No comments about COLLECTIBLE MAGAZINES: Identification and Price Guide, 2e (Collectible Magazines).

No comments about Warmans Childrens Books: Identification and Price Guide.

No comments about Comics Values Annual 2008 (Comics Values Annual).

5 comments about Pokemon Collector's Value Guide: Secondary Market Price Guide and Collector Handbook (Collector's Value Guides).

1. Just like the title for this review. No more, no less.



2. I am pleased to say that this excellent guide has brought much information about the incredibly popular Pokémon trading card game, and much knowledge about the Pokémon merchandise. Checkerbee Publishing has made a incredible value guide, considering that they included transalations for the Japanese poket monster trading card game, pictures of the cards, and such information is included in American Pokémon card game which is also featured in this book. Though this book has it's pros, it also has cons. No estimated prices are given about the American Fossil Cards, and few people are sure that the Japanese transalations are 100% accurate. Though, that should not stop you from buying this stupendous guide. I am very sure this will satisfy thous who are in need of Pokémon information.



3. i bought this book because it looked cool. but i read some of it there was alot of misprints!



4. This book is a really good source if you want to know how much your pokemon cards are worth. This book has the values of rares, commons, and uncommons. And it even has the values of japanese cards. If you want to get a pokemon price guide, i suggest you buy this one.



5. IF you can't under stand you japanies cards fear no more. This book tells you what it says.

5 comments about The Standard Guide to Collecting Autographs: A Reference & Value Guide.

1. I don't know if there are many people out there who can lay claim to a Louis XIII autograph, or even a George Washington autograph. If they did, they probably also have Jesus Christ on a baseball.

   My point is, there are listings for hundreds if not thousands of people whose autographs probably don't even exist. The book is good for referencing celebrities and sports stars, but there are far too many pages dedicated to the various types of William Henry Harrison signatures, and other topics we need not explore.

   If this is the "standard guide" it should be a little more up to date. I would rather see five facimilies of a Robert De Niro or a Mickey Mantle autograph than of somebody who has been dead for 500 years, because you know what-- chances are I won't be getting their signature any time soon, so I won't need to compare it to a facimile.

   This book is a very comprehensive price guide for today's celebrities and sports stars, which is why I give it a four star rating. But if the book spent less time dealing with signatures from centuries ago, and more time dealing with the stars of today and tommorow (I got Heidi Klum's sig the other day, and she isn't listed-- she is probably one of the most famous models in the world), it would truly be the best autograph guide out there.




2. Wow, after reading so many books about autographs finally a realistic book enters the market. Unlike the Sanders guide it it deals with values at a realistic level and why not Baker has written more books about the subject than any other author in this genre. Not since Charles Hamilton's books on the subject have I ever learned so much, Bravo!



3. I'm not a fan of monopolies, but in this case, the Sanders Price Guide is the one and only. This book tries to be the "standard?" Sanders is the standard in the field, and while ambitious, this book simply doesn't measure up. Good for facsimilies, but that's about it.



4. This huge 608 page volume is loaded to the gills with over 50,000 autograph values covering 15,000 names. More than 1,000 facsimile signatures and photos of autographed items are shown. There are numerous chapters of background information that will be of interest and value to experienced autographers as well as novices. This book covers topics including sports, entertainment, music, artists, literary, business, medicine, space, heads of state and much, much more. The index alone is over 70 pages!! It provides accurate pricing, informative insight into market trends and many current topics. A super reference book.



5. This book filled with facsimile signatures and finally some accurate prices for a variety of autographs. The author's analysis of the market is also included and alone worth the purchase price.Well worth purchasing by anyone who loves the hobby!

2 comments about Literature & Writing Connections : How to Make Books with Children - Grade Level 1 through 6 (How to Make Books With Children).

1. This is a really well-put-together book! Great instructions/lessons. Really good to use for anyone who does lapbooks!



2. I have used this book more than any other. I teach workshops all over the state and have shown this book countless times. When it was not returned to me after a workshop I was sick when I heard it was no longer available. When it came out in reprint I bought 3 copies, just in case one was taken again. Well worth the money.

1 comments about Collectable Paperback Books: A New Vintage Paperback Price Reference Second Edition.

1. Now in an fully updated and expanded second edition, Collectable Paperback Books by Jeff Canja is a straightforward reference and price guide to vintage paperback books featuring 12,625 authentic market prices ranging from $5 to $500! Black-and-white illustrations of book covers pepper the extensive price list comprises this invaluable and authoritative guide; along with a brief section at the beginning which teaches the novice collector about grading the condition of vintage paperbacks, distinguishing collectible books from ones that aren't worth very much, and more. Also included is a selection of publisher profiles, famous cover artists, and author pseudonyms. Collectable Paperback Books is an indispensable and strongly recommended reference for collectors, dealers, bookstore staff members, and anyone simply wanting to assess their personal or family library of vintage paperback books.

1 comments about A Guide to Western Historical Scripts from Antiquity to 1600.

1. Michelle Brown's book is a must-have for the beginning student of paleography or codicology. It includes full-page (generally readable) photos of manuscripts which demonstrate characteristics of certain medieval scripts by country, region, and date - with facing page transcriptions and explanations. There are a few minor mistakes and questionable areas, such as her p. 26 transcription of the half-uncial (probably a typo), and p. 130 transcription of the humanistic book script (also probably a typo). The book is best utilized in conjunction with a course in either paleography, codicology, or both, and then mainly as a preliminary reference tool for rough-dating or localization. Pay attention to the details, for similar scripts (like the various gothics) can get tricky.

5 comments about Handcrafted Journals, Albums, Scrapbooks & More.

1. I have not yet started my project, but am confident that this book provides good instruction. The pictures are great, and helpful for sparking new ideas. The instruction is detailed, and there a variety of different techniques displayed. I would have liked a list of sources, instead of just "available fine art stores", but overall this was a good purchase.



2. I had bought another book in Amazon about scrapbooks and journals and even if it had good pictures of the final projects it lacked photos of the different passages. I have Browning's book now and really you can't go wrong. DIfferent techniques, plenty of explanations, great ideas from the simple "messages" note pad to the more complicated seeds book! I can't wait to try her ideas that I consider as a starting point for my own creativity!



3. I think this book is an excellent start for beginners. I have never made anything before (book, album, etc.) and once I read through the book one time I was able to make an open spine book in one day. Instructions and photos are great.



4. Marie Browning has the Midas Touch when it comes to crafting. On my most cerebrbally challenged "daze" (I have a huge family, toddlers under three!) I can go to any of her books and choose a project that is both challenging and creative, add my own panache and have soemthing that is uniquely "Alouette." Look at her basic pocket accordion book! She has two different examples (business card and stamps) that give way to more inspiration. She is elegant, she is whimsical. Some of her ideas are very masculine, others are delicate and lady-like. (Crafters often get stumped when coming up with ideas for guys-- she has no shortage of masculine ideas!)



5. Of all the manuals that I have seen on handcrafted books, Marie Browning's is the absolute best! Her instructions are precise and easy to follow. She sets out a basic formula for making a book and goes individually through each material necessary. She illustrates the spectrum of materials that can be used for different parts of the process. A must-have for book artists!

5 comments about Book Collecting 2000 (Collected Books).

1. This book presents a wealth of information to collectors, sellers, & those who just love books.
   
   As a value guide, the authors clearly state their goals as far as how to use the price information. It applies to the first printing of sepcific works (and the identification means for each publication are clearly listed) in very fine to fine condition. The authors also mention that the prices will be affected by lower & higher quality books. There are literally 6,000 books listed.
   
   True, it's heavy into price values (listing prices in 1986, 1995 & 2000), which can provide some clues as to if you should hold onto that box of books in Aunt Ruth's attic, or for sellers wondering where to start the bidding, but this book also includes good solid information.
   
   My favorite sections are "Book Collecting" & "What To Collect." This explains the lust for bound paper in a way that even your shoulder-shrugging-spouse will understand. It briefly gives credence to the 'why' of the animal that is 'book collector,' even if the books they relish are not the ones with the 4 digit values -- heck, it can give a book-outsider an idea why a book-insider adores the books so low in value, they do not appear in guides.
   
   In "Knowledgable Buying," basic terms, details of conditions & ratings system, along with reprints, dustjackets etc, are explained, which will help budding bibliophiles, fiction fanatics & others who wish to learn how to talk the talk, perhaps effectively lowering prices at a flea market...
   
   This also helps sellers price appropriately, not wasting their listing fees, turning inventory etc. But it also helps a well-intentioned-gift-giver from bringing you a box of books so horridly damaged, that the site of them makes you weep. (But if they do, the section on how to take care of your collection might help!)
   
   The book is organized in an easy to follow manner, allowing this book to be used quickly as a reference tool. But, again, I keep this book for more of the "meat" about collecting -- it covers information that passionate folks want to know, aside from price values.
   
   (Consensed Review)



2. Despite its title, this work is a brief but helpful introduction for the novice collector, with many useful tips on such matters as the importance of a book's condition. Its chief value lies in the various lists included: a catalog of authors' first books--heavily weighted to modern works--and their estimated value; a guide to identifying first editions; a glossary of booksellers' terms; and addresses of booksellers and auction houses.



3. The first 100 pages or so are filled with wonderful information on the basics of book collecting. However, after that, all you have left is a price list of first books of collectable authors (which is only going to be useful for a short time as rare book prices are constantly in flux).

   The Ahearns know their stuff, but the publisher should put out a separate volume (cheaper) with just the beginner's information for those of us who don't want the price list.




4. I just bought this book after having bought Ian Ellis's "Book Finds". I did so cautiously, since one negative review here specifically claimed the same buying "path". Not so for me. "Book Collecting 2000" is excellent for my needs and might be for you as well.

   I was nudged into active book collecting when I found an author's first edition of her first novel hidden in a book sale stack. For $3 I came to own a $300 book. But it wasn't simple. Although I had heard of the author, I did not recognize the book as her "first." Only a quick jaunt home to check some online listings confirmed its value. I anxiously returned to the sale hoping the book was still there... couldn't find it at first ! Someone had picked it up and then returned out of alphabetical order!

   As a relatively new collector I just don't have the experience to always ID a "first book".

   "Book Collecting 2000" supplies an ENORMOUS LISTING of first books (350+ pages out of 520) - with roughly 5000 entries. You can study it or bring it to a sale with you. The listings show estimated values from the 1986, 1995 and 2000 editions of the book and provide some cues about what sorts of books are gaining value at especially surprising rates.

   In addition, the listings often supply additional information and "points" about the "firsts." This is, for example, the first general-use reference in which I've seen the dustjacket cover of John LeCarre's (1962)US first, "Call for the Dead", accurately described ("white dustwrapper"). Before buying "Book Collecting 2000" I had already invested $2 at another sale in a nice blue and tan version that turned out to be a stealth book club edition... disappointing but really a rather inexpensive way to learn what a "blindstamp" actually looks like!

   Yes - this book is mostly lists, as the other negative review claimed. But I found all of them to be useful, especially so when combined into one source. These lists include Pulitzer, Hugo and PEN winners and the like, but also a very handy listing of author pseudonyms, nicely sorted alphabetically by both actual and pen name. An appendix contains a brief listing of publishers' formats for indicating first editions - it seems adequate but I have to admit that I still prefer my pocket-sized McBride for that. The "front material" (roughly 100 pages) is a decent overview of the wide range of information that a new collector needs to absorb. I think the Ellis book does a better job of this piece. But that just means I recommend buying both.

   I now take this book with me to every sale!




5. After reading BOOK FINDS by Ian C. Ellis, 271 pages with 229 pages of text, the reviews on this Ahearn book of 536 pages written by respected people in the field made it sound good as a follow up for a beginner. Then I received the book and started to read it. It was like going to a restaurant buying an expensive meal and receiving a hugh plate of lettice with very little meat. First list was of prize winning books over the years starting with the Booker. You can get a more up to date list on the internet from Amazon. Second there was a Glossary of 14 pages. Then there was a First Book list and yes it showed selected authors first books together with price appreciation. These lists made the point that there was price appreciation. One sentence could and did make that point. These prices will not be up to date. Again the internet used book services are better. Then there were the appendixes, again lists. When you get all done and subtracted these fillers there are just 62 pages of text left. If you love to collect lists in expensive books to fill your shelves purchase this book. Otherwise the Ellis book covers the same material and more for much less.