5 comments about 500 Glass Objects: A Celebration of Functional & Sculptural Glass (500 Series).

1. I love this series from Lark! It provides me with lots of inspiration and it is a wonderful tool to learn new artists and their work. I have almost the whole series!



2. This book contains images that are fantastic however it also contains some incredibly poor ones. Certain artists submitted images of really high resolution or the most accurate photographic image - in slide format and the publisher has scanned them in quite inadequately. I was disappointed at the overall quality of this book and its presentation of artwork.



3. I am not really sure what people are hoping to find in this book. Like all of Lark's '500 Series' they are simply inspirational,the are not technical nor are they project based or how to, they are mostly gorgeous eye candy. I am not a glass artist, I am lucky to have a few art glass pieces that I have collected over the years but I bought this book purely to marvel at the shapes, originality and astonishing colours achieved by the wonderful artists whoose work is contained within. Truly luscious pieces each and everyone. Not always functional but certainly inspiring.



4. If you are a contemporary art glass collector, you will love the hundreds of photographs in this book. You might even discover a new artist whose work you covet! As a learning tool, however, this book leaves something to be desired. Other than the names of the artists and their techniques, plus the object dimensions, there is not a lot of information. It would have been nice to have examples and descriptions of how the techniques are accomplished. But then, the author - the daughter of one of the world's foremost glass artists - would have needed more than 396 pages.



5. Having paged through the excellent "400 Polymer Clay Designs" by the same publisher, I was disappointed by 500 Glass Objects. I was looking for a book full of exciting inspiration for fused glass, and I wasn't particularly impressed by the selection. I returned it.

3 comments about Functional Pottery: Form and Aesthetic in Pots of Purpose.

1. Robin Hopper has written a definitive book for all potters, beginners and masters alike. The chosen work for photos offers an excellent range of contemporary and classic forms for study.



2. I found Functional Pottery to be a pleasant surprise for the most part, although I was mildly disappointed by the more practical sections of the book. Roughly the first half of the book provides an interesting historical and cultural review of functional pottery, which went beyond what I had anticipated from the title and general description. A portion of the second half of the book focused on the mechanics of particular forms of functional pottery. This portion, which was my particular interest in buying the book, was a little less thorough and extensive than I had hoped. For the beginner/intermediate potter specifically interested in practical advice and detail regarding the mechanics of functional pottery forms, the material in the book, while useful, may not go far enough. I recommend this book as a general overview, keeping in mind that the scope of the book covers a broader range of topics than implied by its title, and that only sixty pages of the book are dedicated to the practical considerations and mechanics of designing and creating functional pottery.



3. This book is an excellent addition to my collection of pottery books. This book deals with the more technical side of pottery. This book is for people who have accomplished throwing but want to take it to the next level. The book covers everyhting from history of pottery, to correct proportions, and also has artist bio's. Excellent book, i rate it 12 out of 10.

1 comments about The Antique Hunter's Guide to American Furniture: Chests, Cupboards, Desks & Other Pieces.

1. A wonderful book that is replete with detail, this edition is indispensable for those who frequent auctions and antique shops. The examples given in the book run the gamut from utilitarian/functional to elaborate/ornate. The book is weighted towards the low-medium market, and examples of antiques that are reachable only to those with a prodigious income are few and far between; no Boulle, Belter, or Marot to be seen here. As such, this volume is infinitely usable, and somewhat of a welcome change from the reams of books focused on antiques only seen at Sotheby's or museums. This volume makes a wonderful companion to Miller's Price Guide.

5 comments about Lehner's Encyclopedia of U.S. Marks on Pottery, Porcelain and Clay.

1. The book arrived on time and the condition was as described (new). The secondary packaging could use improvement as the box had broken and opened at the bottom. The primary packaging was excellent and prevented the book from damage when the box broke.



2. This book is a definite 'must have' for anyone dealing in or buying collectible ceramics. I have just started selling glasswares and have come across a lot of different pottery marks. Without a reference book, you cannot determine an items' real worth.
   This book has thousands of different marks and artists' marks! This book is by my side when trying to determine the ceramic items' origin and age.



3. This book is about U.S. marks.
   
   .... So, if you need a piece of U.S.A pottery identified, then this book probably has the mark. (Please note that this book is not about finding markings of European pieces. As stated on the cover, this book is strictly about U.S. marks).
   
   P.S.: This book also includes all the U.S. RESTAURANT-WARE markings. Very helpful if you collect "RESTAURANT-WARE", along with other American pottery and china.



4. This book is prodigious in scope: the pottery marks (with huge varieties within each company) and historical information are both invaluable and interesting. However, the indexing is weak, which leads one to thumbing through pages trying to find an elusive mark. This is such a well-researched, vast collection of marks, however, that laborious searches are rewarded.



5. This book is jam packed with pottery marks, a great value for the price. I had no idea that there were so many. It is extremely informative, giving a brief history, manufacture dates and much more information for each company listed. I would definately recommend this to anyone with an interest in collecting or selling pottery.

5 comments about Vintage Halloween Collectibles: An Identification & Price Guide (Vintage Halloween Collectibles: Identification & Price Guide).

1. So far this is the best book I've found on Vintage Halloween in the sense of information, layout and the broad spectrum of items covered. It is evident that Mark Ledenbach is truly passionate about his collection. The photos are high quality and well laid out. The information is thought provoking and facsinating to any Halloween enthusiast. I do wish there were more item information regarding usage or other interesting tidbits, however this book does give the reader what it promises.
   A must have for the Halloween aficionado.



2. Another Halloween has come and gone but for some people like myself, the Halloween holiday lives on 365 days a year due to my love of the holiday and my passion for Halloween décor. When I was a kid, I used to be rather afraid of the old decorations in my grandmother's house. These were quite a bit scarier than those jointed cardboard skeletons and plastic light-up pumpkins that I was used to...Little did I know then just how valuable those pieces were. When she passed away about ten years ago my wife and I scoured her house for those trinkets but alas, they were nowhere to be found, most likely tossed in the trash years ago.
   
   Vintage Halloween Collectibles from Krause Publications is yet another outstanding edition to their library of collectibles books. When I first received the book I literally sat down for a couple of hours and just browsed through the book from cover-to-cover, looking for the items my Grandmother used to have as well as finding the few items that I've been able to collect. Collecting vintage Halloween decorations is no easy task Halloween wasn't nearly as big and commercialized decades ago as it is today. Vintage Christmas items show up endlessly at flea markets and garage sales but vintage Halloween items are much harder to come by because there just wasn't as much made, not too mention that much of it was made out of paper and simply didn't last as long.
   
   This 256 page trade paperback book covers some 1600 items and features over 1100 full-color photos. The book lists the item with country of origin, manufacturer, date of manufacture, dimensions, current value, and, perhaps most importantly, a scarcity index on a scale of 1 to 5 with 1 being the rarest and 5 being the most common. Naturally, the items my grandmother had fell into the common arena but still were fairly valuable, all things considered. The items are broken down into eight different category chapters including games, candy containers and figures, noisemakers, and decorations.
   
   I found it interesting that there were so many games that involved fortune telling that were made in the 30's and 40's. This is certainly a sign of that era's infatuation with mysticism. One motif that seemed so common back in the first half of the 20the century that you don't see much today is devil and demon décor. The stereotypical red horned devil was a very common theme that has nearly disappeared from modern décor...I guess that's' a sign of OUR times. The other overwhelming common theme was the black cat. The book contains hundreds of black cat items from figurines to paper lanterns. The lanterns are things I remember distinctly from my youth and I am still amazed at the intricate detail of these rather delicate Halloween decorations. The book has dozens of examples of paper lanterns adorned by witches, black cats, pumpkins, and skeletons. These items are beautiful and Krause has done a great job with clear, beautiful photography of these rarities.
   
   One of the most interesting chapters is simply called "A Nice Variety" because the items didn't fit into any of the other categories. These feature items such as paper aprons, candy boxes, candles and candleholders, books and magazines. The covers to the books published by Dennison's in the 20's and 30's are gorgeous. These books were geared towards the woman of the house with ideas for recipes, decorations, and Halloween games. I also loved the die-cut chapter because those are the decorations I remember my mother having as a young kid and still fondly remember. But again, those red devil die-cuts, circa the 1930's are just wonderful. These items may not be easy to find anymore, but if you do, there is simply no better resource than this book from Krause Publications.
   
   REVIEWED BY TIM JANSON



3. When I started discovering vintage Halloween items, I came upon Mark Ledenbach's book. It became my leading guide while investigating on eBay. On his web site I could contact him an ask for advice. He was very friendly and helpful. The photos and lay out of his book are fantastic and it is better organized then other books I own. I could not have enjoyed the beautiful graphics and usual, rare items if it were not for this book. You must purchase this whether you are a serious collector or not. Have fun!



4. Price guides frequently suffer from poor photography. This book breaks the mold showing clear color photographs of amazing piece's in Mark's Collection. Halloween ephemera continues to be a popular collectible and this book should be part every collectors library.



5. What a wonderful book! I sell on ebay and found the book to be highly informative and the prices pretty accurate for most of the items I have come across. A must have resource for anyone who buys, sells, or collects vintage Halloween!

2 comments about Warman's Antiques & Collectibles 2008 Price Guide (Warman's Antiques and Collectibles Price Guide).

1. I found this book to be better than most of the others that cover a wide range of antiques and collectibles. But if you have a favorite category such as glass, you are better off buying a book that is specific to it. The more you can narrow down what you are interested in collecting, such as carnival glass, or depression glass, the better the info the book will provide. From those categories you can even narrow it more definitively, such as Lancaster glass in the depression glass category.



2. This latest edition contains 634 pages of very useful reference information with over 600 black and white photos. There are now over 50,000 items in over 500 categories presented with detailed descriptions and prices. Entries include a brief history of the category and also useful lists of references for further study. The comprehensive index helps make finding items easy. Contains a huge amount of information that will be useful to you as you antique.

No comments about Buying and Selling Teddy Bears Price Guide.

1 comments about Plastic Jewelry of the Twentieth Century: Identification & Value Guide.

1. This book is packed with history and Lillian Baker's knowledge which is very good. However, I was most disappointed with the black and white photographs. Bakelite, lucite, and plastics should always be presented in color.

5 comments about Antiques on the Cheap: A Savvy Dealer's Tips: Buying, Restoring, Selling.

1. This is a great book. Informative, practical, concise and easy to follow directions for restoring all types of items. I wish I'd had it years ago.



2. THE BEST BOOK TO OWN. INEXPENSIVE AND PRACTICAL ADVISE ON HOW TO CLEAN AND REPAIR FRAMES,SILVER, BRASS (THE ONLY PLACE I'VE SEEN BRASS CLEANING THAT WORKS) TRUNKS, POTTERY, AND LAMPS. YOU DON'T NEED A WORKSHOP OR ART SUPPLIES TO USE MR. MCKENZIES' RECEIPES FOR REFURBISHMENT OR REPAIR. NO COLORED PICTURES, JUST DRAWINGS, IT'S THE TEXT THATS WORTH THE PRICE OF THE BOOK. IF YOU CAN READ, THINK, AND FOLLOW VERY SIMPLE DIRECTIONS, THEN USE THE PRETTY COFFEE TABLE BOOKS FOR INSPIRATION AND THIS BOOK FOR REALIZATION. I USE IT OVER AND OVER AND OVER.



3. This is the most helpful book I've read that in very succinct style tells how to buy, fix up, and possibly resell antiques and other second hand stuff. If you love "shabby chic", but can't afford the prices, this book will make it easier to achieve that look. This book is not for people who worry about getting their hands dirty.



4. I bought an antique camel-back trunk that needed lots of restoring and didn't know how to start. My friend recommended this book, and I am so glad I bought it. Not only did it give step by step on restoring a trunk but it also had a refrence page on suppliers for trunk parts. I highly recommended this book to anyone who needs to repair trunks, lamps, pottery and frames. The furniture repair section was sort of brief; I would have like to see more on this topic.



5. Don't let the title fool you - this is NOT just for antique dealers. As someone who is interested in antiques, but who doesn't have a lot of money, this has been a great primer on how to pick items and how to clean, fix and generally improve the the things purchased. Instructions on marbelizing, sponge painting, rebuilding lamps and stripping and refinishing furniture are all easy to understand.

5 comments about Jewelry & Gems the Buying Guide: How to Buy Diamonds, Pearls, Colored Gemstones, Gold & Jewelry With Confidence And Knowledge (Jewelry and Gems the Buying Guide).

1. Excellent! This is hands down the best book on the market for the beginning gemstone buyer.



2. If you are buying jewelry/gems for any occasion and don't exactly know what you are doing, this book is a great start. The section on colored gemstones was particularly helpful, as it is harder to find good information on them. The book is definitely a keeper as it can be used for many different purchases.



3. A friend recommended this book and I'm so glad she did! So informative and easy to understand--even for a novice like me! I now have more confidence when I buy jewelry and know what questions to ask a jeweler before I decide to buy. Great book!



4. With the help, guidelines and information from this incredible book I finally felt I could shop for jewelry with confidence and a "sense of experience".



5. I am not a geologist or gemologist but I am very interested in gems and jewelry. After purchasing and reading several other books on the subject of gems and jewelry, this was the most informative! I could not put it down. I buy jewelry of all sorts for re-sale, and this book is the only book that tells me all my choices whether buying diamonds, colored gemstones, or pearls. It is also the only book that describes the many clever ways that one can be deceived. I especially like their price charts for diamonds and colored gem stones because they are organized in a way that focuses attention on the impact of quality factors on value. The colored gem stone charts are organized so that it is easy to compare numerous stones of the same color. For example if my customer wants a green stone this book lists all of the stones available, and how they compare to each other in terms of price, durabilty, and availabilty in different sizes. No other book does this. I could go on and on, but I will sum it up in three words: It's the BEST!