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Eddy, like you, had always had it in the back of his head to do something about finding such a hobby, when one of the most discouraging, disastrous things that could happen to any active man happened to him. The loss of both his legs forced him into retirement after twenty-seven years of active duty on the Springfield police force, and suddenly that long deferred search for an adequate hobby assumed an urgent importance. Today he is finding real satisfaction in the production of costume jewelry, and his hobby has proved such a success that it is in "danger" of becoming a business in spite of him.

When Cousineau started experimenting with his hobby he was attracted by the magazine advertisements of jewelry supply houses which offered settings, or "findings" as they are called in the trade, and semiprecious stones at wholesale rates to amateur craftsmen. He still buys all his supplies by mail, for he has found that the findings are of better quality than those obtainable locally, and there is a larger selection to choose from. At present he is buying from firms in New Jersey and Ohio, both of which he contacted through their magazine advertisements.

Findings and stones are both purchased from the same sources. Findings range in price from twenty-two cents to $7 each, and stones start as low as $1.50 a hundred. Although you will probably want to start slowly as Eddy did, you will find that a good selection of stones is of a great importance in "customizing" your jewelry. Cousineau makes a wide variety of pieces. He produces pins, necklaces, rings, earrings, bracelets and matched sets, and he tells me that although he now orders three or four dozen findings at one time, he rarely orders more than three of any one style. This is because he tries to produce individual color schemes with different stones so that although a setting may be duplicated in his more expensive pieces, its appearance when finished is exclusive. Eddy's collection of Austrian rhinestones alone now gives him eleven colors and sixteen sizes to choose from, and in addition he has a fine selection of pearls, opals and moonstones.

HERE'S HOW Cousineau goes about producing one of his popular pin and choker sets. Seated at a small desk in his living room where he does all of his work, he checks through his catalogs for findings which will look well together, and still be a little different from the run of the mill offerings at the local stores. Next he selects the pins and catches which he will need. These are purchased separately and have to be assembled before he begins to mount the stones. Finally, if he does not have enough types or sizes of stones in stock, he picks out the types and colors he will need and orders them in the proper sizes.

Eddy has a bit of advice for you as a beginner, on what to purchase in your first stock orders. Always get the best in twenty-four-karat gold plated or rhodium plated findings, he advises, and don't plunge too heavily until you have had a chance to find out which styles will go the best. In stones he advises the beginner to start with good quality chatons. A chaton is a stone with eight facets, and is less expensive than a dentelle which has sixteen facets. Chatons have good fire and compare very favorably with the more expensive dentelles in their appearance when mounted.

When his order of materials arrives, Cousineau first inspects all the findings for possible flaws. Some may have been jammed through careless handling in transit and will need minor repairs. The individual cups in which the stones are to be mounted occasionally may not be deep enough, and must be drilled to provide a proper bed for the cement. Next the pins and catches are assembled, and he is ready to make his selection of stones to be mounted. If the set is to be a sample for the collection which is always tastefully displayed on a black velvet covered table near his work desk, Eddy picks out the stones according to the dictates of his own artistic taste, but if the set has been ordered by a customer he will have first discussed with her the details of the costume she expects to wear it with most, and then have made his choice accordingly.

IN MOUNTING the stones Cousineau makes use of a small vise, a pair of tweezers, and a toothpick with a bead of beeswax molded onto one end. The stones are laid out in the order they will be needed, and the cups in the finding checked to be sure they are clean and properly formed. Each cup in its turn is filled about one-third full of cement. The stone is then picked up by touching it with the wax in the toothpick, and carefully pressed into place with the tweezers. Each stone should be held in place with the tweezers for at least ten seconds before you start to mount the next one. Should the cement overflow the bed upon seating the stone, the surplus should be carefully wiped off as soon as pressure can be safely released from the stone. If this is not done, the lustre of the stone will be diminished and the appearance of the finished work damaged.

When all the stones are mounted, the piece should be checked to make sure that the top facet, or table, of each stone is level and the stones are even in height. The piece should then be put away carefully and allowed to set for twenty-four hours. After the drying period is completed, Cousineau advises cleaning the piece with a preparation of one-half teaspoonful of ammonia in one-half cup of clean soapy water. This solution is applied vigorously with a toothbrush, and the piece is ready for a final inspection after being dried with a soft cloth.

As useful extras in the way of hand tools Cousineau advises investing in some round nose pliers and a small pair of wire nippers. These, in conjunction with the basic equipment previously mentioned and a small drill, will handle all normal work. As your hobby grows, your customers will from time to time bring in small repair jobs for you to do. At this point a small electric soldering iron will quickly pay for itself.

Cousineau has always made a point of guaranteeing the quality of his workmanship. He tells the customer that if by any chance a stone should come loose and is lost from his setting, to return the jewelry immediately and he will fix it free of charge. So far his repairs of his own work have been few, and the good will his policy bas gained him has been well worth the trouble.

IN THE first six months he worked at his hobby, Cousineau finished over 600 pieces of jewelry, and they sold so rapidly that he had work getting together enough to give a truly representative exhibition at the Springfield Hobby Club, where his display took a blue ribbon last year.

His prize winning exhibit was very good for business, for while people came to see the exhibit and watch him at work (he made pieces to order at his booth during the show) they also placed enough orders for jewelry to keep him busy at home for the next five weeks.

The publicity which his exhibit earned him also helped in subsequent sales of his jewelry. His principal sales outlets have been jewelry "parties" which have been sponsored by his daughter, Mrs. Joan Kozior, and one or two other close friends. These parties are conducted along the same lines that have so successfully been employed in marketing all sorts of women's goods from brushes to silverware across the nation. The hostess invites about twenty of her friends to come to her house to see samples of jewelry and to place orders if they wish. There is no obligation incurred by coming, and, since the hostess always serves refreshments, the prospective customer is assured of a pleasant evening, and nearly always makes a purchase before leaving.

Moreover, many times one of the guests who came to the jewelry party "just to look" goes away a volunteer publicity agent for Eddy's work. One young woman insisted on taking samples of his jewelry to the office where she worked, and soon swamped him with orders. Others have tried to induce him to wholesale his work to stores in Springfield and neighboring communities, but Eddy has refused. He prefers to work directly with the customer, for he feels that he can better satisfy them in this fashion, and he enjoys meeting them personally.

Cousineau's method of determining prices for his work is on a cost plus basis. His price for any given piece is roughly materials cost plus two-thirds for his time, plus 20 per cent for the Federal luxury tax. The tax is not itemized separately when he is quoting prices, as he feels that it causes an unfavorable reaction on the customer's part. The total price is computed ahead of time, and the tag shows only the final figure. Eddy warns all beginners not to forget that tax returns on jewelry sales must be filed monthly with Federal tax authorities. Special forms for the purpose may be obtained at your nearest Federal tax agency.

In conclusion I asked Cousineau if he minded telling me what his three most popular pieces have been, according to public response.

"Well, I guess the crystal pendant cross is way out ahead of all the rest," he replied without hesitation. "I've made and sold over 175 of them in different colors."

In second place he designated a crystal sunburst pin, and told me that it was a close race between it and the third place winner, a spray set of pin and earrings. A strong runner-up was a pair of scatter pins in color combinations suited to the costume.

"One customer sent a pin like that one to a relative in Paris," he commented proudly, as I inspected an attractive piece that had caught my eye.

"Bet you got a big kick out of that," I said.

"Yes I did," he replied, "but you know the biggest kick for me in making these things isn't just the fact that people buy them. It's the fact that you never really get tired of working on them. One idea leads to another, and before you know it you have to quit when you'd like to keep going all night."