2 comments about Clock Repairing as a Hobby: An Illustrated How-To Guide for the Beginner.

1. This was a Christmas gift for my husband whom is interested in the repair of watches and clocks. He just needed additional information on repairing clocks, and he said this was the perfect book! He was very pleased.



2. Clock Repairing is a fun, delightful, relaxing hobby that more people should take part in, and this book is a great introduction into the world of clock repair. It helps you get passed all the elaborate gears and levers, and into the fun of it. The diagrams in here are great and really helpful. Pick this up if you are new to the clock world.

5 comments about Sterling Flatware Identification & Value Guide.

1. This has become my bible for identifying sterling flatware. Of course, it has the most popular patterns, and obscure patterns may not be found; but generally, it is a great resource for collectors or those who sell flatware on auction sites. I keep it right by the computer, and use it almost on a daily basis. I have recommended it several times to those who don't know how to ID what they have. I don't know what I would do without it.



2. I WAS HOPING TO GET SOME HELP IN MY SEARCH FOR STERLING HALLMARKS, BUT THIS BOOK IS REMARKABLE. EASY TO READ AND VERY NICELY ORGANIZED WITH CLEAR ILLUSTRATIONS, ALPHABETIZED LISTS OF PATTERNS, CURRENT APPROXIMATE PRICES OF THE NEWER SILVER AND OF COURSE A FEW PAGES OF HALLMARKS.



3. Silverplated Flatware by Tere Hagen is an ID and Value guide for mostly silverplated utensils or flatware. The book I received had a publisher's mistake on pgs. 369-370 in that the top part was not cut so I had to cut the pages to get to the information. There were a few pages that were pulled from the binding. But, I did not buy it for cosmetic reasons. I wanted the information. The illustrations are fantastic. It made identifying products much easier than going all over the web looking for them. So it is a timesaver. It would have been nice to have more history about the various pieces. There was a lot of information about the companies themselves but not how the were named, or why such names were chosen or for what occasions. It would have been easier to research if the pieces were in alphabetical order under each company.The book illustrated here is not the one I am reviewing.The silverplate book has a blue cover. The Sterling book was similar without the flaws.



4. very nice and informative book, a great haelp to any silver lover!



5. I bought this book because it was the only book out there that included Unger Brothers patterns. But, then I found myself looking up other patterns too. The book also has a brief price guide in the front of the book and a letter code rating system which corresponds to a price range. Every pattern in the book has a letter code which lets you know how valuable and sought after the pattern is. I have gotten a lot of use out of this book and I would recommend it to any serious collector or dealer.

4 comments about The Master Jewelers.

1. "Delicious", sumptuous... full of beauty! This book is for anyone who loves to look at jewelry at its best!!



2. The book offers insight into the most important jewelry designs and the artistic talents of their creators. It gives an overview and biographies of the most important jewelry artists of the recent history and how their businesses got started: Cartier, Tiffany, Van Cleef and Arpels, Lalique, Verdura, Bulgari, Boucheron etc. The photos are wonderful; I only wish there were more of them. A great book for anyone wanting to learn more about the most important jewelry creators and jewelry pieces. It is also a great way to start your own favorite jeweler/jewelry book collection and get more specific books.



3. I really enjoyed my first scan of this book and look forward to many more in-depth visits. The jewelry is absolutely breathtaking. The color photos are extremely well done.



4. It may seem an era long gone by but the art work is as vital and enthralling today. The photos are numerous and magnificent and it is a valuable addition to anyones library.

No comments about Collecting by Design: Silver and Metalwork of the Twentieth Century from the Margo Grant Walsh Collection (Houston Museum of Fine Arts).

5 comments about Art Nouveau Jewelry.

1. I pondered over purchasing this book for probably two years. This was due mainly to the fact that there was no way to really view the content of this publication. Frankly, the authors offering of an inside look of their book was ridiculous. Show me some pictures!!! I really hate to purchase something that I can't see! Finally, I bit the bullet and purchased Art Nouveau Jewelry. I was stunned by the volume of beautiful color pictures. This book turned out to be just what I was looking for, basically a pictorial presentation of jewelry from that era. I search constantly for any reference material that I can find on this subject (Art Nouveau era jewelry) and this book is one of the best that I have found. So if you are a jewelry designer like myself and are always looking for inspiration, this is an excellent book for your collection.



2. A very good book about this period, no other one has covered the subject as this one.



3. i wanted to know more about art nouveau jewelry and this book really helped me for that purpose.
   it has lots of pictures and info about whatever there is to know and see.
   the only dissapointment was that majority of the pics are in black and white. You miss out on all the enameling work colors..
   also i expected to see more from lalique.
   overall though its a good book for starters.



4. This book far exceeded my expectations for the price! The only minor criticism I have is that I wish ALL the photographs had been in color. A great deal......



5. Beautiful book, this book was much more than I expected. The pictures of jewellery and the information contained within was worth every penny.

5 comments about Encyclopedia of American Silver Manufacturers (Schiffer Book for Collectors).

1. I got this book through inter-library loan on the advice of an online silver seller and hobbyist? expert? We are restoring an 1800s farmhouse in New York state, and have found various bits of silver and pottery and other things. Everything is quite worn and dirty from being underground for decades. I did a number of online searches but it was this book which enabled me to identify, just in the course of one afternoon, two pieces of cutlery -- one old silver, one less old silverplate, and be fairly secure in the ID because this book tells a bit about some of the marks, such as their locale.
   
   No resource is infinite. This book shows many, many marks, and the text tells of the history and relationships among many of the manufacturers. I'd definitely recommend it to anyone else doing research. Don't forget your loupe or other strong magnifier!



2. This is a good book for American Hallmarks BUT, it is extremely out-of-date. Also, many entries do not have a picture of the mark, making identification difficult. There must be a better book out there somewhere!



3. This is a "must have" for anyone who collects, sells or loves sterling silver.



4. this is the book to have if you are an antique silver collector. Wonderful addition to my silver library



5. This is the 5th edition of one of the most inclusive and readable books on American silvermakers. A lot of encyclopedic silver books are mostly concerned with 18th or early 19th makers, this book includes 19th and 20th century makers with their marks and information about each one. My 2nd edition is worn and I'm delighted to have this new one.

No comments about Warman's Vintage Jewelry: Identification and Price Guide (Warmans).

3 comments about Southwestern Indian Jewelry.

1. I wanted this book for some time. I must say, I love it and don't know why I did not buy it sooner. An all time favorite of mine for sure.



2. Hi I bouhgt Southwestern Indian Jewelry and it arrived with no plastic wrap and the jacket was damaged. Please let me know how to go about exchanging it for another in perfect condition. I am a collector and condition is important. Thank You, Joe Garcia.



3. As a collector of Indian art, jewelery, pottery and rugs, I had the wonderful good fortune to know and consider the Hopi Master jeweler Charles Loloma my friend.

   Finding a book on American Indian jewelery was almost impossible to come by until this great book by Dexter came out in 1992. The artists, their work in magnificent color will move anyone to want to own some of this jewelry.

   From it's beginings late in the 19th century jewelery was the Indian method of carrying their wealth around in the form of necklaces, braclets etc, Indian jewery was mainly of two schools. Most prominent was the Navajo and the other Zuni.

   Then in the mid 1960's came a Hopi indian Charles Loloma. He was the Picasso that was going to revolutionize American Indian jewelery and he did. This book is a testament to Charlie's followers who now produce jewlery that is both modern and magnificant. Buy the book then go out to an Indian Art shop anywhere in CA, AZ, NM or even NJ and you will not be able to resist owning someting.

5 comments about Pocket Ed. Jackson's Hallmarks.

1. There are two books on English silver hallmarks available on Amazon, the other being English Silver Hallmarks, and although both are excellent books, in my opinion, this is the lesser of the two. Both books are almost identical in content: both provide illustrations of English, Irish and Scottish silver, gold and platinum hallmarks, and illustrations of the more important makers marks, which allow for the dating of silver, gold and platinum items. However, this book omits Sheffield plate marks, which are included in "English Silver Hallmarks", and it is harder to find what you are looking for in this book.
   
   The periods of time covered by these two books are slightly different. This book gives hallmarks for the period from 1300 to 1991, whereas "English Silver Hallmarks" covers the period from 1554 to 2004. If you are wishing to date very early pieces of silver, then, clearly, this is the book to buy. However, as I have never had any need to date items made prior to 1554, and most of the items that I have dated have been more recent items, I find the period of time covered by "English Silver Hallmarks" to be the most appropriate for my needs.
   
   Although both books are very useful and both are likely to satisfy the requirements of the average silver collector, if you are only going to buy one of these books, then "English Silver Hallmarks" is probably the book to buy.



2. Unless you are extremely experienced with Silver and Gold items and what / where their origin may be, this book is probably not for you. The chances of being able to find what you are looking for reminds me of looking for a needle in a haystack. The marks are illustrated in VERY SMALL 1/4" black and white diagrams, column after column, put in tables with time period or comment in print that is even smaller than the diagram. Several (bordering on too many) of the marks look very much the same and after looking at 170 pgs of extremely small and not necessarily clear diagrams and images, I feel I should of spent my money elsewhere for info on silver ID.



3. Not easy for any beginner to use. Unless you knew exactly what kind of silver you were trying to identify i.e. English, Scottish, Irish... etc, it was a bit confusing. Marks are black & white, some not showing very good clarity and everything is in extremely in small print. If you just want to sort through tons of marks and dates, this may be for you. If you want information about your piece, pass it up.



4. This is a great little book!
   Easy to use to look up maker's marks while out antiquing, or at auctions, or what-have-you.
   I just wish there was a section of Russian Silversmiths Marks. But other than that... A+!



5. This is a great little book to take antiquing with you if you collect English silver. Although not exactly pocket size it can still fit in your bag or you can hold on to it without it getting cumbersome. Unlike many of the other silver ID books the hallmarks shown in this book are large and clear enough that you don't need your glasses to decipher them. A nice plus is that it reviews selected makers of Georgian through 20th Century silver and offers a little comment on their work.

4 comments about Warman's Sterling Silver Flatware: Value & Identification Guide (Encyclopedia of Antiques and Collectibles).

1. This book is a very useful resource if you deal in sterling silver flatware as it provides actual photographs, not drawings of the handles of each patter. The other benefit this book provides is that you can identify the pieces based on size -- and accurately call a piece by the proper name. Each pattern has a list of many available pieces and their value. I use this book alot and bought one for by business partner -- anyone who deals in sterling flatware should have a copy!



2. easy to follow and while this does not have hallmarks or much history, does carry clear pictures of standard patterns and makers. Good for a start and considering how little is out there, not bad.



3. I wish I had read the above review before I spent my money on this book. I think if someone is going to sell an identification "guide" for a specific category of goods and they are only going to cover a representative selection of that category, they should at least be honest about it on the cover. The cover of this one should say "If you only need a few photos from each manufacturer and you don't need makers' marks to help you IDENTIFY your silver, then this book is for you!!!"



4. As an avid collector of sterling silver flatware I am grateful for any new publication relating to pattern identification. Unfortunately, this guide is somewhat disappointing. The pattern illustrations and photographs range in quality from fairly good to down right poor. There is no section on hallmarks, an essential element in the identification of flatware patterns. Warman's guide is primarily a price list. As Moran correctly points out in his introductory remarks, merely a "ballpark" valuation. Nevertheless, while not a definative work, one should consider adding this guide to their sterling flatware reference library.