No comments about Lesney's Matchbox Toys: Regular Wheel Years, 1947-1969 With Price Guide.

2 comments about Cracker Jack*r Toys.

1. After my grandmother passed away, we found a shoebox full of cracker jack toys. It was her special treat for her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. We took them and mounted them for memory reasons, but this book brought our love of the little toys to a reality of why we loved them as children and the precious value that they have for us today. A great part of our childhood in a great book!



2. This is an amazingly comprehensive collection of Cracker Jack prizes, with HUNDREDS of detailed photos showing THOUSANDS of prizes. While this book is a must-have for the serious collector of Cracker Jack prizes, it will delight anyone with pleasant memories of those special prizes.

   The accompanying prize lists with descriptive and historical information are presented chronologically, with prizes grouped by series where applicable. An elaborate identification system reflecting the prizes' date, composition, marking, type, size, color, and description is utilized, with estimated value for each prize given.

   Searching through CRACKER JACK TOYS for that fondly remembered surprise can be almost as much fun as originally digging for it in a box of Cracker Jack!

4 comments about The Penny Bank Book: Collecting Still Banks (Revised Third Edition with Revised Price Guide).

1. While I mostly collect mechanical banks I do have some interest in still banks. This is the book most often referred to by collectors and sellers alike on E-bay or other auction sites regarding size, rarity, and price. The first sections deal with care and reproductions, followed by illustrations of still banks from manufacturers catalogs. Then comes a color section on banks followed by an appendix. There are several drawbacks to this book. The $49.95 price for a book published in 2000 is high in my opinion. Secondly, many of the banks are photographed together rather than individually so you really don't get that much detail. You also do not get too much information on each bank.



2. Great book for the collector. Better than the earlier editions in that it has the prices listed with the pictures instead of in the back of the book.
   Still the same banks that were in the earlier editions though.



3. I was at an auction and five out of the six banks there were listed in the book.



4. The Penny Bank Book is a pictorial and value guide to collecting banks. Containing both good pictures and approximate values, it is the most comprehensive bank collecting book available at this time. It is a must for any serious collector. This is the guide I keep in my car to advise me.

1 comments about Dolls' House Furniture (Shire Library).

1. This is a great book for ideas, but if you think that patterns are included to make the furniture, they aren't. Otherwise it is a nice book to have if you are into miniatures.

5 comments about Flea Market Fidos: The Dish on Dog Junk and Canine Collectibles.

1. Such a fun and witty little treasure. If you love dog collectibles and vintage treats, this is the book for
   you. I received it as a gift, and have been giving it
   as a gift to all of my fido friends ever since.



2. This book explored the 'types' of canine collectibles one might find in the marketplace, but it didn't address the 'value' of these collectibles, which would have been much more insightful. The content was purely fluff with little substance to offer a true collector.



3. I just purchased this magical book. I couldn't put it down. The photos were amazing and the writing was so clever and unique. Each page brought a new smile and warm feeling. I am going to order one for each of my friends and family. I can't think of a nicer gift to send someone than this special book. In my home, it's my other "best friend ".



4. Dog junk and canine collectibles haven't received their own collectibles guidebook before: enter Flea Market Fidos, a unique guide to canine collectibles which covers everything from dog drawings, to crafts and stuffed animals. Besides history and values, Flea Market Fidos also covers the best shops, flea markets, and web sites for locating canine valuables.



5. What an adorable book! I received it as a gift yesterday and I just couldn't put it down. The photos are great, the writing is comical and its a real feel-good book!

5 comments about Airfix: Celebrating 50 Years of the World's Greates Plastic Kits (Airfix Products).

1. When I was a kid building kits from the local hobby shop, it never interested me where they came from, or how they were made. Now, thanks to this book I've learned there are fascinating stories behind how those little bits of plastic ended up in the store to tempt me. This book is filled with behind-the-scenes details of how those little kits in the plastic bags got to the stores all those years ago. It's a brilliant read, too. Not too stuffy or serious. Just right. And filled with great photos of kits you'll remember, and some you've never seen. Excellent stuff!



2. If you grew up loving models and model airplanes, you probably built at least one Airfix kit. If the dramatic box top illustration encouraged you to dig a little deeper into your pocket and purchase that kit, you probably have Roy Cross to thank. Some of these models became prized display pieces, others met an untimely fate at the mercy of a book of matches or firecrackers.

   Just about every Airfix kit you remember, and several you may have forgotten, are presented. The pictures brought back many fond memories, and the text gave me a fine overview of the history of the company and its kits. Yes, there are better detailed and more modern kits available in hobby stores today, but the old-fashioned offerings of Airfix, heavy-handed rivet detail, thick canopies and all continue to hold a special place in the hearts of those of us who have been with this hobby for several decades. My main critique concerns the repetitiveness of the book and its poor organization; the manuscript definitely could have used a helping hand of a good editor. However, as with the kits themselves, Airfix aficionados like myself are willing to overlook such shortcomings.




3. The sad thing is that I probably had all of the models at least once! A real nostalga trip. More photographs needed. If you were/are not into Airfix then this isn't the book for you! otherwise you'll love it.



4. I really looked forward to seeing this book. The subject matter is dear to my heart and a quick glance through the illustrations promised a great deal. But, despite some interesting interviews with ex-employees and some great Roy Cross artwork, much of the dialog is rather bland and insipid and it actually became a bit of a chore trying to get to the end of the book. Part of the problem is that there are some bits of Airfix history which really aren't worth celebrating but which the author has presumably felt duty bound to include to the detriment of the overall package and it's also very frustrating to find references in the text to kits which aren't illustrated in the book. A few more reference photos would have been nice but please, why the grubby looking cover?



5. I'm cheating, really, having read the book in the UK before it hits the States. So what...we're talking the biggest-ever drain on a young boy's pocket money thru the 60s and 70s...and Arthur Ward's wonderfully researched volume sets a now somewhat older bloke's mind at rest. Yup, I made the right decision to squander my hard-earned on the minutely detailed models which would wreck my close vision forever. Painted 'em, photographed 'em, burnt 'em...as Mr Ward also reminisces..that's the way we treated our plastic model kits. The illustrations are superb...beautiful original box artwork, fabulously nostalgic photos of packaging and content. Some omissions, I think...I can't recall seeing reference to the Gangbuster prohibition cars series...maybe I missed it. It's a less expensive tome in the US...$35 instead of 30 quid...but you'll love it...his charming writing, the lovely paper it's printed on. I tried to help my 9 year old son build a present-day kit. The magic had gone for me, tho he had fun. A book's much better, when you're a bit older, even if you haven't really ever grown up.

2 comments about Tomarts Encyclopedia & Price Guide to Action Figure Collectibles, Vol. 2: G.I.Joe Thru Star Trek.

1. This is a very good book. It has complete listings of american toys and pictures. The pictures are b&w and color, but NOT ALL OF THE TOYS are presented in pictures. Each listing have three prices in $, the Complet No Package (CNP), the Mint in Package (MIP), and Mint In Mint Package (MIMP).



2. Not only were the prices off, but they did not know anything about the toylines. Authors have no idea what year figures were even made. How can they possibly price them?

1 comments about Comic Character Metal Sand Toys.

1. As the author of many books on antique and collectible toys myself, I know when PASSION and LOVE for a genre of collecting drives a book, and Doug and Pat Wengel have done just that with this incredibly beautiful book. Sand pails and sand toys have ALWAYS been a hot commodity among both tin toy and general toy enthusiasts, but COMIC CHARACTER SAND TOYS have helped to drive the market! Doug and Pat have brought us this EXCEPTIONAL book on a subject that has rarely been dealt with in such detail. The photos are FABULOUS and their examples from advanced collections are a treat for the eye. If BEACH TIN interests you, or even if you are just getting started...this is a WONDERFUL BOOK!

No comments about Plastic Toy Cars of the 1950s & 1960s: The Collector's Guide.

5 comments about Kiddie Meal Collectibles.

1. Mind you while I'm not a huge fan of fast food toys, I do find them interesting. So saying, I've certainly acquired my share of these items over the years, and yes, I like so many other folks at my office, have some of them on display at my desk.
   
   Needless to say, Mr. Sodaro is very knowledgeable on the subject. (I remember seeing a segment about him on The Food Network, and heard him talk about fast food toys on my local radio station. Plus I know that he has written about fast food toys for Barbie Bazaar Magazine, and American Antiquities, as well as other publications, I understand that he's even been quoted in no less than The Wall Street Journal on the subject.)
   
   He provides readers with an impressive array of facts and info on not only the toys themselves, but on the various food franchises that dispense them. Plus there are chapters on specific genres (comicbook superheroes, Beanie Babies, Star Wars).
   
   So if you have these toys, want to know more about these toys, or simply want to know how much the ones you have are worth, I highly recommend this book.
   
   Now all he needs to do is to come out with a volume 2 to bring the list up to date (it was originally published in 2001, and certainly could stand to use updating.)



2. Admit it or not nearly everyone has been to a fast food place. These toys are fun and exist in everyone's home. Now we have a guide to find out how much they are worth.



3. I saw this book on Top 5 on the Food Channel. That show (originally broadcast Nov. 10) listed the top five give-away premimums as 5) Crackerjacks; 4) S&H Green Stamps; 3) Bazooka Bubblegum comics; 2) Breakfast Cereal toys; and the #1 giveaway as Kiddie Meal Toys! Top 5 interviewed Mr. Sodaro, and he spoke rather elequently about Fast food toys, their history, and why we all love them so much. Needless to say, he goes into greater detail into all of this in his book. Great stuff I highly recommend it!

   SpyderB0y




4. I first read about Mr. Sodaro's book in my local newspaper (The Hour, Norwalk, CT), and found his concept for a book to be facinating. I later heard him speak on the topic of fast food toys and (of course), his book, at a couple of events in the area, and determined to seek out the book and purchase a copy for myself. Sure enough, it proved to be every bit as interesting as Mr. Sodaro was in person. While I am a collector of toys and such, I really had never given much thought to fast food giveaways as legitimate toy items until I heard Mr. Sodaro speak, and then read his book. Very informative. I recommend it to anyone who collects toys, or has eaten at a fast food location.



5. I'm a collector of stuff, and most of the price guides I see are simply lists and prices, or slight variations on that theme. Here, finally, is a price guide that not only gives you lists of things with prices, but also offers you some insights into the background of the material priced. Misters Sodaro & Malloy have delivered an extended, clever, insightful look into the world of fast food toys and collectibles. most of the 40 or so resturants that are listed have company profiles, plus there are articles about the backgrounds of the various types of toys available at the various franchises. There could be more color photos, but they do have plenty of them in black and white. Hopefully they will issue an updated version of this very fine book soon.