5 comments about Montgomery Ward Catalogue of 1895 (Catalogue & Buyer's Guide).

1. Don't order from this store.
   Due to a natural disaster all orders are 6 months are more behind the scheduled delivery date!
   The customer service line 1-800-227-7598, just says that due to a "natural disaster" they can't speak to you. They then tell you to visit the website but no one EVER returns your emails.
   
   You will NEVER get your product and you will have to go through a year long process to get your money back from the compnay.
   
   I Ordered a table July 13, 2008, and I still havn't received the table and yes, my credit card has been charged!!
   
   We live in an internet age where you get most orders in 2 days. Don't bother with this company. Montgomery Ward has had it's day and it doesn't belong in this century.



2. I've given away several of these reproduction catalogs as gifts and they're always a big hit. Instantly, the recipients open the book and start studying its pages, remarking at the prices and oohing and ahhing over the more curious items of the day.
   
   This book gives a detailed and accurate picture of a typical "day in the life" 110+ years ago. Think about that for a moment. Can you really imagine someone looking at a 2005 newspaper in the year 2,110?!
   
   Buggy whips and patent medicines and cook stoves (fired by kerosene, wood or coal!) and portable bathtubs and cream separaters and more were featured in this catalog.
   
   This is a wonderful resource and a fun read. You can lose yourself for hours reading about life "back in the day."
   
   A little trivia: There's a story (as told on PBS's documentary, "Mr. Sears' Catalog") that the Sears Roebuck catalog was a tiny bit smaller than the mail order catalog offered by his competitor, Mr. Aaron Montgomery Ward.
   
   Sears (a marketing genius) knew that the farm wife would probably have both the Sears and Ward's catalog in her home. Sears made his catalog a little narrower and shorter than the Ward's catalog, so that when the little lady was tidying up the house, the Sears catalog, being smaller, would end up stacked on TOP of the Ward's catalog!
   
   Rose Thornton
   author, The Houses That Sears Built



3. How nice that someone has preserved both a piece of history and a part of the legendary and much-missed Montgomery Ward stores. If you study or write about history, you'll find this a fabulous reference of period styles, furnishings, and common items. Fun to read as a curiosity piece, too.



4. This "Montgomery Ward & Co. Catalogue and Buyer's Guide" from Spring/Summer 1895 is better than a time capsule. Most of my ancestors were still on the far side of the Atlantic that year, but for my maternal grandfather's ancestors here are 25,000 items (most of which are illustrated by woodcut) that they could have either had in their homes or dreamed about owning. From straight-edged razors and high buttoned shoes to tea gowns and the New Improved Singer Sewing Machine. Historically, Montgomery Ward prided itself on being the friend of farmers and the official supplier to the Grange. Ward was the first to offer a product guarantee that became the key to earning the respect of rural consumers and building the business. However, in 1887 Ward's main competetior Sears put out his first catalog and upped the ante by showing the customer what they would be buying before they bought it (okay, he also offered lower prices). By the time this 600-page catalogue came out in 1895 Ward was following suit. Flip through it and see what sort of amenities were making their way out to the farms at the end of the 19th-century. You could buy a buggy for $60 or spend $200 on a piano. Here you can get a bathtub, chairs, watches, hats, and even a Star Raisin Seeder. How about a solid-gold eighteen-karat wedding band for only $5? Looking through these pages will give you a sense what it was like in 1895, when the average worker had to put in 16 hours to earn enough money to buy a hair brush or 260 hours for a one-speed bicycle. Just looking through the pages of books you could order was enlightening. Actually, this is more like a time machine than a time capsule.



5. Like the Sears Roebuck catalogue, which sits beside it on my shelf, this unabridged reprint is an indispensable tool for anyone who wants to know the kinds of items that might have been found in a typical middle-class home a hundred-odd years ago. In some ways it's even superior: the illustrations have reproduced more clearly, with their details better visible, and the type, though you may still want a magnifier to read it, is also more easily made out. Prices are of course included, though you'll want to allow for the fact that MW was at that time not a conventional retail house, but confined to mail-order, which allowed it to undercut the "traditional" merchants just as Net sellers can today! There's a full index right at the front, where you can easily look up whatever you may be interested in at the moment; or you can simply open the volume at random and start browsing. And, unlike Sears, it even has a toy section! Like all Dover books, its paper and binding are superior in quality, and will doubtless last very well. Since the items listed don't duplicate exactly, I strongly suggest purchasing both catalogues. As a writer of historical fiction, I use both frequently. Highly recommended.

2 comments about Ancient Coin Collecting V: The Romaion/Byzantine Culture.

1. Wayne Sayles has created a masterpiece with his "Ancient Coin Collecting V - The Romaion/Byzantine Culture." This book is a great resource, it introduces all of the main themes in Byzantine coinage and directs the reader where to look to find out more.
   
   This book goes at length to describe the denomination of Byzantine coins, the meanings of the markings, and has an article for each emperors and claimants to the throne, from 491-1453. At least every page has at least one black and white photo, many genealogies, excellent bibliographies and much more.
   
   This is an excellent resource for anyone interested in Byzantine coins. This book is also offers are remarkably lucid description of the narrative of Byzantine history. Highly recommended.



2. This review is written from the perspective of the amateur collector on a limited budget. It has been said that collecting ancient coins was the "hobby of Kings". It might also be said that reference books on this subject can only be afforded by Kings, and are certainly less affordable than the coins. Not so with the readable series by Wayne Salyes, past editor of the premier journal on ancient coins, The Celetor. Number five (better to write V) in the series focuses on coins minted by the Roman empire during its long slide into oblivian. Constantinople also called Byzantium, and now called Istanbul, was the capital of the Empire and the center of Christianity from its founding by Constantine the Great in the 4th century to its final demise in the 15th century when the city fell to Mehmet the (Turkish) Conquerer in 1453. Most of us think of Rome as the capital of the Roman Empire but the Eastern half of the empire, while not so glorius, lived a 1000 years longer. Coinage usually reflects the culture, and this is clearly illustrated in Sayles' presentation. It is filled with numerous figures of coins, maps, and geniology. While all of his volumes are usually regarded as "introductory" and for the "new collector" to distinguish them from the comprehensive catalogues used to attribute coins, this particular volume has been particularly useful to me as an affordable attribution reference. It is fascinating to see how the coinage changed from images of emperor and soldiers to images of Christ and crosses. This is a superb addition to the series, fills a gap in the literature, and whets my appitite for volume VI.

2 comments about 80 Godey's Full-Color Fashion Plates (1838-1880).

1. While it would be rare to find a Godey's book with every fashion print in it, this book gives you an excellent variety of the best dresses from Godey's. The descriptions give an idea of color mixes, fabric and decoration. This book is a great reference tool for the Lady Civil War or Mid-Victorian Reenactor or Costume Designer.



2. I have 8 prints that don't appear in the book from 1865-1870. Want to find more info about my prints to include their value (at least an estimate). Pictures in the book are beautiful and pretty true to the actual work...except the real ones have a little "browner" paper. The history in the beginning is also very well done, and helpful in knowing the art. Thanks JoAnne.

No comments about A Guide Book of Modern United States Proof Coin Sets: A Complete History and Price Guide (Official Red Book).

2 comments about 200 Years of Political Campaign Collectibles.

1. I really enjoyed this book, but I am biased towards it. I noticed that I was mentioned in the acknowledments and appear with Tim Hagan and his actress wife, Kate Mulgrew on page 121.
   As always, Mark Warda, out did himself. Keep the books coming.
   Kurt Hurner



2. My principal collecting interests are British and US political collectibles. 19th Century political cartoons, modern satirical itemes, glass and ceramics in particular. For examples see:
   
   http://mysite.verizon.net/vze48sdz/
   
   Roughly 1 page is devoted to non US items - this book is otherwise dedicated to the US. The page that is there is very superficial.
   
   The book provides examples of many types of campaign items (e.g. posters, ceramics and toys), the area covered in most detail is campaign pins. Official, unofficial and anti (anti Bush, Clinton, War .... etc). The books coverage of pins is very comprehensive. To me, pins are the least interesting of campaign items. I was a little disappointed when I first flicked through the book.
   
   On reflection I changed my mind. Why five stars?
   - scope of book is ambitious, it dooes provide examples through 200 years.
   - valuations of items are current.
   - handy reference. All canditates/parties are listed for each election.
   - illustrations are high quality.
   
   There are very few books dedicated to collecting political collectibles. I will find this book of great use.

5 comments about Warman's Little Golden Books Field Guide: Values and Identification (Warman's Field Guides).

1. I absoluetly LOVE THIS BOOK! It is small but thick and very handy to carry in your purse or briefcase, or even your glove box. It is very portable. I also love that it is FULL OF COLOR PHOTOS!!!!!! Oh how I love color photos! There are many books listed with a color picture, year printed and a price value for that book. The books are listed ALPHABETICALLY. I found so many from my childhood that I remember so fondly. And many more that i would liek to acquire.---And now I know what I should pay for them so I won't get ripped off!---EXCELLENT!!!!! I would eventually like to get a larger, more comprehensive book of the Little Golden Books. But since they are MUCH MORE EXPENSIVE I AM WATING ON THAT FOR NOW. This book, for the price and everything you get in it, is THE PERFECT FIRST BOOK FOR THOSE WANTING TO START COLLECTING LGB'S. And even if you already have one of the larger, more comprehensive books, this book is still great because it is small and easy to take with you to garage sales, flea markets, Goodwill stores or wherever else you shop for your LGB's. I think everyone who collects or wants to collect LGB's should have THIS BOOK. I am thoroughly pleased with it. I could not have hoped for a nicer first collector's book! 5 Great Big Stars!



2. I am a new collector of Golden Books and found this guide very informative and easy to use.



3. Unless you need a take-along guide for garage sales and thrift stores, or you know nothing about the LGB's you're starting to collect... you'll get lots more information for the $$ if you buy the 5th edition of "Collecting Little Golden Books: A Collector's Identification and Price Guide."



4. Steve Santi's latest book covering Little Golden Books is proof positive that big things come in small packages. Colorful, nostalgic, fun, this is an awesome package. The field guide features more than 700 color pictures and more than 1,100 listings and prices of books. It's beautiful, and a collector's dream. I gave this book to my wife, a Little Golden Books collector. Because the book is organized alphabetically by book title we had no problem finding the books she has, or the books she remembered from her childhood. She loves the book. And I bet you will too. It's just a super little book packed with color photographs and great memories.



5. This is an absolute must-have for the serious Little Golden Book collector! If you like to know how much the LGBs are worth, THIS is THE book!! Don't get ripped off by sellers (such as EBay) or by sellers at flea markets/garage sales who may be asking too much, and you can talk to them to talk down the price! (I did, and it works!) This book will tell you exactly how much the book is worth.

4 comments about Scouts in Bondage: And Other Violations of Literary Propriety.

1. Scouts in Bondage is a photographic collection of book covers of titles that have not withstood the test of time. Compiled by a retired British secondhand book seller, this is an amusement for the bibliophile with a taste for the double entendre. It is a very short book with minimal text, highlighting about 45 photos of book covers whose intent was serious at the time but, over time, have developed unintended secondary meanings. Facing these covers is the bibliographic details (Author, title, publisher, date, and size) and occasional excerpts or additional information to add to the amusement.
   
   Being an engineering librarian, I was especially drawn to the technical titles gone wrong such as:
   
   The Resistance of Piles to Penetration
   
   and
   
   Hardening and Tempering Engineers' Tools
   
   as well as the illustration of the goddess Hygieia holding a water closet pull chain on the cover of The Modern Plumber and Sanitary Engineer.



2. This is a VERY SHORT book. Each book cover shown takes up 2 pages so there are fewer than 50 examples in the 96 pages. UPS delivered the book at 2:15pm. I opened the package, began looking at the book, and was finished with it well before 2:30.



3. A book which will especially delight males who love word-usage that has changed, making language that was reasonable in its time slightly salacious. Most pages are copies of book covers.
   
   Do you like the Three Stooges? How about Monty Python? If you do, you'll love this book!



4. Lamest sample chapter EVER. Consisted of two title pages, a blank page, and one sentence from the preface. Can't evaluate from that -- too bad, so sad, no purchase from me.

1 comments about The World in Stamps.

1. "The World In Stamps" by Laurent Lemerle. English Translation: Harry N. Abrams, New York, 2006.
   
   It was many years ago (many decades!), that I started to collect postage stamps. After a short time, I discovered that there were just too many stamps, so I began to specialize in United States stamps. When I opened this extra-special book by Laurent Lemerle, I was overwhelmed by the vast quantity of stamps that this book displays. And, the book is not like a stamp catalogue, but rather, on page after page, a particular theme is presented.
   
   Appropriately, the first theme is "Prehistoric Man", on pages 10-11, which begins the section on the History of Mankind. Then, there are sections on "Habitat", on to "Beliefs" and then to "Art". Each section shows stamps from many different countries which illustrate the particular theme being considered.
   
   The book was originally written in French, but French stamps do not dominate. By the author's own count, the top five countries are:
   United States 261 stamps
   France 228 stamps
   Great Britain 210 stamps
   Russia 187 stamps
   Germany 142 stamps.
   So, this book covers the stamps of some of the more important countries in the world, but also some of the lesser known countries. For example, on page 42, you will find a 1978 stamp from Chile honoring their liberator, General Bernardo O' Higgins, (1778-1842) and on page 129, an Irish stamp portraying George Bernard Shaw (1856-1950). There are stamps for chess and stamps for swimming and stamps for soccer, with stamps for royalty and stamps for the common folk (Bolivia, page 175). There are so many stamps, that I do not know where a present-day collector should start...but this book may be a good place.

4 comments about The Ultimate Collector's Encyclopedia of Cookie Jars: Identification & Values.

1. I only wanted the book to identify and price an old cookie jar I have, so I really can't give much of a review, but I was dissapointed that the book didn't have more info (only the price) on my cookie jar.



2. The "Ultimate Collector's Encyclopedia of Cookie Jars" by the publishers of the old Cookie Jarrin' Newsletter, Fred & Joyce Roerig, I found a pure pleasure to peruse for weeks. It displays, in some of the finest photography of all the cookie jar books, many of the cookie jar classics. Along with smile fetching standbys (ABC Coffee Pot, McCoy Cookie Cabin, Twin Winton Sheriff Bear, etc.) are a feast of the best jars from the best producers.
   From American Bisque are the "Flashers", Little Audrey, Herman & Katnip, Baby Heuy, along with Umbrella Kids, Davy Crockett ((both) and Mohawk Indian (Little Mo). Brayton's Goose Woman, Maid and Ring Master are there. There's a picture of the old Brush Pottery Building along with their rarest including: Hillbilly Frog, Little Red Riding Hood, Hobby Horse and Puppy Police. On to California Originals there's their fun standards (Scarecrow, Little Red Riding Hood, Rabbit on a Stump, etc.) to their greats such as Snow White, Pinocchio(s), Bambi and the full color Woody Woodpecker. The section on McCoy is always fun with the Roerigs and this one does not disappoint. It begins with a full page Tony Veller and goes on to charm us with Two Kittens in Low Basket, Multicolored Leprechaun, Frosted Christmas Tree, Hillbilly Bear, Cookie Tug, Drum Majorette, two varieties of the Train Engine with Smoke, and a smorgasbord of their most popular jars. Again with Metlox there's the best of their regulars and a good mix of their "hard to find" jars including Ferdinand Calf, Flamingo, Mammy Scrub Woman, and Little Red Riding Hood. The Twin Winton chapter displays the entire Collector's Series, Shaggy Dog, and a good selection of their standbys. Conspicuously absent is any description of the Twin Winton Company. There's actually more dialogue on Don Winton in the Hirsh section than there is under Twin Winton. Treasure Craft's section focuses on their U.S.A. made jars with the exception of three jars made in Mexico. Even so, most of my Treasure Craft favorites are included.
   Among others there fun sections on Dorrane of California, Abingdon, L.A. Pottery, Cardinal, Maurice of California, Hull (including thier impossibly rare Little Boy Blue), Maddux, Roseville, Helen Hutula, RRP, Sierra Vista, NAC, Regal China and Shawnee. Among current producers/importers there's Clay Art, Vandor, Enesco, Fitz & Floyd (although their Table of Contents says Fritz & Floyd), and Lefton. Surprisingly missing here are Vandor and Warner Brothers. The "Unknown/Miscellaneous" section is only 2 pages long. Also absent are any of the studio producers (J.D. James, Corl's Kilns, The New Rose Collection, Happy Memories, Austin Curtis, Star Jars, McMe, etc.).
   To cover what's missing in the book would require several more pages. But the selection of cookie jars is what it is; the Roerig's opinion of what are the ultimate cookie jars and I enjoyed every page. There are updated prices that are as good as I've seen. Overall the jars covered are done so well that it's truly agonizing that the great producers are gone (McCoy, ABC, Twin Winton, Metlox, and on and on).
   I give the book my highest rating within the scope of what it strove to achieve. The jars included and the jars left out are a study in what the Roerigs are about. Always an interesting journey.



3. Great book for the cookie jar collector. The book will help you place a value when getting ready to purchase a cookie jar for your collection.



4. This fourth book by the author is very disappointing. Is a re-hash of the older books with no new jars featured. The newer manufacturers are completely ignored. The jars featured in this book have already been featured in the other 3 books. Price values seem low and anemic.

No comments about Classic Fishing Lures: Identification and Price Guide.