Hi, I'm Tom's Sister Ruth
I bet you want to know more about me - is it safe to do business with me?
Fair enough. I would too, if I were in your shoes.
My life has many facets and interests. The over-riding traits however throughout all of them, are perseverance, faithfulness, and that when I take responsibility for a work or project, it is hard to pry my fingers off - I have always been the oldest sister in charge, or The Responsible One (see my brochure).
If you are interested you may Google my name and read my About Me pages on my several other sites.
As you see, if you check out the page about my brother Tom, as I remember him, you know that I am the oldest of five siblings, and often had to look after them because Mom was ill so often, and frequently in the hospital. I went away to London, Ontario, Canada for about 12 years from 1971 to 1983, where I was very involved in church activities, mostly as Chief Guide of the Pioneer Girls Club and also in leadership of the Sunday School, and Jr. Church. (Oh, and I was also the Church Secretary part-time and a Secretary of the Executive Board). The last three years I ran a Boarding house for Christian College or Career girls too.
I made the HUGE, (for me), move back to Hague, SK., in September 1983, to care for my parents in their old age. (Mom had started calling to say she needed a maid). I thought it wouldn't be that long since Mom had been sickly so many years, but she lived another 14 years and I saved her live a few times.
Then it was Dad and me for another 10 years, though I often teased him that we were stuck with each other until he was 100, as our relatives on his side of the family are mostly long-livers. Most have died in their 90s, and his one uncle got to be 104. (His sister Jessie died this last October 2022, at nearly 103. If she had lived until November 9, 2022! She was a spicy, strong-willed old lady.)
It was during those 10 years that I got my heart set on going online for I wanted to publish my novel. Since Dad didn't need nursing care, just someone to be there to cook and chauffeur him, I had time to teach myself how to get around online. I did publish my novel as a Print-on-Demand (POD), but then I had to learn to build a website to help promote it.
Making websites is a fun, and creative skill. It didn't take long for others to ask me to build websites for them too. Now I often say, I run a circus of about 20 websites, and only 10-13 are mine.
Dad developed a sudden lung cancer in early 2007. (I've since realized that came as a result of the alpaca fibres he breathed in as he washed, carded, and spun yarn of the alpaca pelts he got when I took him to visit an Alpaca ranch for his 90th birthday. Dad passed away just 4 days after his 91st birthday, on February 24, 2007.
I cleaned up his estate and moved into a tiny green house in Saskatoon. Since Tom was my only close relative here, and he could not get into my wee house with his wheelchair, I made a point of making a nice meal each holiday as it came up and taking it to Tom's apartment to eat with him there. It was during these visits he would remark that he wanted me to sell all his diecast models and see that his daughters each got half of whatever they brought.
Tom was not a business man. He didn't even save the receipts of his purchases. He did not know how to sell either. I could see that I had a huge job ahead of me. There would be a learning curve for me, because I used to say I was no business person either. I didn't even like to count change for fear my math would be all off. However, I have tackled and learned a lot of things since I first went online in 1999. So I'm not afraid of steep learning curves. They may be hard work at first, but learning curves later level off up on higher ground in the benefits that make up for all the struggles up the slopes.
So, with this website I'm buckling down to learn how to do e-Commerce - and do it well. I've told Tom a number of times that this is likely to take a number of years! He was okay with that. But then, he knew that once I agreed, I as the Responsible One, was guaranteeing this to be a "Done Deal."
Do you wonder if you can safely buy these models from me?
Please know that I insist on high ethical morals in all that I do; this is to your advantage. It means you can trust my recommendations and my sales and services completely. If you run into any problems I WILL FIX them if it is at all humanly possible.
Tom's collections are packed up and in storage, but from the inventory I took as I packed, I know there are at least 1435 pieces. I cracked a vertebrae in my back before it was all done. Our brother Ernie came from Winnipeg to help me that last week. He didn't take time to write down what he packed the last two days until that was done. But I now estimate the whole works to come to about 2000 pieces.
I plan to unpack about one box a week, take photos, research each item and add them to this site. I may not get up to that speed right away, but God-willing, I shall, and perhaps even pick up speed as I get better at this!
If you do not see what you are looking for, please send me a note on the Wish List form, and I'll see what I can do about finding such a model. However, the way these things are packed, I can't get at just any of them until the ones in front or above them have had their turn. We are talking about 80 boxes of various sizes. See what I mean?
Let me answer one other question you might have.
Several people have said to me, "Why don't you just have an auction sale and sell them all in one day?" My brother Ernie suggested getting an expert to come and assess the whole collection first and then inviting collectors to come bid on the whole 'shootin' match.'
My answer was and still is - WHAT!? I'd have to hire 4-5 people (remember, my back was not healed or strong enough now to lug them around all by myself!) just to unpack all those boxes - and that somewhere big enough to display them. Which means I'd have to rent some big showroom in a hotel, or at least a school gym, if it was summertime. Then, I'd have to check around for someone who really KNEW all the various types of diecast models Tom gathered, so we'd get an accurate estimate of the values. That could mean flying in someone from another country. And what would that expert charge for his services? There might be a handful of collectors that live in driving distance from Saskatoon, but what if none of them could afford, or would even want to buy ALL of Tom's models? - I would have spent heaps of money that I do not have, and would not have any guarantee of getting the full value for each item.
In my mind, the best plan is still this plan. To put the models on this site, research each one carefully to determine what the details and the story of that piece are, and the best price to put on it. Then collectors from anywhere in the world can find this site, and they can pay for the shipping. Eventually, all the pieces will be sold. This way will take longer, but it will be most thorough and my nieces shall get the full benefit of their inheritance!
Remember, I spent 30 years writing my novel, and when I moved back home to care for my parents I did not know that my commitment would take me 23 and a half years - but I stayed to the end! And I do not regret that now.
This experience will turn out well too!
Ruth Marlene Friesen |
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Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada