3 comments about Indian Clubs.

1. Alice Hoffman has uncovered a forgotten piece of American history and inspired me to begin collecting Indian clubs. Hoffman has written an informative book complete with stunning photographs and personal reflections.

   Indian clubs now prized for their sculptural, artistic merits were once a must for every man, women, and child who hoped to obtain physical and spiritual well-being in the late 19th, early 20th century.

   It's amazing to learn that Indian clubs were once thought to be an exercise that would stand the test of time. Hoffman has shown they have, not as muscle builders but as a collectible.

   If you're interested in learning something new and not afraid of becoming an Indian club collecting addict as I have since reading this book, I suggest you order Indian Clubs today.




2. Excellent resource for serious collectors and the curious. Photographs are inspirational. Can't wait to start my own collection. Historical information very comprehensive. Good read as well as informative.



3. A wonderful read...informative.Photographs are ready for framing. Definitely will inspire you to begin to collect Indian clubs. As stated by Gerard Wertkin, Director, Museum of American Folk Art, "(Alice Hoffman) has recovered an all but forgotten subchapter in the history of American sport and, at the same time, helped us appreciate another aspect of American artistic creativity. Hats off to her!" I agree with Mr. Wertkin and the following reviews: Antiques & Auction News, "A colorful exercise in collecting,"..."documents the "life" of this colorful and practical form of exercise...a charming addition to any antiques library." Antique & Collectibles News Service, "Inside Antiques, Good Reading,"..."we love (this) book...a folk art gem." Antiques Review, "The Bookshelf,"..."Superb color photographs...Fascinating archival material." Denver Post, "What's Up,"..."If you're searching for the most unusual art book of the year don't overlook Indian Clubs." Maine Antiques Digest, "Books, Calendars, CD-ROMS,"..."a case for Indian clubs as folk art." The Star Ledger, NJ, "A new life for Indian clubs,"..."new coffee table book...If TV infomercials had been around in their heyday, chances are the physical fitness mavens of the day would have been pitching Indian clubs in the same way abs machines and treadmills are endlessly hawked now."

5 comments about Peanuts: Home Collection--A Collector's Guide to Identification and Value.

1. I'm not truly a peanuts collector per se...I don't pursue any item I can find depicting the Charles Schulz characters. But I am a big Peanuts fan and I do collect certain items such as holiday themed items and other odds and ends. There are a few other Peanuts guides out there but I think this is the best. It lists over 2000 items with over 1000 photographs. In somewhat unique fashion the author has categorized the items by the room in your home where you would find these pieces. In case that doesn't work there is a very thorough index.
   
   The information provided is about as thorough as one could expect with the name of the maker, date, price, size, etc...In addition there is some good reference material noting other Peanuts collectors and clubs. Nicely done.



2. I have been collecting Peanuts for over 15 years. This book is the first I reach for when deciding to purchase an item. The index thoroughly covers the book making it easy to get to an item right away. The book has a great coverage of Peanuts collectibles in a logically organized manner. The pictures are professionally taken and in full color. The item descriptions are helpful and concise with production dates, manufacturers, dimensions and price ranges.
   
   Beyond being a pricing guide, this book also contains a tribute to Charles M. Schulz, an overview of how the evaluations of price were determined, collecting tips every Peanuts Collector should know, a collector's corner with photos of Peanuts Collectors' collections, Peanuts Collector's Clubs and activities, and more.
   
   I highly recommend this book for every Peanuts Collector.



3. I was greatly disappointed in the book. While it has lots of Great pictures and information, the editor, freddy Margoline has to let us know time and again how big her collection is or how she has personally met Mr. Schulz and stuff like that. I just never got a "Happiness is" feeling from this book like I got from the Andrea Podley and Derrick Bang book. That book (Peanuts Collectibles: Identification & Value Guide) really does give the "Happiness is a Peanuts Collection" feeling in the spirit that Sparky would appreciate. So if you can only get one book on Peanuts Collecting, get the Podley one - it has a "Happy" soul.



4. This is the best Peanuts Collectors' book ever! It contains excellent pictures and the price values are right on target. These Peanuts collectibles are organized by where you might find them in your home, so it is user friendly. (i.e. Peanuts in the kitchen, bathroom, playroom etc.) It has been very helpful for shopping at auctions on the internet. I have even been able to find items by their discription when the seller has not provided a picture. This book is great and well worth its price.



5. Freddi's book is a MUST HAVE for anyone collecting or dealing in Peanuts memorabilia. The layout of the book is fabulous and you only have to go to the index to find exactly which page you need to be on unlike other guides that give you a ballpark topic. You want bobbleheads, look up bobbleheads etc! The pricing is fair and not out of this world. Some folks like to charge outlandish prices for Peanuts items but this book gives you the real scoop on what something is worth, so don't be fooled by those who tell you an item is rare and worth $100 when this book will tell you it was made yesterday and on;y worth what was originally paid for it.

   The pictures are great, lots of them and clear and concise, not to mention they show the item as it should be, in pristine condition.

   The Collectors Corner in the back of the book is great too because it gets you up close and personal with others who are just as crazy about Peanuts as you might be. You are not alone in your craziness!

   BUY THIS BOOK!

3 comments about Winnie the Pooh Collectibles II: Identification & Price Guide.

1. This book is a great reference for anyone who enjoys collecting pooh. I recommend it to any collector. The only complaint I would have is that: there are two books, "Winnie the Pooh Collectibles" and "Winnie the Pooh Collectibles II". I do not think this site did a very good job of distinguishing between the two. I am looking to buy the first book.



2. This book is a must have for the avid Winnie the Pooh collector. Pages 8-47 are just on stuffed characters. It starts with very early plush characters and continues onward with newer ones. The next section, entitled "Ceramic Pooh and Friends", encompasses a variety of things. For example, cups, banks, plates, bookends, cookie jars, snow globes, musicals, picture frames, and figurines. This section also has platic figurines and Christmas Winnie the Pooh items.

   There are pictures of each item along with a description underneath or beside it. The excerpts below each picture tell who or where the item was made, the year it was released, a detailed description, and how much each item is worth.

   Overall, this book is very useful and easy to use. It is very helpful in showing how much an item is worth. Any Winnie the Pooh fan will enjoy this in their collection.




3. This is a great book. It lists many of the more common items and their prices so that you can actually see the value of items that you (may) own! Wonderful photographs and detailed information about the items.

1 comments about Catalogue of the Coins of the Vandals, Ostrogoths and Lombards and of the Empires of Thessalonica, Nicaea and Trebizond in the British Museum.

1. An extremely fine work, though dated. Probabaly written in the 1920s. Cites loans, purchases, bequests of coins as far back as the 1860s. There's some trival overlap with coins cited in the Sear Byzantine Coin Values standard current reference, but this is more reassuring than redundant. It does not give catalogue values, but that's no matter. Prices from the 1920s would be entertaining but not informative. About the only drawback I've noticed is that it's a paperback and already beginning to be distressed by my handling.

No comments about Catalogue of the Greek Coins of Galatia, Cappadocia, and Syria.

1 comments about American Arts and Crafts: Virtue in Design (A Catalogue of the Palevsky/Evans Collection and Related Works at the Los Angeles Country Museum of Art).

1. Does a good job of showcasing the Arts & Crafts era treasures of the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. It is a medium sized well rounded collection that includes most of the big names in the American Arts & Crafts movement. The book does a nice job of providing a context for these decorative pieces. The highlight of the collection is furniture from Greene & Greene's Blacker House. The house, one of Greene & Greene's largest and most complete custom projects (they designed the house, a couple of out buildings, the yard and most of the furnishings), was intended by it's owners to be sold intact and for it's contents to always remain with the house, however this was not honored and the contents are scattered among institutions and private collectors. To add to the indignity, a later purchaser of the home sold off many of the remaining light fixtures.
   Other delights of this collection are a wonderful example of the work of Dirk Van Earp and pieces by Charles Rohlfs.
   Most collectors already have this book, but if you are just getting started in your appreciation of the Arts & Crafts movement, this book is a good overview.

No comments about Catalogue of the Greek Coins of Caria, Cos, Rhodes, &c..

No comments about San Juan Sampler:: Selections from the Nina Heald Webber Southwest Colorado Postcard Collection.

3 comments about Semi True: Seasons on the Road with A Prairie Home Companion's Resident Writer and Truck Driver.

1. Reading Semi True is almost as good as taking your own relaxed, spontaneous road trip --better, really, because Ringsak stops at more unlikely places, discovers more remarkable people and elicits their stories better than anyone. I raced through the book too fast; I was enjoying it too much to slow down and when I finished I wanted nothing more than to randomly select a road to anywhere and take it.



2. Twelve years of hauling stage equipment for public radio's Prairie Home Companion show led hauler/author Ross Ringsak to become privy to some amazing stories gleaned from truck stops, blues bars and more. Fans of Prairie Home Companion will be the likely audience for his social survey of factual tales encountered during the course of truck driving. Semi True: Seasons On The Road With A Prairie Home Companion's Resident Writer And Truck Driver a lively first-person account of close encounters of the folk kind.



3. You could take a video tour or even a driving tour of this country and miss most of what the author sees, hears and tastes. Avoiding the common roads, eateries, entertainment and attitudes most of us travelers fall prey to out of habit and convenience, he seeks out the unique. Rather than avoiding conversation with strangers he engages them until they come forward with stories and secrets. And there are some great stories here.
   I have been awed and impressed in my travels to places that have left an indellible impression, but I have missed the details, the subtle shifts in the landscape and the weather and the people, that this author perceives and writes about so naturally.
   This is a truck driver with suprising sensitivity to his surroundings. These stories will make you wish you could ride shotgun and get the personal tour. If this book doesn't make you yearn to travel to places you've never experienced, or even to familiar places with new eyes, nothing will.
   In the end though, the ultimate feeling he leaves with the reader is the warmth at the end of the journey... arriving home, even if means being greeted by a bitter Minnesota blizzard.
   If you are a fan of books by authors like Studs Terkel, who make the common man interesting and even heroic, you will like this book.

2 comments about Miller's Pocket Fact File: Antiques: Essential Information for Dealers, Collectors and Enthusiasts (Miller's Pocket Fact File).

1. This book is a great resource to have for both the novice and the professional. It lists the numerous marks and signs, together with tips on all areas of antiquities. This is especially valuable, as most dealers, while quite knowledgeable, tend to specialize in one particular area. This is a concise book that is inexpensive and can easily fit in your pocket. This is particularly helpful when you run across that peculiar silver service with the strange markings and don't have your library of reference books with you. It would be an asset for any glove box as well.



2. This is very handy for the newer antiquer and even for those that have been around for a bit since one person can't know everything about all things. It fits nicely in one's pocket or purse and with the cover taken off is a nice subtle black so you won't look to obvious as you check;-) The only thing I would like to see more of is pricing but it's not a bad little book for the price and it may save you some money along the way too.