2 comments about Collectors Guide to Diecast Toys and Scale Models: Identification & Values (Collector's Guide to).

1. I must say that I really regret buying this book. After waiting anxiously to receive it I was, upon opening it, almost immediately disappointed. It turned out to be an alphabetical listing of companies which produced die-cast models, with a brief (1 paragraph in some cases) description of company history. While it does list each model produced by the various companies and offer a valuation, it fails to describe the models in any detail. Therefore, a prospective collector has virtually no useful information to go on. It doesn't even tell you the various colours the models have been released in, or any details which might differenciate one model from another.

   As for photos. This is another area where this book falls down. Very few graphics; once again - a real let down.

   All in all, a very poor showing. Save your money and buy a different book!




2. This book is not a complete listing of any single make of diecast car (although it does come close for a few makes) but rather a list of all diecast manufacturers that have ever existed with a representative sampling of prices and photos.

3 comments about Collectors Guide to Tonka Trucks, 1947-1963.

1. Enjoyed reading about the early years at the Tonka factory and wished the factory was still there in Mound so we could tour through it to see the toys being made.



2. What it's not, is a comprehensive pictorial of Tonka products. There's little there for the advanced toy collector. However, if you are one of those "collecting type" folks, that likes to "..know how the watch is built, instead of what the time is", ..then this book is really a pretty good read. It's abundant with factory and personnel history, including photos and profiles of the folks whose backs the Tonka brand was built on. A starting, or intermediate, Tonka collector should really put a copy in their library. Chapters are setup in year-groups, from the start of production, on to the early sixties. There are adequate photos of Tonka products to satisfy a 'shared read' with a youngster, and yet give the collector a proper specimin to compare his own pieces to. Photos and text contain the subleties of manufacturing changes, as the company advanced it's production through three decades.
   All, ...important information to the collector. These include numerous logo changes, important to identify the year of production of a piece. Introduction dates, colour schemes, rarities, employee profiles, and histories of product creation fill out the colourful 160 pages. A good buy for the money, for the "nubie" Tonka collector.



3. The definitive guide to Tonka Trucks

5 comments about Toy Car Collectors Guide: Identification and Values for Diecast, White Metal Other Automotive Toys & Models.

1. Do not spend your money on this and all Dana books.Unless you want to see a bunch of letters and photos of listed cars that are not a collector items.Majorette items do half of the book.If you are lookin for a book on die cast models cars,buy something by an english.



2. I've just seen this book at a local bookstore. I was pretty excited when I found it and started to browse. But then, I became a little disappointed! The author gives a few pages to companies like Corgi and Dinky, and far too many to Majorette. I would say that the Majorette part is almost one tenth of the book! Overall the photos are pretty good and there's some good information too.
   I didn't buy it, but maybe I would later, and only if I find it at a very, VERY, low price!



3. The books has many companies listed and gives histories but gives a generic price range. I mainly purchased this book for 1:18 scale models and was sad to see that a roughly half of my collection is not even listed in the book.



4. This book has a review on almost every kind of toy car, but leaves out the prices of a lot of them. There is almost no selection for hot-wheels, but there is a lot of selection for matchbox. My problem is that I have cars with no model numbers, which makes this book useless. I was able to find ERTL and a few others I had though.



5. A great new, year 2002 softbound 336 page volume. There are more than 800 brands of cars included, from 1910 to 2000. An interesting history is provided, as well as current values and buying and selling tips. The book covers Hot Wheels, Matchbox, Corgi, Johnny Lightning,Tomica and more. There's detailed information about scale, evaluating models, and insights into buying and selling. Comprehensive guide for the collector.

3 comments about Standard Guide to 1:18 Scale Die-Cast Cars (Standard Catalog).

1. Great book, This is what I have been looking for. I was able to find all of my 1:18 scale cars in this book and put a value on them.



2. This has to be the worst price guide I have ever seen. Forget about the values not even being close, the Ertl listing has so many errors its pathetic. Several of the cars listed are 1/43, Not 1/18, and are listed as 1/18, colors listed that were never made it goes on and on.
   
   Sorry but it just don't cut it.



3. After waiting for more than 9 months to get this book I was very disappointed after using Cast-car publication by Dan Boyd. The descriptions were very short and in most cases uninformative. I looked up 20 cars immediately from Ertl, Exact detail for Lane, Carousel, and Burago and Supercars (NO AutoArt) only to find 6 out of 20 and these are older than 2001 and could not be found. Very disappointing. All models did not have photos as Cast-Car Publications and the descriptions and details are sketchy or non existent, which is one of the values of the Cast-Car Publication. It does have more 1:18 scale models than any other Manual at this time and the $ VALUES that were assigned I found to be from a little low to extremely low even for an eBay auction. Some of the values assigned to very limited edition cars that even by todays standards are rare or hard to find are lower than what they sold new for and are bringing more than the values given to them in this publication. For example 1969 Grumpy's Toy Camaro SSC, 1969 Yenko Nova #1 Issue, Yenko Camaros #'s 1 & #2 are all listed at a ridiculous $60.00, the GMP Grumpys Toy Nova is also listed at $60.00, and Lanes 1967 Grumpy's Toy is listed as a $60.00 value. I WOULD BUY ANY OF THESE AT THE VALUE STATED IN THIS GUIDE AS MANY AS I COULD GET MY HANDS ON AND MAKE GREAT MARK-UP. WHERE DID THEY GET THESE VALUES??? These are only a few of the many glaring errors I found in an initial 30 minute review. Except for photos in the guide I found it exteremely lacking in why I made the purchase. I'm patiently waiting for the next issue of Cast-car which will include many more manufacturers than just Ertl.

1 comments about Corgi Toys (Schiffer Book for Collectors).

1. This book covers most of the Corgi toys that were available in my childhood.This book brings back memories.So many colour photos shows so many Corgi toys.
   
   If you are a collector or just love looking back through your childhood memories then this book is inexpensive and will impress you.

2 comments about The Die Cast Price Guide: Post War : 1946 to Present.

1. The Die Cast Price Guide will be a greatly appreciated resource for collectors of post-war die cast vehicular toys and models, from Hot Wheels and Matchbox to Tootsietoys, Dinky Toys, Burago, Danbury Mint and Franklin Mint. The author explains how die cast vehicles are produced; what constitutes "near mint"; how to ask the right price and how to interpret today's market.



2. Doug Kelly's new book is a nice addition to a toy collector's library. But with only 125 brands mentioned in the book, it doesn't cover even half of the known brands of diecast and related automotive toys and models. Another book, Collectors Guide to Diecast Toys and Scale Models (by Dana Johnson, $19.95 from Collector Books, ISBN 0-89145-693-7) covers 416 such brands, with another 150 brands discovered since it's 1996 release. (Over 560 brands will be included in the second edition scheduled for 1998.

1 comments about Cast Iron Toy Cook Stoves And Ranges: From a to Z (Schiffer Book for Collectors).

1. 
   I purched 2 books at the same time from Amazon Both of the books were damaged. The stove book looked like it had water damaged because the pages were wavy at the bottom. The 2nd book the front cover had a crease in it because it had been folded over at one time. I know I could of sent them back, but it was'nt worth my time to do so.. I WILL NEVER BUY A BOOK FROM AMAZON AGIN.

2 comments about The Big Book of Superfast Matchbox Toys: 1969-2004 Basic Models & Variation Lists (Schiffer Book for Collectors).

1. Great reference book for any Superfast collector and it contains the full range of MBSF models and variations up to & including the 2004 year. Plenty of pictures at the back of the book to enable easy identification of any MB superfast model you might have but, with usual space constraints of course, it cannot show everything MB has ever produced since 1969. For a greater range of model pictures, you are going to have to get both the Mack Vols 1 & 2. If there are minor criticisms of this reference book then it's the usual Mack fault of listing too many variations of only subtle difference and/or having to wade through pages of say the #38-E Model A Ford Van with its 566 listed variations when this could easily have been listed in A to Z order to make identification easier. Also, there are the occasional errors through out the book showing possible lack of proof-reading. Pluses are the cross referencing between US & ROW issue numbers making this book easier to use than say the Mack 3rd edition Encyclopedia. Overall, a professional reference book for anyone remotely interested in Matchbox collecting from the novice to the serious collector. I look forward to a further updated version of it including the rest of the decade. For anyone seeking MB history there are plenty of other sources, including books from Matchbox themselves and heaps on the general web. One can understand & appreciate the author not wasting valuable reference space on that material in this SF only volume running from 1969 to 2004.



2. This book is a great technical reference for those looking for variation listings. It does NOT provide a lot of pictures, or back story. A little more content on the development of the Superfast line would have been nice, but this book does serve a purpose to those chasing variations of certain models.
   
   I also have Vol II of this book, and it is the same format.

5 comments about Tomart's Price Guide to Hot Wheels Collectibles (Price Guide Series).

1. As others have said before me....the guide is a rehash of previously error filled versions. I have collected since 1994 and would only use this book to identify what the car looked like and possibly the year it was manufactured. Strauss promotes his own limited editions with high prices over more valuable limited editions. Accuracy is not one of the attributes of this book.



2. This book is loaded with valuable information. Lots of pictures & needed specs, but as in previous editions, the incomplete index leaves much to be desired, and the pricing is out of this world. However, that said, it is a great addition to a collectors library.



3. I have an interest in older Hot Wheels, and was looking for values and prices. This is the only book that differentiates between the various colors of the early cars, and those colors make all the difference in value. As a result this book is almost indispensable. The color guide itself is only so-so, being particularly difficult to match up with some of the brighter colors. There were so many shades that sometimes the guide is only so-so too. But since this is the only book that even bothers to attempt to divide the cars by color, this is the one to get.



4. This book purports to be a guide to all of the hot wheels cars produced for the last thirty plus years. It's very up-to-date, and well written and thought out. It has lists of all of the cars, with the early ones priced by color so you can keep track of which ones are more or less expensive. The colors in the color guide don't look that good to me, and since there are so many shades, I didn't find it that valuable, but the price guides are very good. They aren't completely up to date in and of themselves (how could they be?) but they're as good as they can get, and you can use them to judge how much one color will cost as opposed to another.



5. Honestly the latest edition is just a tired rehash of the last one. No effort to clean up errors, just seemed to be rolling the same information over and smacking it with the lastest edition number on it. The pages fall out of every edition I have owned. If you are a Redline enthusiast, there's a new game in town. The Ultimate Redline guide by Jack Clark and Robert Wicker is it! It's a hardback, has really neat history of the cars. Beautiful pictures, and lists all variations.

   I like a little more substance than what the Strauss book has offered lately. Hopefully Clark and Wicker will release more books soon and put this guide out of it's misery!

4 comments about Hot Wheels the Ultimate Redline Guide Identification and Values 1968-1977: Identification and Values.

1. I sell on Ebay and found this book to be very useful. It arrived in perfect condition and right on time. Great information for anyone needing this kind of stuff



2. I have read through many Hot Wheel Guides which speculate values. I have left most books on the shelf, but I had to buy this one. This book doesn't focus on the recent peg hangers and doesn't suggest values that no one in their right mind would pay.

   Instead this book focuses on the Redlines (1968 - 1977 models with the red strip on the tires). There are many beautiful photos of each of the vehicles, documentation on the variations and colors the vehicles, and realistic values for each of the variations.

   I thought about assembling a Hot Wheels reference book for myself as I could not find a book which was detailed, with realistic values, and good photos. I dont have to now as this is exactly what I was looking for.

   So for those of you who get sucked in to thinking about by buying a values guide for the current peg hangers, ask yourself "Is someone really going to pay rediculous prices for something at the local store for under a buck?" Maybe within the first couple months of the release the prices will be high, but then the values go kerplop. Maybe in 15 years the values will climb for these current peg hangers.

   The redlines are the way to go, and this book is all you need.




3. Collector Books has finally gotten their wish. After many years of looking, they've finally found an author to assemble a Hot Wheels price guide for them. (...Well, actually two authors.)
   Jack Clark and Robert P. Wicker have assembled The Ultimate Redline Guide, a 352-page full-color extravaganza of which Collector Books thought so highly as to make it a hardbound edition. (Edition listed on Amazon.com is in paperback.)

   Add this book to the six other Hot Wheels price guides currently on the market. Is there room for a seventh? In this case, yes, without a doubt. The Ultimate Redline Guide focuses on Hot Wheels from that era before Hot Wheels were considered collectible, and are now therefore the most highly prized.

   Redline, for those of you just returning from a pre-Seventies alien abduction, refers to the red stripe on early Hot Wheels tires that distinguishes them from later models.

   This book offers year-by-year color-coded pages of those important first ten years of Hot Wheels production, in large, definitive photos and sumptuous supporting text. Each page is devoted to a single model and its variations. This book is the definitive guide to the earliest and most valuable Hot Wheels.




4. I knew the moment I held this book it was the only one I would need for Hotwheel Redline information. This book blows the other guides to shame. It's a hardback and will withstand the constant page flipping it will get. The years and series are set in logical order. There are pictures of every redline made and well shot. Detailed history about the cars, and pictures showing the variations are only half of what makes this book THE Redline guide. If you are a collector of Redlines, or any Hotwheels, this is a MUST have! I can only hope that these authors will release other titles soon.