The Beginning

A Little HISTORY

My Swarovski Collection: Began in 1984 with the Large Swan given to me as a Wedding Gift from my sister. I had "not a clue" what! Swarovski was, I just liked it because it was "crystal", and it sat all by "itself" on my dining room buffet for a long time! In 1991, my husband and I were in Savannah, GA visiting for the weekend, and on one of our shopping outings, stopped in The Mole Hole (no longer there).
There, we fell in love with the 1990 AE DOLPHINS. We asked the shop manager how much they were, because I wanted them then and there! He told us:
"They are not for sale!" In my own indomitable way, I replied, "What the hell do you mean they are not for sale!? (what did i know!) And he explained that they were retired and belonged to him personally, and he gave us the Swarovski Joining Info, and I cried.
That Christmas, the AE Dolphins were given to me by my husband, and that started ALL THIS! (He later broke them! changing the light bulb in the display cabinet, I almost killed him! but insurance replaced, and promptly cancelled my policy!).

Sometime after this, I left Prodigy, where I had made friends with Gerry Superman!) and I subscribed to AOL HELL!
Super came along for the ride...I guess I might as well tell you the WonderWoman/Superman Story! (now that Julie (swancrazy) and Nancy Stokes of the Crystal Fox Gallery (crystalfoxy) have posted our pictures all over the Yahoo club site!
Shortly after Gerry and I started corresponding regularly, Gerry and his "bride" of 30+ years, Stephanie, made their annual trek to Europe, and Gerry bought out every store in Europe and came back with a Swarovski load of stuff! (some of which he generously let me buy!) So I nicknamed him "Superman". Uh Oh, here comes the $35.00 hummingbird story~
Another club member, who also goes back to Prodigy days, told me about an Estate Auction being held in Columbus, GA. with Swarovski in it, so of course, we went! In the top of a cardboard box, sat the "In Flight" Hummingbird! among all this brass and glass junk! It had 20 years of dust on it! but that SCS block logo was there folks! It was #130 in the auction and we sat holding our breath! My husband bid $20, someone bid $25, and someone else $30, and my husband re-bid $35!
SOLD! said the auctioneer! We almost wet our pants! So that's how we got our $35 hummingbird! (now worth $2,000!), and a lot of other retired stuff. Gerry nicknamed me "Wonder Woman" and WE have been known as such to the "Swarovski community" since then (all this took place in 1996).

While on AOL, I made friends with a lot of Swarovski collectors,...attended the Swarovski chats, etc., posted on the Swarovski board (now dead! thanks to the club site and AOL censorship). I also sold a lot of stuff to a lot of people. One day, I sent a "for sale list" to anyone who had ever bought from me, (I hated AOL by the way, but all my friends were there!). Uh oh, big mistake! AOL suspended me! for "soliciting". Everyone said, sign back on under another name, I said, it ain't gonna happen!

Founded: Swarovski Crystal Fanatics Club on Yahoo, March 9, 1999
The Swarovski Crystal Fanatics Club was formed as a "fluke". Being "suspended" from AOL, started the "search" for a place where I could still chat with my friends. One day, I fell upon Yahoo, Yahoo Clubs, and wallah! a chat room (that's all I was really looking for!) so, I "became the Founder" of the Swarovski Crystal Fanatics Club on Yahoo...so I could chat with my buddies! There was NO INTENTION to have it become what it is today! I didn't even "market" it. And, you can thank! AOL! As it turned out, they did me a favor! ( I think!) LOL!

My collection has grown to an excess (and boy! is it excessive!) of more than 900 pieces! I don't know for sure, I've lost count, and nowadays, I don't have time to update it! Am I a "FANATIC"!??? ~ you bet!

And here we were, outgrowing Yahoo!(and its crummy Chat Room)600 members later, and only 18 months after forming my "chat room" to talk to my friends on AOL!
On November 14, 2000, the "CRYSTAL FANATICS CLUB" made its debut on the World Wide Web! at http://www.crystalfanaticsclub.com