5 comments about Collecting Art Plastic Jewelry: Identification and Price Guide.

1. Great book! Wonderfully photographed and illustrated. Thank you Maurice Childs for going the extra mile to present beautiful photography. Leigh Leshner does a great job of describing the different types of plastics, identification tests, vintage designers, current modern designers, how to collect, and price guide. There is only one negative that I could possibly say about this book. I wish they had put more history included with the photographs such as the designer and manufacturer (if known), year made, and any other pertinent information. I especially liked knowing more about Judy Clarke, Jim Foltz, Ester & Ron Shultz, Karen & Howard Kronimus, Jackie Weeks, and others. A must have for your library!



2. This book is a must if you are into collecting Art Plastic Jewellery including plastic ,celluloid , bakelite and lucite.There are beautiful large coloured photographs on every page with descriptions and a price guide. Lots of chunky bracelets, dog brooches, mah-jong bracelets, animal pins, fruit jewellery etc. Very useful if you are into collecting vintage and modern plastic jewellery but also just a lovely book to look at!



3. Leigh Leshner's "Collecting Art Plastic Jewelry" is a fascinating look at today's plastics artisans. Modern designers like Jackie Weeks, Judith Evans, Jim Foltz and Judy Clarke--excluded from other bakelite and plastic jewelry guides--are well-represented in this clear and interesting book. There are sections on vintage pieces, history and types of plastics as well as the requisite price guide (which seemed more accurate than other guides for this current market...), but it is the photographs and the info on the new generation of artisans that make this book a winner. A must for the serious and the casual collector.



4. I own all the books in Leigh Leshner's series and cannot fault Leigh for showing off great photos, great jewels and intense information. Leigh has done an excellent job with all of her books. Cannot wait to see what she has next in her jeweled magic hat. I hightly recommend all of Leigh Leshner's books. She gears them for various types of collections and you surely won't be disappointed.



5. "Collecting Art Plastic Jewelry: Identification and Price Guide" by Leigh Leshner is informative for the novice as well as seasoned collector. The author seems to convey a keen balance between old and new plastics to give the reader ample knowledge of both. I particularly liked the price guide; it is a good gauge for individuals new to the market. I thought the photos were very well done. Thank you, Leigh.

4 comments about Big Book of Pocket Knives: Identification & Values (Big Book of Pocket Knives).

1. This was an Xmas gift for my husband who collects knifes, he really likes it.



2. This book is almost useless to me. Its listings of various cutlery companies is wanting. The cutlery companies that are included in this book only list only very old or vintage knives and are not in any particular order. I cannot find but only a few knive values when searching for a specific knife. For me, it is a waste of money and paper.



3. I bought this book based on another customer review. About the only pictures are on the front cover. This book is NOTHING more than various knive ads and catalogs from long past. There is no related history or collector insights. Indeed there is very little original writing in this book at all. Major modern manufacturers are not covered (Buck for instance) and like I said, there is very little additional information other than the catalog reprints. Knife values are kind of strange. My recent sales are as much as 4 times what is listed. Most are 2-3 times what is listed. I have noticed that other knife books are a little low also. There is no real help with identification in this book either. The only thing I liked about this book was the cover.



4. Ron Stewart and Roy Ritchie's Big Book Of Pocket Knives provides an excellent reference for any who would collect pocket knives, with close-up black and white photos of the knives accompanied by written descriptions and values. A "must' for avid collectors.

5 comments about Everett Grist's Big Book of Marbles: A Comprehensive Identification & Value Guide For Both Antique and Machine-Made Marbles (Grist's Big Book of Marbles).

1. Great pictures, and lots of them, with information on go-alongs and on manufacturers, but not a great an ID guide as I had hoped it would be. I still can't tell who made my vintage marbles.



2. Everett Grist's Big Book of Marbles is very comprehensive and extremely well illustrated. It will be a great reference for both hand-made and machine-made marbles. The price estimates given for the illustrations are realistic in my opinion and will be helpful in valuing my collection.



3. I decided after attending a national collector-run marble show in my area to get this updated Third Edition of Grist's book, because it looked like it would have enough new pictures to make identifying all those troublesome common marbles a possibility. And the pictures in the book are nice, being clear and color-accurate, and showing multiple marbles so one can see the range of designs/colors that fall within a category. However, I've always considered Grist to be a lazy author, and this just confirms it. Yes, it takes some work to get the pictures of so many marbles, but that is something almost anyone could eventually do. This is sub-titled a 'comprehensive' ID book, so I expected Grist to deliver. He does not even come close to delivering on that promise! First of all, many marbles are left out and many more poorly dealt with. As new as I am to marbles, even I know that there are subtle differences that help one to differentiate between marble companies. Yet Grist has virtually NO TEXT explaining how to ID various types of marbles. It is simply pictures and an occassional comment, and as we all know, pictures of certain marbles, such as cateyes, do not do justice in showing the differences. Those need to be EXPLAINED (how many vanes, shape, etc) because the differences usually do not show well in pictures. None of this happens. Many of the Peltier marbles are simply lumped together as 'Champion Jrs.' with none of the common names used in the trade included. And as far as being a comprehensive value guide, only ranges are given with no differention for size or condition given. That is hardly a comprehensive price guide! On top of that, most prices on common marbles (under $10 each) appear to be grossly inflated over what is actually happening in the marketplace today. I wish I could get those prices for my commons - I'd be rich! The final insult is the poor editing done in the book. "Peltier" is spelled "Pelitier" half the time. There are pictures where the heading states "row 1" when it means "column 1." Just plain sloppy. Most pictures of the rarities have no prices at all and only general category IDs for the entire group shown. In general, a nice picture book but nothing about it is 'comprehensive' - just more false advertising. Why can't anyone put out a book with the quality and extent of pictures Grist does and the helpful, detailed text and variety listings such as Block attempts? Then we would be approaching a 'comprehensive ID and value guide.' So far, I've found nothing close.



4. Excellent book for identification of marble types and values, and for general history of marble manufacture and select manufacturers. Grist details characteristics of marbles to identify the manufacturing method and general production dates, but you cannot identify marbles to manufacturer or more specific production dates by this book. Excellent pictures and selection of marbles. Overall, this is a good quality marble book.



5. As a serious marble collector, I think this book is invaluable. It's informative and very well put together. I believe it could also work well for non-marble collectors. Marbles are pretty universally fascinating and this book can inform anyone about the worth and characteristics of marbles.

5 comments about The Doorstop Book: The Encyclopedia of Doorstop Collecting (Schiffer Book for Collectors).

1. This is one of the most informative and detailed doorstop books to date.



2. The BEST Doorstop reference book ever!! We own two copies--one for the car and one for the house. TONS of information-- history, foundries, designers,catalogue pages, plus over 1000 fabulous clear LARGE pictures. My wife and I can't put it down--we just love it. These authors have done their homework for sure!



3. HIGHLY INFORMATIVE. SUPERB PICTURES. KUDOS TO THE AUTHORS ON A JOB WELL-DONE. GREAT REFERENCE FOR ALL CAST IRON.



4. The book is appropriately sub-titled "The Encyclopedia of Doorstop Collecting" It covers a vast amount of information, history, general information, with well photographed examples--over 1000, most I had never known existed. I am thrilled to have this in my library.



5. For those of you who deal in the "Cast Arts", this book is a must have. Clearly written for the layman doorstop collector, lots and lots of crisp and clear photos of the ultra rare to the not so. A section in the front that gives a brief history of the larger casting houses, with a few reprinted catalogs and price lists. Great giude for the field hunter!

2 comments about The Official Overstreet Comic Book Grading Guide, 3rd Edition (Overstreet Comic Book Grading Guide).

1. I own the two previous versions of the Overstreet Grading Guide and have a few historical observations which may put the current work into perspective. First, the grading world was stood on its ear with the advent of third party grading companies that "certify" the grades of comics, by far the most prominent being CGC which began operations in 2000. Second, grading is not a science, it is an art. Like Robin Williams in "Dead Poet's Society" you can't grade a comic book on an axis like was suggested for grading poetry in the text Robin taught from in literature class.
   
   What you see here is Bob Overstreet's second attempt to incorporate more CGC-like grading standards into his publication. The attempt at grading uniformity is laudable but not always attainable. True the defects chart/graph in the guide shows that for a 9.8 grade, a book should have no more than two defects, yet a color plate of Infinite Crisis #1, shown as example of a 9.8 book, shows three defects indicated by arrows.
   
   CGC however demonstrates similar occassional inconsistency. In the Overstreet Grading Guide no bindery tears are allowed in 9.9 (Mint) books. I have owned and currently own a number of 9.9 and 10.0 CGC books. None have any bindery tears, except one 9.9 I previously owned which had a prominent and easily visible bindery tear in the upper left corner. I have tried to nail CGC down just what the difference is between a 9.9 and a 9.8 book, relied on their advice in my submissions, but to no avail. I have produced CGC graded 9.9 books from my submissions, but not when expected.
   
   This grading guide is just that; a "guide," to be used in combination with experience in the comics hobby as well as hopefully some education, training and dedication. It is not a bible to be referred to in attempts to discern the objective truths of grading; there are few. What it is, is a solid guide to introductory and intermediate level grading. To go beyond that you have to have enough knowledge to identify the inconsistencies in this guide and deal with them. If you have expensive, key issue Golden or Silver Age issues or high grade issues, you should strongly consider submission to CGC. CGC graded comics are most fungible in the marketplace and will always draw multiples of the bids placed on non-CGC graded comics in the same grade at auction.



2. Ladieees and gentlemen! New in this Third Edition! 10.0s with visible defects! 9.9s with spine stress! A 9.6 with a 1/4 inch front cover tear!
   
   ...and that's not all!
   
   You also get all the same internal inconsistencies that you got in the second edition, such as text descriptions that read "No creasing" accompanied by pictures of books in the same grade with visible creasing!
   
   So what prompted this THIRD edition of the grading guide? Apparently, they thought the addition of zoom boxes on a few of the defects here and there justified an entirely new edition! Well, that and a few pages of the same namby-pamby discussion of restoration, pressing, and disclosure that you can read on the CGC message forums for free.
   
   The bottom line is, if you need a grading guide, buy the second edition; don't buy this third edition. If you follow this third edition and try to sell someone a "10.0" that has visible defects or a "9.6" with a 1/4 inch front cover tear, I don't care what the guide says, you're going to have an angry customer.
   
   And if you already have the second edition of the grading guide, save your money and skip the third edition. This book is a complete waste of cash and paper.

2 comments about Fishing Lure Collectibles: An Encyclopedia of the Modern Era, 1940 To Present (Fishing Lure Collectibles).

1. I am very happy with this book and another companion book by the same author. This book is a very useful reference to the range of lures manufactured through recent times. I refer to it all the time when I am buying fishing lures on ebay etc. I can't compare it to other books as these are the only lure collecting books that I own. Great photos too.



2. Fishing Lure Collectibles: An Encyclopedia Of The Modern Era, 1940 To Present by Dudley and Deanie Murphy is an in-depth illustrated compendium showcasing the great variety of fishing lures which have been developed from 1940 to the present time. Featuring the many intricate details and specifics which characterizes each of the presented lures, Fishing Lure Collectibles introduces the reader to literally hundreds of lures along with such details as their name, date released, length, a color photograph, short notes, and a price value, Fishing Lure Collectibles really delves into an unknown analysis of the world of fishing lures and their historical background. From the Glitter Bug released in 1944 to the Redhorse Spearing Decoy in 2003, Fishing Lure Collectibles truly is the ultimate guide and encyclopedia of fishing lures since the year 1940, and is very strongly recommended to all collectors of lures, as well as general fishermen.

5 comments about Warman's Matchbox Field Guide: Values And Identification (Warman's Field Guides Matchbox: Values & Identification).

1. It's hard to believe that so much information is packed into such a little book. It's the big little book for Matchbook collectors. The photo quality in this book is second to none. Although the prices of these gems are always in flux, it is great to have an updated price guide. The history, collecting tips and listing of online resources contained in the book are treasures in and of themselves.



2. Most Matchbox guide books are encyclopedic in size. This is the first one I've found that is easy to take with you to toy shows, garage sales, and flea markets. The photos in the book are outstanding. The helpful collecting tips are well-written and are sound advice for collectors. All in all, I'm very pleased to recommend this book. Mine already has considerable wear, and I'll probably be needing another one by Christmas (hint to family)!



3. This book is very welcome as it will increase many people's enjoyment of collecting Matchbox models. Due to its easy availability and reasonable price it may even attract some more people to this wonderful hobby.
   
   With its compact size it is ideally suited for carrying around to toy shows and flea markets, where it can be used as an aid in identifying models one might come across.
   
   While experienced collectors may be slightly disappointed at the lack of detail and some embarrassing and sometimes misleading mistakes (which have no doubt been caused by the tight deadline pressure under which the book was written), this book is perfect as an introduction for beginners.
   
   The quality of the many pictures is first class, and the introductory pages in the front section of the book, including a well-written summary of Matchbox history and useful collecting tips, are a must read for anyone interested in the subject.
   
   Congratulations to Tom Larson on this fine achievement!



4. Upon reading this new book from Tom Larson,it has finally shown that there is room for a pocket guide amongst all the other "big" heavy Matchbox collector books. This book can be carried easily anywhere you want. Study up on your Matchbox hobby as you go about your travelling. Carry it to Toy Shows, diecast conventions, and even to the local antique auctions. It is small,light, full of brightly colored, well shot photos of all your favorite Matchbox cars and trucks. There is even some rare vehicles,sets, and other accessories shown. With accurate Price quotations for "Mint In Box" models,you are surely to enjoy this work for years to come.
   For the price, you can't beat it!
   Definitely worth every penny.
   Finally, a beautifully compiled Matchbox toy car collectors guide.
   It will be a hit, Just watch.
   Thanks Tom :)
   just another fine book in the Warman's series.
   Kudos to Krause Publications for jumping on this one.:)
   
   sincerely
   Burney Reid
   "Diecast Enthusiast"
   Coquitlam, B.C.
   Canada



5. This is one fine little book. The pictures are superb and the text is short and concise. This book would work well for the seasoned collector as well as a collector that is new to Matchbox.

3 comments about The Antique & Flea Markets of Italy.

1. I got this cute little book as a gift for my mother who loves antiques and is traveling to Italy this summer.
   Unfortunately, the information is organized by day of the week - and not by location. There is no index that cross-references by location (i.e. city, region). So you end up reading through every single entry for "2nd Sunday of the Month" just to find a market that's taking place that day in Firenze.



2. This slim volume lists all types of markets by the day of the week or month and location. There's also usually a contact number for more information. If you're going to be in Italy during the first weekend of the month, or the second Tuesday, say, you can check the listings for that time period. There are a few blank pages at the end of the book to write your own personal market notes!

   No doubt people will need local maps and/or guidebooks to help locate the markets; this book will work best in addition to other guidebooks - not as a replacement.




3. I have used other books of this kind in the past for other countries. This one seem to lack the fundamentals for this type of informational book. #1 You must write this book for someone who is not familiar with the local surroundings or the languages. #2 In the years that will be called the new millinneum people want to just blow in and blow out. When I travel I have a limited time and budget to see the flea markets available. In this book there is alot of leg work the author could have provided but for some reason did not.#3 If you speak fluent italian you can call all the phone #'s provided if they are still current. I on the other hand will have to hire a translator. If the author would provide maps, locations to trains, location to major city monuments, and make things easy for the reader to find, the hidden treasures she has found would be available to her reader, which should be her goal. When I travel many times I have up to 5 days in which to find this type of treasure. With this book it would be difficult to accomplish what I would like, but with more effort from the author this book could be a complete guide for any traveler.

No comments about Carnival Glass: The Best of the Best : Identification Guide to Rare and Unusual Pieces.

1 comments about The Encyclopedia of Early American & Antique Sewing Machines: Identification and Values (Encyclopedia of Early American Sewing Machines).

1. I was looking forward to buying and reading this book because I purchased the first two editions and thoroughly enjoyed them. Even my wife, who does not totally share my interest in sewing machines, enjoyed this book. I really liked the more detailed photographs of these early sewing machines and the abundance of color photographs were right on. Everything about this carefully researched book is first class and a great deal for the money. I would have enjoyed seeing more photographs of early trade literature, but I am not complaining. So, to Mr. Bays I say, "CONGRADULATIONS for writing another informative, collectable book about antique sewing machines." James W. Slaten