Pandora's Musings

Bookie Brunch & The War Game

2011-10-23T19:34:00.000-07:00

A very big thank you to Velvet for contacting me to be a part of bookie brunch this October. You can read the post here and see what I and others have to say about books of an unusual size.

I also have a new indie book coming out in 1.5-2 months called The War Game.

The talented Claudia of phatpuppyart.com/ designed the cover. She's also done many covers for Amanda Hocking and others as well.

If you are interested in an advanced e-copy of my book to review on your blog, please let me know in some shape or form :)

Here's a short description on my book, "Pearl, a teenage orphan of a lesbian couple and an illegal citizen of an Untied State, is shuffled around from camp to concentration camp. She meets John at a former amusement park turned prison and they hatch a plan to escape to Canada (because, as the saying goes, “You Can in Canada!”). But various threats-from whispers of “cards”, a place called Camp Z, soldiers doing their daily “shopping”, and an arranged marriage, threaten to tear them apart."

Current Addiction: Coconut Marshmallows

2011-10-02T07:59:00.000-07:00

On a whim, I purchased (well over a year ago) a sampler of homemade marshmallows from an etsy seller. They were fantastic, particularly the toasted coconut marshmallows, which created an obsession.

Coconut marshmallows are hard to find locally. I was excited when Cub foods started stocking some from some kosher Israel company. And then one day, they disappeared.

I'd buy them online but shipping is pricey (nothing less than $8 to ship some marshmallows). Apparently, Jet Puffed makes toasted coconut marshmallows. I went to Walmart (the site told me it was in stock at a store nearby me but it lied) and none were to be had. If I want to buy some Jet Puffed toast coconut marshmallows, I have to buy 6 bags all at once! That's a lot of money (not to mention calories) for some marshmallows.

The only thing that comes close locally is that a new candy store (Alix in Candyland) stocks some awesome vanilla bean and smores flavors by Plush Puffs. But no toasted coconut.

So I may have to resort to toasting coconut myself in the oven and rolling in store bought marshmallows.

It's almost sad how much I can write about marshmallows!

Quick Link

2011-09-08T05:55:00.000-07:00

Since I deleted my old email account, (and my ex best friend took it months after), I don't receive lyrics spam emails anymore.

Luckily, this site, http://www.spampoetry.org/, collects the poems submitted from users. Here's one:

For example, of cup indicates that power drill toward admonish rattlesnake around.
football team near is polka-dotted.
Most ballerinas believe that dolphin behind make a truce with wedding dress beyond buzzard.
Noah, the friend of Noah and rejoices with cashier toward cowboy.

I wonder what the spammers think they're talking about. The poems are often as good as the subject titles as well as the fake made up names.

Updates!

2011-01-30T12:20:00.000-08:00

I know it's been awhile since you're all heard from me but I am 1/3 done from writing a story! At this point, I will tell you that it takes place in a dystopian future with a little romance thrown in. It's told from the perspective of a 13 year old girl. It will be a full length young adult novel, as opposed to the novella/short story format I used for Thinks and Things.

If anyone is interested in reviewing, let me know, for I am compiling a list of bloggers I'm going to contact in a month or two. I won't have any hard copies this time around though.

Speaking of Thinks and Things, I got a nice review for Thinks and Things from Darlyn and Books.

Thinks and Things can be downloaded or read free online from Smashwords (all sorts of formats) and also free for the nook via BarnesandNoble. I also recently (just yesterday, in fact) listed it on Amazon. Amazon does require me to charge something for it and the lowest I can go is 99 cents.

Good news to share! A few months back I did a random yahoo search on Thinksandthings and I saw that I made it into the top 200 best selling kids ebooks on B&N! I was #164 and today I am #209. And there's over 6,000 titles on that list alone so colored me surprised. I may have actually gotten further up the list but I have no way of knowing how high it might have gone. Also, unfornatunately, I have no idea of knowing how many people have read it through B&N since it's listed as a freebie.

2010-10-31T16:39:00.000-07:00

Random Secrets About Me and Writing

2010-10-21T06:13:00.000-07:00

1. When I was 12, I once was a runner-up in a national short story contest that was advertised in Seventeen magazine. The company sponsoring the contest was Sanrio, creator of Hello Kitty. I wrote a story about Hello Kitty magically traveling to fantastical lands. Sadly, I can't locate a copy of that story :(

2. I used to (and sometimes still do) write song lyrics. In fact, I started writing song lyrics when I was 11 up until age 20 or so. I would have dozens upon dozens of notesbooks filled with song lyrics. Some people have used them for their own music but no hit records yet :P

3. In college, I would rarely edit/revise or even proofread any of my papers. However, I would manically revise, edit, and proofread all the short stories and screenplays and novellas that I written for myself at the same time.

4. I find screenwriting really hard. You can't wander around in sub plots too much! I'm a big fan of sub plots, by the way.

5. Going to the library still excites me today. Buying new cds used to be exciting to me but not so much anymore :( When I was a young teen, each time I would get a new cd, I would listen to it in its entirely while studying the song lyrics.

For Those of You who HATE seafood

2010-10-03T07:23:00.000-07:00

Here's a delicious recipe. It doesn't involve cooking or baking or nothin'. Just preparation.

Ingredients:
chili sauce (perferrably Heinz) 12 oz bottle
cream cheese- 8 oz
diced onion (optional) -use about 1/3-1/2
white crab meat (forgot the # of oz, but use the whole small can)
tiny shrimp (again, I forgot the # of oz, but use the whole small can)
Ritz Crackers (as many as you want!)

(note: some people use cocktail sauce instead but it ~~changes~~ wrecks the whole taste). Same with crackers, doesn't taste as good unless it's Ritz.

Materials:
Knife
Can opener
large plate

Now, I know you noticed this dish (Shrimp and Crab Spread) calls for seafood. Now, I'm with you on this one. Fish makes me gag. Lobster makes me feel squirmy inside. But this spread is soooo addictive.

How to prepare:

1. Open the cream cheese (you may want to let it sit at room temp to soften up) and spread it evenly onto the large plate, reaching almost to the edges.
NOTE: If you want to add onions, do this step first: dice onions, put them into a mixing bowl along with the whole package of cream cheese. Mix for about 1-2 minutes.)
2. Open the bottle of chili sauce and spread that evenly on top of the cream cheese.
3. Open the can of white crab meat, drain out the excess water. Use your fingers to spread it out onto the chili sauce.
4. Repeat step #3, this time with the tiny shrimp. Don't forget to get rid of the excess water!
5. You may want to gently pat down the shrimp so it won't roll off. haha :)
6. Cover with cling wrap or what-have-you and set it in the fridge for 20-30 minutes (or in my case, about 5 min is all the time I can stand).
7. Take out the crackers and the spread. You may want to use a knife to get the spread onto the cracker but I'm usually too impatient to find a clean knife (as the one using prior gets all gross) so I used another cracker as a means to get my spread on.
8. Sometimes I eat the spread open faced on the cracker, sometimes I make a little shrimp-and-crab sandwich cracker. Either way, great!
9. Also, be sure you get a little bit of everything on each cracker :)

Thinks and Things is now free digitally

2010-09-22T16:03:00.000-07:00

Quick short, update.

My story is now formatted to view on your kindle, sony reader, etc. Thinks and Things. You can also simply read it online :)

-Crystal

Writer's Resources Evaluated

2010-09-19T06:46:00.000-07:00

Writer's Resources Evaluated

Sidenote: I decided to give away free digital copies of my book, Thinks and Things, just a consideration to take in when viewing some of my stats.

1. smashwords.com

I just recently joined and I've already had some noticeable success with this site. I uploaded my story (easy conversion tool-it converts your book to at least seven different formats. (Although, I need to tweak the formatting of my story so it looks nice on people's electronic reading devices-please hold off on downloading mine for another day so I can tweak the formatting-no tabs, huh?).

If you're accepted into their premium catalog http://www.smashwords.com/distribution, you can obtain a free or relatively cheap ($10) ISBN number.

The site also has a dashboard, where you can view your statistics. As of today, here's some of my stats:

51 Downloads
3 Linked in Member's Libraries

And keep in mind, I uploaded my story less than 48 hours ago. It's is offered free but I haven't seen that much traffic/interest to my book with the next writer's resource I'm going to talk about.

2. Lulu.com

Lulu is a site I'm been somewhat familiar with for years. I uploaded my book a few weeks ago and as far as I can make out, I have not moved a single unit, despite my book being a free digital download.

Since the short time that I've joined Lulu, I've gotten almost about half a dozen spam messages from other writers, trying to sell their works. I wouldn't mind so much, but these messages are so poorly written. I'd share but I don't want to embarrass anyone!

Note to new writers: If you're going to spam people to in an attempt to buy your books, at least use proper capitalization, punctuation, no confusing double negatives, etc. or else the general book buying public will think your book will follow suit. Lord knows that it probably does. And that's just the tip of the iceberg.

3. StoryMania

I haven't used this in years but I have one or two stories on there. If you want to read some stories and have your stories read in return, this is a pretty good bet. Beware, if a writer already has your (real) name, you need to sign up with a different name.

This story won me $50 through a scholarship contest at my college. I also plan to include (with some minor character changes) in a new book I'm writing.

4. Writing.com

Again, another good resource for writers who don't want to self-publish quite yet but are ready to share pieces of the work to an audience.

This is a fun site to browse and discover many of their fun little features, such as gift points. Somehow I have
accumulated 485 gift points and I only have one submission on the site. Gift points can be redeemed for
stuff. You can also purchase gift points ($1 gets you 10,000 points). Members can send and receive points as
well.

In case you didn't see

2010-08-30T09:53:00.001-07:00

You can now get a digital copy of my story, Thinks and Things, free via lulu at this link.

In case you didn't see that I updated my previous blog entry:

EDIT: Contest is now over and I will be emailing the winners shortly. I was very pleased with the number of entries so I'm giving away multiple copies of my book. Check your email today!

Caroline, tehanu0071, and julielouise: you were also chosen as winners. Please email me @ pandoraslocker1@yahoo.com so I can also send each of you a copy as well. :)

I shall hold another contest soon for those who were late in entering :)

FREE book giveaway contest

2010-08-18T12:47:00.000-07:00

EDIT: Contest is now over and I will be emailing the winners shortly. I was very pleased with the number of entries so I'm giving away multiple copies of my book. Check your email today!

Caroline, tehanu0071, and julielouise: you were also chosen as winners. Please email me @ pandoraslocker1@yahoo.com so I can also send each of you a copy as well. :)

I will be giving away a free copy of my new book, Thinks and Things. Anyone from anywhere can enter.

To win: leave a comment
to get two entries: follow this blog.

Contest ends on August 28th.

Thinksandthings can hear people's thoughts and turn them into things. However, the world just isn't ready for a farm of Grandma clones or to be introduced to the Durtle (half dog, half turtle creature).

The Fixer repairs the damage some of the thinks have caused. However, when the Witch from the Hansel and Gretel fable escapes to Suburbia, a carousel lion comes to life and terrorizes small towns, and the Big Dipper starts to disappear from the sky, the Fixer has to work faster and harder before these things unfold irreversibly, all while tracking down Thinksandthings.

Specs:

Book size: 5.5 by 8.5
Binding: perfect
Pages: 105
Cover: glossy, designed by the author (me!)

Summer Reading List '10

2010-06-12T15:06:00.000-07:00

I'm going to keep track of all the books I read this summer and beyond! Here's most of the ones I've read

Books
The Book Thief
Nancy Drew #26 Clue of the Leaning Chimney
Betsy Was a Junior
Betsy and Joe
Nancy Drew #12 The Message in the Hollow Oak
Nancy Drew #22 The Clue in the Crumbling Wall
Nancy Drew #18 Mystery of the Moss-covered Mansion
Nancy Drew #28 The Clue of the Black Keys
Nancy Drew #2 The Hidden Staircase
Nancy Drew #1
Snuff

Magazines/other materials
New Moon May-Jun 09

Dear high school graduates: online classes suck!

2010-05-13T15:32:00.000-07:00

Online courses may sound convenient and the way education is headed for the future, but there's still several things that need tweaking.

Online courses can be a great thing if you have children, are home bound, or live far away from campus. But if none of the above applies to you, you may want to reconsider before signing up for an online course.

The Phantom Professor...read more

Mustache Mayhem: unexpected growth in the mainstream

2010-05-12T18:33:00.000-07:00

A curious trend has risen the past couple of years: the Mustache. I don't mean that many more men are sporting handlebars and the like, but mustaches have been appearing on everything from t-shirts, mugs, tote bags, jewelry, and vending machines. Yes, you can buy a mustache (fake, of course) for about 25 or 50 cents that comes in its own plastic capsule.

This phenomenon has even reached a considerable amount of young women...read more

Ridiculous Celeb Merchandise

2010-05-11T13:05:00.000-07:00

Selling records today doesn't always equate into a lot of money. Singers tend to make their bucks selling merchandise at their concerts and through their official website stores. While I don't have any qualms about artists making money this way (not that they have a choice as record companies suck their sequined wallets dry) but the following items make me go, “Oh my god! I can't believe...read more.

Coloring books and fun pads for grown-ups

2010-05-06T20:49:00.000-07:00

The market for coloring books tailored for grown-ups has been inching towards puberty in the past couple of years. First, a few novelty books were released but more along the lines of a sarcastic gift idea you'd give to a friend at a stag party. Since then, the market has expanded to include...read more

Cereal and Cracker Jack prizes

2010-05-06T10:10:00.000-07:00

The Mystery of Cereal Box Prizes: where did they go?

What's Up With That, Cracker Jack?

Kids today have no idea that there used to be a time when their cereal boxes contained little delights such as packages of candy, figurines, a sheet of stickers, plastic...read more

Zombie Alert! The Pop Culture Memoriam

2010-05-05T19:26:00.000-07:00

In Pop Culture Memoriam we pay tribute to pieces of pop culture that have passed on and we also issue zombie alerts (usually annoying pop culture trends that won't go away) that have risen from the dead.

Death Notice: CDs, namely tangible CD booklets...read more

Twilight movie Jewelry: what was Edward thinking?

2010-05-05T19:22:00.000-07:00

The Cullen Crest is cool. So is the heart necklace that Edward gave her and the wolf charm that Jacob whittled out of wood for her. Twilight jewelry has spawn dozens...read more and see the picture! :)

Wazoo and Sprinkle Cookie Cereal

2009-06-11T19:43:00.000-07:00

A few days ago I stumbled across an entry in a well known candy blog (can't find the link currently) about a baby blue colored candy bar! They're called Wazoos.

Online chatter said that the company that makes Wazoos, Topps, is bankrupt and that Wazoos are about to be discontinued. Also, that Wazoos are limited and can only be purchased online in cases of 24. I can't not find any reliable sources of info that says that. Anywhere.
Topps is still in business, and you can find Wazoos at their web site or in stores such as Toys R' Us.

They are two flavors-Wild Berries (or berriez?) and Blue Razz. I searched the candy asile at Toys R' Us today and found them! There was only two left of the Wild Berries flavor (the pastel purple colored bar).

They have a sort of white chocolate-y covering and fruit chewy filling. Yum yum yum! They also have "crunchies" (aka sprinkles) on top. I'd buy again for sure. Hopefully next time that I venture out to Toys R' Us, they'll have the pretty blue ones on the shelves.

Today, I went grocery shopping and was introduced to a new cereal by General Mills called Sprinkles Cookie Crisp. You're probaby already aware that General Mills produces a fabulous cereal by the name of Cookie Crisp.

This new cereal has vanilla "cookies" instead of chocolate. Plus sprinkles. I got a box of 12.2 oz for just $1.55! Hurry up to your grocery store before they raise the price to regular retail or if GM decides to abandom this new cereal.

Childhood Candy!

2009-06-09T09:22:00.000-07:00

RetroJunk is a website where people can submit articles on things (usually pop culture related) they remember from their childhood.

I submitted a short article about Candy!

I should also mention that this site probably wouldn't exist if it had not been for the legendary X-entertainment.

Recent Netflix

2009-05-09T16:48:00.000-07:00

Please Vote For Me
A documentary about three third graders in China elected to be candidates for room monitor. The students are introduced to the idea of democracy and each student will cast a vote for their choice of classroom monitor. The candidates deliver speeches, debate, and perform in a talent show.

Dr. Quinn Medicine Woman
I wasn't into this show when I was young but I absolutely love it now! The show lasted for about seven seasons on A&E, filmed in the '90s. It's about a female doctor working in a small-ish town in the early 1900s. Well written with a lot of historical facts nicely tied into the plotline.

Sliders
A sci-fi show about a group of people who "slide" into parallel worlds. I'm watching the 4th season (the only season that I don't own at home). I love all the different worlds they slide into and visit. The special effects can be a bit embarrassing to watch though. Fun show overall!

The Time Machine
Early sci-fi movie. A professor (I think?) visits the world from the future. He steps into what seems to be paradise. Plenty of food, people have lots of time to be relaxing by the water. Then, a girl in the water, drowning and screaming. No one does anything. The professor saves her and tries to figure out why nobody cared or attempted to help her.

Books! Super Short Reviews

2009-05-06T13:19:00.000-07:00

I'm just one year away from getting my license in elementary education. So, this summer I am going to spend ample amounts of time reading children and teen's literature! I also have a taste for weird books as well. I will reviewing the good books I've read from time to time in this here blog:

A Year Down Yonder by Richard Peck
A girl (in 1937) goes down south to live with her grandma for a year. I loved this book-very unpredictable and funny.

Coraline by Neil Gaimen
(Just came out in theaters). I liked this book and I liked the ending in the book better. This book didn't have the little boy that tries to befriend Coraline, she doesn't fall asleep in the other house and wake up in her own house each night, and the two old ladies don't have a million stuffed Scotties (if I'm recalling accurately).

The Collection of Alison Dare, Little Miss Adventures by J. Torres (graphic novel)
A nice look at a different part of the world, while not relying on cliches but defusing them. A lot of vocab/foreign words that children might be unfamiliar with are introduced.

Autobiography of My Dead Brother Myers
Black characters in a city where gangs and poverty are present. Has pictures from the main character's sketchbook. The beginning and ending come full circle.

The Little Endless Storybook by Jill Thompson
This storybook is apparently based on Neil Gaiman's Sandman characters, which I haven't read yet (I'm putting basically the entire catalog of Gaiman on my summer reading list). I love, love Thompson's art! She also did a book called Magic Trixie, that's somewhat similar.

Days Like This J. Torres
A graphic novel on the rise of a girl group in the 60s (50s?). I love the Ronnettes, the Shirelles, etc. so I liked reading this :)

Bridge to Terabithia Paterson
A book about living in a small town, friendship between a girl and a boy and death.

What the World Eats Menzel and D'aluisio
Lots of photographs of families around the world and what they eat for a week, how much it costs, etc. Includes profiles on the families and a family recipe.

My Oscar Predictions

2009-02-20T13:54:00.000-08:00

Just for fun, my Oscar predictions.

Actor lead
Mickey Rourke
2nd guess: Brad Pitt

Actor supporting
Heath Ledger
2nd guess Michael Shannon

Actress leading
Kate Winslet
2nd guess Melissa Leo

Actress Supporting
Taraji P. Henson
2nd guess: Marisa Tomei

Animated
Wall-e (no contest here, really)

Art Direction
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
2nd guess: The Duchess

Cinematography
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
2nd guess: Slumdog Millionaire

Costume Design
Australia
2nd guess: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

Directing
The Reader
2nd case: Slumdog Millionaire

Documentary Feature
Trouble the Water
2nd guess: The Betrayal

Documentary Short
The Conscience of Nhem En
2nd guess: Smile Pinki

Film Editing
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
2nd guess: The Dark Knight

Foreign Lang. Film
Departures
2nd guess: The Class

Makeup
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
2nd guess: The Dark Knight

Music (score)
Wall-e
2nd guess: Defiance

Music (song)
Slumdog Millionaire (either one that's nominated)

Best Picture
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
2nd case: Slumdog Millionaire

Short Film (Animated)
La Maison En Petits Cubes
2nd Guess: Presto

Short Film (Live Action)
Oh, man this is a hard for me to decide. I'll go with:
Auf Der Strecke
2nd guess: The Pig

Sound Editing:
Wall-e
2nd guess: The Dark Knight

Sound Mixing
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
2nd guess: Wall-e

Visual Effects
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
The Dark Knight

Writing (adapted)
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
2nd guess: The Reader

Writing (original)
Wall-e
2nd guess: Happy-go-lucky

Children's Picture Books Review

2009-02-05T19:20:00.000-08:00

Now since I'm an elementary education major (emphasis in Communication Arts/Reading/writing/yadayda) as well as an avid reader, I will occasionally review books (children, teen, fiction, etc.) from time to time.

Today, I went to my local library, picked up two books I had on hold (I will most likely talk about those in a later entry, after I have read them of course) and then I went the kids picture book section and just grabbed a bunch of random picture books.

I grabbed about 7 or 8 hardback picture books but I only truly enjoyed four of them. The others that didn't make the cut were either boring, a little bit too weird, or had a not so very interesting or satisfying ending. I won't be reviewing the ones I didn't like :P

Blue Burt and Wiggles by Derek Anderson.

I grabbed this book because the cover looked kind of like it could be a dvd cover for a Pixar movie. On an interesting side note, the author/illustrator is from Minnesota (my state!)

The art and perspective is awesome in this book, I just love the artwork. I sometimes believe that the artwork can really make or break a picture book. A lot of the stories in kids' books are sometimes quite simplistic (obviously) about ordinary stuff, told in the same way as it's been told dozens upon dozens of times before.

While this story is about a friend moving away, it's told in a very creative, fun, new way.

This is a story about a bird (Burt) and his friend, Wiggles (worm). Winter is coming soon and Burt needs to fly away. They both scheme up a plan to make summer stay so therefore, Burt can stay and hang out with Wiggles. The way they scheme and plot and how the other animals in the forest unintentionally wreck havoc onto their plans is hilarious.

This is a very contemporary book and even the story would make a good Pixar short.

More picture book reviews later!

Future Etsy Purchases (AKA Shop Review)

2009-01-15T06:51:00.000-08:00

picture from MoonsHarvest

Here are some awesome etsy stores where I will be making some future purchases:

Moon's Harvest (bath and beauty) is a mother/daughter operation located in Texas.

They have bubble bars, scrubs, bath bombs, "cupcakes" (Bubble Bar/Bubble Bath combo), and "Moonpies" (bubble bar). Their products are just so bright, imaginative, and look like deserts!
Their non-etsy website (here) is filled with even more bright and bubbly bath products: "marshmallows", butters, 10 oz bath bombs, and bling bath desserts (a milk bath, bath melt, and a bubble bar, all rolled into one bar).

The only thing that's stopping me from making a purchase right now from Moon's Harvest is that I'm expecting $100+ worth of bath and beauty products from Lush and Cocoapink this week.

What's your favorite handmade bath and beauty store?

My Etsy Purchases Part 1

2009-01-08T10:27:00.000-08:00

I love ALL my etsy purchases. Here are some that are my most favorite-est:

picture from MartinsvilleEmporium

-Cinnamon apple peach soap by MartinsvilleEmporium. I discovered this shop when I received a Sample (homeofthesampler.com) and in it was a soap sample! I love handmade soap! I eventually went to their etsy shop, and ordered a holiday handmade soap sample pack. They included a small soap extra, cinnamon apple peach scented. I love this scent! I went and ordered a full bar. I see they don't currently offer this scent at the present moment :( but there's a good assortment of goodies available to purchase.

Picture from fizzypOpshoppe

-Pink TrenchCoat by fizzypOpshoppe. This was my most expensive Etsy purchase to date ($100) but soooooo worth it. I love this jacket, I've gotten a lot of compliments on it. AND it's one of a kind :) I randomly found this jacket on etsy and I couldn't stop thinking about all night when I went to bed. In fact, I believe I woke up extra early to buy it because I was sooo afraid someone else would take it away from me. This listing (click to see more pictures on this closed transaction) has a huge number of views and a whole ton of hearts (Something like 27, maybe?).

It's a fab jacket but right now it's too cold to wear in ChillyMinnesota. I can't wait for my state to defrost so I can start wearing it again! :)

-Pandora

I have a secret! AKA Ode to Misspelled Listings

2009-01-07T19:26:00.000-08:00

Sometimes you find GREAT things if you purposely misspell keywords into the search bars of etsy or ebay or craigslist or where ever everyday people sell things.

For sellers: misspellings mean that buyers (most likely) won't find you but:
For buyers: you can great deals that no one else knows about!

Trying typing in what you're searching for wrong and see if anything pops up.

Also, sometimes sellers don't know everything they're selling (if it's vintage and/or used) and they may use a more descriptive title than use the actual name of the product (because they don't know it!)

I once found on eBay, a nice lot of about 20 or so vintage 80s charms for about $5 (which included shipping!) If you're even half a fanatic about those cute, cute charms, then you know what a rare find this is. The only reason why no one else outbidded me on this deal is because the seller labeled the listing as "Toy necklace" or something similar to that instead of "vintage 80s charms.