Jan Lindenberger resides in Colorado Springs, Colorado, as do two of her six children and three of her ten grandchildren. She has lived there since 1977, but she is originally from Erie, Pennsylvania, where she first became a lover of antiques and, in 1972, an antique dealer.
Jan's main interest and specialty is Black Memorabilia, of which she has one of the largest known collections in the U.S.A. Because of this, she has written articles for the "Collectors News" and authored three books on the subject: Black Memorabilia for the Kitchen, A Handbook and Price Guide, 1992; Black Memorabilia Around the House: A Handbook and Price Guide, 1993; and More Black Memorabilia: An Information and Price Guide, 1995.
Other books include Planters Peanuts Collectibles: 1906-1961, Planters Peanuts Collectibles: Since 1961, 501 Collectible Horses, and Raggedy Ann & Andy Collectibles, and Smurf Collectibles.
Collecting and decorating her home with plastics and 50s-60s collectibles has given her the opportunity to author four other books on these subjects: Collecting Plastics: Information and Price Guide, 1992; Collecting the 50s & 60s: A Handbook and Price Guide, 1993; and The 50s & 60s Kitchen: A Collector's Handbook and Price Guide, 1994, Fun Collectibles of the 1950s, 1960s & 1970s: A Handbook & Price Guide and Fun Kitchen Collectibles, 1996.
Most recently she has explored the area of vintage fashion and accessories with Clothing & Accessories of the 40s, 50s, & 60s and Collecting Plastic Jewelry, both published in 1996. In 1997 she published The Unauthorized Guide to Snoopy Collectibles, More Snoopy Collectibles, Puppets & Marionettes, Care Bears Collectibles, and Lamps of the 50s & 60s. In early 1998 she published More Smurf Collectibles and Strawberry Shortcake Collectibles.
Publishing the Antique Buyer's Guide, a guide to antique shops in a seven mid-western states area, and doing shows on black memorabilia, has been Ms. Lindenberger's livelihood for the past 17 years.
All of her books are published through Schiffer Publishing Ltd., Atglen, Pennsylvania.
Cher Porges resides in Fenton, Missouri with her husband Tony and two children, Drew and Concetta. Also sharing her home are two beagles named Joe Cool and Woodstock 2. She is more than an avid collector of Snoopy; Cher has been collecting this wonderful beagle for most of her life. Her home is surrounded with Snoopy, Woodstock, and Peanuts Gang memorabilia, amounting to well over 5000 items.
Her "special" room is her getaway and "off limits" to hands of children and happily swaying dog tails. A bed sits in the middle of the room loaded with the white beagle and his siblings, from cotton to velour, to stuffed plush. No space is left on the walls for any more pictures, and some of her rare adverising posters reach the ceiling. Shelving all aroung the room is filled with bobbing head dolls, ceramic figurines, music boxes, toys, avon, puzzles, games, and more. Her dressers are stuffed with Peanuts and Snoopy linens and clothing. A large plastic Snoopy toy box sits in the corner and is filled with stuffed beagles. Snoopy and the Peanuts Gang hooked rugs are layered on the floor.
She welcomes you to see her fabulous collection but you must duck when you enter the room as Snoopy chimes and wall hangers dangle from the ceiling. This is a well-put together room and quite full, but Cher will always find space for one more treasure!
