FX:Cookie Jar Show
Dateline: 11/18/97|
How many days do you think it would take to clean/dust 900+ cookie jars?
Cookie jar collector Nancy can tell you exactly, since that is what she did before the TV cameras started to roll last Thursday. Personal FX: The Collectibles Show went to Tulsa the week of November 10th. Spotlighted collections included Readers, Beer Cans, Advertising Signs and our favorite -- Cookie Jars! Nancy submitted her name to the show producers about a month before show time, they talked with her on the phone, had her send pictures of the collection and then visited personally before it was definitely decided to turn the spotlight on! If you are a regular reader of my column, Nancy is my very good collector friend who went to the Nashville Cookie Jar Sale with me. Of course she shared her thoughts on being on live TV with me via many long distance phone calls. Panic is what I remember most!! Panic not at being on TV -- but how can I get all these jars dusted before then? Well, she did and the whole house looked wonderful. Of course being the good friend that I am, I gave her lots of encouragement via the phone -- No I didn't go over and help her, not that good a friend. FX producer, Dean Tsouvalas, visited Nancy a week before show time, they walked through the house while he decided upon camera angles and which jars he wanted to spotlight. The day before the show, I arrived from Oklahoma City (120 miles) to give her my two cents about the show. Just what she needed, NOT! I acted like a picky mother-in-law, looking for cob-webs, and other things the camera could pick up that she hadn't noticed. She was getting pretty tired of me grabbing stuff and sticking it in jars, etc. It's a good thing the show host JD didn't pick up and open more jars, never know what he would have found. In fact, I am sure Nancy is still looking for stuff I grabbed and stuck somewhere. |
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| CJ show day arrives and the FX truck pulls up in her driveway around 7:30 am in preparation for an 11 am show. As it slowly transforms into a huge satellite dish and tv station, neighbors call asking what is going on. One neighbor asked if she was putting up a new satellite dish, because if she was it was the biggest thing she had ever seen! | |
| A trip out to the huge vehicle was in order as we were nosey and wanted to see what was going on inside! |  |
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More buttons, gizmos and gadgets were waiting to be pushed than could be imagined. The control guy - - was super nice and put up with us asking questions and making comments that I am sure he has heard a 1000 times. |
Around 9 am John Davis the show's Field host arrives to meet Nancy and go over the plans with her. He was a real fun guy, just as nice and funny off the camera as he is on. This was a first for me, as most of the celebrities I've met can't or don't want to smile if the camera is not on them. |
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By this time Nancy's nerves are pretty shaky, "Why did I ever decide to do this?" was heard several times. Why should she worry, only 23 million folks are watching as she shows off her jars. Yes, I reminded her of that -- what else are friends for! |
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The 30 minutes before show time had to be the longest 30 minutes of her life. By then everything was done that needed to be done, and she was only waiting for the show to begin. When it finally did begin the hour zoomed by quickly - and she had a blast the whole time! The show was live and feeds from the network came though little ear pieces that everyone on the show was wearing. It was fun hearing what was going on back at the station and how it all came together with such clockwork precision . |
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| Here are a few highlights of Nancy's jars that were mentioned in the show. The Pinoccho jar is the one she "dug" out of the trash, when a friend was throwing it away! |  |
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Not on the TV show, but every self respecting Cookie Jar Collector has a jar in this room. |
| Nancy searched long and hard to find one of these at a price she wanted to pay. Where did she find it, through the internet of course! |
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I was allowed to sit in front of these jars, but not touch them. If Brush Raggedy Ann ever turns up missing Nancy knows where to go look for it. |
| Some of her fantastic Christmas Collection. I am NOW looking for a Fitz & Floyd Christmas Elephant jar! |
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| Yes, I even made a "guest" appearance on the show to have something appraised. |
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| This was a great fun experience, the folks were fun to be around and show is certainly a big hit with collectors. | |
| All graphics by Barbara Crews. | |
