4 comments about Collecting Baseball Memorabilia: A Handbook.

1. This book is great for anybody that has an interest in collecting baseball memorablia. Mr. Zachofsky has unique suggestions for collecting autographs and how to display them.



2. I received this book as a gift and was very impressed with the suggestions and the history it gave. I have since begun creating my own Baseball Memorabilia Room and I have even gotten a few Hall of Famer autographs. I find this book extremely helpful for any collectors, experienced or new to the hobby. I think this book is fantastic and it is the "BIBLE" of any collecting manual. With the upcoming baseball season, it really makes a great read especially if you're interested in starting a memorabilia room. The forward to the book is written by one of my all time favorites, Duke Snider -- very impressive! Also, I love the pictures that are included! I highly recommend this book!



3. After 5 years of struggling collecting baseball memorabilia, I've finally found the magna carta for this fascinating hobby. Attempting to collect the key signatures for this hobby is the ultimate goal. Collecting Baseball Memorabilia A Handbook makes it easy, enjoyable and is a great investment. Lastly, since I've purchased this book, I've added 5 Hall of Famers to my collection without the stress because of the knowldedge found in this book.



4. Since collecting baseball cards many years ago I have always been an admirer of Baseball memorabilia collections. I never started on because it always seemed too difficult. This book makes it easy. From the aficionado to the novice,from the young to the old,this book encompasses all aspects for starting,adding to, or preserving a baseball collection. Amazing insight into the collecting world it gives great advice and tips that are so valuable to a new or even seasoned collector. This book is the "Ball Four" for collectors as it gives an insiders view from someone did it. It has interesting comments and synopsis of Hall of Famers and baseball park and team information. Concise and easy to read with great photos and a foreword by the "Duke of Flatbush",my hero. A must read for anyone into collecting or who enjoys baseball memories.

5 comments about Collecting Little Golden Books: A Collector's Identification and Price Guide (Collecting Little Golden Books).

1. This book is more than a catalog of photos of little golden books, it is packed with useful information. The information in this book has made it easier for me to determine a price for little golden books, and it has helped me know which little golden books to look for. I've already listed and sold some collectible little golden books at the prices given in this book, and I was surprised by how quickly they sold.



2. Now in a comprehensively updated fifth edition, and knowledgeably compiled by Steve Santi (a personal collector and professional dealer of Little Golden Books), Collecting Little Golden Books: A Collector's Identification & Price Guide features 3,750 black-and-white photographs, and offers 4,500 listings of author, date published, page count, and physical dimension information, as well as approximate current prices to help collectors identify and properly value a mass selection of treasured Little Golden children's books published in the past century. A no-nonsense, easy-to-use resource, Collecting Little Golden Books is very strongly recommended as an informational resource for collectors and dealers with its new sections on Golden Library of Knowledge, See Saw Books, Tintin, A True Life Adventure, Golden Stamp Books, Golden Story Books, Goldencraft Library Bound Books, and more.



3. Book has same prices as 4th edition updated three years ago. It also drops the guide to other children's books (Wonder, Tell-a-Tale, etc.). Hard to find any useful new information. Sad, since we were looking forward to a real update.



4. I really enjoyed reading the history of Little Golden Books and Western Publishing that begins this useful and fascinating guidebook.
   This book covers the numbering system of the Little Golden Books, the changing prices, how to determine editions (more complicated than you'd think), and how to determine value and condition of a book. I shows pictures of each of the Little Golden Book covers and lists them by book number, the new numbering system, Disney titles, and activity titles. The other members of the Golden Book family like Big Little Golden Books, First Little Golden Books, Little Little Golden Books, as well as promotional titles and foreign titles are included. This guidebook also contains Ding Dong School Books, Eager Reader series, Giant Little Golden Books, and Little Golden records. It includes Elf Books, Wonder Books, Treasure Books and Tell-A-Tale books, too. It tells how to date a book by the spine design and shows back cover designs through the years.
   Some people have found the indexing of this book to be awkward but I did not. I was easily able to find all of the books and information I was looking for. I collect Little Golden Books for my own private use and not for resale and I love this book because it has all the front covers pictured and tells the author and the illustrator. It rekindles the old memories of titles from my childhood that I then search out to share with my nieces and nephews. I especially love Eloise Wilkins' and Garth Williams'numerous Little Golden Book illustrations and this book helped me to discover so many that I wasn't aware of before. It comes with me to many, many garage sales and has been helpful in protecting me from highway robbery that some flea market sellers would have liked to commit! The information it contains about value and how to tell what edition a book is has brought many an inflated flea market price down to a reasonable level for me. I also use it to mark off the books and editions that I have in my collection and I make notes in the book about the quality of the copies I have, so I avoid duplication and I know when an upgrade is a good idea for a purchase. Steve Santi has done a super job of compiling the data on these national treasures and I recommend this book to one and all. This is splendid Americana and is filled with lots of happy memories. You'll like it.



5. This is a great book. The illustrated covers are enormously fun and are helpful in identifying editions. The indexing is awkward to use, however, as rather than page numbers it directs you to sections, so you basically have to read the index, then go back to the table of contents to find the right section. The extra challenge is that the books within the sections are not all arranged the same way; some are by number, some by title, etc. The author explains why he did it this way, and I was able to understand his rationale, but it is hard to figure out what's going on unless you read the text. It still seems to me a small price to see covers in chronological order wherever possible.

No comments about Alfavitario: A Greek Alphabet Book for Children (in greek).

1 comments about Atlas Maior - Italia.

1. Atlas Maior, originally published between 1662 and 1665 by Dutch cartographer Joan Blaeu, was an 11-volume, cartographical masterpiece of the Baroque period. Today, it's still known as one of history's finest examples of commercial mapmaking. Tachen's reprint is made from a well-preserved, hand-colored and gold-leaf copy of the atlas in the Österreichische Nationalbibliothek in Vienna. The maps, originally printed from hand-engraved copperplates, are exquisite, if not inspired.
   
   The Italia book features all 60 color maps and all of Blaeu's original notes (translated). Blaeu's comments provide a glimpse of the 17th-century view of the world; his introduction, while interesting, is a bit dense. Thankfully, the Italia book also includes a generously illustrated introduction from Peter van der Krogt, giving a brief history of Dutch map and atlas production, as well as some details on the making of the Atlas Maior in particular. It's unfortunate that Van der Krogt's commentary does not continue through the book; given the extraordinary qualities of the individual maps, their corresponding captions are far too brief.
   
   However, with its large format and beautifully printed color maps, Taschen's Atlas Maior packs a great deal of value into its $26 price tag -- a mighty bargain and a worthy addition to any art or map enthusiast's book collection.
   
   (Multilingual text is in Italian, English, and German)

4 comments about Cookbooks Worth Collecting.

1. A very informative book on the backgound of cookbooks and collecting them. It is not meant to be a price list. Price lists are only valid until they are published, then the prices have already changed, so this book has a leg up on price lists.
   
   If you don't care about the background of cookbooks and collecting and are only looking for lists or advice as to which to buy, don't buy this book.
   
   If you want to learn more about the hobby, buy this book.



2. Barile's book is one of my 3 favorites on this subject. Her coverage of historical significance is excellent, and her listing of specific books with price guidelines is simple to use and surprisingly thorough for the space devoted to them. I have been able to find some of my cookbooks and recipe leaflets in this book that are not listed elsewhere, so I recommend it a sound investment for the new collector. My copy is already dog-eared from daily use.



3. As a new collector of cookbooks, this is one of my favorite reference books. The historical information found in this book is fascinating and helps the reader understand the significance of cookbooks as a window to the past. It also helps explain why some are valued as highly as they are. The 1993 copyright did not detract, since values tend to be relative, and this book gives a good feel for evaluating a collection. Unlike an earlier reviewer, I did not find the shortened listings in the last section of the book to be a problem. I was able to find a surprising number of cookbooks I've acquired in this book that are not in the 3 others I have. Also, cookbooks are listed alphabetically by title, the absolute simplest reference arrangement I've found...no jumping around in categories is required. I'd highly recommend this one!



4. This book is a pretty fair buy and help. The thing I didn't like was the fact that 2/3 of the book is history of different cookbooks. I didn't personally want this. I just wanted prices of collectible cookbooks, so there weren't near enough books for my liking. The listings that were there were easy to understand and look up.

1 comments about Collecting Movie Posters: An Illustrated Reference Guide to Movie Art-Posters, Press Kits, and Lobby Cards.

1. Useful place to begin your collection. Teaches the history of movie posters, lobby cards, press books, and other movie memorabilia. Can help you not get taken.

1 comments about Standard Guide To Golden Age Comics.

1. The first question that one may ask about The Standard Guide to Golden Age Comics is why would you need it if you have an Overstreet price guide. Good question, one which I will answer soon enough. The Standard Guide to Golden Age Comics is the 2006 edition from Krause Publications, who have been publishing outstanding books about collectibles for many years. This guide to strictly the Golden Age of comics covers titles from 1938 to 1956 with some 30,000 prices and is edited by Alex Malloy and Stuart Wells III, the same men who edit the Comics Values Annual.
   
   The book is laid out cleanly and neatly with a comprehensive index of artist name abbreviations. The listings are exhaustive with their notations of first appearances, notable appearances, origins, etc. Only a near mint price is listed but a condition and grading guide is included to calculate prices that are not in the top condition. Also important to note that the price is based on strict grading guidelines such as CGC which is why the prices will probably seem higher to collectors familiar with the Golden Age market. This is perhaps the only issue I can find fault with. While CGC is becoming more and more prevalent every day, I still think the average collector would prefer just traditional grading, although dealers may differ with me on that.
   
   So what makes this book worth purchasing if you already have an Overstreet? First, being dedicated to just Golden Age comics, as opposed to everything, this book doesn't have to use a minute font that you need a magnifying glass to read. Sorry, these eyes aren't as young as they used to be and a large typeface is appreciated. Second, it address a growing segment of collectors who ONLY collect Golden Age books and don't need a price guide with a bazillion different X-Men titles and variants to navigate through to find the book they want. Personally, I'd love to see Krause do a Silver and Bronze age price guide as well.
   
   The next great selling point is the over 900 cover reproductions in full color. You just can't beat color! I also love the fact that the editors didn't just reproduce covers of the usual superhero titles but also included many more obscure funny animal, war, and romance titles. The kind of books you just don't see every day.
   
   Finally, the book isn't padded at the back and front with dozens of pages of ads that I frankly don't care about. It's a trimmed down, streamlined guide that gets right to business and doesn't annoy the reader with a lot of fluff they'll never use. An indispensable guide for the Golden Age comic book collector or fan!
   
   Reviewed by Tim Janson

5 comments about Old Books, Rare Friends: Two Literary Sleuths and Their Shared Passion.

1. For those of us who lust after books about books, as well as the history of successful booksellers, this book is one of the best. "Old Books, Rare Friends" details the struggles and triumps of two of the most famous women in bookselling during the twentieth century. They include lots of stories about tracking those elusive hidden gems overlooked by other more successful book dealers. They also describe each woman's scholarly adventures, successes and failures. I read this when it was first published, but wanted to own it so I could re-read it from time to time. If you love books you can't go wrong with Madeleine and Leona's story.



2. Sometimes I will fall in love with an author's life as perceived through her books, and read all of her works for other glimpses into her private paradise. Authors such as Will and Ariel Durant, Edwin Way Teale, Stephen Jay Gould, and Oliver Sacks have shared their curiosity, astonishment, and joy with me. These authors are endlessly inquisitive. Each new discovery in their world, whether it is a fern, a skull, or an anecdote about a long-dead king is greeted with joy and eagerly shared with the reader.
   
   Now in the dusty corner of bibliomania, I have found two more authors who are willing to share their joy of discovery with me. They even have a name for it: 'Finger-Spitzengefühl'--"the electrifying alertness to what is unusual or important in an early printed book. When 'Finger-Spitzengefühl' is coupled with serendipity, the gates of paradise open for the dealer in old and rare [books]."
   
   Leona Rostenberg and Madeleine Stern share their "thrill of the chase and the joy of the find," as well as a seven-decade-long partnership in life--"the partnership of 'Faithful Friends' who share 'a deep, deep love.'"
   
   I have to admit I had trouble getting into this book. I read some of the earlier pages six or seven times because I kept falling asleep and losing my place. However, once the authors were out of childhood recollections and into the chase--first of all for the works that Louisa May Alcott had published under a pseudonym--then I was hooked.
   
   These authors have illuminated many once-obscure corners of history through their curiosity and devotion. They deplore collectors who pursue rare books as an investment, much as I would deplore a physician who is in practice 'only for the money.' Leona Rostenberg and Madeleine Stern have devoted their lives to the search for the old and rare, and their love, curiosity, and wisdom show through on almost every page of this book.



3. Given to me as a birthday present on a misty Northwest beach,the whimsical allure of these charmingly self-possessed women residingin one of the toughest cities in the world, drew me into its first pages even as the rest of my party sat around on logs, barbecuing fine local viands & feeding the camp dogs. From their student years, surviving the Depression & WWII; to studying & getting published through the exciting times of starting a company & their book-hunting jaunts to musty basements in faraway places this is a lively, lovely duet by two voices weaving a deeply evocative memoir...



4. For everyone loving books, history and detectives this book is a great pleasure to read. With great enthusiasm Leona & Madeleine write about their lives and the books which they bought and sold. It makes one jealous of times when rare books could still be found under piles of dust instead of being sold for fortunes. So stop reading the reviews and start reading this book now.



5. Those who love books and the history of the written word have benefitted from these devoted "literary sleuths" who not only devoted themselves to located lost treasures, but who pioneered the rights of women in academe. A story of how devotede friends could pool their talents to rescue lost arts and discover the literary secrets of groundbreaking authors. A suprisingly exciting read.

5 comments about The Book on the Bookshelf.

1. ...but it was just so unrelentingly dull. Even the interesting parts (Anatomy books bound in HUMAN FLESH!) were dull, or presented in a fashion that made them dull. The detail was exquisite, but the presentation was...not. And some of the descriptions of avid book collectors and their manners of storing, arranging, and displaying their books made me want to back away, very slowly, towards the nearest exit.
   
   For anyone interested in the history of books and the ways in which they have been stored, I recommend this book for the wealth of information it provides. It's a pity it couldn't be presented in a more interesting manner.



2. I enjoyed this meticulously researched history of the physical design of books, bookshelves and libraries. Petroski follows the evolution of book storage from pigeonholes used to store scrolls to modern space-saving "moveable-aisle" stacks. In the process, he also covers the changes in the physical design of books themselves and the ever-present challenges faced by libraries throughout the ages as more and more books appear on their shelves. An appendix covers a host of possible methods of organizing your personal book collection - this section is easily the most amusing part of the book.
   
   Petroski includes interesting anecdotes and helpful illustrations to liven up this sometimes dry subject area. While not a gripping book, it definitely succeeds as a thoughtful study full of interesting nuggets of history. It's obvious that obsessive book lovers throughout the ages have put a lot of thought into storing their collections.
   
   If you're not particularly interested in why books were once shelved spine in, or how library layouts have changed over the years, then this book will probably not hold your interest. Personally, I have fond and vivid memories of libraries, especially the one from my childhood. This book definitely has me looking at libraries in a whole new light - I'll never be able to walk into one again without studying the way it's laid out.



3. I'm as fascinated by history and technology as the next person, but this book seems to be an overstretched monograph, marked by redundancy and needless recitation. Properly edited, the story of the bookshelf would take far fewer pages. There is no reason to cite nine examples to prove that rows of lecterns with books chained to them were common c1600, for example. I'm willing to try other titles by this author--he is curious about interesting things and writes readably--but the subject matter here doesn't fill a book, in my opinion.



4. Although this volume contains much fascinating information about the evolution of the book, Petroski is most interested in how book storage systems have developed. It turns out that books have been stored in more ways--and in more peculiar ways--than an uninitiated reader might imagine. (Would you believe that most books were once shelved "backwards" with their fore-edge out and their title-less spine faced in?) Among Petroski's best chapters are the one that treats problems that arose when books had to be chained to their shelves and the one describing the development of modern library shelving so strong that it could support the library rather than the other way around. Petroski includes many fine illustrations that that well support his theses and educated guesses.

   Committed bibliophiles may easily tolerate the discursive, not to say meandering, course of The Book on the Bookshelf. I reached the limit of my patience a couple of times and put the book back on the bookshelf for a while before finally completing it. That having been said, Petroski's ramble is just too self-indulgent and just plain too long, sort of an Atlantic Monthly essay that got away from the author. I absolve future readers from all guilt if they decide to skip pages and even whole sections of this clever work.




5. The Book on the Bookshelf is Henry Petroski's sly look at how books are stored, and have been stored for centuries. It's sly, in part, because to tell you this he has to tell you the history of the book itself, and this of course leads him off in different directions. You learn much about not only books, and bookshelves, but scrolls, printing, various sorting systems, printing and spelling conventions over the years, and various other minutiae. If you're interested in this sort of thing, like I was, it's very interesting. I was fascinated to read, for instance, that the British publishing industry changed about a decade ago, and began printing their titles on the spines of books oriented the same way we do it. Previously they had printed the titles upside down (from our point of view) and the two books I'm referring to are old enough to display this. I'd noted it, but never knew why they were like that. Now I do. I'd recommend this book to anyone who's interested in books, publishing, and the history of those things. I will warn you that the author does tend to get into his subject, digress a bit, and run away with his topic now and again, but I generally found this characteristic charming rather than annoying.

5 comments about The Comics: Before 1945.

1. Anyone who is interested in American comic strips and their creators must have this book in their library. It is by far the most comprehensive survey of the genre and the best source for reproductions of the comic strips discussed. While obviously limited by space considerations, Brian Walker has done an admirable job of showing at least one example of most comic strips of connsequence from the first half of the twentieth century. The rather disturbing insecurity demonstrated by some comic artists and other commentators in other recent books (Masters of American Comics and Cartoon America), who seem obsessed with their desires to have comic art classified as "fine art," is nowhere to be found in Brian Walker's essays on the subject. He rightfully accepts comic art for what it is and, by providing useful background information on the creators, helps the reader appreciate the obvious merits of this art. The color reproductions in this volume are also superior to those in the catalogue which accompanied the recent comic art exhibition. All those with a new found interest in comic strip art after visiting that exhibit would be best served by making this their first purchase from those books currently available on the subject.
   
   Craig Englund



2. 
   This is a wonderful book for anyone who has followed the Comics,Strips,Funny Papers,Cartoons,or whatever you want to call them.
   I was born in 1935 and by the time I could read,I became addicted to the comics. I didn't consider it an addiction at the time,they were just something I loved to follow.
   This book is really a set of two. The other is "The Comics Since 1945",also by the same author. I wrote a review on it on April 28,2005;and won't repeat what I said there. I am surprized that "Before 1945" was published in 2004 ,while "Since 1945" was published in 2002. Why in that order? Who knows. All the things I said in that other review also apply to this volume.
   The two books are really a 2-volume set. If you read and want to own one;you'll want both.
   Physically, the books are identical; 10"X13",each 336 pages,glossy hard cover with a selection of strips,lovely dust covers and each weighs about 4 pounds. The paper is of excellent quality and so is the printing,color reproduction and binding.The overall quality of the manufacturing simply
   couldn't be better. One might think that these books are too large;but it takes this size to do the strips justice and readible.
   These 2 books bring back so many memories to me of following the strips.
   I have always been interested in the mechanics of the strips and the artwork and lettering.
   One of the things that amazes me is that when the Comics were in their heyday;in the 1940's, everyone followed them. For instance;everyone knew who Dagwood and Blondie,Li'L Abner,Daisy Mae and the Yokums,Jiggs,Dick Tracy,Superman and a host of others were;and followed their stories and adventures.
   The books give you a brief story about each of the Cartoonists,and a surprising idea of the earnings they enjoyed.In those days we didn't pay much attention to the creators.The strips were just there. However; there was always a big issue when your paper dropped your favorite.
   Comics certainly don't have the broad appeal that they used to for several reasons. First,when the creator retired,the people who tried to continue it,just didn't "have it". Political correctness spelled the end of many strips. The really good strips were full of adventure,such as;Tracy,Red Ryder,Annie,Li'l Abner,Prince Valiant and so on. The introduction of romance and feminine strips changed what comic strips were all about and probably resulted in the loss of many readers.I know they never interested me.
   My daily paper,the Toronto Star,has only one strip that I follow every day;that being Doonesbury. It hasn't even carried Dick Tracy for years;fortunately I can still follow it on the Net.
   These books have excellent indexes and extensive notes providing all sortd of information for further reading.
   If you enjoyed the Strips,you'll love these books.



3. Many time book stores will sell gift books that are all fluff with no meat in them. This book (I am happy to state) is not one of them.
   
   
   Broken up by decade you get a treasure trove of strips, some everyone knows and some obscure but beautiful (you will often find yourself wishing for more).
   
   The text pieces are insightful and the strips themselves both are chosen for the classic and the obscure.
   
   Well worth it for the Amazon price!!!



4. And not just funny--witty, colorful, inventive, slapstick, adventurous--and eagerly awaited. Here's an oversized, hardback, full-color, coffee table book chock-full and brimming with the art of the funny papers. Brian Walker, son of Mort Walker (Beetle Bailey), not only draws comics but also mounts exhibitions of them. This book includes hand-colored originals from the Museum of Cartoon Art, as well as full page Sunday layouts. From the Yellow Kid and Hogan's Alley at the turn of the century to the wartime wonders of the 'forties, this is a coffee table book you can't put down. Retailing at $50, Amazon's price is about $30--a bargain and a steal for such a beautiful volume. Also check out Walker's companion volume, The Comics: Since 1945.



5. Insider, Historian and Exhibition Curator of note, Walkers take on the Early Comics is naturally second to none ,gathered in a single volume; as a companion volume to the Comics Since 1945, unparalleled in its overview of a nearly 110 Year History of an American Original Art Form. A Must- Have for any Library on Popular Culture, and for any well-read Home Library.
   
   A balanced look at a long time American Art form that does NOT criticize the Wide Range of various Talents who expressed , with satire, humor and foibles of American life with the big foot style ,as well as the adventure comic genres, including the noble, ignoble and everyday .
   
   Without a doubt, a 10********** out of a 5 ***** possible!
   
   A wonderful Holiday Gift for that Special Favorite Friend.