2 comments about Charming Tails (Collector's Value Guide).

1. I found this book to be very helpful in placing value and making new purchases. The only problem I have is that is outdated. We are going into the year 2000 and there has not been a 1999 version published yet.



2. The book is an excellent source of information about Charming Tails. The only problem is that there needs to be a different value shown for pieces that are signed or that do not have boxes. Collectors would then be able to price their pieces more accurately.

2 comments about Spode & Copeland: Over Two Hundred Years Of Fine China And Porcelain.

1. Found this book very helpful in dating my Copeland Spode pieces. Pictures are excellent. Helpful historical account as well.



2. Steven Smith's book presents the information on his subject with all the characteristics of quality one would expect from a knowledgeable and experienced collector.
   Details, descriptions and outstanding photographs along with it's clear and sensible organization make it a valuable addition to serious collectors, dealers and appraisers who have an on-going need for specific reference materials.
   It was an easy choice to give it the highest possible mark

1 comments about American Pottery & Porcelain (Antique Hunter's Guides).

1. Fold your standard sheet of paper in half and that's about the size of this book. -So, when I first saw it I thought I'd be disappointed... BUT I was pleasantly surprised! -It starts off with a brief intro to the different types of pottery (redware, stoneware, yellowware, ironstone,) and porcelain and a history of how they were/are made. It goes on to a visual key which has silhouette figures of items and is helpful to identify what item it is that you have. ...was that a coffeepot or a teapot? :o) After you've id'd your object, you can find the section in the book that corresponds and there you will find a color photo of one example and all sorts of helpful info. on your item. -A short description of what the typical physical size and shape would be, areas where the items were made, comments on typical uses, and hints on what you should avoid/look for. The price guide in the back gives you a ballpark figure of value.
   this book does not focus on any specific brands, rather highlights some of the big name makers and brands that you may want to watch for. For being a general guide, I think this is as good as it gets. I found it superior to any of the Millers, Kovels series. -It actually teaches you what to look for, as opposed to other books which just inform you of what you already have. It is a great reference for collectors and resellers. Small enough to take with you to every auction and yard sale!

No comments about Wedgwood Fairyland Lustre.The Work of Daisy Makei.

4 comments about Restaurant China : Identification & Value Guide for Restaurant, Airline, Ship & Railroad Dinnerware (Volume 1).

1. I was very disappointed in this book. The colors in the photographs are beautiful. But as a reference for china patterns, it is seriously lacking. Except for a select few companies, the author seems to offer only one example rather than a more complete listing of the different china patterns used by each company over the years. There are some very nice photographs of railroad dining cars, steamship dining rooms, and airline meals being served, but again as a reference, the pictures do not show the china in these photos very clearly at all. In addition, the listings and descriptions of company logos as well as time-frames for china patterns are sometimes inaccurate and other times incomplete. As always, price guides become outdated quickly and would have been better in a separate addendum instead of being placed with text and captions throughout the book. I feel the book was too generalized. As a new collector I wanted help in identifying the different china patterns used by these transportation companies, when each pattern was used, and who manufactured them. All this book provided were scattered bits and pieces of that information. I do not intend to buy Volume II.



2. I was referred to this book for price and identification and was sadly disappointed to get the book and look up the china I had to find that it had some of the pieces and history but by NO MEANS is a complete guide. The China Company I had was in there but it didn't have the history from the year the company started but it did have the identification stamps from the year the company started go figure. The price guide consisted of showing a few pictures of china this particular company producted and gave a few prices. I couldn't believe it. The only reason I kept this book is because I was so busy I didn't get to return it before the 30 day return was over. Oh well I'll know better next time.



3. Barbara Conroy shares her extensive personal experience as a collector in this invaluable reference work. The photography is exceptional, with hundreds of examples of dinnerware pictured in each of the four main categories, along with copies of period advertisements and brochures. Each section also includes a painstakingly assembled collection of hundreds of logos to assist the collector in identifying the company the dinnerware was produced for. A must-have reference book for the serious restaurant, airline, ship and railroad china collector! Pair this book up with Volume 2 of the series and you can push all your other books to the back of the shelf, you won't need them anymore.



4. Barbara Conroy's new volume on restaurant china is a welcome addition to the growing body of literature regarding this largely American genre of utilitarian ceramic art.

   Restaurant china represents an age of americana where restuarants cared enough to invest capital in individualized ceramic pieces that would advertise and represent their establishments. It is a practice that is being undertaken with less and less frequency in our time. Many manufacturers are no longer in business. It is accordingly a genre of increasing interest to collectors.

   Conroy's book chronicles this fine craft form well. It offers a fairly exhaustive listing of topmarks and backstamps of interest to collectors. Substantial full-color illustrations are both informative and entertaining. Historical information as well as primer material about production processes are welcome inclusions.

   The book's title is a bit midsleading, however. It is really a volume focusing primarily on airline, ship, and railroad china... with some coverage of military, western, government, oriental, sports-related, casino, department store and corporate pieces. Logo china manufactured for restaurants and diners receives is afforded little coverage. And non-logo pieces in stock patterns receive virtually no mention at all; the topic is beyond the scope of the book (though Conroy plans, I believe, additional volumes which may address these areas in further detail.)

   Future volumes may benfit from incuding information on how to read backstamps to determine date of manufacture, information on stock patterns, and changes in ceramic form and decorative practices from the 1950's and 60's to the present day.

   No one volume, however, can be expected to exhaustively cover all facets of this increasingly valued utilitarian art form. On the whole, Conroy's volume enriches the literature currently available to growing number of restaurant china fans and collectors in our culture.

3 comments about R. S. Prussia Popular Lines: Identification and Value Guide.

1. My interest in R.S. Prussia porcelain was kindled recently by researching a chocolate pot that had belonged to my great aunt, leading to my discovery of Mary Frank Gaston's scholarly and fascinating first and second books on the subject, now out of print. Regrettably, I have been unable to locate a copy of her Third Series book. But I was hooked--and a quick perusal of "Popular Lines" immediately compelled me to purchase this volume. I have been amply rewarded. Historical material from the earlier books has been carried forward and updated, along with indispensable information on mold and pattern identification and an educational chapter on fakes, repairs, and reproductions. Estimated values are helpfully provided in the caption for each illustration. Not only does this beautifully illustrated volume supplement Gaston's earlier books, but it serves quite admirably as a stand-alone reference for the novice. A highly enjoyable, key feature of this edition is the grouping of illustrations by decoration, such that one can view, all in one place, a variety of different items that are similarly decorated. A cautionary note: this volume concentrates solely on R.S. Prussia, so that E.S. and other allied marks illustrated in the earlier books are omitted here. The serious student of R.S. Prussia might want to acquire the entire series of Gaston books. In summary, this handsome and informative reference work on R.S. Prussia porcelain serves as an excellent distillation of, and supplement to, its predecessors.



2. This book provides lots of great color pictures, not only of R.S. Prussia items but of the marks. It also has a section on reproductions. This is a very well done resource.



3. If you don't have Gaston's Vol 1-3 (now out of print), this is a must buy. Sadly, it is limited to Reinhold's red mark items (both marked and unmarked)and contains no new molds or decorations. A change of format for a Gaston book as items are divided by decoration rather then type of object. Values are with each photo, a nice change! For the experiences collector there is nothing new, but if you don't have the first three books by Gaston, you will find much to appreciate in this volume. Avid "red mark" collectors will enjoy having so much,all in one source.

2 comments about Wheeling Decorating Company: Identification & Value Guide.

1. This book is an incredible resource for a collecter. Webster's passion for thorough research is evident as he weaves stories about WDC's history into a very practical price guide. He approaches the subject as a storyteller, researcher, curator, and glassware dealer. This reminds the reader of why we get into collecting in the first place; it goes beyond the object and into how the object came to be. Webster's book teaches us about why this glassware was made and encourages us to ask similar questions about the material world around us. He strikes a fine balance between the technical, practical, and personal aspects of telling the story of the Wheeling Decorating Company. This is a most impressive debut and I hope we will see more from this fine author.



2. This book is wonderful. Very informative, well written. I would like to see more on this company.

1 comments about The Art of the Limoges Box.

1. This book is lovely to see and fairly helpful, especially if you are a newcomer to Limoge box collecting. It has enabled me to find several of the boxes that i have and their approximate worth. Has a grat section on avoiding fakes that everyone interested in Limoge boxes should read

2 comments about Oyster Plates.

1. Although the 2 plates I have are not featured in the book, there are pages and pages of color pictures and information that are really informative. There is also a chapter or two on oyster "trivia". For the price, this book should be a hardback, but otherwise the content is relavent and beautifully laid out. I highly recommend it to anyone who is even thinking about starting a collection. I never dreamed there were so many exotic oyster plates from so many different places!



2. This book contains 150 pages of beautiful color photographs as well as an easy to use index section. It is an excellent source for identification of these very collectible plates, and even gives a rarity guide. Provides information on the manufacturers, as well. An invaluable guide to the oyster plate collector!!!!

No comments about Parian Ware: Copeland's Statuary Porcelain.