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3 comments about Fishing Lure Collectibles: An Encyclopedia of the Early Yrs..

1. First, I must confess that I do not use they type of lures that are featured in this wonderful book. I gave up this type of fishing years and years ago and only trout fish using flies now. Never-the-less, fishing gear, any fishing gear, absolutely fascinates me and I love looking at the stuff. But that is not the primary reason I own this and quite a number of other books of its ilk.
   
   I have for years bought and sold these things; in part to make money, but more so because it is a nice hobby and I get to meet many nice people. When you buy and sell such things, I have found it is best to know a bit about them. This work goes along way in assisting me in this need for knowledge. There is a lot of money to be made in this hobby, but conversely, there is a lot of money to be lost if you know not what you are doing.
   
   Secondly, I paint and draw. One of my primary subjects for still-life paintings and drawings is fishing lures. Now always having the actually lure in front of me is a bit of a handicap, and to be frank quite impossible because some of these fishing lures are quite rare and I have absolutely no access to them, but lacking the best thing, i.e. the actual lure, the photographs in this work are by far the second best thing to use. The color is extremely accurate as is the quality of the photographs; sharp, clear and detailed. I have found that the measurements provided by the authors to be extremely accurate. Using this work, I am able to reproduce very nice reproductions on canvas, paper or what ever material I choose...I have even used gourds from time to time. The clear and concise text accompanying each photograph provides invaluable information, both technical and background wise.
   
   I like my paintings to be as accurate and authentic as possible and this work gives me the edge I need.
   
   Now the only warning I might give to those who contemplate purchasing this work is that the prices or worth assigned to each lure can be misleading. As with any other collectable or antique, any given piece is only worth what someone is willing to give for it or willing to part with it for. Yes, the prices given here do give you a ballpark figure and a starting point, but just because the book states the lure is worth a thousand dollars and you find one in your grandfather's lure box, does not mean that you will be able to run out the door and sell it for that much. Likewise, if you plan to buy a particular piece, I certainly would not start the bargaining process at the prices given here. But all that is common sense and really does not distract from this work what so ever. NO BOOK gives you prices that are written in stone! Trust me, I know about such matters. Another warning her for the would be collector: Due to the price of some of these objects, there is a very large knock-off and counterfeit market out there right now...do be careful and do your homework. Some of these people are quite good at what they do!
   
   The book is well arranged by manufacturer, maker or company and it is rather easy to find what you are looking for. Do keep in mind that no one book can possibly cover all of the thousands upon thousands of lures that have been manufactured or hand made over the years, but hey...you have to start somewhere. I also like the way the authors have included the history of these item which is an education within itself.
   
   On the less practical side, this is just a fun book for those interested in such things to simply brows through. Many wintery evening can be spent going over this work using it as either a "wish list" or just for the pure joy of seeing and learning. You know, if you look at it from a certain angle, the reader can learn much concerning the minds of men and the minds of the fish he or she pursues just by looking at what has been created to try to lure these tricky critters onto the stringer.
   
   If this is an area of interest for you, then this is one of those must have books to add to your collection and I do highly recommend it.
   
   Don Blankenship
   The Ozarks



2. Another lure book, if you like fishing (or even better if you are an addict like me) you will find this book interesting. It will send you to sleep if you don't like fishing or the history associated with the ways and means of catching fish. Like other companion books, these are beautifully presented with nice photo's and informative text. Sorry I haven't done a book review since high school.



3. Any collector interested in antique fishing lures and the history of fishing lure production will find all the answers in Fishing Lure Collectibles, a clear guide to a notoriously difficult collecting hobby focus. Two experts provide clear details in Fishing Lure Collectibles: An Encyclopedia of the Early Years, 1840 to 1940. Each manufacturer's items are surveyed along with history, individuals who purchased patent rights from companies, changes in bait quality and production standards, and more. Not to be missed.
   
   Diane C. Donovan
   California Bookwatch

5 comments about Pocket Ed. Jackson's Hallmarks.

1. The order was shipped very quickly. So quickly in fact my Mother didn't even realize she had already received the book. Luckily she found it where her husband said he put it. Thank you.



2. There are two books on English silver hallmarks available on Amazon, the other being English Silver Hallmarks, and although both are excellent books, in my opinion, this is the lesser of the two. Both books are almost identical in content: both provide illustrations of English, Irish and Scottish silver, gold and platinum hallmarks, and illustrations of the more important makers marks, which allow for the dating of silver, gold and platinum items. However, this book omits Sheffield plate marks, which are included in "English Silver Hallmarks", and it is harder to find what you are looking for in this book.
   
   The periods of time covered by these two books are slightly different. This book gives hallmarks for the period from 1300 to 1991, whereas "English Silver Hallmarks" covers the period from 1554 to 2004. If you are wishing to date very early pieces of silver, then, clearly, this is the book to buy. However, as I have never had any need to date items made prior to 1554, and most of the items that I have dated have been more recent items, I find the period of time covered by "English Silver Hallmarks" to be the most appropriate for my needs.
   
   Although both books are very useful and both are likely to satisfy the requirements of the average silver collector, if you are only going to buy one of these books, then "English Silver Hallmarks" is probably the book to buy.



3. Unless you are extremely experienced with Silver and Gold items and what / where their origin may be, this book is probably not for you. The chances of being able to find what you are looking for reminds me of looking for a needle in a haystack. The marks are illustrated in VERY SMALL 1/4" black and white diagrams, column after column, put in tables with time period or comment in print that is even smaller than the diagram. Several (bordering on too many) of the marks look very much the same and after looking at 170 pgs of extremely small and not necessarily clear diagrams and images, I feel I should of spent my money elsewhere for info on silver ID.



4. Not easy for any beginner to use. Unless you knew exactly what kind of silver you were trying to identify i.e. English, Scottish, Irish... etc, it was a bit confusing. Marks are black & white, some not showing very good clarity and everything is in extremely in small print. If you just want to sort through tons of marks and dates, this may be for you. If you want information about your piece, pass it up.



5. This is a great little book!
   Easy to use to look up maker's marks while out antiquing, or at auctions, or what-have-you.
   I just wish there was a section of Russian Silversmiths Marks. But other than that... A+!

1 comments about Modern Fishing Lure Collectibles (Modern Fishing Lure Collectibles Identification and Value Guide).

1. Definitive collections for avid collectors of fishing gear will not be complete without adding the fifth volume of Russell E. Lewis's Modern Fishing Lure Collectibles, which continues Lewis' prior volumes offering identification and value guides to lures from the 1970s, 1980s and modern times. Packed with color photos of lures often in their boxes and new, paired with prices and including text descriptions and lure history, it's a top pick for any with an avid interest in fishing lures.

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5 comments about Big Book of Pocket Knives.

1. I purchased this book for my dad as a gift along with another book and this book was by far his favorite. He collects all types of pocket knives but has many Case Knives and this book had a larger section and more information on "Case". This book also had more pictures to compare too.



2. This book is seriously lacking, and incomplete. I can't imagine that the author spent a lot of time putting this together. Received the book today and returning it tomorrow. There are many books out there that are a lot more informative with more detailed complete information than this one



3. I got this book for my son for Christmas and he really enjoys looking at the pictures and sharing it with his grandpa.



4. The title is misleading. There is not a guide to grading knives in the book. However, I love looking at the old catalogs. I have been collecting knives for a while and this is the only resource I know that has so many pictures of the old knives. I would give it 5 Stars, but the title is problematic, so I give it 4 Stars.



5. This book didn't have but a few peices that I was looking for..The illustration was poor which is not Amazon's problem..Wish I could return for a refund;but know that's not possible..Thank you for you're quick shipping of the item..And I will continue to do business w/you..Gordon Stanley

5 comments about Pokemon Collector's Value Guide: Secondary Market Price Guide and Collector Handbook (Collector's Value Guides).

1. Just like the title for this review. No more, no less.



2. I am pleased to say that this excellent guide has brought much information about the incredibly popular Pokémon trading card game, and much knowledge about the Pokémon merchandise. Checkerbee Publishing has made a incredible value guide, considering that they included transalations for the Japanese poket monster trading card game, pictures of the cards, and such information is included in American Pokémon card game which is also featured in this book. Though this book has it's pros, it also has cons. No estimated prices are given about the American Fossil Cards, and few people are sure that the Japanese transalations are 100% accurate. Though, that should not stop you from buying this stupendous guide. I am very sure this will satisfy thous who are in need of Pokémon information.



3. i bought this book because it looked cool. but i read some of it there was alot of misprints!



4. This book is a really good source if you want to know how much your pokemon cards are worth. This book has the values of rares, commons, and uncommons. And it even has the values of japanese cards. If you want to get a pokemon price guide, i suggest you buy this one.



5. IF you can't under stand you japanies cards fear no more. This book tells you what it says.

2 comments about Antique Playing Cards: A Pictorial History.

1. Bought this as a gift for my brother--great color and black and white pictures throughout of "old" decks of cards. He loved it.



2. This Treasury of playing cards is sparse on text or history, but there is an abundance of beautiful pages full of playing cards to look at and admire. If you appreciate and admire the artwork of playing cards this is a wonderful book.

3 comments about Fred Arbogast Story: A Fishing Lure Collector's Guide.

1. Scott Heston's THE FRED ARBORGAST STORY: A FISHING LURE COLLECTOR'S GUIDE is for any avid collector of fishing lures: it surveys both cataloged and uncataloged lures, providing good-sized color photos of both lures and packaging and blending design history insights with values. Any sports or fishing collectibles collection will want this.



2. Excellent book, has lots of great info about the Fred Arbogast Company and the lures and items that are collectable. The print quality of some of the pictures could be better, especially the color charts, but that aside, thanks to Scott Heston for putting it together.



3. This has to be THE best collectors guide I have ever purchased on ANY collectable, EVER! Even better than his book on Ohio fishing lures. I am so glad I bought this guide. I recently found an old tackle box full of old lures at a yard sale, one of the lures were still in it's box, both in incredible condition! (not gonna mention which lure...but it is valued at $200 in the box)...this guide helped me to recognize what an outstanding deal these lures really were at the price...I paid only $5 for the lot and was able to make quite a tidy profit off of them on eBay. The eBay tips on picture viewing (or in my case, taking) helped me to show the lures off to their best advantage...Thanks Mr. Heston!!!

No comments about American Playing Cards Supplement and Price Guide, Second Edition.