BAD MONKEY HOLIDAY NEWSLETTER

NEWS ABOUT THE ARTWORK OF DAVID DELAMARE:

Holiday Auction
Private Holiday Special
New Tile Murals
New Porcelain Lights
Guess Pip's Weight Contest
New Mermaid Restaurant
Holiday Hours and Shipping Deadlines

3-DAY HOLIDAY AUCTION HAS BEGUN!

Our annual holiday David Delamare auction began at 7pm Pacific Standard Time on Monday December 11th. We listed eight original pieces of artwork and bidders began visiting within minutes. As I write this at 3 am, three items have already been sold through the "Buy It Now" option--one to a collector in Greece. (I apologize that I was not able to announce the auction in advance. We've been so busy that we simply had to fit it in at the first opportunity. Particular apologies go out to Robert, who asked but received no answer.)

Please note that many bidders are watching quietly and waiting to bid (as sellers we have a way of seeing just how many.) In other words, don't be lulled into a false sense of confidence by a low number of bids. I've given some tips in the listings for those of you who are new to the process.

To get to the auction before it disappears entirely, use this link to go directly to our eBay store which includes both fixed price and auction items. Once you've entered the store, add the page to your "favorites" list. (This is much more direct and complete than using eBay's "search" feature.) But remember, our eBay store shows only a fraction of our products and offers none of our specials. To see all Delamare products, you're much better off visiting daviddelamare.com or calling us at 1-888-666-5399 to ask for a store in your area.

Finally, we're keeping this auction short in order to guarantee that winners will have their items in time for Christmas. Items begin ending around 7 pm on Thursday evening.

LAST MINUTE REWARD FOR SHOPPERS!

For those of you who still have holiday shopping left to do, be sure to visit our secret member's lounge. You can't get to this hidden page by way of the website--only by using this link or by typing www.daviddelamare.com/secret.html into your browser's address bar.

NEW! DAVID DELAMARE TILE MURALS

For years we've been receiving requests from Delamare collectors who want larger versions of the artwork for their homes. And finally, we've found a high quality tile product that is ideal for bathrooms, kitchens, spas, pools, fountains, and table tops. To learn more about this exciting product, visit our tile page and consider making a new tub or shower surround part of your New Year's plan!

NEW PORCELAIN LIGHTS

Porcelain lights have been especially popular this holiday season--in fact we've temporarily run out of some nightlights and mantel lamps. Fortunately, we have some newer designs to introduce. The "Story Fairy" is now available as both a nightlight and a mantel lamp (perfect for a child's room) and, as of today, we are offering a gorgeous new fairy lamp that features not one but six porcelain fairy panels. (We'll be adding this lamp to our catalog later today--if it's not yet posted, please check back.)

ANNUAL GUESS PIP'S WEIGHT CONTEST!

Our mascot Pip the tortoise just keeps growing! We can hardly believe he weighed just 2 oz when we brought him home to our office on December 9th, 2002. Back then, he fit in the palm of a child's hand. Now, he's too heavy for any one of us to comfortably lift. (I've thrown my back out twice as a result of moving him.) Last year, collectors e-mailed us weight guesses ranging from approximately 12 pounds to 120 pounds. His actual weight was somewhere in between. We'll be weighing him again on December 23rd.

The first person to guess Pip's December 23rd weight correctly will win a $100 credit toward David Delamare prints and cards. The second best guess will win a $50 credit. To be valid, guesses must be e-mailed to badmonkeyart@yahoo.com and the subject line of your e-mail must contain your guess (rounded to the nearest pound). For instance the subject line might read, "Pip weighs 28 pounds." The content of your e-mail should include your mailing address and a phone number. One guess per person. It's fine to submit multiple guesses from the same household, but each must come from a separate e-mail address. By the way, if you haven't yet seen Pip, be sure to view his personal web page

MERMAID-THEMED RESTAURANT

If you live in or near Portland, Oregon, we encourage you to visit Sheila Baraga's new casual Mediterranean seafood restaurant "Maiden In The Mist," which will open later this month at the corner of SE 7th and Morrison. Sheila, who is known for creating fabulous Portland restaurants including the Empire Room, The Sapphire Hotel, The Green Room, and others, has long been a fan of David's work. And so she is featuring his mermaid artwork throughout the space. She'll be hosting an open house with free appetizers on Friday, December 22nd, from 7 pm to midnight. David and Wendy will be present from 7 pm until at least 8:30 pm. Drop by for a drink and be sure to say hello. (It's a small venue, so we recommend arriving early in the evening.)

NEW SHOPPING CART

Thanks to all of you who decided to try out the new shopping cart at www.daviddelamare.com It's worked very smoothly--in fact over 200 newsletter subscribers like you have placed orders since we announced it. Thanks for your contined support of David's artwork!

PLEASE SUPPORT INDEPENDENT SMALL BUSINESSES!

Just a reminder to keep our communities interesting and our economy strong by supporting small independent businesses with your holiday shopping dollars. There are several easy ways to do this:

First, shop locally or with online small businesses (rather than at large department stores.)

Second, look for unique gifts that aren't carried in large national chain stores. (Because we know how hard it is for small businesses to compete in today's economy, at Bad Monkey we refuse to sell to large store chains, placing our products instead in independently owned businesses.)

Third, tell small business owners how much you appreciate the efforts they make to find unique interesting gifts that can't be found in chain stores. (Struggling small store owners who see packed parking lots in front of the big box chains often feel discouraged this time of year. Let them know how much you value what they bring to your shopping experience and the community.

Finally, if you know of a wonderful little store or online business that should carry David's work, be sure to let us know. If, based upon your referral, the store decides to carry Delamare prints or cards, we'll send you a free print as a thank you for supporting your local economy!

HOLIDAY HOURS & SHIPPING DEADLINES

In order that we can enjoy the holidays with our families (or at least catch up on paperwork) we will close our office at 2 pm on Friday(PST) December 22 and reopen at 9 am (PST) on Tuesday January 2nd. Orders placed during our break will not be shipped until January 2nd.

We normally ship within two business days of receiving your order (generally just one day) using priority mail from Portland, Oregon. If you are in doubt as to whether your package will arrive by a certain date, please call our office at 1-888-666-5399 and ask. But generally, any order received by Monday the 18th should reach its U.S. destination before Christmas. If you need more definite information or expedited shipping services, please call Amethyst, our shipping manager, and she'll help you out. (By the way, she often works past 5 pm, so don't hesitate to try our number in the early evening.)

Thanks for another wonderful year! We wish you and yours a happy, healthy, and safe holiday season!

Wendy Ice
President, Bad Monkey Productions