Five to seven minutes does not seem like a awful lot of time and believe me, it isn’t. On most normal timed first dates you would still be exchanging pleasantries and ‘umming’ in the first few minutes. On a speed date, the one thing you don’t have is the luxury of time. If you want to find someone through the speed dating system, you can’t afford to be tongue tied. If you spend the allotted five minutes barely talking to the person in front of you, you’ll never be able to identify the right people from amongst the ones you meet up in the span of one evening. What more, very few people will pick you as their match. No one wants to date someone who does not talk, is nervous or is plain boring.

The best way to maximize your potential matching at a speed dating event is to have at hand a list of questions and conversation starters to keep the conversation moving. This will help kill long silences and will enable you to click with the right guy or gal out there. We are not really recommending that you carry a sheet of paper with your questions neatly typed to the speed dating event, but do have them in your head and be ready to use them.

Information Oriented Questions Marion Fletcher, who runs a speed dating service, says 90% of people start with one of these two questions at a speed date without realizing that such information oriented questions are time killers. They fill up five minutes but do not help you get to know the person at hand any better.

“What do you do?”

It is almost natural to ask the person what they do and to tell them about your own job. While this question may be useful in pegging a person’s social and professional status in your mind, it will reveal very little about their personality and their way of thinking. If you must know whether the person in front of you is a mechanic or a banker ask by all means, but don’t let a professional discussion dominate your five minutes. Move on to other questions as fast as possible.

“Where do you live?”

Would it really help to know exactly which neighborhood they live in? Would it add to your knowledge if you were to know they have a room mate who works with them? This question is one that in all likelihood will get thrown back at you. Do you really think it is safe to reveal your address or neighborhood to someone you barely know?

Open Ended Questions As far as possible keep your questions open ended. Close ended questions, which a person can answer in a ‘yes’ or a ‘no’ don’t fuel conversation. Nor do they tell you anything much about a person. Some good examples of open ended questions include:

“Have you ever been to ________?”

Ask them if they have ever been to a local spot that you enjoy. Maybe it’s a club, restaurant, or amusement park. This is good conversation opener and will help you find out what kind of places they like to hang out at and what their concept of a fun place is.

“Where did you get that _______?”

Ask them about a specific piece of jewelry or clothing. This may help reveal more about their choice in clothes and jewelry, where and what kind of things they like to shop for and you may even get entertained by a story related to the piece under discussion.

Leisure activity related Questions Questions related to leisure time can be great conversation starters. They can also tell you a lot about the person’s time out of work including what they like to do when they are free and how open they are to new experiences. It may also help you find common interests. Some good questions related to leisure activities are:

What was your favorite vacation?

This will tell you how often they vacation and what kind of a vacation they like. It will also reveal the places they head out to - congested tourist spots or isolated beaches.

What kind of Movies do you like?

Did they love the last action flick or did they cry their heart out watching the candy floss romance that hit the theatres last week? Do you have common ground in the kind of movies you watch?

Do you like Sports?

Both men and women like sports and if you are both enthusiasts of the outdoors, you could hit it off very well. You may even end up going to watch the same sports together. You may also hook up to go hiking, parasailing or jogging together.

Use these open ended questions to help keep the conversation going. The greater your interaction with a person in your limited time span, the more you will know about them. You will then confidently pick the right matches at the end of the event. At all points remember to go with your instincts, even when they can’t be logically explained. If your instinct says you have a match, go ahead and take the plunge!

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You say you love to make beaded jewelry? Why not? Jewelry making is an ideal home business. It doesn’t take a lot of effort to make your pieces, your raw material costs are not unreasonable and markups are high.

But you already have umpteen necklaces and a gazillion earrings made up. You schlep them to every flea market and craft fair … and then you schlep them back home. You know they’re pretty. Why aren’t they selling and what can you do to correct the problem(s)?

My guess is you haven’t differentiated your product or you aren’t presenting it well. I’m just assuming your beaded work is lovely and of fine quality (or fair value given the price you are asking).

Here are a few suggestions specific to beading and jewelry business that may help.

Present Your Product Well

I’ve read that crafters and artists should be true to their craft. Purists say if your work is good, people will buy. Just stick with it; the market will find you.

On behalf of all artists who love their work but also need to sell it, I say “baloney”.

You’ve been to the craft fairs. You’ve seen the glut of jewelers lined up side by side trying to sell very similar pieces.

How wonderful for the consumer to be able to comparison shop and bargain with the crafters, right? “Well, I love this piece, but the guy right over there has one just like it for $10 less. Can you do any better on the price?”

If your pieces are that similar, you need to present them differently. As far as the inventory you’ve already made up, exhibit it well.

Don’t just lay it on a cloth on a card table like most people do and expect the jewelry to speak for itself!

Just as you create visual appeal in the jewelry you make, do so with your display. Create levels for both horizontal and vertical display. Don’t overload the space. Customers won’t be able to see the trees for the forest.

One friend brings her own halogen lights to shows to really highlight her jewelry which she displays on a black velvet background.

Put your most unique pieces out first.

Have nice art cards describing each piece: type of stones or beads; where they are from; type and grade of metal.

Set out a pretty glass or brass dish with your business cards.

Write up and copy flyers about yourself and your work. People who buy hand made pieces often want to know a bit about the artist.

Where to Sell?

Think of other venues where you can show your work, especially where you will not be one among twenty other jewelers.

If you have a day job and your jewelry is suitable, wear it to work. When anyone compliments it, be sure to let them (and all others in the vicinity - don’t be shy!) know that you made it and would be happy to show them your other pieces during break or after work.

Wear your jewelry when you go out for the evening and respond in the same manner to any compliments. Try a jewelry party in your home.

The steps above should help you work down that huge inventory you started with.

Salvage Work

Now you’re left with pieces that (let’s be honest) are just not going to sell. You can: lower the price; keep them for yourself; or take them apart and reuse whatever you can.

That’s one of the hardest things for a bead artist to do, I know. But it’s also one of the neatest.

As fashions change and you’re stuck with pieces that are very passé, you can recycle the beads and findings and not lose your entire investment. As you go forward with your craft, it’s time to think of how to …

Differentiate Your Product

Part of your earlier problem may have been that you are using kits or free patterns for your jewelry. Though many of them are lovely, they are not unique.

In addition, your costs are higher than if you pick out your own materials and design your own pieces. It’s time to bring out the artist within!

Before you start beading again, really study the market. If you aren’t already doing so, clip and file photos of stylish jewelry from catalogues, ads and magazines.

If available, clip out the item description and price as well. These are for inspiration and to keep you up to date about trends that affect your art.

Be very careful not to copy another artist’s work. Not only will you have the very problem you had before (that your work is not unique); but you could also have big legal problems if you are caught.

Try adding different materials to your repertoire. You can buy them or make them yourself.

Experiment

One of my friends rejuvenated her line by adding dichroic glass beads. She had such tremendous response and was so intrigued by the almost holographic look of the beads, that she took lessons, started making her own and then completely switched.

She began making gorgeous dichroic plates, platters, plaques and vases. Before retirement, she was represented by eleven galleries in Hawaii and several on the U.S. mainland.

Another friend started making bread dough beads. I’m not kidding! She experimented with recipes from the Internet. Her beads look like African trade beads which cost anywhere from 50 cents to $100 each. Her cost is virtually nil - well except for her valuable time. How that for a great home business!

For myself, I try to think of unique ways to employ beads. For example, I don’t just make necklaces, I make eyeglass necklaces. They look pretty whether they are holding your glasses or not. The practicality is what grabs my customers.

Don’t feel locked into the craft specialty stores for your materials.

Sometimes I purchase inexpensive watches with pretty faces for the sole purpose of disassembling them and using the faces with my beadwork. Frequently, I can use other parts as well, like the clasps and links. Waste not; want not!

I’ve also made beaded wine glass charms and beaded glass votive size candle holders.

You can do very interesting things with beads and colored wire: wrap it around vases; form it into inspirational words or people’s names either to be worn or glued to a scrapbook page. You might be able to get custom orders for your craft business for something like this.

For more ideas on making and selling jewelry and other crafts, visit http://www.theartfulcrafter.com

By: Eileen Bergen. For more information on making crafts, visit http://www.theartfulcrafter.com/craft-ideas.html

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Asian Girls Dating is becoming very popular !

Until a good friend suggested that we try it. I had to admit, I was curious, but wasn’t online dating for hideous losers and people who had something to hide? Wasn’t it only for those who couldn’t get a date the ‘old fashioned’ way?

I let my friend talk me into browsing some pictures on one of the more popular dating sites. I had to say, there were some pretty decent looking men on there.

Their profiles made them sound like fairly mentally stable human beings. I had to admit that the single thing was getting really tedious.

I had done the bar scene (as we all have), had friends try to ‘hook me up’ with some other dateless, picky single person (though, why some of them figured they had the right to be picky, I have no idea), with no success.

Online dating, here I come. I figured “What do I have to lose?” At the absolute worst, I’d meet more of the same type of losers that I’d been meeting. At best, I’d meet someone that I was actually compatible with who could also relate to me.

I had another dilemma with regard to the dating thing. I had been divorced for about a year at the time, and I have 2 children. Now, I know that you ladies who are divorced with kids can completely relate to what I’m saying here.

Finding a decent man is difficult enough, add to that the fact that I’m looking for a decent man whom I can trust to be around my children. Finding a man anywhere on this planet, that I wouldn’t mind having my son emulate, is like trying to find a pair of Manolos on sale at Sears.

Anyway, I signed up with my friend on one of the ‘bigger’ dating sites. I met one dude, who said in his profile that he was 5′10″, with an athletic build. He had an attractive face, he was divorced, and he had 3 children who were presently in his custody.

He sent me an email. We corresponded via email for about 2 weeks, after which time, we decided to meet for lunch at a local restaurant. He arrived at the restaurant earlier than I did. Early enough to have been already seated when I got there.

He barely stood up to shake my hand upon saying ‘hello’, which I thought was a little weird, but whatever. We talked from lunch time until the hour turned into dinner time.

The conversation was going so great, that we decided to stay for dinner, after which time, we decided to take in a movie. When the waitress brought the bill, he paid it and as we stood up to leave, I saw why he was already seated at the restaurant when I got there, and why he didn’t fully stand up to greet me.

This dude was about 5′7″ tall! Now, I’m 5′4″, and in the boots that I was wearing, I was nearly taller than he was! I was so cheezed that I immediately lost my taste for the movie, made up some excuse about not feeling well all of a sudden (it must have been the fish), and boogied on atta’ there.

On my way home, I thought, “Is this what online dating is? Dating loser after liar, never finding that ‘one’?” I’m not saying that this dude was a loser because he was short.

The entire problem for me, exists in the fact that he LIED. I can’t stand liars. If he lied about something as obvious as his height, what else would he lie about?

I learned very quickly that when it comes to online dating, one has to be extremely specific about what one wants, and one has to stick to her guns. Not that some of those who read those specifications give a hoot anyway.

I put in my profile that I wasn’t interested in dating anyone over 45, and I got mail from men well past that age on a regular basis. I learned that I had to be assertive almost to the point of being aggressive when it came to dating online. I had to say what I meant, and mean what I said.

As a result, I’m dating someone (8 months now) who meets every piece of the criteria that I set out to find in a man. He’s physically attractive (Yes, it DOES MATTER), and Lord help me, he’s as smart as a computer (brains makes me weak).

He’s also an amazing person inside, and he gets along well with my children. We live at completely opposite ends of the city, and if it weren’t for bumping into each other online, I’m sure we would never have met.

I chose to think about online dating as follows; when I’m in a bar, and some loser tries out his lame pickup line on me, I have to respond to him in some manner, right? When I’m dating online, I don’t have to respond at all! I have more men to choose from than those in my immediate circle of friends and associates, and am able to choose from as far away as I want to.

If you’re thinking about doing the dating thing online, go for it! If you’re smart, you have nothing to lose, and absolutely everything to gain.

I’m Dao Jones from Thailand, founder of Asian-Girls-Dating.com. A unique dating site with writing, dating and culture tips, as well as lots of information about the special characteristics of Asian girls.

If you want to know more about Asian girls go to my favourite pages :

Click here to find lovely girls from

Thail and - Phil ippines - Japa n - South Korea - Vi etnam - China - Hon g Kong - Sin gapore - Mal aysia - Taiwan - Russi a - India< /a> - In donesia

OR GO TO OUR ADULT DATING PAGES :

Thailand - Philippine s - Japan - South Korea - Vi etnam - C hina - H ong Kong - S ingapore - Malaysi a - Taiwan - Rus sia - India< /a> - In donesia

Best regards

Dao Jones

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Coin collecting is not only fun to do but is also exciting. It can be something of a challenge to find that one rare coin to add to your collection. If you are not sure which coins are worth a lot or are very rare to find, then here is a guide which could help you identify them.

Gold coins circulation stopped during the early 1930s making them very rare and thus equally expensive. They make a good investment because gold is a commodity that should always retain its value to due its scarcity. For this reason, they are also a very good coin to invest in.

The Liberty Seated Dollar is another rare coin. They are very hard to find as they were last produced during the 19th century. The fact that nobody is really sure when exactly they went out of circulation is what makes them all the more rare and elusive.

The Twenty cents coins that were minted between 1875 to 1878 are very much worth looking out for. They resemble the quarters circulating today but are far more valuable and a great addition to any collection.

Minted from 1892 to 1915 the Barber half dollars are coins which are sought after by collectors who specialize on dates or type of coins. The trouble faced by them is finding Barber coins that are in good condition and if they do the sky is the limit in terms of their value.

The 1917 type One Standing Liberty Quarter is another coin very much in demand. It shows the exposed breast of Ms. Liberty and was only minted for 2 years. As you can imagine this coin caused a major uproar at the time and for this reason it was only in circulation for a year.

The market value of Mercury dimes is $50 a piece. Not so expensive as they have been produced a few times over the course of the 20th century but is never the less a coin that is also worth owning as it will no doubt go further up in value.

The Walking Liberty Half Dollar were only circulated for 4 years. It is one of the most appealing and beautiful coins for a collector to have in his or hers collection and is one of the rarest. Truly a great coin to adorn any highly prized collection.

Another rare coin is the Texas Commemorative Half Dollar. This is no surprise as only 150,000 of them were minted over 4 years. Only about two third of that number is available to purchase or trade which makes it one of the hardest to find.

The “creme de la creme” or “Rolls Royce” of coins is the $20 Saint Gaudens. Sold for the best part of 8 million dollars at auction it boasts a truly superb design and it is so sought after that its value has always remained the same even during the market recession periods of the early 1980s.

As you can see rare coins such as these are what every collector aspire to having in their collection. They are not only hard to find but when you do find them, the price for them will be almost prohibitive. But certainly if you do have the money to invest on these coins you will find it to be money very well invested. This is what makes coin collecting so challenging as one day you hope to trade your coins up to the point where you can afford these rare coins. And when you do you will certainly feel like all your passion and hard work has been all worth it.

James Ross is the web master of Collectible-coins.info a website totally dedicated to coins collecting. For more articles and information please find out more at http://collectible-coins.info

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