4 comments about Perfume Bottles (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

1 comments about The Standard Old Bottle Price Guide.

1. Have an old bottle? Want to know what it is worth? Then the Standard Old Bottle Price Guide is a good place to look.

   This bottle guide clearly describes the words, letters and numbers embossed on a bottle or the bottle label making identification easy. An example is "Abbott's Bitters: on base: C.W. Abbot & Co., Baltimore on shoulder; machine made; 8"; amber. $30-40."

   The Standard Old Bottle Price Guide covers most bottles, including those early bitter bottles that began surfacing when England's George II was on the throne (1727-1760). At the height of the patent medicine phase, drugstores in the United States sold about 365 million bottles of elixirs known as "cures" in a variety of bottles. Most are collectible today.

   Though the author died while completing the manuscript for this book, it adequately covers these sought-after glass bottles: poison, soda,, mineral water, gin, ink, and perfume. The book even devotes a few pages to fruit jars.

   This guide is a good addition to any bottle collector's library

4 comments about The Milk Glass Book (Schiffer Book for Collectors).

1. This book has great photography, all in color. It's just disappointing, given the title, that it does not include the kinds of pieces new collectors find and want to be able to look up. Instead, the authors are trying not to include glass which has already been documented in the out-of-print books from the 1950s-1980s.
   
   However, the authors are highly respected members of the National Milk Glass Collectors society and this book is a great contribution they can be proud of.
   
   (One more comment-- be aware that the Atterbury rabbit dish on the cover of this book is not included or discussed in any way in the book.)



2. I liked the fact that it covers a wide range of styles and manufacturers. Not crazy having to refer to the back of the book for pricing. Too much work. Easy/cheap for the editor to update pricing but makes for disruptive reading.



3. For my purposes this book was only mildly informational. A collector, who is looking for rare or scarce pieces may find this book more educational. By the author's own admission, their audience aim is not for the casual collector or the eager investor. As most of the pieces pictured are listed as rare or scarce I don't think the subjects will be useful for my collecting purposes.

   What I found the most interesting about the book was the detailed descriptions of each of the pieces and the wonderful clear pictures accompanying them. The author would not only describe the piece, he would tell you who made the piece and how his conclusion was reached based on other pieces, which have been positively identified. Similar pieces were compared in many instances and subtle differences in designs were noted to educate the reader on how to identify reproductions from the original.




4. The quality of the photographs is excellent. Large and clear photos give the reader a very precise view of the item. The descriptions leave no doubt as to what the item is. The references to reproductions of an item is extremely helpful. This is a long awaited book for any milk glass collector.

2 comments about Miniature Perfume Bottles (A Schiffer Book for Collectors).

1. For the collector of new miniature perfume bottles - this book would be fantastic. If you are looking for a reference book for older perfume bottles, this book is not for you.



2. This is an excellent book for anyone who collects mini perfume bottles. It has a price guide in the back that is very helpful when buying, selling, or trading minis. Ms. Bowman's other book is every bit as informative.

1 comments about Fragrance Bottle Masterpieces.

1. JUST OK .. THERE ARE BETTER REFERENCE GUIDES AVAILABLE ON THIS SUBJECT. THERE IS A LOT OF MATERIAL THAT IS NOT COVERED IN THIS "COFFEE TABLE" REFERENCE AND IDENTIFICATION GUIDE. I HAD ACTUALLY EXPECTED A MORE COMPREHENSIVE REFERENCE BOOK SOLEY BASED ON THE REVIEWS I HAD READ.

No comments about The Joy of Collecting Perfume Bottles: Monsen and Baer Perfume Bottle Auction XII.

1 comments about More Miniature Perfume Bottles.

1. Ms. Bowman's books on miniature perfume bottles are full of color photos and lots of fun facts about them. I have both of her books and browse/ read through them over and over again. I never quit learning from her and look forward to more books by her in the future.

4 comments about Toby & Character Jugs of the 20th Century and Their Makers.

1. What a marvelous reference tool "Toby & Character Jugs of the 20th Century and Their Makers Is"! The dazzling photos and quality information make this book a "must-have" for all Toby collectors! Indeed, I discovered that I had actually purchased a FAKE Doulton. When I returned the jug to a local antiques store, I took along my Toby reference book. No questions were asked as for the return. In fact, the owner quickly wrote down info about the book in order to purchase one for herself.



2. I have always been fascinated by toby mugs and jugs, but could not find the right source of information. This is one of the best reference books ever. I use it daily to help identify toby and character mugs and jugs. I was very lucky to get an advanced copy of it's companion price guide. The combination of the two has proved to be very useful. I would recommend these two publications highly!



3. This is a fabulous book for the toby and character jug collector. The photo quality is exceptional (although some jugs are fairly small in the photos) and the organization is alphabetical by manufacturer. The information contained in the book is extensive. A wonderful reference source.



4. When this artfully compiled book was handed to me for inspection, my first thought upon viewing it was "Wow! I wish all reference books were this thorough!"

   They're not kidding when they say "Busting with Color." It also has tables with prices, edition numbers, and the item's history. I learned more about Toby and Character Jugs that I ever thought I knew! I plan to spend hours in the American Toby Jug Museum first chance I get! And the second, and the third, and ...

   Great book. Wonderful.

1 comments about Decanter.

1. Andy 'the Decanter Man' has really done us proud in this epic production that has answers to most questions about the decanter. It is an excellent read not only for the expert and professional antique collector, but a great book for everyone's coffee table. This tome is well researched, illustrated and written. I look forward to future publications by this author.

3 comments about Collector's Digest to Beer Cans.

1. This edition was an appreciated update to the previous edition. This is the 3rd edition that I have purchased. This edition includes 1995 updated prices to the previous version of the book which listed beer cans produced through 1975. It also includes a section with pictures and prices of 236 interesting pull tab cans produced from 1975 to at least 1982. This book is a good pictorial display and reference price guide of some 8300 beer cans including 7276 12 oz flat top & pull tab cans, 514 16 oz cans, 413 12 oz cone tops, and 72 7,8,&10 cans. This book also has price listings without pictures for an additional 400 or so 12 oz cone tops, 145 quart cones, 3 16 oz cones, 27 gallons, & one 1/2 gallon. This is an excellent reference book. I highly recommend it. I would like to see a future edition with more of the 12 oz cones pictured. I eagerly await the next edition.



2. This book would have benefitted hugely from a bit of competent editing by someone possessed of a nodding familiarity with English grammar and usage, and perhaps an eye for layout; the text meant to accompany the photographs may be related to them only with difficulty. Overall, the Collector's Digest to Beer Cans exudes the cobbled-together aura of earnest, well-meaning, but ultimately amateurish production. The photographs themselves are nicely executed, though perhaps smaller than utility would dictate. The array of cans represented pictorally and, in a later section, textually, is fairly extensive, though not comprehensive by any means. Certainly, this is a very useful book for the price; one finds, though, that it merely whets the appetite for more thoroughgoing references.



3. This 157 page, softbound 5 x 8" book is handy to keep with you as you look for beer cans to add to your collection. There are nearly 6,000 full color pictures in this book and thousands more listed ! It covers the period 1932 to 1975. A glossary of terms is provided, and information about can condition. It includes half gallon cans, cone tops, and new finds. Every beer can collector will find this a great reference to keep handy. Values are 1995.