Today I have mainly wasted time in a variety of displacement activities. Apart from writing a post and a book review I wandered around ebay looking in various web-based nooks and crannies. By the end of the day I had been unsuccessful in a number of bids and had failed to find anything of interest.

After spending days watching the progress of sales I also had three items snatched from under my nose at the last minute. Frustrating but par for the course.

I also saw one of the worst ever description of a sweetheart brooch. It’s “Canadian silver”, whatever that is and hallmarked 1915, except for the fact that there are no hallmarks to be seen and the badge depicted was only used from 1946. Either they had a time machine in 1915 or the seller is an idiot. I think I will leave it at that…

It’s not been a wasted day because I looked up the story behind Mizpah brooches. I thought I knew what they were (either two hearts or the word Mizpah, and often the verse And Mizpah; for he said, The LORD watch between me and thee, when we are absent one from another.) Looking at what are described as Mizpah brooches on ebay I was seriously beginning  to doubt myself.

Checking back on ebay I find that Mizpah is being used as a trademark by a company that makes Scottish style jewellery, including the appalling grouse foot brooches.  I may register a jewellery company called Real Silver, because people will then waste a lot of time on ebay checking up on “Real Silver brooches”.