1 comments about Paris Collection: French Doll Fashions & Accessories.

1. As a novice french fashion doll collector, I found this book to be very helpful. I learned about the different types of fashion dolls and what to look for before I buy one. It also gives great detail on the dolls accessories, especially their dresses. I also like the fact that this book contains patterns of original french fashion gowns so you could make your own reproduction of the real thing.

5 comments about The Doll House Decorator: The Complete Guide to Do-It-Yourself Furnishings for Dolls and Dollhouses.

1. I first got this book when I was 8 and still love it. Every time I look at it I find somthing new. It has very good instuctions and is good for all ages. All the projects are with very available, inexpensive things. I'm very happy I have this book and it is very fun to put into use.



2. I was 11 when I was given this book by my parents. That was all it took for me to become completely obsessed with creating these little worlds of tiny people. Granted, this isn't the most sophisticated of all books on the subject, but it is extremely accessible. Now, 14 years later, I still have most, if not all, of the furniture I made by using patterns from this book. The materials are inexpensive and very easy to find - on a child's allowance I was able to do a lot. This is still, hands down, my sentimental favorite.



3. I was disappointed over the quality of the minatures featured in this book. They seemed way too amateur-ish and uninventive. I feel the author could have tried a little harder in making more creative and sophisticated designs rather than boring, suburban-lazy type she displayed in this book. The designs reminded me of those ugly crocheted blankets you see in the typical housewife or granny's home. It's a great hobby with alot of potential; unfortunately, the only people who take it up have no sense whatsoever of aesthetics.

   The up side of this book is that it includes alot of color photos and detailed instructions, if you are inclined to make these dull pieces at home.




4. i found this book by chance in waldens. i have always had a fascination with miniatures and dollhouses, maybe because of my modest childhood. however, my interest in miniatures was sparked by the discovery of this book. boulton does an excellent job with explaining the miniture making process. as always, the DK company provides clear and colorful illustrations on making miniatures. i love this book and would recommend it to anyone who is an advanced miniaturist or novice.



5. My Mother gave her copy of the book to my granddaughter who is 8 yrs old. Now she can't wait to get home from school to work on her latest project for her dolls or doll house. Sometimes it is a Mother-Daughter project but not always.

No comments about Antique Dolls.

3 comments about The Art Doll Chronicles: A Collaborative Journey of Discovery.

1. This book has been a great resource for a fun project a group of "50" something friends have started. We keep going back to our 20 individual copies to reread and be inspired.



2. This lavishly illustrated, full-color book starts out with the creation of nine art dolls and their makers. Every detail of the beautiful dolls is shown up close with general commentary on how they were put together.

   The completed dolls were then sent on a 19-month journey from artist to artist and their travels were recorded in art journals that are also splendidly displayed in the pages of the book. The amount of creativity within both the dolls and the journals is staggering - I can't even put the proper words to it. This is one art book you will never regret buying.




3. This lavishly illustrated, full-color book starts out with the creation of nine art dolls and their makers. Every detail of the beautiful dolls is shown up close with general commentary on how they were put together.

   The completed dolls were then sent on a 19-month journey from artist to artist and their travels were recorded in art journals that are also splendidly displayed in the pages of the book. The amount of creativity within both the dolls and the journals is staggering - I can't even put the proper words to it. This is one art book you will never regret buying.

5 comments about Tomart's Price Guide to Tin Litho Doll Houses and Plastic Doll House Furniture.

1. I was very satisfied with Amazon. My book was packaged extremely well so that the pages wouldn't get messed up. I was surprised at how fast I received it too.



2. Great reference book for collector of 40's and 50's plastic doll house furniture. Copyright in 1997 makes pricing guide a tad out of date . . . nevertheless a good starting reference price range. Great photos. Interesting information on producing companies.



3. This is a wonderful reference quide for baby boomers who want to collect dollhouses and furniture! What great memories this book brought back. I found doll houses and furniture I once had and some of the models my cousins and friends had in the 1950's! This is a trip down memory lane and the price is great for this publication. Amazon delivers quickly, too!



4. I purchased three books on tin toys and dollhouses, and this one was the best by far to help me evaluate some tin/metal doll houses I was buying.

   The book sections are by the doll house maker, with excellent photographs that help identify them, and estimated years that they were sold.

   In addition there are photographs of the furniture that you would typically find in these houses. This helps alot if you have just purchased an empty doll house, and you want to furnish it with vintage items of the correct size and type.

   Simply an excellent reference book for tin doll house collectors or just old-timers wanting a bit of nostalgia :)




5. Mary Brett has written the Bibile of Tin Litho houses. Excellent pictures of the houses detail their interiors, exteriors and the furniture needed to make them cosy little homes. All major producers are covered, Marx, Cohn, Wolverine to mention just a few. Ms. Brett also includes a section on the more unusual items, such as the rare and unique Friendly Folks Motel. Better buy two copies, this book is destined to become dog-earred and worn before very long.

5 comments about Hopi Kachina Dolls with a Key to Their Identification.

1. For the most part the depictions of the Kachinas in this book are line drawings of heads. That leaves out about 90% of what you may be interested in seeing.



2. This is by far the best Kachina book on the market. It was written by Harold S. Colton who spent a lifetime studying the Hopi indian culture. I found this book to provide the most accurate details of the Kachina. If you are pursuing an in-depth study of the Kachina, this book is for you.



3. This book is a good place to start if you are lookin into collecting katsina's



4. This book will be most helpful to you if you have a Hopi kachina and don't know which one it is (there are several hundred different kachinas). The book shows the different styles of masks and dress of the dolls, and also shows the differences in the little details such as mouths, eye shapes, colors the dolls are painted, feathers, and accessories that the dolls carry. The kachinas are listed with their names in English as well as Hopi, and the functions of the kachinas are given as well. The line drawings are very easy to understand, and the photographs are clear. Many of the dolls shown in this book are the older style non-action dolls (sometimes called "belly-ache dolls" because of the way their hands are positioned in front of their stomachs, as if they had belly aches), but there are some nice photos of more contemporary styled dolls too. I highly recommend this book!



5. This book is one of the best I've seen on the subject of kachina dolls and their carvers. A great reference as well as a strong introduction to the art. Describes the differences between Hopi and Navajo styles, with high quality photos. Along with my Barton Wright, this book is invaluable as a collecting reference book. The appendix includes a big list of Hopi carvers' names and a page of translated symbols.

5 comments about Barbie Doll: Identification & Values (Collector's Encyclopedia of Barbie Doll Collector's Editions).

1. Good resource. Would have been much better if each doll was listed by name under the category in table of contents. ie; Bob Mackie: Queen of Hearts,etc. and the page number where it can be found. Some Bob Mackies are in the porcelain section as well as designer section and would be missed if you don't know your dolls, which is why you buy the book in the first place.



2. I found this book easy to use because it was well organized. I also found the prices to be on target. The pictures are great and they cover most of the collectors dolls. They also give you all the right basic information you would want to know about a doll.



3. I have been a fan of J.Michael Augustiniak since I read his first "Encyclopedia".As a Barbie Collector who lives in a foreign country and doesn't have the same access to the informa
   tions that are necessary to buy a doll,this book gives you a full view of all the types that have been made, their market values,focusing into the designers' work,the changes a Barbie
   doll has been passing through and the most amuzing part:The one
   of a kind dolls,which we woudn't be able to know if it wasn't for this book. Excellent for rechearch and a very accurate source for a good purchase.
   A must-have!



4. Okay, you might ask what a guy like me is doing reviewing a book on Barbie Dolls. Well, for one thing, I happened to pass down the collectible aisle in the local bookstore, which had books on collecting coins, stamps, signatures, cars, antiques, art glass, dinner plates, you name it, and on the end, was the book on Barbie Dolls, with information on prices and rarity. So I picked it up and took a look. I was surprised to see some of these dolls go for nearly $1000, but most of the dolls in this book go for $10 to $50.
   
   Also, the Barbie Doll is probably one of the most important pop culture icons of the last 40 years. Hundreds of millions of Barbie Dolls have been sold in just about every country.
   
   The book also had some interesting historical info. The first doll came out in 1959, and from there until 1966, there was only one head mold used, altered slightly for the Fashion Queen and Miss Barbie Dolls. From 1967 through 1976, there were four different head molds used (the original 1959 was used for Montgomery Ward, Twist n' Turn Barbie, Stacey, and Steffie Dolls).
   
   Since 1977, however, many other molds have been used, offering more variety and ethnic diversity, including the 1981 Oriental Barbie, the 1983 Spanish Barbie, the 1991 Shani Barbie, the 1992 Mackie Neptune Fantasy Barbie (which looks like it might have been Aquaman's girlfriend or significant other, from the comic strips), and the 1999 Fantasy Goddess of Africa Barbie.
   
   The book also contains info on prices and rarity, and other general information on each model, including clothing, accessories, face make-up, Ken dolls, and other Barbie paraphernalia.



5. I absolutely recommend this book! Very Detailed-from the beautiful Silkstones to the innovative Dolls Of The World-Princess Collection(I have almost EVERY one!)-stunning photos, close-ups and all-if you collect Barbie, you MUST have this book(and the other with the special store editions)-

2 comments about Dollhouses, Miniature Kitchens, and Shops from the Abby Aldrich Rockefeller Folk Art Center.

1. This book presents a charming look at some important historical dollhouses in the Rockefeller Folk Art Center. Good pictures and texts. Not useful if you are looking for realistic projects for your own dollhouse crafting hobby, but for the historian, this is a wonderful look at historical dolls, dollhouses, and furnishings that were used over generations as toys and learning devices for girls. For extravagant historical dollhouse rooms created by and for an adult collector (that you would perhaps want to emulate in your own hobby), see another book, Miniature Rooms, about the Thorne Rooms at the Art Institute of Chicago.



2. I consider this book to be one of the best dollhouse references out there. Every page has color photos. Many of the furniture pieces are photographed individually. Each photograph is clear and detailed. The author is careful to note when a piece is original, antique, or modern. Everything in this book is well-researched and documented. You could carve replica furniture pieces from the photographs in here, they are that good!

   Needless to say, the houses featured in here are gorgeous in their own right. My favorite part of this book are the great photos of the Grodnertal peg-wooden dolls. This book contains some of the best Grodnertal photos I've ever seen!

5 comments about Helen Kish: The Artist and Her Dolls.

1. Love the book. It has lot's of great pictures of Helen Kish dolls (some that I have and love) and interesting info about Helen.



2. This is a well rounded book of Helen's past, previous, and current dolls. She is a talented artist and has a very human side to her too! You can see her talent and creativity improve page by page. Her struggles getting noticed by worldwide and national doll and sculpture collectors increases gradually until she is so popular that she finally gets a book about her career as an artist.
   So many of my dolls by Helen is in this book that I finally have a doll artist book that I will cherished because I can identify most on them in this book. I love the color photos of her work. I haven't read every page yet; but it seems to be accurate.
   I've also had the advantage of meeting this wonderful artist in person several times at doll events and conventions and she is as wonderful as described in the book. Helen is very down to earth and her husband and daugther are her greatest supporters.
   
   The most popular doll that has made Helen superpopular is little Riley!
   That little 7 and 1/2 inch doll has so much attitude and has taken over the hearts of many doll collectors worldwide.
   
   I also love Helen for adding many ethnic dolls to my collection and I cherished them very much. I have one of her ethnic black little boys and he is in this book on page 48 and his name is Bailey.
   
   If you are a new or old collector of Helen Kish; you will love to have this book in your collection.
   
   Enjoy, Lena



3. This book is very helpful especially to the new collector of Helen Kish dolls. It provides interesting historical information about the artist, as well as lots of good photos and information about the dolls themselves. I refer to the book often to help identify Kish dolls made in the past. While I am glad to own the book and think it's a good value I would have liked more information on which dolls were made in the USA and which were handpainted by Kish herself. I rate the book FOUR stars.



4. This is a wonderful book. A must for all Kish collectors. The photography is beautiful.



5. Thrilled with this edition.. wonderful photographic record of her productions.I have used it many times already to identify a doll before a purchase and in discussion with other collectors on internet groups
   
   As a collector and admirer of the work by Artist HElen Kish, , it was enjoyable to read her personal bio..
   
   ..a must for anyone who collects Kish dolls

No comments about Mexican Popular Art: Clothing and Dolls.