2 comments about Warren's Movie Poster Price Guide, Fourth Edition.

1. Nice try, but severly outdated. Anyone would lose money selling posters at the suggested values here.



2. Now available, the current edition of Warren's price guide is once again a visual testament to the love he has for movie posters. It is clear, concise and gives fair values. If you find any errors or omissions, he welcomes you to bring these to his attention. This way, his books become more accurate upon subsequent printings. I have been waiting for a couple of years for this guide, and I was not disappointed when he sent me one.

1 comments about The Official Vintage Guitar Instrument Price Guide (Official Vintage Guitar Magazine Price Guide).

1. Alan Greenwood's book on Vintage Guitars will blow you away with his vast compendium of guitars (including a bunch you never knew even existed).

   His precision is unmatched. There are guitars in there that most folks have never even heard of, much less know of, including guitar affecionados such as myself. Many, many pictures of vintage instruments are offered, but a lot of them are black and white. But they are still there. In fact I found out that one of my instruments was mis-dated by a year, simply because the particular finish was not offered in the year I was given as the origination date. Now THAT is esoteric if there ever were such a term. His history of excellent research is unlikely to be found elsewhere.

   There is a short section on amplifiers, but it is brief, and leaves out any coverage on the fine Sunn amp brand, one of the few amplifiers based on the widely acknowledged king of guitar amp tubes, the 6550A (the Sunn amp was the one James Marshall Hendrix started out on, before his switch to J.C. Marshall amps), but, as advertised this is a book on guitars, not amps.

   One item (which was probably unavoidable) which I was disappointed in, was that even though this was a 1996 book, the data was pertinent up to 1994, leaving some of the more recent data unavailable, or unaccessable, and therefore somewhat dated. This may change, and as detailed below, major changes are taking place in 1998. I am looking very much forward to the 1998 version, with even more enthusiasm.

   THE hot issue for 1998 is that massive changes have taken place in the industry in the two years since this 1996 book was published. Huge El-Nino related fires have limited (or destroyed) access to large quantities of many time-proven 'classic' fine woods that make "Vintage" guitars 'vintage'. These rare woods are now environmentally endangered, so it is no longer wise or preferable to pursue them in massive quantities, and vendors have figured that out.

   Fine Eastern Indian rosewoods, beautiful and highly ! resonant Mahogany, and fine Maple are becoming more expensive and less plentiful, less available and environmentally questionable to pursue. So several manufacturers have switched to 'smartwoods' or 'green' guitars, meaning instruments made with non-classic woods, graphite, plastic, or aluminum. The key question is whether these non-standard woods will be resonant, hold the "classic" resonant tone of previous instruments, and (particularly germane to the purpose of this book) and substantially affect PRICING (read valuation) of newer guitars, perhaps enhancing the older instruments using time-proven materials. Graphite necks may not have the resonance of mahogany necks, and certainly non-mahogany solid bodies' resonance may be drastically changed by the switch-over to other unproven woods.

   The odd thing is that some of these green guitars are more expensive than the classic versions. That one has me puzzled, but probably relates to the change-up/gearing up of plants to mass produce these new instruments, with their different constituent materials. So, strike a big plus for the environment on the one hand; what is yet to be determined is if these new environmentally friendly, but less resonant, instruments will hold their tune, AND hold their value, and their 'vintage' legacy. THAT is what Mr. Greenwood's challenge is in the 1998 update. Some specialists seriously doubt these new instruments will hold their value, much less their tune, and have said so publicly, so Alan has a lot to cover this year.

   Several 1990's guitar lines have been discontinued, making some previous lines collectors items; the combination of all of these above-mentioned factors make the 1998 edition even more essential, and have me awaiting the 1998 Greenwood book on Vintage Guitars with even more than usual interest.

   This book is a must for every collector of fine musical instruments, and keeps you on the cutting edge of knowledge of esoteric instruments, the wide variety of instruments made, and the value of your o! wn (and other) rare musical instruments. All in all, a meticulously researched, painstakingly gathered review of practically every known guitar made. It is vital to any guitarist's collection, particularly this year. Overall, this is one outstanding piece of work, unmatched, and incomparable elsewhere.

No comments about Antique Musical Instruments and Their Players (Dover Pictorial Archive).

No comments about Cinema: Year by Year, 1894-2000.

3 comments about Horror, Sci-Fi & Fantasy Movie Posters (The Illustrated History of Movies Through Posters, Volume 11).

1. I was hoping for larger photos, maybe even larger pages, but there is a fine representation of movie posters in this book.



2. Being a fan of the B grade movies that get shown in the annual Incredibly Strange Film Festival, this book was an obvious purchase and I wasn't disappointed. There is a feast of all that's good and bad about these movie genres. The reproduction is superb and the selection thoughtful. My only criticism is that there is no logic and probably only the author's personal preference as to how big or small each poster gets presented - on some pages there is only one poster, on others there are 5 - I would have preferred one per page, but I guess that would have more than doubled the price. I only hope that there will be a second volume soon!



3. Bruce Hershenson has managed over several books to enlighten many of us who are involvred in collecting movie posters. From his Crime Movie Posters, Horror Movie Posters,Academy award winners and a whole rope let alone string in his ever increasing catalogue we are able to gain great reference for the discerning collector. Also for those who perhaps cannot afford to invest into some great titles Hershenson has enabled those with a tight budget to appreciate the poster art from the twentieth century at a very reasonable cost.

   The content is laid out in a similar fashion to his previous books starting with early titles from the silent era, Homer's Odyssey 1909 right up to 1999's Sleepy Hollow, covering a multitude of titles, actors and actresses and subjects all coming under the heading of Horror, Sci-Fi and Fantasy. Such recognisable titles as Dracula, Batman and Raiders of the Lost Ark to lesser known titles such as Phantom From Space and The Green Pastures with an image to cover each year.

   The quality is very high with great colour on all the pages and at such a reasonable price this is truly a bargain, for a collector, a fan, a movie buff or just someone who likes to sit and watch a late night movie this is an excellent buy.

   Perhaps the only critcism for any of these books is the lack of text on the artists that produced the great artwork. A history on the film is all well and good and has probably been produced elsewhere, even if it is in Halliwell's but for the poster the artist is the all important person. It would be nice to know to whom the credit should go for such evocative art work. An impossible task perhaps, although if there were only a dozen images explained then this and all of Bruce Hershenson's book's would receive 5 stars and two thumbs up.

No comments about Cinema India: The Art of Bollywood.

4 comments about KISSTORY II - Toys Games & Girls Collector's Bible.

1. I LOVED THE BOOK. I DON"T KNOW HOW YOU COULDN"T IF YOU WERE A TRUE KISS FAN. KISS ARMY>>>>>



2. Folks, 99% of this book is pictures of Kiss merchandise. Unless you want to pay good money to look at hundreds of pages filled with pictures of toys and magazine covers, save your dough. KISSTORY I is excellent, KISSTORY II is an absolute rip-off. Gene always seems to come up with new ways to suck the money out of your pocket, and this one is a classic. I've been a KISS fan since 1976 and will remain one until I die (no, I'll not be buried in a KISS Kasket) so trust me. This book is for two kinds of people - those who have tons of money to burn and nothing to burn it on, and those who feel they must have EVERYTHING that has the KISS logo stamped on it.



3. I think Kisstory 2 is fantastic! Just about anything and everything that is a Kiss collectable item is featured from 1973 to the present. A great followup to Kisstory 1. I admit the price is kind of steep but if your are a true Kiss fan the book is worth it.



4. I finally received my copy of Kisstory II last week. I thought it would be a little more informative.Although I liked it, this book is far less enjoyable.The band could have at least signed it.The wait was over a year! They could have added the last few years(95-present) of the band. I just think that they didn't put enough thought into this book. It should have cost less for it's content.This coming from a fan of seventeen years. Buy only if your a die-hard!

No comments about Vintage Hollywood Posters Viii.

2 comments about Stenberg Brothers: Constructing a Revolution in Soviet Design.

1. There have been many great graphic artists in the past several decades. In my opinion, The Stenberg Brothers produced some of the finest graphical works of art in this Century. The Stenberg Brothers lived and produced their Art in 1920's...and 1930's. Fueling the Soviet propaganda machine. Look beyond the thorns of the Soviet era propaganda machine. If you are a true graphic artist, you will definately appreciate the fantastic talents of the Stenberg Brothers and Soviet-era art. The Stenbergs were Masters of the Graphic Arts. This book should not be listed as a "book". Rather, it should be listed as an artists' portfolio. This "portfolio" of Soviet artwork is a MUST for everyone with an interest in appreciating the graphic arts. The Stenberg Brothers were truly MASTERS of their medium. This BOOK is packed FULL of high quality, premium-paper-stock reproductions of the best works these brothers have ever produced. I recommend it wholley!



2. While mostly confined to the movie posters that the Stenberg Brothers produced in the early years of the Soviet Union, this book still includes enough general history to help the reader view them in the context in which they were produced. Well-illustrated (most illustrations are in full color) with easy to comprehend text, this would be a valuable volume for anyone interested in graphic design. It will also appeal to students of the Constructivist movement.

No comments about Vintage Hollywood Posters VI (Vintage Hollywood Posters).