1 comments about A Guide to Collecting Cookbooks: A History of People, Companies and Cooking.

1. ...This Would Be It! Colonel Allen's enthusiasm for the subject led him to produce what is probably the definitive work in the field of collecting cookbooks. This book sweeps up both the new and the experienced collector into the fascinating world of vintage cookbooks and their value as a source of historical information. The only drawback I found was the grouping of books in categories for the price guide section, as I found myself thumbing through many places to locate a particular cookbook. However, it contains an exhaustive listing, and once you get used to it, the layout is only a minor annoyance. Along with Dickinson's and Barile's books on the subject, it is fast becoming dog-eared from daily use!

5 comments about The Collector's Encyclopedia of Van Briggle Art Pottery : An Indentification & Value Guide.

1. I really thought I was getting more of a descriptive guidebook, rather than a photo book. Lots of pics but nothing to say about them.



2. A liitle hard to use and slightly out of date. But a very good resource to start valueing your Van Briggle.



3. This book is fabulous. I can't begin to say how many times I have read it and flipped through the pages for information. It is clearly written and the information is presented in such a way that even the novice collector can easily find details from glaze color and dating to prices. Price guide being located in the back is rather annoying (rather than the value being listed directly with the photo) but this a small price to pay for such a fabulous resource. For the more advanced collector, I recommend Scott Nelson's "A Collector's Guide to Van Briggle Pottery".



4. This is a great book. It contains just about everything a collector of van Briggle might need to know, with the exception of a truly accurate price guide. Online auctions have rendered price guides in most reference books of this type obsolete, so this isn't really a flaw. It gives one a jumping-off point, but be aware current values online are often less than those listed here.

   That being said, this book is very effective at providing information about this wonderful art pottery. The authors provide us a history of the potter and his work, with a number of historical photos. There is an extremely useful section showing various marks (backstamps) used, allowing one to identify and date pieces. There are hundreds of well shot photos of pieces, giving examples of techniques and glazes used. All in all an excellent value and sure to please.




5. This reference provides a history of the Van Briggle Pottery, with a focus on the early history. The tips for dating pieces by glaze color, clay texture/color, and bottom condition are invaluable for new collectors. This is a must-read for anyone interest in Van Briggle, especially since it's really the only reference book on the market!

4 comments about Handbags (POCKET COLLECTIBLES).

1. I love this book. I actually saw this in a shop at Logan Airport while waiting for my flight and decided to order it online as soon as I got back home. It's a terrific book if you are looking for inspiration when making your own handbags (I started making felted handbags recently) or if you just happen to like handbags.
   Beautiful detailed photos, elegantly presented. Includes ratings by estimated value for collectors.



2. A great book to have on hand as reference. Dimensions of the bottles would have been an advantage.



3. OK...for some Un-Godly reason Amazon has all four of Judith Miller's Pocket collectible guides from DK books linked together. If you review one of the four, it shows up on all the other three. Very Strange...
   
   Let me make it clear that this review is only for the Metal Toys Book only! Miller is the long-time collectibles and antiques expert and has assembled hundreds of classic tin, cast iron, and die-cast toys for this wonderful book. The book is sectioned by the three distinct types of metal toys I just mentioned beginning with sheet metal or tin toys. Each toy pictured is given a value range based on 1 to 5 stars with 1 star being a range of $10 - $200, and 5 stars being over $2000. Admittedly these are very broad ranges meant to reflect the condition of the item as well as the availability of the items original box and condition as well.
   
   While it's certainly no where near comprehensive, the guide does provide a fair representation of the types, styles, and manufacturers of each of these types of toys and the names are certainly well known to collectors: Dinky, Marx, Cragston, Hubley, Corgi, Tootsie, Schuco, Britains, and Hot Wheels/Mattel. Included are some great early examples of German tin toys such as a fantastic double-decker bus made by Gunthermann that gets a five star value, as well as many great post-WWII toys produced in Japan as factories that formerly made weapons were now being used to make toys. Some other great in toys pictured are the Disney Dipsey car with Donald Duck as the driver made by Marx, and the Nautilus submarine from "20,000 Leagues Under the Sea" made by Sutcliffe.
   
   The die-cast section features many of the gorgeous Corgi licensed toys like the Beatles Yellow Submarine, Monkeemobile, James Bond cars, and the classic 1960's Batmobile. There are also numerous Hot Wheels "redlines" pictured but while the photography is top-notch, many of the redlines pictured are in very rough condition with lots of scratches and paint nicks. It would have been nice to see some better examples used for the pictures.
   
   One small complaint is that the books is comprised almost entirely of various types of vehicles: cars, airplanes, buses, ships, trucks, wagons, tanks, etc...It was disappointing that things such as the great Japanese tin robots and space toys, and Marx military playsets were not included.
   
   That minor complaint aside, I really enjoyed thumbing through the book and it is a useful tool in recognizing, and evaluation the price of metal toys. Now I just need Amazon to fix their end!
   
   Reviewed by Tim Janson



4. "A survey has found that an American woman owns an average of six handbags." ~Judith Miller
   
   Judith Miller has captured handbags in all their intricate beauty. Many of these bags exist in museums and it is very unlikely that we could observe them all in a lifetime. So, this book is invaluable in that regard. Like Judith Miller's book on perfume bottles, this book exceeds expectations.
   
   The bags range in age from Pre-1890s to the 1970s and present day selections. Each chapter contains historical information, unique quotes and full-color pictures showing the most intricate details and evolution of the beloved handbag. Here we find the original mobile phone, a phone that is shaped as a bag that actually can be plugged in to make calls. One can only imagine those surprise long distance charges after a friend stops by for a visit.
   
   Red velvet Turkish bags with gold embroidery and French beaded purses all live happily amongst pages displaying everything from beadwork to precious metals and leather. There are purses shaped like phones, flowers, accordions, boxes, baskets, wicker parasols, birdhouses, birds and adorable toy rabbits. If you have any interest in Vintage clothes, you may rather enjoy reading about the magazine clutch bag.
   
   With over 400 designs to choose from, this is the ultimate handbag book, it could even fit in a handbag. You will be left with a feeling of: "I simply must have that bag on page ____." However, it is probably in a museum and one can only hope a designer finds this book and makes a modern replica. From the playful to the elegant, there is something to enjoy and many memorable handbags are featured in this wonderful book.
   
   ~The Rebecca Review

2 comments about Advertising Character Collectibles: An Identification & Value Guide.

1. If you are shopping for one reference book on advertising figures, search no further. Advertising Character Collectibles is the ideal book for beginning collectors and advanced collectors alike.The items pictured in this volume are a realistic cross section of what is available in this genre.The high end, nearly one of a kind pieces are here right beside the common for Dotz shows no bias.Though it has been more than three years since the price guide was updated, the majority of the listings reflect current market value.This is the book most collectors use as a blueprint for assembling their own collections and I would know- As publisher of a monthly newsletter on advertising characters, I am in contact with hundreds of collectors on an ongoing basis.Advertising Character Collectibles is the book most often referred to- It is our bible.



2. This edition of the 160 page book was updated to include 1997 values. It contains over 400 very large, sharp, full color photos. Major headings cover from Restaurants and Fast Foods, Breakfast Cereals, Beverages, Automotive, Appliances Drugstore and Cosmetics to Travel and Entertainment and Tobacco Products. In addition to the many photos, the book contains sufficient interesting background information. Well indexed. If you collect these items, you'll enjoy the volume.

1 comments about A Century of Crayola: Collectibles a Price Guide.

1. With illustrations as brightly colorful as the crayons themselves Bonnie Rushlow presents a comprehensive guide for collector's of this school days' staple.

   Many will be amazed at the current market value of items held in the familiar green and yellow box, as well as the boxes and other containers themselves.

   Beginning with an Introduction that covers determining the grade and value of the collectible, author Rushlow follows with a brief history of the crayons' early years when it was known as An-Du-Septic Dustless Crayon.

   Succeeding chapters cover advertisements, art, books, dolls, animals, plush toys, such as a set of Burger King promotional bears, and a variety of other Crayola collectibles - even night lights and clocks. Don't be surprised to find Christmas tree ornaments and jig saw puzzles.

   A price list completes the handy guide. Who knows, you may have a colorful treasure or two in your attic.

   - Gail Cooke

2 comments about Pyrex by Corning: A Collector's Guide.

1. I was pleased with the book but was not pleased to find it did not have the price guide with it. I was sent a piece of paper stating I could purchase the price guide for an additional $8.95. This was not stated on the description of the book even in the additional information.



2. Although not all-inclusive, this book is an excellent guide for pyrex collectors. Because pyrex is so varied and has been produced for a long time, it is a wide category. This book does a great job of grouping, pricing and identifying what is out there in pyrex.

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.

No comments about Standard Encyclopedia of Carnival Glass: Price Guide (Standard Encyclopedia of Carnival Glass).

1 comments about Coca-Cola: The Collector's Guide to New and Vintage Coca-Cola Memorabilia.

1. i thought it was a great book and i would recomend it to any one who colects coca cola items

4 comments about Collector's Encyclopedia of McCoy Pottery.

1. This is a well organized reference to McCoy. It contains a history of McCoy; this added knowledge adds to the fun of collecting and allow you to sound more like you know what you are doing. Then there are pages on the different "marks" of the pottery. There is a value guide. But I find it easer to do my own comparing. The big plus is the color pictures that show what is available. For those discriminate people that do not just buy anything that says McCoy there is an index. It is also fun to see you McCoy pieces in the book.



2. I received this book as a gift. It is a great reference to have when I am shopping for McCoy pottery and want to make sure I am not over paying. The detailed history of McCoy is also very interesting. My only complaint is that one page of descriptions was duplicated and as a result, it is missing accurate descriptions for one page or about 15 items.



3. I have a question about an entry in the 1997 Collectors Encyclopedia of McCoy Pottery concerning the soup tureen for the El Rancho Sombrero Serv-All. Does the price listed for the Sombrero include the Tureen or would they be priced separately? Judy



4. I was very pleased with the information on the McCoy Pottery Company and the pottery manufactured by McCoy that this book offered. I would recommened this book to anyone interested in collecting McCoy pottery. This book has a large selection of photos of the various types of pottery produced and the different markings used on the pottery.