4 comments about All-American Ads 30s (Midi).

1. An awesome collection of ads from this decade. Hundreds of pages w/ ads of all categories. Very enjoyable. I'm an advertising major & this is a fun book to own!!!



2. Once again, Taschen has put forth a wonderfully illustrated and highly enjoyable publication. The ads are superb. The reader can truly immerse themselves in popular culture and daily life in the United States during the 1930s. What I most appreciate is the fact that Taschen presents the materials as is; they let the ads speak for themselves. I consider it one of the best resources of popular culture from the era.



3. You expect a book like this to be fun, and it is! The hard sell approach, the inflated claims, and the infamous phrase, "It isn't brand X if it doesn't say Y!" (as if your brain is scrambled) ... it's all hilarious now. And even when these techniques get tedious, the drawings and paintings are colorful and well-designed by themselves.

   The ads don't mention the Depression, but you can see it in the phrases "stretch your dollars" and "these days..." That's a technique auto makers adopted after Sept. 11th, as in "we're getting America moving again with 0% financing." In that sense, ad makers fashioned a social history that belongs alongside stories of travelling Okies and bread lines. These ads showed what people hoped for, what they wanted to become. And that's just as important as where they were. So while post-Sept. 11th ads wanted to get the family back to the dinner table, so Depression-era folks wanted to get their friends back for champagne and elegant dinner parties.

   Still, there is enough variety here to reflect many points of view and design style. Some ads were clearly ahead of their time. Some were still mired in Victorian imagery. A few are really shocking, like the public service ad with a drawing of a sinking Lusitania with the headline, "The Lusitania Sank. So What of It?" (It was an ad for World Peaceways.)

   I am no historian or designer or advertiser ... but I found this book mind-blowingly fun.




4. Taschen's fourth volume of the All-American Ads series provides a big look back to the day before yesterday. Steven Heller provides a short overview of the decade and explains that despite the Depression magazines, in which most of these ads appeared, had very high circulations. For a few cents readers could escape the reality of everyday life and be entertained by the features and the colourful advertisements. Naturally there is no real mention of the Depression though some of the ads sport the little NRA symbol and the words `We do our part'

   The format of this book is the same as the others, nine sections (Alcohol and tobacco, Automobiles, Consumer products, Entertainment, Fashion and beauty, Food and beverages, Industry, Interiors and finally Travel) provide whole, two or four ads to a page and fortunately none of them are angled or overlap. The digital reproduction of the 1500+ ads is excellent, it is always a problem to reproduce anything that is already printed because it can create screen clash but these are reproduced with clean colors and sharp lines (thanks to 175 dpi).

   Most of these ads are copy and picture heavy, stylish use of white space and clever typography was years away, though three ads for Pierce Arrow autos on pages 176-177 stand out because they do seem very modern. Illustrations rather than photography were the main visual elements with headlines and copy used to fill any space that was left.

   This as a super book if you are interested in social history or want to see how copywriters created product desire more than sixty years ago or you are just curious about things your grandparents reminisce about. Maybe they remember the 1932 ads for the Pitcairn autogiro, after all no home should be without one!

5 comments about Cartridges of the World: 10th Edition, Revised and Expanded.

1. One of the most comprehensive sources of information about cartridges available. A MUST have for you library of firearms information.
   
   Steve Adams
   AdamsQuailHunter on GunBroker and Ancientguns Forums



2. EXCELLENT BOOK FOR ALL SHOOTERS, FROM THE 22CAL. ON UP !! NOW I REALLY UNDERSTAND THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN MY 9.3X57 AND THE 30/06 CARTRIDGE.



3. A lot of good information but the author seems to be behind in the modern day cartridges. Russ Haydon of the Woodchuck Den has really brought the 20 cal. into public view. With the several 20 cals. out there the author mentioned the 204 Ruger (an outstanding round), but very little else in that caliber.



4. Frank Barnes was one of the great old timers that we have lost. A gentleman of seemingly infinite knowledge concerning ammunition and firearms. Much like his late friend John T. Amber, he willingly shared it with all.
   
   For much of the life of this book I would have easily given it five stars. Indeed if you have never read this book, and have more than a passing interest in cartridges, it still rates five stars. However I have been collecting and shooting guns for over fifty years, and have picked up a few prejudices along the way that color my judgment of the current work (11th ED.).
   
   My main gripe is that the publishing company seems to be trying to turn this into their cash cow by printing new editions in such short order that they actually show little or nothing new.
   
   The entire "Proprietary Cartridges" chapter is another problem. The chapter seems to be little more than an advertisement for JDJ/SSK Industries, Lazzeroni, A-Square, and several other minor players. What makes a cartridge "Proprietary" seems to change from cartridge to cartridge. Indeed some cartridges listed as "Current" would seem to be "Proprietary" and vice versa. Better to scrap this entire advertisement er... chapter, and put the whole mess under "Wildcats" and quit playing at semantics.
   
   With all of the various Short Magnums and Super Short Magnums that have been introduced in the last ten years we seem to be once again in an era of reinventing the ammunition wheel. Whether any of these new cartridges will stick is still up in the air. You would think that this amount of change in the civilian market would spur any number of interesting articles in a publication such as this. Wrong. Instead we learn about the needle gun. Interesting, but hardly timely.
   
   I suspect this publication will continue to flounder as long as the current set up exists. Hopefully someone will adopt the concept as their baby and completely rewrite and edit it closely. This is what it deserves, and what Frank would have wanted as well.



5. This is a great, encyclopedic review of more cartridges than any one shooter is ever likely to see, let alone shoot. Maybe Mr Barnes missed some cartridges, but I think he hit everything important and/or interesting. But why not use scale drawings? It would have taken little more effort to make all the technical drawings life-size, and it would have increased the usefulness of the book greatly. As it is, comparisons between cartridges require a scale and some math, which is a nuisance. Granted, a few of these rounds would need more space on the page, but not many of them. A 50BMG SHOULD have a bigger entry than a 30-30, but instead it's shown reduced. But this is a technical complaint about a very excellent encycopedia. The writing is entertaining, too.

5 comments about The eBay Price Guide: What Sells for What (in Every Category!).

1. I was a little bit disappointed in this book. It did not have in it what I was looking for. I guess it was a bit much of me to think that this book would be all inclusive of every item listed on eBay.



2. Handy guide to eBay prices, with useful introductions to product categories to give you a good grounding. Keep a copy in your car when searching for inventory at yard-sales and auctions.



3. I mainly use this book for inspiration as a quick reference point for what things are worth. When I take this book into someone's house and quote off some prices...I get allot of happy screams of joy.
   
   Get this book....and get happy
   
   This is one of my favorite ebay books, just love it. A must for anyone who lives and breathes ebay 24/7



4. Whether you're a frequent Ebay seller or only dabble from time to time, every Ebay seller knows that setting prices is central to gaining a successful bid. The Ebay Price Guide: What Sells For What (In Every Category!) is the first reference to compile an array of items and their selling prices, from rare books to video games and jewelry. While it can't possibly hold every item ever listed, it does compile the most popular collectibles, and comes form an online auctioneer whose expertise covers some of the most trafficked Ebay categories. Each category's average sales price is listed along with high and average prices. Introductions to each section include risk assessments, tips on discounting, locating items on other venues, and more. It's a 'bible' no avid Ebay seller or buyer should be without.



5. Although this compilation of items is a good start, it is not so thorough as to eliminate the need to browse e-bay for a more accurate idea of pricing. But, it's a good place to start and a great gift for any e-bay aficionado!

3 comments about Warman's Pez Field Guide (Warman's Field Guides).

1. This book is a must have for true pez seeking people, the colored illustrations and information is a useful tool, and continues to be at my side always, to look up and review pez's that I am interested in.



2. While I am not one to criticize any comment regarding my books, good or bad I do take isssue on the comment- "This does not have foreign pez in it" - much to the contrary. There are a large number of foreign Pez in this book. Everything that had been produced up to the publish date is included in this guide, domestic AND foreign release . This guide does not get into the mini Japanese dispensers, those are licensed by Pez for Bandai not an actual Pez produced item but a licensed item. There are LOTS of foreign Pez in this guide. -Shawn Peterson



3. Great book for the pez collector. It lists the American pez releases with some of the variations and a possible value. They are in alphabetical order. Shows some from private collections that you will never see or have...lol...
   Has an index for easy look up and a list of terms used in the pez world for the non-pezheads. It IS indeed small enough to put in your purse or backpack to take along on those trips to antique stores, swapmeets, or garage sales. No matter how many times i look at this book i still cannot remember the values so i have to look them up constantly.
   
   This does not have foreign pez in it, but is still an excellent guide. The best of its type on the market i believe.

1 comments about Red Wing Collectibles.

1. This reference book is a must have for any Red Wing collector, novice to advanced. The photography is superb throught the book and the associated pricing has been diligently researched.

   The guide to markings assists in making accurate identifaction of any piece of Red Wing Stoneware.

   A GREAT REFERENCE!

No comments about Hot Cottage Collectibles for Vintage Style Homes.

1 comments about Your Vintage Keepsake: A Csa Guide to Costume Storage and Display.

1. Don't let the small size of this book fool you! It is filled with excellent instructions on how to care for vintage clothing, properly. I'm guessing most readers will be as surprised as I was by the items that actually harm our precious clothes. My entire closet is set up incorrectly. Now I know why the items I was using to protect my clothing were actually harming them.

   I love the way this book feels to the touch. The paper on which it is printed glided through my fingers as I was reading it. The photos are crisp. I contacted one of the suppliers of acid-free products from the list in the back of the book. They have an excellent website and reasonable prices on products I could not find locally.

   If you buy new clothing regularly, the care of your garments can be poor and it isn't really noticed. When you have a love affair with vintage clothing however, I feel it is our duty to care for these items properly, so they will survive another ten, fifty or even one hundred years. This book will teach you how to protect the lovely textiles, clothing and accessories passed down to us by our parents' and grandparents' generations.

2 comments about Decoys - North America's One Hundred Greatest.

1. I found this book one of the most inspirational books for a carver that is interested in wildfoul carving.My friends that do not carve enjoyed the book for the pictures and history.I would definitely suggest it to anyone,it makes a good coffee table and reference book.



2. This is a great book to view some fascinating decoys. I only wished that the text would go into more detail. Overall this is a great decoy book

5 comments about Fisher-Price: Historical, Rarity, and Value Guide, 1931-Present (Fisher-Price: a Historical, Rarity & Value Guide).

1. I use this book constantly for reference. I received it as a gift, and have given it to others as a gift. It's a lot of fun!



2. I collect toys. A friend gave me this book as a gift. It is an excellent resource for anyone starting to collect toys or someone that has been doing it for a long time. I applaud the authors for making this available. The history of the company was also quite good.



3. If you are at all interested in collecting Fisher-Price toys or simply want some interesting background about the toys you grew up with -- then you'll like this book.

   It is by far the most thorough book I've found related to Fisher-Price. It has a complete company history, product catalog and price guide for all the toys made by Fisher-Price (and even some never released).

   I am a novice toy collector and bought this book because I've always loved my FP toys. I found every toy I've ever had (or at least can remember) in the book along with some amazing facts about them. Unfortunately, I learned that my Jalopy prized #724 Jolly Jalopy is probably not worth more than...

   The authors were obsessive in their attention to detail, pointing out all the nuances that make certain products more valuable than others and providing a detailed history of the company and how some of their favorite toys were born.

   My only disappointment was that the book is not available in hard cover.

   Have fun!




4. I enjoyed this book because of the great photos and details. As a toy lover and collector, I can appreciate the authors' memories of collecting and the interesting facts about Fisher-Price. It's a great portable reference to take with you to garage sales or flea markets! The colorful pages and concise information make the world of Fisher-Price toys come alive. It's been a wonderful edition to my library.



5. AS A PAST COLLECTOR OF FISHER PRICE TOYS (15+ YEARS)---
   EXPERIENCE SAYS - THIS IS AN ACCURATE PRICE GUIDE ALONG WITH A VERY INTERESTING APPRAISAL OF FISHER PRICE (THE COMPANY).
   THE INQUISITION OF TOY VALUE COMBINED WITH DAINTY PHOTOGRAPHY GIVE THIS PUBLICATION HIGH MARKS IN MY EYES.
   THE AUTHORS BRING A DISTINGUISHING MARK OF AUTHORITY TO FISHER PRICE AND ITS PRODUCT LINE'S....I WISH THIS MATERIAL WAS AVAILABLE AT THE PEAK OF MY COLLECTING..
   VERY NICE JOB.....................

1 comments about Miller's 20th-Century Glass (Miller's Guides).

1. This is a "must have" for glass enthusiasts. It is very well researched and covers many little known glass studios and manufacturers. The value guide is also very helpful.