2 comments about 2008 North American Coins & Prices (North American Coins and Prices).

1. Another great book for the North American Coin Values. A lot of information to digest. Can't beat the price.



2. Every few years I purchase the updated version of this book because it contains information on Canadian and Mexican coins as well as US coins. It is very accurate on the price you might pay for coins purchased over the internet.

5 comments about American Premium Record Guide 1900-1965 (American Premium Record Guide).

1. Terribly organized, horribly incomplete and wrong about values. This is just an awful book. Checking on Ebay is a million times better. Thank heavens I sold mine.



2. I have been collecting 78 rpm records for about 38 years.
   I became aware of this book when I was given a copy (the 2nd edition) as a gift many years ago.Since then I have bought each new edition as they have come out.
   I have not come across another guide for the collector of 78 rpm records which compares with this one.
   It doesn't cover every 78 ever issued.It would have to be huge (and expensive).Left out mostly are the common 'pop' discs of the 40's and 50's.
   Great label pictorial sections.
   Another very nice feature is that all names used by one artist or group are listed at the beginning of that entry.
   My only complaint is a lack of an index.(Earlier editions had one.)This is helpful since many artists appear in more than one section.Also,sometimes you might not be sure which section an artist might be in.(Such as Blues vs Jazz)
   I highly recommend this book.
   Thank you!



3. les docks has been the sole responsible book writer for pre war blues and jazz for a long long time.
   his books are facinating.
   his prices have always been absurdly LOW which he addresses in all honesty in the prelude pages.
   his scans are fantastic! truly one of the best books you can own to start looking for rare records.
   what it lacks and there probably good reason,is information about unknown records.but you can still see them pictured and hes finally admitting robert johnsons records are worth more than 50 dollars each! keep rockin les and id love to see the shellack shack someday!



4. This book has a lot of holes and should be considered a supplemental guide to the more thorough price guides out there like Rockin' Records. What I really enjoy about this book is how it indirectly communicates to the masses how small the percentage of 78's out there have any value in the marketplace.
   
   Typical flea-market hunters will come across large assortments of 78's over years of hunting but will find very little of any value. They will open up this guide and look up their records and not find them or find that they have little to no value. It's refreshing to have a guide that will humble the amateur collector and not give them false hopes about the values of their records. Selling 78's in most markets is next to impossible. Most dealers are relegated to selling them online, which is not a profitable venture unless the records are established collectables. This book helps delineate such records.
   
   It's hardly worth looking through the 45/EP/LP section with the other guides out there. The separation by genre is kind of unnecessary in my opinion. Also, it's true this book has little to say about international records. Russian and Chinese records are collectible but they are beyond the scope of this book. I can't really evaluate the high-end prices in this guide because I'm undereducated on the subject. Use auction results to help.
   
   I would only recommend buying this guide to those who have access to either a real large quality 78 collection (hot jazz, pre-war blues, rockabilly perhaps) or a desire to understand the patterns of 78 values. You will NOT turn your grandma's collection or your garage sale find into cash using this guide (99 times out of 100). Consider this a supplemental guide for 78's only.



5. If you have discovered a pile of old 78 rpm records of your grandparents and would like to know their value this book is probably NOT the right book for you. As the author indicates, most of the 78 rpm records are without any value for serious collectors. In this book you'll find names of artists that you have never known... Yes believe me: Your Bing Crosby "White Christmas" is not a rare item. It's quite common. Enjoy such a record as a vintage item but not as a collectible record. This is what the author says at the beginning. So once again: Don't buy this book in order to learn the value of your Dinah Shore, John McCormack, Frank Sinatra records..
   
   I cannot judge the values in the blues / rockabilly / country part of the book because I don't listen to such music. The values in the jazz part are in my opinion too low. Example: A rare Gennett in E condition (the book indicates the value of records in E) is very very hard to find and therefore the value is much higher than in the book. I have always paid more for a rare record than the value indicated in the book.
   
   However, the guide gives you an idea of the value of a rare record and this makes the book a must for any serious collector.

2 comments about Warman's Hull Pottery: Identification and Value Guide (Warman's Hull Pottery: Identification & Value Guide).

1. I just love Hull pottery so I was excited to receive my book. I couldn't wait to look up some pieces I had when it came. I received the book in a few days as promised. Excellent service!!!



2. Great addition to my resource library for Hull Pottery. Must have if you are thinking about collection Hull Pottery and a must have if you will be sell Hull Pottery.

5 comments about 1000 Record Covers (Taschen 25).

1. There is entirely too much nudity. I feel like a scum-bag for buying it.



2. I bought this book as a gift to my dad, an avid record collector. The book was in good condition, and arrived sooner than I anticipated. My dad and I were both very pleased, thank you!



3. As the son of an Old School Disc Jockey my family received Albums in the mail every month from all the major labels. Between that and digging thru record bins at shops as a kid I think I've seen 60 to 75% of the art in this book. I really miss the size of those albums.
   
   It makes me think of my first trip to Europe. Seeing the scale the masters used when creating art that we only saw in text books. It can be overwhelming. Maybe thats why most CD art "under-whelms me to this day. 4 and 3/4 square does not an impression make.
   
   I would hope that they would create a volume two. As opposed to purchasing a competing book with some of the same artwork. Its no accident that I design covers for a living now. And yes, I design on a 12 inch spec and shrink down. The art demands it.



4. I wish it were more descriptive but the images of the covers make the purchase worthwile for the collector. It have does have some great images of hard to find covers from the 40's 50's and 60's.



5. As an absolute lover of music, I have come to miss that era of the vinyl album cover, when we rushed to the record store and purchased someone's long awaited first or follow up album. We then rushed home and played it on the old component set while reading the liner notes on the back of the album. This book reminded me of that time and many pages were a nice walk down memory lane for this music lover. I guess if I had a complaint, perhaps the authors could have divided the book up into genres as opposed to time period. It would have been nice to see various R&B, Country, Blues, Rock, Disco albums.
   
   I will say this, when I saw it in the store- I bought all five copies and then used them for eventual gifts to people. Everytime, I have given one away, it was a hit because everyone is some form of a music lover and everyone can appreciate the vinyl era. Buy this and then buy it again.... for someone else.

4 comments about Authenticating Ancient Indian Artifacts: How to Recognize Reproduction and Altered Artifacts.

1. It's a pretty good guess that everything between these covers was learned from Bill Jackson. To assert (as another reviewer has) that the author will "....don the mantle of Greg Perino" is similar to alleging that Barry Manilow will don Beethoven's mantle.



2. This is another great book by James Bennett, and covers many interesting facets of lithics and archaeology as well as authentication. Many people will shy away from this book thinking it only concerns authentication, which is not correct...it also has much good previously unpublished information on how lithics use patterns work, etc. I believe this book should be used as a supplement to James previously published softcover book which has MUCH more information on detecting fakes/fabrications in native american lithics. The softbound book previously published has many more photos, and covers much that this book does not. Therefore my suggestion is to get this book as a supplement to the first softbound book, do not think this book includes all from the other as it does not. However this book is well worth the money and is well done, highly recommened book, but the man who appears to have donned the mantle of the respected but now deceased authenticator Greg Perino.



3. As the title of this review states this should be a book any serious collector should have for reference. The picture examples are worth the cost of the book alone. The information included along with the examples is just what I was looking for in a book about collecting Native American artifacts.
   The book is also very well written so that a person with very little knowledge could pick it up and understand what was being explained.



4. Any collection strong in Native American history, studies or early artifacts will welcome AUTHENTICATING ANCIENT INDIAN ARTIFACTS: HOW TO RECOGNIZE REPRODUCTION AND ALTERED ARTIFACTS. Color photos of artifacts accompany clear directions on the entire authentication and identification process, making for a fine choice for college-level archaeology collections as well.

No comments about Collecting Sports Legends: The Ultimate Hobby Guide.

3 comments about Fashions of the Thirties: 476 Authentic Copyright-Free Illustrations (Dover Pictorial Archive Series).

1. I design and sew costumes for our local theatre company and this book has been a huge help in designing the proper look for a particular time period. It is a fun book to peruse to compare prices and styles with today's clothes.



2. This book has wonderful pen and ink drawings of womens, mens, children and accessories fashions. A great book for fashion drawing students as well as giving a good feel for that era.



3. This is a very good reference book. It does not show you the little details that photo books of fashion can provide, but the illustrations give you a good feel for the attitude of 1930s fashion. It is full of pen&ink style renderings of men,women and children's clothing. The drawings are also copyright free....

2 comments about Resumes That Will Get You the Job You Want.

1. I love this book. I used it to improve my resume a few years ago, and I have loaned it to 5 people. This book will help you find the words you need to most accurately represent yourself on paper. Out of all of the publications on this topic, I feel this is one of the best.

   I am a grantwriter and refer to this book often to assist me with clean/clear writing. I recommend it to anyone who could use some help in getting their point across on paper.




2. This is more than just a formula book. Andrea Kay gives you exercises and ways of looking at yourself, that help you see your strengths, then focus and express them in language that attracts positive attention.

   By using good and clearly explained examples, Ms. Kay helps you understand not only what to say and how, but also why you need to say it.

   With clear, concise examples the book also encourages the resume writer to be inventive and even bold. Ms. Kay believes that too many resumes are dull and boring in their sameness. She shows you how to rise above the pack!

4 comments about Standard Catalog of German Military Vehicles (Standard Catalog of...).

1. What a fantastic book, what a labour of love by David Doyle. However it's ruined by the terrible treatment of the photographs. Any one who uses a digial camera or has done some scanning will know what I mean. Basically a picture consists of a white point at one end and a black point at the other. Older photos often have no information at the start or end and the black and white point start a little way in. Left like that you get a muddy unclear picture. But if you draw the white and black points into the point at the start of the information then you end up with a clear picture with detail all throug the range. A black and white picture. Any old photo will look twice as good if this is done to it. Clearly no one could be bothered to do that here. Which mean we end up with grey to grey pictures with no white points and no clear black points. So on page 114 we are asked to notice the use of all-steel and rubber-tired return rollars,...well all you can see is a shape of a tank with very little detail. On page 80 we are told to notice the jack at the back of the tank,...I'm sure it's there but I can discern no details on the back at all, just a dark grey back of a tank with faint shadows.
   
   Sadly all the photos are like this, ever stuff from museums is lacking in detail and is just plain muddy looking. What a difference could have been made with just a little more care.
   
   David you book is a classic and is fantastic, but please find a publisher who can take the care to get the photogaphy side right, until then it's like listening to the best group ever through the phone, or looking at a masterpiece painting through a a piece of tracing paper.



2. This book is a must for anyone interested in weaponry of WWII. A great source for the vehicles at the Kabinka Tank Museum outside of Moscow and the Munster Tank Museum in Germany. I was amazed that there was a listing of the 12.8 cm Selbstfahriafeete L/61, of which only two were made, the only one in existence in the Kubinka museum. Thanks to the book I could figure out what was in the museums. Oft times they were not labeled correctly.
   
   I highly recommend this book!



3. This book has every vehicle the German Army used during the war.
   A must for every modeler.Execellent pictures!!!



4. I've always wondered about the heavy German use of motorcycles with side cars. And I've been fascinated with the German use of the half track configuration.
   
   This book answered all of my questions. The German half tracks, which came in a wide range of sizes had much better tracks than did the American M2/M3 (It was said that the American machines had rubber bands for tracks), but the German units were not four wheel drive. The little motorcycle looking halftrack was not a tracked motorcycle, but a small prime mover used to do things like haul aircraft around the field. And I've decided that what I really want is a Volkswagon Schwimmwagon, the four wheel drive amphibious vehicle (You can see of these at the Heartland Museum of Military Vehicles just off I-80 at Lexington, Nebraska.)
   
   This book has more photographos of German military vehicles than I would have thought existed. Of course it covers all their tanks, but you find these in lots of books. Here are the rest of the vehicles - trucks, motorcycles, prime movers, everything that the Germans produced during World War II.
   
   If these kinds of vehicles are your thing, this is a book you can't do without.

1 comments about Charleston Furniture 1700-1825.

1. Wonderful book about furniture of this period. Especially interesting for me as I had numerous relatives living in Charleston during this period and up to present. It gives insight into how people lived in Charleston during these times.