1 comments about Pens & Pencils: A Collector's Handbook (Schiffer Book for Collectors).

1. Ms Martini, an avid and well known collector has tried to give us a book which is usable and friendly in the amount of color photos - however, there is a paucity of written information and this puts the reader at a loss for learning, further education and good comparisons of writing instruments. This is not a true learning tool but a good shopping guide. The publisher has turned out better books in varied areas so should try to provide a more thorough text in the future - Ms Martini has the skills, knowledge and collection she needs assistance in translation and more word space.

No comments about Miller's: Clocks: Antiques Checklist (Miller's Antiques Checklist).

2 comments about Harmony Kingdom 2000 Collector's Value Guide (Collector's Value Guides).

1. Get a newer ones - prices have changed in the last 6 yrs. - this is now a waste of money.



2. Want to know what your Harmony Kingdom pieces are worth? This book is a must for any collector, or anyone contemplating collecting . Just looking at the beautiful, large pictures will pique your interest! The book is really a handbook, with space on each page to write down what you paid, when, and the value of the item. Each is assigned a value, so you have a guideline when you purchase a piece. They are all in there! There is even a section on the secondary market, and pages in the back to record future releases. All this, an introduction to the artists at Harmony Kingdom,and more. If you aren't a collector yet, you will be after reading this book! This book is a real bargain.

1 comments about British Antique Furniture, 5th Edition: Price Guide and Reasons for Values.

1. The Collector Club books been around for years. This is the recent update of the best British Antique Funiture Price guide and references you could find. Updated and some added. If you value art and don't have this book. Then you are missing a great resources of information.

1 comments about Everett Grist's Machine-Made and Contemporary Marbles (Grists, Everett//Machine-Made and Contemporary Marbles).

1. From the number of pages, I didn't expect this to be a book that would be very comprehensive. Yet even as a basic start I was disappointed. The entire book is a series of color plates, each showing many marbles. These photos are truly beautiful and show a nice range of marbles. However, I found it of little use in identifying marbles I had. It was much to incomplete. The book could have been grouped by manufacturer, which would have helped some. There is a price guide for each plate in the back of the book. However, there is no indication for what size marble the price applies, and as marble collectors know, size matters. For some plates only ranges were given for all the marbles pictured, instead of giving individual prices. These ranges were wide enough to not be of much help when trying to appraise a marble's value. The photos have little text to go with them, which would have been helpful to help novices learn the differences between types of marbles. Buy it for the pretty pictures, but don't expect much from it.

2 comments about 2003 North American Coins & Prices: A Guide to U.S., Canadian and Mexican Coins (North American Coins and Prices, 2003).

1. David Harper edits 2002 North American Coins & Prices, which appears in its 11th updated edition to provide a comprehensive guide to US, Canadian and Mexican coins. Over 45,000 prices accompany an illustrated grading guide, tips to the latest 'hot buys' and collecting trends, and black and white photos of many of the coins.



2. Comprehensive source of information on coin prices. Gives a good amount of info on coin background. Also provides useful information about coin collecting in general. It is short on historical details but overall an excellent guide and I recommend it highly.

1 comments about The Beswick Colletors Price Guide, 5th Edition (Beswick Price Guide).

1. This is a very well put together and compact book which provides a comprehensive listing of a variety of Beswick pieces and their values. If you know the name of the piece you are trying to find, this book is useful. However, it does not photographically catalogue all pieces, which makes it difficult to look up a piece if you aren't certain what it is.

5 comments about Browning Superposed: John M. Browning's Last Legacy.

1. As an owner of a Browning Superposed, I was interested in the history of its' design. This book is, in many ways, an excellent overview of this popular over/under which combines American design with Belgian Fabrique Nationale Herstel craftsmanship. I did, however, find the details of Browning's business history excessive, boring and unnecessary; charts, sales figures, etc.. A few pages on this subject would have been more than adequate; I wanted to know about the gun. The color photos are excellent, although, of course, I would have liked more. Paper quality is also excellent. In short, everything is here for the Browning or double enthusiast. Just filter through the boring stuff. If you're interested in the Superposed there's really no alternative to this book. Plus it's reasonably priced for what you get. Hope this review helps anyone considering the purchase of this book.



2. I enjoyed this book for it's illustrations and written content. I dissagree with the some of the other reviewers comments. The "Salt-Wood" problem was discussed, several paragraphs worth covering it's origin. There is also discussion of the design changes made during the course of production and well as a sidebar on the Simmons/Cordy & Sons barrel conversions. The text does focus alot on the financial dealings of the Browning family and the FN factory, but the Superposed was a commercial venture so the health of the company producing it is relevant. I also enjoyed the lengthy discussion of the engravers with samples of their workmanship. It was ammusing to compare the photos to my '69 Grade I Broadway. The book could have used more engineering drawings of the design. However, I didn't expect this book to be focused on the repair of Superposed shotguns.



3. This book held great promise for me. But as I read through it, I began to realize how few real facts about the Superposed it actually contained. Oh, there are plenty of sales charts and market projections... photos of beautiful guns, too. But these can only suffice to a point. The collector and aficionado wants to know more than the story of engraving and sales histories. The inside story of the gun is crtical. The steels. The design. The mechanism's function and evolution. And with so much access to the FN records and personnel, actual on-site contact in Liege, and an apparent interview with the late Val Browning, author Schwing managed to reveal very little beyond the empirical. Many of the facts that are contained in the book are also repeated. Some more than twice. It's still a great photo feast, however. And it inspired me to go out and buy two Superposed shotguns. So the book does have a certain value.



4. The book is a good tabletop piece, with some well researched facts about the Superposed history and some excellent color illustrations. If you are buying the book to guide you in the purchase of a Superposed beware! There is no discussion of the salt wood problem that existed from 1966 to 1973. Unless you are excited about statistical data covering models, grades, etc. you will not be pleased with the large percentage of the book dedicated to charts and graphs. You can learn more about the Superposed from other books and articles than is available here. Caveat Emptor!



5. I am an admirer of fine firearms and I own three double barrel shotguns; one of which is a Browning Superposed, SN 69172. I bought it used back in 1970 for $288. Wow! Say goodbye to the good old days. When I saw this book, I had to have it. The author went into great depth and detail regarding what has to be one of the finest double barreled shotguns ever made. Nothing is left to chance, from its first years as a production item through to the present, when it ended up becoming a custom made item. Chronological dates are provided concerning production and when they were made. Mine was made in 1959. I was especially impressed with the chapter on the engraving department for the FN Works. The number of engravers employed by the factory was extensive and it is no small wonder the higher grade Brownings are some of the most beautifully engraved guns I have ever seen. This is borne out by the very extensive use of color photographs of the engraving and custom guns found throughout the book. If you are an admirer of fine guns like I am, then you would enjoy sitting down in your favorite chair one evening and reading this book. This is a book to be read again and again and enjoyed. Buy it. It will be money well spent.

No comments about The Classic Watch: The Great Watches and Their Makers from the First Wrist Watch to the Present Day.

1 comments about Scott 2004 Classic Specialized Catalogue: Stamps and Covers of the World Including U.S. 1840-1940, (British Commonwealth to 1952) (Scott Classic Specialized Catalogue).

1. A good looking well illustrated catalogue covering the issues of the golden age of philately from 1840 to 1940. Useful and informative sometimes including prices for sets both mounted and unmounted mint and in a number of cases also values on cover. Also notes those issues which have been especially subject to forgery. A good workaday catalogue. Does not have the enormous level of specialized information that say the Michel Specialized Germany will have on German stamps but that is not the intention of this work nor does it inclued numbers issued. Prices quoted are generally on the low side sometimes too low but perhaps reflect the price you may expect to pay for these issues and may also counterbalance the inflated figures listed in other publications. The introductory notes cover the question of pricing. Overall, a useful working reference.