5 comments about 50 Ways to Use Your Noodle: Loads of Land Games with Foam Noodle Toys.

1. There's something inherently funny about saying the words "Pool Noodle." Go ahead. Give it a try. Say: pool noodle, pool noodle, pool noodle. See what I mean? Even thinking about a pool noodle, a noodle in a pool, a pool full of pool noodles is kind of fun. And playing with a pool noodle, in a pool, of course, sitting on one, lying on one, lying on several...fun, all fun.
   
   Well, what Chris Cavert and Sam Sikes tell you what you can do with pool noodles, on the land, even, is every bit as fun, and even more inventive than that. They've written two noodle books, as a matter of fact: 50 Ways to Use Your Noodle and 50 More Ways to Use Your Noodle.
   
   Now, before I go any further, I want to warn you. Page through these books, and you're going to want to invest heavily in pool noodles. At about $3/noodle, we're not talking junk. Though you could purchase Tubular Polyethylene Foam Pipe Insulation, Pre-Slit, 3/8" Wall Thickness, For Use On 1/2" Copper Pipe Or 1/4" Iron Pipe, for maybe $3 for 4 3-foot sections. Which is more junk-like, but not much cheaper. Not only are you going to want to buy many, many pool noodles (at least one for each player), but you're going to want to (dare I mention this? yes, yes, I must) cut some of your noodles into 3-foot "Midaronis," 3-inch "Minironis," and 1-1/4-inch "Meatballs."
   
   OK, by now you get a good sense of the tone of the whole thing: fun, funny, creative, inventive. So you're ready for at least one game. Like, for example, Balloon Volleyball, played with Midaronis. Do I need to explain this any more? Everyone with their own Midaroni. Trying to hit a large balloon over a volleyball net. Do you need me to tell you what fun this can be? Or how about the baseball-like "Bustin Burgers" game - where one player sails pool noodle Meatballs to the Midaroni-swinging batter?
   
   You might not expect the more creative activities, like the semi-self-explanatory "Noodle Doodles." And in all likelihood, you wouldn't have begun to anticipate the group team-building, problem-solving aspect of the whole thing, with exercises like seeing how many Meatballs or Minironis two people can hold between them. And yes, in the 50 More Ways book you'll even find pool noodle games you can play in the - can you believe it - pool.
   
   Together, the Noodle books are a treasure of creative, playful, problem-solving fun that should prove an invaluable resource to any youth leader, team builder, or provocateur of playfulness.
   
   
   RE: Noodle Economics
   
   Chris comments: "we found that the foam pipe insulation is okay for some of the noodle book activities, however, it doesn't have the rigidity for most games. Also, you lose the "visual" pull the colors have. Even though you might pay $3.50 (or so) for a noodle, you'll cut the long ones in half - thus cutting your cost in half. And, as long as the participants don't pick on or chew the noodles they last a very long time - the return on investment is great. Bonus: if you buy in the fall they are really cheap - stores don't like to warehouse them because they take up so much space (some stores give them away to educational programs just to get rid of them before the winter months)."
   
   Bernie DeKoven, author, Junkyard Sports, the Well-Played Game, from Deepfun.com



2. 50 Ways to Use Your Noodle offers fun activities to use with groups of people, build teams, and have a great time. I've used the activities with various age groups from junior high through adults and all enjoyed the activities. The follow-up discussions really helped open participants' eyes to new situations or ways of approaching challenges. Easy to follow instructions and fun reading. The biggest challenges faced with using these materials are deciding which of the fun activities to use and finding space to keep all of the noodle supplies between trainings! :-)



3. This book is full of games and activities for small or large groups using pool noodles. I plan to use several of the games with my students for team building. The pictures are slightly out-dated but the games are not. Looking forward to trying them out on my students this Fall!



4. I have used many of these games with my students at school and they have loved them! This is a must have for any teacher who wants a fun and active gym class on a low budget!



5. Our children at our child care center loved the activities in this book. I not sure who laughed the most the children or the adults. The games in this book need teamwork and cooperation.... We will also use the activities at our family reunion. Grade A+

2 comments about Washington Quarter Folder 1965-1987 (Official Whitman Coin Folder).

1. A great way to keep your collection of change in a handy thin book.Your coins stay in place, and are not easily lost. Most have dates and mint marks, that way you can see what you have or still need. Some books even give a little information on the coins you have. Great for the beginner or exp. person.



2. WOW! this hold all your quarters. Its great. I bought it today and its so fun to save your quarters and display them. Its a good investment! §§§Thanks§§§

No comments about Schroeder's Antiques Price Guide.

5 comments about Miriam Haskell Jewelry (Schiffer Book for Collectors).

1. Book was purchased as a gift for my mother. Arrived on time, in great condition as it was listed. There was a small tear on the cover - but it was listed this way so it was what I was expecting. I just taped it up! She won't mind as she will be delighted with the book.



2. Let me first say that I have a ton of vintage jewelry in my personal collection and I also sell it in our family owned antique store. I purchased this book and read it from cover to cover. WOWOW, what a great book. So much great information and easy to read. These girls did a wonderful job in the layout of this beautful book. The pictures to say the least are all stunning and really show up great in their book.
   I would recommend this book to anyone that has ANY kind of interest in vintage jewelry. This book really explains how different designers tried to copy the Haskell style. Great reference on how to date pieces and also identify key Haskell style trademarks.
   Thanks for a wondeful book!



3. Serious collectors must have this book on their shelf. Close-up photographs show the jewelry's intricate designs in detail.



4. This is a fantastic resource book for the Vintage Jewelry Collector or Seller. It is wonderfully organized & beautifully illustrated with many large color pictures. The descriptions are concise & precise. Values are given after each description.
   There is also a wonderful & informative section on Identifying & Dating Haskell Jewelry~vintage to present~including clasps & materials. This section also has clear close-up photographs.
   I feel it is an invaluable tool for the serious collector. And well worth the investment!



5. Dealing with jewelry is both to me, profession and hobby. So I also like reading books about the stuff I love, and this one really got past my expectations. It helps getting insight not only in a really interesting branch of the jewelry business, but tells also about the people behind the design. At the same time, the author manages to give a helpful guide to the ambitioned collector of that kind. The book reminds one how much fun it is to create and wear exceptional pieces and tells some stories that are connected with those. The pictures are magnificent. This book is motivation for new ideas and simply fun to read.

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

5 comments about Warman's World War II Collectibles: Identification and Price Guide.

1. I am a collector of WW11 items and this has come in very handy for Identifing items, when the tags have been removed from items, A lot of history of the item and would recommend this book to others. There are better books out there but this one is very usful for the novice.



2. Warman's World War II Collectibles book is very informative but it leaves out some gear that could be studied, like tents and the gear that goes along with with tents. I realize that covering so much more material in a single volume could be prohibitive.



3. Excellent reference for the military collectible "buff". Doesn't have EVERYTHING, but there's lots of good information for you to value items you have, or want to procure...Worth the money...



4. Being a intermediate collector, I thought this book was great for identifying and giving a good price guide for a great deal of WWII collectibles. Advanced collectors probably would not appreciate the overview of many subjects, but this book plainly states it is not specific in all areas. I would definetly take this to shows for ID help for sure! Great buy!



5. I did not intend to write this review today because I just obtained the book today. I found it by chance at a book store and since I am a specialist in World War II numismatics (coins and especially paper money and more), I bought it. When I got home, I found that there were no reader reviews here so I thought that I shold put in at least and short/temporary one.
   There is nothing on numismatics in the book which you might think would turn me off, but I did not really expect to find much if anything on numismatics. This or any book can only be an introduction to WWII items. Heck, our own book on just the numismatics of the war is over 800 pages. So far I have found the text satisfying if brief. Graf lists many hundreds of items in several chapters. The illustrations are excellent. I learned a lot and expect to learn much more. I will try to write a more detailed review later.

No comments about Warman's Vietnam War Collectibles: Identification and Price Guide (Warmans).

5 comments about Halloween Merrymaking: An Illustrated Celebration Of Fun, Food, And Frolics From Halloweens Past.

1. We Americans tend to be somewhat near-sighted in our view of Halloween in thinking that our celebration of the day is relatively a modern fascination. And, in truth, Halloween has boomed in the past twenty years to become second only to Christmas in decorating and celebrating the season. As Diane C. Arkins shows in this wonderful book, however, Halloween has been widely celebrated for well over one hundred years and this book concentrates on what Arkins calls Halloween's golden age from the 1870's to the 1930's. The book is filled with hundreds of vintage photographs, illustrations, and magazine reprints from the period.
   
   Halloween was not the ghoulish, gory holiday that it is today, but rather a day of revelry when people would hold parties for adults as well as children. Throughout the book writers of the times dispense advice, squarely aimed at women, on how to throw a successful Halloween party. We begin with invitations with some classic examples of period artwork depicting pumpkins, witches or black cats. Showing far more thought, as well as sophistication, magazines even gave advice on what to write, often favoring catchy little rhymes.
   
   Halloween decorations became widely available during the 1910's and Halloween Merrymaking presents hundreds of photographs depicting these vintage decorations. Illustrations and photos show various themes of the times. Interestingly, many of these decorations are being recaptured these days by modern crafters. The fantastic crepe` paper and paper Mache decorations are a collectors dream!
   
   Party favors presented to children or adults were staples of Halloween get-togethers in the golden age. A popular idea of the 20's and 30's was "Jack Horner Pies" in which a centerpiece stood in the middle of the table with ribbons pulled to the end of the table, separating it into wedges, one for each guest. Within each wedge the hostess places small gifts or party favors such as fortunes, written in milk on paper so they would be invisible until held under a light, The fortune would hen be placed inside a walnut shell.
   
   The magazines of the era also offered advice on what to serve for your party and included such forgotten delicacies as Little Goblin Stuffed Eggs and Moon Sandwiches. The book even provides sample menus for different types of parties such as formal, informal, or children's. Next up is the entertainment with suggestions on music and dances and games, as well as advice on costumes. During the 20's and 30's occultism was extremely popular and the book offers numerous fortune-telling and divination games that people could play at their parties.
   
   Finally Arkins reprints several full, vintage articles on Halloween from magazines such as Woman's Home Companion, Woman's World, and Ladies Home Journal. You really get a sense after reading the book just how much Halloween was enjoyed back then without the rampant commercialism of today. This is a nostalgic walk back in time to an era of simplicity and fun. It's fun and educational to see how our grandparents and great-grandparents may have celebrated Halloween decades ago. Highly recommended!



2. Halloween Merrymaking: An Illustrated Celebration Of Fun, Food, And Frolics From Halloweens Past
   by Diane Arkins is a very fine year-round family or community library acquisition illustrating the Halloween celebration of fun, food and holiday partying. This is no repeat history: material from a range of the vintage party guides and magazines that guided hostesses in their party-giving endeavors is presented and showcased in a lively survey of festivities and small color photos.



3. A most thoroughly enjoyable book about Halloween. Wonderfully written and beautifully illustrated it takes you back to a bygone era of Halloween celebratons. A must have book for anyone who is interested in vintage Halloween.



4. I awaited the release of this book with keen anticipation, and overall, find it a delightful retrospective of Halloween celebrations of days gone by. The excerpts from vintage magazines and party guides are charming. My chief complaint lies with the design and treatment of the visuals in the book - they are painfully small. At such a reduced size, they don't allow the reader to fully appreciate the charm of the vintage advertisements, postcards, invitations and photos of costumed revelers.



5. Diane C. Arkins' Halloween Merrymaking: An Illustrated Celebration of Fun, Food, and Frolics from Halloweens Past (2004) offers a poignant but hopeful glimpse back into American high culture and the "Golden Age of American Halloween," which the author locates between 1870 and the early 1930s. Today, many deny that such a high culture ever existed in this country, or, if willing to make such an admission, will tar that culture as "elitist" and "oppressive."
   Yet, at present, Americans everywhere crave a richer, more substantial, and refined existence than the mediocre model that the current popular culture promotes and sustains. Halloween Merrymaking looks back on a time when neighborhood and community, good manners and retail integrity, decorum and propriety, dress and composure, breeding and ingenuity, were all essential and unavoidable aspects of daily American life. Such cultural elements certainly represented strictures in some cases, but the rewards for such discipline was enormous: a thriving, evolving, positivistic, and multi - tiered society that strove to refine and improve itself in any number of ways.
   
   Stressing above all that Halloween in the Golden Age was "hardly a monster's ball by any stretch of the imagination," Arkins focuses on the holiday as it was celebrated in magazines and periodicals of the era, which subtly dictated the civilized manner in which this most anarchic of American holidays was enjoyed by parents and children alike, whether at family gatherings, church socials, classroom frolics, bridge parties, or comparatively chic adult soirees. While children's party treats include the expected cakes, donuts, and candies brightly wrapped in autumn colors, a typical adult menu unselfconsciously suggests Oyster Canapes, Lobster Bisque, Waldorf Salad, and Broiled Squab.
   
   Though the preface states that Halloween Merrymaking is not a "how - to manual" in the traditional sense, the book has sections lovingly devoted to "old fashioned" invitations, interior and exterior decoration, party favors, preparation of the party table, menus, costuming, appropriate music, and suitable games such as apple bobbing, nutshell auguries, tea leaf divination, and other forms of fun and fortune telling that have long roots in British history and folklore.
   
   Though the finest commercial Halloween decorations, party favors, and costumes of the period are featured and emphasized, there are also numerous suggestions for making comparable items from orange, black, and white crepe paper and cardboard, standard kitchen vegetables, and other readily available materials. Ingenuity, enthusiasm, and a happy "can do" attitude are underscored throughout. America was largely an agricultural society at this time, a fact the book reflects in a number of meaningful and practical ways.
   
   Halloween Merrymaking includes period photographs of parties and costumed partygoers, magazine covers and entire magazine articles (such as 1906's "A Jolly Forest Halloween" and 1909's "Under The Pumpkin Vine At Halloween"), and a wide variety of imaginatively depicted period reproductions of witches, jack o' lanterns, black cats, ghosts, harvest moons, owls, and fairies.
   
   Highly recommended to those seeking inspiration and a cure for cynicism, apathy, and the present third - rate norm.

5 comments about Hallmarks of the Southwest (Schiffer Book for Collectors).

1. This book is a must have for the serious collector of Native American jewelry. This compilation is broad and attributes many makers to their nation of origin. There are names, initials, and pictographs, with an assortment of unknowns as well. This book is worth its weight in gold!



2. I've been able to find some of the marks in the book but so many times the marks I'm looking for are not listed. I was also surprised that some names, such as Harry Morgan, were not in the book.



3. We have had previous editions of this book by Barton Wirght for years. This up-dated edition is just more current, but overall it is a very helpful bood to us.



4. Although the exchange process was easy, both copies of the book that Amazon sent had pages either missing or hugely out of order. I wished there was a way for Amazon to check the copies, under such circumstances, before sending them out.



5. This is the eagerly-awaited second edition of Hallmarks of the Southwest; as a longtime collector of Native American jewelry, I'm happy to finally have a copy of this book.
   
   Naturally, not every craftsman can be represented in such a comprehensive work, and complicating this is that not every piece is stamped with identifying marks. (Some of my favorite jewelry isn't stamped at all, even with "Sterling.") Many of the references are a carry-over from the first edition; since silversmithing is often a family tradition, certian respected craftsmen working today may not be represented but their families are.
   
   It's a valuable overview, and leaves the reader [me, at least] wanting more.

5 comments about The Art of Rigging.

1. Requires a basic knowledge of ship's rigging to be useful; but for the modeller, it is an excellent reference work for specifics of the rigging of various blocks,pendants, etc. it even tells your how to build-up specific types of rigging.
   Not a good primary reference but is good as additional information.



2. The book does not go into great detail, but does give an excellent idea of how square-riggers were rigged. It is more of an historical document than it is a descriptive analysis of how such ships were rigged and should be bought on that basis.



3. I feel this book would benefit a teacher instructing a studient, or an ex-sailor; like my husband. I had to ask for his help. I am re-searching old sailing methods and the Art of Rigging is beneficial for this purpose.



4. This book is brilliant. Highly recommended for anyone interested in the rigging of ships. Perhaps not so useful in the real world today, but full of great information and lots of practical knowledge should you find yourself stranded on a Nineteenth Century bark with no one else who understands rigging. Also beneficial for those who enjoy building ship models. A very excellent volume to have on your home library shelves with which to impress your friends and neighbors, too. Buy it, you won't be disappointed.



5. When you open the pages of "The Art of Rigging," you step back in time over two hundred years. The language herein is that of mariners of the days of wooden ships. You must learn the language to fully appreciate the treasure that is this book.
   The author or, more properly, reviser, Captain George Biddlecombe, Royal Navy, died in 1878. This book, first published in 1848 by another author, Charles Wilson, was based on a rigging manual published in 1794. It was again revised and published in 1925.
   If you are expecting modern terms, word usage, and grammar, forget it! This is the real stuff, exactly as done and recorded by the men of the late 18th and early 19th centuries.
   If you are expecting an easy read on the order of "Dick & Jane and Their Dog Spot," forget it! This book is hard work, even the pictures can be difficult, but it is a varitable gold mine of information if you're willing to dig.
   Here is a quotation that I found particularly opaque until I translated it into modern English: "Burton pendants are triced up by the girtlines, and placed over the top-mast-head, that the thimbles may hang on each side, to hook the burton-tackles in."
   Poetry! I leave it to you to perform your own translation!
   If you believe that there is no gain without pain, this book is for you. If you want your pablum spoon-fed to you, you'd best be advised to buy a plastic model.(...)