2 comments about The Official Beckett Price Guide to Football Cards 2008, 27th Edition (Official Price Guide to Football Cards).

1. Like other reviews I find that some cards are simple to find, others are impossible. They may be listed, it has over 600 pages, but the way they are categorized is awful. I cant even find one of the cards shown on the cover! A 2001 Refractor reprint of a 1976 Walter Payton RC. Where is it?



2. I was kind of dissapointed. It was confussing to find the right place for the right card. It was sent on time.

1 comments about Warman's Vintage Jewelry: Identification and Price Guide (Warmans).

1. If you're into jewelry with glass gems or the art deco look, this is an excellent resource. The text gives a good review of jewlery in the 1920s - 1940s, but on the level of an interested collector, not for a research paper. The photos are excellent and the pieces nicely categorized by type.

5 comments about Everyday Fashions of the Fifties As Pictured in Sears Catalogs (Dover Books on Fashion).

1. Whenever I take this book out, people fight over a peek into its glossy pages. It covers everything in fashion from the fifties, though mostly focusing on women. The pictures depict fashions, from dresses to shoes, hats and gloves to maternity wear; the women's hairstyles, makeup, and overall looks give the reader the most authentic possible view of fashion and the aesthetic ideals of the time. The catalogue also shows the prices and features descriptions that include fabric, color, and price. There are some pictures of teenage, male, and children's fashions. This book is thorough and unbelievably beautiful.



2. I was born in early 1953 so many of the fashions still mean something to me. I have to admit that I'm still drawn to the femininity of the period but I have my dreams and you have yours and we'll leave it at that. This is a good book for the money. Not too detailed, the reproductions can get a little bit fuzzy and there is no color; but this what you get for $15 these days. If you like what you see here, there are other resources to persue. It's a pretty good starting point.



3. I truly enjoyed reading the old advertising copy while looking at the old ads. Some of the fashions I remember my grandmother and mother wearing. Lots of fun reading.



4. This is a primary source book that tells the prices and materials, which are very helpful to a costume designer. I also enjoy the book Fifties Forever, which is similar except it's color photos of actual vintage stuff (the color does help, but the Sears catalogue is still great without it).



5. I thouroughly enjoyed reading this book. It was packed from start to finish with pictures. The book gives an excellent overview of what the average woman was wearing in the 1950's, unlike many similar books which focus on important designers.
   While it is very light on text I still feel that it is a must for anyone interested in this period.

5 comments about Everyday Fashions of the Forties as Pictured in Sears Catalogs.

1. Not only is it great to see the everyday fashions of this era, you can really enjoy reading the descriptions and especially be amazed by the prices of the items!
   
   Keep it in pristine condition as a collector's item, or use it as part of a scrapbooking project with photos of the family from way-back-when!
   
   Any way you use it, Everyday Fashions of the Forties as Pictured in Sears Catalogs is a lot of entertainment for a little price -- just not quite the sort of prices you'll see inside the book!
   
   There's lots of fun here. Highly recommended!



2. As I have more in this series of books, I was fascinated by the year-by-year styles in the 1940's. And as with others, I was disappointed that they were not in colour. A minor problem, I think, because the descriptions provided as well as the names of colours also tells me about the time period. What exactly is the shade 'Cadet Blue'? But it does give good all around display of everything from children's clothes...not to mention miniature uniforms for little boys, to men's wear and funny looking men's underwear, to shoes, hats and purses, evening and wedding gowns and the rather uncomfortable looking women's underwear. Along with the others, they are a treasure and a time capsule.



3. Whenever I take this book out, people fight over a peek into its glossy pages. It covers everything in fashion from the forties, though mostly focusing on women. The pictures depict fashions, from dresses to shoes, hats and gloves to maternity wear; the women's hairstyles, makeup, undergarments, and overall looks give the reader the most authentic possible view of fashion and the aesthetic ideals of the time. The catalogue also shows the prices and features descriptions that include fabric and color. Seeing such low prices is pretty crazy! Obviously, it was relative to wages and the overall cost of living then, but the immersive effect of the book is still strange and fascinating. There are some pictures of man's and children's fashions. This book is thorough and unbelievably beautiful.



4. I was looking for ideas for a 1940's costume for a dance competition. This catalog helped me tremendously.



5. I love the book. I use it to give me inspiration for my designs. It's a good reference book.

5 comments about Collecting Costume Jewelry 101: The Basics of Starting, Building & Upgrading (Collecting Costume Jewelry 101).

1. "Collecting Costume Jewellery 101" is essentially a beginners' guide to the main makers of (American) designer costume jewellery. Other information is also given, such as how to repair and clean costume jewellery and what to do with unwanted jewellery, all of which would be useful to a person starting a costume jewellery collection. However, the vast majority of this book are devoted to summaries of the main jewellery making companies.
   
   For most designers, the summary given is brief, comprising the dates of operation of the company; a brief history of the company; the signature look of the product; and buying recommendations. Nevertheless, this is more than enough for a beginning collector. Greater detail is given about Coro, Kramer, Trifari and Weiss, however, four designers whom Carroll recommends for beginning collectors. Numerous color photographs are also provided for each designer, with values given for each piece of jewellery.
   
   For people seeking a more detailed discussion of designer costume jewellery, I recommend the sequel to this book, "Collecting Costume Jewellery 202", although both books are well worth investing in.



2. This was a wonderfully informative book with information that dozens of other books on this subject do not cover. Also suggested is the sequel, Costume Jewelry 202.



3. I am so tickled and honored to have jewelry from my private collection featured in Julia's books. This new Second Edition of the "Collecting Costume Jewelry 101" book features a bright new cover with colorful layouts and 200+ new photographs and additional designers. Julia and I have been jewelry friends for many years and her incredible knowledge in this field has helped me form an extensive collection. So jewelry lovers, it is time to set aside the original edition that is dog-eared & note filled, and add this new second edition which features many new photographs and designers that are not in the first edition! As her other books, it is a great learning tool that will teach you so much about forming a fabulous costume jewelry collection of your own! She is so thorough in her research which you will see with all the updated information and new values. We can only hope there will be a 303 version in the future!



4. Hang on to your hats, jewelry lovers!!!! This is a book you MUSTN'T MISS!!! Julia C Carroll never disappoints collectors at any level of expertise. Once again, in this visually stunning new book she grabs us with beautiful pages in a logical and practical teaching layout that keeps us turning those pages!! The pictures are generous in volume and so well done you can examine the details in each piece. This new upgrade is a MUST HAVE-beautiful, bright, full of the great educational info of the original "101", but with so many more pictures and facts!! I find other authors' guides nice to thumb through, but you really learn to identify and nail down pieces out in the real world by studying Julia's "101" and "202". My collection is now full of incredible pieces I learned to look for only because of her great books. If you want the pride of knowing what to buy, and how to not overpay, buy and study this wonderfully updated book...even if you have the original "101", ADD THIS TO YOUR LIBRARY!!! Then sign on to buy her "202". Thanks, Julia C!! How about a "303"??????!!!!



5. I wish to express my gratitude to so many generous people who helped with this Second Edition of "Collecting Costume Jewelry 101:the basics of starting, building & upgrading".
   
   First, I want to thank my readers. I am warmed by the wonderful feedback I have received from beginning collectors on the first edition of this book. Based on this feedback, I was careful when working on the second edition to leave in place the easy-to-use format. Thank you readers!
   
   A warm thank you must always be reserved for my husband who once again offered me his support and his excellent camera skills. Thank you sweetheart!
   
   Next I want to thank my friends (especially Debi Reece and Dave Mayer) who shared their knowledge and collections with me so I could add over 200 new photographs to this new edition. Thank you dear friends!
   
   Finally, I want to thank the staff at Collector Books for giving me the opportunity to write a Second Edition. With their help this second edition has many beautiful enhancements. For example:
   
   - Collector Books created a hot new cover and vibrant new interior color scheme. I adore the bright colors and I hope you do too. While maintaining the easy-to-use alphabetical arrangement of makers, the interior design is also updated.
   - Over 200 new photographs have been added providing additional examples of jewelry designs from many makers.
   - The historical information and information about marks is updated.
   - eBay selling changes frequently so Chapter 6 - "Upgrading Your Collection" is fully updated.
   - A new chapter is added featuring 13 makers not shown in the first edition.
   - The popular "Marked by Style" chapter, showing unmarked jewelry attributed by the style to specific makers, is revamped and expanded.
   - Of course the values have been updated.
   Thank you Collector Books!
   
   I love jewelry, I love collecting, and I love this new edition. I hope you do too. Warm regards, Julia C. Carroll

1 comments about Jefferson Nickels Folder 1962-1995 (Official Whitman Coin Folder).

1. Just like the Whitman coin folders from when I was a child, good quality, fair price. Excellent option to hold a modest collection in the building stage, until you're ready to move your collection to a better quality folder such as Dansco.

5 comments about The Gun Digest Book of Firearms Assembly/Disassembly Part I - Automatic Pistols (Gun Digest Book of Firearms Assembly/Disassembly).

1. This book is very good at step-by step instructions. The pictures are well taken of the actual part you are working on. There could be more model numbers to go over, but the ones they have are very good. The author is exerienced in gun repair and it shows up in the "tip" portion of every model. I think a list of specialty tools would benifit the author in this book, since each model of firearm needs at least one special tool. Not all, but most. Listing those would benifit the less experienced gunsmith. Thank you



2. This book and all the others in the series are invaluable to the professional gunsmith, firearms hobbiest, or the casual gun owner who just likes to "see how things work" but can't always quite remember whether this little spring went in here, or over there.



3. This book is an excellent guide for disassembly. It is worthless as a guide for reassembly. There are no step-by-step instructions for reassembling a firearm. At best, the book assumes that reassembly is the reversal of the steps involved in disassembly. This is not necessarily so. I would not recommend this book to a hobbyist.



4. Since I am a Gunsmith and deal with a variety of firearms I bought this book for disassembly/assembly instructions.

   This book is almost 23 years old and in sore need of updating. It does not even cover the new S&W auto pistols, Glock series of Handguns, or the Heckler & Koch (HK) MP 5 submachine gun. All of these are in wide use by law enforcement. Further the Mossberg 500/590 isn't cover either. Duh! It is the only shotgun to pass the mil spec test and is in wide use by cops.

   Unless you just have to have it for work wait for an updated version that covers firearms developed and in use by law enforcement in the last 23 years




5. If you cannot field strip a weapon you really have no business owning it. I bought the volume on automatic pistols and I was not disappointed. For most of my life I was a revolver man and I stayed away from automatics because I didn't understand them- and I was convinved that they were unreliable. When I bought my first Model 1911 (which has NEVER jammed on me) it didn't have a field manual, so I bought this book. It didn't take long before I was field stripping and reassembling blind-folded. I feel confident that I could do the same with any automatic even loosely based on John Browning's designs. I might have trouble with German designs like the Luger or Broom handle Mauser, but after studying this book I feel sure that I could eventually master them too.

5 comments about Turner in His Time, Revised and Updated Edition.

1. Arranged chronologically the book is divided into six chapters; chapter one covers the first twenty five years of Turner's life with the other five chapters covering ten years each. Well written and very readable the text provides an insight into Turner the man and Turner the artist, and includes numerous quotations from Turner and his contemporaries; it succeeds among other things in bringing alive the artist as a person.
   
   Concluding the book is an extensive Chronology; Inventory of the Late Residence of J.M.W. Turner; Turner's Library; Bibliography; a detailed List of Illustrations and an Index.
   
   The book is fully illustrated throughout, with the images usually on or close to the page on which they are discussed. In total there are 186 illustrations of which 164 are in colour. The illustrations not in colour are mostly engravings and the like, period photographs or the work of other artists. The majority of the illustrations of Tuner's work are full page (or as large as the picture format will allow on the page with a margin), with some full-page or page-and-half bleed images along with a few double page images. There are a few actual-size details of paintings; very informative. The quality of the pictures is excellent, often revealing the texture of the paint, and the colour very good. Very usefully each picture is accompanied by a brief description or commentary, but irritatingly not with the details of the pictures dimensions; surely with the great range in size of Turner's work these should be included alongside the image, (there are of course to be found in the List of Illustrations).
   
   This is a large handsome volume, almost square in format, which provides a very good survey of the artist and his work. It covers all aspects of Tuner's output, including his oils, water colours and examples from his sketch-books. The choice of work ranges from the very well known to the "I didn't know Turner painted that!" Very interesting are the few examples of his very early work, including a water colour produced when he was about eleven years old. Providing as it does a comprehensive overview of the artist and his work, this is a very worthwhile publication.



2. I was very satisfied with my purchase. I was also impressed by the speedy delivery time from Amazon.
   Regards,
   Craig Taylor



3. Beautiful Turner book with many colour reproductions, excellent chronology. Flawless work! Highly recommended Thames & Hudson art monograph.



4. I checked this book out at my local library. It is so good, I'm going to buy it. While I knew who Turner was and had seen one or two reproductions of his work in books about other, later artists, I had seen little of his work and knew nothing about him before reading this book. It has been an absolutely wonderful introduction and has spurred me to look for more about Turner's art. There are something like 168 reproductions of oil paintings, watercolors, and drawings; most of them are large and in color; all of them are outstanding. I have looked at them in awe. The great landscape painter is himself a marvel. His prodigious talent revealed itself very early (by age 11 at least) and was recognized by his father, a London barber. He hung his son's paintings in the window of his barbershop with prices attached. Thus, Turner was a professional from childhood. In as much he was blessed with a reasonably long, healthy, and extremely productive life as well as extraordinary creativity which increased, rather than decreased with age, Turner left the world with a huge treasure-trove of great art. Stylistically it spans the period from the Old Masters of the seventeen century to the Expressionists, and in my view, towards the end of his career, it verges on Abstract Expressionism.
   
   This book is a biography of the artist as he was perceived during his life. Thus, it is filled with an abundance of quotations from contemporary sources, which serves to make Turner a very real and likeable, though very prickly, man. However, the emphasis is on the pictures. Wilton is a Turner scholar. His discussion is well-informed, without being pedantic or impenetrably academic. He has appended lists of the contents of Turner's house/studio and the contents of his library, which were made after his death, a bibliography, and an index of the pictures included in the book, which identifies their locations.



5. Excellent reproductions that will knock your socks off. Also, interesting read.

5 comments about The Rolex Report: An Unauthorized Reference Book For The Rolex Enthusiast.

1. If you're looking for a general purpose collector book covering Rolex watches, this probably isn't the book you're looking for (try the Hess/Dowling book). However, that isn't its focus or purpose. The author, John Brozek, is one of the industry's leading experts on authentication techniques for Rolex watches and that is where this book shines. I would suggest that the author consider re-naming the book in future editions to make clear what it really is: THE BEST DAMN GUIDE AVAILABLE ANYWHERE FOR AUTHENTICATING ROLEX WATCHES.
   
   The book starts out with a basic review of the Rolex company history and the evolution of many of their most popular models. From there, the text moves to an examination of the watch components and a look at many common replicas and fakes for comparison. The author also provides the reader with tables that will allow them to determine the correct movement/case combinations for most Rolex models.
   
   If you collect vintage Rolexes, this book is a MUST HAVE on your bookshelf to help you discern fakes, frankenwatches and swap-jobs. No other book even comes close to providing the wealth of information for Rolex authentication contained in this text. On a critical note, the book hasn't been updated since its 4th edition in 2002. The replica market is in constant change and the author needs to add updates to aid in detection of the latest counterfeit models.



2. This book is not for casual reading. It is a book for people that want to learn and invest or purchase Rolex watches. It is a reference and teaching guide. Very informative. Well worth the price.



3. Great book for Rolex collector. Slow on the shipping, but thats not the publishers fault.
   Nice pictures, although all balck & white.



4. I bought this since I have been collecting Rolex watches, its very informative and has lots of historic model informations.
   
   Worth every penny.



5. This book is an excellent introduction to Rolex.Full of useful infomation at a realistic price.EXCELLENT!

5 comments about Victorian and Edwardian Fashion: A Photographic Survey.

1. This is one of the first books in a long list of fashion books that I own. It is one of my favorites. It is a bit academic as another reviewer mentioned, but I feel that's an important part of what makes this book a keeper. It covers European, mostly English fashion of the aristocracy. There are some great historical anecdotes. My favorites involve Empress Eugenie lounging audaciously around in her red knickers, and some about the rare daring lady to show up to the Ascott races in "pants". The writing isn't as witty as other books, but the historical detail is fantastic. There are quite a few pictures as well. The arrangement of the pictures and text is chronological and very easy to follow. The only drawback is that the pages are matte and not glossy. And the spine falls apart after a few years of hard labor.



2. It is a rare opportunity to see how people dressed in reality so far in the past. By contrast, fashion plates always show the garment in its perfect form, portraits are idealized, and original illustrations change the proportions, whether purposefully or not, to fit the times of the artist, not that of the garment. Photos do not lie.
   
   The pictures feature mostly upper-class people in attractive poses, and the reader can enjoy seeing these people in their clothes, in a variety of settings, in the middle of different activities (cycling, skating, boating, traveling through snowy mountains, playing tennis...). The people sitting for portraits are looking their very best, trying out different positions, picking their finest clothes. As for the garments themselves, the pictures are clear and attractive, and the details are so telling!
   
   The text dissects the pictures and explains costume of the era in detail, discussing the general trends, exceptions, class distinctions, and how the people in these old photos relate to all this. A Very good book for a costume historian.



3. A good and informative book. Just looking through it I learned a few things that I hadn't ever heard or noticed before, such as the way that tightlacing of corsets doesn't seem to have been too common before the late 1860s.
   The book is very reasonably priced. The only trouble, which probably, were it to be fixed, would make the book cost a lot more, is that I often wish the photographs were printed in better quality.



4. 
   This compact book is full of photos and it has great explanations from beginning to end. The author explains carefully every photograph, and also each of the fashions worn by the subjects.
   
   If you love old photos of Victorian and Edwardian fashions, then this is a nice book to own for your library. (Also, the price is reasonable).



5. Dover Publications, monarchs of 19th-century fashion surveys, have hit another one clean out of the park with this superb examination of Victorian and Edwardian fashion from the coronation of Victoria to the early 1900's. Originally published in England in the early 1960's as "The Mirror of Reality", this book was acquired and republished by Dover in a handy paperback edition up to their usual high physical standards (Dover is well-known for the high quality of its paperback books). Alison Gernsheim delves into every single aspect of costume in the period, from buttons to boots, and the accompanying B&W photos, well over a hundred of them, are worth even more words. The fashion-plate books such as Stella Blum's "Harper's Bazar 1867-1898" and Joanne Olian's "Victorian and Edwardian Fashions from La Mode Illustree" are absolutely indispensable for showing the fashions of the era as their designers conceived them, but you need - I say again, _need_ - this book to see how those dresses looked in the real world.