2 comments about Micromosaics: The Gilbert Collection.

1. Finally! Finally, there is a book on Micromosaics, and what a wonderful book! Prior to the publication of Jeanette Hanisee Gabriel's masterful research job, there have been no books available to the collector of Micromosaics or for anyone who wants to read about a little-mentioned, and fading art. And who better to write the book then Ms. Gabriel who has been Sir Arthur Gilbert's Private Curator since 1994. Sir Arthur Gilbert's collection which now resides at Somerset House in London can only be equaled by the collections of The Vatican Museum in Rome and the Hermitage in St. Petersburg.

   There are a number of books that cover the vast and impressive Gilbert Collection: "Gold Boxes", "Monumental Silver", "Portrait Miniatures in Enamel," "Gold and Silver," "Hardstones" and now "Micromosaics." As I happily have the other books in my library - I can honestly say that the micromosaic book must have been the most difficult and yet it is extremely comprehensive. Ms. Hanisee's scholarly work on "The Gilbert Collection: Hardstones", must have been a bit easier to write as there is so much information on the art of Pietra Dura and Hardstone. Micromosaics is another ball of wax as so little was written - and I'm sure if it was to be had - Ms. Gabriel uncovered the information.

   The Appendix has a fascinating section written by Professor Massimo Alfieri "New Notes on Giacomo Raffaelli and Michelangelo Barberi" two of the leading Master Mosaicists of the 18th and early 19th century ---- fascinating. It takes you to the time of the workshops, with letters, sales receipts, drawings and the like. Not only revealing, but just plain fun for devotees of the period. One can also find a section on techniques and materials used in the making of these compelling masterful and minutely executed works of art.

   Seeing the fabulous color plates on almost every page, the items in the collection, one finds themselves rubbing their eyes in bewilderment over the artistry of these rare and intricate pieces. The footnotes are so interesting and well-written that they are a book within themselves, and my only wish was for a third hand to mark the place as I turned from text to illustration to footnote and back to text. In many books one tends to skip a lot of the footnotes, unless they pertain to a particular interest -- but Ms. Gabriel has added fascinating information and I told myself it was worth the digital exercise to read each and every one.

   Lastly - Jeanette Gabriel has masterfully included very detailed Biographies of the known artists of the time and the literature connected with these artists; a Glossary - with full descriptions; a seven page Bibliography; Exhibition Histories, and an extremely well-written Index.

   "The Gilbert Collection: Micromosaics" may look like a sumptuous coffee table book of 310 pages (which it is:), but it is definitely not fluff and mirrors -- it is a serious and fascinating work which should included in any library of Decorative Arts.

   Obviously - I think it's just great, I thank Ms. Gabriel, and I give it 5 stars.

   Margot Conte




2. This is a beautiful and informative book with insights into historic and technical aspects of micromosaic provided by the leading authority on this art form. Beautiful close up photographs reveal the intricate details of these little treasures. This book is a must have for micromosaic and decorative arts enthusiasts and a beautiful addition to any library.

5 comments about The Official Red Book: A Guide Book of United States Coins 2009 (Guide Book of United States Coins (Cloth Spiral)) (Guide Book of United States Coins (Cloth ... Book of United States Coins (Cloth Spiral)).

1. I've relied on older editions of the Official Red Book for information about various coins that I've seen. Having been a coin collector since I was a child, I decided to purchse this book to see what information has changed or been updated. From time to time, I've found unexpected coins in my change and I enjoy being able to look them up to see what they are, what historical period they might represent, etc. It also helps me understand this country's history through its coinage.



2. This book was just what I was looking for. I have a coin collection that I want to sell and needed to find out the current market value. Easy to read, nice spiral binding.



3. This price guide covers a lot of coins that aren't covered in coin price magazines. It provides more detail about each coin series in general. It is also a numismatic reference with a wealth of background knowledge and details on many die varieties. Here is some of what you'll find inside:
   
   - High-quality color photos of all coins
   - Background info on each coin series
   - Prices by grade (although prices aren't shown for the scarcer grades)
   - Mintage figures
   - Metal composition for each coin variety
   - Closeup photos of many major die varieties, especially bust halves
   
   Included are photos, background data, and prices for many coins you won't likely find in other price guides, including:
   
   - Colonial issues
   - Post-colonial issues
   - Pattern coins
   - Commemoratives
   - Proof and mint sets
   - Bullion coins
   - Private and territorial gold
   - Private tokens (including Civil War and Hard Times tokens)
   - Confederate coins
   - Hawaiian coins and tokens
   - Philippine issues
   - Alaskan tokens
   - Mis-strikes and error coins
   
   In addition to the coin listings, there is a wealth of information in the front of the book, including:
   
   - Description of coin grades (no grading photos, though)
   - Introduction to, and history of United States Coins
   - Checking coins for authenticity
   - Famous coin hoards
   - Sunken coin treasures
   
   Some of the negatives are as follows:
   
   - Prices for uncommon but certainly not rare coin grades are not included (example: AU and mint state draped bust large cents)
   - Intermediate coin grades (example; AU-58, MS-66) are not shown (Coin Values magazine shows these, but Coin Prices magazine does not)
   - The coverage of Hard Times tokens, a popular series, is very inadequate



4. My husband has bought this book for years. He particularly likes the ring binder. Your service was excellent.



5. #1 Best Selling Price Guide is a MUST:
   
   The official RED BOOK a guide book to United States Coins R.S.Yeoman ed. Kenneth Bressett, 61th edition, Whitman, 2009.
   
   Best in organization, easy of use, pictures, illustrations, & data, also the most popular. Whitman's RED BOOK is an essential guide, indispensable requisite and required handbook with up-to-date numismatic information.
   
   Best of the best in the area of numismatics have contributed to this volume, the most notable, respected, knowledgeable and distinguished numismatist were consulted for the 61th edition.
   
   165 plus prominent coin collectors auctioneers, and museums contributed directly to the 2009 Red Book Guide, Bressett, Jeff Garrett, Tom Hallenbeck, Steve Contursi, Ira & Larry Goldberg, Bill Fivaz, David Akers, Silvano DiGenova, the Smithsonian Institution, Heritage Galleries, the ANA money museum, Stack's Rare Coins, Superior Galleries, the United States Mint, and several dozens more.
   
   The guide has some problems, notable some errors occurred and as I mentioned earlier "All" prices guides without exception are outdated by the time is printed, mainly due to market conditions, collector interest, commodities volatility, speculators, currency value, supply & demand, among others.
   
   Numismatics is a hobby as any other do not expect a handsome return on your investment, at least not a monetary one. Have fun. Good luck.

2 comments about Effanbee A Collector's Encyclopedia 1949 - Present (Rev. Edition).

1. i just had to write after reviewing the last review. This book is good - there are many,many large pics with dolls CLEARLY visible. full page pics & 4"x3", 3"x2", 5"x4" pics & on & on. On top of that there are catolog pics with many dolls. This is the nature of books on collectible books. Authurs don't wait till every last rare & unfound item is located & photographed before they add to the pool of info by publishing! we wouldn't get anywhere with history, collecting etc. if we did that. Just to let you know I am selling my edition on this site.



2. This book consists of mostly catalogue numbers. I bought it with the intention of identifying my childhood doll. Guess what, she wasn't listed. I didn't even see a doll with a similar face pictured. It may have been there, but the pictures are in black and white and are quite small, so it's possible I just couldn't recognize her. The listings are extensive, but certainly not complete.

4 comments about Pictorial Price Guide to American Antiques 2000-2001: 2000-2001 (Pictorial Price Guide to American Antiques and Objects Made for the American Market).

1. This is a very nice book. The photography and descriptions of items shown is excellent, and the author has used actual auction prices. It is a good book to keep for future reference.



2. Dorothy Hammond's series is of more use to serious antique collectors than other price guides because the items illustrated are identified as having been sold for the price given by auction or by dealer, the date of the sale, and the location of the sale. The information is timely and accurate. Items that I sold at auction in 2001 are illustrated here accurately. In other price guides, I've seen items that I can specifically identify as having been sold seven or eight years earlier listed with the old prices. In a rapidly changing market, that kind of misinformation can be costly.



3. My husband & I have been collecting antiques for over 30 years. This book is wonderful because EVERY ITEM DESCRIBED IS PICTURED.
   There is no guessing if this is your antique by the written desription, there is a picture to be certain.



4. I was extremely disappointed with this book. Most of the items are photographed in back and white and in large groups, which makes it nearly impossible to identify items using these photos as references. I wouldn't recommend it for identification purposes.

5 comments about Vintage Jewelry: A Price and Identification Guide, 1920 to 1940s.

1. This is a great early guide for those earlier pieces that you don't often see in the other costume/vintage jewelry guides and therefore often hard to tell what they are worth. This book has plenty of pot metal made pieces, white rhinestone pave pieces, and lots of dress and fur clips. This is not a guide for beginners in collecting. My only disappointment would be the same I have with other guides - I would love to see the back of pieces; maybe not all of them of course, but I think it lends to a great education for the serious collector who isn't the most knowledgeable yet - like me! :)



2. eBay is NOT the be all and end all for collectible jewelry. Half of the people list items as "Bakelite" for example when they don't even know what it is. eBay is NOT the place for serious collectors of vintage jewelry. Half the time you don't know what you are going to get due to uneducated buyers trying to cash in on the term "Bakelite". Any serious collector does not use eBay as a barometer for actual values of these beautiful collectible items. There is my two cents on the topic.



3. Without a doubt, one of the best books on this period of jewelry. I have all the books in Leigh Leshner's series and cannot rate them high enough. Brilliant photographs, excellent jewelry samples and wonderfully informative on jewelry from this period.



4. This book is one of the best books for illustrations of the white metal/rhinestone forms of jewelry. All the photos are of high quality and show the pieces well. I found the price advisories to be questionable because the values listed seemed very high for local auctions and dealers and WAY high for the eBay world. Perhaps this is because the publication was over 2 years ago so the prices are even older. All in all a nice book - just get a second opinion on any $ values.



5. The author has wisely given us 400 beautiful pictures of
   old white metal costume jewelry. Since so much is unsigned
   the pictures will make it easier to evaluate pot metal pieces.
   This is the first book devoted entirely to white metal and is
   in a class all of its own. The illustrations make this a
   "coffee table" book. The author establishes all the variables
   taken in when pricing. All the jewelry in the book is mint
   condition. In few words she also explains that the book is

   devoted to the beauty and value of the jewelry, minimizing the
   importance of signed pieces. Thank you Miss Leshner.

3 comments about Zippo Lighters: An Identification and Price Guide (Identification and Value Guides (Krause)).

1. Excellent book but not good to have alone. This is more of a supplemental.



2. Nice pictures, but author knows nothing about Zippo! Captions don't fit the pictures, prices are way off, but its nice to look at. Would not use as a reference book.



3. While the book has some interesting information on the subject of Zippo lighters, I feel too much space is used to show old magazine ads for Zippo lighters. This space could have been used for more pictures of actual Zippo lighters and updated pictures from inside the Zippo factory. The pictures of the plant itself show workers putting Zippos in the old flame boxes which were only used until 1976. The other main issue of my dissapointment was the apparent lack of research that went in to the writing of the book. There are many errors in the style names of lighters shown in the pictures as well as the values. The biggest error that stuck in my head was where they said Zippo manufacturing cleans the lighters before they return them to the customers after they go through the repair clinic.
   It is unfortunate that Mr. Pope didn't have the opportunity to finish the book he started, perhaps more research of facts would have been done before publishing.
   While the book that David Poore wrote years ago is a bit outdated on the values, it is a very valuable piece of reference material for the novice and seasoned Zippo collector. I would strongly encourage anyone thinking of buying a book on Zippos that they consider Mr. Poores book instead.

No comments about The A-Z Guide to Collecting Trivets (Identification & Values (Collector Books)).

No comments about B. J. Summers' Pocket Guide to Coca-Cola: Identifications Current Values Circa Dates (B J Ummer's Pocket Guide to Coca-Cola).

4 comments about Price Guide to Holt-Howard Collectibles: And Related Ceramicwares of the '50s & '60s.

1. I ordered the book and generally liked it, but was disappointed it does NOT include all the Christmas items HH made and that this is a small section of the book.. :0



2. if you are looking for information on Holt Howard collectibles, this is the book for you. I has lots of color pictures and descriptions with specifics.



3. This is one of the best books on Figural Kitchenware of the 50's and 60's that I have seen so far. Not only great pictures, but the best information about Holt Howard Collectibles as well as nock offs. I have used my copy more than any other reference book I own on Kitchenware. Walter Dworkin can't put out another soon enough. Can't wait!



4. Highly recommend this book not only for the detailed description but also for the great color photos. Most price guides have alot of descriptions but not many photos, not this one! I enjoyed reading the description and seeing a photo. A must have for any collector

5 comments about Marx Toys Sampler: A History & Price Guide.

1. What a wonderful trip down Memory Lane! I had a couple of uncles that worked for Marx when I was a little kid and had many of the toys featured in Michelle's book. I can only wonder what happened to my Mark toys. I guess they found their way to cousins or younger friends, but I sure would like to have them back now! Good job Michelle - I truly enjoyed paging through your book - it appears to have been a labor of love as opposed to a for profit project. Thanks for the memories!



2. I enjoyed this book because of it's detailed accounts of Marx toys that I grew up with. The price guide is also handy when I'm out looking for Marx items for my sisters' collections. History of a manufacturer is always interesting and the photographs help define the pieces I'm searching for. I appreciate a good book that shows great effort extended in presenting the information. I would recommend this book to the serious toy buyer and to new seekers of antique Marx toys. Kudos to the author!



3. I found this to be an ideal route to fond memories of my childhood. Many of the toys in this book were basis of several Christmas dreams. As a baby boomer, I have been collecting the dollhouses and furniture with the hope that my granddaughter will appreciate them, too! This is a good reference guide to have!



4. This book would be a great companion book. Most Marx toys collectors would benefit from information on part numbers, years of production and viewing the wonderful selection of photographs featured in the book. The book covers about 30 years worth of knowledge on toys produced at the Glen Dale plant site. There is even a partial price listing on items that Ms. Smith and Mr. Whipkey were familiar with. All in all. A good book.



5. This brand new (year 2000)192 page book gives you an inside look at one of America's favorite toy makers. It takes you behind the scenes at Marx to help you see and understand the company and its people. There is a beautiful 32 page full color section, in addition to more than 150 black and white photos. Many of the photos have not before been published. More than 1,200 individual items are listed, including many values. Major topics range from Play Sets, Doll Houses, Lithographed Items, to Johnny West, and Sandy Dolls. A Marx time line from 1896 to 1999 is provided along with a handy index. Toy collectors will be delighted with this new reference.