5 comments about Goldmine Record Album Price Guide.

1. An EXCELLENT guide for checking out prices for old LP's !
   Easy to read and find the artist you are looking for.



2. THE PRICE GUIDE IS OK BUT IT IS NOT REALLY THAT ACCURATE AS I HAVE FOUND MANY ERRORS AND THERE ARE LOTS OF ALBUMS THAT ARE NOT LISTED AT ALL.



3. All Goldmine guides are very useful in both case: 1) to determine optimal buying' and sellin' costs. Also it's exciting reading. That edition lavishly illustrated. Thanks.
   Will buy also American records 1950-1975!
   Hope, it will be great!



4. When my mom died, she left behind around 400 LPs and another 150 45s from the 1950-1960s. It was a mess of mixed genres, variety of artists, and varying conditions. Since we're a fan of CDs and MP3 players, the records took up a horribly large amount of space and we wanted them gone. After calling a dealer, who suggested pulling out the Elvis and Beatle records and tossing the rest, I decided to do some research and see what I'd need to do to sell them on EBay. During my research, I found a record guild site with an incredibly helpful forum http://www.recordcollectorsguild.org They listed several price guides, but with warnings about their pricing accuracy. Until I tried to sell the records, I didn't fully realize how inaccurate they really are. While this book was not particularly valuable when it came to pricing, it was helpful in letting me know if I had any records that were worth pursuing. However, guides in general tend to have some problems and this one is no different. Some of the problems include:
   
   1) Do NOT expect to get the list price. It is a best case scenario. The introduction to this book is very clear that these prices are mint condition prices. However, the amount suggested to deduct given their condition, is not accurate. The prices really reflect what you could expect to pay at an antique dealer's store, not what you can realistically expect to sell them for.
   
   2) The price guides do not reflect a changing market. At one time, a mint version of Chantilly Lace might have brought 500.00, but not now. The interest in this record is not as great as it once was. However, the price guide is not updated to reflect that change in market. http://www.popsike.com better reflects the current market and it's free.
   
   3) This book does not give you the knowledge you need to accurately grade records. Granted the purpose of this book is pricing, not to teach grading, but grading is integral to pricing. See, collectors want to listen to the records they're buying. So if the record pops or has any static, the record is of little to no value to them. If you're not an experienced collector, what looks minor to you, might be a huge deal to a buyer. Since the selling price of the record depends heavily on the condition of the vinyl, a book that doesn't give a proper education on condition is not too helpful for selling. Furthermore, this book suggested weighing the condition of the vinyl and jacket equally. That is not accurate. The condition of the vinyl is much more important than the jacket.
   
   Again, where this book does excel is in having a large quantity of records, with a very good description to know which pressing you have, and is easy to use. So if you have a few records and you want to know if it's even worth the effort to try to sell them, this book is very helpful. However, if you're planning to use this book to sale, first see if you can get an experienced record collector to help you out. For us, two experienced collectors were able to accomplish in 3 hours, what would have taken me probably 500 hours to do.
   
   Would I have bought this price guide again? Only if I couldn't find it at the local library. For a price guide, it's probably very good, but the main reason I wrote this review is so people won't get the idea they'll have all the information they need to sell in this book. You're really not going to be able to get the information you truly need to value records from this book or any price guide. So, you'd be better off saving your money and doing some research online.



5. this is a great book for music collectors, or someone who likes music. It's very interesting and informative

5 comments about The Urban Treasure Hunter: A Practical Handbook for Beginners.

1. No matter what your treasure, be it coins, bottles, or somethisg else, this book has great tips on where and how to find it. I originally bought a copy for my son and was so impressed that I bought another copy for myself.



2. I am just beginning my hobby with a metal detector. I purchased several books on treasure hunting and this is by far the best. It has a broad range of extremely useful information. By all means start with this book if you too are a beginner. Most of the other books I bought had a lot of fluff. This book has a ton of useful information and guidance.



3. This book is an invaluable resource for the beginner and even the intermediate detectorist. It has filled me with new ideas of where and how to search for lost valuables and coins. The tidbits on history and archeology were most interesting.



4. This book has a lot of information about treasures all over the country. Tells you where to look, how to go about hunting and what equipment you need and what to do when you find your treasures.



5. I was looking for a book on using a metal detector. This was not it.

5 comments about Renovating Old Houses: Bringing New Life to Vintage Homes.

1. First things first.... This is not a fix-it book for the average homeowner. It is a renovation guide for older homes and covers everything from stone foundations to slate roofs and provides whole slew of major structural repair information. So if you are wanting to learn simple home repairs, like fixing a leaky faucet or quieting a squeaky floor you would do better to look elsewhere.
   
   My first house was built in the 1890s and because I was very young and didn't know anything about how old houses were constructed, the construction behind those plaster walls, in the basement and attic looked shoddy to my uneducated eyes but it didn't matter to me, I was just grateful to be a home owner. My father told me this is how real craftsmen built homes during that era. He added: "Son, this house will be around and doing just fine LONG after you are gone!"
   
   Even though I old that old house a long time ago, when I saw this book I knew I just had to have it. It takes a look behind the scenes of old houses and shows how they are broght back to their past glory no matter how much neglect they have suffered. Whether you currrently own an old house, previously owned an old house or just have an interest in construction methods of eras long ago, this book is perfect for your bookshelf!



2. Mr. Nash has written a wonderfully detailed and informative book that, I feel, is a must-own for anyone who owns or is looking to purchase an old house.
   
   As someone who grew up in the building trade, I found my how-to construction and woodworking knowledge incomplete when my wife and I recently purchased our 1884 Victorian home. This book provided exactly the information I need to understand and recognize the challenges I will face when I perform the renovation. Since approximately 1950, homes have pretty much been built the same which is where my experience lies. But old houses were built in a different way, with different materials, and incorporated much different ornamentation and detail than modern homes. This book explains those differences and offers a myriad of excellent suggestion on how to bring old homes up to modern house standards.
   
   Each owner of an old house has the same questions to answer, such as whether to repair or replace the original windows, whether to repair or replace the plaster walls, how to best increase insulation of the house without creating moisture issues, how to determine the state of the electrical and plumbing, etc. This book discusses each one of these issues, presenting the pros and cons of any decision in a way that is very informative and easily understood.
   
   Though the author's experience and many of the examples given in this book seem to be based in the upper north-east regions, I found very little that was not applicable to my southern-Missouri residence. I may not have to worry much about frost heave on my cellar walls, but moisture is an issue where I will be taking many of Mr. Nash's recommendations to heart, especially his "Ground Roof" option which I have not encountered before.
   
   All in all, this book will give those new to home renovation much needed information on how to recognize and deal with most all problems that will be encountered during a renovation, and will provide those who already have renovation knowledge additional concepts and tools to solve issues that are more prevalent to an old house.



3. This book is much like 'How to Keep Your Volkswagon Alive Forever', in the sense that yes, it is a how-to book. However, it is also a guide; not just to renovation/restoration but also to yourself: are you, like Nash, the die-hard romantic, the perpetually patient, are you - as Nash puts it- "..a peculiar kind of maniac who is one part ability, one part inventiveness, two parts determination, three parts romanticism, and six parts damn foolishness."?
   If you just stood up, proudly, and yelled YES! with your fist high in the air (or at least in your mind, you did), or if you want to be, or know someone who is, or want to make sure the world is never bereft of these fine old houses (and full of soul-less tract homes and 'live-work' lofts), then do not hesitate one dang-gone second- buy this book. buy two, so when the first is covered in saw dust, concrete drips, laquer and stain; you (or others) can still go home and read Nash's superb writing.



4. My review is based on information from others who have this book. They say it is well written and quite helpful. It is a Christmas gift for someone else and therefore I have not personally looked at it.



5. Have read it so many times the binding is broken. George Nash is an amazing craftsman and provides numerous time and money saving suggestions. Must have for buyers/owners of older homes.

5 comments about Origami Jewelry: More Than 40 Exquisite Designs to Fold and Wear.

1. What a creative and practical book! I love origami and have incorporated it into my card making, gift wrapping, decorating, and table setting for years. However, I had never made jewelry with it. The techniques in the book have opened a whole new area of possiblilites for me.



2. I ordered this book without high hopes and was pleasantly surprised. Finally, an origami jewelry book that goes through the process step by step with clear photos as a guide. All the questions I had regarding origami jewelry making were answered. In the past, much of my paper jewelry making was based on guesswork.



3. As someone who is a novice I found this book relatively easy to follow. I have been doing origami for a long time, but I am not consistent with it. It is something I love and I know basics, but not something I am constantly working to excel at, even though I wish I had the time to. With a stressful job I needed an outlet and so have taken origami up again to relax and have a creative outlet. I saw this book and thought, wow how cool. I really want to try this. I am more than happy with my impulse purchase. The pictures are clear and concise. She gives you all the basic folds in the front so you don't have to go looking in other materials for them. The author also allows your creative juices to flow. She shows many different project pictures with the same origami shape. This allowed me to take her projects one step further and really make them my own. I have never made jewelry before (other than macaroni necklaces in kindergarten) and she details all the tools and materials you need. Really, if this peeks your interest, the take the plunge and buy it. You won't be disappointed.



4. I am relatively new to Origami so I found this book a welcome addition to the library, it covers the obligatory choosing of papers, tools to use and importantly for newbies a good solid instructional section on the "basic folds". The jewellery created was quiet nice, a little kitsch for my personal taste, but easily accomplished with a bit of practice.
   
   The big thing for me though came with Metal Clay "paper", I am primarily a jewellery artist and use Metal clay a lot, I love the product of silver sheet clay or paper clay as some people call it as I can fold this like paper in origami styles and then fire it to produce minature fine silver jewellery. Good ideas in the book for me to transfer to silver replicas.
   
   The diagrams were clear, easy to understand and photographed well. Thank you Ayako for a good book.



5. Origami Jewelry: More Than 40 Exquisite Designs to Fold and Wear Very nice presentation. Instructions and diagrams are fairly easy to understand. The pictures of the finished fold are nicely shown. I've been doing origami for 30 yrs and never thought of making jewelry. You always learn new things.

1 comments about Vintage L.A.: Eats, Boutiques, Decor, Landmarks, Markets & More.

1. I saw this in the bookstore yesterday and read the whole thing in one sitting. It's perfect for anyone who isn't typical, and likes the cooler things in life.
   I grew up in LA and while I knew MOST of the haunts in the area, I still discovered a couple new facts in this great book.
   You won't be disappointed. Trust me.

5 comments about Book Finds, 3rd Edition: How to Find, Buy, and Sell Used and Rare Books.

1. Without more extensive coverage of the internet marketplace, this book can only be considered out-of-date. For the most part, the kind of selling and trading presented here no longer exists as a profitable endeavor.



2. The author loves his work and shares that love and knowledge in an immediately understandable way.



3. Excellent book for either the new seller or those already doing so. Information included is useful to help become an even better seller.



4. This book is the best one that I have found so far for a new collector. I ordered many of the books on Amazon about book collecting recently. Although I haven't read all of them yet, so far this book is the most helpful. It is not dry and still has a wealth of information. This is important to me as I am easily bored. Just in the first chapter I learned many terms used to describe the different parts of a book and some of the history of books. I am really enjoying this book and I hope you try it too!



5. I have enjoyed this work and have indeed found parts of it to be quite useful. I have been collecting, buying, selling and trading books for quite a number of years now, and did indeed pick up some good information and hints from this particular book. It does have it's flaws though. The first, and most major, is that it simply does not address the internet as it should. So much of the information found in this book is simply outdated due to that fact. Now granted, once you have the actual book in hand, then this work becomes more useful. But finding the book is a whole different ball game than it was just a few years ago. The second problem with the book is that we all simply do not live on the East Coast of the United States and specifically, New York City. Pity, I know, but that is just a fact. Third, the author can come across as being just a bit stuffy at times, which, at best, is a bit annoying.
   
   The negative being said, this is quite a good work to get yourself started. The author does give some great information as to the anatomy of a book, what to look for, what to avoid when purchasing or selling. This is valuable information. The chapters alone that discuss the various conditions of books and what it does to their price is probably worth the price of the book alone.
   
   Overall, I do recommend this one, but with some reservations. There are a lot of resources out there now, and the reader, collector, seller needs to be aware of them all. This is not an easy business, and is probably not as easy as the author would make it seem.

5 comments about A Guide Book of United States Coins 2008.

1. Hello , I am new to coin collecting so I needed a guide. I wanted some knowledge of the field I was about to enter. This book does that , not only price guide but much much more, full of information and nicely laid out in a easy to read format. Really good basic stuff.



2. Amazon advertised the latest, 2008 version of A Guidebook of US Coins, copywrite 2007, which I purchased. Two weeks later Amazon advertises the 2009 version. I firmly believe Amazon owes me the 2009 version & I go on record for such.



3. I ordered three books to give to clients as gifts. After I had ordered them I wondered if they would make it on time. They were here early. The books were exactly as described, brand new. The price was the cheapest on the net. The shipping was free. This product and service really deserve a 10.



4. This book accomplished just what i purchased it for. I needed to value my coin collection that was not reviewed for many years. The spiral bound edition was particularly useful when looking up many different coins.



5. It's been many years since I've had this book. All of my expectations were satisfied. This book has been the "Bible" for US Coinage as long as I can remember. If you want to understand grading, pricing, or just want to learn about an important piece of American history, its worth the money.

5 comments about Kovels' New Dictionary of Marks: Pottery and Porcelain, 1850 to the Present.

1. If you collect this type of pottery, you will have to get this book sooner or later as it provides an outstanding reference to marks found on these items and so permits you to assess the age of the item. But the lack of any real advice, wisdom, guidance, explanations, etc. about the subject of collecting these pieces, knowing when marks are real or fake, and assessing the quality of the pieces is essentially nil. So you will have to learn pretty much everything you need to know from other sources. A real disappointment given that the authors are almost certainly know a lot more about the subject matter than they put into these books. M Pezim



2. This is a good resource book. It has it's limitations, but I use it almost daily. I look up alot of ceramics marks, and I find the large majority of them in this Kovels book. It is great if you are looking for a specific makers mark, or decoratoras mark. The limitation is that there is no way to comprehensively view all marks from one particular maker. If you have a few treasures that you want to accurately identify, then it is very good. Don't get me wrong, I haven't found every mark I look for. But I haven't found a Marks reference that I do. This book provides a good clean and easy format to locate the mark I need, and quickly.
   
   Also, if you are looking for back ground info on the company, this isn't the book for you. While the Kovel's do an excellent job of showing literal thousands of easy to find marks, thats all they show. All in all a highly recommended resource. Any serious ceramics collector, dealer, or dedicated flea market/yard saler should have a copy.



3. Bought this as a gift for my daughter and she has really enjoyed it's contents. Now she can see if the "Junk and/or Antiques" she has purchased has any real value!!



4. I haven't been happy with this book since I purchased it. Haven't found one mark from any of the pottery or china I have from this book. Only one or maybe two examples of the companies which made the pottery but not the marks. For example I can't even find the simple "Anchor" from Anchor Hawking Co.(There are plenty of other anchors). I have a very nice Blue "Old Fashion"/juice glass fron A.H. but I have never seen one in blue. Looked it up and could not find MARK in this book. I was very surprised. I've been thinking about purchasing the Second Edition of Kovels' book, but been holding back... Can anyone tell me if it is better or if it's just me, I hope..Mary, techmom@usamedia.tv (No Solicitors Please! Only those wanting to talk about this book please reply. NO SPAMMERS!!)



5. Marks on pottery have always been of interest to me. Some are obvious and well-known and others obscure. Couldn't find all the marks I was looking for. Still a good book to have.

5 comments about The Hemi in the Barn: More Great Stories of Automotive Archaeology.

1. I have the first book, "The Cobra in the Barn", this book is as good if not better, worth the price!



2. If you are into old cars then its a good book written is chapeters you can easily pick up and put down .



3. A good read and there are interesting search methods which others have employed to make their barn finds a reality. Many of the stories point out how dedicated and diligent people have gotten in finding these more unique barn finds. This is a good compilation of the story behind the car, or more specifically a set of stories which can complete the car enthusiasts education.



4. awesome!!! if i could write as an author- this would be my life long story! it made me feel like i was 21 and hunting again--in fact i may start again. a real treasure for classic car lovers!!!



5. Tom Cotter is a good writer, a good editor (some of these pieces were written by others or with others) and above all, a knowledgeable and enthusiastic car collector. Both this book and its' predecessor, "The Cobra In The Barn" are great bedside reading; the stories are just short enough that you can enjoy a few before you drop off. They are also great for those times that you come in from the garage needing a rest after struggling with ONE bolt for two hours. They help you remember why we love automobiles, why we work on them and try to bring them back to what they were when new, and why there are really only two kinds of people in the world: those who can't resist looking in old barns, behind doors, and under tarps- and those who couldn't care less. These books are for those of us who look, and dream.

5 comments about Dangerous Liaisons: Fashion and Furniture in the Eighteenth Century (Metropolitan Museum of Art).

1. An incredible array of beautiful photography with amazing detail. Along with the exquisite clothing, we're shown some wonderful pieces of furniture and how they both worked for or against you in society. Recommended for all interested in the 18th century,fashion history, and wonderful photography.



2. This book is a great resource for the Rococo period. Seeing the actual garments on mannequins in situ is lovely. I also like the supporting portraits, prints and quotes.



3. This is a fabulous insight into 18th Century French society. As a costume designer, I found the inclusion of paintings from that period, intermixed with the museum settings to be of particular interest. The close-up photographs of details were also wonderful. The text was fascinating and very enjoyable reading. It's very often tempting to take things out of context according to one's own interests. This publication opens up an intricately woven world where fashion and furniture play an equally important role in the mores of a society.



4. When I'm looking for visual resourced books to help inspire my costuming I would have to say this one is one of my favorites on the shelf for 18th Century clothing.
   I like to have books that have heaps of historical content to help construct my costumes but I also value the 'picture books' to help the creative/visual aspect of desgining costumes! This is one of those :)



5. Great text and pictures. I only wish there were more details of the fashion.