1 comments about Railroadiana : The Official Price Guide For the Year 2000 and Beyond.

1. I expected a superior book because the Knous's background is so impressive on the subject of railroadiana. But I was surprised to find that it was not only a superior book but also a beautiful book as well. The pictures make identification of valuable objects much easier than with just text alone. And they make the book such a pleasure to browse through. Definitely destined to become the definitive book on the subject. I recommend it highly.

3 comments about Warman's Zippo Lighters Field Guide: Values And Identification (Warman's Field Guides).

1. this is a great gift for my SO who is interested in collecting these lighters.



2. Don't waste your money on this one. Full of pictures: yes. Info?: no. It's full of pictures of lighters you will never run across. Go with Poore's book.



3. The book was well researched and very well presented. The photography was excellent. For the money, this is a great book and a must have for all Zippo lighter collectors.

2 comments about Caring for Your Collections.

1. This book was assigned reading in the Museum Studies program I completed several years ago. I found it to be very readable and useful. It is geared to the person who is serious about preserving the treasures he or she has collected or inherited. Among its lessons is the fact that virtually everything we do to maintain our everyday household objects is not appropriate for objects that we would like to see survive for the long term. This book provides valuable guidance on what can be done to preserve the objects we value most. Today, I am a curator of a diverse museum collection, and still find this book helpful and a good refresher.



2. I'm purchasing my second copy of Caring for Your Collections. I am the curator of a house museum with a very diverse collection and I have found this to be a handy reference guide with easy to follow instructions for dealing with a wide variety of materials.

5 comments about A Maryland Sampling: Girlhood Embroidery 1738--1860.

1. A former curator and then director of the Daughters of the American Revolution Museum in Washington, D.C., Gloria Seaman Allen brings to bear her considerable years of experience and expertise in "A Maryland Sampling: Girlhood Embroidery 1738-1860". A beautifully illustrated history of Maryland samplers and pictorial embroideries that were the instructed obligation of young girls who were thereby able to showcase their needlecraft skills and abilities. Now these samplers are highly prized among collectors and antiques dealers. Allen focuses specifically on Maryland and how needlework traditions from its 18th and early 19th century English, German, and French settlers were carried on down through the end of the American Civil War. A truly seminal work of painstaking scholarship, "A Maryland Sampling" is especially recommended as an addition to academic library American Cultural History reference collections, and to the attention of needlecrafters, as well as Americana collectors and dealer.



2. A fabulous book, with so much to read and see, and LEARN! Gloria Allen is always thorough in her research. Wonderful!



3. Gloria Allen's "A Maryland Sampling" is much more than a book about needlework or samplers. In truth, it weaves multiple histories of young girls, the early days of female education in Maryland, families and tradition to create a fascinating picture that deserves to be told. Equally important, "A Maryland Sampling" details, to a greater extent than ever before, the embroidery work of young African-American girls in Baltimore and the teachers and schools that sought to give young girls of color an education equal to that of while children. Even if you're not a needleworker or sampler collector - and I am neither - "A Maryland Sampling" is a beautiful book with a beautiful story.



4. Dr. Allen is an excellent historian and this beautiful, informative book gives evidence to it. For anyone interested in the historical aspects of needlework of the Baltimore area, this is a must see and read book. The pictures are sharp and clear and the history of the girlhood embroideries is right on track.



5. THIS IS A WONDERFUL BOOK OF 384 PAGES, WITH MANY BEAUTIFUL PICTURES. IT DOCUMENTS MARYLAND SAMPLERS AND EMBROIDERIES. THE BOOK GOES IN DEPTH TELLING ABOUT THE SCHOOLS, TEACHERS AND THE PUPILS, INCLUDING THE AFRICAN AMERICAN COMMUNITY WHO CREATED THESE BEAUTIFUL WORKS OF ART.
   
   VERY INTERESTING TO READ, AND A VALUABLE BOOK TO HAVE, FOR ANYONE INTERESTED IN SAMPLERS AND THEIR HISTORIES.

1 comments about Minnesota Yesterday & Today.

1. This is a wonderful book. I bought it for my husband who loves history and photography. The only issue that we have with it is that it focuses on the Twin Cities a little too much. There is much more to Minnesota that just the cities.

2 comments about California Wild.

1. California Wild can be summed up with two words - incredibly beautiful. Tim Palmer takes the reader on a trip through the wide variety of geology, botany, and animal life of California in this absolutely gorgeous book. The writing is excellent and makes the reader feel they are a part of the wonderful wilds of California. These are some of the most awe-inspiring works of photography to grace the pages of any nature book. California Wild is highly recommended both for the writing style that invites the reader to be a part of a guided tour of the wilds and for the incredible photography.



2. A portion of the proceeds from purchasing this book is being donated to help preserve California's wilderness areas.
   
   If you ask people who don't know California well about the state, they usually describe beautiful beaches, surfing, sailing, tourist attractions like Disneyland and Universal Studios, gorgeous bridges around San Francisco, and famous resorts. What those places all have in common is that there are lots of people to be found there.
   
   Since Ansel Adams began his photography in California, there's been another California that people cherish and want to protect -- the places where there are no people and the wild beauty provides a respite from "civilization." California Wild is an update of that vision, provided in a series of helpful essays about why and where wilderness areas are important in California and many stunning color photographs to help you appreciate what you probably haven't seen before.
   
   Unfortunately, wilderness is constantly in retreat in California and elsewhere. For some areas, these photographs will be the only way to experience wilderness as that recession continues. For those who love the wilderness but don't know where to find it, this book will also be a helpful guide for future trips to and within California. For those who cherish the wilderness, it's also a good idea to share the book with others to increase the legion of those who are defending wilderness areas.
   
   To me, the photographs are the best part of the book. Here are some of my favorites:
   
   Sand verbena against a background of the Santa Rosa Mountains (page 3)
   
   Shifting sands in the Mojave Desert (page 7)
   
   Klamath River (page 9)
   
   Hitchcock Lakes (page 10)
   
   Hat Creek (page 16)
   
   McClure's Beach on Point Reyes (page 18)
   
   Mount Shasta (page 23 and 26)
   
   Smith stream (page 36)
   
   Yosemite Falls (page 59)
   
   El Capitan, Cloud's Rest and Half Dome (pages 60-61)
   
   Mono Lake (page 65)
   
   Oregon Tree (page 75)
   
   Valley oaks (page 96)
   
   Poppies and lupine in Antelope Valley (page 103)
   
   Yucca and Mendanhall Ridge (pages 106-107)
   
   Sycamores (page 110)
   
   Death Valley (pages 112, 115, and 119)
   
   White Mountains (pages 120-121)
   
   Desert blooms (pages 126-127)
   
   Aspens in Lundy Canyon (page 130)
   
   Stanislaus River (page 138)
   
   Desert sunset (page 140).
   
   I hope this book will give the peace and tranquility you desire.

1 comments about Roadside Americana (Enthusiast Color).

1. There is a disguise to this volume, a new title for a compendium of three books originally published by Motorbooks International (MBI), under its corporate pseudonym, Crestline. While each of the trio is worthy in its own right: Michael Karl Witzel's ""Gas Station Memories" (1994) and "Drive-In Deluxe" (1997); plus Tim Steil's rendering of "Route 66" (2000) -- pictures by Jim Luning now appear uncredited --- there is no advance notice offered by amazon.com that this is NOT new material. That is the caveat for those who might already own any of all of the original publications and are fooled by the revamped moniker. However (and this is why I offer 5-stars), the encompassment is a great value as an introduction toward the heritage of The Great American Roaside for newcomers to the genre. The sub-title, 'Gas-Food-Lodging' is meritous for its depictions of the first two topics, but leaves much to be desired on the latter: the only motels featured are along Old Route 66 in Mr. Steil's reprint, and even there, they are few and far bewteen (such is reality). Since I purchased this single-bound set sight-unseen, and already owned each of the indvidual photo/texts, I intend to award my copy of this book to a friend as a Christmas present.

2 comments about American Folk.

1. This book is fantastic for those who love FOLK ART,
   good overview of American variety. Enjoy!



2. Folk art is of ongoing interest, and American Folk accompanies a major ongoing exhibition of folk art at the Museum of Fine Arts, gathering over 50 objects from across the country and adding background history and enough biography for even newcomers to appreciate their significance. A gorgeous presentation.

2 comments about Warman's Disney Collectibles Field Guide: Values And Identification (Warmans Disney Collectibles Field Guide).

1. The first thing to know about the various Warman's Field Guides is that by design they are not meant to be all encompassing. If you're looking to a comprehensive guide to every Disney collectible then you will have to look elsewhere (if there is such a beast). The Warman's Field Guides are designed to be pocket-sized guides, easily able to take-along on those trips to flea markets, antique shows, or garage sales. They are meant to give an example of various types of Disney collectibles, more for the casual or new collector, than one who's a veteran. Thus you won't find every item in the book but you'll probably find pretty close approximations, enough to at least make an educated guess about an item's value. It's either that or haul around a Webster's Dictionary-sized guide.
   
   The book is alphabetized by character name/film beginning with the "Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad", and then goes on from there. There are marvelous treasures in the book that will make Disney collectors salivate and it's complemented by fantastic, full-color photography, highlighting one item per page for the most part.
   
   Among the treasures are a complete Alice in Wonderland lobby card set of 8 valued at $1400, a Davy Crockett one-sheet movie poster from 1955 for $650, A 1950's Donald Duck tin lithograph bank from Marx toys for $265, a 1930's Clarabelle drinking glass for $40, a Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs bisque figure set for $215, and a Mickey Mouse pocket watch from the 1930's, valued at $465.
   
   There are a myriad of toys, figurines, books, posters, and lobby cards to be found within the pages of the guide. If I have one minor complaint it would be that there are too many examples shown in the book of the Mickey Mouse Magazine, Dell Four Color Comics and Walt Disney Comics and Stories. There's probably a hundred pages, one-fifth of the book dedicated to these items which to me is a bit too much since there are already many excellent comic book price guides (Krause themselves puts out many great comic price guides) on the market which do a better job on these types of items. I would have rather seen much more coverage of non-comic book items.
   
   All in all though, the book definitely does what it intended to do.
   
   Reviewed by Tim Janson



2. Was not overly impressed with the coverage of collectibles in this guide. Can't be too specific except to say I perused the book when I received it a month ago and have not even opened it a 2nd time. Pretty much a wasted purchase. Sorry to be so critical.

No comments about The New Four Winds Guide to American Indian Artifacts (Schiffer Book for Collectors).