No comments about Electric Guitars (A Schiffer Reference Book for Collectors).

5 comments about 100 Years of Oz: A Century of Classic Images.

1. 
   This book is a 7 course meal for the eyes and mind! You will love the photographs of the rare Oz treasures, which are organized by decade.
   
   This book is one of my favorite Oz reference books! John Fricke is truly the leading Oz expert!!



2. When I first saw this book years ago on "the Inernational Wizard of Oz Club", I wasn't really keen to get it (I guess the front cover looked a little too dull for me), but after seeing it in a bookstore and actually looking through it, I then knew I had to get this book, because (unlike the small "All Things Oz" collection), this book includes things OTHER than Baum's Book and MGM's Wizard, such as an unknown song from the 1904 Musical (not mentioned in "Oz: Before the Rainbow"), the Silent Films, 'Journey Back to Oz', 'The Wiz', both the Rankin Bass & Disney versions of 'Return to Oz', the 4 1987 CANADIAN-Animated Cinar Films (YES!! The mystery of their animation origin is written here!!), "the Wizard of Oz - Animated Series", "Oz Kids", the Asian "Space Adventures of Oz" TV series, "On Ice" Productions . . . it not only has all of this but also INCLUDES the most important and best of all, "The Dreamer of Oz"!! other language editions of the Oz books, and we also get a few 'Baum's Non-Oz' stuff, like his "Last Egyptian" Film and "Queen Zixi of Ix" book (plus a "Denslow's Picture Books for Children",) games/items/figurines, a few design sketches for MGM's Oz props/Emerald City and lots of other things that have to do with 'Oz' too - even though we don't get like 1-full page on info on every particular item, we still get some good information and lots of pictures too. Just like "All Things Oz", this book has lots of written information, pictures in the background/inserts and quotes from "the Wonderful Wizard of Oz" (and I'm glad to say that it doesn't have so many mistakes as "All Things Oz" does). But we also get a glimpse at some not-so pleasant Oz stuff, like the "Oz Comics for Adults" and a horrific Winged Monkey Creature Features model.
   The Chapters of this book go by 10 Years (e.g. 1900's, 1910's, 1930's, 1940's, 1980's, 1990's, 2000's, etc.).
   This was a pleasant surprise to find on a bookshelf (along with many other Oz books) and it was an absolute pleasure for me to buy it.
   Also, what you see is a slip-on cover. The actual front cover is (an Italian poster of MGM's) Dorothy looking at the Crystal Ball and seeing the Wicked Witch of the West flying on her broomstick.
   Trust me, get this book, and you'll love it - maybe even more than "All Things Oz"!



3. Lions and tigers an bears? Oh my! Add Munchkins and Winged Monkeys and a Horse of a Different Color to the list. This is Oz Country, and things simply don't get better than this. To celebrate the centennial of the publication of L. Frank Baum's novel (and the 60th anniversary of the classic MGM flick), preeminent Oz historian John Fricke has written a glorious homage of all things fun and fantastical. Not only does the book offer a fascinating chronicle of the Ozian phenomenon, but the illustrations, culled from Willard Carroll's priceless collection of more than 10,000 museum-quality pieces, are breathtaking. Oh Auntie Em, there's no place like home . . . provided you're snuggled up in front a fire with this gem.



4. With Willard Carroll's Oz collection as a backdrop, John Fricke has cataloged the fabric of Frank Baum's stories of Oz. I am certain that Frank Baum could not have been aware this fabric would become a great tapestry upon which the world could identify what it meant to be human. Oz has permeated our society with its influence. It is found in our languages, our politics, human behavior, and is probably used more often as a simile than any other imagery in our language.

   From the opening pages of this book to the last, the book is a compelling journey through Oz. The collection of Mr. Carroll's Oz memorabilia is so large that it is like trying to comprehend the distance between stars or that a few people actually have a billion dollars. This colligation of Oz collectibles somehow unites every civilization, geographic location, and human condition. It is one of the few things that have true universality.

   After reading John Fricke's take on Oz, of course, based on Willard Carroll's collection, I am left wondering how history would be different were it not for Frank Baum's Oz?

   The pictures are glorious, the layout intelligent and thoughtful-I will never see Oz in quite the same way again. John Fricke's writing is stellar. Willard Carroll's collection ---what can I say, WOW! 100 years of Oz is entertaining, educative and provides a new look at Frank Baum's Oz through the other end of the spyglass. This is a visit to a museum with a very knowledgeable guide through an unforgettable exhibit. Thanks for the tour. I'll be back again.

   This book is a must for all collectors.




5. "100 Years of Oz" is a delight for everyone who has ever fallen in love with "The Wizard of Oz" (which includes just about everyone.) The success of the book lays in John Fricke's capabilities as a writer. His words are consise, thoughtful, and honest. The photographs, likewise, catch the eye like flashes of brilliant light. It is not easy to take one of America's most chershed series of books, its favorite film, and 100 years of mechandising and condense it all into one volume. Thankfully, Mr. Fricke has done that- impeccably. Buy this book today. I highly recommend it to everyone as an example of first class research. Above all, it is a time capsule of memories. Fricke will long be heralded as "Oz"'s best friend. Congratulations to all who made this book such a beautiful addition to my library.

5 comments about Blue Book of Electric Guitars.

1. If you're a total guitar nut like me, this is a must have book. The 10th edition is the best yet. It's a tremendous resource for brand information, model specs, history, and pricing. While I found some errors and disagree with a few price listings, it is still one of the best books of its kind. It's a toss-up of which I like better between this and the Vintage Guitar Guide book. The Blue Book of Electric Guitars 10th edition has more brands and is a bigger book, but the Vintage Guitar Price Guide 2008 has more accurate information and better research. For example, the Blue Book only has a few USA Kramers included, while the VG book has more vintage models listed and a better written history. But the VG book doesn't include a great company/luither like Wollerman, while the Blue Book has a nice section for that brand. The Blue Book has a better section on ESP, and the VG has a better section on Charvel. Both books cover Gibson and Fender well. I say a serious guitargeek needs both books. Neither is overly impressive with accurate pricing, but the Blue Book provides more ranges which is nice. They both do give you a ball-park figure and lots of fun info. I read both of them cover-to-cover, yearly.



2. This book is great not just prices but a ton of knowledge that is extremely helpful... What to watch for and how to verify it... There are always those that try to get a little more than they deserve in any business... After reading this books hints and tips it is like you have twenty years experience in buying selling trading guitars... Many of my long time guitar experience friends are amazed when I come up with things that even they didn't know... Like serial codes that indentify what country their guitars were made... One of the biggest bang for the buck books I have bought in a long time...



3. I use this book as a reference in pricing. I have found it to be a very valuable tool for a starting point on pricing. Also, I have found it to be a very handy reference to locate model information without having to go to several sources. I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in collecting or buying vintage guitars.



4. THE BLUE BOOK OF ELECTRIC GUITARS is a great book featuring information about different guitars, both old and new. Some information here needs to be taken like the humor in comedy films featuring Cameron Diaz, Jennifer Love Hewitt, Alyson Hannigan, Sarah Michelle Gellar, and/or Melissa Joan Hart, because instruments that are still in production are listed as discontinued, but it's still a wonderful book.



5. Had to return this stinker fast. Very incomplete book for guitars alone, never mind their value (Which most are valued too low in here). Inexperienced author (not the guy on the cover), some kid. I could not believe how bad it was. Format is terrible, it's painful looking up a particular guitar. A Good book for this type of info is Vintage Guitar Price Guide. It is a four star book (still incomplete) - I've yet to see a five star on this subject.......??

No comments about Classic Guitars: Identification And Price Guide (Classic Guitars: Identification & Price Guide).

1 comments about Mechanical Music (Shire Albums).

1. The sound of a barrel or fairground organ, a player piano or a musical box can bring back many memories, and this pamphlet covers the history, development and use of all types of mechanical music devices, from pocket musical boxes to full pipe organs and more. Exquisite color photos abound, making Mechanical Music a highly recommended introduction.

4 comments about The Musical Box: A Guide for Collectors : Including a Guide to Values.

1. Great reference book. Massive number of pictures, specs, histories, drawings and detailed information.



2. A wonderful book with great photographs and information.



3. As others have said, this profusely illustrated book tells you everything you might want to know about music boxes. As a beginning collector, I bought it to learn about the subject; steeling myself to deal with one of those dull scholarly tomes. I need not have worried. It is not only a technically rich resource, it is written with light-hearted style and grace and is a pleasure to read.



4. Ord-Hume presents an exhaustive work on the subject of music box collecting. This book has almost everything you need to know including identification of tune-sheets, manufacturers, music box styles and types. He includes a guide to values which is probably already out-dated, but it gives a good idea of what different boxes are worth.

   If you want to know what a rigid formation box is, it's in there. If you want to know the difference between a mandoline box and a organeoclide, you'll learn it there. It's an excellent reference book, and I even read it as I would a novel, it's that well presented.

1 comments about Vintage Snare Drums - The Curotto Collection: Volume 1: Rare American-Made 1900s to 1940s.

1. This book is awesome! It has some wonderful pictures along with the histories! Even if you're not a drummer, it's still a facinating book for any music buff!

1 comments about Frankly, My Dear...: Gone With the Wind Memorabilia (Motion Pictures).

1. A wonderful book that brings all the magic of the movie to life. The picures are beautiful and it is good to see some that never appeared in the finished film. It is truly a book to be enjoyed by those who love this epic film. One can reread it and every time find fresh enjoyment.

4 comments about More Cowboy Movie Posters (The Illustrated History of Movies Through Posters, Vol 6).

1. Excellent book for the western enthusiast. was a little disappointed that posters were not full page but guess I'm being a bit picky.No text apart from the introduction, many memories came flooding back of favourites such as Charles Starrett, Allan Lane, Roy Rogers, Gene Autry etc.
   These books will end up collectors items so strike while the iron is hot.



2. More Cowboy Movie Posters is a fabulous art book and truly invaluable, offering the highest quality images from good and bad westerns. As someone who collects western posters, I have used this book as an important aid to purchasing posters illustrated within. Without such a quality reference I would have needed to peruse a stack of catalogs to find the same amount of images. For the non collector movie buff, the book is equally a delight and tremendous value at the low price.



3. This review can easily apply to any of the books in the Bruce Hershenson edited series of film poster history. Hershenson rightly treats film graphics not just as pop culture artifacts but true works of art. His books are filled with a curator's eye for superior choice and reproduction, each poster in striking color and with a clarity of printing that rivals most any coffee table art book. Somewhere between advertising and illustration, film posters, like book jackets and record covers, inhabit that imaginative and atmospheric zone where one art reflects another. It's not just the history of film or the history of film design, it's a history of twentieth century Saturday afternoons and Saturday nights. How often we would go into the dark theatre armed only with the ideas and ideals of the posters outside, and then return to them afterward, perhaps with nodding affirmation or smirking disillusionment, but still a vision of what could be. This series of books should be subtitiled: THE FINE ART OF ANTICIPATION,for no matter if expectation was filled or emptied by the films behind them, their posters kept on shining.



4. All the great heroes of Hollywood westerns are represented in a book that's a delight to flip through. It's packed with the colorful, dramatic, enticing art that made movie posters even more appealing than the movies, themselves.

5 comments about Official Vintage Guitar Magazine Price Guide 2006 Edition (Official Vintage Guitar Magazine Price Guide) (Official Vintage Guitar Magazine Price Guide).

1. Research in the vintage guitar instrument market blends with a user-friendly format, quick reference organization which lends to fast lookup, and insights on what influences vintage guitar values. Instruments covered in this official Guitar Magazine price guide range from inexpensive wall hangers to classics from the 1950s. Each listing receives a good-sized black and white photo to accompany company history, models and dates, and excellent condition low and high values. An authoritative 'must' for any who would deal in vintage guitars.



2. The first 3 out of 5 guitars I searched for were not listed. Missing certain models of Kay, Dean, Silvertone to mention a few. When I looked for a model of Martin, that model was missing also. I found all of the models in a different price guide. And yes, all of the missing models are vintage.



3. If you love guitars, just buy it as a reference for estimating value or filling in the cracks of your knowledge. I exchanged emails with Gil as he has seen a few of my git-fiddles. A cheap and wise investment!



4. Here items from my personal stuff which are NOT listed : -european 1998 DeArmond by Guild M75 & M75T ( high quality Guitars for Europe which were no more produced because of better quality than US Instruments by Guild ... ), Fresher Guitars ( only a little remark, who knows how much a Fresher T-Bird costs ? I know ... ), Fenix Guitars, Dual Showman Cab 2x15 ( Hendrix, Dale & Townsend played it ), limited Epi Guitars ( like the Elvis Signature from 1996 ), Condor Guitars ( very very rare with inbuilt effects like Fresher ). All NOT listed. Disappointed ... Klaus



5. This is an indispensable reference for guitar collectors. That said, it is not perfect, only one tool for basing values. Ebay is the value setter for any collectable since it encompasses a worldwide market. This edition did not accurately reflect the increase in values for some Fender products, for example. Overall, it has a lot of good info on an amazing variety of popular and obscure guitars, basses, amps and effects.