3 comments about Imperial Carnival Glass.

1. I have this book, & have had it since it was released. The photography is wonderful, it's easy to read & understand. TONS of great info. I just wish there was a new release of a price guide to go with it! It's like a Bible for all serious Imperial collectors. It does need an updated version since more pieces have come to light in other colors/variations in the 8 yrs since it was written, but it's still a book I wouldn't trade.



2. This book is a "must have" for any collector of Imperial made carnival glass.



3. Mr. Burns has produced a well organized and very useful reference book. He has done an excellent job of providing identification information as well as historical data. The author does a good job of organizing the history and production of the Imperial Glass Company through its existence from 1901 to 1985. The chapters on Imperial Trademarks are particullarly helpful This book is highly recomended to collectors of Imperial Glass and students of American glass making history in general. The book includes a helpful price list.

   Mr. Burns has also authored another great book titled, "Dugan & Diamond Carnival Glass 1909 -1931."

5 comments about Antiques 101: A Crash Course in Everything Antique.

1. I found this book extremely helpful, accessible, and entertaining. The little chapter on demystifing French names of antiques in priceless. The chapter on woods helped me identify the various types of wood more easily when I'm antiquing, and helped me connect specific woods with eras and styles. Lots of practical information in a succinct format that's easy to grasp. What really sets this book apart is the large number of color photographs and illustrations. I've never seen so much high- quality color art in a book like this. It's incredible helpful to see a sharp color photo of what the author is describing. I recommend this book to anyone interested in collecting with more confidence.



2. I bought this book hoping to learn how to tell the difference between different styles of furniture. I have to report mixed results toward that goal.
   
   This book does an EXCELLENT job of describing the history of the different periods of antiques. I have no doubt now as to where the terms "Regency, French Empire, Queen Anne or Rococo" come from or what the driving forces were that brought about the changes in each style.
   
   But the descriptions of each use many of the same terms. For example, Cabriolet legs are mentioned in several different areas. But not what would define what sets each type apart. Don't get me wrong, there are pictures of each style of furniture, but I would have liked to see some side-by-side comparisons how how to tell the difference between a Queen Anne versus a Centennial table.
   
   As another example, when describing the Art Deco period, there are pages describing the World's Fairs of 1933 & 1939 as well as about the Chrysler Building and Empire State Building. Very interesting reading, but I would have appreciated more on how to define Art Deco items versus Retro.
   
   In porcelain, the author describes German, French and British porcelain. Where it was made, famous potters, etc. But not how to tell the difference between them.
   
   All in all, a very enjoyable book to read. And I did learn quite a bit from it. But not the basic things I would have expected from a book titled "Antiques 101."



3. If your a novice or a seasoned antiquer you'll find great information in this book. It can be used as a learning tool for beginners as well as a refresher for those with the passion for anything antique. Lots of good common sense information contained in this book. A must read regardless, and a valuable addition to anyone's reference library. You will find the information in this book will more than pay for itself in the long run.



4. Great for the beginner; wonderful for those who thought they knew it all; and just a nice way to become somewhat adept with basics.



5. If you have some idea what a antique looks like, or even could tell that a object maybe old. Then this is the place to start, I personally would love to take the class.

1 comments about Evolution of the Bicycle, Vol. 1 (Evolution of the Bicycle).

1. This is a great book to see wonderful pictures and to experience what made some of the earliest bicyles different. Each picture comes with a small description of the bike, such as year and name. This is quite helpful in determining if you really bought what you think you did.

   This book is a must for every bike Enthusiast, and a gotta have for all vintage or modern bike collectors. I give it 5 stars!

2 comments about The Official Beckett Price Guide to Baseball Cards 2007, Edition #27 (Official Price Guide to Baseball Cards).

1. Average price guide. Out of the 8 or 9 items ordered 1-1/2 weeks before Christmas, this was the only thing that did not arrive before Christmas. Obviously, the seller did not ship on the date which they agreed to ship.



2. The Beckett guides have 2 prices listed for each card. However the meaning of those prices depends on the set under consideration. For a 1950s set the 2 prices may be for EX and NM; for a 1980s set they may be EX-MT and NM-MT. In previous editions these columns were labeled so you knew what the grades were. Those labels are missing in this edition. Unless you have a previous edition, this guide is not intelligible.

5 comments about Matchbox Toys 1947 to 1998: Identification & Value Guide (Matchbox Toys).

1. While this product was nice due to pricing being on one page. Very limited pictures and no detailed description of products. Pricing I believe to be very low of other books on same products. This book is not for beginners due to little pictures and not very good descriptions.



2. I purchased this book and was not happy with it. It has a few pictures (less than one I purchased 5-6 yrs ago, which had more info & pictures). I have several items that aren't even in this book, (1956 ford pick-up w/ 2 motorcycles in the back, no info on this one, or several others I have). I would only recommend this book if you want to do alot of searching through words and still not find what your looking for. Otherwise, I don't recommend this book. Now I'm going to have spend more money to find another book with what I want in it.



3. If anyone knows where on the net to purchase the 50 state series of match box cars, please send the address. I have half of them & would like the others before December.



4. I ALREADY HAVE 1 MATCHBOX CATALOGUE/PRICELIST FOR OLDER MODELS WHICH I HAVE A FEW. THE ONES I ACQUIRE NOW ARE MORE RECENT BUT SOMETIMES DATE BACK TO THE 80'S. THE CATALOGUE I RECEIVED HAS HARDLY ANY PICTURES ALTHOUGH I HAVE BEEN ABLE TO LOCATE MORE OF MY COLLECTION(ALMOST 175).I CAN'T IDENTIFY MY CARS FROM THE BOOK BECAUSE IT SEEMS THAT THE NEWER MODELS DON'T HAVE LETTERS/NUMBERS UNDERNEATH TO MATCH. I GUESS I WAS LOOKING FOR SOMETHING A LITTLE MORE IDENTIFYING TO MY COLLECTION WHICH WILL CONTINUE TO GROW. I AM ALSO TRYING TO FIND OUT HOW TO ACQUIRE THE "50 STATES" COLLECTION. I HAVE ABOUT 21 OR 22 OF THE STATES BUT THE STORES ONLY SEEM TO STOCK THE SAME STATES. OVERALL I AM PLEASED WITH THE BOOK ENOUGH. I'VE JUST GOTTEN MY 6 YEAR OLD SON INTERESTED SO OUR COLLECTION DAYS HAVE JUST BEGUN.THANKS FOR YOUR HELP USERBRO128--L.C.



5. While going through my 200+ car Matchbox collection, I found several discrepancies, missing models, and conflicting information compared to that printed on the car. This is not even close to comprehensive collection of Matchbox information.

   I don't know if you can tell by the 37 pages of samples, but the book is difficult to read with its thin font and patterned background--very poor design.

   Though the book says it goes through 1998, it leaves out several models that were copyrighted in 1998.

   The author flat out states that he arbitrarily assigned letters to the model number designations as his way of showing major model changes. Unfortunately for me, I read this after updating my database.

   Thankfully I purchased this with a gift certificate and didn't waste any more money on it.

1 comments about Hard Times Tokens 1832-1844.

1. If you are a Hard Times Token enthusiast or simply wish to find more about your own token like me, this is the Bible. It is an easy to read guide with quality photos of coins that are roughly life size. Throughout the book one can find references to many experts in the field of Hard Times Tokens. However, I can find no suggestions in the book as to where those of us go from here when we find that our own Hard Time Token is not included. Perhaps I can find some of the experts through the internet?

2 comments about Tiffany Desk Treasures: A Collector's Guide Including a Catalogue Raisonne of Tiffany Studios and Tiffany Furnaces Desk Accessories.

1. This was a nice clean book in really good condition...just as advertised. I am pleased with it's condition and with the speedy delivery.



2. Collaboratively compiled and written by Tiffany experts and appraisers George A. Kemeny and Donald Miller, Tiffany Desk Treasures: A Collector's Guide is an informed and informative history of the wealthy American artist Louis Comfort Tiffany (1848-1933) and his especially crafted desk sets, as produced by Tiffany Studios and Tiffany Furnaces between the late 1890s and 1933. Full-color photographs showcase memorable works of art, while the "reader friendly" text accessibly describes the pieces' histories and subtle nuances of their creations. A superbly organized and presented history for Tiffany antique collectors (it also includes a Catalogue Raisonne of Tiffany Studies and Tiffany Furnaces Desk Accessories), as well as a gorgeous book for connoisseurs of fine art to simply page through, Tiffany Desk Treasures is far more inexpensive than (and the next best thing to) owning a personal Tiffany collection.

5 comments about 2004 Standard Catalog of World Coins: 1901 - Present (Standard Catalog of World Coins).

1. I just started collecting Oriental coins. This book is a great teaching and identifiying aid. Tells you how to find the date, denomination, and ruler on Chinese coins (and others). I suspect that some who have been collecting for a long time may find it lacking in some areas, but for me it is just what I needed. I would recommend it to anyone interested in collecting coins from around the world.



2. The Standard Catalog of World Coins is undoubtedly the best selling coin reference book and a vital reference material for all collectors. The book is certainly not perfect however, and although it is a must-have publication for all those who collect coins from all over the world, there are several mistakes and omissions.

   Keeping track of prices is also very difficult and I suspect that in some cases at least, the price quotes come from the application of a general formula (data, mintage, denomination, metals used etc), rather than the international or local market itself. This is not much of a problem if you are only interested in identifying your coins or get a rough estimate of their value, but keep in mind that the prices included are certainly not accurate. The coin market is so volatile that it couldn't have happened any other way.

   Should you buy the 2004 version (or 2005 for that matter) if you already own a previous one? Since i live in Europe, the recent currency change had a tremendous effect on coin collecting and the euros were first included in the 2004 edition. Therefore, the answer is yes, as i will probably be buying the 2005 edition too, which will contain many commemorative euros produced in the mean time. If there haven't been any radical changes in the coins you are interested in, maybe you should keep the old one for a couple of years before purchasing a new one.

   In general, the Standard Catalog of World Coins is a comprehensive Catalog, which -despite its flaws- is indispensable. Major points of concern are the black & white pictures, and the huge size of this monster that really should move to the digital age and come on a CD. Of course software piracy is a key issue, but this media would realy help collectors access the content.




3. Not perfect, but MUST have.
   (unless you have a previous edition :)



4. This animal is good for pointing out many coins that may be missed in the smaller magazines and at trade shows. However it is a catalog, about the size of a phone book and with so few advertisers that they are negligible.
   
   There are no fancy color pictures just coins and lots of them divided into countries; so many coins that it can make your head spin if you are not searching for a particular theme. The shallow part of the book is the depth of time.
   
   This version came out before the Euro however I am collecting Notgeld and trade dollars.
   
   When I write reviews I look for a stumper or two. Well this book passed. I looked up the "Wailbligen 100". Sure as shoot'n there it was with an explanation and references to Porcelain coins.



5. No question, this is the best, if not the only reference, for someone, whether collector or dealer, desiring a worldwide comprehensive volume of twentieth and twenty-first century coins. If it has been issued since 1901, you'll probably find it in here (though a few issues get overlooked and later included, but that is not a major flaw).

   The problem is that, with the endless stream of non circulating coins being issued by governments (and in some cases, "governments" needs quotation marks. As does coins.), Krause is being forced to fit more and more into a volume which has already reached its limits on size, thickness, smallness of print, and thinness of paper. Something's got to give. Unfortunately, what has given is that the valuable reference material (such as original prices for coin sets) has vanished from its pages.

   Maybe it is time to put the junk, like Marshall Islands and similar ilk, into a second volume which, like the pre-1900 issues volumes, gets updated only every two years or so. Or put on a CD-ROM.

   Fact remains, though, this is an indispensible reference book for the coin collector and dealer. And mostways, it is pretty good.

No comments about The Green Guide to Antiquing in the Midwest.

5 comments about Official Price Guide to Classic Video Games: Console, Arcade, and Handheld Games.

1. This book is lame. I got into the arcade collection hobby about a year ago and have really dove into it headfirst. I am a member of a lot of the collector message boards and go to auctions and arcade events near my home. The price guide seems a bit out of wack. I don't think you can price guide an arcade. I have seen Ms. Pac-mans go from $250 to $1650 and Kung Fu Master games go from $200 all the way to $1000. The price ranges are so large it doesn't make sense to price guide these. It all depends on how much someone loves a game... Auctions skew the prices a lot, so do people on ebay that overpay. The guide lacks a lot of games I see out there. Waste of money. Want a price range, go on ebay and craigslist and message boards.



2. WOW...What can I say? This book was a trip down memory lane. Each page brought back fond memories of playing video games in my parents' basement. Sadly, I lost my Atari 2600 in a stampede. I still have most of my game cartridges though and they're still lots of fun! Mr. Ellis' book is well written and a must have for anyone who loves collecting the Atari game software of the 80's.



3. What an incredible reference guide. With the collectible video game market still in its infancy, I honestly didn't expect to see a book like this for at least another decade. Then, as I was chuckling to myself while staring at it in a bookstore, it hit me: "Holy Energizer Dots! It's a huge reference to the entire video game industry!!! So I grabbed it, absorbed it, and continue re-reading it to this day. Chock full of history, images and master lists of cartridges and consoles, this one book will both enlighten you to the scope of the video game industry as of today, and also serve as a GREAT tool when you start shopping online auction sites like eBay. I used it to buy my Atari 7800 system, and I was pleased to know I didn't pay more for it than it was worth. That would not have been possible without this book. I'd like to think of a negative thing to say about this book so readers won't think I'm biased. Ok, I wish I had a hardcover version becasue this one is going to fall apart soon from opening it up too much!



4. Three thousand dollars for a rare Atari cartidge? Who would have guessed that the stuff we discarded from our youth would now be part of a cottage industry consisting of collectors, auction houses, classic arcade repair shops and book writers.
   
   I consider myself an serious collector, (Ooh, how arrogant!) of serious toys. And Ellis' work is one of those rare "how to collect" books worthy of a double purchase. One to keep fresh and clean on your book shelf and one to dog ear, mark up, and spill coffee on. My working copy is permanently on watch next to my PC.
   
   Don't be misled into thinking this is a minor work because the book's price is so reasonable. The historical summaries alone are worth the cost. As a begining collector of classic arcade games this book is the best place to start. You could not go wrong in assembling a fine collection at reasonable cost by following Ellis' recommendations to the letter. The chapters are arranged so as to allow collectors to skip those areas in which they have no interest.
   
   Negatives? Only one, too big to carry around. A pocket guide would be great for auctions. And an electronic version (Palm?, Pocket PC?) with easy to query price look ups would be even better. Hey Random House are you listing?



5. You don't have to be 40 to read this book, but if you are it will certainly cover every video game you've ever played while growing up. Having been to a few auctions myself, the charts and tables in this book have easily saved me the cost of the book on just one machine. A very handy reference if you're just getting started and invaluable if your wife thinks your hobby is getting too expensive. It's easy to get caught up in the bidding, and this book will help you find that line that says "you're paying too much for that machine."
   
   After you get your new toy home, I've found that some tend to fizzle out after about 2 months. This is where the online resources listed in this book come in handy. They are a gateway to the community of Classic Arcade Collectors and you will find that these collectors are eager to help you get your machine back in working condition.
   
   I look forward to a sequel that covers more of the post-classic era as this section of the book has sparked a hunger for more information on these newer treasures.