4 comments about Zippo Companion.

1. This book is excellent for the true collector who has been at it for a while. It list some old more wanted pieces along with some more recent pieces. I would not reccomend for a new Zippo collector though.



2. Not much of a book....
   Odd size format, difficult to place on book-shelves.
   Other than that the photos are sweet.



3. Excellent book about the legendary zippo lighter great illustrations everthing you want to know about the history of zippo a must for every zippo collectors library



4. Still a classic after all these years, the Zippo folks keep to the basic rule, don't mess with rightness and success will follow. Endearing classics like the rural mailbox, Duracell batteries or a Stanley knife are simple solutions that stay with us decade after decade. The Zippo company did branch out in Sixties with a new line in table lighters, it was not a success.
   
   This is a typical company history book (produced with their blessing) so don't expected any deep insight. The authors zip through the decades with anecdotes and factoids mixed in with plenty of photos, illustrations, period ads and dozens of pictures of lighters. The design of the book is the main reason I bought it. Strangely, for a conveniently small product, many of the lighters shown are either larger or smaller than the real thing, I would have thought it sensible to keep them all life size.
   
   The company recognises that collectors buy more than thirty percent of sales and they capitalize on this by bringing out annual collections plus specials for any event that seems appropriate. A useful eight pages near the back of the book covers dating your Zippo, with photos of the bottom of the lighter which has a simple coding system.
   
   If you are a collector of this world famous lighter this nice looking little book would be worth buying though I can't see the reason for the hefty price.
   
   ***FOR AN INSIDE LOOK click 'customer images' under the cover.

2 comments about The Collector's Encyclopedia of Barbie Dolls and Collectibles.

1. I have a substantial collection of reference books about Barbie doll and her world, but I simply COULD NOT do without this book! It is the most complete, chronological breakdown of Barbie & family dolls and that I have found. This book, in combination with Marcie Melillo's "The Barbie Book", will help the beginner and even the advanced collector to identify just about any Barbie family doll from any early (60's & 70's, primarily) era. It even goes into detail about dolls offered in successive years, and the differences in their manufacture, so that, for one example, you can tell to WHICH year your specific Growin' Pretty Hair Francie, a doll offered over a few years in the early 70's, belongs. The text accompanying the many, many photos is succinct and easy to understand, and while many photos are in black-and-white, there are quite a few pages of color photos as well, which detail much of Barbie's clothing across those early years. Well-executed, altogether. One might expect just such an excellent guide from Sibyl DeWein, who was a major player in the Barbie collectibles world until her death just a few years ago. I bought the book because she was a name of such renown & had written it (with a co-author/collector), and I was and am pleased to have it.



2. This is a must for anyone who collects vintage Barbies and related items. It contains information and prices from the first Barbie starting with 1957 to 1976. It has all marks from those times. Also, pictures with information each year, which dolls were released and what clothes they were wearing. They have a year by year section, with information on other Mattel dolls, Ken, Midge and other rare ones. This is the most informative Barbie book I've read.

2 comments about The Official Identification and Price Guide to Antique Jewelry (Official Price Guide to Antique Jewelry).

1. This book does not meet the standardards set by Warman's or Jeanine Bell.
   The color pictures are grouped together with inadequate description. There are pages with sample spaces left blank. Descriptions are poor.
   The previous edition by Kaplan was so much richer and fitting for the time. Other vintage and antique jewelry books have better pictures, descriptions and general information than this long awaited book. A real disappointment.



2. I bought The Official Identification and Price Guide to Antique Jewelry as a gift for my mother. My knowledge of antique jewelry is next to nil, but the book appears to be comprehensive, with adequate item descriptions and pictures.

4 comments about Blue Willow: Identification & Value Guide (Blue Willow).

1. Very pleased with the condition the book we ordered came in and the delivery was very quick. Thanks and would buy from you again.



2. This book contains interesting information about the origin of this design style but little detail about any of the many varieties that were/are being made. It is about 2/3 taken up with photographs of various styles but with only one or two pieces of any given style and no details about each or any idea of what the variety of other pieces within each style look like, so it is nearly impossible to truly identify the style you have or want. I was interested in the information, but found little guidance in my quest to discover more about the pieces that I own. Even the prices given are merely a recount of the price paid for each piece; but not when the purhcase was made or under what conditions or whether this is a reflection of the relative "value" of a given style of the blue willow design.



3. The book "Blue Willow: Identification & Value Guide" is an excellent reference book. Not only does it give a better understanding of all the different Willow patterns out there, it also contains beautiful, very clear illustrations. The quality of the paperback edition is excellent, using glossy, very good quality paper that enhances the photographs. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who is interested in Blue Willow dinnerware. I bought the book for my husband who knew nothing about Blue Willow before this purchase. He is now much more knowledgeable on the subject and is confident in his purchasing. As a novice, it has helped my husband greatly.



4. I bought this out of curiousity brought on by the possession of two subtley disparate pieces of Blue Willow ware about which I was curious as I was under the impression that the patterns were all the same. This book immediately disabused me of this notion which is, in big part, why this is such a great reference: Because it shows and describes a myriad of different vessels, wares, designs, and manutacturers in FULL COLOR with information that is relevant and helpful to both the novice and the professional.
   If you thought you knew quite a bit about the Blue Willow pattern, I guarantee that this book will humble you because the author presents such a broad range of items (with a present day price range) from USA, China, the UK and Japan, ranging from plates and saucers to cups and pots to spoons and utensils to platters and chargers to egg stands and vases that only the most serious collector can hope to have seen as much different material as found here. There is also a helpful section on, believe it or not, reproductions. I think that you will be quite happy with this book even if, like me, you do not collect the stuff.

No comments about The Qin Terracotta Army: Treasures of Lintong (National Museums & Monuments of Ancient China Ser.)).

5 comments about American Premium Record Guide 1900-1965 (American Premium Record Guide).

1. Terribly organized, horribly incomplete and wrong about values. This is just an awful book. Checking on Ebay is a million times better. Thank heavens I sold mine.



2. I have been collecting 78 rpm records for about 38 years.
   I became aware of this book when I was given a copy (the 2nd edition) as a gift many years ago.Since then I have bought each new edition as they have come out.
   I have not come across another guide for the collector of 78 rpm records which compares with this one.
   It doesn't cover every 78 ever issued.It would have to be huge (and expensive).Left out mostly are the common 'pop' discs of the 40's and 50's.
   Great label pictorial sections.
   Another very nice feature is that all names used by one artist or group are listed at the beginning of that entry.
   My only complaint is a lack of an index.(Earlier editions had one.)This is helpful since many artists appear in more than one section.Also,sometimes you might not be sure which section an artist might be in.(Such as Blues vs Jazz)
   I highly recommend this book.
   Thank you!



3. les docks has been the sole responsible book writer for pre war blues and jazz for a long long time.
   his books are facinating.
   his prices have always been absurdly LOW which he addresses in all honesty in the prelude pages.
   his scans are fantastic! truly one of the best books you can own to start looking for rare records.
   what it lacks and there probably good reason,is information about unknown records.but you can still see them pictured and hes finally admitting robert johnsons records are worth more than 50 dollars each! keep rockin les and id love to see the shellack shack someday!



4. This book has a lot of holes and should be considered a supplemental guide to the more thorough price guides out there like Rockin' Records. What I really enjoy about this book is how it indirectly communicates to the masses how small the percentage of 78's out there have any value in the marketplace.
   
   Typical flea-market hunters will come across large assortments of 78's over years of hunting but will find very little of any value. They will open up this guide and look up their records and not find them or find that they have little to no value. It's refreshing to have a guide that will humble the amateur collector and not give them false hopes about the values of their records. Selling 78's in most markets is next to impossible. Most dealers are relegated to selling them online, which is not a profitable venture unless the records are established collectables. This book helps delineate such records.
   
   It's hardly worth looking through the 45/EP/LP section with the other guides out there. The separation by genre is kind of unnecessary in my opinion. Also, it's true this book has little to say about international records. Russian and Chinese records are collectible but they are beyond the scope of this book. I can't really evaluate the high-end prices in this guide because I'm undereducated on the subject. Use auction results to help.
   
   I would only recommend buying this guide to those who have access to either a real large quality 78 collection (hot jazz, pre-war blues, rockabilly perhaps) or a desire to understand the patterns of 78 values. You will NOT turn your grandma's collection or your garage sale find into cash using this guide (99 times out of 100). Consider this a supplemental guide for 78's only.



5. If you have discovered a pile of old 78 rpm records of your grandparents and would like to know their value this book is probably NOT the right book for you. As the author indicates, most of the 78 rpm records are without any value for serious collectors. In this book you'll find names of artists that you have never known... Yes believe me: Your Bing Crosby "White Christmas" is not a rare item. It's quite common. Enjoy such a record as a vintage item but not as a collectible record. This is what the author says at the beginning. So once again: Don't buy this book in order to learn the value of your Dinah Shore, John McCormack, Frank Sinatra records..
   
   I cannot judge the values in the blues / rockabilly / country part of the book because I don't listen to such music. The values in the jazz part are in my opinion too low. Example: A rare Gennett in E condition (the book indicates the value of records in E) is very very hard to find and therefore the value is much higher than in the book. I have always paid more for a rare record than the value indicated in the book.
   
   However, the guide gives you an idea of the value of a rare record and this makes the book a must for any serious collector.

3 comments about Antique Trader Vintage Magazines Price Guide.

1. I've been interested in old magazines for a few years now, and have been looking for a helpful price guide. I just bought this, and I highly recommend it. There's a lot of information, not just about the magazines most of us are familiar with, but also about many lesser knonwn older magazines that have great value due to authors who published their early work in them--e.g. Edgar Allen Poe. It's not just helpful information as a price guide, it's very interesting reading! Lots of great color photos also. I looked through another magazine price guide in a bookstore, and this one is much, much better.



2. I picked up this book to learn more about vintage ads and magazines I was interested in. I was pleasantly surprised that not only was the book a complete guide to magazines but had great analgoies and stories the "editors" wrote within.
   Great information on a subject that seems to be little explored.



3. When we moved into our 1920's home,we found boxes left in the attic filled with old fashion magazines. My husband was ready to trash the lot, but being of the pack rat variety I found a home for them in my office.
   
   With the help of The Antique Trader Vintage Magazines Price Guide the door was opened for me to the world of old magazines. The beautiful color photos helped me to easily identify my boxes of "trash" and give them a value.
   
   Most important, the love affair the authors have for magazines comes across in their historical entries. The unique way they organize collectible magazine people into Sleepers like OZ artist W.W. Denslow or Stars like F.Scott Fitzgerald makes me want to haunt local yard sales. My major problem with the book was that I became so fascinated that I wanted more. The book could easily have been double in size and information and kept my interest as both a reader and for use as a desk reference. With what I've learned, our next home will hopefully be an 1890's Victorian with a basement full of Godey's Lady's Book magazines.

3 comments about Antique Santa Claus Collectibles.

1. This book is great. The background text is very informative, yet keeps Santa fun. The book contains a wide variety of items covering many years. I found both the pictures and prices helpful. I'm always very happy with Mr. Longest's books.



2. As the author of this book, I wanted to explain to readers its purpose.
   This book is filled with photographs from many personal collections around the Midwest and also includes background information as to the history of Santa Claus and Santa Collecting. This is my NINTH published price guide for Collector Books, and I have been an author with the same publisher for 25 years. I have never written a response for any of my other books on AMAZON but have been a loyal customer since its inception. Since the very FIRST review was from a purchaser who gave this product a very low rating but did compliment the pictures...I wanted to respond. This book is a general overview to Santa collecting and was intended to be a reference for new collectors, general antique dealers, and people just interested in Santa antique collecting. It is not the ULTIMATE guide to Santa antiques...I am not sure any guide could ever be that. Just know that I spent many months on this project and gave it my best, including personally doing all the photography. Readers who know my work also know that I don't produce "one star" efforts. Thank you for reading this review!



3. Photo's in book are very good, however the description of the individual Santa's are poor and the values presented are very inflated. Would not recommend the book.

No comments about Comics Values Annual 2008 (Comics Values Annual).

5 comments about Standard Guide to Small-Size U.S. Paper Money: 1928 to Date (Standard Guide to Small-Size U.S. Paper Money).

1. much more detailed than other books I have bought. Well worth it if you collect small size currency.



2. This edition was updated significantly since the last one came out. More serial numbers and star notes are listed.
   
   Still it need more listing and better explanations of grading/pricing for each series. Also the values seem high, although not as bad as previous edition.



3. An incredible book if your looking for a complete reference book to use on a daily basis. This reference book is updated every year which is very important to any Small-Sized U.S. Paper Currency collector. I find this book gives spot on values for each and every small-sized U.S. note that anyone could have an interest in collecting. I use this reference book like I use my right arm so that should tell you just how important this reference book is to my collecting. I purchase the revised book every year without question. No collector should ever be without this book. Well lets say any serious collector should never be without this book !!!



4. I agree with many of the reviewers comments. This is a very useful book, it is a must for the serious small size currency collector. Quality control is a major problem however. There are just too many errors which cause confusion. I am surprised that KP books can't do a better job. These errors run through all of the editions 5, 6, and now 7. These errors cause one to question some of the pricing information. A typical example is in the 7th edition, 2004 A Atlanta star listing. 96,000 sheets? What does that mean? It has been widely reported that there was a printing of 9,600. I suggest Oaks, Schwartz and Lindquist take special care with the 8th edition and perhaps find a new editor.



5. I personaly collect Star Notes, I have been hording GL's and GF star notes. I was waiting on the book release for value's, just to find they have incorrect figures for printings. They have 96,000 for the unbelievably low 9600 print of the Atlanta(GF) $10 star notes.
   So, I as well as 3-4 other collectors wait again till next years release for the correct numbers and therefore guide on value. Maybe the mistakes are how they sell new editions? Guarantee sales?