No comments about A Millennium of the Book: Production, Design & Illustration in Manuscript & Print, 900-1900 (Publishing Pathways).

No comments about Warman's Tobacco Collectibles: An Identification and Price Guide.

1 comments about Valentines With Values: With Values (Schiffer Book for Collectors).

1. Kreider's work on collectable valentines is one I reach for often when doing research on vintage cards. She provides an extensive history of the topic, a good glossary, and the book is crammed full of excellent photos of a wide range of samples. The only problem with it is that the prices shown do not reflect the influx of vintage valentines onto the various online auctions sites, and so seem a bit high. Otherwise, it's quite a good buy.

5 comments about Harry Potter Collector's Value Guide.

1. The amount and variety of Harry Potter merchandise never ceases to amaze me. Rather than collect much of it, just buy this book. The pictures are detailed and printed on high-quality paper. Want to see what some foreign editions look like? It's in here. Want to find out some basic info about J.K. Rowling? It's in here, too.

   Sure it resembles a catalog, but what book of collectibles doesn't? Its biggest flaw is being out of date, thereby leaving out quite of bit of recent merchandise, but it's a good start. The focus is on items based on the books, not the movies, which is okay by me. I'm late to HP fandom, so I get to see what I missed out on.

   I also had the advantage of seeing this book in a store, so I knew what I was getting. It would be nice if there were an updated second edition, as this one only scratches the surface of HP collecting.




2. The book definitely has an entertaining value, but as far as a book for collectors, it isn't up to par. Most of the sections on Harry Potter collectables are not up to date, and they feature very vague values or prices. I think the reason is that Harry Potter merchandise is fairly new, and so it is hard to calculate an item's worth when it just came on to the market.

   The book also includes several interesting sections on the upcoming movie, JK Rowling, and England, which are mildly entertaining. The thing that I thought was the most appealing in the book, however, was a section on Harry Potter around the world. I found it very interesting to see the covers of the Harry Potter books in Germany, France, Japan, and many other countries. Out of everything, I would say that that section helps redeem this book, which is otherwise a failure.




3. this "book" is the worst book i have ever read. the reason is because the "author" is putting 101 advertizements for harry potter mechandise. i reapeat myself, DO NOT READ THIS BOOK!



4. My previous review of this product was removed by Amazon after receiving 54 of 58 "helpful" votes, with the remark by the editor to me that "It is not clear from reading the review that you have read the book you commented on." I don't see how so many of Amazon's potential customers could disagree, and I assure you all that I have indeed read this "book" and that my comments below are thus informed.

   To even consider that this is a "book" is misleading. It is much more of a magazine format, and although it does contain some articles, they are obviously filler for what is otherwise an advertisement for Harry Potter merchandise, of which this book is one. The articles contain nothing that is not readily available elsewhere--much of it available on the net for free. This book seeks not to inform or entertain, but to part you from your hard-earned dollars with the least amount of effort on the publishers. If the "book" were half the price or less it might be a reasonable value. But since the Collector's Value Guide is as expensive as it is, beware of the information included--obviously the "authors" have no true sense of worth.

   Were this truly a Collector's Value Guide, there would be some discussion of value, and what value might actually mean when the market is flooded with cheap garbage like pieces of colored plastic that are supposed to be "magical stones" whose real purpose is to enrich their makers, not entertain children. But of course, no such discussion exists. Granted, not every Potter "collectable" is a monstrosity, but how terribly unfortunate that the real value of Harry Potter, the delight of a child, has been eclipsed by the soulless and almightly dollar. The Harry Potter phenomenon is amazing, and I'm delighted to see so many kids interested in reading, and engaged in the worlds of fantasy and imagination, but this "book" is not about that at all. Instead, the "writers" of this "book" have managed to make a "collectable" from a "book" about "collectables." Clearly the world is not the way I'd have it...




5. I liked the books that CheckerBee Publishing have done in the past like beanie babies, but this book did not have the information I expected. I would not waste my money on this, unless you want to keep track of everything you have bought, but it is not even current....

No comments about Fore-edge painting;: A historical survey of a curious art in book decoration.

5 comments about The Overstreet Comic Book Price Guide, 30e (Official Overstreet Comic Book Price Guide).

1. By the time any price guide is printed it is already out of date. The prices for comics from the 1960's to older is fairly accurate. Older comic prices usually have very little change from year to year. The thing is anybody who has older comics probably doesn't need to purchase a new guide. If you have newer comics the prices in the guide can vary wildly in their accuracy. To me the best part of Overstreet is using it as a shopping resource. It is great for identifying comics.



2. I've collected comic books for over fifteen years and I have found through my experience that Overstreet's Price Guide serves the purpose of grading comics best. One the opening articles of the guide is decicated to grading comics. This includes grading terminology with a succinct description of each major grade(Near Mint, Very Fine, etc.), factors that will influence the price of a comic(for example, high-grade comics will generally be sold for 50% to 100% over the listed guide price), tips on how to put a collection together as well as sell a collection ( for instance, the guide indicated which category of books would need to be listed individually when selling to a dealer), and a report of some of the top comic book sales of the previous year, plus much more. In my opinion, these opening articles embody the fundamentals of comic book collecting and are required reading for anyone seriously entering the hobby. The Overstreet Guide is also more thoroughly illustrated with black and white photos of comic covers than any other guide I've seen.

   Whether I've bought or sold books (I'm not a professional dealer, by the way, I simply sell books from my collection from time to time to generate cash for a new comic I really want) I've always found that the prices and particularly the grading standards listed in the Overstreet Guide are what is almost universally excepted by collector and dealer alike.

   I've consistently found the listings in the guide to be thorough and complete. Overstreet makes a concerted effort to indicated which issues have artists and key events that many collectors are looking for(An example would be: N.Adams art, 1st appearance Ras Al Gul). Of course, everyone has their own opinion of which issues are most important, but Overstreet does a fine job of listing the ones that most people demand, and there are many. A previouse review indicated that the Platinum Age listings may be incomplete. However, I believe there is an article preceeding this listing that indicates that, because material from this period is so rare, the listing is more than likely incomplete. Additionally, the author invites any collectors who have issues from this period that are not included in the listing to contact the author so that the new information can be incorporated into the new edition. Another reviewer felt that the listing for Modern Age comics was also lacking. There may be two reasons for this. First, the edition you purchase takes several months to prepare, and when it is published, it represents the activity in the comic book market for the previous year. The Modern Age issues in question may have been published durning the period of time that the guide does not cover. Second, the comics produced in the last ten years, with a few exceptions, represent, in my experience, a very glutted market. Supply of these books far surpasses demand. Thus, most of these books don't experience much of a price increase. So it's possible that a book published within the last couple of years that hasn't increased above its cover price in value may not be included in the guide. What would be the point? And in either case, these issues will more than likely be included in a future edition.

   As regards the claim that Mr. Overstreet "fixes" the prices in the guide to suit his personal interests, who can really say? What can be said is this: only a person who has a thorough knowledge of and an avid interest in the medium (i.e. a collector) could produce a comprehensive grading and price guide for the use of other collectors. I can't imagine a guide put together by someone who had absolutely no interest in the hobby. Where whould such a person get his information from? He'ld have to depend on other collectors and thus you'ld more than likely have the same charge of conspiracy all over again. Mr. Overstreet evidently has not only the the knowledge and interest but the experience as well as the knowledge and experience of his many adivsors. He's just as qualified, if not more so, than anyone else.

   Let me provide a word of caution. The Overstreet Guide contains numerous dealer advertisements. Some are genuinely strict graders and provide excellent products and service (Four Color Comics and Metropolis Comics are two of these). However, there are many who are VERY liberal in their grading and whose claim of "unconditional money back guarantee" quickly evaporates when you try and make a return (Want List Comics comes to mind). Buy all means, take advantage of these dealer listings, but do so with carefully.

   To conclude, I sincerely feel the Overstreet Comic Book Price Guide is the best available. If your serious about collecting comics, it's a valuable tool for buying, selling, and personal research. I've learned much from just going through the guide page by page and discovering books I never thought existed. Additionally, it's more than likely that at some point in your collecting you'll have to deal with someone who uses this guide a the standard.




3. Overstreet is the bible for collectors of comic books; a sad fact, considering how lopsided its representation of comic book publishers is. I accept that not everything printed can be represented in a guide, but from the look of Overstreet, everything from either Marvel or DC can be- even a recent Marvel title which had poor sales and remains in low demand is represented here at its original cover price, but where are the independent titles which have enjoyed a substantial share of the same market? Where is the Gold Digger, for example, whose sales held strong even during the B&W bust, and which remains in demand today? It's not a bad guide, really... but for the $22 US cover price, I expect something more thorough.



4. I suppose if you collect modern comics this book is all you need. Sadly, it all but ignores the earliest comics published between 1900 and 1935. The token list in the Platinum section is better than nothing but just barely. These early comics deserve more space in the guide. My guess is that Mr. Overstreet owns none of these books so he has no incentive to list them.



5. As always, The Overstreet Comic Book Price Guide proves to be one of the best resources for the comic book enthusiast.

No comments about The Commonwealth Of Books: Essays and Studies in Honour of Ian Willison.

1 comments about Classic Boxing Cards: 56 Full-Color Reproductions from the Mecca Cigarette Sets, 1909-1910.

1. This book is not all that great unless you are looking for some nice prints of the old tobacco cards from the beginning of the century. But with online auctions and internet access, you may as well go out and pick up a few of the actual cards themselves. Now they might not be as inexpensive as this book, and it all depends on your own personal tastes, but I would much rather spend $20 on a 90 year old card than $4 on a book that reprints them. Of course, it would be tough to acquire 56 different cards from these sets without some monetary investment and time.

No comments about Poetry of Ink: The Korean Literati Tradition 1392-1910.

1 comments about The Used Book Lover's Guide to the Midwest/Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa, Missouri, Kentucky, and West Virginia.

1. This book has a lot of great information for the bookhunter. It covers the Midwest, and would be especially helpful for those that live there. My wife and I have travelled around and always bring this book to find hidden bookshops. The only problem with the book is that the occasional shop is no longer in existence or has moved, so call ahead of a visit as the book suggest. Any book lover would love this book!!