2 comments about Glass & Ceramic Baskets Identification and Value Guide: Identification and Value Guide.

1. I purchased this book to help me identify an unmarked glass basket that I purchased at a flea market. Not only did I find the basket, but the book gave me background information as well as an old advertisement of the line. The book has many photographs and provides prices for each featured item. I highly recommend the book for research and identification purposes. It is well done.



2. Lots of individual color pictures , but no illustration for marks, no history of manufacturer, no index, poor organization.

1 comments about R.s. Prussia: The Formative Years.

1. I picked the book up this weekend & it was love at firstsight! I have been a collector of RSP for 10 years & a club memberfrom the start of q collecting. I have used the RSP books as my guide for molds & authenticating unmarked pieces. This book has shown so many new molds, & has so many original catalog cuts included to add to interest. The pictures were clear,& I like the est. price being included with the description to save page filpping! Enjoyed "The Early Years" as well. Thanks for you time well spent on this! END

5 comments about Collector's Encyclopedia of American Dinnerware.

1. I really love this book. I've used it many times to find the names of patterns I have from years of estate sales to sell on e-Bay. Great work.



2. A wonderful beautifully done book.This is a great book for looking up patterns. There are plenty of color photos which show great detail. I plan on buying the previous and subsequent volumns of this book.



3. While the book was somewhat helpful with listing the various companies, it was very short in pattern names, examples and pricing.



4. Other than the photos, there isn't much here. It's very amateurish. Whole categories are missing -- there is barely a mention of "Fiesta" at all. Makes you think the publisher had an arrangement so as not to infringe on sales of their Fiesta books. There is no mention of Metlox. Also, while there is a price guide, it only lists the specific pieces that are shown in the photos, not all the pieces in the line. This is a major shortcoming. There should be some mention of pieces not shown. The book is also poorly organized, with ads from old magazines interspersed with original writing. It reminds me of an 8th grade book report. Spend your money elsewhere.



5. The title of this book implies that it is an all-encompassing American dinnerware reference work. However, it is sadly lacking in both breadth and depth. Any collector would be well advised to look elsewhere. This work is so superficial that it is virtually useless.

5 comments about If These Pots Could Talk: Collecting 2,000 Years of British Household Pottery.

1. One of the better overviews of everyday household pottery I've come across. The author makes it like taking a lively personable tour of pieces from 2000 years ago to the present. Great ideas for potters and a nice presentation for pottery lovers as well



2. This is the largest, heaviest book I own. Really! I thought it would take years to get through, but the pages are quite thick, and it's well-written. A fun book for the pottery enthusiast who is already familiar with the basics, it gives numerous insights into the detective work employed in the course of archeological research. Refreshingly personal on the part of the author. Each chapter is an appitizer that stimulates the reader's interest in another facet of (unfortunately) rarely encountered pottery. The charming cover adds to the book's appeal as a coffee-table selection, but make sure the table has sturdy legs!



3. Noel Hume compiled this wonderful treasury of ceramics mostly from his personal collection. This book is invaluable in my Colonial Archaeology class. Even if you are midly interested in ceramics, this beautifully illustrated book is an easy read, and very informative.



4. This is a comprehensive review of British pottery and ceramics written by eminent retired archeologist of Colonial Williamsburg and writer Ivor Noel-Hume. It reviews British ceramics for a period covering the past 2000 years and is particularly interesting to Americans because most of the ceramics recovered in American colonial sites were of British origin or European origin associated with the British colonial trade and were therefore exported to the colonies. Noel-Hume is an excellent and entertaining writer and he make the book interesting with personal accounts of how he and his wife Audrey,also an eminent archeologist,collected or recovered many of the examples shown. I would recomend this book to anyone interested archeaology or pottery/ceramics.



5. When I look for a good book on pottery and Porcelain, I always look for something that will not "lull me to sleep" with drole monotone type sentences, but rather something that presents not only important details, facts and descriptions but does so in a interesting manner. With "If these Pots Could Talk" you get everything! From enjoyable "in the field stories" to truly illuminating facts that ever increases ones appreciation of the "pots and dishes" that so many are hasty to overlook once they hear that they hold no "intristic market value".
   This book makes the studying of pottery and porcelain not only interesting but also something that is rarely heard of in the "sophisticated collecting field" FUN!

1 comments about Chinese Blue and White Porcelain.

1. I purchased this book to get a better understanding of Chinese Blue and White Porcelain. It totally fulfilled this requirement.

   This book is very helpful for a beginning or mature collector. It is simple to understand and easy to read. There are many pictures and very detailed pictures of markings on the bottom of your objects.

   Also, if you find a topic not addressed in the book you can email Duncan and he will assist you in resolving your issue.

   The bottom line is that this book is "Brilliant".

5 comments about Restaurant China : Identification & Value Guide for Restaurant, Airline, Ship & Railroad Dinnerware (Volume 2).

1. In this second volume of her series for collectors, Barbara Conroy shares the details of hundreds of manufacturers that produced dinnerware for restaurant and transportation companies. The section on each manufacturer includes a detailed history, examples of the backstamps they used (along with date charts where applicable), copies of period advertisements, and *lots* of fantastic photographs showing the range of wares produced. This book is an invaluable reference, and a must-have for the serious commercial dinnerware collector!



2. I have had this book for 3 months and still have not put it down. Great source to I.D. all kinds of china and the date codes. I can't wait for Volume 3!



3. I have been using both of Mrs. Conroy's books extensively for the past 2 months in preparing for the biggest research project I have ever done with restaurant, railroad, steamship, and hotel china. Book 2 on the date codes has been a lifesaver. It was not until about 2 months ago that I really realized just how much time and effort she had put into it making these possible. Having a handy reference (especially for backstamp dating of pieces) is beyond valuable. It is a "masterpiece."



4. A superb reference book for the serious collector / dealer. The appendix sections devoted to distributors, restaurants and hotel chains are special interest. Often collectors interests are in a narrow field - such a book helps to widen their appreciation of other collecting opportunities.



5. Two Words - "Invaluable Resource!" Any collector of Restaurant China should not be without this identification and reference guide. Can't wait for Volume 3.

1 comments about Lefton China (Schiffer Book for Collectors).

1. I found this book to be very informative. I have been collecting Lefton China for several years, and found this to be the most helpful book that has yet to be published.

2 comments about Bing & Grondahl Figurines (Schiffer Book for Collectors).

1. Excellent resource for identifying B&G figurines!!! Book is VERY organized and easy to use. All listings are arranged in numerical order according to the figurine's manufacture "mold" number. There is a color photo of each figurine listed. There also are photos depicting variations in color/design of figurine, if indicated. A listing of B&G Identification Marks with images and dates, are listed in the beginning of the book. If you collect these figurines, this is a MUST HAVE book.



2. This is one of the best books on pottery that I have purchased. It's very easy to locate a piece along with its value. Factory marks and numbers are well explained. I highly recommend this book.

3 comments about Chinese Export Porcelain, Standard Patterns and Forms, 1780-1880: Standard Patterns and Forms.

1. I have to say that for my appraisal library that Schiffer publications are some of my favorites. This one actually by Herbert Peter and Nancy Schiffer is an excellent source of information.
   
   Beautifully done with easy to read text and loaded with b/w photos and a smallish section of color images. The writings are smooth and though done with a scholars hand never come off as pretentious or diffucult to understand. I wouldn't recommend this to someone if they were looking for lengthy text about the social, geographic or dynasty history of 18th -19th century China. Its a good guide for those who need relevant information and need it now. Highly recommended for the beginner as well as the more advanced collector or dealer.



2. I own several recent Nancy Schiffer books on Japanese porcelain that are of the highest quality in every regard; layout, printing, very clear close-up color photos, and with informative captions relative to the piece being illustrated.
   
   Based on this experience I purchased this earlier book and now regret it.
   
   The cover of this book is very misleading as to the contents.
   
   The pictures are mostly black and white, taken at a distance, out of focus, and poorly printed.
   
   This book is of little help when learning Chinese porcelain because the main attributes that educate are the subtle color variations used in the enamels and the base form which is not shown at all in this book.
   
   Also, the captions of the photos do not provide specific information such as dates, kilns, etc.
   
   The majority of this book is devoted to Rose Medallion when there are countless other decorations the Chinese produced during the era this book covers.
   
   Finally, the type face and printing used in this book is most primative, amateur, and unpleasant.
   
   I highly recommend you do not buy this book unless you have low expectations and are mainly interested in Rose Medallion dinnerware.



3. I have used this book as an initial guide in my collecting of Rose Medallion and other Chinese Export Porcelain. Very good basic source.

No comments about Greenbook Guide to the Precious Moments Collection by Enesco.