It is a new day in the business world. After the economic boom recently experienced in this country, today’s state of affairs could look to many CEO’s like a serious crisis. It has in fact proven devastating for several large corporations and major retailers across the country. Our region is certainly feeling the effects of today’s economic problems, especially with the State of California being among those making drastic changes in wages. If you think it is frightening for corporate retailers, imagine how the small businesses in the Sierras must be feeling. Dare to take a look with me at how devastating the effects could be on the local merchants and the people who live and vacation here and then to flip the coin to take a look at what good news we can all bring to this table.

For many of us in this Nor Cal region of the Sierras, there are only a handful of small businesses in our home town. Imagine if the only grocery store closed in one of these small communities. This could easily mean an extra hour of driving to a nearby town every time a guy needs groceries. Suppose the gas station you count on suddenly realizes the effects of a torn up economy and closes its doors. There are many businesses that our small communities rely on and the time is NOW to show our support for the businesses in our communities.

Now, take a look with me if you will into how much of an effect we could really have in our little nook of the Sierras if we all just began to shop locally more. It is an unfortunate fact that many people in our mountain region have long chosen to do much of their shopping out of the area. Just by recognizing an important need and shifting a good portion of those purchases to the mom and pop businesses they depend on, we could actually strengthen our economy to a level exceeding anything it has seen before, even in this economy. I can see the headlines now, “Northeastern CA Refuses to Take Part in Recession.”

Likewise for businesses, it is a new day as well. Successful companies across America are reaching out for an extra piece of the market and if they are wise, they are paying close attention to the needs of their current customers. The easiest revenue to get is the repeat business you have come to enjoy for years, and are counting on for years to come. In this new day, even old, good customers are most likely taking a second look at their expenses and where to trim them. Take some steps to enhance your business. It is being done all over the mountain and it is encouraging to see local businesses banding together and so many individual businesses working hard to attract more customers and provide even better customer service.

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By, Sara Conklin

I have included a photo of a walking cane belonging to my grandfather. Inscribed on handle”Robert McCulloch 1845-1895. Thank You, James

“Robert McCulloch 1845-1895.”

Walking sticks are one of a few items of personal adornment allowed to men. Your stick has a wonderful decorative engraved and cast knob that may or may not be gold. This is the first bit of information to pin down. Most jewelers have the ability to test the karat content or purity of gold. The higher the karat the better. Actually if the content is really high the gold is so soft that it will deform. 1^st job, find out what the top is made of and, if gold, the karat rating. 2^nd job, since the cane top is engraved with “Robert Mc Cullouch 1845-1895,” is to determine how widely famous or not our Mr. Mc Cullouch was. If he was the Captain of the TITANIC or an ex-president – game over and you won. If not, perhaps he was regionally famous or just your grandfather. Items do better on the market the more famous the person that owned them. This concept is tied in with the term “provenance” which, in a museum and appraisal context, refers to the history of or chain of ownership of an artifact. 3^rd job is to look at recent auction sales of similar canes. I will make the assumption that Mr. Mc Cullouch is not famous and it is 14 karat. I mention the auction market since I assume you might want to sell it and that you aren’t an antique dealer. You, as a private citizen not in business as a dealer, have access to the auction market. In March of this year a gold handled cane and an ivory tipped riding crop sold for $200. Since you have only a cane and the handle is smaller than the one sold, maybe your cane is in the $125 range. In December 2008 a famous beer baron’s 14K gold cane with a huge knob sold for $720. This is not comparable to yours. This is not an official appraisal but a report of recent market research. Sara Conklin, ISA CAPP

Lot 497 : Gold Handled Cane & Ivory Tipped Crop, Gold Handled Cane & Ivory Tipped Crop, ebony shafts for both, the cane being 31.5″ LOA, topped by heavy gold handle engraved with three monograms; the riding crop, 27.75″ LOA, is spiraled and topped by carved ivory terminating in a dog’s head. Estimate : $100 – $200 Realized : $200

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By Joyce Ruschhaupt

Everyone has become more concerned about their credit scores these days, especially when a better score can result in lower credit interest rates and payments saving thousands of dollars from interest. With this in mind, many consumers are paying more attention to their credit and, unfortunately, in the process of trying to make it better, they are harming their credit score.

Take a friend we will call “Rachel.” Rachel was reviewing her credit and decided to close her eight-year-old VISA credit card with a credit line of $18,000. She didn’t use the card but once or twice a month and had two other major bank cards that provided “rewards points.” So to keep her credit record “clean” she decided to cancel the card. The next month she found out that this one decision cost her 87 points on her credit score, dropping it from 752 to 665.

This story happens way too often and is typical for how most people manage their credit by trial and error. Over a lifetime, many people eventually build up some decent credit; however, that same level of credit could have been achieved so much earlier in life with guidance and help.

A consumer credit score is made up of five key components:

Payment History – 35% Types of accounts (credit card, mortgage, etc.), accounts paid as agreed , number of past due accounts, etc.
Amounts Owed – 30% Balances of current loans, debt-to-credit ratio, proportion of installments still owed, etc.
Length of Credit History – 15% Time since accounts opened, last activity, etc.
New Credit – 10% Recent inquiries, new accounts, etc.
Types of Credit Used – 10% Mortgages, credit, retail, etc.

In Rachel’s case, the major bank credit card she canceled was paid on time every month for eight years. She didn’t use credit a lot, and this particular credit card represented the best contribution to the amounts owed and length of credit history category. Although Rachel had two other major bank credit cards that offered rewards points, they were only months old and had only been used intermittently, giving them much less value on her credit score. Next to her mortgage loan, the eight-year-old VISA credit card was her strongest piece of credit. Consequently, the other newer cards also had higher interest rates and yearly fees than her VISA card.

Contrary to popular belief, credit scores do not penalize you for having too much available credit. With this in mind, it’s better to preserve your credit score with 15 years of established credit history and old accounts in good standing than to have fewer and newer open accounts. Major bank credit cards have more impact on your credit than, say, a department store card.

Closing a credit card can greatly affect your credit scores; however, sometimes you may have no choice. Credit cards that are unused or rarely used can have their credit line reduced or may even be closed without your approval by the credit card company. This can affect your credit score just as much as canceling the card yourself.

Submitted by: Joyce Ruschhaupt, Broker Associate – Prudential Lake Almanor

President Elect- Plumas Assoc. of Realtors

Voting Director – California Assoc. of Realtors

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Dear Sara,

I have two framed prints by P.J. Redoute.The first is entitled “Rosa centifolia folicea”.The second is “Rosa Indica vulgaris”.The second print has a trade mark sticker on the back which states, “Made in England, Normill, Serial N0. 1879″. I would appreciate your opinion of value.Can I retire early? Thank you for your expertise.

Nora

Nora Bishop, Realtor
DRE # 01266207
C-21 Cottage Realty
530.257.6994
530.257.7884 (fax)
E-mail: jnbishop@frontiernet.net
Web Site: C21CottageRealty.com
Cell: 530.310.9724

Pierre Joseph Redouté

[Luxembourgeois-born French Painter, 1759-1840]

Lithography is a process where actual paint is put on the surface of a piece of paper. There are too many techniques to discuss here, but it is real paint. This is a more valuable process for prints than modern photomechanical prints where the process is like a mass-produced photograph. Most cheap posters are made this way. The longer it takes and the more artistic skill needed to make a print, the more valuable the art. The way to tell the difference between real lithographs and photos of lithographs is to look carefully at the picture part of the print with a 10-power magnifying glass. If you see a bunch of little dots, you have a photograph of artwork, not the artwork itself. Take the same magnifying glass to a photo in this magazine and you can see the dots clearly. So, Mz. Nora, retirement may be possible if you have an original print from say Chagall, P.J. Redoute, not so much. I checked Ebay, the place where decorative items like this sell frequently. Out of the 18 items on Ebay, none sold yet and they are listed at the “Buy this now” price from $9.99 to $24.99. Some are listed as “vintage” and some note they are from 1990. My guess is that the later ones are photomechanical prints but not noted as such. Since the people listing the prints probably know less than you know now, you can see Ebay’s limitations. Since Mr. Redoute died in 1840, I read the notation of “ serial no. 1879” as just that, an inventory number, not any indication of age. If you want to see some real artwork by Redoute, there are five works reportedly in the collection of the Fine Arts Museums in San Francisco.

Condition of prints is critical. I can’t tell from your photos but any stains, small dark spots called “foxing” and fading are common problems with prints that bring the price down. Typically prints have window mats that separate the print from the glass. Prints were matted – in the goode olde days – with acidic mats. Look at where the mat is cut and, if it is brown it was made from wood pulp paper and is killing your print. The wood fibers in the paper leech acid and it migrates from the window mat into your print thus giving it a brown stain all around the edge of the mat. If the cut edge of a window mat is pure white, it is acid free and is just “loving up” your print. Sorry if this is just way too much information.

For those of you who have had Art 101, yes I know about giclée prints but “we” aren’t ready for a discussion of this process yet. All the best, Sara Conklin, ISA CAPP Antique Appraisals.

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Investing Lessons from the Vineyards

CARLA PARSONS

Edward Jones

35 N Gay St

Susanville, CA 96130

(530) 257-2777

www.edwardjones.com

Member SIPC

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Choose Mutual Funds Carefully to Help Diversify Portfolio -By Carla Parsons/Edward Jones- June 2009

Choose Mutual Funds Carefully to Help Diversify Portfolio

If you’re somewhat familiar with investing, you probably have heard that owning mutual funds is a good way to help diversify your portfolio. Is this true? And, if so, how should you go about selecting the right mutual funds?

To begin with, let’s quickly review the importance of diversification. By owning a variety of investments— such as stocks, bonds and government securities — you can help reduce the effects of volatility on your portfolio. And while diversification by itself cannot guarantee profits nor protect against a loss, a diversified portfolio can help you reduce the impact of market downturns that may hit one asset class particularly hard.

Because an individual mutual fund invests in many different securities, it automatically brings a certain degree of diversification to your portfolio. And yet, you can’t just purchase any combination of mutual funds and expect good results. Consider this: There are more than 8,000 mutual funds in the financial marketplace, according to the Investment Company Institute, the trade group for the mutual fund industry. About 60 percent of these funds are stock funds, with the rest being “hybrid” or “balanced” funds (which invest in a mix of stocks and bonds), taxable bond funds, municipal bond funds, and money market funds. With such a large number of funds available, and with a finite amount of stocks, bonds and other securities in which these funds can invest, it’s easy to see that there is going to be considerable duplication among many of these mutual funds — and duplication is the opposite of diversification. Consequently, when you invest in mutual funds, you can’t just adopt a philosophy that can be boiled down to “the more, the merrier.”

Furthermore, it isn’t just a matter of one “large-cap growth” fund looking like another. You might find that the large-cap fund (a fund that invests in stocks of large companies) is also quite similar to a “technology” fund.

So, what’s the solution to avoiding “overlapping” funds? There’s no magic formula — you have to do your homework. Before purchasing a new fund, look closely at its holdings, which will be posted on the fund’s prospectus. (Also, while you’re looking at the prospectus, make sure you understand the fund’s investment objective, risk, charges and expenses.) Then compare these holdings to the ones listed on your existing mutual funds — if you see too many redundancies, you may want to take a pass on this particular fund.

Ultimately, your first step in diversifying a mutual fund portfolio is to identify your individual risk tolerance and investment objectives. Are you a conservative, moderate or aggressive investor? Do you need growth, income or a combination of both? Once you’ve answered these questions, you can then begin selecting the right mix of mutual funds to help you achieve your financial goals. Of course, with all the variables involved, both in your personal situation and in the funds themselves, you may want to enlist the help of a professional financial advisor — someone with the experience to help you choose those funds that are right for you.

Many people have successfully incorporated mutual funds into their investment strategy — and with the proper effort and assistance, you can too.
Mutual funds are offered and sold by prospectus. You should consider the investment objective, risks, and charges and expenses carefully before investing. The prospectus contains this and other information. Your Edward Jones financial advisor can provide a prospectus, which should be read carefully before investing.This article was written by Edward Jones for use by your local Edward Jones Financial Advisor.

Edward Jones

Member SIPC Mutual funds are offered and sold by prospectus. You should consider the investment objective, risks, and charges and expenses carefully before investing. The prospectus contains this and other information. Your Edward Jones financial advisor can provide a prospectus, which should be read carefully before investing.

35 N Gay St

Susanville, CA 96130

(530) 257-2777

www.edwardjones.com

Edward Jones

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It would be nice if the recession ended today. But you don’t have to wait for things to turn around before taking steps to help your own financial future.

Here are some actions to consider:

First, keep investing in your 401(k) or other employer-sponsored retirement plan. The tax advantages and range of investment options available in these plans make them ideal savings vehicles for retirement.

Second, think long term. Quality investments need time to grow. So while it can be painful to endure losses, you need to develop the discipline to hold your investments for many years.

Finally, instead of avoiding the financial markets, look for good investment opportunities. They may well be out there.

History tells us that the recession won’t last forever. When it ends, you’ll want your investment portfolio to be positioned to take advantage of new opportunities.

Carla Parsons

Financial Advisor

EDWARD JONES

35 N. Gay St.

Susancille

(530) 257-2777 or

Toll Free (877) 248-2777

Member SIPC

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Reduce Your Debt–Develop a Get Out of Debt Plan

Put Your Plan Into Action

After assessing how much money you owe, you may learn that you’re carrying too much consumer debt. Don’t let this realization overwhelm and paralyze you. By combining financial planning with debt management techniques you can reduce your debt with the following tactics:

* Create a get-out-of-debt plan. Although every creditor must receive a payment each month, put any extra cash toward the debt with the highest interest rate.

* Cut expenses. Try to identify a few things you could stop buying or buy less often.

* Assess your ability to pay bills as you develop your get-out-of-debt plan and then take the appropriate action. For example, if you bought a car and are having trouble making the payments, it may be better to sell the car and pay off the loan rather than let the creditor repossess the car. Repossession will hurt your credit record.

* Try to increase income. Is it possible to get a second job or get paid overtime and use the money to reduce debt? If you have family responsibilities, first consider what effect your absence could have on the well-being of your family. It’s important to balance your get-out-of-debt plan with the need to spend time with your family.

* When one debt is paid off, keep paying the same amount – just put it toward another remaining debt.

* Consolidate loans to make your financial planning with debt management solutions reachable. Shift higher-interest loans to a single lower-rate loan and stop running up new charges. If you choose to use a credit consolidation service, make sure the company is reputable. Check to see how they are rated with the Better Business Bureau (www.bbb.org)

* Keep only one or two major credit cards. Cut up the other cards and call the credit card companies to cancel the accounts. Keep the remaining one or two credit cards at home (as long as they won’t be used by anyone else). Consider having the credit limits lowered.

* Make your get-out-of-debt plan more effective by stopping most credit card offers from arriving in your mail: Call 1-888-5OPT-OUT (1-888-567-8688, www.optoutprescreen.com).

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Photos by Larry Richardson

In todays uncertain economic times, many are faced with uncommon problems. As unemployment soars and nest eggs shrivel, panic has risen among some. It is hard to relax when even the best laid plans are dissolving before the eyes of millions of hard working Americans. America, land of the free, home of the brave, known as the land of opportunity, now sending record numbers to unemployment lines, on whom shall we rely? With many Americans currently seeking out new sources of fulfillment, is there a symbol of hope in our midst?

A reminder came along when I was contacted by an old friend Larry Richardson who shared with me these pictures he had captured and the story that preceded it. He too was among the unemployed and in search of the next opportunity for a carpenter such as himself.

Larry is not your average guy and he and his wife Pedie are no strangers to loss and hard times. They are an ongoing part of a huge struggle with a life threatening condition which plagues their small daughter Hannah. After having lost their teenage son Daniel in a tragic accident, and in being faced with the challenges in their family today, they are often enlightened by Mitchell, their oldest child who is developmentally disabled. This amazing family often takes time out to help the people who surround their lives. Pedie’s work helps teens and young families in need while Larry continues to show up with tools in hand to help out at other homes in the community which are going through crisis, and all this done without hesitation, so humbly, one has to wonder just what it is that moves them.

Larry was excited when he dropped by because he wanted to share his photos. He told us he had stopped at Stump Beach on the east shore of Lake Almanor to clear his mind and pray for answers to the crisis before him, needing work. It soon seemed someone already had it figured out, Larry told us, as the following scene unfolded before his eyes:

An eagle flew down hungry, A duck paddled by.
He dove as deep as he could when the eagle swooped by,
Unable to escape, under wings he flew. The survivor, the eagle, had captured his prey, A struggle at first, his strength renewed, while instinct kicked in, unweary, he soared.
I wondered about this message from God, to the faithful servant who’d call on the Lord, who would serve Him in spite of all he’d been through, who would offer his faith for the answers he sought, and give Him the glory when answers were brought.
So I looked into the source of this family’s inspiration, the Bible, where I found this:

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FEDERAL LAW ALLOWS FREE CREDIT REPORTS

Get a free copy of your credit reports. These reports are prepared by companies called credit bureaus. They summarize your history of paying loans, credit cards and other bills. If you apply for a loan, insurance or a job, or you want to rent an apartment, chances are your credit report will be reviewed.
One reason you should be monitoring your credit reports is to correct errors or omissions that can leave bad marks on your credit history. Inaccuracies in your credit report can needlessly reduce your “credit score” and, in turn, may cost you hundreds of dollars each year due to higher interest rates on a loan or credit card. Another reason to review your credit reports is to protect against identity theft (see: Protect against fraud).
Under federal law, you are entitled to one free credit report every year from each of the nation’s three major credit bureaus. To order your free reports or for more information, go to www.AnnualCreditReport.com or call toll-free 1-877-322-8228.FEDERAL LAW ALLOWS FREE CREDIT REPORTS

Get a free copy of your credit reports. These reports are prepared by companies called credit bureaus. They summarize your history of paying loans, credit cards and other bills. If you apply for a loan, insurance or a job, or you want to rent an apartment, chances are your credit report will be reviewed.
One reason you should be monitoring your credit reports is to correct errors or omissions that can leave bad marks on your credit history. Inaccuracies in your credit report can needlessly reduce your “credit score” and, in turn, may cost you hundreds of dollars each year due to higher interest rates on a loan or credit card. Another reason to review your credit reports is to protect against identity theft (see: Protect against fraud).
Under federal law, you are entitled to one free credit report every year from each of the nation’s three major credit bureaus. To order your free reports or for more information, go to www.AnnualCreditReport.com or call toll-free 1-877-322-8228.

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Time to Sell…or Time to Buy?

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Better Business….

By Eileen Majors

Okay, who’s supposed to be reading this column anyway? Is it the consumer who wants the most from where he or she sends their business, or is it the business person who wants desperately to attract more local customers into their establishments? I hope both will take notice.

It is no secret that nationwide business trends are sending consumers to giant ‘box stores’ or warehouses where claims of lower prices are promised, often in exchange for waiting in long lines, carrying your own heavy items and paying membership fees. Hmmm.. Just think about it. Membership in what? Isn’t our real membership preference our membership in the hometown community we live in… where kids’ sports, local events, and knowing your community members personally makes the difference? If so, then it is important to invest in that community.

While it seems most everyone shops out of their area now and then, I hope you will remember a few things I have found to be true:

1. It is likely that local businesses contribute to all the worthwhile causes and fun events in your community.

2. The sales tax you pay in your own county helps your local area too.

3. In the smaller mom and pop establishments, it is unusual to wait in long lines or have no offer of help out to your car with heavy items.

4. Superior customer service, often including gift wrap, is readily available in many local stores.

5. Shopping local saves money in many ways. Because I get to travel Northeastern California so much, I can tell you that the small businesses also have some of the best buys around and often carry better and more unique items as well as better items specific to your area, like snow boots. Gas prices, lodging and meals are also costly companions to shopping out of town.

If you are one of those retail businesses who can’t believe the locals have not noticed all the great things you have to offer, then I hope you’ll get busy! Dust off those shelves. Cleaning and arranging are vital components in the success of moving retail items. Put some of your most attractive offerings right up front, arranged artistically with other items that compliment the display. Try placing that near another display of more items which may even go with the first arrangement. What about the front of your store? Go outside and take another look. Is it inviting and professional looking? Is it obvious that you are open and can you tell from the outside what you offer at all? Many adjustments will be obvious when you take another look, as if from the eyes of a potential new consumer.

What are some of the best things about your store? Make them obvious. Do you offer gift wrap? If so, then make sure potential buyers know that when they walk in the door, and in your advertising. Is it personal service? Excellent customer service is something people do take notice of and are willing to change their buying decisions for.

If we all work together (local consumers making more of an effort to see what’s available locally, and local businesses making sure potential buyers can easily see the value of shopping locally in their establishments), we can help ensure the availability of items we need in the area we live in and help preserve the small town ways of business we are lucky enough to enjoy.

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When the stock market goes through volatile times, many investors rediscover bonds. They think that since bonds are fixed-income investments, they must be more stable and predictable than stocks.

Are bonds really that solid and stable? Yes and no.

With bonds, you receive regular interest payments based on the promised interest rate. As long as the bond issuer doesn’t default, you will get your principal back upon the bond’s maturity. So you must be sure a bond’s maturity matches your needs.

If you think you will need proceeds from a bond in five years to help pay for a child’s college education, you won’t want to buy a ten year bond. In five years, interest rates could have risen higher than what your ten year bond is paying. So if you want to sell it, you will have to offer it at a discount.

Therefore, pay close attention to a bond’s maturity date. It’s the number in determining your principal’s safety.

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ANTIQUING IN GREENVILLE
By Suzanne Frances

Just a few miles down Highway 89 from Lake Almanor, you may find yourself taking a step back in time as you enter Greenville. Beautiful Indian Valley scenery paints the back drop for this quaint, old western town. The Way Station, an old style tavern stands tall on the corner. Indoors, you’ll find interesting memorabilia including a statue of the legendary John Wayne. The hardware store in Greenville (Hunter Ace Hardware) brings to mind a shopping trip from Little House on the Prairie. They seem to have a little bit of everything so you’re sure to find something you can’t live without.
A seeker of fine antiques and ‘interesting junk’ will enjoy spending time in Greenville. Several antique shops feature all kinds of stuff, and the trip through this historic town is bound to get you in the mood for antique shopping.
MSA Fine Jewelry & Home Decor
213 Main St. Greenville
530 284-7334 Continue reading ANTIQUING IN GREENVILLE

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