and Gaby Pérez. Soon afterward, they gained a measure of historic revenge when the national side overcome the People's Republic of China 3-2, sparking off celebrations on home soil. Less than six years before the national team gained its first Olympic medal, at home, Peru -a contingent made up of nine rookies-- was upset by China in the gold-medal match at the FIVB World Championship. 

In a final as thrilling as the duel between USA and the USSR during the gold-medal game at the 1972 Olympic Basketball Tournament at Munich (West Germany), the Soviet Union -a group made up of 12 giants-- had a come-from-behid five set win over Peru to win the gold-medal match at Seoul'88. In the meantime, the country's female contingent dominated the sports pages for weeks for the first time in the Peruvian capital, an area traditionally monopolized by soccer. In fact, this Olympic final was a milestone in the history of Peru's sports. 

For her big performance during the 1988 Seul Games, the high-flying athlete then played professionally in the Italian (often referred to as one of the world's best tournaments) championship. She also was scheduled to play in Brazil. Within Brazilian circles, she was one of the most respected figures,along with the future Hall of Famers Tait and Ana Beatriz Moser ( a national sporting hero in her native country). Over the following years, she won her last Continental Contests in Brazil and Peru respectively. 

Under the leadership of Málaga, Gabriela Pérez del Solar and Sonia Ayaucam, the country's sportswomen dominated the Regional Tournament held at Cuzco in 1993 by beating Brazil in the final game, after missing out to Barcelona for the 1992 Summer Olympics. Subsequently, Malaga's love and passion for her country led her to play ten more years, a period where she was still regarded by far as the most outstanding Peruvian volleyball player well ahead of young athletes. However, the country's Golden Age finished and the Latin American republic never again was able to win regional titles. This also worsened due to a Brazilian strategy to find tall athletes to compete in the FIVB championships.

At the 2003 South American Tournament, Málaga competed for the last time at international level, but she failed to lead an Asian-style play against Brazil (0-3) and Argentina (2-3). Previously, Málaga was thrust into the spotlight in 2000 as she had been the athlete to inspire her delegation to win a berth for the Sydney 2000 Games during the SA Women's Olympic Games Qualification Tournament on home soil, following a win over Argentina (3-2). Over the next years, her post on the national squad was taken by Leyla Chihuan (a professional athlete-turned- congresswoman since July 2011). 

When people from the Spanish-speaking world talk about the great influential volleyball players, they talk about Cecilia Tait, Luisa Fuentes, Mireya Luis Hernández, Regla Torres, Gabriela Pérez del Solar and, of course, Natalia Málaga. Because of these reasons and others, she should be inducted into the Volleyball Hall of Fame. She would be a tribute to all those sportswomen who are competing under unfavourable conditions in the developing world. 

A New Mission

Since the late 2000s, Málaga is back in the center of Peru's volleyball: She has accepted a new challenge as coach of the Peruvian youth volleyball side. Before working with these teenagers, she was often invited by TV journalists to comment on volleyball matches. 

Under's Málaga guidance, the host Peru will compete in the Under-19 World Championship in July 2011 in Lima and Trujillo (an amazing city on Peru´s north coast). As a coach, she is well-known for her passion, dedication, perseverance, consistency, and seemingly limitless capacity for hard work. In the meantime, she instilled in everyone of her charges concepts such as "don't bend, win, work hard, love for Peru (her love for her country is a great example to all Peruvians)...never give up and always believe in yourself".

Up to now, Málaga has guided her players to about five international medals. By 2010, for example, she led Peru's youth sext to a bronze in the women's volleyball at the Inaugural Youth Olympic Games at Singapore City (Southeast Asia), before winning a silver in the Under-19 Regional Tournament at Colombia. Recently, after declining an invitation to play frienldy matches in Russia, Natalia led her home country Peru to win the Under-20 Women's Pan American Tournament at Lima with a team made up of very young individuals, among them Clarivett Yllescas (17), Brenda Uribe (17), and Ginna López (17). 

Upon witnessing Peru's win, Málaga said, "This is a very important step in preparation for the FIVB World Championship here and I am very glad because it was one of our best games". A month earlier, in May 2011, she and the Peruvian women's training squad embarked on a four-week tour of Europe (Serbia, Turkey, Slovakia, Italy, and Spain), an international experience that was a key to win the Pan American gold medal.

In her spare time, on the other side, she enjoys surfing on the Peruvian coast, horseback riding, and playing with her little dogs at her homeland. She has a daughter.

London 2012

Through her hardworking personality and courage, Málaga has a huge desire: wants to resuscitate Peru's volleyball, which had its golden age in the 1970s and 1980s. Over the last decades the senior national team - among the shortest/oldest teams on the Planet-- has been defeated by Puerto Rico, Brazil, the Dominican Republic, and other squads. By 2008, they lost to Venezuela for the Olympic qualification on home soil, being eliminated to participate at Beijing for the XXIX Modern Olympiad. This was a severe blow for Peru. Then, the national team had a difficult win over Costa Rica (25-18, 25-18, 32-34, 25-19) in last year's FIVB World Championship in Japan. Recently, in July 2011, they -possibly the worst squad in the history of Peru's volleyball-- could not win the right to compete in the 2012 World Grand Prix after losing to Argentina (currently runner-up at the 2010 Regional Cup behind Brazil) 2-3. 

S.O.S: Peru Needs Giants Today!

Frankly speaking, the development of a new generation of winners will be a difficult mission:You cannot bring the Olympic standards of Europe, Brazil, and the People's Republic of China to a country that has one of the worst Olympic budgets in the Western Hemisphere since the mid-1970s. In fact, sport is always ignored by local politicians after the multi-party polls. The budgets of the Latin American states are ten times higher than Peru's national average. Ecuador -with a population of 14.5 million-- has an annual budget of $ 100 million. The war-torn country of Colombia sends $ 160 million to their athletes. Venezuela's Olympic contestants receive $ 200 million for their international preparation. Meanwhile the Peruvian rule --with one of the strongest economies in the Hispanic world-- set aside $ 7 million for Olympic sport. This is a ludicrous sum. Under that atmosphere, the new generation of players has played in Peru--which has a population of over 30 million. 

The nation's national Under-18 and Under-20 teams need several tours on Asia -you can see the example of Brazil's girls when they visited the People's Republic of China during a month in the mid-1980s--, Europe, and the States (should take advantage of Raquel Chumpitaz's links with the American volleyball). Secondly, the Peruvian Volleyball Federation should set up an aggressive national project to find tall girls (1,80-2,00) in the country, from Tumbes and Ucayali to Tacna and Loreto, and outside of Peru to build teams make up of the best giants players from the country. All volleyball leaders should aim at that. It is very, very important for the future! Thirdly, due to her status as amateur athletes the teenagers and her other team-mates should get a big boost: scholarships, rewards, and special support from the Peruvian rule. This sport should be considered a national heritage in Peru -similar to the country's cuisine, Machu Picchu, etc- as Brazil has made with the soccer. Throughout the 1970s and into the 1980s, volleyball gave Peru the opportunity to reinforce its national pride and identity. As said once Tony Blair, the former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, " Sport has the power to change the world, the power to inspire, the power to unite people in a way that little else can. Sport can create hope...It is an instrument for peace". 

Malaga's Girls

Angela Leyva: "The most likely future Mireya Luis Hernandez from Peru". She possesses all the requisite qualities of an international superstar: Passion, tall, youth, and discipline. At the 2011 Under-18 Pan American Tournament at Mexico, she was a revelation with only 14 years old and 1,80m tall. Her performances against Chile and the Dominican Republic (during the bronze-medal match) are an example of her great future and Olympic spirit. Along with Andrea Urrutia (1,84m), Ginna López (1,85), Zoila Huaman (1,90), Sandra Santana (1,80), Rosa Valiente (1,82m), and Katherine Regalado (1,85m), she is one of Peru's best hope of winning a South American trophy. Leyva is one of the youngest players for the pre-Peruvian side. 

Rafaela Camet: Born on 14 September, 1992 in Lima.This indoor female athlete plays since the latter half of the 2000s. At the age of 14 years old, she was one of the members of Peru's Under-18 national volleyball team that competed at the FIVB World Cup in the United Mexican States in 2007. She has captured many international medals as well as a Pan American Junior gold medal. As well as winning these medals, she helped the Peruvian team to a sixth-place finish in the Under-17 World Cup in 2009.

Ginna López: She chose to wear the number 10 on her uniform. Despite having less experience that her team-mates, Ginna López (No 1 at national under-18 level) was Malaga's secret weapon at the Under-20 Women's Volleyball Pan American Tournament before a delirious home crowd in June 2011 (her international debut as a junior player). One of the moments most exciting was when the audience shouted "Ginna, Ginna..." Later on, more than 6,000 fans in attendance erupted into an ovation. Since then, she did not disappoint. Blocking strongly over the net, middle-blocker López was a key-athlete in the matches against Cuba and the Dominican Republic, who was runner-up in the last Junior World Cup, in the semis and finals in the continental meet. From the start of the Pan American event, López demonstrated that she is capable of playing a world-class game of volleyball. Another athlete had the post, but López convinced Málaga that she could do it better.Weeks ago, she, unfortunately, was not on a 28-day tour of Europe because of injury. However, while her colleagues head to Europe, she was invited to go to Swizerland to participate at the 2011 Montreaux Volleyball Master with the senior side, but she did not compete there. With a host of international matches in Far East, Europe and the States, she would be one of the greatest blockers in the Americas. She should gain a berth among the 12 players to compete in the 2012 Summer Olympics in the United Kingdom. On the other hand, she was left off the under-18 national volleyball squad because she was reserved to train in Lima with the junior squad. With her play, Peru's under-18 national squad would have qualify for the finals at the Under-18 Pan American event in North America.

Brenda Daniela Uribe: She is a born-athlete! She comes from a well-respected family of volleyball players. Miss Uribe is well-known as a top scorer in the junior tournaments on Earth since the late 2000s. With only 15 years old, she,who stands 1,82m, led the Peruvian attack during the Under-17 World Tournament in the Kingdom of Thailand (Southeast Asia), where was one of the most outstanding athletes. As an offensive leader for the Peruvian side, soon afterward, she captured the bronze medal at the First Young Summer Olympics which were held at Singapore City. With 21 points, she also guided Peru to a come-from-behind four-set win over the Dominican Republic in the First Junior Pan American Cup. But that wasn't all! Aside from being considered the Best Spiker, she was named the Championship's Most Valuable Player. Ironically she was not member of the senior squad that competed in the last World Championship in Japan (2010). With her absence, Peru lost a big opportunity to improve its international status. Without a doubt, she is a key-player to defeat Brazil in the future! 

Zoila Huaman Correa: She was born on March 1, 1995 in Lima, Peru, beginning her sporting career at Deportivo Huanca. Huaman is one of the youngest players for the pre-Peruvian side. She has a host of online fans that want to see her as an official player on the Peruvian team. Because of her height, Huaman could be a multi-talented middle blocker as was Gabriela Pérez del Solar during her Olympic career in the latter half of the 80s and early 90s. A duet Zoila Huaman (1,90m) - Ginna López (1,85m) would be a perfect machinary to make points against Argentina and Brazil, both teams make up of giants. She earned a spot on Peru's national under-18 squad that competed at the under-18 Pan American Championship.

Historically, Peru (Miss Pérez del Solar) and the USA (Flo Hyman, Rose Magers) have been pioneers to send giant players to the FIVB Tournaments in the 20th century, however, since 1993, Peru has been unable to produce giant players. By the mid-1980s, Gabriela Perez del Solar was an inspiration by the Brazilian and Cuban coaches (and Olympic czars) who to improve the Peruvian model in the next decades. My "big dream" was to see Gabriela Pérez del Solar (1,93m) and Sammy Duarte (1,92m) -thanks to Duarte, Peru beat the People's Republic of China in five sets at the Under-19 World Cup in the late 1980s- as middle-blockers (as well as Katherine Horny and Paola Paz as official players) on the Peruvian side, but this never occurred. Instead of that, Peru sent a tiny squad to the Pre-Olympic event in Tokyo (Japan) and lost to America for the 1992 Olympian qualification (in many aspects, from sports to politics, in Peru always our past is better that our present).If Peru had five giant blockers (1,86- 1,95), it will be Olympic champ. With a strong work, international tours and much patience (of course), Huaman is an option. At the age of sixteen she holds a height of 1,90m! 

Clarivett Illescas (Captain): She will represent Peru in the Junior World Cup in her homeland. At the age of 17, she is a young but talented athlete in her home country of Peru. From Málaga's training, she has developed an aggressive play with lethal attacks. Currently she is one of the top-scorers in the official tournaments. From 2008 to 2011, she captured at least five FIVB international medals in Singapore, Colombia, Cuba and other nations. This forceful athlete, should win a spot for the 2012 London Olympics due to her talent and Olympian discipline, as well as humble and sporting future. Peru needs a player as her to defeat the Brazilian side in the future competitions. 

Vivian Baella: Hailing from Rioja (San Martin, Peru), she made the decision to leave home at a very young age to follow their dreams as several Peruvian players. During a game against Argentina in the Young South American Championship in the late 2000s, Baella guided the Peruvian side to the win and gained the ticket to compete in the Under-18 FIVB World Championships when she was only 16 years old. Soon afterward, she and her team-mates made history when they defeated the People's Republic of China 3-0 in the global tournament at Southeast Asia, where Peru became one of the six most respected teams on the Planet. In her hometown, she is a "celebrity", in other words the "favorite daughter of Rioja". 

Alexandra Muñoz: Born on 16 August, 1992. After four days battled matches against Mexico, Cuba and the Dominican Republic at the Inaugural Junior Pan American Tournament, she picked up a total of two special awards: Best Setter & Best Server. She, who stands 1,77m in height, is a pivotal force on the Peruvian squad. Like Clarivett Yllescas, Zoila Huaman, Brenda Uribe, Ginna López, Angela Leyva, Sandra Santana, Katherine Regalado and Andrea Urrutia, she should be on the senior team and will represent Peru at the Grand Prix 2011.

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The History of Hilton Hotels

The History of Hilton Hotels-Continental Business Class

Hilton Hotels are upscale, full service properties catering to business travel and leisure guests. They are a chain of over 500 hotels all over the world from Rome to Omaha. Hilton Hotels are enjoying a phenomenal growth in online sales. Hilton hotels are the place for you if you want a distinctive hotel. The original company was founded in 1919 by Conrad Hilton.

Continental Business Class

Conrad Hilton was determined to maximize every square foot of hotel space and serve the hotel guest. Mr. Hilton bought his first hotel in Cisco, Texas in 1919. And, of course there's always Paris. Paris is the great-granddaughter of Conrad Hilton, founder of the Hilton hotels and source of an estimated 0 million family fortune. Paris Hilton is the daughter of one of the sons of Mr. Hilton, a hotel magnate. Conrad Hilton (1887-1979) was born in San Antonio. He was determined that his hotel to be the best in every city and coined the phrase, "take me to the Hilton".

And, of course there's always Paris. Paris is the great-granddaughter of Conrad Hilton, founder of the Hilton hotels and source of an estimated 0 million family fortune. Paris Hilton is the daughter of one of the sons of Mr. Hilton, a hotel magnate. Conrad Hilton (1887-1979).

Hilton hotels are known for featuring world class accommodations in the countries hottest destinations. The hotels are adding MP3-friendly alarm clocks, allowing guests to awaken to their own music. They are internationally known for their Hilton Meetings Business Centres. Hilton Hotels are known for a high level of comfort and prestige. The Port of San Diego and Hilton are planning to develop a 1200-room hotel on the waterfront adjacent to the San Diego Convention Center.

Mr. Hilton bought his first hotel in Cisco, Texas in 1919. And, of course there's always Paris. Paris is the great-granddaughter of Conrad Hilton, founder of the Hilton hotels and source of an estimated 0 million family fortune. Paris Hilton is the daughter of one of the sons of Mr. Hilton, a hotel magnate. Conrad Hilton (1887-1979) was born in San Antonio. He was determined that his hotel to be the best in every city and coined the phrase, "take me to the Hilton".

HHonors program effectiveness has grown from 34% in 2002 to 40% now. The program is designed to thank meeting planners who schedule events at Hilton Hotels worldwide. The program Members can earn both HHonors points and airline miles for the same business rate stay - what we call Double Dipping. MilePoint sponsors, in addition to the Hilton HHonors program, are America West, Continental, Delta, Northwest, TWA, US Airways and Hilton Hotels. The American Express Hilton Hhonors Program Credit card earns points for free stays at Hilton hotels.

Hilton Hotels are internationally known for their Hilton Meetings Business Centers. Business travel has always been a top priority of the chain. Since 1919, Hilton Hotels has led the way with innovations for executives on the road. Maureen Mackey is Managing Director of Sales, Business Travel Sales for Hilton Hotels Corporation.

Hilton hotels are upscale, full service properties catering to business and leisure guests. Hilton hotels are known for featuring world class accommodations in the countries hottest destinations. The prestigious Hilton Malta promises the best in accommodation and a high standard of service for which Hilton hotels are renowned. For business or pleasure the Homewood suites by Hilton hotels are designed with all the comforts of home in mind. The Hotels are the "Official Hotel Group of UK Athletics and the Great Britain and Northern Ireland Athletics Team." Hilton Hotels are now building computer files on customer preferences using a system called OnQ, pronounced "on cue". The Hotels are known across the globe and offer a choice of 2700 quality hotels in the UK, Europe, Asia, America, Africa and Australia. Room 902 in the Amsterdam Hilton became famous when in 1969 Yoko Ono and John Lennon staged their first Bed-In for Peace.

The Corporation is based in Beverly Hills. Hilton hotels are the most recognized name in the global lodging industry and have been in service for more than 80 years. The chain is focused on the needs of business and leisure travelers who desire a full array of quality services.

Copyright © Mary Hanna, All Rights Reserved.

This article may be distributed freely on your website and in your ezines, as long as this entire article, copyright notice, links and the resource box are unchanged.

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Impact of the French Revolution on 18th Century Europe and Relevance to Contemporary Christianity

Impact of the French Revolution on 18th Century Europe and Relevance to Contemporary Christianity-Continental Class

INTRODUCTION

Continental Class

Events of 1789 formed the catalyst that exploded the powder keg of accumulated grievances in France. Indeed "the French Revolution began when Louis XVI called the States-General to provide money for his bankrupt government" (The World Book Encyclopedia, Vol.7, 1991, p.450). The outbreak of the French Revolution in 1789 produced intense hostility to Christianity because "the Roman church was identified by the people with the earlier government of France and suffered greatly" (Harman and Renwick, 1999, p.170). Lefebvre (1947) observed that in a total population of probably twenty three million, there were certainly not more than one hundred thousand priests, monks and nuns, and four hundred thousand nobles. The rest constituted the Third Estate. This secular event shows the contemporary Church the peril that awaits a nation that rejects God. The point of the observation is that although the French Revolution negatively affected Christianity, the attempt at deChristianization was unable to blot the 'faith of our fathers living still'.

RELIGIOUS BACKGROUND TO THE CONFLICT

According to Noll (2000), "a number of long-festering conditions had prepared the way for this attack on Christianity" (p.247). Paradoxically, some of these were of Christian origin. Centuries earlier, Augustine had declared that man should not have dominion over man, for he is a rational creature made in the image of God. Bellarmine, the Jesuit Cardinal opined that it depended on the consent of the people whether kings, consuls or other magistrates were to be established in authority over them. He further observed that the people should change a kingdom into an aristocracy if there was legitimate cause. Latourette (1953) therefore referred to the French Revolution as "a secularized version of the heavenly city as perceived by Christians" (p.1007).
Before the outbreak of the revolution in France, bad economic, political, social and legal conditions, the successful example of the English Revolution of 1689 and the American Revolution of 1776 were fused by the development of an ideology that rationalized the right of popular revolution against Louis XVI. This ideology was the result of the teachings of the philosophes. While Rousseau and Montesquieu provided the political atmosphere for revolution, Voltaire criticized the church. Cairns (1981) admitted that there were grounds for criticism of the Roman Catholic Church in France. It owned much land and was as responsible as the secular state in the dealings with the people. The public resented various tithes imposed by the church, rigorous repression of religious dissenters, and the non-productive monkish orders. Nichols (1932) suspected that "the greatest cause of the hostility of the church was its enormous wealth and the selfish use made of it" (p.96) since the masses were ruined by cruel taxation at the expense of higher clergy who were generally lazy, luxurious and immoral.

If the 17th century was the age of orthodoxy, the eighteenth was the age of nationalism, a result of cold orthodoxy and scientific developments. The deadly result was that "revelation tended to take the back seat to reason and knowledge gained by sense perception" (Vos, 1960, p.99). When scientists investigated the form of the universe, they formed the idea of a clockwise universe - God's world was seen as gigantic, well-ordained giant clock.

IMPLICATIONS FOR 18TH CENTURY EUROPE

The French Revolution is viewed as a turning point because it was seen as an important stage in a succession of movements that later spread across the globe to ultimately affect the life of mankind.

It is observed that the effects were especially serious for Christianity since they brought actions which struck at the privileges and status of the Roman Catholic Church. The Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen on August 26 1789 held that "the source of all sovereignty is located in the nation; no body, no individual can exercise authority which does not emanate from it expressly" (Noll, 2000, p.247). The peasants were relieved of a burden which had taken about a twentieth of their produce when tithes were abolished. Consequently, the church was deprived of one of its chief sources of revenue. Church land, which comprised about a fifth of the area of France was confiscated and became the property of the state. In July 1790, the Civil Constitution of the Clergy was enacted by the National Assembly. Among other things, bishops were to be elected by the voters who chose the civil officials and the pope was merely to be notified of their choice. Payment of the clergy by the state was no blessing in disguise since the former was to take an oath of allegiance to the latter. [It must be observed that Spener criticized caesaropapism (doctrine of state control over the church) in his significant publication way back in 1675]. The pope's power was reduced to that of stating the dogma of the Roman Catholic Church. Indeed "churchmen felt this new act meant secularization of the church and they were violently opposed to it" (Cairns, 1981, p.390).

Unlike the situation in the United States, separation of church and state by the French Revolution and later in the Soviet Union and its sphere of influence was an attempt to totally exterminate the church and to replace it with nationalism. The Roman Catholic Church and the French state were completely separated during the reign of terror of 1793 and 1794 when so many were executed for counter revolutionary activities.

The programme of deChristianization gained momentum when the convention decreed that a commune had the right to renounce the Catholic form of worship. The calendar adopted on October 3 1793 made every tenth day rather than Sunday a day of rest. On November 7, 1793, the Archbishop of Paris appeared before the Convention and "solemnly resigned his Episcopal functions" (Encyclopaedia Britiannica, vol.15, 1989, p.498). A certain Mademoiselle Maillard, an opera dancer, wearing the three colours of the new republic on November 10, 1793 was enthroned as the goddess of Reason upon the high altar of Notre Dame, the Roman Catholic Cathedral of Paris, and there she received the homage of the revolutionists. Notre Dame was rechristened the Temple of Reason. Another step adopted by the Convention was the ordering of churches and parsonages to be used as school houses and poor houses thus effectively preventing public and official worship. The Feasts of Reason both at Paris and elsewhere soon "degenerated into mere orgies, disreputable women playing the part of goddesses and enacting bacchanals in the churches" (Martin, 1877, p.552). The precarious situation during the Reign of Terror forced many Christians to renounce their trust in God. Assessing the situation, Kuiper (1964) pointed out that "it is not possible to say how many Protestants as well as Catholics renounced their faith at this time, but the number was large" (p.310). Although the Convention passed a decree reaffirming the principle of the freedom of worship, the Directory and its regime were basically anti-Christian. The interests of Christianity and European civilization were no longer regarded as two expressions of the same reality. In other words, there was a signal of the demise of Christendom.

Kings initially viewed themselves as God's representatives on earth and considered all disobedience and rebellion to be sinful. A dangerous feeling of infallibility, considerable serenity and moderation therefore gained control of monarchs. The French Revolution completely repudiated this divine right of kings and "asserted the doctrine that the right to rule came from the people" (The World Book Encyclopedia, vol.5, 1971, p.199). Although Napoleon eventually recognized the Roman Catholic religion as the religion of the great majority of French citizens, he did not make it the established religion. The clergy were to be paid by the state but the property taken from the Roman Church in 1790 was not to be returned to it. In fact, Latourette (1953) observed with brutal truth that Napoleon "regarded the church as an institution which must be recognized and used for his purposes" (p.1011).

The French Revolution and Napoleon brought grave embarrassment to missions. The direct result was a sharp decline of the faith in some geographic frontiers. Few missionaries were sent from Europe and it was difficult to render aid to those already in the field. The Society of Foreign Missions of Paris was compelled to seek headquarters outside of France. The Congregation of the Propagation of the Faith, the bureau through which the Papacy supervised missions abroad, was driven out of Rome. This led to a marked falling off in numbers and morale of the Roman Catholic community in India. Adverse domestic conditions coupled with the handicaps in Europe threatened the extinction of the church in China. The occupation of Spain by Napoleonic armies and the attack on Portugal greatly affected missions in Latin America. Conditions in Russia were also adverse. Parishes lost the right of electing their clergy, a privilege enjoyed since the era of Peter the Great. In a brilliant summary, Noll (2000) commented that "turmoil from the French Revolution and then the wave of national liberation movements fostered by Napoleon further diminished European concern for cross-cultural Christian expansion" (p.274). The revolution greatly affected Lutherans in the German states. War and suffering revealed that skepticism and infidelity were not sufficient to meet the needs of the human spirit and multitudes turned again to religious faith. The old Holy Roman Empire was dissolved in 1806, stimulating the strengthening of independent states like Austria and Prussia. Later in the century, this contributed to the unification of the German people under the leadership of Prussia. Calvinism in Europe also felt the shock of the French Revolution. Skepticism had already weakened this group in France, Switzerland, the German states and the Low Countries. According to Baker (1959), the "political conditions that continued through the Congress of Vienna in 1815 brought disorganization and uncertainty to continental Calvinism" (p.321).

Beyond the dark clouds were shades of silver lining, which several scholars tend to overlook. Perhaps a positive view was that "society was being directed toward the good of the whole community instead of toward the benefit of a tiny elite of kings, nobles and bishops" (Noll, 2000, p.248). Grievous as were the losses suffered by Christianity, "there was ample evidence that the faith was by no means moribund" (Latourette, 1953, p.1012). Indications of vitality (old and new) were evident. These could be found among the Roman Catholics of the eastern churches and in Protestantism. If anything, "secularization of the west was not going to blot out the faith" (Noll, 2000, p.260). Liberal, sectarian and traditionalist responses to the marginalization of European Christendom all had notable vigor though at varying degrees. European thought was skillfully sifted in a new world in order to preserve an intellectually vigorous Christian faith. Groups like the Oxford Movement applied lessons of the early church of the perils of the present. In his stimulating Church History lectures at West Africa Theological Seminary, Lagos, Nigeria, Dr. William Faupel observed that secularization is not inherently evil and argued that there must be a positive interaction, that is, taking the gospel in the mindset of the people.

RELEVANCE TO CONTEMPORARY CHRISTIANITY

Many biblical scholars agreed that the punctuation of papal power in France was a fulfillment of prophecies of Daniel 7 and Revelation 13, which they believed predicted the demise of Roman Catholicism. In this light, Faupel (1996) observed that "the French Revolution became the Rosetta Stone by which all scriptural prophecy could be correlated with the events of human history" (p.92). The lessons for contemporary Christianity are significant.

Righteousness exalts a nation but sin is indeed a reproach to any people. Even today, the Wesleys are credited with saving England from a bloody, political revolution such as befell France. While the common people were as oppressed and deprived as the French, the English people could cope with their oppression because of their faith in God and their adherence to Christian principles. The English revival caused the people to look to God for hope whereas the French had only politicians and atheistic philosophers. The lesson is that God can avert destruction in a nation that acknowledges Him as Saviour. The situation in Sierra Leone in May 2000 is a case in point. God miraculously saved the nation at a time when destruction loomed large. The nation responded to the call to shout 'Jesus' at 5:00 p.m. on Monday May 9 2000. God honoured this demonstration of faith and reliance on Him as the only hope. The peaceful elections in May 2002 and August/September 2007 could also be attributed to the redeeming work of God in a land where He is exalted. In like manner, Horton (1993) firmly believed that "God brought about a peaceful change in the protestant land of England, in contrast to the turmoil of the Roman Catholic France" (p.72).

Secondly, the church in any nation should not fraternize with the state to oppress masses since the latter could rebel with frenzied violence. In France, the revolutionists demonstrated that "they could break down barriers if they were driven to desperation" (Rowe, 1931, p.420). Furthermore, ideas that glorify man and sentence God to temporary or permanent exile could be dangerous to any nation. The French Revolution shocked Europe and awakened people to the power of ideas and forces that had become part of western culture. For many, "those ideas and forces connoted the disruptions and destruction that could be expected from unrestrained rationalism" (Manschreck, 1974, 298).

From the study, the researcher realizes that pagan religions and ideas could penetrate areas once dominated by Christianity as a result of the state of the church. During his lectures, Dr. Faupel lamented that an impending doom could await the church in North America because of inherent weakness including racist Christian policies. As Rodney observed (1972), "racism...[was] a set of generalizations and assumptions, which had no scientific bias, but...rationalized in every sphere from theology to biology" (p.99). Contemporary Christianity should realize that it should not be the cold impotent ash (like the church in France before the revolution) but a vibrant church fulfilling the Great Commission. Sumrall (1980) caustically dismissed refusal to spread the gospel as "reckless spiritual homicide" (p.8). The contemporary church must be willing to sacrifice like Christ and the saints of old if the earth should be filled with the glory of God as the waters cover the sea. Houghton (1980) hoped that the contemporary church would be mindful of the fact that "when the church goes astray, denying Him who had bought His people with His precious blood, the Lord [sends] trials and afflictions to correct His unfaithful children" (p.34).

CONCLUSION

The above notwithstanding, the blood of a martyr is seed for the church. After the French Revolution, Christianity, probably to the dismay of the revolutionaries, did not die. Truth (Jesus) was in the grave for three days but eventually resurrected. Persecution, in the history of Christianity, could be regarded as a stepping stone rather than a stumbling block. Fire did not beget cold and impotent ash. After the French Revolution, the church became much more involved in speaking on relevant issues of the day. Christianity was viewed from a different perspective. Evangelism was given a thoughtful consideration. In spite of all the negative effects of the French Revolution, the brand of Christianity that emerged transformed itself by positively interacting with the philosophical mindset of the day.

LIST OF REFERENCES

Baker, Robert A. 1959. A survey of Christian history. Nashville: Broadman Press.

Cairns, Earle E. 1981. Christianity through the centuries: a history of the Christian Church. 2nd ed.

Grand Rapids, Michigan: The Zondervan Corporation.

The Encyclopaedia Britannica. 1989 ed., s.v. "French Revolution".

Faupel, William. 1996. The everlasting gospel: the significance of eschatology in the development of Pentecostal thought. Sheffield: Sheffield Academic Press.

Harman, A.M. and A.M. Renwick. 1999. The story of the church. 3rd ed. Leicester: Varsity Press.

Horton, Beka. 1993. 1980. Sketches from church history. Pennsylvania: The Banner of Truth.

Kuiper, B.K. 1964. The church in history. Michigan: The National Union of Christian Schools.

Latourette, Kenneth S. 1953. A history of Christianity. New York: Harper and Row Publishers.

Lefebvre, George. 1947. The coming of the French Revolution. New Jersey: Princeton University Press.

Lewis, C.S. 1970. God in the dock: essays on theology and ethics. Michigan: William E. Eerdmans Publishing Co.

Manschreck, Clyde L. 1974. A history of Christianity in the world: from persecution to uncertainty.
New York: Prentice Hall.

Martin, Henri. 1877. A popular history of France from the first revolution to the present time, Vol.1.

Philadelphia: The Westminster Press.

Noll, Mark A. 2000. Turning points: decisive moments in the history of Christianity. 2nd ed.

Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Academic.

Rodney, Walter. 1972. How Europe underdeveloped Africa. London: Bogle L'Ouverture Publications.

Rowe, Henri K. 1931. History of the Christian people. New York: The Macmillan Company.

Sumrall, Lester. 1980. Where was God when pagan religions began? Indiana: LeSEA Publishing Co.

Vos, Howard F. 1960. Highlights of church history. Nebraska: Back to the Bible Publishers.

The World Book Encyclopaedia, 1971 ed., s.v. "Divine rights of kings".

The World Bank Encyclopaedia, 1971 e.d., s.v. "French Revolution".

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Successfully Selling Silver on eBay - Article Two - Hallmarks, Maker's Marks, Standards, and More

Successfully Selling Silver on eBay - Article Two - Hallmarks, Maker's Marks, Standards, and More-Continental Business

(Warning: This article is long and reading it may improve your ability to make money on eBay)

Continental Business

In Article One I discussed the opportunities for savvy eBay sellers in the growing investor market for antique and collectible silver. The many types of marks on these goods can be confusing, however, often resulting in poorly described listings. One can be assured that at least 30% of the 12-15,000 weekly listings in the 'Antiques-Sterling' category will have inaccurate or misleading descriptions. The resulting buyer confusion and uncertainty causes poor selling prices, lost sales and seller credibility issues.

In this article eBayers will learn how to identify and understand the many different marks and where to research them. With this background sellers can write professional descriptions in their eBay auctions, eBay stores and other selling venues. Properly identifying and listing silver items gives sellers credibility and an edge over the hundreds of uninformed sellers in this competitive market.

Think of it this way - if one were going to get into the car selling business he or she should know as much as possible about makes, models, engines, performance, etc. Right? The same thing applies to selling silver goods. The marks tell the story behind the piece i.e., the maker, age, origin, history, quality, pattern, etc. Understanding marks will increase the sellers' ROI because they become better buyers as well as resellers.

Identifying and Deciphering Silver Marks - The list below provides the basics for learning the many marks and and metal types. For further research and education there are many excellent reference books available for both beginners and experts. I've provided a short list of suggested books at the end of the article. Understand that many reference books are narrow in their scope i.e., specific to certain time periods, countries, etc. For this reason one should purchase only one or two books which cover a wide array of marks from many makers and countries. As experience is gained by listing and selling silver one can build a good reference library. For online research there are several excellent websites that are contributed to and used by collectors and dealers worldwide. I've linked one of the best sites at the bottom of the article. Professional valuations and appraisals are also available for those who want a quality listing but don't want to research marks.

Those who are just starting into silver sales need to be very careful not to misinterpret marks. As stated above, one-third of the eBay sellers incorrectly list and describe items because they've learned just enough information about marks to be dangerous. Often these erroneous sellers think because there is a lion, crown, or anchor mark on their item it is English sterling when, in fact, it is silverplate bearing a pseudo mark. Just today I saw a new seller's auction of a creamer and sugar bowl set that she listed as English sterling made in 1903. In reality it was American silverplate circa 1877-1880. She thought the pattern number, 1903, was the date it was made and that the lion in the trademark meant English sterling. This is just one example of many that make sellers look bad and limit their chances for a profitable sale.

Use Knowledge As A Selling Point - After properly researching the marks on the merchandise one can accurately title and describe the listings. Items can be guaranteed to be as claimed because the seller has enough confidence to do so. This gives credibility to the seller and the merchandise which will draw smart investors and collectors to the auction. The result will be strong bidding action and higher sale prices.

Use Accurately Identified Marks for Search Optimization - For example, a seller identifies a piece as Danish and made by Georg Jensen circa 1909-1914. When used to keyword the auction title and description this information will be a magnet for high-end collectors . This translates into bigger profits. Which of these two titles works best? "Antique Silver Bowl with Hallmarks" or,"Beautiful Georg Jensen Art Nouveau Sterling Centerpiece c.1909-1914". The second one of course. This is simply using strategic keywords in the title which gives life to the listing.

Okay, so what's to learn? There's plenty. The following is just the short list, but with this foundation a seller can build their road to success as an expert silver dealer on eBay and other venues.

Things You Must Know:

Hallmarks - Just about every eBay seller misunderstands this. Specific to precious metals, a hallmark is defined as a mark or series of marks struck into the metal that officially authenticates the metal purity (fineness or content) and which is internationally recognized as a guarantee of purity. eBay sellers frequently confuse hallmarks with maker's marks, logos, company trademarks, and simple number marks such as 925 or 835. While such number marks are used to indicate purity or content they are never to be considered as hallmarks unless they are accompanied by the official standard mark of the country of origin. Why? Because anyone can fraudulently strike these numbers into the metal without official assay. Hallmarks are the official marks of guaranteed metal purity in precious metal items. Trademarks and maker's marks are simply the mark of the manufacturer of the item. Think of it like the karat marks on gold jewelry. If a ring says Cartier 18K, the hallmark is the 18K, not the maker's name, Cartier. It guarantees the ring has a gold purity of 75% and it is recognized worldwide. Silver hallmarks work the same way, there's just a lot more of them than there are for gold. Country Marks - Almost every country requires official nationalized marks or symbols to be used as the hallmarks for their precious metals standards. Probably the best known of all is the Lion Passant used by England to guarantee sterling since the 14th century. There are far too many country marks to list here but you can research them in the online reference sites listed at the end of this article. City Marks - A mark or symbol used in many countries to denote the city where the item was made. The leopard head representing London and the anchor representing Birmingham are two of the best known and most commonly seen on eBay. Again there's too many to list but they can be researched in the reference guides listed below. Maker's Marks - These are the registered names, initials, trademarks, logos, brands, symbols, or other marks used over several centuries by silversmiths and manufacturing companies to identify their wares. There are literally hundreds of these worldwide. You will usually find these struck or imprinted onto an inconspicuous place on the item along with the hallmark and other marks. Date Marks - Also called Date Codes, these are unique symbols, characters, letters, or numbers used by some well known manufacturers as a means of dating the production year of their merchandise. These are cataloged and are very useful in accurately dating many items. Unfortunately many companies didn't use date marks which makes precise dating of their work impossible. Pseudo Marks - These marks were created by silversmiths to mimic the well known and long established British sterling hallmarks. These smiths typically made silverplate items and silver items of lesser purity than sterling. The marks were intentionally designed to give a perception of sterling quality about their work in order to profit on the reputation and renown of British sterling. This does not necessarily mean they were all practicing fakery, though some certainly were. In fact, many pseudo marks are legitimately registered trademarks of reputable firms which manufacture in sterling, coin and silverplate. For example Gorham, a highly respected American sterling and silverplate maker, incorporated the Birmingham anchor mark into their maker's mark. Much of the 19th century Chinese export silver also bears pseudo marks on some very high quality 800 and 835 standard marked goods. Pseudo marks are often mistaken for British sterling hallmarks so buyers and sellers alike must be able to recognize them. This is one of the main reasons why research is so critical to successful selling. Pattern Numbers - These are proprietary numbers which are often found along with the hallmarks and maker's marks. These are used by the manufacturer for patent registration, pattern identification and inventory control. Sterling - Sterling is defined by the U.K., the U.S. (refer below*) and most other nations as an alloy containing at least 92.5% pure silver. The other metal in the alloy is copper which strengthens the metal for fabrication into usable and decorative wares. The word sterling comes from 14th century England. The sterling standard in Great Britain and elsewhere has been 92.5% (925) fineness since that time. 925, 0.925 or 925/1000 - This number is often found stamped into silver items. It represents sterling when accompanied by the official standard hallmark of the country of origin. The presence of this number on an item does not guarantee it to be sterling unless the official country hallmark is also present. "Solid Silver" - This is defined by the U.S. government (refer below*) as an alloy containing at least 92.5% pure silver which means it has to be sterling. It is illegal in the U.S. to represent any product by this name that is not sterling silver. "Coin Silver" - This alloy gets its name from 18th and 19th century American silversmiths who melted down silver coins in order to fabricate items to sell. Typical items were silverware and other table service wares. The U.S. government defines this to be an alloy of 90% (900) purity (refer below*). Many items with less than 90% purity are frequently and illegally sold as "coin silver" in the U.S. on eBay and in other venues. Continental Sterling - This is a misleading term used by some who sell European made items which have purity standards less than 92.5%. Similar terms used are Russian Sterling, German Sterling, French Sterling, etc. all of which are marked with official national standards that are less than 925. Continental Silver is the correct way to describe European goods provided the official hallmark and assay mark are present to authenticate the actual purity. Silver Standards - In the U.S. the standards are pure (.9999%), sterling and coin (refer below*). In the U.K. the standards are britannia (95.8 % purity) and sterling. Britannia was used exclusively in Britain from 1697 to 1720 and has been optional since. Other countries have their own sets of official standards. Typically, but not without exception, these are 950, 935, 925, 900, 875, 850, 835, 812, 800, 750, and 675 purities as determined by official assay. These numbers represent the decimal fraction (percentage) of silver content in the manufactured item. For example, an item marked '800' is 80% pure. 950 and 935 can be legally referred to in the U.S. as sterling, regardless of the country of origin, but the lesser standards cannot. 950 is sometimes referred to as Martelé Silver. Note: In the U.S. it is a federal crime to import, sell, label, advertise, or otherwise represent any item as "sterling" or "solid silver" which does not have a purity of 92.5% or greater (refer below*). Loth Numbers - This was a numerical system used in Austria-Hungary and Germany-Prussia in the 18th and 19th centuries for authenticating official assays. It is based on a purity of 16/16. So that 15/16 is 15 Loth equaling .937 purity, 14/16 is 14 Loth equaling .875 purity, 13/16 is 13 Loth equaling .812 purity, and so on. Most of the antique silver from these countries found listed on eBay is 13 Loth and, as noted above, it is often misrepresented as German Sterling. Austria-Hungary used this system until 1866 and Germany-Prussia until 1886. Zolotnik Numbers - These numbers are found on Russian silver items going back several centuries. The root of this system began in the 11th century with the Russian gold trade. A lot of antique Russian items are auctioned on eBay and other venues so it is important to know some basics. The numbers are based on 96/96 being pure. What is sold mostly on eBay is the more common 84 Zolotnik, or 84/96 which equals 875 (87.5%) purity. 88 Zolotnik is 88/96 or 916 purity and so on. A common problem with the 84 mark is mistaking certain types of French silverplate for Russian 84 Zolotnik. One way to tell the difference is the French silverplate mark will have either a 'Gr' or 'G' after the 84 which represents grams of silver used in the plating process. Also the Russian 84 Zolotnik will always be accompanied with one or more official marks and a maker's mark in Russian Cyrillic letters. If an item is claimed to be Russian and it bears on the number 84, then consider it to be fake or plate. Silverplate - This is a very thin layering or coating of pure silver over a base metal. The most common base metals used are copper, brass, nickel-silver, white metal, and Britannia metal (see below). The two types of silverplate are Sheffield plate and electroplate. Sheffield derives its name from Sheffield, England where it originated. The technique used was a 'sandwiching' of a layer of base metal between a top and bottom layer of pure silver. The metals were wrought or rolled until the two metals were bonded. Thus the base metal was 'plated' and could then be used for manufacturing. Electroplating was invented in 1805 but didn't come into popular use until 1840. This is an electrolytic process whereby molecules of silver are deposited onto the surfaces of a sheet of base metal until the desired coating or thickness is achieved. Because electroplating is quick and not labor intense almost all plating was done this way by 1860 which doomed the Sheffield plate method. Today Sheffield plate is prized by collectors due to its superior hand-wrought quality and antique value. There are several different quality grades of electroplate/silverplate. These are based on the thickness of the plating resulting from the amount of silver used. The two common types of Victorian Era silverplate are triple plate and quadruple plate. You will see a lot of these types auctioned on eBay. The key thing to know about silverplate is that it has no significant silver weight, thus there is no precious metal value associated with it. The market for silverplated items is based on rarity, uniqueness, antique qualities, craftsmanship, and design qualities only. Sterling Silverplate - There is no such thing! This description is often used by eBay sellers who don't know anything about silver or who are keyword spamming to increase clicks on their listing. Because sterling is an alloy it is unsuitable to use as a silver source for plating. E.P.N.S. - You will see these letters marking the bottoms of many older American and British silverplated items. This stands for Electro Plated Nickel-Silver. Many novice eBay sellers and those who don't bother to do any research mistakenly list E.P.N.S. items as sterling. Common variations on this are E.P., E.P.C. (Electro Plate on Copper), E.P.W.M. (Electro Plate on White Metal), E.P.B. or E.P.B.M. (Electro Plate on Britannia Metal). Just know that any item marked with E.P. is silverplate and as such has no precious metal value. Nickel-Silver - This is a common base metal alloy consisting of nickel, copper and zinc. There is no silver in it whatsoever. The name was coined because the metal is silvery in color and polishes to a shine. Other names used for the same metal are: Alpacca or Alpacca Silver; Brazil Silver; German Silver; Peru Silver; New York Silver; New Silver; Nevada Silver; Norwegian Silver; Silverite; Venetian Silver; Potosi Silver; and Sonora Silver to name just a few. Many people have been stung buying things like old German Silver ladies purses thinking they had something of real value. Nickel-silver is strong and durable but it doesn't have any metal value. White Metal - This is a silvery colored alloy usually containing a mixture of antimony, tin, lead, zinc, and cadmium. In the U.K. the British fine arts trade uses the term 'white metal' to describe all foreign items which do not have official British Assay Office marks struck on them. Britannia Metal - Another non-silver base metal similar to pewter which is popular because it is durable and polishes to a silver-like luster. This is an alloy of 93% tin, 5% antimony and 2% copper. Not to be confused with 958 Britannia from Great Britain.

The hundreds of known marks and their meanings are complex and often confusing. The information you've received in this article should increase your understanding of what many of the marks represent. You can now build upon these basics to become an informed buyer and reseller with a substantial edge over your competition. Thanks for following this article series and please watch for Article Three: A Focus on British Sterling.

Suggested Reference Books:

Kovels' American Silver Marks by Ralph and Terry Kovel; Random House Reference, 1st Ed., 1989. ISBN-13: 978-0517568828 Dealer's Guides: English Silver Hall-Marks by Judith Banister; Foulsham Publishing, 2004. ISBN-13: 978-0572029999 Encyclopedia of American Silver Manufacturers by Dorothy T. Rainwater, Martin Fuller and Colette Fuller; Schiffer Publishing, 2003. ISBN-13: 978-0764318870 American Silversmiths and Their Marks: The Definitive (1948) Edition by Stephen G. C. Ensko; Dover Publications, 1983. ISBN-13: 978-0486244280 All About Antique Silver with International Hallmarks by Diana Sanders Cinamon; AAA Publishing; 1ST edition, 2006. ISBN-13: 978-0978516802 Discovering Hallmarks on English Silver by John Bly; Shire Publishing, 9th Ed., 2008. ISBN-13: 978-0747804505 English, Irish, & Scottish Silver: at the Sterling and Francine Clark Art Institute by Beth Carver Wees; Hudson Hills Press, 1st Ed.,1997. ISBN-13: 978-1555951177
(These and other excellent reference books on this subject are available at Amazon.com and other fine booksellers.)

* U.S. Guide to Precious Metals & Jewels: Laws & Standards (See paragraph 23.6)

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Best and Worst Times to Travel to Europe

Best and Worst Times to Travel to Europe-Continental Class

When planning your European trip, check your arrival and departures dates and see if they take into account peak, off-peak and shoulder travel periods.

Continental Class

Peak periods are the times when majority of travelers fly in and out of countries and these periods usually coincide with school holidays, Christmas, Easter and New Year. The country you are flying into will also have peak periods unique to that country, so expect flights and accommodation to be heavily booked and tickets to be more expensive. This peak period generally covers late December to January (because of the Christmas season) and late June to the end of August (summer break). Travel during the Christmas holidays can be difficult as plane ticket prices soar and ski resorts start overcharging. Public transport is also reduced in most areas since only a few trains will leave on Christmas day. The "shoulder period" is in spring and autumn and the low or "off-peak" periods are usually in the remaining months and in the winter.

If you have only a limited time to see Europe, your best bet is to fly in and out during a shoulder period. Prices are almost at their lowest and travel conditions are great because you can avoid the crowds and the overpricing. If you have a lot of time to spare in Europe, try flying in the low season when fares are cheapest so you have more money to spread over your stay. It's always a good idea to start checking airfares 3-4 months before you leave. Airlines are starting to discount in order to reward early bookers and there's a lot time to wait if you think they're too high. The cheapest ticket prices might turn up on the net or at your ticket office at anytime. And while you're at it, make sure you've already reserved your accommodation 6 weeks to 2 months before you leave. It's a good idea to reserve a hotel for your arrival and departure days. The rest can be reserved afterwards. Also, remember to check for travel dangers and updates. Your government and insurance company might draw the line if you visit a certain territory they've warned you about. Be informed about the dangers and uprisings in the country you are visiting and do last-minute updates to check conditions right before you leave.

For most seasoned travelers, the best time to see Europe is from April to June and September to October when the weather is still warm, the holiday crowds have left and accommodation and transport are regularly priced.

In contrast, the single worst time to visit most parts of Europe (especially the western and southern countries) is the month of August. This is when many Europeans leave and take their holidays in nearby countries as well. The cities can be deserted and as a result, accommodation prices shoot up and finding a bed can be very difficult. Buses and trains will often be packed and it can be a struggle to get a seat while you cross countries. Even most tourist shops and sites can be closed because the proprietors have gone on holiday as well! There's little doubt that July and August are the busiest tourist months in Europe (mainly because of Americans on vacation) and it will require a lot of patience and money. Avoid these months as much as you can. If you really must travel in the high season, your best course of action is to stay away from the major cities and choose the off-track towns and villages and indulge in the local culture.

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America's Top Ten Trout Fishing Streams

America's Top Ten Trout Fishing Streams-Continental Class

I'm going seriously out on a limb by naming the top 10 trout rivers in the country. I will doubtless leave out some rivers that are worthy of mention. But when it comes to a list like this, you have to eventually pick the streams, and I'll apologize in advance if I don't put you're favorite river down. I'm sure these aren't actually the ten very best streams around-there are dozens of backcountry Alaskan streams and private trout waters that are probably better than any of these. But these are all rivers that are easily accessible and provide awesome trout fishing. These are all well known streams, and they'll be crowded from time to time. Still, they're all long rivers and there is room to spread out. It's no coincidence that Montana is well represented in the list;it is full of long, beautiful trout rivers.

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1. Gallatin River (Yellowstone National Park and Montana)

This will come as a bit of a surprise that I'm listing this as #1. It's one of those streams that everyone loves, but usually plays second fiddle to other famous rivers in the Yellowstone area. Most folks spend most of their trip on the really "classy" trout streams, like the Madison, Yellowstone, Firehole, or the Paradise valley spring creeks. The Gallatin is just that friendly little river that courses through gorgeous mountain territory and produces some small trout. The beautiful mountain meadow water in Yellowstone National Park, and for a few miles below holds several hundred small rainbows and cutthroat in it's plentiful riffles. You won't find the thousands of trout per mile that you'll find on the Madison, or the 20" browns, but it doesn't get any more beautiful and the fish usually aren't at all fussy. Access is easy and ample. Downstream, it gains power and roars through a whitewater canyon. It's no longer an easy going meadow stream, but the trout numbers, and size of the fish, get steadily better. Below the canyon, the stream spills out into a wide sagebrush valley populated by elk and moose. Especially below the mouth of the East Gallatin, big browns begin to show up in good numbers under the undercut banks. This is good float fishing water, although waders can do well also. Finally, the Gallitin finds it's way to Three Forks where the it helps form the mighty Missouri. The Missouri itself is an awesome trout stream, and it's the next stream on our list.

2. Missouri River (Montana)

The Missouri River begins as a high plains river at Three Forks, Montana. From the river's headwaters downstream to Holter dam, the river flows slowly, both as a free-flowing river and as reservoirs. This portion of the river has some excellent trout fishing during the spring and the fall. The fish here are almost all browns, although a few rainbows come up from the lakes that are located on the river. During the summer, whitefish form most of the action. Browns can still be caught, but they mostly become sluggish, or even move to the deep waters of the lakes.

Below Holter Dam, the Missouri becomes a tailwater stream. This is where most people go to fish the Missouri. The cold outflow from Holter Dam creates a habitat where trout can survive well throughout the year. Rainbows are much more common than further upstream, but browns are also present. The fishing remains excellent downstream to Cascade;it fishes decently all the way to Great Falls.

3. Madison River (Yellowstone National Park and Montana)

The Madison River begins as an odd spring creek in Yellowstone National Park. The reason it is so odd is that it is fed by both cold and hot springs that make their way into it's two feeder streams, the Firehole and Gibbon. It fishes best in this upper portion in the late spring, early summer, and fall. During the summer, the water often grows too warm to allow the trout to feed, because of the hot springs. Rainbows and browns in the 10-14" range are the primary residents,but in spring, large rainbows move up from Hebgen Lake. In the fall, large browns, also from Hebgen, do the same. Dry flies are standard fare for the residents. The migratory rainbows and browns prefer gaudy streamers and wet flies fished deep.

Below Hebgen Dam, there is a run of a few miles before the Madison slows back down into Quake Lake. There is a resident trout population in this stretch which is augmented by spawning runs from Quake Lake during the spring and fall. The summer fishery is somewhat better than the river above Hebgen, but the spring run of rainbows, and the fall run of browns are still the main event. Below Quake Lake, the Madison becomes a beautiful freestone trout river. It begins a run to Ennis Lake known as the 100 mile riffle. This is all fast water, but serious rapids are rare. Rainbows and browns hold in the slow water along the banks, as well as behind the many mid-stream boulders. The scenery is breathtaking, with the lush Madison valley in the foreground, and the towering mountains of Yellowstone in the background. This is the 100 most fabled miles of trout water in the country, and possibly in the world. It can be floated or waded.

Below Ennis Lake, the river drops into Beartrap Canyon. The canyon is full of big rainbows and browns, but it's a long hike to get to the river. Still, it's probably worth it, as this relatively unfished water provides nearly as good of fishing as the water above Ennis. Below the canyon, the river drops into an arid valley, where it meanders from one undercut bank to another. This is excellent brown trout water, but it gets too warm in the summer. Spring and fall are good times to target the good numbers of browns here.

4. Yellowstone River (Yellowstone National Park and Montana)

Yes, this is the fourth Montana stream on the list. The Yellowstone simply can't be left out of any list of top trout waters, as it provides 250 miles of some of the most beautiful and heartstopping trout fishing in the world. The fishing begins deep in the Thoroughfare region of Wyoming. There's no easy way to reach this water. It take's a long hike and a dedication of a week or so to fish this water the way it should be fished. This is cutthroat water, with both resident fish and migratory trout from Yellowstone Lake. This is as deep in the wildnerness as you can get in the lower 48, and you must be sure you can be totally self-sufficient. In the case of an accident, you'll be on you're own. Also, Grizzlies, black bear, moose, and other dangerous creatures are common. That can be a deterrent or an attraction. You decide for yourself.

The river is much more civilized below Yellowstone Lake. Although it flows through country that has been left in it's natural state by Yellowstone National Park, it's far from wild. The park water is heavily fished, especially in the popular Buffalo Ford area. Cutthroat trout fishing isn't as glorious as it used to be, but it's still quite good. The river drops into the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone, and then the Black Canyon. Those stretches are essentially unfishable. When it enters Montana, it once again becomes a great trout stream. It is a very readable mountain stream just below the park, with many pools and riffles that hold both rainbows and cutthroat. Below, it enters yet another canyon, this one called Yankee Jim. The canyon is hard to hike into, but the pocket water holds some rainbows, and they aren't fished very often.

Below Yankee Jim canyon, the Yellowstone settles into the character it will hold for another hundred miles or so. It flows through a beautiful valley (although you can see the beautiful Absaroka Mountains most of the time), and the river has a steady, but not rapid current. This is rainbow and brown trout water in the main, although cutthroat are pretty common as well. The water around Livingston is most famous, but the fishing is very good for many miles up and downstream from that popular western trout town. The trout fishing holds up all the way downstream to Billings in Eastern Montana. Below there, it is a massive prairie river home to pike, smallmouth bass, and catfish, but few trout.

5. Green River (Wyoming and Utah)

The Green River is a stream with many faces. In it's upper reaches in Wyoming, it's a high plains river home to large brown trout. This is western ranchland country, and all through the summer trout hug the undercut banks in search of hoppers. That's where you should be casting, with a Letort Hopper and maybe a Hare's Ear dropper for good measure. The access isn't great here, but there are places where visiting anglers can get on productive water for free.

The upper Green finally flows into Flaming Gorge Reservoir. The reservoir is home to big rainbow, brown, and lake trout, but it's deep waters are hard to handle with conventional tackle, especially if you prefer to fly fish. The tailwater (which is actually in Utah), however, has some of the best trout populations on Earth. Some estimates show nearly 20,000 trout per mile in the first 7 miles below the dam. The tailwater is best known for it's cutthroats, but it also fishes well for rainbows and browns. This river flows through a beautiful desert canyon. The water is air-clear, and site fishing is very popular. Further down, there are a few less trout, but the browns and rainbows can grow much larger. If you don't have a boat, we recommend hiking in to some of the lesser known areas. You'll find wilderness fishing on one of the most productive trout streams in the country. Local fly and tackle shops will be able to point you in the right direction. Just watch out for Rattlesnakes! There are also formal accesses where you can fish, including one right below the dam. You can catch fish in these areas, but the wilderness experience is mostly lost. Most people who are new to the Green float it in a driftboat with a guide. The guide will safely bring you through the whitewater and put you over fish. Just don't expect it to be cheap.

6. White River-Bull Shoals Tailwater (Arkansas)

Arkansas's White River is the only Southern stream on our list, and it's also the only one that's mostly put and take. This tailwater flows out of Bull Shoals Dam high in the Ozark Hills. The cold plume from the bottom of Bull Shoals Lake, combined with the cold flows of the North Fork River allow trout to survive for nearly 100 miles below the dam. It's a tailwater with rapidly fluctuation flows, and it can be downright dangerous. It can be waded at low flows, but bank and boat fishing are the only options when there the dam is releasing a lot of water. Your first time floating, a guide will be helpful.

There are about 5000 trout per mile on the river, and the majority are rainbows. Rainbows are stocked by the millions by the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission. Rainbows swarm almost all parts of the river, and they never seem to be difficult to catch. These trout average about 13 inches, so they're fun to catch. Still, the browns are what draw many anglers to the White. The browns are mostly wild, although their numbers are supplemented by stocking. A new 24" minimum insures larger browns, and there are also several catch and release areas on the river. A White River brown isn't considered large until it hits five pounds; it's not a trophy until it hits 10. To give you a frame of reference, on our last trip to the White, a fly shop owner showed us a picture of an honest, weighed and measured brown that he had just caught that weighed 29 pounds. He didn't seem all that excited about it.

7. Manistee River (Michigan)

Michigan's Manistee River is one of the best in the world. It starts deep in the lower Peninsula of Michigan as a small, spring-fed brook trout stream. This isn't the place to come for trophy trout, but the brookies are beautiful and jewel-like, always ready to provide a wonderful experience. A few browns do make their way into this section, and they can grow surprisingly large. While most people fly fishing, spin fishing is both legal and productive.

From the M-72 Bridge downstream to the CCC Bridge, the river is fly- fishing only. There are good numbers of both browns and brookies here, and trophies are much more common than further upstream. This is famous trout water, and the hatches, as well as the fish are plentiful. The restrictive regulations insure top quality fishing. The fishing remains good for a few miles downstream from the special regulation stretch (mostly for browns), before the river forms Tippy Pond.

Below Tippy Pond, the river is a mixed fishery. While smallmouth bass and pike are the main species during the summer, migratory trout, salmon, and steelhead form the cool-weather fishery. King Salmon and brown trout are present in good numbers during the fall. As a matter of fact, a brown trout caught in the lower Manistee last fall is the current world record. Steelhead are in the river mid-fall- mid-spring, and they are quite plentiful.

8. Connecticut River, (New Hampshire and Vermont)

The upper Connecticut River is an Eastern stream with a western feel. Coursing through the beautiful Appalachian country of Northern New England, the scenery will not be beat. The headwaters portion of the river flows through 3rd Connecticut Lake, 2nd Connecticut Lake, 1st Connecticut Lake, and Lake Francis. This portion of the river is full of eager brook trout, and in the spring and fall, Atlantic Salmon run upstream from all of these lakes, and provide excellent sport in the river. There is some water that is legal to fish with a spinning rod, but it's mostly fly fishing only.

Below Lake Francis, the river mostly becomes open to spin fisherman, although fly fishing is still most popular. The Connecticut provides excellent fishing for rainbow and brown trout for many miles downstream. You can wade, fish from the bank, or float this water. This area gives you your best shot to catch large trout. The fishing is good along the New Hampshire/Vermont border all the way down to Hanover, the home of Dartmouth College. It should be noted that there are several slow, dammed up sections of stream in this part of the river that are warm-water fisheries, but where you find good current, you'll find some trout.

9. Niagara River

Did you know that below Niagara Falls, this mighty river is an excellent trout and salmon stream? This is a totally migratory fishery with good numbers of steelhead, brown trout, and various species of salmon. As you may have guessed, this is not an easy river to fish. There are probably some areas that can be fished from the bank, but it would be safe to say that wading is out of the question. There are many guides in the area that will help you out on this beautiful, dangerous river, and we reccomend their services to insure a safe trip. This isn't a summer fishery for the most part. Any time during the spring and fall, you'll find some sort of salmonid running up the river. In summer, switch your attention to smallmouth, which are abundant and large.

10. Beaverkill River

Is this one of the 10 best trout streams in the country? Well admittedly, it probably isn't. It's just that the tradition on this stream is so rich that it would seem a sin to leave it off. This famous Catskill River begins as beaver flowage high in the mountains. It's full of eager brook trout up there, and few folks fish it. This water is on public land, so if you'd like to hike in, you may be pleasantly surprised. The first place most people begin their fishing is at the Beaverkill Campground. Browns and brookies both reside in the beautiful fast water environment here, and it's always a pleasant place to fish. Also, it doesn't get nearly as warm in the summer as the lower reaches, so you can probably expect to catch a couple if you have to come in July or August.

The river is mostly private, and therefore off of our radar screen all the way down to Roscoe, New York (also known as Trout Town USA). At this point, the Willowomec (also a nice trout stream) flows in to form the Junction Pool. Many people come all the way out here just to fish that pool;it's synonymous with American dry fly fishing. After this pool, the river remains mostly accessible and has many other areas, such as Cairn's Pool, Horse Brook Run, Cook's Falls Pool, Horton Pool, and the Acid Factory that are legendary in the minds of fisherman. This is all famous trout water, and it fishes well whenever the water temperature is below 70 degree. Sometimes it will be in good, fishable shape all summer long, and at other times the water is so warm it is both irresponsible and unproductive to fish it.

There are only about 300 trout per mile on the Beaverkill, and given it's fairly large size, that's not a terribly high number. Neither is it much of a trophy stream, although admittedly some fine browns are caught from time to time. And therein lies the mystery to it's fame. It's real value lies in the fact that it was one of the streams where American dry fly fishing was pioneered. A trip here is more a lesson in history than an excursion to world class trout water.

These are just ten streams that for one reason or another, we think are worthy of mention. As we said earlier, it's highly debatable whether these are really the ten best. But it is true that these are ten fine trout streams, and they all have some aspects to them that are beautiful.

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The Constitution Vs The Declaration of Independence

The Constitution Vs The Declaration of Independence-Continental Business Class

Continental Business Class

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Curtain Rod Tips Or How To Hang Your Curtains In Style

Curtain Rod Tips Or How To Hang Your Curtains In Style Before, they were used to simply serve their purpose -- hang curtains. Today, curtain rods are more than just a tool. They have evolved into a more functional, more sophisticated devices that do not just hang curtains but also compliment and enhance the overall effect of the drapes.

Showing more skin, curtain rods are no longer the typical metal or wooden sticks used to hang curtains. They have evolved into remarkable works of skill or talent, showing every design as an intricate sketch of masterpiece. Wooden curtain rods are now made more sophisticated and classy. Most of them are handmade and crafted with the most top-rated materials to bring out the beauty of the wooden material. Various designs were sculptured in the wood, with different glaze materials or varnish as the finishing touches. Hence, you can make either a Victorian or a Western-inspired window with curtain rods that were made from high-quality wooden materials. On the other hand, the solid and powerful effect of metal curtain rods is no longer confined to the usual plain metal stick. With the growing popularity of metal curtain rods, consumers now have more choices. They can choose from a wide array of metal curtain rods such as solid brass, chrome, graphite with brass, and brushed chrome. With a wider range of choices, more and more manufacturers tried to develop newer, fresher, and more exquisite designs to compliment, contrast, or enhance the beauty of curtains. They can even modify plain curtains by transforming them into something more elegant. Installing curtain rods has also evolved into an innovation, bringing ease and convenience in mounting curtain rods on walls, woods, or other types of surfaces. Hence, whether you live in a castle, cabin, or the classic abode, there is certainly a good curtain rod that will suit your taste, your style, and of course, your curtains. However, curtain rods do not just differ according to their designs or structures. They also differ in sizes and shapes. Hence, it is important to measure your windows first before you go out and buy your curtain rods. Here are some things you must consider when buying curtain rods: 1. Your windows Your windows have different sizes, according to your plan when you were just building your house. And even if you have bought a ready-made house, window sizes are not standard for all types of houses. Hence, it is extremely important to measure your windows first before you start buying your curtain rods. All you have to do is to measure the outside part of your window. This is where you will mount your curtain rods. It is best to have the correct size than to waste time and money by going back to the store just because you have to wrong size. Keep in mind that as a rule, your curtain rods should always be longer than your window by as much as 5 inches. This ensures total coverage for your windows. 2. Your curtains Of course, you should never start buying curtain rods without looking first at the curtains that you will use. The types of curtains you will use will determine the type of curtain rod that you have to buy. For example, if you will be using the typical designs of curtains that flow straight down the wall, you will have to buy a chrome curtain rod, for heavier drapes, you need to buy stronger metals such as graphite with brass or solid brass. 3. Strength of the curtain rod You would not want your curtains sagged unattractively down your windows, right? Hence, to avoid such dilemma, it is best to choose curtains rods according to their strength and capacity to hold a certain type of drapes or curtains. For heavier curtains, it is best to choose stronger, more solid curtain rods. Supporting devices should also be considered. These brackets provide end-to-end support for the rod, as well as support for the middle portion of the curtain rod. 4. Your budget Curtain rods can be very expensive especially if they were made from high-quality materials. Hence, if you cannot afford to buy those expensive kinds, it is best to stick the ordinary. Keep in mind that decorating your home with good sets of curtain rods can change the way people will look at it. However, it does not necessarily mean that you have to spend more than what you can afford just to decorate your house. So the next time you buy your curtain rods, consider these factors and you will definitely make a big difference. Even if curtain rods are generally seen as something that holds up your curtains, they can also reflect the kind of personality that you have. Curtain Rod Tips Or How To Hang Your Curtains In Style Related articles: Spring Valley Vitamins , ทำseo