Everyone is doing home/business improvements, and I was at my local bank when Louis, who owns the French restaurant in town came in trying to get a loan to expand his dining room.

The loan officer, Patricia Black, helped him fill out the appropriate paperwork, but it seemed his equity in the buiding was very low, so he had proferred as his collateral, a collection of prewar Dresden figurines, which he valued far above the cost of the improvements. He showed her an album and brought out a sample he had brought with- very beautiful, as anyone who has seen Dresden lace figurines knows.

Unfamiliar with the value of these items, she takes the albums and the figurine into the bank VP, and he flips through the book and examines the figurine. he looks up and says Continue Reading »