2 comments about Hove International Blue Book: Millennium Edition.

1. The Millenium Edition of the famous Hove International Blue Book is an excellent source of information for collectors and users of old photographic equipment, no doubt about that.
   My critique of it concerns the abundance of typographical errors, factual mistakes and, seen in the light of this era of global interest, the difference in valuations for Europe, the UK and the USA.
   The only justification for the latter seems to be found in the caption "How and where to collect", as prices differ up to 50% between the areas!
   
   Bart Peeren.



2. Use in conjuction with McKoewn's, most things can be identified.
   Somewhat disapointed with the number of incomplete descriptions.

3 comments about Collector's Compass: Movie Collectibles.

1. Including the index, this book is only 128 pages long. What is included in its pages is valuable information for anyone beginning to collect movie memorabilia including posters, stills, glass slides, toys, kitsch, and ephemera. It is filled with photographs in both black and white through the pages and color in the insert and selling prices of some of the most valuable items. It also includes some historical information about the origins of the types of collectables as well as preservation information, how to spot fakes, and where to obtain real collectables.
   
   This book is not exclusive to collectors, but is better suited to those wishing to begin a collection or simply interested in movie memorabilia. Because of its brevity, it is probably not the best resource for experienced collectors.



2. This is a great book for beginners who are thinking of delving into the field of movie memorabilia. It provides an overview of the market and many "inside tips" for collectors. Best of all, the book isn't just about movie posters. It covers collectibles from all aspects of the film business, from press kits to kitsch, from the sublime to the ridiculous. Don't miss it!



3. Nothing original or exceptionally knowlegable about this book. Just your usual "care and feeding" of movie posters, lobby cards and photos that's been done to death for years. All other types of movie memorabilia are, as usual, neglected. Author seems obsessed with the $400,000+ sale of a particular poster at auction as he mentions it several times in the book. He also uses the recent on-line auction "craze" as an attempt to make a tired book seem fresh and topical.

1 comments about All Gone.

1. _All Gone_ is just what its subtitle promises: A guide to things that no longer exist. It ranges from fads (goldfish swallowing) to everyday technology (iceboxes, carbon paper) to companies (Duesenberg) to structures (Penn Station) to sports teams (the Washington Senators) to places (the Soviet Union).

   This is a nicely produced book, with abundant photographs and carefully edited text. Seidman has clearly done his homework, and --in a nice gesture that compilation-style books like this often overlook--periodically nods in the direction of his sources ("As so-and-so says in her book such-and-such . . ."). Seidman's prose reads smoothly. At least in the areas I know something about, he gets the story as straight as possible within a brief essay.

   The biggest problem with the book is its loose, unstructured feel. The range of topics is so wide, and the selection so seemingly random, that neither individual chapters nor the book as a whole make any larger point (compare _Going, Going, Gone: Vanishing Americana_). The seemingly fixed length of the essays also works against it, making Seidman's coverage of subjects like the USSR and Apartheid (done in the same number of words as 5.25" floppy disks and panty raids) seem shallow and trivialized.

   This kind of thing has been done better (notably by Charles Panati) but Seidman does it well, and _All Gone_ is well worth a few dollars if the subject appeals to you.

No comments about Holiday Collectables.