5 comments about The Urban Treasure Hunter: A Practical Handbook for Beginners.

1. Shipping time great as to be expected with Amazon. Book was good for a beginner metal detector user. Provided useful ideas on how to get started with this hobby and where to look. Worth the read and price.



2. Excellent book. Lots of good tips on getting started in metal detecting. Plus, many personal stories you can reflect on when you're out in the field. I especially liked the do's and don't when treasure hunting in the "bad" sections of a city.



3. I haven't read it because it was given as a gift. But the book was in excellent condition and arrived quickly.



4. My husband has had a metal detector for a few years now, but has not really put it to use. I found this book on his wish list (been there for a year) and decided to get it for him for Christmas. He is already making lists for how to search for treasures based on information in the book. This tells me that he is finding it of value.



5. I have owned and used metal detectors since the early 80's and compared to a lot of books on the subject (that turn into adds for a particular detector manufacturer) I have found this book very useful and have picked up a few pointers and techniques

5 comments about 1897 Sears Roebuck & Co. Catalogue.

1. I remember looking at one of these when I would visit my uncle as a kid. You could spend hours looking at all the things they sold "way back then." I bought it for a Christmas gift last year. It's a lot more interesting that you would think an old catalog would be.



2. I sit for long periods of time just wandering through this old Sears catalogue and wonder where our country went. It's nothing like it used to be. The prices were amazing too. You should get one of these. It's informative, fun and very sad at the same time. Because, you can't get the products any longer and especially at the prices listed. What a shame. What a wonderful catalogue for the pupil, for the older generation to remember the way things were, before we were stripped from being a nation to be proud of, and for the historian. There are others old Sears books or catalogues too. Their house catalogues are great! I have them. A whole house only cost a few hundred dollars. When you see today's prices compared to then you'll see that in the last 100 years something happened to America that isn't very good. Thieves and corrupt people, plus foreign invasion has taken a nation, the greatest country ever known to mankind, mind you, to total ruin. Ted Kennedy, one of the many devil's disciples, did the most damage to America by changing the American Immigration Policy back in 1965 and opened the flood gates to the Third World gushing into the land and bringing along with them their horrible politics and violent, cheating corruptive ways. Every American is now suffering it's aftermath and feeling it's "change' and will no longer be able to live the American dream, unless changed back to the way it was. These catalogues show you how things have changed.



3. After flipping through this book in a library, I decided to purchase it so I could have it constantly on hand. If you've ever been curious as to how to depict everyday life and objects from the turn of the previous century, this reproduction Sears catalog will answer just about all of your questions. The catalog is lavishly illustrated, with each drawing striving to show maximum detail. Everything from horse-drawn carriages to infant bonnets is depicted, showing just how much Sears offered back then. The patent medicines section near the beginning of the book is particularly amusing for its dated language and outlandish claims. This is a perfect book to keep around if you're an artist interested in steampunk, victorian gothic, or other similar subject matter.



4. Hard to believe so many products were available by mail way back then!!! My family lived in what was Washington Territory in the mid to late 19th century and must have been able to order all kinds of stuff!!
   
   Catalog was just as represented but what a delight to peruse!!



5. This catalog is awesome. I saw one years ago, and couldn't put it down. It is amazing what our ancestors could buy. Like pills for "Weak Women". Wow. Its always fun to bring it out and show company, everyone is always so interested in it once they open it. This is not a thin catalog either, very thick and lots of pictures of products to buy from back in the day with original prices. They had more buggies to choose from than they do cars today. This is a keepsake everyone should have, oh.....did I forget to mention the womens underwear?? Boy have things changed!!!! And I had forgotten how popular hats for both men and women were back then, and the choices were unbelievable. Lets not forget the different kind of guns you could get and ammunition. Its just so interesting and filled with knowledge of our past generations and what they used, bought and needed compared to today. Loved looking at all the pictures of items to buy, there is a ton of them. Get it, you will be impressed. Teri in Houston

5 comments about Backroads of New England: Your Guide To New England's Most Scenic Backroad Adventures (Pictorial Discovery Guide).

1. Bought this book for my grandparents who love to travel through New England and take the back roads. They loved the book!!



2. This was obviously a carefully researched, well-written book, with great photos. But I was disappointed that there was so little focus on maps. Rather than showing a detailed maps of a recommended route, the author chose to write a verbal description of a recommended route. That's sufficient if you wish to follow the author's route exactly. But if you would rather create your own route with some guidance from the book, it's virtually impossible.



3. My wife and I just came back from vacation in New England. Aside from the Delorme maps, this book was the most important item we took with us. We went on several of the scenic drives described in the book, and they were all absolutely beautiful! The directions were perfect, even if they don't tell you the distances involved. The photographs in the book are worth the price alone, but it's even better when you come across the places pictured in the book and find out they're just as gorgeous as the author said they would be. If you're going to New England, you need this book.



4. Kim Knox Beckius, a well-known New England travel writer, has teamed up with New Hampshire photographer, William Johnson, to create a pictorial guide to 30 scenic drives throughout the region.
   
   You get five scenic drives each from Connecticut, Massachusetts, Vermont, and New Hampshire. Rhode Island offers up another four, and Maine weighs in with a larger six. The drives cover the best of New England, from mountains to the ocean, and from the lakes to the beaches. And a whole bunch more.
   
   Kim doesn't spend a lot of time on directions. They tend to be brief and on the side of the pages - enough to get you around but not much more. Kim focuses her travel writing skills on making sure you experience in words the sights, sounds, and smells of each region. The beautifully produced photography greatly enhances this experience.
   
   While I love this book if you're looking for one crammed with detailed directions and a step-by-step tour of attractions this isn't it.
   
   This is a book to keep near you throughout the long winter... to browse whenever you want to remember a drive already taken... or one waiting for you in the spring.



5. When fall comes in New England, the trees turn into a splendid mass of reds, oranges and yellows that temporarily distract us from the coming winter. At the same time, the first fresh snowfalls have a special beauty that New Englanders love as well. But the first blush of spring causes a special joy to burst out from our hearts. In the lazy days of summer, we love to watch the wind blow the grasses and trees from languid poses.
   
   At any one of those times, I find myself thinking how much fun it would be to see some new sights in the context of those favorite New England conditions. In the forty years I've lived in New England, I've found many of my favorite locations purely by accident. The back roads are always the best. But I don't have the time to randomly drive all the back roads to find the best ones.
   
   That's where Backroads of New England comes in. Kim Knox Beckius has found 30 delightful drives over back road that mix scenery, history, culture and just plain fun. I have taken about half of the drives in the book, so I can swear by those. I am looking forward to doing the rest now that I know where to go.
   
   How can I tell I would like the others? First, Ms. Beckius provides helpful essays about where to begin, what to see, and what to stop and do along the way. She even includes some suggestions for hiking to beautiful waterfalls. Second, William H. Johnson's gorgeous photographs colorfully illuminate the main sights for each drive. Whether you love covered bridges, snow-capped peaks, delightful streams, pounding surf, or mysterious vistas, you can page through the book to find the places that speak mostly fervently to your soul.
   
   The book is also organized by state. So if you are planning to go just to Maine and arrive by air in Portland, you can simply focus on the Maine trips and those in New Hampshire and northeast Massachusetts that are not too far away. If you live in New York, and want to drive for no more than two hours, you can focus on that radius in western Connecticut and Massachusetts.
   
   I have been looking at travel guides for New England for many years. I've never seen a finer one for back roads adventures.
   
   Give it a try!

5 comments about Black Men Built the Capitol: Discovering African-American History In and Around Washington, D.C..

1. This book is more than a book of research findings arranged by topic. What you find within these pages is an encouraging letter from an insightful author about the joy of discovery and the fruits of knowing. Wording that not only highlights accomplishment, but longevity of accomplishment by a people for which much time and effort was spent on trying to make them believe they didn't have what it takes to deliver. The author has used a relaxed tone and casual, descriptive wording that is neither boastful or redemptive. Yet, the work offers hope by way of a fact-filled tour of a city that we never knew held so much of each of us. It is a sweet and sensitive wake up call for present and future generations without accusation or condemnation.



2. I enjoyed this book and learned a lot about Washington, DC that I had never known before. Mr. Holland writes with a light, easy-to-read style but his content is anything but light. Holland moved to DC only to discover that histories made little mention of the African-American contributions to our nation's capital. So he set out to change that, and this book is the result.
   Each page uncovers new facts about how 'black men built the capitol', as well as the 'capital'. What makes this an indispensable guidebook is that Holland starts each section with the standard history of an area or landmark and then gives the reader the 'rest of the story', adding the African-American perspective. If you are looking for a book to teach you about DC, a fascinating city by any standard, this is a good one. If you are looking for a book to learn about DC from an African-American perspective, this is a great one.
   
   I lived in DC for nine years, and thought I knew it well. Jesse Holland showed me, a white American who has a degree in history, just how little I actually knew.
   
   Valuable, entertaining, and should be in every history classroom in the DC area.
   
   Illustrated with maps and photos, including a section of color photos.
   
   Rob Morris, author of Untold Valor: Forgotten Stories of American Bomber Crewmen Over Europe in World War Two.



3. Jesse Holland has done a fabulous job researching this material on African American history around the Nation's capitol. The compilation of this material reaffirms the importance of African Americans in the building of the Nation. I thank him for finding and sharing these facts in a way that is both educational and easy to read. I hope to see more books by this great author.



4. Bravo for excellent Black History data! I enjoyed reading information that has been kept out of mainstream history books. I had the opportunity to attend his book signing in Holly Springs, MS that was well attended. Again, BRAVO!



5. As a resident of Washington, DC, and one who has visited many of the attractions highlighted in Black Men Built the Capitol, I was amazed by all the new information I gleaned from this book. I learned something new on every page! I am a children's book author who loves history and a former journalist. I found it nothing but pure joy to read this book and discover so much more about black contributions to American and world history. Jesse Holland did his homework, and he did it well. Every American home and every American classroom, from elementary school to college, ought to have this book.

5 comments about Eric Sloane's An Age of Barns: An Illustrated Review of Classic Barn Styles and Construction.

1. Alas, printed in China and missing the wonderful color plate illustrations found in the original edition.



2. This is THE definitive book on barns. We own one copy in Virginia and now bought another one for a our other home in Nova Scotia.
   
   It is a masterpiece for learning about old barn designs and also construction techniques. Barns have become our family passion. An old barn from Maine, the parts, is to be reconstructed and made into our home outside of Charlottesville, Virginia. My son has tarped and is salvaging two old structures here in Nova Scotia...which will be moved to a different location on a new beach/pond piece of ours in Nova Scotia. Our 250 year old farm house on the ocean has a spectacular old barn!
   
   Eric Sloane has clearly directed our way. Many others who appreciate these spectacular old heritage structures need his book! Whether you want to just page through and look at old barns- or recreate and salvage the buildings- this is IT!



3. Eric Sloane truly loves his subject and his detailed descriptions and accompanying drawings of old barns make this a fascinating book. Part history, part art, this book catalogs the different styles of barns common in our nation. After reading this book you'll have a much greater appreciation of American barns and sight seeing in rural America will become a much richer experience.



4. Wonderful art and historical images. Delivery was prompt and the book was in great condition.



5. Other reviewers have done a good job of describing this and I agree with them. I'll just add that this wonderfully illustrated book really brought the memories flooding back.

3 comments about Debbie Bliss Tips for Knitters: Stitches and Seams to Finishing Touches.

1. Just received this purchase today. It was in a soft plastic
   packaging so was not well protected from being folded and
   bent with the binding somewhat manipulated....however,
   the information is all there....happy to have it.



2. Hand-knitting specialist and designer Debbie Bliss presents Tips for Knitters: Stitches and Seams to Finishing Touches, a compact guide spiral-bound to lay flat for easy reference that teaches the reader knitting basics as well as a host of tips, tricks, and techniques that knitters of all skill and experience levels will appreciate. From creating textures to managing color to embroidery and finishing touches, Tips for Knitters lives up to its title with a plethora of helpful hints, illustrated with full-color photography and easy-to-follow diagrams. Highly recommended for anyone who loves to knit by hand. "When knitting with beads, match the weight of your yarn to the beads you are using. Beads will add weight to your garment and beads that are too heavy on a light yarn will make the garment sag."



3. 
   Let me begin by stating that I am an admirer of Debbie Bliss and her pattern books. However, the publishers description promised tips for experienced knitters. I consider myself intermediate, and there was nothing new in this book for me. However, I would give this book to a beginner as it there is much here to help someone who is new to knitting get through some of the early frustrations. While it is a nice size for carrying around with first projects, everything here is available in most other basic books, and much of the information here should be intuitive. Bottom line is, before purchasing this book you need to know how well you learn from observing your work, and how much you need to have pointed out to you.

5 comments about Encyclopedia of American Farm Implements & Antiques.

1. I purchased this book for my Father (who is a 75 year old retired farmer) as a gift. He loved it and has spent many hours reading this book. He has had me purchase 2 more copies and has given them as gfts. It was an excellent purchase and is a very enjoyable book.



2. This is one of the best books on antique farm machinery I have seen. It brings back many memories.



3. This is a great read for anyone interested in old farm equipment. The only problem was that I recognized too many of the pieces from my childhood and started realizing how old I am.



4. C. H. Wendel's Encyclopedia of American Farm Implements & Antiques is a first-rate work. The illustrations are exceptional, and the scope impressive. Wendel documents the machinery of manufacturing giants and the lesser-known manufacturers from the middle nineteenth century to the middle twentieth century. If you need to identify a machine or manufacturer Wendel's book ought to be your first source.



5. I bought this book as a gift for my father, who collects antique farm tools and tractors, has done his own restorations, and goes to antique shows all the time. I have no higher praise than this: when he settles in for the night, he gets in his favorite chair and opens that book. He may read it for hours, or browse a few pages, but it's his favorite reading material.

5 comments about Petretti's Coca-Cola Collectibles Price Guide: The Encyclopedia of Coca-Cola Collectibles.

1. OK - so it's been almost ten years since my post on the last edition and a lot has happened to the Coca-Cola collectable marketplace. My ending comments on the market collapsing and the price points being at those of the guides from the 70's has occurred. But that is not all bad, as there has never been a better time for getting in the market as a COLLECTOR and a person that appreciates the heritage and sheer quality of vintage coca-cola memorabilia. A lot of great pieces are surfacing at more affordable prices and hopefully many new people are getting into the hobby. It is a GREAT time to join-in the fun of vintage Coca Cola memorabilia. So jump on in!
   
   Now for my thoughts on Allan's latest book. First off - thanks Allan for re-issuing a new guide and helping to keep the vintage market going. This book continues to be the ONLY book on the subject, and Allan continues with his pattern of putting out the best collectors guide on any subject around. Pictures are high quality and the coverage (though a bit less than prior editions) is still incredible. For a reference guide - this is THE book you want. As a price guide - it is another story.
   
   Unfortunately - Allan's prices continue to be out of sink with the market - so first and foremost don't rely on them at all. If you have a piece to sell - you'll be a bit disappointed if you think you can get anywhere near the prices in the guide. As always the mint and near mint items continue to maintain their value and in some instance can approach Allan's prices but in general even those items tend to be available at 50% - 60% of the prices in the guide. As for the items below near-mint - those can typically be obtained at 20% - 30% of the guide prices. As of January, 2010 - perhaps more than anything the tray market has really suffered. High quality signs seem to have retained their value the most - perhaps since they also have commercial value for restaurants and bars. Some of the best quality and most affordable merchandise can be purchased at Coca Cola collectors auctions where collectors understand the "real" pricing and are in it more for the thrill of the hunt and the history of the item - then trying to turn a fast buck.
   
   As a collector with a lot of early pieces - it is a bit disheartening that the value of my collection has really taken a hit - but the thrill of the hobby has returned as the ability to purchase at prices not seen for 25+ years makes me search even harder for that once-in a lifetime piece and that is what collecting is really about. There are great pieces still out there - so congratulations to those of you that love the hobby for the sake of the hobby - our time has returned! For those who were in it for the investment - rest assured prices will continue to rise again but understand that they probably will never realize those prices of the late-90's. Perhaps the best thing that has happened is that everyone has come to realize that the "new" collector pieces are junk and they've become so plentiful that no one wants them. As for the "quality" reproduction sign garbage available on eBay that is meant to "fool" people into thinking they have vintage pieces - why purchase a knock-off when you get the real thing at the lowest prices seen in years and have a real piece that has value not only for its imagery but for its age and collectablity. Remember there is nothing like the "Real Thing"....
   
   Comments are always welcome so feel free to email me at conapt@hotmail.com



2. This book was purchased for my brother. He is an avid Coca-Cola Collector. He was very impressed with the hardcover book. The picture quality was also very excellent. Any collector would be proud to add this book to their collection.



3. I bought this book as a gift for my son. He tells me this is an awesome guide with so much information. He said it merits a very high recommendation.



4. If it's one big, definitive collector's 'bible' you seek on Coca- Cola collecting, make it the 13th updated edition of the classic Petretti's Coca-Cola Collectibles Price Guide. For over three decades it has proven its richness in providing Coca- Cola collectors with definitive details: this latest edition packs in more color photos, the latest prices, and keys to avoiding fakes and reproductions. All types of collectibles are covered, making this a 'must have'.



5. Alan Petretti has done a one up on his last Coca Cola Collectibles Price Guide. Easier to find items, more color pictures and just an overall informative guide. Each guide just gets better and better. These truly are the encyclopedia of Coca Cola collecting.

2 comments about Classic Quilts.

1. I'll begin with the all important photography in this large paperback book with high quality paper. The quality of the photography is outstanding, without exception. There are very large detail photographs, including full page detail photos, as well as full views of the quilts. Quilting pattern and fabric prints are easily seen.
   
   Sheila Betterton, formerly the textile and needlework specialist for the museum and largely responsible for getting this collection going at the America Museum, wrote the preface in 2008. Sadly, she passed away that same year. She began as a volunteer at the Museum in 1963. The book is dedicated to her.
   
   The book begins with the history of the Museum coming to be and who do you think influenced the founders Dr. Dallas Pratt and John Judkyn? None other than our own wonderwoman of quilts, Electra Havenmeyer Webb, who founded and filled The Shelburne Museum in Vermont. It's a small world. The chapter includes an overview of the development of textiles and quilts in America. From here to the end of the book, nearly every page has photographs.
   
   The quilts shown include a wool whole cloth, wool applique, pieced chintz, appliqués of every type and era, Amish, BAQ (looks very much like on held in the Maryland Museum of Art's BAQ collection), signature quilts, presentation album quilt, a 1848 hexagon quilt with inked centers in the typical GFG rosette pattern, and many more truly gorgeous quilts.
   
   The quilts chosen for the book clearly represent American styles and the true nature of our history of quilt making is evident. Many of the quilts are like those seen in our museums and books. It's really quite fun to read what they say. The pride they feel matches ours. It's all good. FYI- Some of the Classic American Quilts will be on exhibit at the museum in Bath in 2010, 13 March - 31 October 2010.



2. This is a wonderful surprise!! Who would have thought there was a museum with American quilts in England. And what a collection - worth flying over there just to see them. The photos are beautiful. I especially love the close up views.

5 comments about Route 66 (Enthusiast Color).

1. Such a neat book. Wonderful photos and heaps of ideas for places to visit. A very easy read and sooo inviting!! I wish I could afford the pink convertible cadilla to do it properly!!



2. I recently received this beautiful color collection on "The Mother Road" Route 66. Having traveled West from Chicago to Kingman AZ in the mid 60's on Route 66 it brought back many memories. It also has left me with strong ambitions to repeat that journey but this time all the way to L.A. Wonderful photography and dialouge by the author. Even if you have never traveled on Route 66 you may very well want to after viewing this book.



3. Probably the best book to date on the subject, Route 66 is a joy from beginning to end. Referred to affectionately as The Mother Road, Route 66 was the first highway built for high speed travel in the United States. Due to the reliability of the cars and trucks using this road, it was lined with repair shops, diners, and tourist traps. The photography is excellent and the text is insightful and well written. Travelling from Chicago to Los Angeles via this book is a joy!



4. Route 66, by Tim Steil, is a trip in present, but a journey back in time. There was a day and age when Route 66 was the heartbeat of the Western half of the United States. Unlike its predecessor the Lincoln Highway, Route 66 was modern road made offering fast travel from Chicago to Los Angeles for both automobiles and trucks. Because of the limitations of vehicles of the 1930's through the early 1960's, the road was lined with repair shops, cafes, motels and scenic wonders that range from simple statues or absurd monuments.

   More than any other highway, Route 66 has a history and an allure that never ceases to draw the adventurous to it. These days traveling on Route 66 is sort of like visiting a huge living museum of automobile Americana. Steil, aided by photographer Jim Luning, take the journey and give their vision to this long familiar story. The nice part about this book is that MBI, the publisher, chose to offer it as part of the inexpensive Enthusiast Color Series rather than an expensive coffee table book. You can easily take this book with you for easy reading along the way and without taking up too much space at lunch counter. This was a good choice on their part and is sure to make give this book a long sales life.

   The author is accurate in his descriptions and the photographer's keen eye caught quite a few features of Route 66 that have not appeared in other publications. Truckers are big part of this story, in fact the famous Dixie Truckers Home in central Illinois gets good coverage right in the beginning of the book. If the lore and legends of Route 66 are already part of your life, or you would just like a low-cost introduction to this famous highway then Route 66, by Tim Steil is a must have item.
   - Gary Bricken




5. This is the best Route 66 book I've ever read. The pictures range from breathtaking to amusing and the writing is fresh and clean. A must have for anyone interested in Route 66.