5 comments about The Handbook of Doll Repair & Restoration.

1. The item is really great, thank you so much, I like it a lot!
   
   Received safely in short time.



2. If you love restoring dolls, or have some that just need a little cleaning up, this is the book for you. A great asset to the doll collector.



3. Author is excellent on restoration of procelain or bisque dolls. Very little information about composition & wax dolls. No information about plastic or vinyl dolls.



4. Wonderful book. Alot of information about repairing and restoring your dolls. I would highly reccomend to someone who is getting started.



5. this book is very informational on how to restore all types of dolls. Right now I'm restoring one of my composition dolls & the book is very helpful. I would highly recomend this book to anyone who is thinking about getting started restoring dolls of any type. Very easy to read & understand.
   Enjoy!

5 comments about The Official Precious Moments Collector's Guide to Figurines.

1. The 2007 Bomm Precious Moments guide is truly precious since it incorporates retail and secondary values into the same book. The cross-indexing by figurine title and model number is also wonderful. The photos are great quality, too. The guide is a must-have for all collectors!



2. Took a while to receive due to release issues, but once received, Book is great!



3. I think this book is a great way to keep track of my Precious Moments and give me a current value of each one. However, because values change from year to year, it could be a lot of work transferring them to a new book each year. I think every couple of years would be fine to keep track of what you have unless you purchase numerous figurines every year.



4. This guide is an essential reference for any serious collector or anyone buying or selling Precious Moments figurines. The lack of serious competition will make sure this sells. However, there is little improvement in this 3rd edition over the 2006 second edition. The addition of the newer figurines and an update in pricing, which seems to average about 16% increase, are the main differences. There is also a size difference. The second edition was a handy 8.5" x 5.5" but the third ed is 11' x 8.5", which I believe is too large for a soft cover book. There is no new information about each piece that is not in the earlier version. It would have been nice to include the size of each item. There is an annoying change in the index that consolidates several previous entires into entries by series. For example, instead of separately listing the sugar town skating pond there is one listing for the series 'sugar town' with 18 page numbers.
   
   Overall, I was disappointed in this guide and would recommend that anyone not needing information on the last 2 years figurines stays with the 2nd edition and awaits the 4th.



5. Just received this book in today's mail, and frankly, other than the pictures of the pieces, it is, in my opinion, not worth the paper it is printed on. There is NO secondary market except internet auctions for Precious Moments any more. This guide lists "Free Puppies," for example, as a value of $2,100 - they sell regularly on auction for $300 - $450, depending on whether or not they have a box. Last week, one with an original brown cardboard box (extremely unusual), went for just under $600 in mint condition - a beautiful piece. The rest of the "Original 21" are priced through the roof - some of them 10 times and higher prices than what reality is. There is a disclaimer in the book claiming that the prices vary from spot to spot, and they got this information from dealers and collectors around the country. I wish they would give credit to these so-called knowledgable people, and it would be nice to know who paid $2100 for "Puppies" and how many years ago that happened.
   
   For the pictures, the guide is fine, but beyond that, DO NOT rely on it for accurate price information - even many of the suggested retail prices in the book are incorrect.
   
   I give this one a thumbs-down. There is no secondary market to amount to anything in collectibles any more, in my opinion, and this book's prices just encourage disillusionment among collectors so they keep buying (or investing?) in pieces, hoping to make good money when they sell. It ain't gonna happen - there is a ton more merchandise out there than anyone ever guessed back 30 years ago at the beginning of this.
   
   Buy what you like, like what you buy, and don't expect to put your kid through college when it's time to sell - you might not get back enough money to even pay the bookstore bill!
   
   For what it's worth - my opinion!

5 comments about Collector's Encyclopedia of Vogue Dolls: Identification and Values (Collectors Encyclopedia of Vogue Dolls).

1. Terrific reference book - definitely would recommend for personal or public libraries. Loads of pictures and information - very helpful.



2. Even though Kathryn Kay was mentioned as a former Vogue Doll employee, her doll "Ginger" by the Cosmopolitan Doll & Toy Corp. was not illustrated and with absolutely NO information. This book is otherwise recommended for Vogue dolls only.



3. This is an exceptional book for people who love the Vogue dolls! Illustrations and text cover both composition, hard plastic and vinyl dolls. The illustrations are many and identify hundreds of various costumes sold for the Vogue dolls. The Ginny, Jill, Jeff and Ginnette sections are especially helpful. Collectors who have costumes or dolls with missing pieces can use the book as a reference to complete outfits. If a collector likes 1950s Ginny dolls, this book offers a wealth of information and is known to collectors across the country as the "Bible" for Vogue collectors.



4. My doll friends and I use this book daily! Especially love the 'Herstory' section where there are plenty of vintage photos showing the factory sewers and samples, Promotional events, and store displays! Book is interspersed with actual catalog photos and many, many color photos of dolls from private collections. Great to see a variety of Vogue dolls all in one book, too!



5. This Book is great and is written so the reader can find about everything that is necessary to start a Vogue Doll collection!!! There are a couple important things I want to mention to eveyone about this book that are very helpful..The way the dolls are put in YEAR ORDER and when a doll is not pictured in this book the Authors make sure it is mentioned with the NAME OF THE DOLL and in detail what she should be wearing for that year, No doll is left out. PHOTO'S ARE GREAT!!
   This Vogue book is a must for the Vogue doll collector with a wealth of information. I learned so much with this book and could not be without it! It has all you need to help you in your quest for Vogue doll collecting.

2 comments about Barbie the First 30 Years, 1959 Through 1989 and Beyond: Identification & Value Guide (Barbie the First 30 Years).

1. this book does not go into enough depth to be of much use as you shop for dolls. you can use it to get some info on year produced, and to get a rough idea of where each doll fits into the larger scheme, but to do it right, you really need a book that includes much more.



2. This book is a good starting point for collectors. With information on vintage dolls and even some newer dolls too. This book explains How to use the price guide, since most dolls found are not truly mint or mint in the box. It also has lots of color photographs, to make identification of a doll easy. The layout of this book is nice too, there are different sections for dolls, outfits, cases and so on. Dolls are listed by year, making a particular Barbie or Friend fairly easy to find.
   This book is not as in depth as some other Barbie doll books on the market, you will not be able to find specific markings for each doll as well as a complete list of accessories - exactly what booklet, shoes, wrist tag, box (and so on) each doll came with. Also some of the photographs are fairly small, but that said, this is still a good book.
   I would also like to add that this book features many foreign dolls and accessories, Not sold in the US. (Lot's of Barbie stuff that were exclusive to Canadian and European, as well as other markets.)

5 comments about Hopi Kachina Dolls with a Key to Their Identification.

1. For the most part the depictions of the Kachinas in this book are line drawings of heads. That leaves out about 90% of what you may be interested in seeing.



2. This is by far the best Kachina book on the market. It was written by Harold S. Colton who spent a lifetime studying the Hopi indian culture. I found this book to provide the most accurate details of the Kachina. If you are pursuing an in-depth study of the Kachina, this book is for you.



3. This book is a good place to start if you are lookin into collecting katsina's



4. This book will be most helpful to you if you have a Hopi kachina and don't know which one it is (there are several hundred different kachinas). The book shows the different styles of masks and dress of the dolls, and also shows the differences in the little details such as mouths, eye shapes, colors the dolls are painted, feathers, and accessories that the dolls carry. The kachinas are listed with their names in English as well as Hopi, and the functions of the kachinas are given as well. The line drawings are very easy to understand, and the photographs are clear. Many of the dolls shown in this book are the older style non-action dolls (sometimes called "belly-ache dolls" because of the way their hands are positioned in front of their stomachs, as if they had belly aches), but there are some nice photos of more contemporary styled dolls too. I highly recommend this book!



5. This book is one of the best I've seen on the subject of kachina dolls and their carvers. A great reference as well as a strong introduction to the art. Describes the differences between Hopi and Navajo styles, with high quality photos. Along with my Barton Wright, this book is invaluable as a collecting reference book. The appendix includes a big list of Hopi carvers' names and a page of translated symbols.

1 comments about Hopi Kachinas: The Complete Guide to Collecting Kachina Dolls.

1. This is the perfect place to begin to learn about Kachina dolls. Whether you are a novice or an experienced collector, this guide will be of great help. The detailed descriptions and information are a must for any collector. For those planning to buy a kachina doll, I highly recommend THE NATIVE AMERICAN INDIAN ARTIST DIRECTORY. It will enable you to find the kachina carver you are looking for. When you find a kachina you like in one of the Jacka or other fine Southwest Indian art books, check the name and then find it in the directory - along with mailing address and phone # ! Call the artist directly, make an appointment, take along your COMPLETE GUIDE TO COLLECTING KACHINA DOLLS and have a great time!

5 comments about Warman's Barbie Doll Field Guide: Values and Identification (Warman's Field Guides).

1. My 8 year old daughter loves Barbies and she loves encyclopedias about everything that she loves...so this book has been well loved!
   Great pictures. Easy to read and easy to take with us in the car or on trips. Fun to share with friends.



2. According to my little friend who received this guide as a gift, It is easy to understand, teaches you some very interesting Barbie history, and show great photos of early Barbie, how they progress and their value. She highly reccommends it.



3. This books size makes it convenient to carry around to garage sales or toy shows. But the content could be better, some dolls are depicted with inaccurate prices and some vintage doll's aren't pictured in their proper outfits with proper accessories. So this can become confusing for the beginner collector. However there are "warnings" listed with some vintage outfits stating that Mattel has made a reproduction (these are worth far less) of it. This is a great feature if you are not a Barbie expert.

   A good book for the beginner, but I recommend using this guide along with a larger more detailed Barbie book.




4. What a wonderful book! The Warman's Barbie Doll Field Guide is packed with useful information and great color photographs. And all at a super affordable price. I'm impressed. The book is designed as a take-along pocket guide, yet it's amazingly complete and thorough. It covers six decades of Barbie dolls, provides several hundred color photographs, a history of Barbie, critical identification information, -- including how to identify Barbie No. 1 -- fashion sets, designer dolls and a price guide to more than 1,500 dolls. It's perfect for a gift or for yourself, or even as a gift for yourself. I have several Barbie books on my shelves, and that's where they stay. But this little dynamo is never going to leave my side.



5. First thought upon getting this, it's tiny! I've been waiting at least two months for this book to come out and I was a tad upset that the price guide is not up-to-date. NOTHING that came out in 2002 is in there, nor are any non-collector dolls listed.

   If you need a pocket guide to carry to conventions, it's perfect. If you want something to help you figure out how much to bid on E-Bay, it's perfect. Otherwise, just get it for the vibrant color pictures (No black & white) , which strangly have dolls that haven't even been released yet.

2 comments about Fashion Doll Clothing.

1. I loved her designs. They were well done.



2. The facts : "Fashion Doll Clothing" includes a total of 70 patterns in seven sizes for modern popular fashion dolls. There's three sizes for 10-inch tall dolls - "A" is tailored to Cocquette Jacqui, "B" is Tiny Kitty, and there's a general "10-inch dolls" size that presumably fits both. Patterns for 16-inch tall dolls are arranged similarly - "A" fits Alexandra F. Ford, "B" fits Tonner dolls like Tyler (straight arm) and Glinda (bend wrist), and a general "16-inch dolls" category that should fit both. American Model dolls, also by Tonner, are the sole occupants of the 22-inch size pattern group.
   
   You get 6 general 10-inch doll patterns, 9 to fit the "A" doll, 9 to fit "B". The 16-inch tall girls get the most - 12 for general 16-inch tall dolls, 11 "A" size, and 13 "B" size. AM dolls score 10 patterns. As seen on the cover, most are for dresses and skirts, but coats, pants, and tops are included in all sizes.
   
   And the patterns don't repeat. If you see it for Tiny Kitty, you may find something similar for Tyler, but it won't be the exact same thing. Author Mrs. Ionker wants her readers to experiment with adaptation - so each size, even `A' and `B' within the same scale, has all unique stuff.
   
   I found more photos of the contents by researching the book on auction sites - since FDC doesn't feature the `look inside' option - but you can't beat Amazon's price !
   
   The review : While the two dresses I've made went together easily and fit great, this isn't a book for beginning sewists. Very few step-by-step directions are found here. You get fabric advice, general sewing tips, and even a brief history of zippers, but very few garments have a paragraph or three of instructions. As long as you're familiar with basic garment construction, however, this book will give you few problems. I've added photos of my doll wearing the two dresses I've made from this book to the image gallery above.
   
   I did have a few confusing moments. There's lots of great photos that reference the patterns, but the patterns don't reference the un-numbered photos. I did it myself with a pen. A full cross-reference would have enhanced this book, I think. Sometimes I look at the pattern first, not the photo.
   
   On the pattern pages, Mrs. Ionker shows the altered sloper she used to create the final pattern. It's nice to see, but a bit confusing when the page has solid grey parts (sloper) under black lines (pattern). I wondered for a few minutes what I was supposed to use to make that great dress on page 20 ! I understand she wants her readers to learn pattern drafting, but usually, I wanna get going on my latest project before I run out of time ! Use the black lines. And get some great ideas from the altered sloper.
   
   I also found that the General Sleeve was much too tight to fit over my bend-wrist doll's hand. I had to resew it much more narrowly, and even then, had to wiggle and bend her thumb to get it on her for the photos. It's an easy fix, just wanted you to be aware of that possibility in your sewing.
   
   In conclusion - this is a great, reasonably priced selection of patterns that fit well and sew quickly. A great value, in my opinion - there's something here for the intermediate as well as the advanced. I only have one of the dolls she created patterns for - an '05 Tonner Wicked Witch known as Elphie - imagine how much more useful it'll be to you if you own Tyler, Tiny Kitty, and an AM !

4 comments about Collector's Encyclopedia Of Barbie Doll Exclusives: Identification & Values 1972-2004 (Collector's Encyclopedia of Barbie Doll Exclusives and More).

1. Excellent Reference Book for Modern Barbie Doll Collectors.



2. What an excellent resource. We had three generations reading every page about their favorite Barbies and we all learned so much.



3. The Collector's Encyclopedia Of Barbie Doll Exclusives is a great reference to the value of different types of Barbies. I was a little dissapointed that the Holiday Barbies and Bob Mackie Barbies are not listed in the book but I was pleased, otherwise. I would recommend this book.



4. Having read the other collector's encyclopedia's written by this author, this one is also a beautiful collection of the Barbie doll's one may want to know about and/or collect. The pictures are well done and the descriptions very clear and understandable. At a book store, before even my first purchase of these books, I skimmed other books stating they had what I was looking for, but none compared to Michael J. Augustyniak's. Through his books, I have been able to purchase Barbies at what I know is a fair and good price for my own collection. Very good resource book. Highly recommended.

5 comments about Collector's Guide to Dolls of the 1960s and 1970s: Identification and Values, Vol. 2.

1. I am a lover and collector of vintage dolls from the 60's and 70's. This book is an incredibly valuable resource!! It shows pictures from hundreds of dolls - from baby dolls, collector dolls and fashion dolls. It really does have everything!! It also shows an estimated market value. I would highly recommend this book - it is GREAT!!!



2. As if her first book didn't do enough damage to my bank account, Ms. Sabulis had to follow up with a sequel, providing me even more opportunities to indulge my doll-collecting habit (addiction).
   
   Just like her Collector's Guide Vol I, Volume II is page after page of beautiful photographs and informative descriptions of dolls I had or wanted as a child, and also contains many dolls I never knew existed (but now of course must obtain). There's so much there, I find something new each time I peruse it afresh.
   
   Warning: The cost of this book is very reasonable. But unless (unlike me) you have a lot of self-discipline, it will ultimately cost you far more than the initial purchase price!



3. I really could not live without this book! Not only has it taught me more about what I do collect, but it has opened up a whole new world to dolls that I never new exisited. The vibrant color photos are amazing and the descriptions are fun to read. Thank you for the countless hours it must have took to compile such a thorough history of dolls from my era!



4. As a vintage doll collector I would be lost without this authors books for dolls of the 1960 and 1970's. I have had such fun finding dolls that I had long forgotten about or never even knew existed. The photos and information in this book are very valuable to the vintage doll collector. I would highly recommend this book. Even if you are not a collector the book is very fun to have around. People come over and open the book and say I had this doll or I remember my friend had this one.



5. Volume 2 of Cindy Sabulis' great doll directory of the Sixties and Seventies has more obscure dolls than anyone has ever seen. There are the popular favorites like Tressy, but did you ever see the bizarre Peteena,a glamorous woman with the head of a poodle? Betsy Wetsy rubs elbows with the John Travolta doll, but then there's the strange Ginny Bones, all head with a stick body.
   But don't worry: you'll still see Twiggy, Flatsies, Liddle Kiddles, Heidi and the Rock Flowers. But then there's the obscure guys like Mr. & Mrs. Mouse House, Herby Hippy, and Lil' Souls. Just when you think you've seen it all Cindy will surprise you.