5 comments about TV Guide The Official Collectors Guide: Celebrating An Icon.

1. Enhanced with more than 3,700 full color covers from America's most popular, iconic, and widespread weekly magazine, "TV Guide: The Official Collectors Guide" compiled by Stephen F. Hofer (Curator of the Philo T. Farnsworth Television History Center, Auburn, Indiana, and who himself is the owner of one of the largest collections of TV Guide magazines and memorabilia in the United States) covers all the national and regional digest size covers from April 10, 1953 to October 9, 2005. Included are TV Guide foldout covers, holographic covers, and multiple covers. For the antique dealer and hobbyist collector, each issue has the current secondary market prices listed. Featuring memorable quotes from TV Guide and from television shows, "TV Guide: The Official Collectors Guide" is more than a price guide compendium, (and a superb history of the magazine itself), it is also a very highly recommended tour of American television programming through more than fifty years of popular culture.



2. This book has several major flaws. For a start, there is no index. The only way to locate covers with your favorite stars or shows is to browse the pages year-by-year.
   
   The price guide only gives values for "mint condition" issues, with no guidelines for how to adjust value for copies in less than mint condition. (Most collectors' guides give a range of prices based on condition.)
   
   It would have been nice if they had included some lists, such as: the most valuable issues; issues with multiple covers; people who have appeared on the most covers; etc. All of these things are mentioned in the text, but there is no way to look them up except by browsing every listing.
   
   Despite these flaws, this is still an invaluable book for collectors, because of it's comprehensive checklist.



3. I was so happy to receive the TV Guide Official Collector's Guide, it is a great publication!! It has a lot more information than I expected - comments by stars over the years and much more!! It is very colorful and I will enjoy reading it for years to come. My 45 year old son has a collection of TV Guides and I know he will be interested in seeing the publication to see if the ones he has are valuable! Thank you



4. The episode of Seinfeld where Frank Costanza was noted to be a collector of TV Guide pretty much cemented that publication's place in the lore of pop culture. Now, from Bangzoom publishers comes "TV Guide" the official Collector's Guide. A lot of collector's books claim to be the only book you'd ever need to own but this one truly fits the bill. With over 3700 pictures, and every national and regional TV Guide cover pictured from 4/10/1953 through 10/19/2005 this is truly the ultimate resource for not only collectors, but fans of the magazine as well.
   
   With a foreward by senior TV Guide editor Michael Davis, the book provides info geared towards the collector on where to buy, grading, and preserving your TV Guide collection. The cover subjects are what drives the price of back issues with the very first issue featuring the baby Desi Arnaz Jr. being the most valuable. While I've never collected TV Guide I was a long-time Comic Book collector and basically TV Guides should be kept and stored the same way...in protective bags and ideally in acid free storage boxes.
   
   The guide provides a 19 page history of the magazine as well as a look at TV shows and trends by decade from the 40's through the 2000's; everything from Milton Berle and Howdy Doody to Lost and American Idol. I was born in the 1960's and love many of the shows from that era even though I didn't watch many in their initial runs. It wasn't until syndicated re-runs in the 1970's that I came to adore shows such Bewitched, Gomer Pyle, and Green Acres. As noted in the book, The Brady Bunch was never a top-rated show, but you'd hardly know that since it has gone on to become one of the most syndicated shows in history and a true TV legend.
   
   Next up is 213 pages which show each of those covers from 1953 through 2005 in full color and it's like a trip on a wonderful time machine to page through the decades to see many of the actors and shows that you remember so fondly, and many you may have forgotten such as The Governor and J.J. One TV Guide trend that seems to have ended some time in the early 80's was featuring Santa Claus on the cover of a December issue. The book concludes with a 68 page index and value guide for each issue and doubles as a handy checklist for collectors.
   
   Whether you are storing issues away chronologically like Frank Costanza, or just have a life long love of TV, you are certain to find something to enjoy in this fabulous book.
   
   Reviewed by Tim Janson



5. A mind-bending, if not surreal, parade of TV trivia presented week by week, year by year, era by era. Every single TV Guide cover is shown in true color, from April '53 to the first mag-size issue from autumn of last year. They're arranged as text would be on each page, left-to-right, top-to-bottom and IN ORDER on each page, dated and readily viewable. They even include full displays of all fold-out covers, as well as every version of each multiple cover, such as the one which had to be updated at Michael Landon's death, different regional sport-season previews, and the 25-cover tribute to all the Star Trek cast.
   
   The book is in 3 main sections:
   1) A 26-page section of blurb overseeing the history of TV Guide and background trivia of many of the covers
   2) The section displaying the covers themselves, and
   3) A listing of all covers (with dates and captions) and their collectible worth in mint condition.
   
   It is bound in durable yet manageable paperback binding.
   
   Anyone can invent their own TV trivia diversions just by scanning through this book (i.e. what are the earliest covers featuring people who are still alive? or Who has appeared the most times? or How did TV Guide handle documentarial times and issues [JFK's assassination, 9-11, the advent of cable & PBS etc.], or When did one televion era end, and another begin? and the like). The price list section also serves as an easier-to-count ready-reference of all the cover headings.
   
   Mad Magazine presented a similar, also top-rate, timeline of all their covers a few years ago upon the advent of their 400th issue. The first such resource to incorporate all the TV Guide digest covers certainly doesn't disappoint.

5 comments about Field Guide to Pattern Glass.

1. i am not new to collecting depression era glass, i was really into it in the early 80's, but its been a while and i thought a few good books might help me brush up... i shopped around, read the reviews and chose this as one of two that i ordered... WAS I DISAPPOINTED IN THIS ONE! all this book is, is a large compilation of drawings, NO DESCRIPTIONS, NO PATTERN NAMES, just drawings... even if, no ESPECIALLY if you know nothing about depression glass, this is definitely NOT the book for you! i was completely disappointed... sent it back immediately, trust me, try warman's or Gene Florence if you want to actually learn something about depression glass...



2. I have found this book very helpful in identifying pattern glass. My copy is worn and soiled from being used so much. One of the best investments I have made in years...This book list hundreds of patterns shown in clear drawings. Great book for beginners.



3. Mollie Helen McCain's Field Guide To Pattern Glass is a winner, covering all styles of pattern glass and pairing small black and white illustrations with clear descriptions. Those already familiar with pattern glass will find it a good solid reference.



4. This is the best book ive found yet, and I have many books on pattern glass, If your going to buy just one book on pattern glass this is the one! great detail, very large variety of examples,



5. "Pattern Glass" by Mollie Helen McCain is an excellent identification guide for early american pattern glass. The patterns are organized by characteristics and pictured clearly. I have had much success in finding the pattern name for glass. As a price guide it leaves a lot to be desired. Patterns are grouped in one of six catagories and priced according to catagory. As both a collector and dealer I find that many patterns are considerably under priced, and that rarity of individual items of a pattern are not considered.

2 comments about Collecting Shelley Pottery.

1. This book is a rare find! It is hard to find books on porcelain collectibles and this is an excellent one. It has beautiful color pictures, an excellent history and a value guide that is right on! I collect cups and saucers and the Shelley's are amoung my favorites. This book shows the various styles and patterns that Shelley made and is a very informative reference book.



2. Given their popularity and relative longevity in the market place, it is remarkable that this recent issue is not of just a small handful of books devoted exclusively to the productions of the Wileman & Co. Pottery - the Staffordshire factory which brought us two household names of the 20th century ceramics. Wileman & Co. had two successful periods of production: first as the Foley China Works (the period from 1896 when one Percy Shelly took control of the factory and employed a number of talented Art potters, painters and modellers) and then as the Shelly Factory (the inter-War years marked by the birth of a new backstamp which saw the factory embrace a number of new styles and media). The history of the Shelly factory lines are as much a history of fashion and taste prevalent in the first half of the 20th century. This book charts in detail Wileman & Co., as it rode the tides of economic fortune and misfortune with a series of varied factory lines. Lavishly illustrated are Intarsio, Urbato and Pastello designs produced under the aegis of a talented new Art Director Frederick Rhead at the turn of the century; the diversification into the lucrative business of crested china. - a market made popular by W.H. Goss - the introduction of wares by the well-known children's book illustrator Mabel Lucie-Atwell and the production of a series of wares which (as much as any factory in the UK) embraced the new design known as the At Deco. The format of the book is very much what one has come to expect from these publishers: various sections of the book deal with backstamps, restoration and fakes and - seemingly a must for all collectable ceramics publications - each of the many colour plates a price guide to the object illustrated.

3 comments about Collector's Guide to Made in Japan, Book 2: Identification and Values (Collector's Guide to Made in Japan Ceramics).

1. 
   I collect older (collectible) MADE IN JAPAN items and therefore I have quite a few books on the subject. This book is not complete but quite helpful. Photos are nice.
   
   Many different volumes have been written on this subject. Infact, I own 3 other books on this subject.
   
   When "Made in Japan" collectibles were issued there were sooooo many different items sold, that it would be impossible to include all of them in just one book. The author tried and did a good job though.



2. Carole Bess White has put together an exhaustive reference work on Japanese ceramics from the early 20th century to today. Her extensive research really pays off in this book, crammed full of photos of all types.

   Bess covers everything from ash trays to water sets, candy dishes to salt & pepper sets, Satsuma to souvenir plates. I especially like the many photos of various backstamps (marks) she provides. The book has over 250 pages of photos, and includes catalog pages from current novelty producers. If you're interested in collectible ceramics "Made in Japan", don't hesitate to buy this book!




3. Book #2 is every bit as good as the first one. NO REPEATS !... and new information on the companies that made these delightful pieces. Color photos, marks and all the information you need. Ms. Whites books are getting like potato chips to me.. you can't have just one!

4 comments about Hot Wheels The Ultimate Redline Guide: Identification and Values 1968-1977 (Hot Wheels the Ultimate Redline Guide).

1. This is the very finest volume on the subject -- bar none. Each and every car has a one- or two-page listing, complete with description, history, variations, and values by color. Photos are large and lavish. Hot Wheels playsets, accessories, and collateral merchandise are covered as well. Plus, the book is published in a sturdy library binding. It's well worth the price. You will not need another book about Hot Wheels Redlines.



2. This book is huge! About 400 pages in full colour.Where do you start? Every model and every colour variation is shown in this book and it just brings your memories flooding back.I dont even remember half of these toys.Its all in here.Each model,each variation,gift sets and so much more.
   
   This has to be THE ultimate book on these series for sure!
   A huge book,superb quality and good value make this book a legend.To the authors who put this book together,you guys are champions! Thank you.



3. Finally!!! An accurate price guide for Redlines. Don't waste your money on Tomarts. This is the book you need!



4. This book is a must have for any serious Redline collector. It is a beautifully presented hardcover book of almost 400 pages; jam packed with photos, facts and figures for all Hot Wheels models from 1968 to 1977.
   
   Each model has its own page listing colours, variations and values for loose and packaged cars from Hong Kong and the USA. The book also has special sections on Gran Prix, Heavyweights, Sky Show, Spoilers, Carry Cases, Displays, Gift Sets, Playsets, Track Sets, Merchandise, Collector Buttons and more.
   
   I own the Tomart guide, the Schiffer guide and several others and none of them come close the detail and accuracy found in this book.
   
   In a word, "Indispensable!"

5 comments about American Sterling Silver Flatware 1830's - 1990's: A Collector's Identification and Value Guide.

1. I bought this book along with Sterling Flatware by Tere Hagan. I find it difficult to use and poorly organized. She has a lot of information on certian patterns and makers but little on others. There is no index and information is incomplete. I use it as a back up to Hagan's book as she sometimes will have a pattern that Hagen dosen't have. Neither book is complete and this book has some information and a couple of Manufactures that Hagan dosen't cover still both books are valuable but even together not complete. I still have quite a few unknowns in my collection.



2. The 1880s to 1990s American Sterling Silver Flatware is a reference guide to 23 of the major American Sterling Silver Flatware makers and their production. It provides an overview of the patterns and the individual pieces produced in this 100 or so years time frame. For someone who loves silver it is lovely to look at. Some of the images are, just as they are on the front cover; beautifully photographed images. Others seem to be poor quality computer scanned images that produce, in many cases, barely acceptable illustrations or examples of the pattern.
   If you know the name of the company you will be able to find the name of the pattern, the date of issue and an approximate price for four components. Not necessarily the basic four components of a place setting, as I understand it to be, i.e. a Dinner Knife, Dinner Fork, Dessert/Salad Fork and Tea Spoon. One also has access to a list of pieces that were originally produced. Here again, the guide could offer so much more. It does not provide insight into the difference between a Master Butter Knife and a Butter Knife nor does it include the measurements of different pieces, which I would have found invaluable. It is very useful to know that a Place fork or Luncheon Fork might be slightly less than 7 inches in length and that a Dinner Fork may be 7 ½ inches. And just what does an Orange Knife look like, or Strawberry Spoon an as compared to an Almond Spoon. More importantly, how does a Five Oclock Spoon differ from the more Basic Tea Spoon and those, which are mentioned as Full Size Trade Tea Spoon, Full Size Regular Tea Spoon, Full Size Heavy Tea Spoon, or Full Size Massive Tea Spoon. Again, the weight of different items would have been useful. While this book is a very valuable guide to American Silver Pattern, which does have a place in a collectors basic library, I feel it falls short of its possibilities as an Identification and Value guide.



3. I was simply much too impatient for quick and easy answers the last time I wrote a review for this book, and I am a bit ashamed of myself for having been so negative and hypercritical. After much more time and education on the subject of American Sterling flatware, I realized that Ms. Dolan's approach is actually rather pragmatic and useful (organized alphabetically, by manufacturer, with hallmarks being displayed before each section). I would have appreciated an entire section devoted solely to identifying hallmarks, a wider range of American manufacturers, and an index, but this book has indeed proven useful for me, regardless (even though I am only able to reference between 50 to 60% of the patterns in any given pile of mixed antique American Sterling flatware, using solely this book - but still). Though by no means a complete reference in itself, Ms. Dolan's book should indeed be included in any collection of American Sterling flatware reference material, and seems to fill some of the gaps in other existing reference guides.



4. This book purports to be for the identification and value of American silver flatware. It is woefully incomplete. Where is Tiffany & Co.? Where are all the patterns that I would like to identify? Why is the layout so reader-unfriendly? And who cares that "Baltimore City lies 200 miles from the Atlantic Ocean..."?



5. As a collector, I have some sterling flatware purchased for daily use. However, I was unable to find one pattern in this book that matched the 50+ pieces I have. The photos and drawerings, however, are clear and detailed. Hopefully, someday I will be able to match a piece with the book!

2 comments about Art Deco (Dk Collectors Guides).

1. I had expected more general treatment of the collectables, such as materials, form, etc., and perhaps less in the line of the Very High Priced items. Still, it is a good reference to get the general idea of Art Deco style. Great photos, and some amazing pieces in here. Couldn't beat the used price, either. (under $10.00)



2. This book is devided into eight chapters: furniture, textiles; glass; ceramics; jewlery; silver and metal ware; sculpture; and posters and graphics. Each chapter opens with an introductory overview that discusses the historical background of the medium and its place in the history of Art Deco. Profiles of the most important Art Deco designers and factories are given and then followed with examples of their work. Each page is filled with beautiful photographs of Art Deco objects and 2005 estimated prices.
   
   Many books on the history of Art Deco and Modernism profile the same iconic pieces. These are works that are mainly in museums and in the hands of very wealthy collectors. The beauty of this book is that a potential collector can get an idea of the wide range of Art Deco pieces that are still readily available to be purchased.
   
   The term Art Deco covers a wide range of material objects and this book should not be seen as a guide to help one determine the price of particular items. This book is a general reference and it is unlikely that one will find the exact items pictured in the book.
   
   Finally, this book is published by DK and in usual DK fashion it is jammed with beautifully photographed objects. This book is a visual pleasure.

4 comments about Head Vases: Identification and Values (Head Vases).

1. Although this headvase book is not as comprehensive as some of its peers, the collection is vast, displaying a wide variety of headvases, particularly some rare finds which you would not see elsewhere. Excellent companion to the Barron collection !



2. Great book..Swift and smooth transaction and packed well.



3. There is no other way to find out about head vases except to refer to Kathleen Cole's book. This outstanding book is a MUST for collectors, (buyers and sellers) of head vases. It clearly presents information and pictures about unique and collectible head vases. As a buyer of head vases, I would not be without my Kathleen Cole book. Highly recommended source of valuable information!



4. I own this book and with having over 500 headvases it sure is handy! Strictly a pictorial book and a handy check-off list to see which head vases you're missing and need to acquire. With price guide in back you are able to judge what the piece is worth or what you are willing to pay. :) Enjoy!

2 comments about Micromosaics: The Gilbert Collection.

1. Finally! Finally, there is a book on Micromosaics, and what a wonderful book! Prior to the publication of Jeanette Hanisee Gabriel's masterful research job, there have been no books available to the collector of Micromosaics or for anyone who wants to read about a little-mentioned, and fading art. And who better to write the book then Ms. Gabriel who has been Sir Arthur Gilbert's Private Curator since 1994. Sir Arthur Gilbert's collection which now resides at Somerset House in London can only be equaled by the collections of The Vatican Museum in Rome and the Hermitage in St. Petersburg.

   There are a number of books that cover the vast and impressive Gilbert Collection: "Gold Boxes", "Monumental Silver", "Portrait Miniatures in Enamel," "Gold and Silver," "Hardstones" and now "Micromosaics." As I happily have the other books in my library - I can honestly say that the micromosaic book must have been the most difficult and yet it is extremely comprehensive. Ms. Hanisee's scholarly work on "The Gilbert Collection: Hardstones", must have been a bit easier to write as there is so much information on the art of Pietra Dura and Hardstone. Micromosaics is another ball of wax as so little was written - and I'm sure if it was to be had - Ms. Gabriel uncovered the information.

   The Appendix has a fascinating section written by Professor Massimo Alfieri "New Notes on Giacomo Raffaelli and Michelangelo Barberi" two of the leading Master Mosaicists of the 18th and early 19th century ---- fascinating. It takes you to the time of the workshops, with letters, sales receipts, drawings and the like. Not only revealing, but just plain fun for devotees of the period. One can also find a section on techniques and materials used in the making of these compelling masterful and minutely executed works of art.

   Seeing the fabulous color plates on almost every page, the items in the collection, one finds themselves rubbing their eyes in bewilderment over the artistry of these rare and intricate pieces. The footnotes are so interesting and well-written that they are a book within themselves, and my only wish was for a third hand to mark the place as I turned from text to illustration to footnote and back to text. In many books one tends to skip a lot of the footnotes, unless they pertain to a particular interest -- but Ms. Gabriel has added fascinating information and I told myself it was worth the digital exercise to read each and every one.

   Lastly - Jeanette Gabriel has masterfully included very detailed Biographies of the known artists of the time and the literature connected with these artists; a Glossary - with full descriptions; a seven page Bibliography; Exhibition Histories, and an extremely well-written Index.

   "The Gilbert Collection: Micromosaics" may look like a sumptuous coffee table book of 310 pages (which it is:), but it is definitely not fluff and mirrors -- it is a serious and fascinating work which should included in any library of Decorative Arts.

   Obviously - I think it's just great, I thank Ms. Gabriel, and I give it 5 stars.

   Margot Conte




2. This is a beautiful and informative book with insights into historic and technical aspects of micromosaic provided by the leading authority on this art form. Beautiful close up photographs reveal the intricate details of these little treasures. This book is a must have for micromosaic and decorative arts enthusiasts and a beautiful addition to any library.

2 comments about The New York Times Guide to Coin Collecting: Do's, Don'ts, Facts, Myths, and a Wealth of History.

1. ...and found it to be excellent, it is THE definitive coin book INHO. And is most certainly not short on details. As for the two grading services...they are absolute industry standards, of course they are the ones discussed. To tell prospective purchasers to "get the book from the library instead" is...well I found such advice to be unpleasant.



2. I'm new to coin collecting so I think I'm probably the target audience. Although he covered a lot of ground, I felt it was quite short on detail. For example, he really only examines 2 of the grading services, so I still don't know how all the others compare. I'd borrow it, enjoy the easy to read style, take a few notes, and then spend my money on an other one. Which one, I don't know.