2 comments about Red Wing Stoneware.

1. This book has excellent colored photos of various Red Wing stoneware. I found the book to be quite informative in regards to the history of Red Wing Stoneware, and the various companies that made such stoneware. I found the price ranges to be quite realistic. This book has everything from crocks, jugs, churns, water coolers, snuff jars, and many more. The glossary of terms was helpful too. As a beginner in Red Wing collections, I'm glad I got this book. This book does not have every Red Wing stoneware piece, but they do have many.



2. Have you ever wanted an easy to use, beautifully photgraphed, and consistantly benificial Red Wing Stoneware reference book? Well look no further. This guide book will help you in sorting out the numerous pieces of Red Wing Stoneware, their markings, and the most current prices.

   This very informative reference is a primer for the beginning collector and a great research tool for the more advanced collector.

3 comments about Collectors Encyclopedia of Nippon Poreclain: Series 6 Identification & Values (Collector's Encyclopedia of Nippon Porcelain).

1. The pictures are exquisite, but as a new collector, I was somewhat lost. I guess the idea is to buy all 5 books. I really don't like the question and answer format. So much of the information there and elsewhere is irrelevant.



2. This is a wonderfully informative book on the popular collecting field of Nippon Porcelain. More than half the book is brilliant color photos of a wide variety of pieces with dimensions & estimated retail prices.

   What sets this book apart though is the wealth of information for collectors. There is a history of Nippon Porcelain & an insightful section of frequently asked questions. Themes including baseball, dogs & dolls are highlighted.

   I especially enjoyed the original documents reproduced here including early ads with items selling for pennies, design patents, beautiful hand painted salesman sample pages and complete selection of back-stamp marks.

   There is a well illustrated section on the dangerous reproductions now entering the market and many more tips to aid the new or experienced collector. This is a truly indispensable reference on Nippon.




3. The 5th series highlights moriage swans and enameling. Reproduction section is more extensive and updated. There is also a section depicting the style evolution of nippon to further help identify and date items. A MUST for all nippon collectors and dealers.

No comments about Wedgwood - The New Illustrated Dictionary.

2 comments about Distinctive Limoges Porcelain: Objets d'Art, Boxes, and Dinnerware.

1. I love Schiffer, but I prefer Debby DuBay's books Antique Limoges at Home and Living With Limoges.



2. This book has too many new and common pieces.

2 comments about Hand Painted Porcelain Plates: Nineteenth Century to the Present.

1. A rich source of inspiration for a painter on porcelain, a pleasure for an art lover!



2. As a collector of fine antique porcelains, I was eager to own this book, and delighted when it was finally delivered! The artistry of painting on porcelains has been presented before in other publications, but "Hand Painted Porcelain Plates: Nineteenth Century to the Present" provides a new benchmark in terms of both text information and illustration.
   
   With superb photographic technique, each image captures the magnificent color, form and art and the captions describing the age, area of origin and artist are very well done.
   
   The plate chapters are arranged by country. German, Austrian and Bohemian plates include a history of manufacture, and makers like Richard Klemm, Ambrosius Lamm and other notable producers of Dresden porcelain, as well as portrait specimens produced by KPM and the artists of Vienna are included in this important chapter.
   
   World class English porcelains are well-represented, with stunning and rare Worcester examples, as well as outstanding painted plates from Coalport, Davenport, Minton and Wedgwood. I enjoyed the recognition afforded to the venerable firm of John Aynsley, and the painted scenic view plates are generally missed by other publications on antique and collectible porcelains.
   
   Many French porcelain makers set the decorating standard for others, and the chapter devoted to the makers from France, including Limoges and Sevres, are alone, well worth the price of the book!
   
   With important information on marks, as well as fake and reproduction plates, Richard Rendall presents a clear and comprehensive text, and the examples from Elise Abram's collection are clearly representative of the most luxurious porcelain on the planet!
   
   Recommended to both new and advanced collectors, you will not be dissappointed! This book is truly a feast for the eyes!

5 comments about Fiesta: The Homer Laughlin China Company's Colorful Dinnerware (Schiffer Book for Collectors.).

1. This book as some interesting info but not great. The book is 97% Fiestaware, most of that being the vintage pieces.
   
   Being a collector of the post 86 Fiestaware, the book didn't do much for me.



2. I don't care what Martha Stewart says. I love her show and all... but this book stinks and was the worst recommendation she has ever given!
   There are just not really good books on fiesta ware out there. T

   All this book was to me (i returned it as well) was a nice picture book with beautiful color representations. If I didn't care about the rip of price of [cost] I would have laminated it and given it to a baby as a picture book.

   Outstanding photography and color accuracy just don't make up for the lack of valid information. I read the book cover to cover and I just missed the reference part of the book aside from a list of prices. It is full of errors and distorted information. When you do find something reference about the book it is mostly confusing or plain wrong.
   Things are mislabeled... etc.
   This is more of a coffeetable book than a reference guide.

   Overall [the price] is too much for picture book.




3. I am not sure exactly how I feel about this book. On the one hand, it's got some excellent photos, beautifully lit, lush with color. On the other hand it is not in any way an exhaustive reference of Fiesta, as one would expect with a collectible as popular as this. I like the fact that photos are shown of the various backstamps (marks), but I'm not wild about the lack of organization and skimpy table of contents. I'd like to see more examples added, categories more organized, and prices more accurate (mind you, prices in reference books these days are hard to pin down, due to the affect of online auctions on collectibles). Long on nice visuals, short on information (and a bit too expensive for what one gets!)



4. If I had gone by the first reviews I would have left this book alone and that would have been a mistake. If the text had errors in the past they are long one. The images are fantastic, the text is informative and very readable, the prices are right on target. Particularly good for those new to the field but of use to anyone. Maybe old reviews should be removed now and then. This is a great book!



5. I love this book!! I think that the photos are great very useful information.

3 comments about Collector's Encyclopedia of English China: Identification & Values.

1. No focus. Book goes everywhere and nowhere. Didn't learn a dang thing and returned it. I don't use these books for prices guides..obsolete.... If you like to look at pretty photos, then this book is okay, otherwise, a collector will find no use for it.



2. Mary Frank Gaston's English China provides identification and values for enamel, oriental themes, and other decorative themed china works. The color photos prove an invaluable aid in the identification process.



3. Collector Books did not live up to its generally fine quality of productions in this guide to English ceramics. The text is awkwardly written, confusing or contradictory in places, and colorless, lacking enthusiasm. Worse, a very large number of the illustrations are seriously shadowed, a most annoying flaw in an identification guide. On the plus side, the range and selection of objects discussed is ample, and the illustrations of marks are helpful.

No comments about Passion for Meissen: Marouf Collection.

3 comments about Chinese Furniture: A Guide to Collecting Antiques.

1. This is the best overview of Chinese furniture that I've seen. It is mainly directly to the the interested layman, who might be interested in buying some Chinese furniture. It describes both the classical hardwood furniture (very expensive) and the more vernacular softwood furniture (quite inexpensive). You get a good understanding of the different styles. What the book doesn't help you with is the details of purchaing, e.g. understanding how well a cabinet is made, understanding how much of a fake a cabinet is, etc.
   
   If you are exclusively interested in the very beautiful hardwood furniture. I would recommend Wang's "Classic Chinese Furniture".



2. For those interested in learning about Chinese furniture, this is a very useful book. It is well written and illustrated and gives a good over-all survey of the field. It isn't written for experts, but for the "lay" person who wants to know something about the field either for personal interest or because he/she is beginning to collect.



3. Hi,
   Have not yet recieved the book from Amazon com. It was ordered 11/22 2006. Date today is 01/09. Maybe the delivery from Amazon to Sweden is not working??

No comments about British Studio Potters' Marks.