5 comments about 2007 Handbook of United States Coins Blue Book (Handbook of United States Coins) (Handbook of United States Coins (Paper)).

1. Excellent prospects for updating values in husband's small coin collection. Should prove to be a worthwhile purchase. Thank you.



2. Great book, gave it as a gift. The shipping was fast. Would purchase other products from seller again.



3. A very useful manual for selling our old coins.



4. I'm from abroad and I'm fond of US coins, expecially for quarters. This guide is full of details to get more confident with US coins.



5. Love this book! It is a great resource for tracking coins and to be able to know the accurate value of the coins. Easy to understand and read. This books is a must for all coin collectors!

1 comments about The Official Price Guide to Collector Knives, 15th edition (Official Price Guide to Collector Knives).

1. This is a good book as a resource. Many of my knives are listed by company, but not in the price guide. I am after the prices suggested.

2 comments about Scott 2007 Standard Postage Stamp Catalogue: Countries of the World So-z (Scott Standard Postage Stamp Catalogue Vol 6 So-Z).

1. 
   I really like all of the color photographs of the stamps and how the series are grouped together. It makes it easy to find the stamps and country you are looking for.



2. Any one who has ever thought of collecting stamps in the US, is familiar with the Scott stamp catalogs, the backbone of the collectors world. Yeah, they're a bit pricy, but then look at the work that has gone and continues to go into them! NEW for 2007.....COLOR!!!!! OMG!!!!! Most of the illustrations are now in COLOR!!!!!
   
   I am in the process of inventorying my Grandfather's massive stamp horde to try and sell it off. At ChicagoPex this year, I was drooling over the new catalogs, mumbling something about "color......". My sister wasn't overly impressed with the concept (she's since changed her mind!) and balked at spending that much money for a new set of catalogs. We've been working out of a 1999 set.
   
   Needless to say, I won! Hallelujah! Especially for the "not so informed" or anyone with not so good eyesight, the color makes a HUGE difference! It is SO much easier to find a stamp that you're looking for! I can not thank Scott enough for their huge effort in rescanning every single stamp in existence (that they could get their hands on).
   
   Bottom line......if you're thinking about it, but doing the "well, my catalogs aren't that old yet" or "boy, that's a lot of money to shell out", my advise is BUY THEM!

5 comments about Schroeder's Antiques Price Guide 2007 (Schroeder's Antiques Price Guide).

1. This book has "All-American" written all over it; too bad it was made in China. It's big, heavy, and loaded with pretty, colored pictures for those too lazy to read. The print is kinda small - I thought they were using invisible ink, at first; but it's loaded with info.
   
   I would suggest taking away the kids Nintendo and making them read this book cover to cover.
   
   amen



2. Over the years I have found Schroeder's to be easy to use and pretty realistic when it comes to market values. This year's addition of color photos albeit small ones is a big improvement!



3. I wasn't sure this was the price guide I was looking for -- but after it arrived, I couldn't have made a better choice. Everything was listed so clearly and I know in the future when I need to locate an antique item, it will be a cinch to locate it. Everything is categorized so clearly, I don't have to spend a lot of time going back and forth trying to find my particular item.



4. I find a lot of antiques at garage sales and estate sales, this book is very useful to identify items that I find. I have used Schroders for years and love them.



5. This year's Schroeder's Antiques Price Guide now has it all. The pictures are ALL in Color. This will help tremendously in recognizing a true item that I am researching. This definitely is the BEST Guide Book for the new Antique Dealer or Collector. I can always count on Schroeder's to help me in my field or antiques. Hats off to you all!!

5 comments about TV Guide The Official Collectors Guide: Celebrating An Icon.

1. Enhanced with more than 3,700 full color covers from America's most popular, iconic, and widespread weekly magazine, "TV Guide: The Official Collectors Guide" compiled by Stephen F. Hofer (Curator of the Philo T. Farnsworth Television History Center, Auburn, Indiana, and who himself is the owner of one of the largest collections of TV Guide magazines and memorabilia in the United States) covers all the national and regional digest size covers from April 10, 1953 to October 9, 2005. Included are TV Guide foldout covers, holographic covers, and multiple covers. For the antique dealer and hobbyist collector, each issue has the current secondary market prices listed. Featuring memorable quotes from TV Guide and from television shows, "TV Guide: The Official Collectors Guide" is more than a price guide compendium, (and a superb history of the magazine itself), it is also a very highly recommended tour of American television programming through more than fifty years of popular culture.



2. This book has several major flaws. For a start, there is no index. The only way to locate covers with your favorite stars or shows is to browse the pages year-by-year.
   
   The price guide only gives values for "mint condition" issues, with no guidelines for how to adjust value for copies in less than mint condition. (Most collectors' guides give a range of prices based on condition.)
   
   It would have been nice if they had included some lists, such as: the most valuable issues; issues with multiple covers; people who have appeared on the most covers; etc. All of these things are mentioned in the text, but there is no way to look them up except by browsing every listing.
   
   Despite these flaws, this is still an invaluable book for collectors, because of it's comprehensive checklist.



3. I was so happy to receive the TV Guide Official Collector's Guide, it is a great publication!! It has a lot more information than I expected - comments by stars over the years and much more!! It is very colorful and I will enjoy reading it for years to come. My 45 year old son has a collection of TV Guides and I know he will be interested in seeing the publication to see if the ones he has are valuable! Thank you



4. The episode of Seinfeld where Frank Costanza was noted to be a collector of TV Guide pretty much cemented that publication's place in the lore of pop culture. Now, from Bangzoom publishers comes "TV Guide" the official Collector's Guide. A lot of collector's books claim to be the only book you'd ever need to own but this one truly fits the bill. With over 3700 pictures, and every national and regional TV Guide cover pictured from 4/10/1953 through 10/19/2005 this is truly the ultimate resource for not only collectors, but fans of the magazine as well.
   
   With a foreward by senior TV Guide editor Michael Davis, the book provides info geared towards the collector on where to buy, grading, and preserving your TV Guide collection. The cover subjects are what drives the price of back issues with the very first issue featuring the baby Desi Arnaz Jr. being the most valuable. While I've never collected TV Guide I was a long-time Comic Book collector and basically TV Guides should be kept and stored the same way...in protective bags and ideally in acid free storage boxes.
   
   The guide provides a 19 page history of the magazine as well as a look at TV shows and trends by decade from the 40's through the 2000's; everything from Milton Berle and Howdy Doody to Lost and American Idol. I was born in the 1960's and love many of the shows from that era even though I didn't watch many in their initial runs. It wasn't until syndicated re-runs in the 1970's that I came to adore shows such Bewitched, Gomer Pyle, and Green Acres. As noted in the book, The Brady Bunch was never a top-rated show, but you'd hardly know that since it has gone on to become one of the most syndicated shows in history and a true TV legend.
   
   Next up is 213 pages which show each of those covers from 1953 through 2005 in full color and it's like a trip on a wonderful time machine to page through the decades to see many of the actors and shows that you remember so fondly, and many you may have forgotten such as The Governor and J.J. One TV Guide trend that seems to have ended some time in the early 80's was featuring Santa Claus on the cover of a December issue. The book concludes with a 68 page index and value guide for each issue and doubles as a handy checklist for collectors.
   
   Whether you are storing issues away chronologically like Frank Costanza, or just have a life long love of TV, you are certain to find something to enjoy in this fabulous book.
   
   Reviewed by Tim Janson



5. A mind-bending, if not surreal, parade of TV trivia presented week by week, year by year, era by era. Every single TV Guide cover is shown in true color, from April '53 to the first mag-size issue from autumn of last year. They're arranged as text would be on each page, left-to-right, top-to-bottom and IN ORDER on each page, dated and readily viewable. They even include full displays of all fold-out covers, as well as every version of each multiple cover, such as the one which had to be updated at Michael Landon's death, different regional sport-season previews, and the 25-cover tribute to all the Star Trek cast.
   
   The book is in 3 main sections:
   1) A 26-page section of blurb overseeing the history of TV Guide and background trivia of many of the covers
   2) The section displaying the covers themselves, and
   3) A listing of all covers (with dates and captions) and their collectible worth in mint condition.
   
   It is bound in durable yet manageable paperback binding.
   
   Anyone can invent their own TV trivia diversions just by scanning through this book (i.e. what are the earliest covers featuring people who are still alive? or Who has appeared the most times? or How did TV Guide handle documentarial times and issues [JFK's assassination, 9-11, the advent of cable & PBS etc.], or When did one televion era end, and another begin? and the like). The price list section also serves as an easier-to-count ready-reference of all the cover headings.
   
   Mad Magazine presented a similar, also top-rate, timeline of all their covers a few years ago upon the advent of their 400th issue. The first such resource to incorporate all the TV Guide digest covers certainly doesn't disappoint.

5 comments about Heisey Glass 1896-1957: Identification and Value Guide.

1. This is an excellent reference book for the Heisey glass collector. It is filled with helpful information!



2. Difficult book to read, but the best of all the books I've found on Heisey glass. There is so much to learn about the beautiful glass.



3. Very useful resource- illustration and descriptions are clear and helpful.
   
   Filled with information about manufacturers and designs. I had no prior knowledge about this book before I purchased it . I was very pleased with its resource value.



4. Fair treatment of history of Heisey Glass, a very basic collector book. There were a few actual errors in the index that made it hard to research particular pattern.



5. Well constructed and very well thought out. This is a beautiful book in every aspect. The detail is complete with super descriptions, pricing and history right down to the patents. The photography in black and white as well as color is extremely professional, clear and consise. The diagrams are also detailed and reliable. The index is as complete for a super reference guide.

   Novice, Collector or Glass Afficiando will be extremely pleased with this beautiful guide of history, education and reference to the world of Heisey Glass. It's Complete!!

No comments about Collector's Encyclopedia Of Madame Alexander Dolls 1948-1965 (Identification & Values (Collector Books)).

3 comments about The 3rd 100 Best Things I've Sold on Ebay...Ka-Ching! My Story Continues by Lynn Dralle The Queen of Auctions (The 100 Best Things I've Sold on Ebay).

1. Lynn Dralle does not lose steam in her 3rd book of 100 great things. Because it is essentially 100 short "stories" you can read as you have time. Since she teaches with laughter and sometimes touching stories I find the lessons easier to remember. While it gives ideas on how to do things, do not buy this as an eBay "HOW TO" book. She has a few of those too:-)



2. Gave this as a gift to a family member. They say this book had excellent, extremly helpful information for helping them achieve e-bay power seller status. Thanks for the outstanding, informative writing!



3. The 3rd 100 Best Things is another installment of examples of Ebay sales done by Lynn Dralle. This is the first book by her I have read, so I do not know what the other titles are like.
   
   The book contains 100 items sold on the Ebay and:
   
   1. The story of how they were obtained (estate sale, inheritance, garage sale, flea market, church charity sale, etc.).
   2. Starting and winning bid totals.
   3. Number of times the item was viewed on Ebay.
   4. Total number of bids.
   5. Where the winning bidder lives.
   6. When the bid started.
   7. Description of the item.
   
   The book has several interesting anecdotes of the item's history, Lynn's family background, responses from winner bidders, and her vast knowledge of antiques and specialty items.
   
   While such information was informative, I would have liked to have seen many more examples of her strategies and how she has been so successful on Ebay. Granted, the examples she did give were helpful (start the bid around $9.99, use the internet to research products, try to sell many lower priced items instead of a few high-priced items, etc.). However, I would have liked to have seen more strategies and examples that could be applied to whatever type of item you want to sell on Ebay. While Lynn seems to specialize on antiques and collectibles, there are several other categories of products on Ebay. Therefore, I would imagine that some strategies in selling antiques and collectibles may not necessarily work for other items.
   
   Still though, a good and entertaining read. Recommended.

2 comments about Pictorial Guide to Christmas Ornaments and Collectibles: Identification and Values.

1. If you love vintage Christmas ornaments you will love this book! This is the best book I've seen on the topic. It definitively covers Dresden ornaments, and ornaments made of glass, paper, fabrice, metal, wax, and more. It contains thousands of photographs of mostly pre-war ornaments, a wealth of information and a price guide to help value your collection. Even if you are not an ornament collector, you'll find this book contains collections that will absolutely amaze you. This book will remain in my library forever.



2. If you love vintage Christmas ornaments you will love this book! This is the best book I've seen on the topic. It definitively covers Dresden ornaments, and ornaments made of glass, paper, fabrice, metal, wax, and more. It contains thousands of photographs of mostly pre-war ornaments, a wealth of information and a price guide to help value your collection. Even if you are not an ornament collector, you'll find this book contains collections that will absolutely amaze you. This book will remain in my library forever.

5 comments about Encyclopedia of Matchbox Toys (Schiffer Book for Collectors).

1. Excellent book. I was looking for this for a long time. Now I can check out my mini cars and find the best cars and prices I can get.



2. As the owner of both the 1997 1st edition and this newer 2004 3rd edition, I am disapointed. In order to fit 7 years of new photos into the same size book, the photos were digitally shrunk and subsequently distorted and blurred. But worse, the 1st edition had 198 pages of photos, the 3rd edition has just 159 pages of photos. Bottom line, this makes the photos tiny, blurred and distorted. Also, the paper stock (thickness) was significantly reduced so although the newer edition has just seven more total pages, the first edition is significantly thicker and heavier. So if you do not collect Mattel Matchbox, purchase the 1st edition (also it does not appear the prices between the 1997 and the 2004 price guide have changed). By the way, the 1st edition is a great book!



3. Its a big book and plenty of clear colour photos of so many examples throughout.covers every era of Matchbox toys.This type of book is superior over the wide but short books printed by this publisher.There is so much information here no matter whether you are devoted collector or just love looking at the old toys you had.This book will please most people.Its good value and high quality.



4. This is a great reference book, full of details and history about evolution of Matchbox toys. If you love Matchbox, this is a must. Charlie Mack is a true expert on the subject, and this is for sure the most complete and updated information about the subject. The only complains are: cover picture is not representative at all. Pictures are excelent but could be larger for the "reg. wheels" and "miniatures", and several rare cars and boxes are ommited (no space probably). However, "Tomart's Price Guide for Hot Wheels" have a much better and contemporary graphic design and many more pictures in a smaller book, and also with more description of individual models.



5. I feel this is a great book. Why? It has very much attention to the details of the hobby. The pictures are helpful. They price guide is quite accurate and good for reference. Mr. Mack did a wonderful job putting this book together. Alot of time and energy must have went into the book and it paid off. I recommend it to new and experienced collectors alike. Great book!