You can find chimineas made of clay, aluminum and cast iron. Which one you choose depends on what style fits your patio or backyard and how much money you are willing to invest. (Note: There are several accepted spellings for a Mexican fireplace. The common spellings are: chiminea, chimenea, chiminia, chimenia.)

Choosing a Clay Chiminea

When choosing a clay chiminea, you should look to see if fireplace was air-dried or kiln-dried. In general, an air-dried fireplace is usually “untreated.” This means you would need to paint it and seal it before use. Kiln-dried versions are typically prepainted and sealed.

Clay chimineas are constructed in two pieces. The bottom piece, called “bowl” is largest piece, and looks like a potbelly stove. The smokestack, or “neck” is attached separately on top of bowl. The joint where two pieces come together is usually rather weak, so you should never lift a clay chiminea from neck.

In general, clay chimineas are not designed to handle large fires for extended periods of time. They are also more likely to crack and break than a cast iron or aluminum model.

Just ask any hockey fan out there. The recent lockout and cancellation of 2004-2005 NHL season is a perfect example of poor negotiating. Both players’ union and league owners broke all of rules when it came to brokering an agreement on player contracts. The result are hockey rinks across North America that are so quiet that you can hear a pin drop—unfortunately, not a puck. In dollar terms, professional hockey is missing out on television contracts, advertising fees, and tons of ticket sales.

Of course, you won’t lose billions in revenue if you fail at latest negotiation at your favorite online classified or auction site. But you could let a treasure slip through your fingers. Success in deal making, on other hand, could land you that rookie Bobby Orr card, signed Stanley Cup puck, or whatever other fantastic item you’re bidding on.

Plus, proper negotiations and compromise can ensure that you get item for its fair value, including a good price on shipping and taxes. This increases profitability of trade for both you and seller. The deal gets closed without nasty disputes, blow-ups, or hip checks. And both of you are left to do business again in future.

To score all of these benefits, and avoid your own mini lockout, follow these simple tips on negotiating that will net results at online classified sites. As you’ll see, victory isn’t so much an exact science or a mystic sixth sense. It’s more about simple know-how and common sense.

Warm up. Don’t jump into a negotiation cold. Before you even face off with your opponent, figure out for yourself what would count as a victory. What do you exactly want out of trade—and at what price?

Consider a truce. It may not even be worth dropping puck at all. In other words, negotiations, like hockey games, can end in a loss for home team, you. So weigh this risk before you start. If item at hand is a dream buy, you may not want to endanger your purchase with a drawn-out negotiation.