3 comments about Women, Art, and Society (World of Art).

1. I was very pleased to see the GREAT condition that this book was in. It looked BRAND NEW. Thank you for the great product at such a low price!



2. The information in this book should be in every Art History 101 text book, but unfortunately it isn't! It does read like a good text book and there are lots of illustrations (although there could be lots more). Chadwick is in expert in her field. Anyone interested in Art History should know what this book covers...



3. This book does conatain some truly valuable information, unfortunately it is also full of so much useless information that you become completely overwhelmed.

5 comments about 2008 Standard Catalog of World Coins 1901-2000 (Standard Catalog of World Coins).

1. I ORDERED A "USED" BOOK (I YEAR OLD) ON COINS OF THE WORLD AND IT MORE THAN SUIT MY NEEDS...BY ORDERING A USED BOOK, I PROBABLY SAVED AT LEAST 90% OFF THE NEWEST EDITION...BY SUBSTITUING NEWER VALUES, ONE CAN GET A PRETTY GOOD IDEA WITHOUT A NEWER BOOK...THANKS



2. The paper quality is very low and papers are very thin so the print images are not clear like they should be... Cheap high-quantity production obviously. Telephone books are better...



3. The 2008 Standard Catalog of World Coins has everything that any coin dealer or collector could want. This edition covers the era from 1901 - 2000 and includes all legal tender regular and commemorative issues of almost all countries and territories.
   An invaluable resource for anyone interested in selling, buying or collecting coins from any country in the world. I utilize my copy almost each and every day.



4. Very good book for reference. Has all the coins in it with actual sizes of the coins for easy reference.



5. Probably the best on world coins, and rather comprehensive. However, it takes some getting used to the cataloging system, and not all coins are listed per country, especially some commemorative coins are missing.

5 comments about Collector's Guide to Pez: Identification and Price Guide, 3rd Edition.

1. Shawn Peterson's Collector's Guide to Pez is filled with useful information on prices and availability of almost every Pez dispenser ever made. Along with wonderful, colorful photos and great details, Peterson has included great information for both beginning and advanced collectors of Pez products. His information on convention, collectors groups, and bargain hunting are particularly useful as a resource. In a hobby as fun and varied as Pez collectiong is, a great tool is needed. Peterson's text is the Bible for lovers of Pez both young and old. This is the only book you need whether you are a new collector or an old pro. It is definetly worth the money and will be a great addition to your growing Pez collection.



2. Many people like myself collect Pez dispensers. It is a wonderful hobby to have because it is virtually impossible to find every variation of every dispenser there is. Sometimes there are many different variations of a single dispenser, for example the colors that were made. This is where this guide comes in handy. In here you will find colorful pictures of almost every known dispenser made, along with pictures of some different variations. This helps you know what you are looking for when you want a certain dispenser. Listed also are estimated values of the dispensers, which is also helpful in giving you an idea of what that certain dispenser will cost you normally. Also pictured in this book are different inserts from the packages, different displays that were available, different flavor packs that have been packaged with the dispensers and even Pez with unique or foreign packaging. This is a great book for collectors and even those who are a little interested in Pez dispensers. The pictures and information make it easier to know what you are looking for, so if you are looking to collect Pez I recommend this guide as it will be a big help to you.



3. Although it's not a highly competitive category, this book takes the top spot in Pez guides.
   Being the newest, it has the most up to date pictures, prices and products.
   The extended section on candy packs, and Pez paper products/inserts is helpful, as other books lacked in that departement.
   Overall it's a solid price and picture book, with accurate estimates and such. It's the best of what's out there, so it's worth a shot.



4. Being a personal friend of Shawn Peterson would probably leave you with the notion that I have a biased opinion. Having known him for a number of years and knowing his passion for collecting PEZ, I assure you that a significant amount of time, effort, and research went into this book. In reading a couple of, what I feel are unwarranted, negative reviews of this book I'd wholeheartedly disagree with their assessment. This is an outstanding book of reference with excellent photography and informative narrative. I recommend it to anyone in the hobby, or anyone simply wanting to reflect back to their childhood and reminiscing about a much simpler time in life. He's done an outstanding job in assembling an historic perspective of the company, rare and unusual dispensers, as well as common variety and new offerings. Buy with confidence and enjoy!



5. Buy something else with your hard earned money,my friend.I have been involved with Pez since the 50's and I am tired of the constant profiteering.Ed Haas must be turning over in his grave,my friend.

2 comments about 500 Metal Vessels: Contemporary Explorations of Containment (500 Series).

1. I love ALL of the 500 books from Lark. They are great for inspiration and for learning new artists. I have almost the whole series!



2. I really like this book, there is a lot of good work. For those of you who had a fit about the unwearable jewelry in the various 500 jewelry books: many of these vessels are non functional. So I don't want to hear your complaints like, "I don't see how anyone could use that teapot..."

5 comments about Collecting Costume Jewelry 202: The Basics of Dating Jewelry.

1. Nice photography throughout, clear and concise writing, super job by all on a second volume follow up.



2. In "Collecting Costume Jewelry 101", Julia Carroll provided a guide to the main makers of (American) designer costume jewellery, which would allow a beginner to get some idea of what is on offer before going out into the market. In the sequel to this book, "Costume Jewelry 202", Carroll starts by assuming that her readers have already started their costume jewellery collections and then proceeds to give advice on how to date this jewellery.
   
   According to Carroll, there are six main methods of dating costume jewellery: using the maker's mark; using patent information; by reviewing vintage advertisements; by the style or design of the piece; by using books and the internet; and by provenance. Carroll then provides as much of this information as possible to her readers to allow them to date their own jewellery using these methods. For each of the major designers whom Carroll has selected (and there are a lot of them), she provides tables of patent numbers and descriptions, pictures of vintage advertisements, tables of maker's marks and information on style. Much of this information I have not seen in any other book. Extra space is devoted to Coro, Vendome and Trifari jewellery. Readers of "Costume Jewelry 101" will recall that in this book Carroll recommended that beginners start by collecting jewellery by Coro, Kramer, Trifari and Weiss, so this is somewhat consistent with that. Although, I feel that she should have also devoted extra space to Kramer and Weiss jewellery to be fully consistent.
   
   As with the previous book, this book is filled with numerous colour photographs of the jewellery, with 2007 values given for each piece. Please note that this book focuses on dating costume jewellery produced between 1935 and 1980, so if you are interested in dating jewellery that is either earlier or later that this, this book may prove inadequate.



3. This was a wonderfully informative book with information that dozens of other books on this subject do not cover.



4. This book held my attention for days (not just hours!) because it took hours just to get through it --- which I still haven't!! It is a must for anybody who loves jewelry the way I do. It is a must for the true collector. The photos are fantastic! Enjoy!



5. This is one of the better jewelry books around. I had a copy and gave it to my sister who is learning about jewelry. Then I bought another copy to replace it. It is chock full of jewelry manufacturer information as well as patents. Perfect for researching jewelry. This book will become dog-earred just like my first one-I use it that much.

No comments about The Official Blackbook Price Guide to US Coins 2008, 46th Edition (Official Blackbook Price Guide to United States Coins).

2 comments about Gemstones: Understanding, Identifying, Buying.

1. A pretty good book, especially the opening sections about the history of gemstones and the methods used to identify diamonds.



2. If you need a book on Gemstones, this is the one. Awesome pictures and great detail on discribing the many different gems around the world. If you are a collector of gemstones, this is a MUST HAVE!"

4 comments about Bedazzled: 5000 Years of Jewelry--The Walters Art Museum.

1. A tiny little reference book loaded with a lot of history. Shows photographs of gold pieces dating back to 2BC to the 19th and 20th Centuries, collected by Henry Walters, now on exhibit. Better than anything you'll see at any of the Egyptian exhibits touring about, and an up close look at specific pieces that defined the history of jewelry.



2. I received the item on time and in wonderful condition but was very disappointed by the book itself. Its VERY small and all the 5000 years of jewelry was just from one private collector. I thought there would be more information and definitely more of a history. I would not recommend this book to anyone. But not the fault of Amazon :)



3. This is a nice little book, and by little I mean 7 inches on a side square.
   At 64 pages it holds a lot of high quality images with full page shots and many closeups.
   The text is informative without being pompous and overly wordy like many historical jewelery books written by endlessly blabbery art historians trying to flex their hyper inflated vocabularies and fill their quota of space.
   There is even a short glossary at the end with many useful terms for the novice jewelry historian.
   Despite it's demure appearance this delightful book fulfills it's promise of an informative and detailed review of some of the highlights of the Walters Collection.
   Buy this book for your library and you probably have a friend who would like it too, so maybe buy another for them.



4. Bedazzled is a small book with high quality photos of distinct and beautiful pieces of jewellery held by the Walters Art Museum that covers prominent periods of jewellery design. I was very impressed as I have not seen these pieces in any other books on jewellery history. It is a gem don't be deceived by the size as it is well worth owning.

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.

5 comments about The Official Price Guide to Records 18th Edition (Official Price Guide to Records).

1. Hard to read - small type.
   Not as comprehensive as Tim Neely's guide.
   I found a lot of lp's that I wanted to find prices for were not in this guide.



2. Several years ago I bought Osbourne's 2001 guide to records and I couldn't have been more pleased. So when it was time to update the guide I was a loyal consumer and bought the newest edition. Too my suprise, many of the listings in the 2001 guide are missing and a lot of popular and valuable records aren't in the new guide at all. You've heard the phrase 'less is more'? Well in this case less is less. I can't recommend anyone buy this guide since even novice collectors will find huge gaps in 18th edition of 'Offical Price Guide to Records'.



3. This book is by one of the best music collectors in the business. I bought it as a reference guide for a future music store I want to start, as well as a general guide for my personal collection. Their are more detailed guides, at much greater prices, so this is great for the beginner and just general information. Highly recommend.



4. Jerry Osborne continues to provide the best and most unbiased price guide in record collecting. He started in 1974 and remains the authority. There's no hidden agenda here. If you're buying just one record price guide, THIS IS IT.



5. This is a another in a long line of great Record reviews and price guides. WE use it every day in our little record (antique) business. We sell vinyl in downtown Kalamazoo. Thanks!