EXCERPT FROM THE BELLEEK COLLECTOR - VOLUME 13 - NUMBER 2 - 2002

 

(ANGELA MOORE WRITES):

 

            IN PREVIOUS ISSUES WE SHARED SOME OF OUR MEMBER'S COLLECTIONS WITH YOU.  IN RECENT TIMES IT HAS BECOME DIFFICULT, LIKE PULLING TEETH, TO HAVE YOU WRITE A LITTLE ABOUT YOURSELF AND HOW YOU BEGAN TO COLLECT BELLEEK.  WE ALOS LOVE YOU TO TELL US ABOUT YOUR FAVORITE PIECES.  WE CONVINCED A NEW MEMBER WHO HAS BEEN COLLECTING FOR JUST A LITTLE WHILE TO TELL US SOMETHING ABOUT HIMSELF; WE WOULD LIKE YOU TO MEET TOM EYRE.

 

(TOM EYRE WRITES):

 

            I AM A 21 YEAR OLD COLLEGE STUDENT WHO LIVES IN PENNSYLVANIA.  I AM A CRIMINAL JUSTICE MAJOR WHO WILL GRADUATE IN MAY, 2003.  I HAVE BEEN A COLLECTOR OF BELLEEK FOR A FEW YEARS NOW NAD I BUY AND SELL BELLEEK ON EBAY.  I OWN MOST OF THE CHRISTMAS PLATES SINCE 1970.  IN MARCH I WAS SCANNING SOME CHRISTMAS PLATE MARKS FOR BRIAN GRAHAM'S WEBSITE AND I NOTICED A DISCREPANCY IN THE 1983 MARK.  THE 1982 PLATE, THE IRISH SEAL AND THE 1983 PLATE, THE RED FOX BOTH HAVE THE SAME EDITION!  THEY ARE BOTH MARKED SECOND SERIES - FIFTH EDITION.  THE 1983 PLATE SHOULD READ SIXTH EDITION. 

 

            I GREW UP WITH BELLEEK IN OUR HOUSE AS MY MOTHER HAS A FEW DOZEN PIECES OF BELLEEK (MARKS 6TH - 11TH).  MY MOTHER BEGAN COLLECTING IN 1973 WHEN SHE WENT TO IRELAND IN 1973 ON HER HONEYMOON.  I BEGAN COLLECTING ON MY OWN IN 2000.  THE FIRST ITEM I BOUGHT WAS THE SHAMROCK 5" * 7" PICTURE FRAME WITH THE 2000 MILLENNIUM MARK.  I HAVE SINCE ADDED DOZENS OF ITEMS TO MY COLLECTION.  MY BROTHER AND I USUALLY BUY SEVERAL PIECES OF BELLEEK AT A TIME TO GIVE TO MY MOTHER FOR FUTURE GIFTS.  I ALSO GIVE BELLEEK GIFTS TO MY GIRLFRIEND, WHOSE GRANDMOTHER LIVES IN DUBLIN. 

 

            I DON'T HAVE A PARTICULAR FAVORITE ITEM, BUT THE 1994 - 1997 BCIS LOGO PIECES (PEDESTAL BOWL, PLATE, SPILL, AND TRINKET BOX) AND ITEMS FROM THE BUSHMILLS DISTILLERY ARE AMONG MY FAVORITES.  I ALSO HAVE ALL FIVE CONVENTION PLATES, ALTHOUGH I HAVEN'T BEEN TO A CONVENTION YET!  I LOOK FORWARD TO ADDING TO MY BELLEEK COLLECTION IN THE MANY YEARS TO COME.

 

 

 

(PLEASE NOTE: THIS ARTICLE WAS WRITTEN BEFORE MY WEBSITE WAS LAUNCHED - ORIGINALLY, THE BELLEEK CHRISTMAS PLATE MARKS I SCANNED WERE PLANNED TO BE ON ONE OF BRIAN GRAHAM'S SPECIAL MARKS PAGES.)