5 comments about Antique Maps.

1. This book may be informative but if you are looking for color antique maps, this book will certainly disappoint you.



2. A nice book! Well-writen and there is a lot of substance here. This is a very useful reference book, and although a bit weak in the maps of the 19th century (especially maps of America interest), it is overall worthwhile and a good source of old map information.



3. If you must own one book on Antique Maps, this is the one. Bannister & Moreland bring an insightful appreciation of the subject; both in general terms and for the specicivity of a collector. Filled with important details of the major cartographers ;it executes this with a brevity other resource authors should emulate. The information is crisp,readable, and informative without weighting down in anecdotal ephemera so common to works of this sort. Other resource and academic authorities should note the format when attempting a guide to their subject[s]. Highly reccomeneded. As an ex-retail map dealer it was my bible in aiding authentification and fair market value. An invaluable tool to the serious collector and professional; and a highly organized book on cartography for the general reading public.



4. This is a first class introduction to the subject of antique maps. I have over 700 books on the topic in my personal library and I often return to this book to brush up on a cartographer, region, or a particular map. Bannister is an internationally respected dealer and expert on the subject. Do not get distracted by cowardly comments and reviews by someone afraid to leave their name. I regularly recommend this book to those who want to read ONE book on antique maps.



5. This is a disgrace... don't waste your money

2 comments about Warman's Glass: Values and Identification (4th Edition).

1. A detailed reference book for many types of glassware. If you are a collector you will find this book very informative.



2. Now in an updated and expanded fourth edition, Warman's Glass: A Value & Identification Guide compiled and edited by antique glassware expert Ellen T. Schroy is an superbly presented and illustrated price guide to more than 200 types of American and European Glass. Offering histories, references, clubs, and museums, Warman's Glass is accessibly structured in alphabetical order, and consists of entries offering brief and succinct descriptions of various individual pieces. Warman's Glass is an excellent catalogue and a reliable resource recommended for antiques dealers, auctioneers, hobbyists, and collectors.

5 comments about Center-Draft Kerosene Lamps, 1884-1940: Identification and Value Guide.

1. Any kerosene lamp collector will need this reference book. The discount price just makes the book all the more worth getting.



2. J.W. Courter's CENTER-DRAFT KEROSENE LAMPS, 1884-1940 packs in black and white photos of lamps, along with values and in-depth discussions of manufacturers and production differences. Its chapters hold many keys to both value and makes and operational differences.



3. I found the book not only helpful in identification but also I had a good learning experience. It was very informative.



4. The previous review can be taken with a grain of salt. With a little research this reviewer would have found out that 99% of center-draft kerosene lamps are made of metal. And that the books by Catherine Thuro cover glass kerosene lamps.
   
   Also, note that this book does not cover Aladdin lamps manufactured by the Mantle Lamp company. These are covered in Courter's, Aladdin The Magic Name in Lamps.
   
   In Center-Draft Kerosene Lamps, Courter provides information on lamps made by dozens of companies. From the well known, i.e. Bradley and Hubbard, Edward Miller, Plume and Atwood, etc. to the obscure, Meriden Malleable Iron Company, S. Elwood May, etc.
   
   There is a history of each company with numerous picture of lamps. Actual lamps are shown and also pictures from old catalogs, trade magazines, newspaper ads, etc..
   
   Also illustrated are the lamp parts, with illustrations of burners, flame
   spreaders, wick raiser knobs, oil fill covers, etc. Courter provides patent numbers and dates for these items. He also list the original finishes for the lamp. All valuable information if you are trying to determine if a lamp is authentic, or one that somebody stripped the finish from so it looks shiny, or one that is a hodge podge of borrowed parts.
   
   Finally, Courter provides average prices for many of the lamps.
   
   A great book.



5. I was very disappointed to find that there were very few examples of glass depression lamps. The book was comprised mainly of lamps that were made with metal. I have a large pink depression lamp that I was hoping to identify. The book was of no use in my search and contained just a few glass examples.

5 comments about Antiques Roadshow Primer : The Introductory Guide to Antiques and Collectibles from the Most-Watched Series on PBS.

1. If you love the Antiques Road show you will love this book! It's packed with Beautiful full color pictures of the antiques that made the show such a hit, and the stories that go with them.
   
   There's even profiles of all the antique dealers that have been in the show since the beginning.



2. Really a fun read, on a very unique show. Frankly, what I love most about the show is when somebody thinks they have something so valuable and it's fake, they are so smug, then shocked, it's priceless to watch them recoil. They should get this book and they might learn how to spot a fake. Honestly, those two weird twins on the show freak me out, they are so bizarre looking, but those two ecentric fops really know american antique furniture and their expertise is honed in this book. But seriously, if you enjoy the roadshow or just want to know more about antiques then I do recommend this book



3. Antiques Roadshow is an enigma. It is at the same time one of the most informative shows on television and one of the most misleading. This book is quite similar. The information presented to help identify styles is very good overall, although there are some serious shortcomings in certain sections. However, this book also includes the ubiquitous "Find" featured on the show which gives the reader an unrealistic expectation of the value of what they may own.

   Also featured in the book are sections on items which are "out." In many of those sections I found items which sell quite well in our local market as well as online. It seemed that the decision to call something "out" was made solely on price issues. Invariably in this work the items which bring sums over $1000 were mentioned while hot collectibles & antiques that can be had between $50-$500 were either left out or barely touched upon in the text.

   I use this book as a reference for styles, periods, and such, but I do not trust their market research any more in print than I do on TV. ....and I'm a professional appraiser.




4. You have seen the program. Now read the book. Reading this book gives you a better insight as to what an antique is and what to look for. The program is ok but you can not take it with you or unless you own the video you can not go back on a point.

   There is a small color section. But for the most part the pictures for the descriptions are black and white. There is a section on "Art Glass" however not enough detail to tell the difference between amberina and cobalt.

   The tittle includes collectibles also. And the different furniture styles. I could not find anything on "Lebus" furniture.

   All in all this is the place to start. Before looking for price guides you need to know what you are looking at. However you will need to branch out from here. There is an extensive index and lots of photos. There is a list of Auction houses, appraisal organizations, and Antiques Road Show appraisers.




5. I received this book for Christmas, and though I'm not an antiquer, I have thoroughly enjoyed it. It has provided lots of great background for me as a writer, as well as being entertaining. Antiques Roadshow is the most popular PBS series for a reason. If you love it, you will love this book!

4 comments about Vintage Fabrics Identification & Value Guide.

1. This book is chock full of great detail about various types of fabrics, and presents a written description for each, and photos of the fabrics (some enlarged for detail) along with vintage advertisements for many.
   
   There are also indexes detailing various manufacturers, brand names, etc. Several pages are devoted to charts showing how the widths of various types of fabrics have varied through the decades, making dating fabrics easier. There's also information on how to do burn tests (burning a swatch of fabric or some threads) to determine the fiber content.
   
   The only problem is, there should be a glossary. As a beginner, I'm not familiar with much of the terminology used. I read this book with my dictionary at hand, and that doesn't always enlighten me.
   
   I know this book was exhaustively researched; the authors seem very, very knowledgeable. But, I would like to find a book which is just a bit more basic & would give clearer explanations.
   
   Despite this flaw, I would still recommend this book - as someone newly interested in vintage fabrics & trims I'm glad I have it.



2. This book has been painstakingly researched and offers an unbelievable amount of information but if you are a fabric beginner this book is very hard to use. There is no glossery of terms and if you are not familiar with the vocabulary of fabric it is hard to decipher the information. I have read the book through once and as a beginner I am frustrated because I do not know enough about the subject to understand what is being presented.
   
   I am sure that this is book has a lot of information to offer but not to a person who is new to the subject.



3. 
   The authors set their book apart from other vintage fabric reference books by the use of catalog ads, labels, and close-up photos of fabric weave to further enable vintage fabric identification. The underlying theme of the book is to help dealers, collectors, quilters, appraisers and textile historians identify and name vintage fabrics.
   
   Much of what is found in unused vintage fabric remnants, quilts, and clothing have an unknown origin due to lack of manufacturers names printed on selvages, labels, or receipts, as the authors note. We need to dig deep for accurate dating information, because unlike other antiques, collectibles and dolls, vintage fabrics often times don't have a manufacturers mark. The authors certainly dug deep, the amount of information, ads, labels, and extensive color photos of vintage fabrics would take any collector or historian years to accumulate and do accurate research on. Fortunately for the reader, the logical layout of this information packed book will not lend to a feeling of being overwhelmed, but rather eager to read the next fabric description, view the rich color photos, and look at each ad as it relates to the fabric.
   
   Common marketplace cotton, silk, and wool fabrics dating from 1880 - 1959 are covered. Fabrics are described by weaves, the fabric relative, appearance, when the fabric showed up on the scene, weight, and what the fabric was used for, accompanied by ads and labels of that time period. For further correct identification, the authors also inform of the names that fabrics are commonly mistaken for, as well as handy information of look-alike fabrics. The close-up photos of weave appearance are the next best things to having the actual fabric in front of you.
   
   Especially interesting are the ads that show the date of the ad and the original price per yard of a fabric. For example, on page 13, an ad from a 1939 - 1940 Montgomery catalog shows a Hi Ho Lone Ranger broadcloth cotton fabric for 19 cents per yard.
   This greatly benefits the collector that may have for example, a printed cotton remnant with an original but undated department store price sticker.
   
   A novel approach the authors took in regards to the study of vintage fabrics is bias tapes, noted as an "often overlooked" fabric field, and labeled as the "narrow fabrics field" in the book. From the book you'll learn the 1920's - 1940's were the height of popularity of bias tape. This is another clue to help with the identification of vintage fabrics.
   
   Lastly but not least, and something new to the marketplace, is a price guide, and selvage width guide. The width chart is of importance, because fabric width is clue number one to identify the age of a vintage fabric. A comprehensive list of brand names and mills further helps with dating. This is a must have book for any vintage fabric reference library.



4. This is a terrific book to guide us in correctly identifying a fabric by its weave structure and other characteristics that do not include the dyes or prints. The swatches are dated. This book fills a big gap in the books most quilt and quilt historians read. Of course it will appeal to all types of textile addicts, but what sets this book apart from the usual textile and fiber ID books is its plethora of vintage illustrations and advertisements, catalogue and newspaper photos, textile selvedge and paper labels, and fashion plates. It is colorful, quaint, cozy, fun to look at, and filled with information that is fascinating, useful and much of it will be new to many readers from the quilt world. Joan, an expert in fabric weave identification, compiled the information from her many years of collecting and studying a period of time in textile history she loves so dearly.
   
   Also, there are many other useful charts in the book: thread count per inch by fiber type, grade and quality; burn tests with drawings of the fiber close-up; drawings of common weave patterns; names of manufacturers with their various products by date, and textile mills history are briefly described and some vintage photos taken inside the mills and outside are included. There is some info about synthetic fabrics, when certain types came on the market and under what name.
   
   Fabric collectors and student costumers would find this book useful for the many advertisements of clothes that are dated. Re-enactors and stage costumers can easily see what fabrics were used for which clothing and when. This book could help a novice clothes collector or small museum, date and identify the items in their collections.

2 comments about Warman's Cookie Jars: Identification & Price Guide.

1. I am a collector with most of the relevant guides. As this was a new one, which I felt was long overdue, I was very excited. However, this book falls far short. First, the author obviously accessed a few collections, and focused on those without seeking out many other jars, some more widely available, to include. Second, it seems to have taken the word of the owners of those collections as to current cookie jar values. You can take a look at Ebay to know the prices in this book aren't at all realistic. Third, there is no index, so if you don't already have an idea as to what a jar is, then you are out of luck. The best thing about this book is good photos.
   
   I'd still go with the Schneider book or the Roerig trilogy.



2. I am relatively new to collecting cookie jars and felt like I have all the books I can find about the topics. Many of them were published in the 1980's or the 1990's and so the price guides are off by quite a bit. This guide is Awesome! It has wonderful clear pictures, the current price, when to look for reproductions on a certain one, as well as all sorts of other helpful details. It is alphabetically organized and well written. By far the best book I have. I highly recommend to all. You won't be disappointed.

1 comments about Warman's Hummel Field Guide: Values and Identification (Warman's Field Guides).

1. THE INFORMATION RECEIVED FROM OTHER REVIEWS WAS VERY HELPFUL AND I
   CANNOT IMPROVE ON THEM THEY ARE VERY HELPFUL AND CORRECT !!

No comments about Antique Trader Antiques & Collectibles 2009 Price Guide (Antique Trader Antiques and Collectibles Price Guide).

No comments about 2008 Baseball Card Price Guide.

2 comments about Winchester Pocket Guide: Identification & Pricing for 50 Collectible Rifles and Shotguns.

1. I found the information inaccurate (production dates for Mdl 71 for instance) and incomplete. I can get more accurate info online. However, the book does make a fine pad for vise jaws in my shop.



2. To anyone who collects rifles and shotguns, this guide is very useful. Aside from the wealth of knowledge it offers, the size is great - allowing you to carry it with you when you need to reference something!!