A Very Short History Of The Pendulum Clock Part 2 - "At The Sign Of The Mermaid In Lothbury"

In part one we traced the development of the pendulum clock from early beginnings in China around 1100, to the improvements made in Italy then Holland in the 1600's.

Now we can take a look at English clockmaking up to the point where the grandfather or longcase clock as we recognise it today appeared. Here is an advertisement, which appeared in the London paper "Commonwealth Mercury" in November 1658 - - - - -

"There is lately a way found for making clocks that to exact and keep equaller time than any now made without this Regulator (examined and proved before his Highness the Lord Protector by such Doctors whose knowledge and learning is without exception) and are not subject to alter by change of weather, as others are, and may be made to go a week, a month, or a year with once winding up, as well as those that are wound up every day, and keep time as well, and is very excellent for all House Clocks that go either with springs or weights; and also Steeple Clocks that are most subject to differ by change of weather. Made by Ahasuerus Fromanteel, who made the first that were in England. You may have them at his house on the Bankside, in Mosses Alley, Southwark and at the sign of the Mermaid, in Lothbury, near Bartholomew Lane end, London"

I'll bet the guy who wrote that went off to America selling Snake Oil shortly afterwards - - - -

What the advert is telling the people of London is that the pendulum had arrived in England at last, and clocks were for the first time reasonably accurate, certainly to within a few minutes a week. The other give away here is the name of the clockmaker, Ahasuerus Fromanteel was a Dutchman living and working in England, this explains how an obscure book written in Dutch came to be recognised so quickly in England, one of Fromanteel's sons, John, was sent over to Holland to learn about making pendulum clocks from Salomon Coster, the clockmaker who made the clocks for Huygens and by a happy accident he was there within 11 weeks of Huygens being granted his patent for the pendulum.

John quickly sent the knowledge of the new pendulum back to England, with the permission of either Huygens or Coster, and by the time he returned home to London the family was well-established making clocks. Ahasuerus Fromanteel worked with his friend Thomas Loomes, and his is the second address in the advert, " at the sign of the Mermaid in Lothbury"

The first English pendulum clocks were wall clocks, often known as "hoop and spike" clocks, the hoop hung on a nail or peg set in the wall, and there were two spikes or pointed steel bars that protruded from the back of the clock and dug into the wall to stop the clock slipping sideways.

These clocks were really lantern clocks with a pendulum hanging down beneath, which meant they could not be stood on a table or shelf any more, but the huge increase in accurate timekeeping was considered worth the trouble of fixing them to the wall.

The beautiful English Lantern Clock, made of brass with an engraved dial and four corner pillars like a four poster bed, started to be enclosed in a wooden hood, similar to the hood on the grandfather clock, this then went on a high shelf fixed to the wall, and the shelf had holes in so that the pendulum and weights could hang down below the shelf through the holes. The clock inside the case quickly became much plainer to look at, the wooden hood was easier and cheaper to make, and with a nice engraved brass dial, and some mouldings to the case, it looked good too.

Around the same time, 1665, someone unknown got the idea of enclosing the weights, and the rope they hung from, in a long "trunk" going down to the floor, and the grandfather clock appeared for the first time. These early clocks are highly sought after today, and bring large sums of money on the rare occasions they come on the market. A few of the old Lantern Clocks were also housed in a grandfather case at the time, and again these rare early clocks are very sought after today.

Up to this point, the pendulum was about ten inches long, as they were used with the old verge escapement, and they sounded quite "busy" with a beat of half a second, and because the new clocks had a long case it seemed a good idea to put in a longer pendulum - - - - the trouble was, it was going to need another new invention to do this, the seconds pendulum is 39 inches long, and if it were used with the verge escapement it would swing in an arc of around three feet! - - - Clearly too much for the beautiful, slim, new grandfather clock case.

The credit for the first useable long pendulum clock goes to a former blacksmith called William Clement, like many others he went into clockmaking from blacksmithing, and rose to become an eminent London clockmaker. Clement was commissioned to build a new clock for Kings College, Cambridge, and this clock (for which he was paid £42) is now in the Science Museum in London. Dated 1671, it is the earliest known clock with an "anchor escapement"

The anchor escapement was so named because it resembles a ships anchor, and is driven by a vertical escape wheel. Another effect of the adoption of the longer pendulum, with it's soothing one-second tick, was the rapid growth in the use of the long clock case, as a protection for the pendulum, which hung down a long way below the clock movement.

This brings us to the grandfather clock we would recognise today, and in fact the anchor escapement is still in use the world over in clocks of all shapes and sizes, as it is robust, reliable, and tolerant of a certain amount of wear and tear without stopping the clock.

The beat interval of a pendulum varies, as we said before, according to its length, a 10 inch one beats half-seconds, a 39 inch one beats seconds, (this is by far the commonest length used in grandfather clocks), a 14 foot long one beats two seconds, (often used in Church or Tower clocks), and one, in St Chad's Church Shrewsbury has a mighty 52 foot long pendulum beating four seconds! There is little to be gained using these longer pendulums, as other factors such as "circular error" creep in and affect the timekeeping, which is why they are so rare.

Townely Hall in Burnley, near where I live has a wonderful clock by Thomas Thompion, the pendulum is hung from the ceiling and goes into the clock through a hole in the top of the hood - - - an "upside down" arrangement which seems to work very well, I'm not sure how long the pendulum is, at least 14 feet but it could be more, the ceiling is very high!

The two most common types of grandfather clock movement are the "30-hour" and the "8 day", this refers to how long the clock will run before the weights drop to the bottom, and the clock stops. There are others of longer duration, as mentioned in the Fromanteel advertisement above, but most of us are unlikely to own one of these clocks, famous London makers mainly made them, and the prices of these clocks have spiralled out of reach of most of us.

I mention the 30-hour and 8day winding because I want to finish this piece with a traditional rhyme, which I love: -

"There was a man who had a clock His name was Mr Mears. And every night he wound that clock For five and forty years. And when at last that clock turned out An eight-day clock to be A madder man than Mr Mears I never hope to see!"

I hope you enjoyed reading this brief walk-through of the development of the pendulum clock, and if you are lucky enough to own one, may you continue to enjoy it for many years to come.

Andrew.

http://www.clockmakersandrepairs.co.uk

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Some of the Wealthiest Chinese Are Now Investing in 18th Century Jade!

Jadeite and Nephrite (although different both are referred to as jade) have been highly valued for thousands of years, especially by the Chinese. But for so many years it has mostly been the Western world that took over this fascination of collecting antique jade carvings. Here in Europe and the USA much has been published and there have been many dedicated collectors and antique jade experts that created and influenced the market values.

But recently the wealthy Chinese have become very interested in jade again, because they are investing so heavily, prices have been going through the roof! But as a collector it is apparent that non-Chinese collectors have very different views about what to value most. Carvings that make clever use of natural flaws in the stone, or that use coloured inclusions so brilliantly are not highly valued by these Chinese buyers, not nearly as much as carvings in pure white jade!

So far these Chinese are mainly regarding jade as an alternative investment commodity. As most of the usual forms of investment, currencies and property have all proved so precarious, perhaps these successful millionaires are being very shrewd!

I do not know if they have been influenced by the huge increase in the raw material prices. The finest pieces of the Hetian Nephrite have only been found about 4,500 meters above sea level in the North of the Kunlun Mountain, Xinjiang, even though it is a very difficult climb, little oxygen and bitterly cold, reports now indicate that there is not much more to be found. There are other sources of Jade; the next best in quality mainly comes from Burma. But thinking of jade as an investment over the last ten years, whilst gold has increased by about 3 times, the best Hetian jade raw material has increased in price by 100 times!

The pebbles,(sometimes referred to as Hetian pebble, or seed jade) are only found in the riverbed. These are highly valued because they originate from the jade seams in the Kunlun mountain, broken out by the glacier, then after years of natural weathering in the fast flowing river, these jade rocks are gradually ground smooth into pebbles, any weaknesses within these stones are smashed in this process, so that the remaining Hetian pebbles are only of the finest quality.

For antique collectors there are many aspects to be aware of, apart from the quality of the carving and the period of the piece, when buying jade, there is another consideration that can add value, that being the colour of the stone. Many people do not realise how many colours of jade there are. Antique jade carvings can be found in white, mutton-fat, various shades of green, yellow and lilac, black, even in red, and these can be a factor in the price. Also if there is a seal (so many wonderful pieces have no signature) but if the seal is genuine (many were inscribed later) then this too adds to the value. So for a very long period these were the main criteria that influenced the price.

Gradually antique jade of quality, has become more and more valuable. But this caused the Chinese to cash in by making lots of new copies of earlier jade pieces and they carved various others in less valuable stones, but called them jade too! So many have flooded the market. They have also discovered ways of adding colour to jade. However, very few experienced collectors found any difficulty in recognising these, as nothing more than the cheap fakes, or modern copies that they are. To be sure that the colour has not been added requires strong magnification, so it is not that easy to check. I believe that over time the dyed stones revert back to the original colour, so to pay extra for bright lavender, yellow or green jade could prove most painful!

Subsequently some of these modern fakes are so much better (the carving has improved) and there are now a number of more difficult to identify fakes. So there has become another important factor that affects the value and this is the question of 'Provenance'. Every jade is now regarded with suspicion, unless it can be established as having been in a well known collection, or auction that dates back to the time when these fakes were easy to spot, or better still, to an even earlier period.

But now values are changing dramatically in a way that is hard for collectors like myself to understand! These Chinese investors are buying back their heritage, but more as an investment than as collectors. They have decided that 18th Century pieces of a pure colour with no flaws and certainly not mottled are their preference, they particularly prize pure bright white jade, or pure green, as well as the bright emerald green that is often used in jewellery. Also any of these jade carvings that happen to have a good seal mark (even if this seal is not genuine) now command a much higher value.

Talking of a much higher value, this is where we older collectors are now really confounded. Because if we consider a well carved, good quality pure white 18th century jade carving, that would normally have sold for our expected highest value, in any auction these days, this same piece will now probably sell for anything from 4 to 8 times that figure, to a Chinese investor! Is it possible that in time these buyers will eventually also value the wonderful craftsmanship that most of us collectors appreciate and love?

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Is Your Antique Print or Antique Map a Reproduction or Is It an Original?

How do you know if your antique print or old map is the real thing? It may look old to you, but is it? You may have been wondering if it were real for a long time. Was it made over a hundred years ago or a hundred days ago? If your print is an antique, you are probably wondering if it is worth a lot of money. You hope that you have hit the jackpot and that this old piece of paper you have is going to bring you in a pot of gold.

In reality most prints are not worth much, but what if you got rid of it and it was actually worth a couple of hundred or even a couple of thousand dollars. You would feel awful, so just in case, you think you should keep this print and you store it away.

We have encountered plenty of lifetime collections of prints inherited by families hoping to have a fortune worth of art on their hands. Often when told the current value of the collection they feel disappointed if it does not fulfill their expectations. The program Antique Road show is much to blame in this trend. Most people shown on Antique Road show are the exciting ones, the ones that have a nice piece worth talking about on the show. It has been rare of late for my wife and I to surprise people with a higher than expected value for their prints because of the success of this television program. Everybody expects to have a rare find worth a lot of money.

The truth of the matter is that there are many reproductions out there and people mistake them for originals. In order to help you avoid the pain of disappointment there is an easy way to determine the age of your print or old map. Get yourself a magnifying glass and look closely at a small section of your print.

If you see a multitude of even dots making the color or shades of your print then you are holding in your hands a print made within the last 100 years and by definition if it is less than a hundred years then it is not an antique. The dots must be regular and even, with a systematic repetition.

Anything other than this will most likely be over a hundred years old and therefore be a genuine antique. Do keep in mind that some printing methods like the stipple engraving and some tools used in traditional lithography show small dots under a magnifying glass, but these dots will be irregular in shape and form. The pattern of the dots will not be uniform.

This is your best way to determine if your print is an original antique print or antique map. As an antique your print may be worth some money, in which case we suggest you bring it to an appraiser to be valued.

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Real Versus Fake: How to Tell the Difference in Antique Signs

Antique signs are very collectable partly due to the fact that they were used. They were meant to be hung outside and displayed. The weather and vandals would damage them rocks would be thrown at them and when a store went out of business they would be repurposed or destroyed. The signs during WWI and WWII are especially rare because they were melted down to make weapons and ammunition. With all these factors antique signs command hefty price tag making them a prime target for fakes. But how do you know if you are buying a real antique sign or a real good fake?

One good indication that a sign is a fake is if there are many similar signs with the same seller or there are many sellers with the same sign. This is an obvious indication that the sign is mass produced fake. If the sign is to perfect this is another good indication that the sign is a fake remember they were meant to be used. Old signs commonly have rust, pits or are generally imperfect. If there is only rust around the edges or the fading is consistent it is most likely a fake. The sun fades different colors at different rates red will fade before black and graphic will fade before the thicker background.

These signs were handmade and if the lettering or graphics look perfect and perfectly consistent then it was done by a computer. Hand lettered signs show brush strokes and even early silk screened signs show variations in the letter shapes and size. There are few letters to look out for: S, C, and O are the hardest to execute for a hand painter and therefore they will always look different even on the same sign.

If the sign has an address on it and it uses a two letter state abbreviation then you know that it is a fake. In fact the two letter state abbreviation wasn't developed until the mid twentieth century. The same with a phone number when they were invented they were short only a few digits combining both letters and numbers.

Antique signs were also made in standard sizes to avoid waste. Plywood and metal were cut down in even sizes from 4 feet by 8 feet sheets. If you measure the sign and it is an odd length then it is most likely a reproduction. Checking the material is correct for the time period is another good way to tell the difference between a real and a fake. If the sign seller tells you the sign was made in the 1860 and it is a porcelain sign then you know something is wrong since the technology to make such signs wasn't invented till the early 1900's.

The most important thing when trying to distinguish between real and fake is to ask yourself if it makes sense. Why would the sign only rust on the edges? Why does it look so evenly faded? Is it correct for the time period? The last tell tale sign and the most obvious is to look and see if there is a sticker that says reproduction or made in China. Be smart and check twice.

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A Brief Guide to Collecting at an Antiques Fair

Attending any outdoor or indoor fair is usually a great experience. However, attending an antique fair is an experience that you will never forget. As you walk through an antique fair, there are numerous items to choose from. If you are interested in any type of antique, try antique coffee tables. The designs and textures of these tables are exquisite. As you become interested in collecting antique coffee tables, you will begin to recognize that various styles are associated with different eras.

If you are a novice at collecting antiques, it is in your best interest to visit several antique fairs. In doing so, you will begin to associate various styles with certain time periods, such as specific carved patterns associated with the 1700s or specific textures associated with the 1900s. To become an experienced collector of antiques, you will have to visit fairs often, and speak to experienced and knowledgeable collectors.

As your knowledge of antique furniture grows, you will become increasingly aware of how to choose authentic antique furniture in addition to learning how to care for such items. Although there may be many items at antique fairs, it is important to recognize genuine items from false items. Having the ability to do so, will allow you to purchase items at a price that is worth its' weight and gold. It would be unfortunate to spend a lot of money on assimilated products, especially if you thought it was an authentic item.

Once you purchase a coffee table or any other antique item, it is very important to care for the item appropriately. Maintaining the item in its original condition, allows the item to remain classified as an antique. In other words, it is one of a kind and it is not replaceable. Take due care of these items; keep them free from scratches and chipped edges. Any disfigurement can cause the item to lose value.

If you are interested in collecting antiques to furnish your home, this is an excellent way of beautifying your home with precious furniture. A home filled with antiques is a unique home that is not easily replicated. Such a home is sure to be marvelled. If, on the other hand, your only interest is to collect antiques as a hobby, this is definitely a hobby that is worth having.

As your collectibles grow in number, the monetary value will continue to appreciate. Positively speaking, these items can be resold at auctions or other antique fairs for a significant amount of money. Whatever reason you may have for collecting antiques, it is well worth it.

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Restoring An Antique Treadle: How Vintage Sewing Machine Repair Can Help Preserve A Family Heirloom

Nearly every family has a handful of traditions and heirlooms that are passed down from generation to generation, from annual summer trips and special holiday meals to jewelry keepsakes and other treasured items. Sadly, as the years go by, many of these traditions and cherished items are lost, either falling into disrepair or simply being forgotten. That's why it's so important to seize any opportunity you may have to preserve a beloved heirloom - the generations to come will thank you!

While there are varying types of heirlooms kept by families, antique sewing machines are commonly passed on as a representation of the hard work, love and dedication of generations past. Countless attics and closets across the country are home to vintage machines that once crafted the linens and clothing items that kept the family going decades ago. But what many people may not realize is that several of these old machines probably still work! They may need a little TLC, and possibly the expert touch of a vintage sewing machine repair specialist, but it's all worth it when you consider the traditions that will be kept alive as a result. Before consulting a professional, there are a number of preliminary measures that should be taken.

Thoroughly Clean Your Machine

After years of sitting idly in your grandmother's attic, the antique treadle that's been in the family for decades is ready to be dusted off and put to use! The first step is to thoroughly clean it, so you can then test its functionality without any dust or debris getting in the way. It's important to use proper methods when cleaning a treadle, as a simple mistake can cause irreparable damage. Traditionally, a treadle is cleaned by rubbing and polishing with kerosene. If kerosene is not available to you, other common cleaning agents used are Coke or Pepsi, metal polish, car polish, or wire wool. Harsh detergents can actually strip the signature gold leaf ornament from the machine, so be sure to avoid them!

Determine If You Can Fix It Yourself Or If Sewing Machine Repair Is Needed

Once you've cleaned your treadle, carefully test it out to determine if it is in working shape. There are some problems that can be fixed at home without extensive sewing machine repair training; for instance, the solution could be as simple as de-rusting the metal parts or lubricating the gears with oil. However, there are many problems that require the knowledge and skill of a professional. When in doubt, seek the assistance of a company that specializes in vintage sewing machine repair. After all, when it comes to family heirlooms, it's not as if you can simply go out and buy a replacement if it gets ruined!

Whether it requires a simple clean up or more intricate sewing machine repair, restoring a treadle that has been in the family for generations is well worth the effort. Not only will it provide a beautiful backdrop to any room, but it will also allow you to keep a family tradition alive. And preserving a piece of your family's heritage is something you simply cannot put a price tag on!

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What I Need to Know About Copies of Old Maps and Reproductions of Antique Maps

If you like old maps then you need to you learn about antique map reproductions. Reproductions of old maps have become very popular. They can be seen copied onto fabrics for pillows, coffee mugs, calendars and even boxer shorts. We will concern ourselves with the reproductions of old maps on paper.

The high price of genuine antique maps has led many stores to offer cheaper copies of old maps. These copies have no collectable value in them and will probably not gain any value even in a hundred years when they themselves become antiques. As things stand now, a hundred year old reproduction of a map is hardly worth anything today.

Maps that have monetary value to them are the old original ones. They are the maps that people centuries ago had held in their hands to plan the discovery and exploration of new lands. People prefer to own a map that has the railroads on it as the railroads were being built or has the US Indian tribes before the tribes were sent to reservations. These original documents are rare because so few of them have survived. Think about all the road maps that have been thrown away and how valuable the ones that will survive will be in 200 years. A reproduction of an old map does not have the historical feel and energy that the old one does.

You might say that the reproduction does not spark the imagination, but can look nice on your wall. This is a valid point unless you look a bit closer. When you look up close at your reproduction can you read the towns, rivers and mountain ranges? Is it a bit blurry? There is a good chance your map reproduction was blown up in size from the original and much detail was lost in the enlargement. If you look a bit closer you may even see the bad color printing.

Still you may think that a reproduction map is cheaper than an original antique map. It can still be an over-priced copy when you start to consider how easy it is to copy a map. A very high quality copy should not cost you more than 20 dollars for a medium size map. Anything more is over priced. The cost of framing can often negate the savings of buying a copy. It is not rare to see reproductions of maps sold for more than the original. It is certainly worth investigating the price difference between a copy of an antique map and an original antique map.

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Collecting Skiing Posters

While many of us are busy getting organised for Christmas those fortunate enough to be able to afford a winter break will be starting to plan their holiday in the snow and once Christmas is over the skiing season will begin in earnest. Those of us who's budgets are not quite up to that holiday in Switzerland or Sun Valley might visit some of the local antique shops and fairs and consider collecting skiing posters. Holiday makers often brought these back as mementos of their trip to put on the wall at home as a reminder.

Skiing posters can be had for as little as £50, but they can also fetch five figure sums and if you want to become a collector you need to be able to tell the difference between the ordinary and the special. Obviously, your own taste and preference will play a major part in your choice, but you need to be aware of the four main indicators of value - location, age, artwork and designer.

First of all consider location - the more popular it is the more people will have been there. This will drive up the prices for posters meaning that locations such as St Moritz or Sun Valley will be more sought after than general posters advertising a country such as Switzerland or Italy. Prices for general posters usually start at around £100-£500 while posters for specific resorts will soon be into four figures.

Skiing posters were first produced in the early 1900s when skiing became popular. They would have been in the Art Nouveau style and they are not currently popular with collectors, meaning that you can probably get them at a good price and there is a probability that they price may go up.

The golden age of the skiing poster was during the 1920s and 1930s at the height of the Art Deco period and posters from this period fetch the highest prices. Collectors like this period because of it's bright and jazzy colours, its sense of modernity and geometric lines. Look out for spectacular artwork of skiers frozen at dramatic angles as they speed down a slope or fly off a jump. You will need deep pockets though as these kind of posters often cost in excess of £800.

If you are looking for something a bit cheaper you might want to consider posters produced by national railways that ferried skiers to the resorts. They often advertised destinations in Switzerland or Austria against the backdrop of mountains and these can be had from as little as £80. You can also have posters from the early 1960s for a similar price. These often feature cheerful skiers in padded ski suits and while they lack the glamour of the Art Deco period they would be an affordable way to start a collection.

Attribution is quite difficult as most of the posters are not signed but, as the skiing industry grew in size and wealth many companies were able to employ leading designers to produce eye-catching designs to attract tourists. The name to look out for is Roger Broders who produced designs for the Lyon Mediteranee railways for a ten year period from 1922. The hallmarks of his design are clean, simple lines, flat areas of vivid colour and an almost geometric stylisation to the background. His skiers are elongated and wear the fashion of the day. You are not likely to find one of his designs for under £1,000 and you could pay as much as £5,000.

Other names to look out for are Carl Moos, Bernard Villemot and Martin Peikert, while American designers were Dwight Shepler, HM Joenethis, Willmarth and John Bowers, who produced the designs for the popular Dartmouth resort in New Hampshire.

You might also want to look for Winter Olympics posters, these would attract collectors of skiing as well as Olympic memorabilia. The fact that skiing advertising posters were not produced in great numbers keeps the prices high. The glamour, excitement and drama of the sport as well as the imagery typical of the period acquires more and more fans, ensuring that demand outstrips supply.

If you want to start collecting skiing posters you might look at antique and collectors' fairs as well as trying your local auction house. Specialised antique shops will ensure that you pay high end prices. You should also try your local thrift and charity shops - you probably won't find a masterpiece but might be lucky to find one of the cheaper posters.

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3 Tips for Building a Profitable Email List

This article reveals 3 tips that will help you to build a profitable email list. Whether you are already building a list or just intending to build one, these tips will come in handy to make your email list profitable.

Tip 1

Focus on building a relationship with your subscribers and sale later. Some marketers concentrate on nothing, but sending offer after offer to their list. While your overall objective in building a list is to make money, you need to consider what your subscribers' objective is and try to deliver on it. In the long run, a combination of both relationship building messages and sales messages would do you good in improving the profitability of your list. For example, you may choose to send out one sales offer for every two or three free offers or conversational messages.

Tip 2

Segregate prospects from customers. Most lists would have been built using free offers. The people who get on the prospects list after taking a free offer are later introduced to paid products. Now these become customers, and at this point they should be moved to a customer list. The reason for having a customer list is such that you do not continue pitching the same products to them that they have already bought. Plus, you can now start promoting second level paid products to those who would have bought the first level product. As for the prospect list, you would be continuing to sell the first paid product to them.

Tip 3

Make it a point to test and truck your email campaigns. This will help you to find out the best days and times to send out an offer, which subject line catches the attention of your subscriber and the kind of offers they mostly respond to. There are different variable that you could be testing, ranging from headlines, email length, day and time, type of offer, to mention a few. The point to remember though, is that you should test each of them individually.

When testing a headline, test only the headline and headline alone. Be sure to crate two messages with different headlines in order to compare which one your subscribers respond to better. On another day choose another variable to test, say, the type of offer you send to the subscribers. Over time you will find out what works best with your list in terms of producing the best results.

This article has concentrated on a 3 of the many tips you could apply to ensure you build profitable email lists. It has discussed relationship building, segregation of customers from prospects and testing the various variables that affect the success of your email campaigns.

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An Email List Building Key: Creating A High Converting Squeeze Page

Building an effective responsive email list full of eager buyers for your product or service has more than just one step, however where it all starts is with a high converting squeeze page that entices your web site visitors to join your email subscribers list.

Having a list of this kind will enable you to directly send valuable relevant content to your subscribers from your target market, so you can develop a positive business relationship with them as well as establish yourself as an expert in your particular niche market. If you are someone who would like to know some of the basic elements for identifying or creating the most effective squeeze page you can, below is a quick description of what your page will need.

Headlines That Grab Attention And Compel

The squeeze page's headlines ought to be the primary thing that the web site visitor spots and so it must draw in their attention, while keeping them concentrated for enough time to allow them to become a validated subscriber of your email list.

The size of your headlines text needs to be bigger than all of the other text in your squeeze page, and then for enhanced visibility, you can add color to your headline font (red and blue is very effective).

You might like to think about highlighting your headline as well as any sub headline which you use. You may use the "h1" and "h2" tags to increase the size of your headline text, that won't just aid in getting the attention of your site visitors but will in addition notify search engine crawlers that this bigger text is different and significant.

Make every effort to make sure your headline is properly centered on the template and attempt to position your opt-in box so that it is nearby the headline. If you work with a CSS structured squeeze page, your opt-in box may be put in a right column, that includes a bullet-ed list of benefits presented in the primary body of your page.

The Body Or Content

It is important when creating your content to keep it down to only the most important information you need to give. Stay away from squeeze pages that contain to many paragraphs an words with worthless information. The main reason for your squeeze page is to convert your visitors into subscribers, stay focused on keeping your content straight to the point, clear, compelling and certainly understandable.

Split testing your squeeze pages to see which one does the best is a good idea for increasing your rates of conversion, but here is a brief description of how you could format your squeeze page content so that is more understandable, easy to read, and get you more sign-ups.

1. Highlight Your Benefits By Using Bullet Points

To point out the important features and bring out the specific benefits of signing up to your email list make use of bullet points. For directing your visitors to the benefits and what you have in store for them in exchange for them joining this is an awesome and effective technique.

2. At All Times Be Sure To Maintain Focus

Stay focused on converting your visitor, don't add any external links in your squeeze page. This may act as a distraction and direct your potential email list subscriber to leaving your page before they sign-up. The only thing your visitors should be directed to is opting in to your list. Be sure to keep your purpose clear and to the point, and that's to get that sign-up.

You don't want any widgets, plug-ins, or menus to act as distractions so don't use them. Your squeeze page should only consist of headlines, opt-in box, bulleted list, and a privacy policy all on one page. If any information is not designed to getting subscribers leave it out!

3. Make Your Call To Action Loud And Clear

This is one of the most important elements of an effective squeeze page, you need to make sure your visitor knows what you want them to do. So tell them exactly and specifically to fill out your opt-in form then confirm if you want to successfully gain new subscribers.

Keep in mind, you have to make it clear what you want your squeeze page visitor to do, everyone will not be familiar with this sign-up process, you have to let them know.

The information mentioned above will certainly aid anyone in creating a squeeze page that is sure to convert visitors into email list subscribers. The information will also help you recognize an effective squeeze page template when you see one.

List Building Tips - Product Reviews   How Your Website Can Get More Conversions   How to Improve the Trust of Your List and Double Your Profits   List Segmentation Strategies   Build That List   List Building Techniques for Coaches - The Secret to Boosting Your Sign Up Rate   

Turn That Fixed Rate Mortgage Into A Goldmine

When you purchased your home, you most likely got a fixed interest rate mortgage with a 15 or 30 year term. These are the most popular mortgages in the industry. Even in the summer of 2004, when the interest-only or simple interest mortgage loans became popular, the average American stuck to the fixed rate. You see, the fixed rate offers security to conservative people, and the average American home buyer and home owner is a very conservative person.

Today, it's time to ignore that conservative nature and throw out that fixed rate mortgage. If you have a home, no matter when you purchased or refinanced your mortgage, you now need to refinance your fixed interest rate mortgage to an adjustable rate mortgage.

Now, before you begin to panic and start calling me all kinds of unsavory names, read on, and you'll see why an ARM is actually a cash goldmine, and you need to start panning for this gold immediately.

When I was originating loans fulltime, I could barely get the word ARM out of my mouth, before the customer would say, "Oh no! I don't want an adjustable mortgage. I've heard how the rates change and your payment skyrockets, and some people actually lose their homes. No, no, I don't want my rate to change." Of course, once I illustrated the thousands of dollars they would save in just a few years and quashed all of those myths about loan payments "blowing up," most of them decided the ARM was not the "devil loan" it's made out to be.

But why risk an adjustment of your rate, you may ask, when you can have it fixed for the life of the loan? The answer is twofold and quite simple. The first part is the most important, and that is the average American either sells or refinances his or her home in four to seven years. So, if the chances are that you'll sell or refinance in five years, why fix your rate for 30 years at a higher interest than you can get on an ARM?

The second reason to get an Adjustable Rate Mortgage is because the interest rates are so much lower than fixed rates. And since these great rates are fixed for a particular period, five years on a 5-year ARM and three years on a 3-year ARM, there really is no risk, at all. Again, in most adjustable rate mortgage programs, the interest rate does not adjust monthly or yearly (although programs with these types of adjustment periods do exist at much lower rates).

For example, as of publication of this article in 2004, the 30-year fixed rate mortgage was going for around 5.75%, and a 5-year Adjustable Rate Mortgage was going for about 4%. Suppose you're financing $100,000. The 30-year fixed rate of 5.75% would give you a monthly payment of $583.57 (not including your taxes and insurance, which vary from state to state and county to county). The same $100,000 financed at 4.0% interest yields a monthly payment of $477.42. The difference in these two payments is $106.15. This is $1,273.80 each year, and $6,369.00 for five years. I can hear you saying, "Wow, that's hard to believe," but these are real numbers and real savings. You may be saying, "Sure, but the rates change." This is true, but the difference in the fixed rate mortgages and the ARMs is almost always the same, regardless of what rates the market bears, so you'll always save a ton of money in the difference in these two payments.

The numbers are even more staggering if you finance $150,000. The fixed rate payment is $875.36 and the 5-year ARM payment is $716.12 - a monthly savings of $159.24 and over $9,500 for five years. If you buy or refinance a home and finance $200,000 or more, you'll save between $13,000 and $15,000 over five years, with the 4% rate as opposed to the fixed rate of 5.75%.

Bank that money and you can buy a decent car for cash, or pay for a year of college, or take a European vacation. Pretty powerful stuff, huh? Now, if you're one of those people who is really into cutting into the term of your mortgage, and you can afford the higher fixed-rate payment, simply apply the difference back to the principal loan amount. You'll build equity in your home very quickly, and you'll always have the option of paying the lower payment.

So, get your adjustable rate mortgage today, and start using your own personal goldmine.

Bankers Don't Want You to Know That You Pay for Your No Cost Home Loan Forever   Bankers Don't Want You to Know That You Pay for Your No Cost Home Loan Forever   

Bankers Don't Want You to Know That You Pay for Your No Cost Home Loan Forever

With mortgage rates continuing on a downward trend, the competition in the business is fierce. A day never passes that I don't hear some crazy advertisement about a new loan program that XYZ mortgage company has and no one else offers. One of the oldest programs remains steadfast in both its high profile and its duplicity. This program is the No Cost Home Loan -- the one bankers say is free, but you actually pay for as long as you have the loan.

The no closing cost home loan is virtually everywhere. It is advertised in the mail, on radio and on TV all the time. "Hey, refinance your loan today, and there will be no closing costs," the ads scream. Wow, a free loan. Imagine the money you'll save. So, if you are in the market for a refinance loan or home equity line, which you probably should be, with rates at all-time lows, you might consider running to XYZ mortgage company, who is now offering free mortgage loans.

Just be careful you don't go bankrupt, along the way. Remember, the old cliche, Nothing in life is free, because it makes a lot of sense. You actually can get a mortgage with little or no closing costs. What bankers don't tell you (one of their great secrets) is that you pay a higher interest rate than you really qualify for, when you get your loan for "free." So, you might save $2,000 or $3,000 in closing costs, but your monthly payment could be $100 to $300 higher than it would have been if you had actually paid the costs.

Imagine taking this loan and saving $2,000 in total closing costs. Perhaps you borrow $200,000. Now, if you simply pay all the costs and tell the banker you want the best rate available, let's say it is 6% for this example, you would have a monthly payment of $1,199. Now, let's assume the wiley banker convinces you to pay no closing costs and take an in terest rate of 7%. He might say, "Now, your interest rate will be a bit higher, but you'll save $2,000 in closing costs." Sounds great, you might think.

What he doesn't do, though, is spell out the difference in the 6% rate you could qualify for, versus the 7% rate you choose to take for your "free" loan. If you borrow $200,000 at 7% interest, your monthly payment is $1,330. This is $131.00 more each month than you will pay on the same loan at 6% interest.

If you choose to pay the closing costs and save $131.00 monthly, it will take you 15 months to get your $2,000 in closing costs back. Now, if you keep this loan for five years beyond that first 15 months, you will save an additional $7,860 at the 6% interest rate. If you listen to the crafty banker, selling the No Cost Loan, you'll allow nearly eight thousand dollars to drift right up your home's chimney.

Unless the difference in the interest rate on your no closing cost loan and the loan with costs is a tiny amount, say .125%, you are almost always better off paying the costs. Be sure to ask what the difference in the rates is. Then learn exactly what the total closing costs will be. Calculate the difference in the two monthly payments (one with closing costs and one without). If that amount will pay back your closing costs in two years or less, and you intend to remain in your loan for at least five years, pay the costs and take the better rate.

Use this method, and you'll never go wrong.

Bankers Don't Want You to Know That You Pay for Your No Cost Home Loan Forever   Bankers Don't Want You to Know That You Pay for Your No Cost Home Loan Forever   

Can I Sell My Private Mortgage Notes?

n this country millions of homes are sold every year. In most cases buyers go to a bank or finance company to seek mortgage financing.

In some cases, 200,000 in the U.S., home buyers rely on the seller rather than a financial institution to provide financing because:

o The purchaser may not qualify for a traditional mortgage.

o The purchaser may be a relative looking to save on closing fees.

o The seller may be interested in having a long-term income stream.

Often the seller is pressured into providing financing for the purchaser instead of receiving a lump sum. This forces the seller to assume the role of a mortgage company, worrying about servicing and collecting a monthly income stream. A stream, which may or may not be consistent, depends on the payer's ability to meet their monthly obligations.

Peacock Capital provides an option to note holders nationwide who are ready to sell their homes and use the equity for their own purposes.

We will purchase the note for a lump sum and collect the monthly checks. No more worrying about the "Check is in the mail" Or, "Will they stop paying, forcing a foreclosure?" Or, "Has my buyer kept up with their insurance payments?" Etc.

Bankers Don't Want You to Know That You Pay for Your No Cost Home Loan Forever   Bankers Don't Want You to Know That You Pay for Your No Cost Home Loan Forever   

Levying On Stock Accounts

I am not a lawyer, I am a judgment and debt expert (Judgment and Collection Agency Broker). This article is my opinion, based on my experience in California, and laws vary in each state. If you ever need legal advice or a strategy to use, please contact a lawyer.

Most of the time, judgments are not easy to recover. The most common and cost-effective tools to recover a judgment are bank or employment (wage) levies/garnishments.

Many judgment debtors have assets, however some keep their assets in brokerage accounts. Usually, stocks, bonds, commodities, and similar assets; cannot be reached with a simple levy.

Brokerage account companies include Merrill Lynch, Ameritrade, Scottrade, Ameriprise, Charles Schwab, and Etrade. Like banks, some will accept a levy at any branch or office, others require levies to be served at the branch the account was opened at. Some require you to domesticate the judgment to a state where they do business, others do business in every state, etc.

How do you find out if your judgment debtor owns assets in a brokerage account? Three ways to find this kind of information are:

1) Tips from an ex-spouse, ex-friend, or ex-partner of the judgment debtor.

2) Hire a private investigator, or an asset search firm. This can be expensive.

3) Conduct a court-based judgment debtor exam (OEX) with subpoenas issued for the production of financial, tax, or business records of the debtor, their bank, spouse, and/or business associates. If you find hints about judgment debtor assets at a brokerage firm, then subpoena them for any records pertaining to the judgment debtor. Expect to pay banks and brokerages for their costs in complying with your document requests.

In most states and situations, one cannot usually levy retirement or other protected accounts, or distributions from them; even when they have a judgment for fraud, which makes no sense to me.

What happens after a levy is served on a brokerage, as a third party holding the judgment debtor's assets, is usually very different from a regular bank levy. When a bank is levied, the judgment debtor's assets are cash, a very fungible asset, that is held; then turned over to the sheriff. Then, after a waiting period, the sheriff sends the money onto the creditor.

At a brokerage, after the levy is served, they put a hold on the judgment debtor's account, at least as much as is required to satisfy the levy. However, if the judgment debtor's assets are not in cash, the brokerage does not send any funds to the sheriff automatically. Instead, they wait for a creditor-initiated court order, instructing the brokerage to sell the debtor's stocks and other assets.

When a levy is served, the brokerage confirms any assets that are in the judgment debtor's name, such as stocks. Then, they wait for a court order, instructing them to sell stocks and other assets. Once the court order is received, the judgment debtor's assets are liquidated for cash, and the cash is turned over to the sheriff.

Because brokerage companies are not banks, they are not regulated by Departments of Financial Institutions. Brokerages are regulated primarily by the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency ("OCC"), located in Houston, Texas at http://www.occ.treas.gov.

In certain circumstances, long-arm statues may be used to reach accounts far away from the creditor or the court where the judgment originated.

Long-arm statues allow local state courts have jurisdiction over a non-local entity or person (who is for example, a judgment debtor). The typical test is, whether the debtor or third party (for example, a bank or brokerage) holding the judgment debtor's assets, does or did business local to the court or creditor.

The debtor's stock is usually held in "street name", for example "Charles Schwab & Co., Inc., for the benefit of Barry Debtor".

Uniform Commercial Code, section 8-317, defines creditor's possible rights to judgment debtor's assets at brokerages. Especially if the judgment is large, it is a good idea to hire a lawyer, especially if you have not attempted to levy on a brokerage account before.

What if the brokerage is named and served as the garnishee and ignores, and will not answer your sheriff's levy? I know judgment enforcers, that in this situation, sued the brokerage for the amount they should have held and released to the sheriff, pending a court order.

The brokerage, after being served notice of the creditor's lawsuit, did not file an answer, or show up in court, so a default judgment was obtained against the brokerage.

The judgment enforcer waited for their default judgment to become final. Then, they sent the brokerage a demand letter, telling them that they could either pay, or the judgment would be domesticated to their state, and the sheriff would seize their assets. The brokerage paid, however there is no guarantee this would work in your situation.

An alternative to levying the brokerage where the judgment debtor maintains an account, is to obtain a turnover order for all shares of stock owned at a brokerage, as of the date of the turnover order. One problem is that many debtors will move their assets, as soon as they are served a copy of the court-approved turnover order, violating the court's order.

Prior to, or at the same time the turnover order is served, one could serve a court-approved temporary restraining order (TRO), preventing the debtor from doing anything, except for withdrawing funds and turning them over to the sheriff.

Then, if the judgment debtor does not comply with the court order, you can request an order to show cause "re: contempt". If your debtor violates the restraining order or the turnover order, what happens next depends on what state you are in, and which judge you get.

Too often, contempt of civil court orders have very little ramifications for the contemptee. Once again, especially if the judgment or assets are large, it is a good idea to retain a lawyer.

Separation Agreement: Why Do a Financial Separation Agreement Before Going to a Solicitor?   Judgment Debtor Hubby Exams   Are Civil Bench Warrants Worth Getting?   Judicial Council Forms Hold Clues To California Procedural Questions   

Use A Legal Document Preparer?

I am not a lawyer, I am a judgment referral expert (Judgment Broker). This article is my opinion, based on my experience in California, and laws vary in each state. Nothing in any of my articles should ever be considered legal advice. If you ever need legal advice or a strategy to use, you should contact a lawyer.

In this article, when LDP is used, it means a Legal Document Preparer or Legal Document Preparation. In this article, LDP also means Legal Document Assistant (LDA), which means almost the same thing - a person with education and training, who is usually state licensed. What a LDP can or cannot do depends on which state they are operating in. In some states, State Bars have stopped LDAs from helping people.

LDPs do not offer a legal service, however they can help you fill out the court's or the sheriff's legal forms. Sometimes LDPs are also process servers, court researchers, or court runners - and can sometimes file or serve your documents.

LDPs do not, and cannot offer legal advice. Most will not even give you their direct opinion, because that might be too close to being considered an Unauthorized Practice Of Law. (See Business and Professions Code Section 6400 A.) LDPs usually will not select forms for you. Instead, they can refer you to pre-printed brochures and flyers, with the same information that a web search would show.

The legal situation when at LDPs, is similar to when you are at a court clerk's window. Neither of them can give you legal advice, but both can show you to where you can learn what to do, and then you can come back and tell them what you want done. (Usually they will tell you when you fill out something wrong, however they still cannot give you legal advice.)

Depending on which state, some people hire LDPs for do-it-yourself divorce, unlawful detainer, lawsuits, bankruptcies, wills, judgment enforcement, and many other tasks where one wants help to do the legal forms or tasks themselves.

The primary advantage of using an LDP is they can save you money. If your needs are simple and there are no complications, and you know what you are doing, you can save a lot of money using a LDP.

In some states, where lawyers take very few judgment recovery cases on contingency, and collection agencies charge too much upfront and too much as a percentage, and/or judgment enforcers have been put out of business by state bars (or have become too picky), or where small claims judgments cannot be assigned, LDAs can be a solution to try to get judgments recovered.

There are many disadvantages to using a LDP:

1) If your case or task has any kind of complication or opposition, you may have to pay a lawyer the same, or more money, than if you went to them first, and you will also have already paid the LDP.

2) Just because you can do something legally does not mean you should. A good lawyer can advise you about whether it is worth trying something, a LDP cannot.

3) Lawsuits can be won, and judgments can be recovered on a contingency basis. Contingency is an important concept and LDPs are not contingency. Contingency lets you spend no money and no time, and someone else works and pays to get your goal accomplished. LDPs are always pay as you go.

4) If you pay for a LDA to help you recover your judgment, often you must also pay for a private investigator, and pay courts, sheriffs, and process servers.

Good web sites to learn more are: Wikipedia and in California, http://www.calda.org/Information.asp

Separation Agreement: Why Do a Financial Separation Agreement Before Going to a Solicitor?   Judgment Debtor Hubby Exams   Are Civil Bench Warrants Worth Getting?   Judicial Council Forms Hold Clues To California Procedural Questions