No comments about 2008 Collector Car Price Guide.

No comments about Miller's: Teddy Bears: A Complete Collector's Guide (Miller's).

2 comments about Collector's Guide to Lunchboxes: Metal, Vinyl, Plastic: Identification & Values.

1. This covers collectible metal, vinyl and plastic lunchboxes from all eras, including more modern issues, and includes identification and values with small but sharp color photos to aid in the process. Any enthusiast of lunch box collecting will view this as the 'Bible' of lunch box information, important as a desk reference.



2. A brand new, year 2001 book that lunchbox collectors are sure to treasure. It contains 304 pages with more than 1000 very large, sharp, full color photos of every type of lunch box, from metal to vinyl to plastic. Everything is arranged alphabetically for easy location of items. Many of the photos include both the front and back of the lunchboxes to facilitate identification. Manufacturer data is also supplied. Prices appear to be realistic, and the authors have taken actual Internet sales into account when pricing the items. There is sufficient background information provided, of interest to seasoned collectors and the novice. Topics include a Timeline, Major Lunchbox Makers, Care and Cleaning, Artists, How Lunchboxes are Made, and Reproduction Lunchboxes. A glossary and bibiography add to the books usefulness. A very nice, useful reference work.

5 comments about Collectors Encyclopedia of California Pottery.

1. Nice enough book, but it is so hard to really provide a complete guide to such a broad subject. I was looking for information about Brayton Laguna blackamoors, and the offering was sparse, nothing more than a line in the index, and a brief description in the text. Maybe the author will do a book on Brayton Laguna blackamoors one day. Anyway, I returned this book because it did not fit my needs. It is hardly an encyclopedia, but rather a pretty picture book with some expanded captions as text. If you want a real tutorial on California pottery, work the search engines at eBay or Google...you can spend hours reading and looking at pictures.



2. This is an excellent book that I use often to identify pottery pieces. Not only does it contain beautiful clear photos of pottery it also provides a wonderful brief, well written, history of the various potters and potteries. Very informative indeed! I also reccommend California Pottery Scrapbook by this same auther.



3. Great guide that covers a good majority of California Potteries with a good selection of works from each potter. Values are not too inflated and color pictures are wonderful. A must if you need a general guide to vintage California Pottery, a hot item right now.



4. Being that I live in Ohio, the big pottery names here are ones like McCoy, Roseville, and Weller. I knew nothing about any of the West Coast pottery companies. I desperately needed a source of reference. I chose this book and I have not been disappointed. It covers 28 companies,gives a biography of each,shows examples of the marks used, and very clear photos of items made by each.Descriptions and values of the items shown are also included.I highly recommend this book for any pottery buyers library.



5. I would recommened this book to anyone interested in collecting California pottery. This book has a large selection of photos of the various types of pottery produced and the different markings used on the pottery.

1 comments about Antique Firearms Assembly/Disassembly: The Comprehensive Guide to Pistols, Rifles & Shotguns.

1. This could have been a great reference book as it seems to have alot of information packed in it,Antique Firearms Assembly/Disassembly: The Comprehensive Guide to Pistols, Rifles & Shotguns but without a Table of contents or an index, finding the information you are looking for is dependant on a large portion of serendipity.

1 comments about Classic Stoneware of Japan: Shino and Oribe.

1. Say "stoneware" to anyone fond of traditional Japanese culture and most will respond "raku." Indeed, those loosely-shapen dark wonders of the low-fire kiln are the supercondensed span of an entire culture in an object you can hold. Yet in an almost artless preoccupation with doing just the opposite, two traditions expressing the same qualities of the tea ceremony using entirely materials and effect came into existence and rapidly became popular: Shino and Oribe ware. Both originated during Japan's artistic renaissance of the late sixteenth century (which interestingly was coterminus with the Europeam Renaissance beyond Italy, and just as tumultuous).

   The tea ceremony's origins came in a gentler time, the Muromachi. It was as if the mix of vigor and experience hung in the air like a dust mote after a peaceful zephyr, the same way that war is in the air when come the winds of change. Though several theories claim to be the actual inspiration, the era is more definite. A 1932 chronicle relates, "In the first month of 1574, Kagemitsu, third son of Kageharu of the thirteenth generation after the first Seto potter Kato Kagemasa, moved to Akatsu. By virtue of a tea jar that he presented to Lord Oda Nobunaga, the latter formally recognized him as a retainer. Kakemitsu subsequently left Seto and moved to Kujiri, in Mino, in 1583. There . . . he continued working as a potter."

   To diehard raku buffs, Shino ware must have seemed a bit overadorned, fussy perhaps. There are geometrics, abstracts, and representations of familiar fare such as birds, grasses, plus the occasional poem such as:

   The inner essence
   Of the fence of deutzia flowers
   In a mountain village:
   The feeling of treading a road
   Covered with freshly fallen snow.

   The authors convey all this with a mix of the poet and the historian. Here is an extended passage that carries the aroma of the whole text:

   "To me [Shino ware's] charm lies in the feel of its surface and the mellow luster that accords so well with that surface. And there is the straightforward beauty of the pictures decorating Shino ware. The overall effect is intoxicating.
   "Shino pictures are drawn with lively lines depicting the everyday scenery surrounding the potters-the bridges over the streams at Kuguri, a cypress fence and dew-covered path leading to its brushwood gate, a grove of trees in flower, the trees and grasses just outside the window, even the mountain road they traveled day after day.
   "Such was the aesthetic of the Momoyama period in general. But the single tree, the few blades of grass these artists sketched are somehow pleasing because the designs pulse with life, the brushwork is clean and bold.
   "The white of Shino can be compared to the first snow of the season, or to the last traces of the winter snow, which the warm spring winds are erasing as the bush warbler's first song rings out. Shino's white surface is soft like a mother's breast; it brings back memories of childhood.

   "Shino white is tidiness itself. And on that white the potters painted designs with an iron glaze made of oni-ita, a red clay rich in iron and manganese and abundant in the Seto region. The effect of flame in the kiln added distinctive fire marks. Shino is an elusive ware, capable of infinite transformations.
   "The Shino potters thickly applied their glaze, which they made by carefully grinding feldspar and refining it in water. To this they added their own secret proportion of ash. Then, after offering sake and prayers to the gods of the kiln, and ritually scattering salt to purify the area, they entrusted their pieces to the fire."

   In the depths of the heart
   From which pottery springs
   Flows a crystal clear stream
   Reflecting nearby mountains.
   -- Rosanjin Kitaoji

   The above is but the glaze. To get the pot you must get the book. Be sure to look at pictures 2 and 3 on page 54: This seemingly unassuming Shino teabowl is considered the finest teabowl in existence.

   Alas, or perhaps huzzah, styles last not long. The next innovation in Japanese teaware can be directly traced to a single man, Furuta Oribe, and as changes in teacups go, his was a doozy.

   Japan in Oribe's time was a chessboard of warlords incessantly raiding each other for fun and profit. Oribe, among other things, also was a distinguished general. His tastes ran to the "robust, generous, vigorous, and distorted in shape." He introduce these qualities to the entire tea ceremony-most notably by making it part of a dinner event with a large number of others, all lubricated as much by saké as by tea. Hence Oribe commissioned not only tea ware but serving and dining dishes, saké ware, unusual geometrics, and heavy, dripping glazes the tea ceremony's predecessors would have deemed ghastly. This was not very Zen. On the other hand, Oribe's shaking up the establishment led directly to a great flowering of ceramics. Eventually more subtle tastes tamed down the founder's style-a process that can be seen vividly in the many illustrations of Oribe ware-and Oribe's great-great-great grandchildren's great grandchildren still being made today.

   Alas, this review is all too brief. To sum the book in PR blurb terms, "Classic Stoneware of Japan: Shino and Oribe" is a comprehensive visual survey and text explication of the two traditions' glazes, processes, shapes, and decoration. You come away with a clear idea of the essence of these wares and with half an eye you can come to expertly recognize either. The detail is exhaustive given its scant 42 pages of text. Potters will celebrate it. Everyone else will learn from it. No one is likely to forget it.

2 comments about A guide Book of Double Eagle Gold Coins: A Complete History and Price Guide (Official Red Books).

1. I've just started collecting Double Eagles and this book offered many interesting details and excellent photos of all Double Eagles. There is good historical background offered also.



2. Dave Bowers has shown us all once again his superb writing skills and in-depth Numismatic knowledge with this fairly new release on what just may be the worlds most popular gold coin, the US Double Eagle. All that is missing from this superb date by date analysis of the US double eagle gold coins guidebook is up to date pricing information, which of course has seen many changes ( most to the upside) since the release of this book.
   Whether you are investing in these coins or collecting them , this is one of the guidebooks you need to study this facinating and important series of US gold coins. As a professional coin dealer and specialist in double eagles, I recommend this book to anyone with an interest in these coins. Buy the book before you buy the coins!

3 comments about The Official Price Guide to Disney Collectibles, Second Edition (Official Price Guide to Disney Collectibles).

1. Ted Hake has dealt in Disney collectibles for 40 years, and he has turned his experience into a true collector's companion. This book is a must for both the novice and advanced collector of (early) Disneyana. The selection of items is excellent, discussing great pieces not only from the US but from the entire world.



2. This has good information for current sales, it does not include all Disney collectibles however.



3. Ted Hake, the King of Collectibles, has issued a book on Disneyana. I am very excited that this book is on the market. For novice collectors there are lengthy features regarding the history of different aspects of Disney collecting that will bring you up to speed. The articles also work for advanced collectors for detail reminders and a quick, all-in-one reference for those pesky details that will clear that bet you made. This book is hefty, and I know if Ted could have included even more he would have. Each inclusion features a very handy full color photo, detailed description, and a price break-down for varying conditions and parts (i.e. box value AND item value). The book is divided into sections for each character(s) or particular items (posters, four-color comics, Walt Disney, etc.)and items are listed in chronological order making the tome extremely easy to reference. Each section begins with a history of the characters or items, making dating items particularly easy. Prices listed are realistic, fair market value; however you have to make up your own mind what you would sell/pay for any item. I am a Disneyland collector so I especially appreciate the sections on Disney Park items. Perhaps in the future the Disney Parks sections can grow...or perhaps a book only on Disneyland collectibles...! But that is only my own desire, not a complaint. This is the first reference book I reach for these days. Every good Disneyana fan or collector should own it!

5 comments about Ladies' Vintage Accessories.

1. This book was put together very well, there is so much to see and the pictures are all nice and clear.



2. This book is the generous sharing of Ms.Johnson's passion of 25 years - the collecting of vintage clothing and accessories. With overviews of all of a woman's favorite accessories, the book can easily serve as a basic primer for those with a new-found interest in vintage pieces. The information on documentation, age determination, and worth accessment is both helpful and inspirational. The numerous close-up photos of a wide variety of accessories, along with drawings, illustrations, and ads from old periodicals will delight both new and experienced collectors, as well as those simply interested in the past - for fashion, as always, tells us much about culture. Ladies' Vintage Accessories is written in a personable style and is full of both information and food for thought. Highly Recommended.



3. This book follows the current trend in vintage clothing books, in that it consists of photos of items belonging to one collector, presented as an identification and price guide. There are brief captions and a little explanatory text. The author has photographed her items flat or on stands, thus avoiding the jarring effect created in some other books by the use of very modern-looking live models. Most of the items represent everyday, easily purchasable vintage accessories rather than spectacular or rare collectibles. There are also many black-and-white period advertising pictures, possibly to atone for the relatively small number of pre-1900 items photographed from the collection. The prices (unfortunately!) seem low for the current market, and I found no indication of how they were derived. Unlike some other books, most of the time the author avoids gushing about her collection. However, she does follow the current trend of giving comparatively little practical information on how to restore and use vintage accessories (which many collectors want to do), on the grounds that they are "too precious." In fact, most of the items pictured in her book could be worn and enjoyed without much risk of damage.



4. LaRee Johnson-Burton's book, Ladies Vintage Accessories, is outstanding. The photographs were stunning, and the information imparted about the value and description of the collection was exceedingly valuable. Quite frankly, I feel this book is a must-have, not only for the serious collector of vintage accessories and garments, but for writers of historical fiction, who can use this guide to bring them back in time and make certain that their characters are properly adorned. From cobalt blue Victorian parasols to 1920 gold mesh bags, this is a valuable and beautiful crafted book, packaged impeccably by Collector Books, and written by an author/collector who is clearly knowledgeable and passionate about her field. --Karen Plunkett-Powell, author, Remembering Woolworth's



5. LaRee Johnson Bruton's Ladies' Vintage Accessories ...covers hats, purses, shoes, aprons, shawls and all kinds of vintage accessories, with full-color photos alongside the latest prices. The history is as involving as the color photos of spoons paired with their values.

5 comments about Antique Guns: The Collector's Guide (Shooter's Bible) (Shooter's Bible).

1. I recently ordered this for my husband. He saw an ad for it in one of his gun magazines. I looked it up on Amazon, and it was much cheaper.
   
   He refers to it often and thinks it is one of the best that he has.



2. This book is a waste of paper:
   I just received and opened it: The introduction lets you understand you're going to learn the different guns. Page 1 is full of photos of diverse handguns. One is dubbed: "French Flintlock Pistol". The photo shows a back action percussion lock. Hmmm. I jump to "Swiss Military Rifles" (I'm a Swiss collector). Two rifles are listed: First a Mod. 1871, cal 10.5 mm. The caption is a Mod. 1869 and the right caliber is 10.4 mm. Second a 1891, cal 7.63x54 Russian caliber Mod 1891... same as Moisin Nagant. From 1889 to 1890, the Swiss Army caliber was 7.5x55. From 1889 to 1957, the rifles were Schmidt Rubin or derivates. There NEVER was a 7.63x54 cal. Moisin among the Swiss Military Rifles. I shut the book down. I had to put a star to review the book, but it's worth none. It's for sale, new, quarter price.



3. Very interesting, but not exactly what I was looking for. Still a very informative book.



4. Any who buy, sell or trade in antique firearms needs to know identification, firearm specs, and how to value one: Shooter's Bible Presents Antique Guns: A Collector's Guide provides everything needed to do all of this. Color photos introduce the topic, but the heart of the title isn't color: it's black and white photos paired with caliber, barrel, weight and model specifications. Year of introduction or making and current valuation creates an important collector's reference.



5. Any who buy, sell or trade in antique firearms needs to know identification, firearm specs, and how to value one: Shooter's Bible Presents Antique Guns: A Collector's Guide provides everything needed to do all of this. Color photos introduce the topic, but the heart of the title isn't color: it's black and white photos paired with caliber, barrel, weight and model specifications. Year of introduction or making and current valuation creates an important collector's reference.