COACH TIPS: REAL? FAKE? & UDERSTANDING COACH CREEDS

If you're a big Coach fan, you should know some of the basics and what to look for when buying a Coach Bag online. With the amount of fakes and replicas being mass produced, it's very important to know exactly what you're buying. Let's face it, it's a lot easier to tell if a Coach is authentic or not when you're able to hold it and thoroughly examine it yourself if you know what you're looking for. But when you're buying a Coach Bag online, you only see what the seller and pictures allow you to see which unfortunately sometimes isn't enough.

*** In this guide, I'll start with a few basic tips that everyone who buys Coach Bags should know. Then I'll go into more detail of the format and description of the serial number on the interior square leather patch... also known as the Coach Creed.

<> BASICS <>

TIP #1... Signature Coach Bags will NEVER have signature C's on the interior lining. This is the most important thing to remember and it's a DEAD GIVEAWAY that the bag is a fake. All of the newer style Coach Bags whether they are signature, leather, patchwork, among other designs will NEVER have the signature C lining. I cannot speak for all of the older bags. I've only ever seen 1 older style all leather Coach Bag that had the signature lining and it was indeed authentic.

TIP #2... Coach ALWAYS uses "YKK" zippers. These zippers are of the highest quality. So make sure you see "YKK" engraved into all zippers.

TIP #3... Coach will NEVER wrap their handles with plastic when selling them new. Once again... a DEAD GIVEAWAY.

<> COACH CREED <>

The Coach Creed refers to the interior square leather patch with the serial #. But don't be fooled... most fakes and replicas will have a patch with some combination of letters and numbers, but it's fake and most likely won't follow the correct format. Say you have a serial # that looks like this:

EXAMPLE: No. L1160-F13533

* This is the Correct Format of the Serial #... You will ALWAYS see "No." before the actual serial number and you should NEVER see any spaces... they will all have this same format. Although some of the older Coach Bags have a slightly different format (which I still have yet to figure out!). Most of my energy and interest have gone toward the newer styles. So at this time, I'm only speaking on behalf of those :)

* MONTH CODE... First is the month code: the "L" in this case stands for November, which is the month it was manufactured in (A=January; B=February; C=March; etc...). "I" is always skipped and there will never be a letter after "M" (M=December).

* YEAR CODE... Next is the year code: After the letter month code, you will always see 2 numbers. In this case "11" stands for the year 2011 (99=1999; 01=2001; 02=2002; 10=2010; etc...).

* FACTORY CODE... These next 2 numbers are the code for the factory in which the bag was manufactured in. These numbers are more for reference tham anything. Unless you work in a Coach Factory, you wouldn't need to know the code nor would it give you any advantage to trying to figure out if your Coach bag is real or not. Plus, there are just way too many to memorize!

*** NEXT WILL ALWAYS BE A DASH... After the dash you will sometimes see an "F" (See Below)

F... In this case there is an F after the dash which stands for Factory, meaning the bag was bought/sold at a Coach Factory Outlet not from a Coach Store or a Macy's, Nordstrom, etc.. but nonetheless they are still very much authentic.

NO F... If there is no F after the dash, you will just see 5 numbers (some of the older styles will only have 4 #'s). This set of numbers are considered the Style #. Meaning every Coach Bag with this number will look the same... maybe a different color, but ALWAYS the same design and style.

The easiest way to look up a style # on your own is by going to Yahoo, Google, or even eBay and do a search for "Caoch" then type in the 5 digit style # and you should see lots of the same bags come up in your search results. The Example serial/style # above refers to the Signature Stripe Framed Carryall. If you do a search on eBay for "Coach 13533" you should see some Signature Striped Framed Carryall's (I just did a search and found 20 of them). It all depends on how many are being sold at the time of your search BUT there may be more of them on eBay but many sellers don't put the style # in their title so they won't show up in this type of search when searching by the serial #.

* TOP RIGHT MARKING... Last is the marking that may be stamped in the top right corner of the patch. If you see FS it stands for Final Sale (this means it is no longer under Coach Warranty). If you see an X it means it was sold at a TJ Maxx, Marshall's, or another discounted store. If there is an ES it means it was an Emplyee Sale. There may be more markings, but these are just a sample of explanations. These bags are all Authentic and Genuine Coach Bags and there's nothing wrong with them. These markings are just to differentiate how/where they were purchased.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

So these are just some of the basics to authenticating a Coach Bag by yourself and unlocking the question of "what do those numbers mean???" without actually needing to take it to an authorized Coach dealer. By understanding the Coach Creed, I'm hoping you'll feel a little more comfortable and knowledgeable going forward when trying to decipher if the Coach Bag you're interested in buying is indeed authentic and not some poorly made replica. But if you have any doubts and feel more comfortable having an expert look at it, you should take it to an authorized Coach retailer and have them authenticate it for free :)

I really hope this helps my fellow Coach lovers and puts you in a better position when looking at a bag and trying to decide if it's a real or fake. When buying online from Craigslist or eBay, make sure you get a picture of the Coach Creed. If you don't have a clear picture of it, or any picture at all, the seller should be more than happy to send it to you if they're not trying to hide anything. There are sooo many websites that sell fake Coach Bags trying to pass them off as the real deal. If the price seems too good to be true, than it probably is! Just please be EXTREMELY CAREFUL when buying Coach Bags(or any other designer bags) online!

*** PLEASE NOTE *** I am NOT affiliated with Coach in any way (although I'd love to be!), I just love the beauty of their handbags, which is the reason why I had so much motivation to do as much research as possible could over the years so that I don't accidentally waste my money on a fake! I wanted to pass along some of my knowledge to you because I don't want those fake and replica companies make another penny!!!

I think i won't need a new laptop in at least 4 years

I bought this laptop because I needed a new one, but with great perfomance, mainly for high demanding games, high demanding programs like image editing, 3D modelling and rendering, and Video editing and converting. And it has me satisfied. 

Pros: 
The greatest thing in this laptop its their speakers, they are juest AWESOME, the best laptop speakers in the market.
The screen its great, its very shinny and the image is very sharp and vivid. 
The kerboard is good but its better with backlit, unfortunately the one I bought doesnt has it. 
At least mine, doesnt heats, even with very demanding programs and games (like GTA IV, or Rendering 3D, or Video Converting). 
Good Ports... USB 3.0 eSATA USB combo, display port, HDMI, two audio out, etc. 
Good quality image with the integrated camera. 
Cons: 
This new technology "Optimus" sucks, it does saves battery, but some programs and games didnt detected de discrete GPU (it has two, on integrated and the nVidia) at first (I needed to do some tweaks). 
Maybe one usb more could be useful. 
The charger its kinda big. 
Doesnt comes with the OS cd (you have to buy it from Dell).

Unit with all the accessories including the external DVD is a great buy

Dual core runs fasts(XP) Vista a little slow. Dual core CPU does run hot use a fan or cool pad to reduce the heat to acceptable levels. Needs a little more cooling capacity to increase longevity of the unit. Any air restriction can cause severe thermal issues. Bought a brand new keyboard under $20 installed in 5 minutes unit is used looks like new, A 12" screen netbook can't beat it. Very light easy to handle. Just keep it cool. A cool pad with fans keeps it under 50C on the CPU the hard drive is ok!

Invicta Zeus Bolt and The Invicta S1 Bracelet Watchs

Hello Again: I'm going to gives KoDo's to Invicta for the watch's I'm about to write about, now I'm no expert on watch's but I know

what I like and what fits.

First the Invicta S1 stainless steel bracelet watch. A watch that is a little heavy but not so much as to get in the way of movement when

working around the house. I'll let Invicta tell you about all the tech in the watch. a great design for a mans watch, and easy to wear.

Now we get to the watch that I saw on You Tube, I knew of the design, because I owned the first Invicta Bolt when it first come

out, I didn't like it on, it was was all wrong on my wrist- (it didn't work for me) but a great looking watch, then I saw the Invicta

Zeus Bolt, I had to try it, but price was a big concern at the time - (there was no price set) there is more to the story but I'm not

going there. I got the watch and I said wow and I said wow again, I was in aw! Now this is a BIG watch and HEAVY too.

But it fit's like a GLOVE no more like a pair of vintage Lizard shoes by STETSON. (remember them) Again I'll let Invicta tell

you about all the tech in the watch but I do know it took 18 months from start to finish for each watch. Watch the video on

u-tube, again all I can say is wow! All stainless steel with stainless steel cable on the watch and in the bracelet-wow!

The one I own is 3 tone steel - polished - matted - brushed in stainless color, the picture shows black cable design with black push

buttons with black cable in the bracelet. To me it's a great design and very modest price for a watch of this type. WOW!

Invicta does a very good job of keeping prices low and giving you would class design in a watch and I understand they are

going to add diamonds to the the next Zeus design - WOW!

Why would you tell her to cancel

I also searched for postings with my name and only the one posting came up.

Does ebay toss everything after a month or so? That would be incredibly stupid, if so. Else, what happened? Did they redo the forum system so that the old urls are no longer valid, and no forwarding mechanism is in place?

My postings were about how ebay works, what to do in certain circumstances, etc, nothing very contentious.

Surviving your rides

You riding a motorcycle, doesn’t mean you have a death wish, right? Well for those who never rode a motorcycle, that is not true. They believe that it is your own fault if when getting into a (for them) “fender bender”, you die. They do not (for most of them) understand that flesh is more fragile than their fender. Is it a lack of information? Yes, I believe it is. Is it a lack of care about others? Yes. They don’t have a death wish. They chose to ride an SUV to keep them safe from driving mishaps (theirs & others). If you chose to ride a motorcycle, that’s your problem, right? I’ll leave the answer to this one open, but here is our answer to this statement: Kill a Biker, GO to Jail.

Between 2004 and 2011, I have been a Motorcycle repair instructor at MMI in Orlando. I remember the announcements of the dead students while riding their bikes during their School years. Some of them were only 18 years old. Most of them were very young. It matters not, people died doing what they enjoyed. What mattered to me was to spend all this time with them, and see them disappear from the face of this earth. And I couldn’t help but think: “What a waste”. Sometimes, they were my direct students. I can’t remember their names, but I do remember their faces. MMI is a technical school that has over 1800 students on the motorcycle campus of Orlando. I my self taught an average of 15 different students every three weeks. You do the math, and understand why I can’t remember their names. However, I would like to take this opportunity, to ask anyone who knows the names of those young people who died in tragic motorcycle accidents, to please, with a comment, print their names in memory of their being with us at times where they had dreams and life with them. Parents who lost your children after sending them to school, please, print their names.

Now, not all lost their life in an accident, some got injured for life. I remember one day, I was teaching an electrical class, and this student, asked me to leave, as his Mom was hit by a car, and transported to the hospital. A few days later, he was back in class and told me about the accident. She was hit by car (what a shame that I don’t have the name of that criminal driver) that went through a Red light. As the his Mom was crossing the intersection, she got hit sideways. They had to amputate her leg. And I recall many others with life long injuries. If you wish to tell their stories in a comment, please go ahead.

Now, true it was not always the fault of a criminal driver (notice my strong description for them). I personally would feel criminal and responsible if I killed or injured any one by my carelessness. Sometimes, I’ve put the blame on the parents of that teenager who have allowed him to purchase too fast a bike for their riding experience. One does not let or buy his child a bike capable of doing 140MPH when it is the first bike they’ve ever ridden. Sorry parents, I am pointing the finger at you. And yes, you may comment on that one if you feel targeted.

How about a few tips on safe riding on the roads. If your intention is to ride fast to get an adrenaline rush, may I suggest going to a race track? Where I live, I am 20 minutes away from a Drag Strip, and 2 and 1/2 hours away from Road Race Track. I recall my last rush, I went to Jennings. I spent a hole day going as fast as I could, for only $140.00. I went so fast for so long, that I and my tires were spent, and quit early (around 3pm, when I still had 2 hours to go). Now some would argue, that on the roads it doesn’t cost any money. Really? From what I heard, If you get a speeding ticket going above 100MPH, the find is something like close to $1000.00. And you might just lose your license. I’ve never been to the Drag Strip near by, but a few friends of mine do. The cost is about $20.00 to run all day.

Now, to the riding tips.

1. Your first bike, should only be a little faster than most cars. Don’t buy something you can’t handle. Don’t buy something too slow, you’d be setting your self as a target.
2. Always give your ride a quick inspection before you go.
3. Learn to ride a motorcycle, know what it can do. How fast can it stop? Much faster than a car. How well can you use those brakes? How far can it lean to turn? Don’t crash because you were afraid to turn! How fast can it accelerate? You might need to learn to gauge that in emergency situations. I can’t give you a riding lesson in print. A big part of riding is how you feel your ride.
4. Helmet? Well your head is like an egg. Drop an egg on the tarmac, and make your own decision.
5. Always ride with a large safe margin off your riding ability.
6. If you can’t see, slow down, be prepared for surprises.
7. Always plan an escape path, no matter where you are. If you don’t have any, then you’re in the wrong place. Going for a ride in a field is always safer than hitting a wall. Being surrounded by dozens of cars, is like playing Russian roulette, you never know what they’ll do. So, that’s why you own a bike that is faster than the cars. Get away.
8. Never follow too close. The rule is: As the vehicle in front of you crosses a land mark (a post of a tree), start counting. If before you’ve reach 3, you pass that mark, you are too close. That method accounts for a varying speed. At 30MPH the safety distance will be shorter, than at 70MPH.
9. Constantly look around for incoming traffic. Never rest. It will allow you to appreciate your surroundings, and that is a plus. But never leave your eyes more than a second on the same spot. How to look and see. To scan effectively you must move your eyes from one spot to another. Never scan in an even motion, your eyes and your mind will not have time notice changes. And, in that organized scan, don’t forget your mirrors.
10. Don’t be afraid to signal your intentions to others. Turn signals, if you notice the car behind you not paying attention, then use your arms.
11. When you have to slow down fast, check behind you, the car or the truck will not be able to slow down that fast.
12. When you are stopped, at a light or a Stop sign, you are NOT safe. Again look around, and check your rear-view mirrors.
13. In residential areas, slow down. What if a kid crosses the road between two parked cars, to get his ball? You would then be the criminal. DON’T give us (the real riders) a bad reputation.

I am using this product, combined with a Promise SmartStor DS4600

I bought this to replace a G4 tower that was 8 years old. It has more processing speed and power at a fraction of the size of the G4. Because this was a used item, I found that the remote controller wasn't working, but I'm satisfied with using the power button. At this rate of miniaturization, I expect my next computer to be the size of a pack of cigarettes.

Fine Hosiery FAQs

Many women have questions about fine ladies hosiery. This little FAQ seeks to answer some of those questions, and answer some misconceptions many people have about hosiery in general and fine hosiery in particular.

The questions listed here are answered below:

1. What’s the difference between Fully Fashioned stockings and other hosiery?
2. Aren’t garter belts really uncomfortable?
3. If Fully Fashioned stockings are so great, how come no one makes them anymore?
4. Doesn’t wearing stockings make you look whorish?
5. Garter Belts: Do I Wear them under or over my panties?
6. What is the difference between Fully Fashioned stockings and other types of hosiery.
7. If Fully Fashioned Stockings are so great, how come no one makes them anymore?



Q. What exactly is “fine hosiery” and how does it differ from cheap hosiery?

A. Fine hosiery is hosiery that is manufactured using superior quality in materials, equipment, technology, and/or design. Cheap hosiery is made from inferior quality materials, using cheaper equipment, technology and design. (Cheap as used here does not necessarily refer to price, but to the quality of the product.) There are several ways to determine which is fine and which is “cheap.” Cheap hosiery is basically disposable, single use hosiery. You find it in packages at the grocery store where it s crumpled into nearly unidentifiable wads of dark colored elastic. It rarely lasts beyond a single wearing, and if it does not, it cost so little that one rarely feels bad about throwing it away.
Fine hosiery, on the other hand, is usually packaged individually (but not always) in envelopes or boxes. The hose is folded around a card and not just wadded into the bottom of the packaging. The materials are of a better quality, and the methods of manufacture superior. They often have pretty designs, textures, and/or colors not available in cheap hose. This means you have a better fitting, better feeling hose and better looking legs as a result. The hosiery will last longer, normally one can wear fine hose several times.


Q. What styles of hosiery are available?

A. Fine hosiery is available in many styles.
 Knee-highs: These are stockings that extend as high as your knees. It’s unusual to find high quality knee highs but they are out there. Most knee-highs are cheap, single use, disposable junk. Hence the bad reputation they have among knowledgeable wearers of hosiery.
 Trouser socks: These are similar to knee-highs but tend to be made of denser, better quality materials and are much longer lasting. Furthermore they are available in a variety of colors, textures and patterns. Often worn beneath trousers, (hence, the name,) they are occasionally seen worn with skirts, especially if the skirt is long, and if the pattern, texture, and/or color compliments the outfit. May be cheap, but many are high quality.
 Tights: Cover the legs from the toe to the waist. Basically two long stockings sewn together at the top to form a “panty.” Come in a variety of colors, textures and patterns. Usually fairly heavy and opaque. Usually of fairly good quality. May be cheap. Some may be of good quality.
 Panty-hose: Similar to tights (and called tights in some countries,) but much more sheer. Panty-hose is probably the most common type of hosiery worn today. Vary in quality from very cheap, to fairly expensive.
 Thigh-highs: Also called stay-ups, these are long stockings with silicone bands on the inside of the top. These bands grip the bare skin of one’s leg and more or less successfully keep the stocking from sliding down one’s leg. Often of very cheap quality, although there are some finer quality examples available.
 Body stockings: These cover your entire body from your toes to your neck and sometimes even to the wrist. They are much like a full-body leotard or unitard, except they are made of much finer material – sheers, laces, etc. Usually they have a lot of stretch in them. Cheaper versions are one size fits all. More expensive versions will be sized small, medium, large, etc.
 Stretch stockings: Also known as “hold-ups” because of the necessity to wear a garter (suspender) belt (or other method) to hold them up. Often they are of very cheap quality, although there are many reputable manufacturers as well. These stockings are knit of stretch yarns that stretch (sometimes a very great deal) to fit one’s leg much like medical hose. Designed to imitate much higher quality stockings. Most do a poor job, although some high quality examples are found.
 Non-stretch stockings: Also known as “hold-ups” because of the necessity to wear a garter (suspender) belt (or other method) to hold them up, these are knit from a yarn with very little stretch. Almost all of the stretch comes from the knit itself. These stockings tend to range from moderately cheap Asian products to expensive Reinforced Heel and Toe (RHT)stockings. Technically they also include Fully Fashioned stockings, but those are really a category all their own. (See below.)
 FullyFashioned Stockings: These are simply the finest, most luxurious stockings one can buy. Usually made from 100% nylon monofilament they come in a variety of textures, patterns and colors. Some examples can be found in silk, or rayon as well, but they are vastly more rare, and consequently somewhat more expensive. These stockings are very rare, the quality ranges from good to the very best.


Q. Why should I wear stockings instead of pantyhose.

A. Almost every woman alive hates pantyhose. They are too hot in the summer. The aren’t warm enough in the winter. They are sweaty, itchy, and generally uncomfortable. The fact that they are sweaty leads to yeast infections in many women. They seem to fall apart when you least expect it, or self-destruct when you try to pull them on. You need to be a contortionist just to get them on right, your acrobatics sometimes taking you from one side of the bedroom to the other. And just try to reproduce that effort in a public bathroom stall. If they are too tight, they make your tummy stick out. If they are not tight enough you can pull them over your head, and nothing will keep them from sliding down and bagging between your thighs, chafing and irritating until you think you are going to go mad. Assuming you have a pair that actually survives the first wearing, when you wash them they turn into a wadded up ball of elastic that somehow gets tangled with all the other wadded up balls in your hosiery drawer. Finally, have you ever looked at yourself in just a pair of pantyhose?
Is that reason enough? If not, consider:
Stockings – good stockings – are much cooler in the summer, don’t sweat or itch, and will not contribute to yeast infections. That area can air out and remain dry and clean. Good quality stockings are smoother and prevent chafing. They are not as fragile as pantyhose. You do not need to take them off when you go to the rest room, so there is no need to twist and bend to put them back on in a tiny stall. A good garterbelt will feel far more comfortable than the waistband of almost any pantyhose. They shouldn’t bag and slide down and around if worn properly. They look better, feel better, and last longer than pantyhose. And two pair of good stockings will last far longer than 3 pair of pantyhose.


Q. Aren’t garter belts really uncomfortable?

A. When the author was in college, a dear friend categorically refused to wear stockings with garterbelts because, as she put it, of “all the straps and clips.” Of course some women may dislike them. But a well fitting, good quality garter belt should not be uncomfortable or difficult to wear. The problem generally comes from women’s experiences with cheap, ill fitting, garterbelts which seem to be available just about everywhere. (See our guide for selecting a good garterbelt.) One thing to remember – It doesn’t matter how much you paid, or where you bought it, a poor quality garterbelt will make you miserable. And there are garterbelts on the market, some selling for hundreds of dollars from top names in the lingerie industry, that are absolute garbage. One hint here, if it doesn’t have at least three garters on each leg, it is most probably junk. Good, attractive, high quality, garterbelts are available for $50 or less. If you are going to wear stockings anywhere outside of your bedroom, you owe it to yourself to invest in a good one. Put it on, wear it around the house for a few hours. If it doesn’t keep your seams straight and if it feels uncomfortable, take it back. See our guide on how to select a good garterbelt.


Q. Doesn’t wearing stockings with garterbelts make you look whorish?

A. Here is another way of looking at it. Prior to the 1960’s almost ALL hosiery were stockings that required the use of garters or suspenders of some kind to hold them up. Every woman over the age of 16 who wore hosiery (essentially every woman in the developed world who could afford them) owned at least one garter belt. The only women who wore tights, (as panty hose were called,) were dancers, circus performers, and women who worked in professions where they wore skirts or costumes that showed much more leg than was generally acceptable in polite society. NICE girls, GOOD girls, who wore modest skirts and dresses, wore garterbelts and stockings. A true lady always wore stockings when she went out. It was the women who worked in cabarets, men’s clubs and in burlesque where they wore costumes that “ladies” wouldn’t be caught dead in who wore tights.
Incidentally, this is the origin of the phrase “Pantyhose are the work of the devil.” It had nothing to do with how uncomfortable pantyhose is to wear, but it was the response of outraged ministers and parents to the general adoption of pantyhose when hemlines rose in the ‘60s, and which coincided with the so called “sexual revolution.”


Q. Garter Belts: Do I Wear them under or over my underwear?

A. Stockings and garterbelts should be the first item of clothing that you put on. Panties and underwear should go over them, in spite of what you may have seen in magazines, catalogs, calendars, and pictures on the internet. Consider the necessities of hygiene: if you wear garters over your underwear, you must remove both to go to the bathroom. Then you have to readjust your hose and straighten your seams when you pull them back up. If you wear your panties over your garters, you only need to slide down your panties to take care of your necessary business.
There are exceptions to this rule. If you are wearing them for only a brief while, it’s not technically necessary and you can wear them any way you want. If you are wearing a panty girdle to support your stockings, generally you won’t wear underwear with it anyway. If you are wearing an open bottom girdle, you will probably wear your underwear beneath that. If you like to wear a corset, the corset and stockings should be put on first and your panties over that, but that is not always possible with some modern corset designs. You could wear a garter beneath your corset as an option.


Q. What’s the difference between Fully Fashioned stockings and other hosiery?

A. Fully Fashioned stockings are fundamentally different from all other hosiery. Fully Fashioned stockings are knitted flat, and shaped (or “fashioned”) like a human leg. Then they are folded in half and seamed up the back making a “fully fashioned” stocking.
Fully Fashioned stockings fit your leg because they are knit to shape. The difference between wearing a pair of fully fashioned stockings and a pair of stretch hose is the difference between wearing an expensive well tailored suit and a cheap spandex dress. Both could make you look nice, but for most people only one really will.
All other hosiery are knitted on circular knitting machines. Basically they are long, shapeless tubes of spandex, much like an athletic tube sock. (In fact, they are knit on exactly the same type of machine.) If they have any shape to them at all it is because they have been boarded and steamed to shape. However the first time they are washed they will revert back to shapeless wads of elastic. (The results of this is the tangled, amorphous piles of tan spandex that hide in so many women’s hosiery drawers.) But in the final analysis, circular knit hose are basically athletic socks made with finer yarn.


Q. If Fully Fashioned stockings are so great, how come no one makes them anymore?

A. For decades Fully Fashioned stockings were the only kind of stockings women could buy. There were literally thousands of companies around the world that made fully fashioned stockings. These companies ranged in size from huge knitting mills with dozens of large, multi-head knitting machines, to small mom-and-pop factories with only one single head machine. What killed the demand for fully fashioned stockings was a British fashion model named Jean Shrimpton and her new “mini-skirt” in the fall of 1965. Practically overnight women all over the world were wearing the latest fashion trend to come out of “Swinging England.” Of course with skirts that short, one could not wear stockings with garters.
Although pantyhose had been invented just a few years earlier, they were uncomfortable and unpopular. With the rise of the miniskirt, however, they became indispensable. Between 1965 and 1985 when longer skirts finally made a comeback, most of the factories that made fully fashioned stockings went out of business, the expensive machines that produced the stocking were sold for scrap, and the skilled workers who made them went on to learn other trades. Furthermore, all the companies who made the flat bed hosiery knitting machines went out of business. (Fully fashioned hosiery knitting machines are monstrously complex and were very expensive to buy and maintain. No one makes them anymore. There are only a couple of companies in the world that can even repair them.)
By the 1990’s there were less than a dozen companies world wide who were still making fully fashioned stockings in small numbers. Today there are only 4 or 5 (depending on how you count them.) Fully fashioned stockings did not vanish because something better came along. They vanished because of popular culture and the vagaries of the fashion world. (Who says that fashion is has no impact on world affairs?) Women didn’t stop wearing them because they were uncomfortable, or difficult to wear. They stopped simply because they could not wear their favorite stockings, and keep up with the latest fashion trend.
Hundreds of thousands of highly skilled textile workers lost their jobs as a result of one British Supermodel’s decision to wear a short, white skirt to the horse races. And the finest, most luxurious hosiery a woman could buy very nearly vanished forever. By the time the fashion world recovered from the paroxysms of the ‘60s and ‘70s pantyhose had become the fashion norm. Moreover, since there was no internet, and the manufacturers of fully fashioned stockings were small, there was very little advertising and almost no one knew they were still being made.
By the late 1990’s when the internet made it possible to easily find fully fashioned hosiery again, two generations of women had matured without them. Today that is three generations of women. Basically, almost no one under the age of 70 has any experience wearing fully fashioned hosiery, when once it was all anyone wore, and they are still the finest hosiery money can buy. That means that the “tribal” knowledge of how to properly wear them, how to care for them, etc. that is normally handed down from mother to daughter, and from big sister to little sister, has largely been lost. Thus the need for guides and FAQs like this.

Simvalley GT-280 GPS Tracker Quick Operating Tutorial

Keynotes:

-Default Password: 0000 (4 zeros)

-If you sent an incorrect command, you will receive the reply "ERROR"

-Common mistakes are leaving out one of the command symbols such as the asterisk " * " or the pound sign " # "

-SMS messages from the GPS Tracker take about 5-10 seconds on average

1. Guardian Phone Setup

The first step is to setup the mobile phone that will be controlling the GPS tracker . From your phone, send the following command to the Tracker's phone number:

*#188#0000#+1XXXXXXXXXX#

0000= Default 4 digit password (you can change this later)

+1= Your country code (+1 is the code in the United States)

XXXXXXXXXX= The number of the phone controlling the Tracker, including the area code

Example: If your mobile phone number is (408)123-4567 and we are using the default password "0000", the command would be:

*#188#0000#+14081234567#

If the command was successful, you will receive the reply:

Phone Guardian=OK

2. Password Change

To create a new password, send the command:

*#088#0000#BBBB#

0000= Old default password

BBBB= New password

If the password change was successful, you will receive the reply:

Password=OK

Note: For the rest of the tutorial, we'll be using the default password as an example

3. Date and Time Setup

To setup the current date and time, send the command:

*#55#0000#YYYY-MM-DD#hh:mm:ss#

0000= Current Password

YYYY= Year

MM= Month

DD= The day

hh= Hour

mm= Minute

ss= Seconds

Example: To set the date as 12/16/2011 at 12:37 PM and 30 seconds, send the command:

*#55#0000#2011-12-16#12:45:30#

If the date and time were set successfully, you will receive a reply with the current date and time.

Now that that's out of the way, let's get on to the fun stuff!

4. Request GPS location

To request the GPS tracker's current position, send the command:

*#88#0000#

You will receive a reply with the following data:

Lat: Current Latitude

Lon: Current Longitude

Date: Current Date

Time: Current Time

URL link to Google Maps to display the location

Note: If no GPS signal is available, the tracker will send the latest GPS coordinates and information on the location from the GSM mobile network. With the supplied tracing software, you can determine the position from the mobile network.

5. Enable Tracking

The tracking function allows you to set the time interval that you want the GPS tracker to send you its position. Send the command:

*#11#0000#y#

y= the time in minutes between the two locations. For example, if you enter 10, the tracker will send you its position every 10 minutes.

If successfully enabled, you will receive the reply:

Scan=on

6. Disable Tracking

To turn off the automatic tracking, send the command:

*#011#0000#

If successfully disabled, you will receive the reply:

Scan=off

7. Enable Geo-fencing

Geo-fencing is a feature that allows you to set a radius or fence for the GPS tracker. Once the tracker leaves the set radius, it will send you an SMS notification. To enable Geo-fencing, send the command:

*#77#0000#x#y#

x= radius in kilometers before the tracker notifies you

y= number of minutes that pass until the tracker rechecks the position

Note: you can also specify the radius in increments of 100 meters through a point between decimals (example: 1.3 = 1300 meters)

Example: You want to be informed as soon as your dog moves from than 500 meters from your property and you want it to check every 30 minutes. You would send the command:

*#77#0000#0.5#30#

If successful, it will send you a reply with your set radius and interval, along with the current location, date and time. When the tracker re-enters the defined, radius, you will not receive a notification. However, you will receive a notification when the tracker leaves the radius again.

8. Disable Geo-fencing

To disable Geo-fencing, send the command:

*#077#0000#

If successful, you will receive the reply:

Radius=off

9. Sleep Mode

Enable Sleep Mode

Sleep mode enables the GPS tracker to turn off the GPS and GSM to preserve battery life. You can still send commands to the tracker, but it will not read the command until the tracker is activated again. To enable Sleep Mode, send the command:

*#44#0000#y#

y= Interval in hours after the tracker is activated again

If successfully enabled, you will receive the reply:

Wake up = y hours

Disable Sleep Mode

To disable sleep mode, send the command:

*#044#0000#

If successfully disabled, you will receive the reply:

Sleep mode = off

10. GPS Signal Check

To check if the tracker is currently receiving a GPS signal, send the command:

*#45#0000#

If there is currently GPS signal available, you will receive the reply:

GPS=on

11. Retrieve Current Status

You can view the current status of the tracker to get information about the battery life, geo-fencing, tracking, sleep mode and guardian phone. To check the status, send the command:

*#22#0000#

Note: The status check is available from any phone, not just from the Guardian Phone

12. Setup Emergency Contact Numbers

Before an emergency message can be sent, you must set up to 3 emergency contact numbers which will be sent an emergency message when the SOS button is pressed.

To set the contact numbers, send the command:

*#288#0000#+1XXX#+1YYY#+1ZZZ#

XXX, YYY and ZZZ refer to the numbers of the emergency contacts. If you do not enter a number in a particular slot, it will leave the slot open or delete the number that was previously saved in that slot.

Example: Let's say you want to save 408-123-4567 and 408-765-4321 as emergency contacts and you leave the 3rd slot open. The command would be:

*#288#0000#+14081234567#+14087654321##

In this screenshot, I only added one emergency number and left the last 2 spots empty. Note the two # signs for those slots

13. Using the Emergency SOS Button

To report an emergency, hold down the SOS button for several seconds until the LED turns bright white. A text message with the current position, date, time and SOS message will immediately be sent to the registered contacts.

Here is the Bright white LED, indicating that an SOS message has been confirmed

14. Call Back Feature

In an emergency, the Guardian Phone can send a command code to the Tracker, which would enable it to automatically call the Guardian Phone and communicate through the tracker's speaker and microphone. The command for initiating callback is:

*#66#0000#

Here is the call being made from the GPS tracker

Budgeting 101 & Business Budgeting Tips

Budget is a tool for both planning and control. It is a plan when you start a small business; when you start operating your business, budget serves as a control device to help you manage the plan. When people think about budgeting, they usually think about restricting on spending money and cutting costs. That not necessary true, because budgeting is actually about planning on spending the money you have and at the same time knowing where it is going.

Why is budgeting so important?

Because it can help Small Business owner like you to determine if they have enough money to fund operations and expand the business. Without Budgeting is just like "Closing your eyes and walking on the freeway", it is so dangerous not knowing where you are spending the money, because you can easily overspend your money and that may lead to debts. When you are starting a new Small Business, Budgeting can also help you build your Business Plan, it gives you a good sense on the expense and costings.

1. Analyzing your Income

You first need to determine how much income you have. Look at your monthly income, how much are you earning on average monthly? Make sure you include other sources of income as well, such as interest, salaries and money from other places. It is crucial to estimate the income as accurately as possible

2. Analyzing your Expenses

What are your monthly expenses? Car payment, rent, insurance, debt, taxes, utilities, groceries and entertainment…etc ? Try to evaluate the money you spend and keep track of it by monthly bases. After understanding what your spending pattern is like, group your expenses into two different categories.

Fixed expenses are the kind of operating costs that charges constantly and do not change for month to month like rent, salary, utilities and loan…etc.

Discretionary Expense - Discretionary expense are the things that are unnecessary to purchase like vacation, gas, clothes, food and entertainment …etc

After dividing them into these two groups, make a list of all the necessary things you will NEED to pay and add up all the amounts.

3. Net income/ Net loss

The third step is easy, once you have gather all the information needed, you can simply subtract the expenses from the income to see if you get a positive or negative number. It is good to have a positive number, because that means you are spending less than what you have. If you have a negative number, you should start adjusting your spending/ saving as soon as possible. Think about reducing expenditures and cut down some unnecessary costs, such as: purchasing less expensive advertisment, hiring fewer employees , and purchasing unnecessary stuff…etc.

Tips - Budgeting 101

- Do not investing money in new requirements or other assets if you have not create a BUDGET

- The best way to understand your spending pattern is to look back at the past purchasing records.

- Always look to Cut Costs ( Unnecessary costs), look for new suppliers, look at more cheaper options to save money

- Make a plan to review your budget, and check often to make sure you are staying within the plan.

It is vital to make sure your business finance is on the right track, and budgeting is the most effective financial management tool available. It is so important to know where you are spending the money and how much you are spending, because it keeps your company away from debts and help reach the financial goals.

Learn Secrets Strategies and Tells of Online Poker

In live games, reading your opponents is much easier than it is online. Professionals wear sunglasses to hide any trace of emotion in their eyes. They bring I-pods and portable CD players to listen to and minimize distractions. They spend countless hours looking for tell-tale signs of a player’s strengths and weaknesses.

When you play online, you don’t have the advantage of looking into the other players’ eyes to get a read on their cards. This makes moves like bluffing significantly more precarious. It can be done, and we’ll cover that in a separate section, but you can also get some tells from your fellow players in the online poker room.

Several of the tells listed here are useful in both online and offline poker. However, since we lack the ability to read opponents’ physical expressions, these are the tells that are available to us making them that much more important.

First, let us define a “tell.” A “tell” is a habitual action by another player that gives you a clue as to what he is holding. In offline poker, a widening of the eyes is often a “tell” of a very strong hand. That is one reason you see so many poker players wearing sunglasses at the table. It’s not because of the bright Las Vegas lights.

Let’s take a look at some of the tells that are exhibited by online players and what they mean.

Speed of Play

Every online poker room has a set number of seconds that each player has to respond before he is declared either all-in or folded. Sometimes, due to internet issues, a player's actions will almost always be slow and laggy. However, often, the speed of play can be a good “tell.”

Typically, a quick bet is a sign of weakness, and a delayed action is a sign of strength, as the player is calculating his strategy with what he perceives to be a huge hand. Watch how much time it takes the other players to make their action, and mentally make a note of it. If you get a chance to see their cards at showdown, see if you can determine what they “slow bet” with and what they “fast bet” with.

Now would be a good time to think about our own play and whether or not we exhibit these tells by our speed of play. A good strategy is to try and take the same amount of time for every action, so that observant players cannot draw any conclusions from your own speed of play.

Use of Check Boxes/Auto Plays

If you have been to any of the online casinos, you will notice that they make use of check boxes such as “fold” “raise any”, or “call any”. You can tell when a player has used a check box, because his action comes within the blink of an eye of the player before him. You can use this to your advantage. When a player has checked “raise any” it should be obvious that he has a strong hand. If a player uses the check box to “check” then you can probably surmise that his hand is weak. If a player uses the check box to “call any”, then maybe we can assume that he has a draw hand that he has not completed, but is definitely not ready to fold.

While these are not 100% accurate, the observant player can over time, begin to draw conclusions and make assumptions based on an opponent’s use of the check boxes.

The fact that a player feels strongly enough about a hand to make a decision before even seeing the actions of the players before him, should be a “tell” as to what that player is holding.

Opponents Fold/Flop Percentage

While you cannot mark this percentage down exactly, you should over the course of several games get a sense of whether or not the player folds a lot of trash hands or if he is staying in almost every pot. This “tell” can be used both online and offline, to help you determine the strength of a players overall game. If he folds a lot of cards, beware. If he stays in almost every pot, you can probably run over him if you play good cards.

Chat Box

Just as in brick and mortar casinos, the “chattiness” of a player can be an obvious tell. Generally, if a player who is chatting all of a sudden gets quiet, you can bet he is playing a set of good cards. He is spending every ounce of focus on playing his cards and squeezing out the biggest pot possible.

On the other hand, if a player is betting and becomes antagonistic in the chat box, he may be bluffing and hoping his show of “confidence” will aid him in bluffing you off the table. Watch the chat box also for players who are “steaming” or “on tilt.” A whining player or one who is using lots of abusive language is probably emotionally unable to play good poker until he or she calms down.

Waiting for the Big Blind

When you sit down at a Hold 'em table, many times you'll have the option of “waiting on the big blind“to get to you or you can post a matching big blind and start playing immediately. This a good tell on how patient and online player will be. If he is not patient enough to wait on the big blind to get around to him, he might not be very patient about waiting on good starting hands. Expect him to be a loose player. The opposite holds true for players who do wait on the big blind. Either they are patient or cheap. Both are pretty good qualities to have if you are playing online poker. Cheap players, even when they are not especially skilled will tend to wait on better hands since they are loathe to throw away their bets!

Beginner's Tells

Some of the tells that we should note here, are almost hilarious in nature, but players see it all the time in low limit poker.

The first one that comes to mind is the common “bet with a weak hand, feign weakness with a strong hand.” If you are playing Hold ‘em with pocket aces, don’t slow play them. This author has seen so many players with pocket aces feign weakness only to see an opponent’s straight or trips made on the flop, turn, or river to beat them. This may seem elementary. It definitely is, but it’s seen all the time from beginners in online poker.

Another comical beginner tell is when a player always waits one card after he has paired before making a bet. A player will be dealt a King on the flop and checks it. The turn is a deuce and now he’s betting like a madman. Would he be betting on a pair of 2's? Of course not, but you can be pretty sure he paired the Kings on the flop. Bet it if you’ve got it.

You will see many of these types of situations in your online poker career. Make an effort to observe them in other players, while avoiding them yourself.

How to Properly Ship any Fragile Item

Let's face it, we've all shipped a fragile item and had it break during shipping. There are many items that I would consider fragile, it definitely doesn't pertain to glassware alone! In this guide I'd like to share with my fellow eBayers the finer points of Packing & Shipping I have learned over the course of my adventures. Don't be fooled, I'm not just going to teach you how to double box a Fenton vase. These are techniques I have developed over years that function very well and can be applied to just about any item you are packing for shipping. There may be information in here for even experienced eBay sellers. Not only will I show you how to properly package an item, but even how to save money on both materials and by reducing package weight!

Let's start right off with general rules:

1.) Always, ALWAYS, weigh your item before listing. Check the Shipping Options available. Remember to take into account exactly how fragile an item is. A plastic toy doesn't need much packing while a crystal cup set will require more. I usually add 1-2 pounds to the Item Weight if it is somewhat fragile, and up to 3-4 pounds if it is VERY fragile (Porcelain, thin glass, etc) Also factor in Item Weight. A 1 pound fragile item will require less packing than one that weighs 10 pounds.

2.) Choose a box that most closely fits the dimensions of the item. You want there to be some room, but not too much, or you will be filling that in with packing and wasting money on Shipping Rate.

3.) Never put tape on the item itself, you may destroy the finish, paint job, or devalue the item in some other way!

4.) Don't just toss two fragile items together and wrap them in bubblewrap, you need to pad in between them, above them, to the sides. Every direction should have some sort of padding or shock absorber to prevent breaking. The USPS does a great job 99% of the time, but sometimes they really toss a package around. You have to plan for the worst, ESPECIALLY if the item does not have Insurance. If it breaks, that money is coming out of your wallet.

5.) Don't get caught up stuffing sheet after sheet of paper or other material into the box to fill it up. This works great as long as the density isn't too high (as you obviously want the padding to absorb shockwaves, not resist them) but you will often times end up paying well over your limit for Shipping Rate. There are methods you can use to safely secure the item you're shipping without going crazy on packing materials. I'll explain these later.

6.) When in doubt DOUBLE BOX IT. A few extra dollars in Shipping Rate is worth it to protect fragile glassware or delicate antiques.

7.) Delicate glass must be handled with extreme care. In one instance I shipped a 30 pound antique Hobnail Milkglass lamp. The lamp shades were made of glass as well as inner sleeves of an even thinner glass. I took the time to put a core of cardboard right through the middle and add bundles of padding to the top and bottom where the cardboard stuck through, essentially creating a skeleton that I added a little padding to the middle and wrapped in bubble wrap. The buyer was very happy when it came in the mail intact.

8.) For any item that can be damaged by water and moisture, make SURE to tape and seal all edges of the final box. Especially for electronics.

9.) Use your tools! Sturdy Scissors, $1.00 Discount Packing Tape (I use Duck Packaging Tape), a Tape Measure, and most importantly - attention to detail - Use common sense when packing a fragile item.

10.) If you use a box that has been previously shipped or has artwork on the outside but you want it to stand up to the standard white or brown... don't pay for the paper at the store! Ask for paper bags and cut them up to wrap your boxes with.

Okay, so you've read the Do's and Dont's of Packing Fragile Items. You've sold your item, (let's say) in this case it's a pair of porcelain doves. It's not too heavy, and not too fragile. You can throw down $5-10 right now and toss in some packing peanuts and bubblewrap the pair and call it a day. But what if you want to do it without spending a dime on Packing Materials? Let's talk about recycling!

Consider your packing materials. You can spend $3.40 a box and fortunes on peanuts and padded envelopes or you can use 100% Recycled Materials and become a part of the eBay Green Team! If you are looking for boxes, head to your local Wal-Mart or Superstore around Midnight. This is when night stockers are busy putting merchandise on the shelves. They often have shopping carts near them full of boxes or laying in the aisle. You can take these for free, they won't bat an eyelash and you are helping save the environment by recycling. As for packing material, there's no reason you can't buy $6.00 in Packing Peanuts if you absolutely need it for a delicate item, however, my personal favorite is to use plastic shopping bags, the plastic casing around bottled water packs, and even fliers from my mailbox!

Newspaper is always a good choice, but I find that it is typically heavier than the materials previously mentioned.

REMEMBER THAT THESE TECHNIQUES CAN BE APPLIED TO ALMOST ANY FRAGILE ITEM, USE IT FREQUENTLY!

So here's your pair of doves:

Quite nice, aren't they? Perfect for a mantle or shelf. Okay, let's get down to the nitty gritty. Notice how the tails flare out dramatically. It's not only great for art but it also makes this a delicate item. If you simply wrapped bubble wrap around them - sure you will protect it from surface to surface chipping, but one or even both of the doves may have their tails snapped off. The first thing you want to do in a situation like this is FILL IN THE BLANKS. Add some padding to the negative spaces so the surface is more uniform.

Like so:

And:

I used fliers that come with newspaper for two reasons. For one, it's cheap or even free. Two, newspaper tends to "rub off." These fliers you will notice have a glossy cover which makes them perfect for the job. Now that you've filled in the blanks you will want to make a boundary layer to distribute any shocks into the padding.

Boundary Layer:

This is going to be your redundant fail safe. If the outer box takes a serious hit, this will still protect your item from being damaged. Now that we have a nice bundle let's find an appropriately sized box. The bundle is around 5" x 4" so I chose a box that is 9" x 10".

The Box:

I'd like to talk about a little technique I developed to save on Shipping Rate (which buyers appreciate!) and has served me quite well. Obviously our little bundle isn't going to fit perfectly, and such is the case when you are using recycled boxes. It's not all the time that it's a perfect fit, so the obvious choice would be to stuff a ton of padding down in the bottom. Functional, but not very cost efficient. Let me introduce you to what I call "fillers."

Filler in the box:

Filler up-close:

It's basically a section of cardboard cut up and wrapped in such a way that it has shock absorbent qualities. I stuff a little more padding in the center to prevent it from collapsing. Now we don't have to put padding in the corners of the bottom, as the filler supports the bundle structurally from within. These can range from what you see in the photos to some more intricate tubing custom fitted for a secure fit. Use your best judgment when determining what kind of filler an item will need.... I definitely DO NOT recommend using a filler for a heavy item (20+ pounds) and anything reaching 10 pounds needs to have a very secure filler with good tape work.

Okay, let's put the bundle in and add a little more padding to the top!

Bundle in box:

It's still looking a little thin, so I'm going to add 3 or 4 more sheets of padding to the mid-section.

Extra padding:

We're almost there, the item is secured safely in the middle but the padding doesn't come up to meet the top of the box, and we don't want all that padding to get sloshed around and become dislodged. Time for another filler!

Final adjustment (1.2 Lbs):

Alright, if you did it right the flaps of the box should rest on top of the filler, completing a solid structure within the box from top to bottom with the item wrapped safely in a pillow in the middle. When taped up you should be able to shake the box in any direction without hearing ANY "thump" noises. If you do, it indicates that something has come loose or you need to add a little extra packing to the middle. Don't be afraid to use a little tape inside the box if you need to secure a filler or keep packing together.

For the purpose of demonstration I used a box that could have been a bit shorter, 8" Inches would have been better than 10" Inches tall. You can certainly save money on Shipping Rates by using a box that fits as close as possible, preventing the need for mounds of padding. The Doves Package could have easily weighed at just 1 Pound had I used a better fitting box, keeping Shipping Rates at a neat $5.85 or less.

Hopefully by the end of this guide you've learned a little something about the finer points of packing items for shipping, and most importantly, fragile items. You can save money and Shipping Rates by using Recycled Materials and cutting down on padding inside a package by applying these techniques correctly. It takes a bit more perseverance than buying your materials right off the shelf, but the result is well worth it! I know that inside the box is not the most beautiful job... ideally the buyer would like to see a waterfall of peanuts and clean crisp packaging. You can certainly spend the money on more expensive items, but my methods work just the same and are absolutely great for a budget.

I may write more guides showing how to pack specific kinds of items, or even something completely different. If you have any questions feel free to send me a message and I'll be happy to help you figure it out. Thanks for reading!