2 comments about The Teddy Bear Encyclopedia.

1. If a bear wanted to find out his/her family history, this would be the encyclopedia to buy. Being a teddy bear is still very in vogue. This is a fascinating way to find out why we love teddy bears and why they appeal to collectors all over the world.
   
   You can read about all the best-loved bears, from the original "teddy" to "Winnie-the-Pooh. The latest collectibles such as Beanie Bear and the Millennium Bears are also included. Pauline Cockril is the internationally recognized expert on the history of the teddy bear. She is also a regular contributor to Teddy Bear Times.
   
   If you see a teddy bear and instantly want to buy it...this book IS for you. Also look for The Ultimate Teddy Bear Book which is considered to be the bible of arctophily (bear collecting) and is used by collectors, dealers and toy shops around the world.
   
   The first bear listed was made in 1902 and was an experimental Steiff bear. The bears are listed all the way up to the year 2000. If you think you have seen it all...wait until you see the Pink Dino, a Swiss bear with characteristic elongated designs that I think looks more like a monkey. I much prefer the 1991 Pam Howells bear that has a lace collar, shaggy golden mohair plush "fur" and a cute hat trimmed with fabric roses. The Australian Teddy bear on pg. 137 looks somewhat like a koala bear for some reason. :)
   
   I know a place where a lady has bears sitting everywhere in her Bed & Breakfast. You just want to take one of the bears home with you. In each room, she also has a "resident" bear that sits on the fluffy down-comforter covered bed. The whole place is like one big teddy bear picnic. I bet she knows about this book!
   
   It is just unbearable not to own more bears. I must go shopping since I gave away most of my teddies when they had a teddy bear drive for kids. It was sad to say goodbye to some of them, but I know they are now happily living with a child who loves them. I do think it is time to start collecting again!
   
   ~The Rebecca Review



2. This is a great "beginner" book to learn about the points that distinguish one bear from another. Somehow they all seem to look alike at first!!

   This book teaches you to pay attention to whether the nose is stitched up and down or from side to side. Are the feet big or are they little stumps? Are the eyes glass or plastic? Are the ears close together or far apart? Are the arms long and pointed or short and stumpy? These all are clues as to the date and manufacturer of the bear!!

   Includes a section on repairing an antique bear (less is better!) as well as a section on newer bears!

   A great learning tool! Written so it is easily understood........you don't have to already BE an EXPERT to BECOME one with the help of this well written book!!

No comments about The Magic of Merrythought.

5 comments about Irwin Toys: The Canadian Star Wars Connection.

1. I just got a copy of this book, and since it hasn't been reviewed in a while, I thought potential buyers might appreciate another (more recent) opinion. Overall, I was quite impressed with the CONTENT of this book. It does a very nice job covering vintage Star Wars figures, vehicles, and playsets (as well as several other items) that were released in Canada from 1977 to 1985. One of the best aspects of this book is the presentation of different items (and especially the different packaging) that were released exclusively in Canada (for example, did you know that the AT-AT Commander was actually released as General Veers in Canada?). The author's commentary is largely interesting and helpful, especially the excerpts from his interview with the former head of Kenner Canada/Irwin (really provides a great behind the scenes history of Star Wars toys).
   
   On the down side (and so you know exactly what you are getting), the production quality of this book is only fair at best. For example, the pages are printed on newsprint, and many of the photos are poor to moderate in quality. The publisher was clearly trying to save money, but I still commend them for publishing such an eclectic/niche book in the first place.
   
   In sum, I give the production quality two stars, and the content five stars (since the latter is far more important, I rounded up to four stars overall). I think this book is definitely worth getting (especially if the price is right), as it contains some interesting and valuable information that is not available elsewhere. Thus, I'll bet even the most experienced collectors will see several vintage Star Wars items that they have never seen or heard of before.



2. This is the kind of in-depth thorough Star Wars collecting book that many in the hobby are craving. The author isn't scared to take on an esoteric, yet fascinating slice of Star Wars collectibles (namely the Canadian Star Wars toy line) and cover everything about it in detail, from common items, to variations, to hard-to-find rarities. Some of the rarest pieces pictured in this book appear nowhere else in print.

   This is not the book for the beginning Star Wars collector, however I do not know a single longtime Star Wars collector who does not own this resource. The photography could be a little better, but still captures all the essentials.




3. I finished reading through James' book this weekend, and I am very impressed with it. The information is displayed in an easy to follow manner, and it works great as a resource guide. It definitely belongs among the reference materials of any vintage Star Wars collector. As a Kenner collector, I also found the book to be full of history about the company. This was a pleasant, and educational surprise.

   Dan W. Flarida

   KennerToys.com




4. Attention collectors: There is finally a book which focuses only on the vintage Star Wars line released in Canada. There are many rare and highly sought after toys which came out only in Canada. This book successfully organizes and pictures these Canadian Star Wars toys in order to inform the serious Star Wars collector about these rare and often elusive items. There are hundreds of pictures and a lot of useful information. I would recommend this book to any serious Star Wars collector.



5. A very informative book which focuses only on Canadian Star Wars Toys. The amount of information and pictures contained relating only to toys released in Canada is staggering. It was not until this point that anyone had attempted to list and document all these rare Star Wars toys that the average collector would have never even had a chance to hear about, much less view. I would recommend this book to any avid Star Wars collector.

No comments about Katy Keene Romance Paper Dolls.

1 comments about Hornby Gauge O System Vol 5 (The Hornby Companion Series , Vol 5).

1. If Hornby 'O' gauge trains are your passion, then this is the book for you. It chronicles the history of Frank Hornby and his dream of creating the perfect model railway system. With ample colour illustrations the book will provide a constant source of reference to identify and date nearly every Hornby item from the 1920's to the 1950's. I say nearly as previously undocumented items do still arise from time to time. The book provides a window onto an era of history that is fondly remembered by many. If Hornby 'O' gauge is your hobby then buy this book, you will find it hard to put down.

No comments about Dollhouses: Collectors Guide.

5 comments about More Strawberry Shortcake (Schiffer Book for Collectors).

1. Well, with slight improvements, the guide has more of the doll collections and miniatures although not all inclusive- the dolls shown are in much better condition- most of which was new in box or still on package (MOC). There is a lot of wasted area. For example, she has some pages with just 2 or 3 pictures of toys; inventory is still disorganized but an improvement from the original SSC Collector book. The price guide is off based rom ebay and online prices but alittle closer to toy collector shows and expos. A lot of the pictures seem to be repeats from the first book as well. On the positive side, I still enjoyed looking at the amazing toys that I once owned and collected as a child.



2. Unlike other versions, this book does have all the dolls and playsets, but the the presentation is poor. A few of the pictures are hard to see, and the layout is inconsistent. Also, I would like to see more info in the captions, not just name and price. I would also like more prices for other items, as this book only covers toys and a few other items.



3. The items listed in this book are minimal and are basically the "more popular" collectibles of the bunch. A lot of great toys that I once owned as a child were not even in there. I feel that the descriptions could have been better too. Were it not for the pictures one would not even know what to look for in many of the older items. The author seemed in a hurry to get this book published and could have done a lot more research about what is out there. The lack of work that went into this book shows.



4. There are literally thousands of Strawberry Shortcake items. This book only covers about 100 of them, and then wastes several pages showcasing fake Strawberry Shortcake Dolls. It is a waste of time to order this book and a waste of money to buy it.



5. I was disappointed with this book. It does have prices of some Strawberry Shortcake items, But it left a lot out. The book should have had item descriptions and release dates with the current estimated prices. The pictures are good and they included some Strawberry Shortcake items I havent seen before. But they left out some rare dolls. The book only had information on 1/4 of the items that were on the market. I felt this book could have been better written and could have included more items.

2 comments about Handbook for Hard Plastic Dolls.

1. This is a wonderful little pocket guide for all of us who have ever scrambled to try to identify a doll at a show or flea market! Great tips and resources for the beginning collector and a handy reference guide for the veteran doll lover.



2. This book was rather disappointing compared to the Judd's previous books about hard plastic dolls. It might be a good book for the beginner to carry to doll shows or antique stores, but it has nothing new for the established collector. Hard Plastic Dolls I and II are better buys.

No comments about Greenberg's Pocket Price Guide American Flyer s Gauge: 1999 (Greenberg's Pocket Price Guide).

No comments about Teddy Bear Figurines Price Guide: Price Guide.