No comments about The Official 2008 Beckett Price Guide to Basketball Cards, 17th Edition (Official Price Guide to Basketball Cards).

No comments about U.S. Stamp 2008 Pocket Catalogue (Scott U S Pocket Stamp Catalogue) (Scott U S Pocket Stamp Catalogue).

5 comments about Goldmine Price Guide to 45 Rpm Records.

1. This book is a fantastic resource for any collector, especially an amateur like me. After I learned how to "read" the entries, it was very easy to get the information I needed, and I learned quite a lot about the valueof the records I grew up with, as well as the picture sleeves which are often worth far more than the vinyl!



2. over and over,neelys guides come out faithfully showing all the wonderfull records you would love to own,stating decent prices anyone would wanna pay for them ..and then hits you in ther gutt by telling you they arent worth a third of that amount to dealers.
   when it comes to books like these everyone suddenly becomes a dealer.
   or else the near mint pricing is all anyone looks at.
   its a good book but its repetitive of all the other books hes done.and in fairness,all the other writers books too who do yearly record guides.
   and when it comes to showing scans of rare records..welp..it looks good but it doesnt make me wanna run out and buy them.
   in other words a collector can own one of these..preferably this book..and never buy another one because the info will not change much.
   just the packing and covers.
   still..a good xamas gift ands hard work involved.



3. Not relevant for todays market !
   I whis I could buy some of the soul, garage and freakbeat records listed there for the prices they estimate !! And the mainstream records are listed too high ! Buy the Jerry Osbourne price guide instead !!
   (and the colour section section pages fell out after one read)
   Avoid this !



4. Has just about every record ever made with its corresponding value. Only thing not listed are instrumentals.



5. I have found this to be the most informitive book on 45's that I have ever read. Not only does it give you a guideline on the value of the records in your collection, but it also gives you information on the artists such as other groups the artist has been with and the groups that have changed their names over their careers

5 comments about Knives 2008 (Knives).

1. We get this book every year and it has never been a bad choice! Full of information and photos



2. This continues to keep the custom knifemaker or enthusiast up to date on what other makers are producing. It is also the only (and very good) catalog of makers. I have all editions since 1980 when it was first published, and find it invaluable as a reference.



3. Great as always! I make custom carry knives as a hobby as well and this annual series of books has always been a great inspiration to me. In reference to the review written by Charlie, I would take him with a grain of salt, just look at his other reviews. A typical self proclaimed know it all but most likely just full of hot air. Any hand made knife loving built following the old time trusted ways of knife making will out perform any "off the shelve" knife hands down. Don't believe me just put Charlie's K-bar in a vice and bend it past 90 degrees watching it snap like a twig, which by the way is the one of the first test of a knife maker. The greatest compliment I ever received was from a man who received one of my Damascus knives as a gift and later told me he had "skun" 25 hogs without having to re-sharpen the knife. Yes many of the knives in this book would be too beautiful to carry, but many of them are just plain high performance steel that I would be proud to carry on my side. To sum it up, I own well over 50 knife making books and videos and would rate my Knives Annuals some of most important I own. In my humble opinion I think that any knife lover would love this book as well.



4. I loved this as I do all the other knives editions. I make knives as a hobby and always have one of these books close at hand for ideas. I must say i disagree with the last reviewer giving it two stars, if you wanted everyday work knives there are numerous companies out there that would be willing to send you a catalogue, if that is what you are into. I feel this edition may be superior to previous editions. In the past some photo's were simply pasted in from professional photographers, now most of the knives have a plain white background, some with multiple views. If you want to know what the professional knifemakers have been up to in the last year or two, this is a great resorce. Enjoy.



5. Wow,it is hard to believe they could find that many photos of Damascus bladed "investment grade" knives. 2008 should make a lot of expensive custom knifemakers happy, but if you are a knife user, the picking are pretty slim.

3 comments about Garage Sale & Flea Market Annual (Garage Sale and Flea Market Annual).

1. I got two of these for yard sale shoppers on my Christmas list who literally have "everything". They both seemed to enjoy it. One said it was much better than a previous book she had with 'too many pictures' and not enough information. The other person liked the descriptions too because they said it would help them describe stuff they sell on eBay.



2. If you already know a little about a lot of collectibles, this is a really good find! Take it with you to the yard sales and shops. Lots of pictures and general information . I'd give it a solid "B" grade.



3. The 15th edition of GARAGE SALE & FLEA MARKET ANNUAL is a virtual 'bible' of collector details, covering a range of items typically seen at garage sales, from comics and glassware to clocks and cigarette lighters, adding black and white photos, and values to streamline the reference. It will prove a popular library reference for any collection strong in values guides

3 comments about Arrowheads and Projectile Points (Identification & Values (Collector Books)).

1. Good overall, although only basic pictures, simple text but get the point across. THis book is really the same for over a decade now, but has updated realistic prices. Lar did great and his son has done well since his passing. Good value price too.



2. Mr. Hothem puts together a book that is easy reading but I wish it had a section which showed exactly what characteristics designates certain points from each other (with a diagram). Otherwise, I found the book to be a nice companion book to other arrowhead books I have.



3. This 223 page's book is an excellent introduction to the world of prehistoric amerindian projectile points and arrowheads. In some very nice photos and inscriptions you could find the "keys" to what you collect, their relative prices, regional classification and chipping techniques. A simple and practical relation describes the U.S. materials used to make arrowheads and blades including all the regional types, edges, shapes, individual characteristics of each piece and instructions to take care with them. Indispensable to begginers and advanced collectors this book certainly attempt the amateur archaeologist's expectation.

2 comments about Hot Wheels Forty Years (Hot Wheels (Krause Publications)).

1. I just recieved this book today and "WHOW" what a book. The details of the graphics are fantastic. The are numerous pictures of cars in cards and with the graphics you feel as if you can pick it right off the page.
   
   Angelo has brought the Hot wheel history full circle with this book.



2. interesting book, plenty of photos, not just a dry catalogue, goes into the history of the manufacturing and design process, great coffee table and reference book

5 comments about 200 Years of Dolls: Identification & Price Guide, Third Edition.

1. I just got done looking through this book, which is the 3rd edition and is dated 2005. I bought this book for $2 used on Amazon and that is all it is worth to me. I bought it for business purposes and if I'd paid the full retail price, I'd have been inclined to return it.
   
   The photos are nice, full color and close up enough to get a good feeling of what each doll looks like, but there are many more dolls mentioned in text that are not pictured. It makes it hard to identify a doll if there's no photo of it.
   
   For example, I mostly deal with Barbie and other fashion dolls and dolls of the later 60's and 70's. There is a section on Barbie but it offers only a few photos and most of the dolls listed are only mentioned in text. If you didn't already know what you had in your hand, how would you be able to look it up?
   
   Crissy is one of the most popular dolls made by Ideal and there is only a mention of her in the 4 pages devoted to Ideal. There is not one photo of Crissy or any of her family. The only photo I saw listed under Mego was a NRFB Cher doll from the 70's. All the other Mego dolls are only mentioned by name. This book also does not list dates for most dolls. I find that frustrating, too. And the prices suggested as the value are very theoretical. Maybe pre-Ebay somebody would have spent so much for Barbie, let's say, but prices are not that good today, although the author does state she based prices on the doll being in mint condition and with original box, outfit and accessories. Still, I haven't seen too many Barbies in the condition she describes go for quite that much online.
   
   Now, I don't want to say this book is all bad. Its just very incomplete in terms of it being a real history of 200 years of dolls. Its a very brief overview of dolls throughout the last 200 years and most of the photos that are featured, are of antique dolls, not fashion dolls, even though many fashion dolls are listed in text. I don't feel it would be worth $30, which is the suggested retail price. This book would be greatly improved by adding LOTS more photos and if it were spiral bound. Its very heavy and thick (415 pages) and pages don't stay open well. There's a whole chunk of pages seperating from the spine already and this book was like new! I also think the year for each doll should also be added next to the description. Again, a nice effort but falls short. It may be that it is too great of an undertaking to be covered in one volume. I feel the author should have covered less to give us more.



2. I used this book while conducting an estate appraisal of a collection of some 45 high-end collectible dolls, all in pristine original condition with boxes, hang tags, etc. and some with custom-made display cases. Only 20-25% of the dolls in the collection were listed in this book.



3. 
   I refer to this doll book often. Any author who attmpts to include 200 years` worth of antique and collectible dolls in one book has quite a feat ahead. But the author does a wonderful job. This hardback book is printed on quality paper.The photos are very nicely taken.Information is very helpful.



4. Dawn Herlocher's 200 Years Of Dolls Identification And Price Guide, 3rd Edition unlike competing doll guides, over 5,000 dolls of all kinds are identified from Raggedy Ann editions to Barbie. The book comes packed with color photos - but the inclusion of manufacturer's marks, comparison charts and histories is what makes 200 Years Of Dolls so special. Of course, there's the latest pricing to aid in valuations. Over 275 doll manufacturers are included in a lovely coverage.



5. This book has been so helpful to me and my friends this author has covered everything

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!

2 comments about Antiques Investigator.

1. This book was selected as a Christmas present to help a young couple learn to look and notice important details in older objects. The techniques would be helpful to anybody regardless of experience with antiques.. We were so impressed with the content as we thumbed through that we then bought a copy for ourselves



2. This book is exactly what I was looking for even earlier in my antique experience. It touches on everything from porcelain to styles of furniture, fakes, how to detect quality, and much, much more. Every page is full of color photographs and examples. It's a great place to start for anyone who wants to know the basics of different types of antiques. Definitely worth the money!