2 comments about Miller's: Collecting the 1950's (Miller's Collector's Guides).

1. A mind-boggling array of beautiful and outlandish objects from the 1950s explained, illustrated and priced, with a real sense of perspective and a light-hearted approach. Every page has something to make the collector gasp, and it's not all just the usual 50s Americana -- there's a strong emphasis on stuff from the UK and Europe, including some glorious textiles and enough emphemera to thrill the most jaded collector. A much-needed guide to a still under-explored era of collectables. A real must for anyone with even the remotest interest in understanding both the era and the origins of the objects that help make it seem so glamorous today.



2. This is an **excellent** resource book! It's not only chock full o' cool color pictures, it has lots of really informative text--a rare combination. Covers furniture (Herman Miller/Saarenen etc), spacey fabric designs, silly kitsch, dishware, lamps, 50s clothing and much, much more. Most books of this sort are either text-heavy, or merely picture books. I highly recommend this for anyone interested in collecting vintage stuff of this period!

3 comments about Ray Gun.

1. Though it was published some years ago its nice to see that this lovely book is still in print. The landscape format is ideal for showing off the streamline design that was a requirement for any gun of the future.
   
   Each model is shown in profile and a nice touch is the removal of the photos background so the guns are floating on the page. Another idea that gives the book a lift are several pages of period graphics: movie posters, ads and the original gun boxes. The first blaster is from 1935, a surprisingly good condition Buck Rogers pistol, made by Daisy. The models are shown in date order up to the mid-sixties and mostly from the US and Japan with several from Europe.
   
   Considering that this was a really tiny part of the toy market you might think it surprising that a book should be devoted to the subject but there is another equally beautiful title showing more: Zap! Ray Gun Classics. This is out of print but you'll easily be able to pick up a used copy. Both books will give you a nostalgic blast for the past.
   
   ***FOR AN INSIDE LOOK click 'customer images' under the cover.



2. It is amazing that enough material existed on this topic to constitute an entire book. The text reads like a labour of love. Who else would write such a thing?
   
   For science fiction fans, or children of the 50s to the 70s, you can revisit your youth. Some of the ray guns might be recognisable indeed.
   
   The text is nostalgic retrospective on an era with no digital electronics, as we know them now. As far as I can tell, every gun depicted here lacked a microprocessor. Everything was hardwired analog.



3. This book is the bible for vintage rayguns.

   It was great to see the toys of my wonder years in full color. Inspires me to become a collector!

   Lots of fun!

2 comments about A Trekker's Guide to Collectibles: With Values (Schiffer Book for Collectors).

1. This is a perfect look back over the decades of Star Trek collectibles and toys. It is well organized. Fans of only one series may go directly there and concentrate on those items. General Trekkers will enjoy browsing throughout. It is amazing how many items are listed. It is hard to believe a book would be misjudged on the basis of one small line of items so far on the edge of the field! Get this book!



2. There are many collectibles listed in this book. Also there are good pictures and descriptions. However, some of the best Star Trek collectibles and memorabilia are the Star Trek Autographed Plaques/Items done by "THE SCORE BOARD, INC.", but unfortunately in this book there are not informations about them.

1 comments about Collecting Antique Meerschaum Pipes: Miniature to Majestic Sculpture (Schiffer Book for Collectors).

1. As a collector and admirer of meerschaum pipes, this is the book I've been waiting for. The author, Ben Rapaport, is well known among antique pipe fanciers for his earlier works, including the standard work, Complete Guide to Collecting Antique Pipes (which discusses all types of antique pipes not just meerschaums, published in 1979 and recently reprinted) and the lovely and informative Museum of Tobacco Art and History Guidebook (1996). But his newly published book, Collecting Antique Meerschaum Pipes, is in a class by itself. Although Rapaport is the leading authority in this area, he primarily lets the pipes do the talking. Of the 176 pages, the first 50 contain the scholarly background which addresses the questions of how, who, why and where these pipes were created. But even in this section at least half of the pages are dedicated to wonderful photographs of pipes, old catalogs, craftsmen and workshops. The remainder of the book is an absolutely gorgeous album of some of the most beautiful and extraordinary meerschaum pipes ever sculpted. The photographs are large so that one may see the exquisite detail, and where appropriate the reader is provided with additional particularly detailed pictures. The photography is of exceptional quality, as one would expect to find in a first-rate art book. At the end of the book the author provides a compilation of the 19th and early 20th century manufacturers and sellers of these pipes organized by country and city, and an international listing of museums and shops where one might view some of these treasures today. It is hard to imagine that anyone other than Ben Rapaport could have created a book like this. The book brings together his many years of experience as an author and collector. But just as importantly he is known and respected by the many collectors who were willing to provide him with their pipes for inclusion in this collection. If you collect pipes, if you enjoy viewing small sculptures, if you are a fan of "working art," if you want to take a look into a small and not particularly well known world of master artists and craftsman of the late 19th and early 20th century then you owe it to yourself to buy this sumptuous book.

2 comments about Marilyn Monroe Collectibles: A Comprehensive Guide To The Memorabilia Of An American Legend.

1. this book was very informative and well done with pictures too. i have been collecting for almost 20 years and i never heard of half the items in there. it is amazing. never saw a book on marilyn like it! very well researched



2. Finally at last, a complete price guide on Marilyn Monroe! A truly comprehensive guide indeed and a must have for all who collect on Marilyn! Excellent job throughout! You won't regret it!

3 comments about Zippo Lighters: An Identification and Price Guide (Identification and Value Guides (Krause)).

1. Excellent book but not good to have alone. This is more of a supplemental.



2. Nice pictures, but author knows nothing about Zippo! Captions don't fit the pictures, prices are way off, but its nice to look at. Would not use as a reference book.



3. While the book has some interesting information on the subject of Zippo lighters, I feel too much space is used to show old magazine ads for Zippo lighters. This space could have been used for more pictures of actual Zippo lighters and updated pictures from inside the Zippo factory. The pictures of the plant itself show workers putting Zippos in the old flame boxes which were only used until 1976. The other main issue of my dissapointment was the apparent lack of research that went in to the writing of the book. There are many errors in the style names of lighters shown in the pictures as well as the values. The biggest error that stuck in my head was where they said Zippo manufacturing cleans the lighters before they return them to the customers after they go through the repair clinic.
   It is unfortunate that Mr. Pope didn't have the opportunity to finish the book he started, perhaps more research of facts would have been done before publishing.
   While the book that David Poore wrote years ago is a bit outdated on the values, it is a very valuable piece of reference material for the novice and seasoned Zippo collector. I would strongly encourage anyone thinking of buying a book on Zippos that they consider Mr. Poores book instead.

5 comments about Official Price Guide to Classic Video Games: Console, Arcade, and Handheld Games.

1. This book is lame. I got into the arcade collection hobby about a year ago and have really dove into it headfirst. I am a member of a lot of the collector message boards and go to auctions and arcade events near my home. The price guide seems a bit out of wack. I don't think you can price guide an arcade. I have seen Ms. Pac-mans go from $250 to $1650 and Kung Fu Master games go from $200 all the way to $1000. The price ranges are so large it doesn't make sense to price guide these. It all depends on how much someone loves a game... Auctions skew the prices a lot, so do people on ebay that overpay. The guide lacks a lot of games I see out there. Waste of money. Want a price range, go on ebay and craigslist and message boards.



2. WOW...What can I say? This book was a trip down memory lane. Each page brought back fond memories of playing video games in my parents' basement. Sadly, I lost my Atari 2600 in a stampede. I still have most of my game cartridges though and they're still lots of fun! Mr. Ellis' book is well written and a must have for anyone who loves collecting the Atari game software of the 80's.



3. What an incredible reference guide. With the collectible video game market still in its infancy, I honestly didn't expect to see a book like this for at least another decade. Then, as I was chuckling to myself while staring at it in a bookstore, it hit me: "Holy Energizer Dots! It's a huge reference to the entire video game industry!!! So I grabbed it, absorbed it, and continue re-reading it to this day. Chock full of history, images and master lists of cartridges and consoles, this one book will both enlighten you to the scope of the video game industry as of today, and also serve as a GREAT tool when you start shopping online auction sites like eBay. I used it to buy my Atari 7800 system, and I was pleased to know I didn't pay more for it than it was worth. That would not have been possible without this book. I'd like to think of a negative thing to say about this book so readers won't think I'm biased. Ok, I wish I had a hardcover version becasue this one is going to fall apart soon from opening it up too much!



4. Three thousand dollars for a rare Atari cartidge? Who would have guessed that the stuff we discarded from our youth would now be part of a cottage industry consisting of collectors, auction houses, classic arcade repair shops and book writers.
   
   I consider myself an serious collector, (Ooh, how arrogant!) of serious toys. And Ellis' work is one of those rare "how to collect" books worthy of a double purchase. One to keep fresh and clean on your book shelf and one to dog ear, mark up, and spill coffee on. My working copy is permanently on watch next to my PC.
   
   Don't be misled into thinking this is a minor work because the book's price is so reasonable. The historical summaries alone are worth the cost. As a begining collector of classic arcade games this book is the best place to start. You could not go wrong in assembling a fine collection at reasonable cost by following Ellis' recommendations to the letter. The chapters are arranged so as to allow collectors to skip those areas in which they have no interest.
   
   Negatives? Only one, too big to carry around. A pocket guide would be great for auctions. And an electronic version (Palm?, Pocket PC?) with easy to query price look ups would be even better. Hey Random House are you listing?



5. You don't have to be 40 to read this book, but if you are it will certainly cover every video game you've ever played while growing up. Having been to a few auctions myself, the charts and tables in this book have easily saved me the cost of the book on just one machine. A very handy reference if you're just getting started and invaluable if your wife thinks your hobby is getting too expensive. It's easy to get caught up in the bidding, and this book will help you find that line that says "you're paying too much for that machine."
   
   After you get your new toy home, I've found that some tend to fizzle out after about 2 months. This is where the online resources listed in this book come in handy. They are a gateway to the community of Classic Arcade Collectors and you will find that these collectors are eager to help you get your machine back in working condition.
   
   I look forward to a sequel that covers more of the post-classic era as this section of the book has sparked a hunger for more information on these newer treasures.

2 comments about The Beatles: A Reference & Value Guide.

1. This book is full of items the collector needs to know about. How many times have people (I know I have) passed up on great items to collect, simply because they were not sure that an item even existed, as a "real deal" collectible? This book has been well researched by the author and provides the collector with a great resource and guide, a true collector should not be without. A great addition to the library of any Beatles' collector or fan.



2. This 216 page book is loaded with more than 600 full color, large, clear photos of Beatles memorabilia covering their heydey from 1964 to 1968. The beautiful picture, price guide features: Early Beatles Memorabilia, Jewelry, Buttons, Yellow Submarine, Apple Studio, Yellow Submarine Celluloids, One of a Kind Items and more. There's a brief introduction to the topic, and each picture features a description and price. Some collector resources are included. A beautiful book that Beatles collectors will love. Add it to your library.

1 comments about Christmas Past.

1. I found this book most helpful in identifying true vintage ornaments as well as their value. It covers in great detail why specific materials were used for a given time including the color variations. It also contains stories and cuts from celebrations long ago which I found very informative. I came away with a great deal of knowledge and will carry this with me on all my hunts. Highly recommend!

1 comments about Collectible Lighters (Collectibles).

1. small in size, but lots of pics, mostly from France, with the odd zippo. No prices, but gives a good overview of the Lighters available.