5 comments about Everett Grist's Big Book of Marbles: A Comprehensive Identification & Value Guide for Both Antique and Machine-Made Marbles.

1. I didn't find this book very helpful, you have to have a pretty good knowledge about your marbles and where they are made and stuff. Not a good reference book unless you already know what you have.



2. This is a great, glossy reference for identifying marbles. Copyright 2006, the Big Book of Marbles gives a great overview of the history of the game and of the manufacture of marbles, both antique and machine-made.There are several hundred very sharp photos of the many, many kinds of marbles one can collect, and equally sharp and knowledgeable technical discriptions.



3. Great pictures, and lots of them, with information on go-alongs and on manufacturers, but not a great an ID guide as I had hoped it would be. I still can't tell who made my vintage marbles.



4. Everett Grist's Big Book of Marbles is very comprehensive and extremely well illustrated. It will be a great reference for both hand-made and machine-made marbles. The price estimates given for the illustrations are realistic in my opinion and will be helpful in valuing my collection.



5. I decided after attending a national collector-run marble show in my area to get this updated Third Edition of Grist's book, because it looked like it would have enough new pictures to make identifying all those troublesome common marbles a possibility. And the pictures in the book are nice, being clear and color-accurate, and showing multiple marbles so one can see the range of designs/colors that fall within a category. However, I've always considered Grist to be a lazy author, and this just confirms it. Yes, it takes some work to get the pictures of so many marbles, but that is something almost anyone could eventually do. This is sub-titled a 'comprehensive' ID book, so I expected Grist to deliver. He does not even come close to delivering on that promise! First of all, many marbles are left out and many more poorly dealt with. As new as I am to marbles, even I know that there are subtle differences that help one to differentiate between marble companies. Yet Grist has virtually NO TEXT explaining how to ID various types of marbles. It is simply pictures and an occassional comment, and as we all know, pictures of certain marbles, such as cateyes, do not do justice in showing the differences. Those need to be EXPLAINED (how many vanes, shape, etc) because the differences usually do not show well in pictures. None of this happens. Many of the Peltier marbles are simply lumped together as 'Champion Jrs.' with none of the common names used in the trade included. And as far as being a comprehensive value guide, only ranges are given with no differention for size or condition given. That is hardly a comprehensive price guide! On top of that, most prices on common marbles (under $10 each) appear to be grossly inflated over what is actually happening in the marketplace today. I wish I could get those prices for my commons - I'd be rich! The final insult is the poor editing done in the book. "Peltier" is spelled "Pelitier" half the time. There are pictures where the heading states "row 1" when it means "column 1." Just plain sloppy. Most pictures of the rarities have no prices at all and only general category IDs for the entire group shown. In general, a nice picture book but nothing about it is 'comprehensive' - just more false advertising. Why can't anyone put out a book with the quality and extent of pictures Grist does and the helpful, detailed text and variety listings such as Block attempts? Then we would be approaching a 'comprehensive ID and value guide.' So far, I've found nothing close.

2 comments about Meissen's Blue And White Porcelain: Dining in Royal Splendor.

1. This is an invaluable book for the Meissen porcelain collector. It is very well written with excellent photos of Meissen Royal as well as other Meissen blue and white patterns. I highly recommend it to all appraisers and lovers of Meissen.



2. Nicholas Zumbulyadis's MEISSEN'S BLUE NAD WHITE PORCELAIN packs well over 300 color photos of dining services, vases and more created by the Meissen porcelain manufactory, displaying pieces from rare, early 19th century museum pieces to 19th century easily-found plates. A history of porcelain painting accompanies the values and survey of pieces available.

No comments about English Porcelain 1745-95 (Victoria and Albert Museum Studies in the History of Art and Design).

2 comments about Royal Doulton: A Legacy of Excellence 1871-1945 (Schiffer Book for Collectors).

1. A very interesting book. Has plenty of pictures on rare items, I felt it needed more data on production runs and information on sizes and designs of different era's. I found a 22 inch vase i own in the book in a black and white picture, but no data on that vase in the book. Buy it used and save the money, your vase may not be in this book.



2. The Legacy of Excellence is a wonderful photographic history of the finest in Doulton Wares. The photography was splendind and the book was wonderfully laid out. I would highly recommend for anyone who collects Royal Doulton. Nothing else like it in my library!

No comments about Dragons, Tigers and Bamboo: Japanese Porcelain and Its Impact in Europe; The MacDonald Collection.

1 comments about Adams Ceramics: Staffordshire Potters and Pots, 1779-1998 (Schiffer Book for Collectors).

1. This is a comprehensive, beautiful coffee table style book. It is well laid out and has excellent photos of just about everything Adams China made from the early days!

No comments about The Dictionary of Worcester Porcelain: 1751-1851 (Dictionary of Worcester Porcelain, 1751-1851).

1 comments about The Official Lladro Collection Reference Guide (1996 Edition).

1. This book is the most comprehensive guide available for the serious Lladro collector. The Lladro brothers have been very prolific artists, and their massive collection of porcelain can be intimidating to both the novice and seasoned collector thereby making this book a must. The book catalogs the various works by type, general description, and size. An index is also provided to locate pieces by mold number. Information is provided on each piece such as retail value, active or retired, open or limited issue, and current auction or market value where available. Overall, this is an excellent reference guide.

No comments about Grandma's Tea Leaf Ironstone.

No comments about English Pottery and Porcelain Marks: Including Scottish and Irish Marks (Pocket Library).