No comments about Beckett Football Card Price Guide, 2008 Edition (Beckett Football Card Price Guide).

5 comments about The Rolex Rep An Unauthorized Reference Book For The Rolex Enthusiast.

1. If you're looking for a general purpose collector book covering Rolex watches, this probably isn't the book you're looking for (try the Hess/Dowling book). However, that isn't its focus or purpose. The author, John Brozek, is one of the industry's leading experts on authentication techniques for Rolex watches and that is where this book shines. I would suggest that the author consider re-naming the book in future editions to make clear what it really is: THE BEST DAMN GUIDE AVAILABLE ANYWHERE FOR AUTHENTICATING ROLEX WATCHES.
   
   The book starts out with a basic review of the Rolex company history and the evolution of many of their most popular models. From there, the text moves to an examination of the watch components and a look at many common replicas and fakes for comparison. The author also provides the reader with tables that will allow them to determine the correct movement/case combinations for most Rolex models.
   
   If you collect vintage Rolexes, this book is a MUST HAVE on your bookshelf to help you discern fakes, frankenwatches and swap-jobs. No other book even comes close to providing the wealth of information for Rolex authentication contained in this text. On a critical note, the book hasn't been updated since its 4th edition in 2002. The replica market is in constant change and the author needs to add updates to aid in detection of the latest counterfeit models.



2. This book is not for casual reading. It is a book for people that want to learn and invest or purchase Rolex watches. It is a reference and teaching guide. Very informative. Well worth the price.



3. Great book for Rolex collector. Slow on the shipping, but thats not the publishers fault.
   Nice pictures, although all balck & white.



4. I bought this since I have been collecting Rolex watches, its very informative and has lots of historic model informations.
   
   Worth every penny.



5. This book is an excellent introduction to Rolex.Full of useful infomation at a realistic price.EXCELLENT!

5 comments about Collector's Encyclopedia of Barbie Doll 2008: Identification & Values (Collector's Encyclopedia of Barbie Doll Collector's Editions).

1. J. Michael's books are a great tool when you are looking for information on a particular Barbie Doll. The book comes with full color photos and descriptions of the dolls. It will tell you the year the doll came out & a current value on the secodary market.
   
   The book also classifies the dolls by letting you know what belongs to what as far as sets, store exclusives, etc.
   
   You also get to know a simple description of the doll's outfit & a description of each doll is also included with it's photo.
   
   Tons of great info packed into a very nice hard cover book. Well worth your money to invest in his books!



2. Sveglia Italia! Articoli di difficilissima reperibilità sul mercato interno arrivano regolarmente in tempi ragionevoli ed a prezzi inferiori, spedizione compresa, di quelli pretesi da rivenditori nostrani. "Ahi, serva Italia, di dolore ostello, nave sanza nocchiero in gran tempesta ........" . Il libro? Ogni appassionato del genere ne conosce autorevolezza e valore.



3. if you want to buy dolls you need to know what you are doing especially here on Amazon where some of the Barbie prices are three times what they should be . so you need advice from an expert who isn't trying to run prices up on his own stuff he has for sale. Michael is both expert and honest. You can't hope for better than that!



4. I just love this book! everything is great....
   I love looking at all the dolls.......



5. I found this book to be very helpful in that I have a BARBIE COLLECTION and needed to find out the value of my 200+ collection for insurance. Although not all of my dolls were in this book I still found many of the values that I needed.
   Great value for the money spent

5 comments about Petretti's Coca-Cola Collectibles Price Guide: The Encyclopedia of Coca-Cola Collectibles (Petretti's Coca-Cola Collectibles Price Guide).

1. I like the fact that the book shows so many color pictures. That is great! Unfortunately, as, with many of these types of books, it doesn't list many of the collectible coca cola items. The book could also be organised better. There are several different places to find clocks for example. If you go by the table of contents you might miss what you are looking for. When you go by the index you have to sift through different sections of the book looking for it. However, the back of the book was very helpful with the section on slogans for different years. It is a good book, but I wish it listed more of the collectibles or at least mentioned them. Still, I recently ordered a few other books on coke collectibles and this one seems to have more info than they did.



2. I have owned most editions of this book, and as a resource for researching Coca Cola memorabilia, I would have to say it is unsurpassed. I haven't seen any other guides come close in the number of items shown.

   I do question the pricing of these items, however. I don't see how everything can continually increase in price from one edition to another, especially when you consider internet sales activity (a very large part of Coca Cola memorabilia sales nowadays). As a collector, I never pay at price-levels shown in this edition, and I certainly do not obtain these prices when I occasionally sell an item off on an internet auction site. I just feel that the prices are a bit inflated. No one could keep track of the huge amounts of Coca Cola memorabilia sales in all venues around the country. I tend to take pricing in guidebooks with a grain of salt, especially, as in this case, when the author is also a major collector. Just a little too much potential for conflict of interest.




3. Right off the bat: I agree that the omission of blotters and assorted other collectibles from this guide is a gaping omission as big as a barn. I hardly use this guide anymore for several reasons:

   1) The back index is as bad as they come. Totally incomplete.

   2) You want to find a certain tray? Be prepared to bounce from one end of the book to the other looking for what you need. There is no apparent logic to the way this guide is arranged. I'm sure the author felt it was completely logical, but his logic escapes me.

   3) The front index is just painful to figure out. There is a usability book out there called "Don't Make Me Think". The author of this Coke guide should study it.

   4) Too much rhetoric and opinion about "fantasy" items. I find this section of the guide painful to sift through. Just the facts, please. And then there's the illogical order of everything .

   The best that can be said about this guide is that it's big. It is poorly organized and has way too many omissions to be my primary guide. If a 12th edition ever comes out, I'm going to check it out before buying, to see if these problems have been fixed.

   I much prefer Wilsons' guide over this one.




4. A lot of pictures. Prices that reflect nothing on reality. Not one Cleveland Electric Neon Clock. Not one American Time Clock. I have 3 originals hanging in front of me. Missing some of the major buttons. Typical collectors book. Pictures of everything that's out there, except the rare items you buy these books to find out about. Total dissapointment. I have stacks of collector books that have proven useless. There all written by the "authority" on the subject on hand. I think this explains the ... in collecting and the stacks of used books available. If you're going to make a "Know It All" book, than you better know at least %90. Monster let down.



5. I'm very dissapointed in this book! After waiting 3 months beyond the original publish date, I find there are no blotter pages. I understand there will be no more blotters in future books, also. As I've been buying and selling blotters based on the Petretti's prices, I feel I cannot give this book a good rating. Also, why do we now have to jump all over the place to find the trays? They used to be simplified in one area.

5 comments about The Gun Digest Book of Firearms Assembly/Disassembly Part I - Automatic Pistols (Gun Digest Book of Firearms Assembly/Disassembly).

1. I have a small collection and was asked by my neighbor, to clean his Colt 1903 32cal automatic. Well, it's take down is not like more recent weapons and the the step by step illustrations were a great help in getting that puppy cleaned and rearing to go.
   
   Andy Davis



2. "...Some points in complete disassembly and reassembly may require the special tools and skills of a gunsmith.
   It can usually be managed by a very knowledgeable amateur, but there must be some mechanical aptitude.
   SINCE THIS BOOK IS INTENDED FOR BOTH THE AMATEUR AND THE PROFESSIONAL, even the simpler operations are often described and shown in detail....."
   [from the book of the introduction]



3. This book is very good at step-by step instructions. The pictures are well taken of the actual part you are working on. There could be more model numbers to go over, but the ones they have are very good. The author is exerienced in gun repair and it shows up in the "tip" portion of every model. I think a list of specialty tools would benifit the author in this book, since each model of firearm needs at least one special tool. Not all, but most. Listing those would benifit the less experienced gunsmith. Thank you



4. This book and all the others in the series are invaluable to the professional gunsmith, firearms hobbiest, or the casual gun owner who just likes to "see how things work" but can't always quite remember whether this little spring went in here, or over there.



5. This book is an excellent guide for disassembly. It is worthless as a guide for reassembly. There are no step-by-step instructions for reassembling a firearm. At best, the book assumes that reassembly is the reversal of the steps involved in disassembly. This is not necessarily so. I would not recommend this book to a hobbyist.

5 comments about Knives 2008 (Knives).

1. I have collected the Knives annual books since 2003, after attending my first "Custom knife show" in Denver Co. I went home and started to make and buy equipment to forge my own knives. Now 5 years have passed, I'm making knives, I know personally some of the very people who display their knives in the pages of these books, and especially for the 2008 edition, I have one of MY knives in the book! Page 121! I totally agree with D. Haines, a custom forged knife will out perform any store-bought, factory stamped out knife. There are lots of books and magazines that show all the "factory made" "cookie-cutter" mas-produced knives available,, but where do you find the "one of a kind", custom hand made knives, and in COLOR?? Knives annual, thats where! ---Jon



2. We get this book every year and it has never been a bad choice! Full of information and photos



3. This continues to keep the custom knifemaker or enthusiast up to date on what other makers are producing. It is also the only (and very good) catalog of makers. I have all editions since 1980 when it was first published, and find it invaluable as a reference.



4. Great as always! I make custom carry knives as a hobby as well and this annual series of books has always been a great inspiration to me. In reference to the review written by Charlie, I would take him with a grain of salt, just look at his other reviews. A typical self proclaimed know it all but most likely just full of hot air. Any hand made knife loving built following the old time trusted ways of knife making will out perform any "off the shelve" knife hands down. Don't believe me just put Charlie's K-bar in a vice and bend it past 90 degrees watching it snap like a twig, which by the way is the one of the first test of a knife maker. The greatest compliment I ever received was from a man who received one of my Damascus knives as a gift and later told me he had "skun" 25 hogs without having to re-sharpen the knife. Yes many of the knives in this book would be too beautiful to carry, but many of them are just plain high performance steel that I would be proud to carry on my side. To sum it up, I own well over 50 knife making books and videos and would rate my Knives Annuals some of most important I own. In my humble opinion I think that any knife lover would love this book as well.



5. I loved this as I do all the other knives editions. I make knives as a hobby and always have one of these books close at hand for ideas. I must say i disagree with the last reviewer giving it two stars, if you wanted everyday work knives there are numerous companies out there that would be willing to send you a catalogue, if that is what you are into. I feel this edition may be superior to previous editions. In the past some photo's were simply pasted in from professional photographers, now most of the knives have a plain white background, some with multiple views. If you want to know what the professional knifemakers have been up to in the last year or two, this is a great resorce. Enjoy.

No comments about Schroeder's Antiques Price Guide.

5 comments about Mauzy's Depression Glass: A Photographic Reference with Prices.

1. This is a very helpful book. Easier to use than some others on this subject. I highly recommend it!



2. Very well put together. Easy to find items. Pictures clear and easy to see. Values for items included.



3. My wife is a very active collector of all types, manufacturers, styles and colors of depression glass. Over the years she has become quite proficient in her knowledge but always appreciates a good authoritive up to date source of pricing, photo and description. This photographic reference along with pricing has been a welcomed addition to her book collection. The book is very well done with clear photos and good product descriptions. Pricing will always be difficult to lock down in print as prices vary from region to region but as a reference source to see what direction and what pace the pieces are moving in value as compared to earlier editions of pricing guides, this book does well. I would see this book in the hands of both an experienced collector as well as someone just starting out to enjoy this facinating type of collectible. There is a lot of knowledge to be gained from this book.



4. I thought the pictures were very clear and the details sharp. I liked the general layout of the text.



5. Wow, is this a mature book. It covers nearly every pattern I've run into, gives a good history and overview of nearly every one, has realistic prices, lists each piece, identifies and describes (yes, describes) how individual reproduction pieces can be spotted. The patterns are listed alphabetical.
   
   The only way I'd improve on it (and this goes for all these books) is adding a little cross-referencing between similar patterns. I've had to write in the book "similar patterns: ..., ..., ...".

5 comments about Goldmine Price Guide to 45 RPM Records (Goldmine Price Guide to 45 Rpm Records).

1. All I will say is if you're looking for any obscure stuff from the 70's 80's it's not in there. You're better off check websites that sell 45's.



2. I BOUGHT THIS ITEM AFTER BUYING THE BOOK GOLDMINE RECORD ALBUM PRICE GUIDE. I GOT IT PRIMARILY BECAUSE I WANTED TO SEE HOW MUCH SOME OF MY 45 RECORDS ARE WORTH AFTER LOOKING AT THE ALBUM PRICE GUIDE AND FINDING THAT SOME OF MY ALBUMS WERE WORTH MORE THAN I THOUGHT. I ALSO CHECKED THIS AGAINST AN ONLINE SERVICE THAT SELLS ALBUMS AND 45'S AND FOUND THAT THE PRICES ON SOME OF MY MORE EXPENSIVE ALBUMS WERE PRETTY CLOSE TO WHAT THEY WERE SELLING FOR ON THE ONLINE SERVICE. ON SOME OF THE 45 RECORDS THAT I HAVE CHECKED THE PRICES IN THE BOOK ARE HIGHER THAN WHAT THEY ARE SELLING FOR ON THE COMPUTER. BUT THIS MAY BE BECAUSE THE PRICE GUIDE LISTS PRICES FOR RECORDS IN MINT CONDITION. FINDING OLD RECORDS IN MINT CONDITION IS VERY HARD BUT THIS BOOK WILL HELP YOU KNOW IF YOU ARE PAYING TO MUCH FOR A RECORD AND I FOUND IT ALSO HELPS YOU REMEMBER OLD RECORDS THAT YOU HAVE FORGOTTEN ABOUT WHEN YOU WERE A KID. I HAVE SEVERAL BOOKS ON RECORDS THAT YOU SHOULD LOOK FOR BUT THEY ONLY LIST THE TOP 100, THIS BOOK MAY NOT LIST ALL RECORDS BUT IT LISTS RECORDS THAT I HAD FORGOTTEN OVER THE YEARS THAT DID NOT MAKE THE TOP 100 LISTS. I WILL REFER TO IT OFTEN AS I CONTINUE TO INCREASE MY RECORD COLLECTION.



3. This book is a fantastic resource for any collector, especially an amateur like me. After I learned how to "read" the entries, it was very easy to get the information I needed, and I learned quite a lot about the valueof the records I grew up with, as well as the picture sleeves which are often worth far more than the vinyl!



4. over and over,neelys guides come out faithfully showing all the wonderfull records you would love to own,stating decent prices anyone would wanna pay for them ..and then hits you in ther gutt by telling you they arent worth a third of that amount to dealers.
   when it comes to books like these everyone suddenly becomes a dealer.
   or else the near mint pricing is all anyone looks at.
   its a good book but its repetitive of all the other books hes done.and in fairness,all the other writers books too who do yearly record guides.
   and when it comes to showing scans of rare records..welp..it looks good but it doesnt make me wanna run out and buy them.
   in other words a collector can own one of these..preferably this book..and never buy another one because the info will not change much.
   just the packing and covers.
   still..a good xamas gift ands hard work involved.



5. Not relevant for todays market !
   I whis I could buy some of the soul, garage and freakbeat records listed there for the prices they estimate !! And the mainstream records are listed too high ! Buy the Jerry Osbourne price guide instead !!
   (and the colour section section pages fell out after one read)
   Avoid this !

5 comments about The Card: Collectors, Con Men, and the True Story of History's Most Desired Baseball Card.

1. The story of the world's most expensive baseball card, the T206 Honus Wagner PSA 8 NM-MT, isn't very complicated. Unearthed in 1985, it has changed owners a handful of times, netting each one a tidy profit. Its whereabouts for its first 75 years of existence are unknown. The reasons for its rarity have been speculated on, but are ultimately unknown. Whether the card has been trimmed somewhere along the way, a big no-no in the card collecting world and, if ever determined to be true, would permanently mar the hobby, is unknown. While O'Keeffe and Thompson perform an admirable job of attempting to answer these unknowns in The Card, the reader is ultimately left unfulfilled.
   
   What the authors do accomplish, however, is the painting of a vivid picture of the high end of sports card and memorabilia collecting. From the eccentric personalities involved to the back-room dealings to the heinous manipulation of items considered by some to be national or historic treasures, The Card lays it all out in unflinching detail. The king of the hill is Bill Mastro, the uber-dealer whose involvement has touched just about every sale of the Wagner. Surrounding him are other prominent collectors and dealers, some on his side, others attempting to dethrone him. While the authors exhibit a bias in who is "good" and "evil" in this fight, astute readers will recognize universal themes in this battle and be able to make their own judgments on motives. Like the question of whether the Wagner has been trimmed, the heroes and villains in this story are not clear-cut. What is clear, however, is that what used to be a fun hobby for boys and men with a touch of OCD has become commoditized by skyrocketing prices. Along with this commoditization comes all of its associated evils: all-encompassing greed, hubris, the destruction of national treasures. Ultimately, this unfortunate revelation will be The Card's final legacy.
   
   Written in a light journalistic style, The Card is easy leisure time reading and can be finished in a single sitting. While a bit erratic in detail -- the sections on Wagner's life as a player seem scant, while too much time is spent on the purported Wagner card owned by Ray Edwards and John Cobb -- the narration nonetheless flows easily from one topic to the next. Longtime hobbyists will probably find very little new information in The Card, though, and may even be distracted by easily quashable errors such as Alan Ray's assertion that the red printer's mark present when he owned the Wagner is now missing. However, this book was more than likely not written for hardcore collectors; its target audience being laymen with a passing interest in the hobby and its most expensive artifact. That being said, though, The Card does provide a decent aggregation of many of the tidbits of information on the Wagner that have been scattered amongst Internet message boards and whisper-filled back rooms. Advanced hobbyists may find it useful for that reason, although the lack of an index may at the same time hinder it. All in all, The Card is a decent book for card collectors' reference shelves, and as an exciting read for everyday folks.



2. First, let me say that this is, by far, the single greatest book ever written about the history of collecting. Even if you're not into cards, this book is a fast read which you absolutely will not be able to put down.
   
   THAT BEING SAID, I strongly disagree with the very premise that a card which was hand-cut from a production sheet is somehow worthless.
   
   THE Card is supposed to be "fake" or "worthless" because it has been "altered" or "trimmed". This is because it is designated PSA 8 NM-MT when PSA normally refuses to grade hand-cut cards.
   
   In other words, PSA violates their own rules. I submit that it's not THE Card which is fake. It's PSA's RULES. They should get over their bias against hand-cut cards from production sheets and start grading them, the way they grade strip cards from the 1920's and 1930's.
   
   99% of the vintage trading cards in existence were cut by machine at the factory. However, there were some cards which still existed as uncut sheets when collectors started getting into old cardboard back in the 1970's and 1980's.
   
   Some cards were distributed to the public as uncut sheets only. This was mostly in the 1920's through the 1940's. These cards are called "strip cards". You can see examples if you search eBay for "w551". Once in a while, you'll even see an intact uncut sheet from the 1920's in collector's circles.
   
   PSA will grade a strip card which was hand cut, no problem. If the margins are fully intact, they'll give it a numeric grade. If the card has been cut into the margins, they'll give it the dreaded "authentic". Either way, PSA provides a valuable service by doing so. Either way, a strip card is not considered to be a "Fake" or "Altered" in any way.
   
   What PSA refuses to do is this: let's say a card like a T206 or 1933 Goudey was distributed to the public in machine-cut form. If you happen to run across an uncut sheet of those cards and cut them out of the sheet, no matter how neatly, no matter how perfectly, PSA will refuse to grade your card.
   
   Well, I'm sorry, but that's just wrong. I've seen some absolutely beautiful hand-cut cards in my time. The cards are just as old, just as rare, just as desirable. The pictures are the same. They came off the same printing press. They are REAL, genuine, authentic, historically significant, and any true collector should be proud to own one.
   
   A good example is the 1944 American Beauties trading card set. This was a non-sports series of World War II pin-up cards by famed artist Gil Elvgren. Most were distributed in packs of 12 cards. There were only 24 cards in the set, so each pack contained 1/2 the set.
   
   HOWEVER, they were also distributed as strips of 6. You'll sometimes run across uncut sheets on the internet, and you'll sometimes run across neatly hand-trimmed examples of the cards. Genuine cards. From 1944. Identical in every respect to the cards from the packs, except for the trimming.
   
   Submit one of these cards to PSA, and they'll return the card. Mind you, they keep the $15 or $25 grading fee. But your card will be treated with about the same amount of respect usually reserved for those who murder puppies.
   
   In my opinion, that's just wrong. PSA makes the rules and PSA enforces the rules. The author of this book makes a compelling case that the most famous baseball card in the world was hand-cut from a production sheet. And he says it's "artificial" because that violates PSA's rules. The card isn't artificial. The RULES are artificial. So change the rules.



3. A person may have never collected one baseball card, but the T206 Wagner transcends that industry. And with any item worth millions of dollars, the pop culture publicity surrounding it has been a curse and a blessing.
   
   Authors Michael O'Keeffe and Teri Thompson take the reader on a wild ride of the history of the Honus Wagner tobacco card through the fiction that has oftentimes shuffled the facts to the clubhouse and the legacy of "The Card," the ultimate T206 that is worth at least $2 million.
   
   From cards as fake as the slimy smiles of a con-man to the high-stakes game in the art of the deal to obtain the ultimate collectible, the story is a home run that is hammered out of the stadium.



4. Wow! What a page-turner! Finished this in roughly 24 hours, something I haven't done in a long time.
   
   I haven't been interested in baseball cards since I was about 13, and I haven't been interested in baseball too much in the past ten years, but this book brought me right back to where I was in my youth.
   
   The book reads like a murder mystery that keeps you hooked, and tells all sorts of history about old time baseball cards, card collectors, Honus Wagner himself, and unfortunately all the card crooks found within the hobby.
   
   Highly recommended!!



5. I spent most of the 1980s collecting baseball cards. I started with the complete 1977 - 1979 Topps sets, collected for me by my dad as a failed attempt at giving me an inheritance. Most of what I bought and traded for later I stored in shoeboxes (the 1980 Topps set is in the cigar box that originally heralded my sister's birth). My mother never threw my cards away; I still have them all, many creased from having been transported to summer camp in my pockets.
   
   "The Card" is a fast, revealing read, and having lived the collector's life (in a penny-ante kind of way) I can say this is a must-read book for those of us over a certain age. It seizes on a single surviving 1909 T206 Honus Wagner card that recently re-sold at private auction for nearly $3 million, and how, through years of investigative journalism, the authors have fairly well proven that the card is not exactly what it purports to be.
   
   Apart from the hours I wasted cataloguing and re-cataloguing my meager collections (I once traded the 1977 Chris Chambliss for a 1983 tandem of Ed Lynch and Dave LaRoche; dumb, dumb move) I've never spent a million bucks on a card of dubious provenance. I once laid down $10 for a 1957 Topps Luis Aparicio, too big to fit into the 9-card-per-page collector sheets that housed lots of 1987 Mark McGwires and Garbage Pail Kids at the time.
   
   "The Card" is a terrific look at the dark side of the hobby. Since many of those noted as "villains" by the author declined to be profiled, the book mostly features interviews with collectors who've left the hobby out of heartbreak, or those who run honorable and transparent businesses trying to clean it back up. It's not just about baseball cards: it also touches on the grey market for "game-used" bats, autographs, jerseys and gloves. Billy Crystal makes a poignant cameo late in the story: he spent a quarter of a million collars on an item that isn't what he thought it was.
   
   At a card show last year I got autographs on two memorable cards: Bake McBride signed his afro on the '80s Topps card, and Alvin Dark signed for me his 1955 Bowman TV-set image. I will not be selling these items. Neither card is in near-mint to mint condition, as is the profiled T206 Wagner; neither card is particularly rare; and I got them signed for sentimental value, not for investment purposes.
   
   Confession, however: I did once trim a baseball card. This is part of a run of dubious practices, made easier with the advent of newer technology, where dog-eared cards are made crisp, and where aging borders are pared back to their original white and pristine state. In early 1983 a Junior Scholastic-type magazine I got in the mail came with an uncut partial sheet of eight 1982 Topps cards (I do have a mis-cut, from-the-pack 1980 Topps John Candelaria that's probably worth nothing). Being nine and having never seen an uncut sheet before, I promptly grabbed my safety scissors and got to work liberating the cards from their unified tyranny. Mangled all the cards in the process. Including the Orioles Future Stars card. With Cal Ripken, Jr. on it. To be fair, at the time I couldn't have known I was cutting up a card that, thanks to the hobby's implosion, probably isn't worth more than 20 bucks today, if that.
   
   One final note: the story of the T206 Wagner and its dubious rise to 7-figure investment property, opens in 1985 in a baseball card shop in Hicksville, New York. This is the same Long Island town that for 20 years unknowingly housed the Gospel of Judas. My mother (and all my baseball cards) currently reside in Hicksville. I'm going back to my collection one day and maybe see if I don't have a T206 Wagner myself sitting somewhere in that fated locale.