5 comments about The DC Comics Action Figure Archive.

1. Being a collector of Batman action figures and also the animated Justice League action figures, I was really looking forward to this book. But upon reading I discovered all the different versions of the Justice League Mission Vision figures were not listed and few other figures were not listed as well.



2. Watch Video Here: http://www.amazon.com/review/R1Z1QHAFVEUXZG This is a brief video that shows you a little bit about this cool book.



3. I'm not sure why I bought this - impulse I guess (darn your targeted marketing Amazon!)
   Do you really want to know how many stupid versions of Batman Kenner made? Some of the pages include information about the DC Universe, which is nice, but I think if it were a true archive, it would have images of the 300+ Batman toys made.
   If you are sometimes obsessive, don't look through the book! You'll see that many of the toys were sold exclusively to Target or marketed exclusively in other countries. If you can collect them all - invite us over to see! (And explain how you display them.)



4. This is a great book to casually leaf through but not entirely thorough. As far as I could tell the author has at least listed every DC figure made, but I personally would have liked pictures of every item. I know that sometimes may not be possible, but a book like this is likely to be used as a reference guide and photos of every item would have been more useful. Still, I liked it and if you collect this sort of figures you will enjoy this book.



5. Being born in the early 1960s,I have had lots of DC action figures growing up,this book does not come close to having all the DC action figures.Most of the figures covered in this book are from at best early 1990's.I'm definately thinking about sending this book back.If I could,I would have giving this book a negative 5 stars because of its title.Buy MEGO 8" SUPER-HEROES:WORLD'S GREATEST TOYS! this book brings back good memories.

5 comments about World of Fluorescent Minerals.

1. I greatly enjoyed this book. It is Stuart Schneider's second book on this subject and even better than the first. The ability to identify these minerals in daylight and then have the fluorescent response next to the photo is a huge advantage. You almost want to take the book out with you in the field (I usually keep it in my truck when I am collecting).I have met Mr. Schneider personally while on collecting trips and he is a great guy and a true Franklin-Sterling collector. Keep up the good work Stuart!!!



2. It's a crappy follow-up to his first worthless book on fluorescent minerals. Amateurs should not be publishing books on this subject.
   But anything for a buck.........better sources are available. But they aren't shamelessly advertised. Pity. Buy this book, then continue your quest......you'll see how bad this author's books are.



3. I have both of Stuart Schneider's books and think they are wonderful. I collected fluorescent rocks all over Europe for many years, and now I am doing the same here in the Southwest USA. Stuart is an honest man and he knows a great deal about the subject. It is difficult to get the printed colors in the book to match the beauty one sees in reality, but he comes closer than anyone else. His books are required as part of any good book collection about fluorescence.



4. Stuart Schneider's THE WORLD OF FLUORESCENT MINERALS provides a lovely, color photo laden guide of different fluorescent minerals found around the world and displayed in both daylight and ultraviolet light. Nearly a thousand color photos pack descriptions which include both geological information and facts and a price guide of values. It's unusual to find a collector's guide to minerals let alone the rarer fluorescent minerals, making this a valuable reference.



5. This book is a beauty! The photographs are first rate and the text is interesting and informative, while not overly technical. There are 997 color photographs showing the minerals in daylight and under the UV lamp. This should have been a hardcover book.

5 comments about Meet Mr. Product: The Art of the Advertising Character.

1. I have found this collection of advertising characters indispensable as reference. A brief history of the subject matter is included and reads well. The lack of an index is perplexing, and given the occupations of its authors the cover design should have been a little more proficient. Otherwise it is well worth a look or two or three.



2. My wife and I had fun laughing at some of the characters in this book. Apparently there was NOTHING you couldn't make fun of back in the 1950s.
   
   Even if you're not interested in advertising this is still an enjoyable little book, fun to look at while sipping tea on a rainy afternoon. Well worth the money.



3. My brother is a commercial artist and his personal artistic style is kind of "retro". I got this book for him for his birthday because I though he might like to have it around for inspiration just in case he needed some someday. I was right! He loved it. I was surprised at the size of the book. It's kind of small, but it gets it's point across just fine. Being a fan of nostalgia, I wouldn't mind having it for myself.



4. The compilers have done a wonderful job; the layouts are absolutely marvelous, a real pleasure to flip through, great retro colors used, and should be an essential addition to the collection of anyone who enjoys 50s & 60s graphics.



5. Tons of product logos here, with the bulk of them from the 30s to the 70s. These are reproduced very well, and each of them is dated and carries a two-line description of their purpose and company origin. There are a few pages of introductory front matter that summarize the history of product logos, but the meat of the book is taken up by the graphics, with anywhere from one to four logos per page. I didn't know there were so many anthropomorphic logos, among them Mr. Coffee Nerves, Mr. Dee-Lish, Mr. TV Tube, Phillips Screw Man, Johnny-One-Note, Miss My-T-Fine, Miss Fluffy Rice and Mr. Weatherball. Many of them you'll recognize, and some of them you won't, but all of them will delight you.

4 comments about Perfume Bottles (POCKET COLLECTIBLES).

1. I love this book. I actually saw this in a shop at Logan Airport while waiting for my flight and decided to order it online as soon as I got back home. It's a terrific book if you are looking for inspiration when making your own handbags (I started making felted handbags recently) or if you just happen to like handbags.
   Beautiful detailed photos, elegantly presented. Includes ratings by estimated value for collectors.



2. A great book to have on hand as reference. Dimensions of the bottles would have been an advantage.



3. OK...for some Un-Godly reason Amazon has all four of Judith Miller's Pocket collectible guides from DK books linked together. If you review one of the four, it shows up on all the other three. Very Strange...
   
   Let me make it clear that this review is only for the Metal Toys Book only! Miller is the long-time collectibles and antiques expert and has assembled hundreds of classic tin, cast iron, and die-cast toys for this wonderful book. The book is sectioned by the three distinct types of metal toys I just mentioned beginning with sheet metal or tin toys. Each toy pictured is given a value range based on 1 to 5 stars with 1 star being a range of $10 - $200, and 5 stars being over $2000. Admittedly these are very broad ranges meant to reflect the condition of the item as well as the availability of the items original box and condition as well.
   
   While it's certainly no where near comprehensive, the guide does provide a fair representation of the types, styles, and manufacturers of each of these types of toys and the names are certainly well known to collectors: Dinky, Marx, Cragston, Hubley, Corgi, Tootsie, Schuco, Britains, and Hot Wheels/Mattel. Included are some great early examples of German tin toys such as a fantastic double-decker bus made by Gunthermann that gets a five star value, as well as many great post-WWII toys produced in Japan as factories that formerly made weapons were now being used to make toys. Some other great in toys pictured are the Disney Dipsey car with Donald Duck as the driver made by Marx, and the Nautilus submarine from "20,000 Leagues Under the Sea" made by Sutcliffe.
   
   The die-cast section features many of the gorgeous Corgi licensed toys like the Beatles Yellow Submarine, Monkeemobile, James Bond cars, and the classic 1960's Batmobile. There are also numerous Hot Wheels "redlines" pictured but while the photography is top-notch, many of the redlines pictured are in very rough condition with lots of scratches and paint nicks. It would have been nice to see some better examples used for the pictures.
   
   One small complaint is that the books is comprised almost entirely of various types of vehicles: cars, airplanes, buses, ships, trucks, wagons, tanks, etc...It was disappointing that things such as the great Japanese tin robots and space toys, and Marx military playsets were not included.
   
   That minor complaint aside, I really enjoyed thumbing through the book and it is a useful tool in recognizing, and evaluation the price of metal toys. Now I just need Amazon to fix their end!
   
   Reviewed by Tim Janson



4. "A survey has found that an American woman owns an average of six handbags." ~Judith Miller
   
   Judith Miller has captured handbags in all their intricate beauty. Many of these bags exist in museums and it is very unlikely that we could observe them all in a lifetime. So, this book is invaluable in that regard. Like Judith Miller's book on perfume bottles, this book exceeds expectations.
   
   The bags range in age from Pre-1890s to the 1970s and present day selections. Each chapter contains historical information, unique quotes and full-color pictures showing the most intricate details and evolution of the beloved handbag. Here we find the original mobile phone, a phone that is shaped as a bag that actually can be plugged in to make calls. One can only imagine those surprise long distance charges after a friend stops by for a visit.
   
   Red velvet Turkish bags with gold embroidery and French beaded purses all live happily amongst pages displaying everything from beadwork to precious metals and leather. There are purses shaped like phones, flowers, accordions, boxes, baskets, wicker parasols, birdhouses, birds and adorable toy rabbits. If you have any interest in Vintage clothes, you may rather enjoy reading about the magazine clutch bag.
   
   With over 400 designs to choose from, this is the ultimate handbag book, it could even fit in a handbag. You will be left with a feeling of: "I simply must have that bag on page ____." However, it is probably in a museum and one can only hope a designer finds this book and makes a modern replica. From the playful to the elegant, there is something to enjoy and many memorable handbags are featured in this wonderful book.
   
   ~The Rebecca Review

No comments about Outhouses.

4 comments about Warman's Carnival Glass: Identification & Price Guide.

1. Hundreds of classic and popular glass patterns, more than 5,000 prices, and headline production pieces pack Warman's Carnival Glass: an identification and price guide key to understanding Warman colors, forms, identifying characteristics, and values. Each piece receives a color photo paired with information on common reproductions, making for an excellent and solid reference work collectors will find easy to consult.
   
   Diane C. Donovan
   California Bookwatch



2. Beautiful colorful photos. Very easy to read and identify patterns. SO MUCH TO LOOK AT!!!



3. Another excellent identification book by Ellen T. Schroy. It is well organized and the beautiful color pictures are clear for pattern identification. She identifies the maker, the colors which were produce, the known forms, the identifying characteristics, and the prices at the time the book was written. There is a section showing and describing the colors of carnival glass, and an explanation of how to determine the color of carnival glass. Also included in the book is a time line and information about each glass company during the Carnival Glass era. This book is one of the best for identifying pieces of carnival glass. I use it more than any of my other books. It is my favorite! I highly recommend it to every beginning collector!



4. Great service book is in excellent condition.
   Thanks so much.

2 comments about Warman's Little Golden Books: Identification and Price Guide.

1. Warman's Little Golden Books: Identification And Price Guide
   
   Steve Santi is THE MAN when it comes to Little Golden Books (LGBs). And this 6th Edition of his definitive guide is THE BOOK for all lovers and collectors of the little treasures. Very well-laid out with chapters on The Historyof LGBs, Regular, Disney, Giant, First, Big, Little, Foreign and other book series. Excellent photos of almost every single LGB, extensive detail of multiple editions, advice for grading and identifying editions, back cover and spine designs.
   
   This book is one I refer to and browse through often, and I recommend it most highly to all lovers of children's picture books.



2. "Warman's Little Golden Books" is a definitive 256 page guide and reference which identifies and prices over 2000 chidren's Little Golden books from 1942 to 2006. It is in full color, with simply wonderful cover illustrations of each book to complete its identification. For everyone who has ever enjoyed the Little Golden Books, this is an impressive and nostalgic guide to help you find, identify, price, sell, or acquire your childhood Little Golden Book treasures. "Warman's Little Golden Books" is clearly Steve Santi's labor of love and an impressive contribution to the "retro" children's book market collector. It is an excellent reference and a offer a delightful, bonus, and pleasantly nostalgic walk down memory lane.

3 comments about Westmoreland Glass the Popular Years 1940-1985: Identification & Value Guide.

1. Although attractive enough, this is not just a pretty book for the coffee table, but a good resource addition to a working library. This book really came in handy for me by identifying several unsigned pieces. I was able to find the exact pieces in the book and read about their history. The book has photographs of various patterns and colors, brief information on each pattern, and a list of all pieces made in that pattern and estimated prices. I use the book for research and recommend it for you.



2. I had purchased a number of Westmoreland items and didn't really know what they were worth, this book, unlike a lot of others, has just about everything in it and I was able to find all 3 of the items that I had purchased. I was pleased to find that my garage sale buys were worth 50 and 60 times over the $1 I had paid for them!



3. I am a collector of milk glass and am a big fan of Westmoreland Glass. The majority of the Westmoreland I find was made during the period this book covers. The information contained in the book is very good, the pictures are beautiful and, of course, the price guide is extremely helpful.

4 comments about All-American Ads 30s (Midi).

1. An awesome collection of ads from this decade. Hundreds of pages w/ ads of all categories. Very enjoyable. I'm an advertising major & this is a fun book to own!!!



2. Once again, Taschen has put forth a wonderfully illustrated and highly enjoyable publication. The ads are superb. The reader can truly immerse themselves in popular culture and daily life in the United States during the 1930s. What I most appreciate is the fact that Taschen presents the materials as is; they let the ads speak for themselves. I consider it one of the best resources of popular culture from the era.



3. You expect a book like this to be fun, and it is! The hard sell approach, the inflated claims, and the infamous phrase, "It isn't brand X if it doesn't say Y!" (as if your brain is scrambled) ... it's all hilarious now. And even when these techniques get tedious, the drawings and paintings are colorful and well-designed by themselves.

   The ads don't mention the Depression, but you can see it in the phrases "stretch your dollars" and "these days..." That's a technique auto makers adopted after Sept. 11th, as in "we're getting America moving again with 0% financing." In that sense, ad makers fashioned a social history that belongs alongside stories of travelling Okies and bread lines. These ads showed what people hoped for, what they wanted to become. And that's just as important as where they were. So while post-Sept. 11th ads wanted to get the family back to the dinner table, so Depression-era folks wanted to get their friends back for champagne and elegant dinner parties.

   Still, there is enough variety here to reflect many points of view and design style. Some ads were clearly ahead of their time. Some were still mired in Victorian imagery. A few are really shocking, like the public service ad with a drawing of a sinking Lusitania with the headline, "The Lusitania Sank. So What of It?" (It was an ad for World Peaceways.)

   I am no historian or designer or advertiser ... but I found this book mind-blowingly fun.




4. Taschen's fourth volume of the All-American Ads series provides a big look back to the day before yesterday. Steven Heller provides a short overview of the decade and explains that despite the Depression magazines, in which most of these ads appeared, had very high circulations. For a few cents readers could escape the reality of everyday life and be entertained by the features and the colourful advertisements. Naturally there is no real mention of the Depression though some of the ads sport the little NRA symbol and the words `We do our part'

   The format of this book is the same as the others, nine sections (Alcohol and tobacco, Automobiles, Consumer products, Entertainment, Fashion and beauty, Food and beverages, Industry, Interiors and finally Travel) provide whole, two or four ads to a page and fortunately none of them are angled or overlap. The digital reproduction of the 1500+ ads is excellent, it is always a problem to reproduce anything that is already printed because it can create screen clash but these are reproduced with clean colors and sharp lines (thanks to 175 dpi).

   Most of these ads are copy and picture heavy, stylish use of white space and clever typography was years away, though three ads for Pierce Arrow autos on pages 176-177 stand out because they do seem very modern. Illustrations rather than photography were the main visual elements with headlines and copy used to fill any space that was left.

   This as a super book if you are interested in social history or want to see how copywriters created product desire more than sixty years ago or you are just curious about things your grandparents reminisce about. Maybe they remember the 1932 ads for the Pitcairn autogiro, after all no home should be without one!

4 comments about Encyclopedia of Antique American Clocks, Second Edition.

1. This book is filled with GROSS inaccuracies,period!There is a page of Sessions black box clocks described as metal case,are in fact wood.Phiney walker is Phiney wallace.The descriptions are very vague,and mostly innacurate.And there is much more,and worse!Don't do it!



2. compared to the first book, which is a wonderful book, this one was a waste of time -- i wish i had a chance to look at it before i bought it -- i would not have bought it -- j.d.h.



3. Brand new, year 2001 encyclopedia for clock enthusiasts. It features 352 pages and more than 700 black and white photos and a special full color section. There's plenty of informative text with data on clock types, clock making, leading clock makers, clock histories, wall and classic clocks, shelf clocks and novelty clocks. The pictures provided are large and sharp, making identification easy. Clock lovers will find this a useful work.



4. The Encyclopedia Of Antique American Clocks offers collectors and dealers with a superbly illustrated and comprehensive guide to American clocks. Organized by clock type and category, this authoritative guide offers detailed entry descriptions and current market values, as well as being enhanced with more than 700 photographs including a 16-page color section). The Encyclopedia Of Antique American Clocks is an essential pictorial reference to this specialized category of nostalgic collectibles and includes informative chapters on clock types, the history of clock making, and collectible clocks from the smaller clock makers as well. A glossary, bibliography, photo index, and resources list also contribute to making The Encyclopedia Of Antique American Clocks thoroughly "user friendly" and highly recommended.