4 comments about Warman's Fenton Glass: Identification and Price Guide (Warman's).

1. This book has wonderful photos of beautiful Fenton glass items from all through the Fenton production history. The back-up text is also very helpful and informative.



2. I bought this as a gift for a friend who runs a consignment shop and she loves it and uses it as a reference frequently.



3. I find it difficult to rate any one book on glassware since as any glass collector knows, one would literally have to have an entire library dedicated to antique glass only.As far as this book goes I found it to have a good bit of information on many areas of Fenton glass, some of which I was seeking and some I was not aware of. Overall,it is a good general guide, but as I said previously one would need a roomful of books to cover not only glass in general but indeed an entire section of said library would have to be just for Fenton glass. That being said I can recommend this book for beginners and casual collectors, as for the serious and professional types I think a collection of Fenton books should accompany your collection of Fenton glass.



4. As an avid Fenton Art Glass collector, I eagerly devour any new material written about my favorite glassware. In this tome, Mark Moran has summoned his considerable journalistic and antiquarian talents to produce a reference book celebrating Fenton's 100th anniversary of art glass production. The well-written and succinct text introduces each section of a chronological photographic tour of representative pieces from 1905 through the present. Mr. Moran has ransacked collectors' display shelves and closets to find numerous beautiful and rare pieces of Fenton that I have not seen previously documented. Also included is a price guide listing some 2000 items.
   
   Seasoned and novice collectors alike should find this book a welcome addition to their libraries.

4 comments about How to Identify Prints, Second Edition.

1. This book is found in the printrooms of most galleries and print collectors as it is a precise and concisely written text which explains the complex processes of printmaking. It clarifies the sometimes baffling differences between printing families and the creative techniques involved in making a print such as the subtle visual difference between an etching and an engraving. The book is illustrated throughout to assist the reader to identify printing techniques, characteristics and attribution marks used in Old Master prints through to those made in contemporary times. This reference text would appeal to anyone fascinated by prints and provides a new vocabulary for those who want to know more about the interesting visual variations possible in the world of the print.



2. I almost said "for the beginning print lover," but even the pros might want occasional reminders about obscure processes.
   
   This book displays an incredible number of processes and variations. Even within etching, there is standard intaglio process, relief etching, intaglio so deep it's amost relief, spit-biting or open-biting - well, a very long list. This gives an exacting look at the marks specific to each process, and gives good diagnostic descriptions. A special strength in this book is the differential diagnoses, the questions to ask that help distinguish two very similar kinds of marks. Every point made in the text is illustrated real samples, and that makes for a heck of a lot of illustrations.
   
   I have almost no quibbles with this text. There are just a few minor points that Gascoigne could have brought out more clearly. First is that Japanese woodcuts are under-represented. It's a rich tradition with a number of distinguishing features: gradations of ink hand-placed on a block, occasional use of mica for luster, and occasional use of un-inked "blind" impressions to impress texture into the paper. Second is a mark that I think is unique to drypoint: the line is often asymmetric, crisp on one side and blurred on the other, capturing the asymmetry of the drypoint burr. The split drypoint line is more famous but, in my experience, less common. I've seen it only in the most aggressively worked drypoints, such as some by Picasso. Third is a feature of some dust-ground aquatints: that the white marks can sometimes form a connected mesh around the black dots, where a spirit ground always has a black ocean dotted with white islands. I know these are minor points, and I hope you see how few there are.
   
   I'm a process nut. It's not the only way I enjoy prints, and not the way everyone enjoys them. For me, though, it really adds something to know how the maker's hand created each mark that I see. This isn't strictly a process book, and only accidentally a book of process history. It's a book about how a print looks, and seeing even more in the finest part of its looks. In the end, that's really the best reason to love a print.
   
   //wiredweird
   
   PS: A little while ago, I was given a very nice color print. It was done in mezzotint style, using burnishers to work from dark to light. Instead of a rocker-made ground, though, it had an aquatint ground. Color came from inking au poupee, dabbed on the plate. The giver was quite surprised that I read its story so precisely. Read this book, and you'll know just what I saw.



3. Back in print and updated in a new paperback edition is Bambar Gascoigne's classic How To Identify Prints, first published in 1986 and enjoying ongoing acclaim as an essential resource for any involved in identifying prints, whether they be woodcuts, lithos, or etchings. Some ninety techniques - manual and mechanical alike - are described to round out an accompanying history of prints. A lasting, classic work essential to any art library and many a general library reference collection.



4. Now in an updated and expanded second edition, How To Identify Prints: A Complete Guide To Manual And Mechanical Processes From Woodcut To Inkjet is a superb reference and self-teaching tool for discerning between manual prints, process prints, and screenprints/non-prints, whether the print in question is monochrome or color, and whether it is relief, intaglio, or planographic. 272 illustrations, 40 of which are in color, highlight the meticulous attention to detail in this excellent manual, which also covers essential aspects of printing history and the craft of printmaking. This new addition is revised with insights concerning how increasingly sophisticated yet inexpensive cheap printing processes such as quality inkjet and laser prints affect the process of identifying and evaluating printed images. A "must-read" for anyone collecting authentic prints or pursuing a career involving the identification of prints.

5 comments about Standard Catalog of World Coins 1701-1800.

1. It's a complete and very informative book about world coins. I used it everyday as a price reference and getting the right description of old coins.



2. My collection of 18th century coins is virtually non-existent and their value is so low that this catalog cost me much more than they are all worth. But I did not buy it to see how rich I am or how wisely I invested my money. I treat this book as a very special history book. I read it every now and then, starting from a state I have never heard of to discover some new information from the past. This is the imperfect but only source to dig into the history of minute Italian, German or Indian states which often had nothing but minting rights which they excercised profusely. About sovereigns who believed themselves mighty enough to have their profiles struck on multiple thalers only to disappear from annals of History within just a few years. About political plans, expectations and pretences of which we can't remember anymore but they were all detailed on coins.
   Coin-collecting is not a way of investing money (it well may be though in most cases it is rather by luck than wise planning), it is a life-time of studies. You have to invest your time, and coins will start speaking to you. Half-worn faces will become flesh and blood individuals from the past. Strange letters will mean their might and their dreams. You will probably never have too many of these coins (even if you have the money, actually) but this is the kind of book which can give you knowledge. And knowledge, in time, may turn into wisdom.



3. Certainly this is the book for 18th century coins, unless you are mainly interested in one country like the UK or France -- in that case you would find more information more attractively laid out, along with other centuries, elsewhere, usually more cheaply too. But for its coverage of the world, including hugely complicated countries like Gemany, Italy and India, it is unbeatable. This 3rd edition is an improvement over earlier editions, because more pictures (especially of the smaller coins) and more obscurities have been included.
   
   For users in countries which do not speak English, the conversions such as VF = TTB = BB =MBC are very useful !
   The book is not difficult for foreigners to use.



4. I need a guide so I just do not blindly pay big bucks for cute pictures. There are a lot of good guides and some more specific on particular eras and locations such as Westphalia. But as you do a coin search you are bound to run across something you are not familiar with and need a guide. This guide is a great place to start; it is easy to navigate and gives cursory information on particular locations and times surrounding the coin's production.
   
   Keeping in mind that this is just a guide, there are holes and the coins are not displayed in color. On the other hand the coins shown are in actual size; size is hard to translate form internet pictures.
   
   With all the electronic references today it is nice to have something tactile, static and transportable. This book meet al those needs.



5. This is the best guide to world gold coins dated
   after 1600. Before 1600, look for Friedberg's
   "Gold Coins of the World" which has gold ancient coins
   and gold coins up to year 1600.
   Clark Smith
   www.coinvault.com

2 comments about Making Authentic Shaker Furniture: With Measured Drawings of Museum Classics (Furniture Making).

1. John Shea's "Measured Drawings of Museum Classics" is itself a classic. It is not just a book about furniture; he carefully includes enough information on the Shakers, their history and their religion to give the reader an appreciation and understanding of the people and their passion for piety, humility, industry and kindness. It was these virtues that gave birth to their beautiful classical simple and elegant furniture -- which has been admired by "the world's people" for two hundred years.

   During his preparation to write his book, John visited several Shaker communities and museums. At Sabbathday Lake and Canterbury, he was fortunate to meet the surviving members of the Shakers including Mildred Barker and Gertrude Soule, both of whom have now passed away. Written in 1971, it includes pictures of Shaker buildings, woodenware and furniture from five of the Shaker communities and ten museums.

   I have owned my copy for several years. I recently bought copies to give to two friends for Christmas, both experienced woodworkers, who indicated a desire to build furniture. It is inexpensive and completely in black and white but it contains pictures and measured drawings of 87 Shaker furniture and woodenware. In addition, it has pictures of hundreds of other shaker items and a wealth of information about the people and their communities.

   He includes adequate step-by-step instructions of the assembly and finishing of three simple projects - a candle stand, a step stool and a bench. The instructions for cutting dovetails for the step stool is particularly helpful to a new furniture student.

   Of all the books about the Shakers and their furniture, this is probably the best low cost, balanced introduction to the Shakers, their way of life and their furniture.




2. I was impressed by the detail of the Shaker way of life. I was looking for ideas and drawings,and I found out that the Shakers were very resourceful and inventive. This is a must read if you want to make Shaker furniture.

1 comments about Schroeder's Collectible Toys, Antique to Modern Price Guide - 2008: Identification & Values of over 20,000 Collectible Toys (Schroeder's Collectible Toys).

1. I have found this book to be very helpful in my study of toys. I am a novice and have learned what to look for in buying a modern or antique toy. This book has saved me from buying reproductions and how to guage a price for the real thing. I also just like looking thourgh it, takes me back to my childhood and revist Christmas past. Nice reference or just fun reading. Recommend.

5 comments about Sourcebook of Modern Furniture, Third Edition.

1. This is the best compendium of pictures and details about the Modern Furniture movement!



2. The third edition of Jerryll Habegger and Joseph H. Osman's SOURCEBOOK OF MODERN FURNITURE should be on the reference shelves of ANY serious interior design collection. Appearing in its third revised edition, SOURCEBOOK provides one of the most authoritative guides to furniture and lighting designs of the 20th and 21st centuries in print, pairing color photos with features of works by hundreds of notable designers. Photos arranged by type of furniture or fixture make it simple for quick look-ups, while lists of suppliers and indexes of designers and manufacturers provide invaluable cross-referencing.



3. did not someone write that they are coming out with a new edition in fall 2004? this is the only problem with this edition. it is not updated. soon to be resolved it seems.



4. As predicted, the 3rd edition is OFF THE HOOK!!! The 3rd edition, published in 2005, has close to 700 new entries. Nearly half of the photos are in color and the authors have included web site information for manufacturers. This latest edition is in the collection of prominent museums and academic institutions across the globe, especially universities which have significant design and architecture programs. This is certainly a must have edition for the intellectually astute connoisseur of furniture and design.
   
   BTW, many of the listed reviews are referring to the 2nd edition which is now 10 years old!!! Check to be sure which edition other reviewers are referring to before making a purchase decision...you wouldn't want to miss out!!



5. I was disappointed with the book and returned it. Nothing by Robsjohn Gibbings. Nothing by Harvey Probber. Only a single piece by Wormley. Only two by Finn Juhl. Instead, the selection seems weighted heavily toward austere Italian designs of metal and glass, esp. those produced in the 1960s and later. I did not expect the editors to show such a lack of interest in wood. And given the book's definitive-sounding title, I did not expect them to adopt such an rigid and uninteresting definition of "modern."

5 comments about Pocket Ed. Jackson's Hallmarks.

1. There are two books on English silver hallmarks available on Amazon, the other being English Silver Hallmarks, and although both are excellent books, in my opinion, this is the lesser of the two. Both books are almost identical in content: both provide illustrations of English, Irish and Scottish silver, gold and platinum hallmarks, and illustrations of the more important makers marks, which allow for the dating of silver, gold and platinum items. However, this book omits Sheffield plate marks, which are included in "English Silver Hallmarks", and it is harder to find what you are looking for in this book.
   
   The periods of time covered by these two books are slightly different. This book gives hallmarks for the period from 1300 to 1991, whereas "English Silver Hallmarks" covers the period from 1554 to 2004. If you are wishing to date very early pieces of silver, then, clearly, this is the book to buy. However, as I have never had any need to date items made prior to 1554, and most of the items that I have dated have been more recent items, I find the period of time covered by "English Silver Hallmarks" to be the most appropriate for my needs.
   
   Although both books are very useful and both are likely to satisfy the requirements of the average silver collector, if you are only going to buy one of these books, then "English Silver Hallmarks" is probably the book to buy.



2. Unless you are extremely experienced with Silver and Gold items and what / where their origin may be, this book is probably not for you. The chances of being able to find what you are looking for reminds me of looking for a needle in a haystack. The marks are illustrated in VERY SMALL 1/4" black and white diagrams, column after column, put in tables with time period or comment in print that is even smaller than the diagram. Several (bordering on too many) of the marks look very much the same and after looking at 170 pgs of extremely small and not necessarily clear diagrams and images, I feel I should of spent my money elsewhere for info on silver ID.



3. Not easy for any beginner to use. Unless you knew exactly what kind of silver you were trying to identify i.e. English, Scottish, Irish... etc, it was a bit confusing. Marks are black & white, some not showing very good clarity and everything is in extremely in small print. If you just want to sort through tons of marks and dates, this may be for you. If you want information about your piece, pass it up.



4. This is a great little book!
   Easy to use to look up maker's marks while out antiquing, or at auctions, or what-have-you.
   I just wish there was a section of Russian Silversmiths Marks. But other than that... A+!



5. This is a great little book to take antiquing with you if you collect English silver. Although not exactly pocket size it can still fit in your bag or you can hold on to it without it getting cumbersome. Unlike many of the other silver ID books the hallmarks shown in this book are large and clear enough that you don't need your glasses to decipher them. A nice plus is that it reviews selected makers of Georgian through 20th Century silver and offers a little comment on their work.

5 comments about The History of Browning Firearms: Fortifications Around the World.

1. This book has some okay pictures and covers the major milestones of Browning, but there were inaccuracies which seem to make the remaining information suspect. For example, one old photograph in the "Shotguns" chapter directed the reader to notice a particular type of shotgun in the hands one of the hunters in the picture. Unfortunately, the individual in the picture is clearly in possesion of a Remington Model 81 rifle. I sent this one back and am still looking for a more reliable and authoritative guide to Mr. Brownings legacy.



2. Very interesting book about the greatest gun designer ever lived.
   As engineer and owner of a 1911 I found this book very interesting. This is a kind of history lesson I like!



3. David Miller, the author of this excellent book, is a former British military officer and writer for Janes and other military publishers. His expertise, graceful style, and thorough research are attractively packaged in this beautifully illustrated book on John M. Browning and the firearms he designed.
   
   The book itself has the slick eye-appeal of something designed for a coffee table and its photography is first-rate and full color. In fact, it's almost too pretty to take very seriously.
   
   The narrative, however, is worth the price of the book. Miller has covered all his bases in his research, from the LDS archives in Salt Lake City, Utah, to the factory archives of FN in Herstal, Belgium.
   
   Miller does an impressive job of combining a biography of John M. Browning with a description of the family of firearms he designed, including a couple (like the M-2 .50 caliber machine gun) which are still in use today by American soldiers their allies around the world today. Browning was a patriot and would doubtless be pleased to know the high regard in which some of his firearms are held by American soldiers, police officers and sportsmen.
   
   I enjoyed this book and gave it five stars. If you're interested in firearms and their development, or in Browning's designs, you will like this book. The only thing it lacks is a good bibliography.



4. The Browning gun design firm was influential in the field of American firearms ever since it was founded in Utah in 1855. For the most part, the history of Browning Firearms is about the founder's son, John Browning (1855-1926), who came into the business in the latter 1800s and headed it for decades until his death. John sold designs for hundreds of firearms to companies which then manufactured them in quantity. Because of the popularity of the Browning firearms both in their design and performance, copies of them were produced by other manufacturers; but these were inferior to authentic Brownings. Beyond the pistols, rifles, and shotguns familiar to many, Browning designed machine guns and automatic rifles for the military since the 1890s, and also knives for outdoorsmen. A complete, mostly photographic, introduction to the history of the famed Browning Firearms and the variety of its products.



5. The History of Browning Firearms uses a visual approach to capture the history of one John Browning's contributions to gunsmithing - and shows that Browning's efforts, important as they were, reflected a strong family interest in gunsmithing innovation. Chapters tell how Browning inherited the family business and patented unique productions that were to change the design and manufacture of guns decades later. From a general company history to surveys of special innovations, any gun owner must have this.
   
   Diane C. Donovan
   California Bookwatch

4 comments about Preserving Your Family Photographs: How to Organize, Present, and Restore Your Precious Family Images.

1. Does an excellent job of organizing and establishing time lines for photos. Very glad to find a copy.



2. Taylor may give readers a good place to start in their efforts to preserve family photographs, but offers information that is both contradictory and vague.

   She gives a basic explanation of the "enemies" your photographs are facing, even breaking down information on particular types of photographs, tintypes, Polaroids, etc. But does not bother defining some basic terms in the glossary such as lignin. Nor are many of her suggestions for which supplies are appropriate specific enough. Eg., what kind of brush should I use to clean photos? I know that Nylon brushes are probably not soft enough for treasured photos. Even worse she says polyethylene is a bad material to store your photos in, but a few pages later suggests using polyethylene freezer bags for freezer storage of items.

   Taylor includes lengthy lists of resources for, and more information on preservation. But some of the web addresses she lists no longer exist.

   While she has some good suggestions for long-term storage of photo collections, I would not recommend this book to anyone trying to learn about photographic preservation.




3. For me, studying old photos is one of the more fascinating aspects of family research, even when I'm not related to any of the people whose faces appear. The military uniforms, hats, parlor furniture, automobiles, urban scenes, and especially the faces and their expressions, are like a kind of time travel, allowing you to peer back into someone's past. Taylor's previous book, _Uncovering Your Ancestry Through Family Photographs,_ investigated that process. But how to protect the photos you already have tucked away in albums have so future family members will get the same pleasure (and information) from them? And how to rehabilitate those you discover to whom the years and the elements have not been kind? This time, the author outlines the steps you can take to see that your photographs have the best chance of survival and describes the methods conservators and restoration experts follow when the task becomes too much for you. She also guides you through the process of creating a meaningful scrapbook of archival quality, discusses the use of computer enhancement and electronic archives, and points out the legal aspects of posting photographs on a web site. Most of the chapters end with checklists and answers to frequently-asked questions, and there are many sidebars and brief marginal comments regarding further reading and useful Internet resources on the subject. Keeping in mind that the technical aspects of photographic restoration and preservation continue to evolve rapidly, this is an excellent beginner's guide and reference handbook.



4. Mama won't take your Kodachrome away, it is time and the elements which are attacking your treasured family photographs. Your Polaroid snapshots are fading as you read this. Those "magnetic" photo albums with the adhesive pages are gassing your family pictures to crumbs. Your digital images may not be viewable by your great grandchildren. But don't give up hope - take action. Maureen Taylor's "Preserving Your Family Photographs" tells you how to take charge and protect your family's photographic history. "Preserving Your Family Photographs" shows you how taking some simple steps now will slow down the aging process of your photographs. And its doesn't require a chemistry set. The book further discusses how and when to choose a professional conservator, concerns about digital photography, how to organize your collection, and even how to safely place your treasures in a scrapbook. This book takes up where "Uncovering Your Ancestry Through Family Photographs" leaves off. After you've identified your family photographs, "Preserving Your Family Photographs" tells you how to keep them for generations to come.

5 comments about Warman's Bottles Field Guide: Values and Identification (Warman's Field Guides Bottles: Values & Identification).

1. I know bottles...I dig them and I sell them at all the bottle shows in NY,NJ,PA,CT area. I am a professional and am very knowlegable on bottle collecting and appraisals of all kinds. DON'T be fooled by the fancy pictures and the fact it is endorced by Antique Trader. They trusted that he knew what he was talking about when they printed 15,000 copies. They were wrong!
   THERE ARE SO MANY MISTAKEs IN THIS BOOK ON IDENTIFICATION AND PRICING THAT ANYONE IN THE BOTTLE COLLECTING SELLING BUSINESS WILL NOT BUY THE BOOK. I spoke with the author at a recent bottle show where he was selling his book and he refused to acknowlege his own blatent and foolist mistakes through the ENTIRE BOOK which is down right embarassing if you ask me. DON'T WASTE YOUR MONEY!



2. Good general info about bottle basics & collecting. Lots of pics of bottles you will never see at fleas or garage sales & probably very rarely at antique shows or stores. Could do with more pricing examples and fewer full page pics.



3. This book was missing pages 65 to 96. Just noticed this when using it. Book itself was okay but the pages missing were of beer bottles of which I have a few and wanted to check know that I am retired and have the time to devote to this hobby.



4. Not very useful with superficial info. Not much value for the price.



5. This is a guide that you can take with you to antique shops, flea markets or yard sales as it will fit nicely in a large pocket or handbag. The book not only lists values of thousands of bottles, but also provides tips for bottle identification, advice on buying and selling and trademarks. This is an ideal book for beginners with great, detailed photographs.