No comments about Viktor Schreckengost Designs in Dinnerware (Schiffer Book for Designers and Collectors).

5 comments about Collector's Encyclopedia of American Dinnerware.

1. I really love this book. I've used it many times to find the names of patterns I have from years of estate sales to sell on e-Bay. Great work.



2. A wonderful beautifully done book.This is a great book for looking up patterns. There are plenty of color photos which show great detail. I plan on buying the previous and subsequent volumns of this book.



3. While the book was somewhat helpful with listing the various companies, it was very short in pattern names, examples and pricing.



4. Other than the photos, there isn't much here. It's very amateurish. Whole categories are missing -- there is barely a mention of "Fiesta" at all. Makes you think the publisher had an arrangement so as not to infringe on sales of their Fiesta books. There is no mention of Metlox. Also, while there is a price guide, it only lists the specific pieces that are shown in the photos, not all the pieces in the line. This is a major shortcoming. There should be some mention of pieces not shown. The book is also poorly organized, with ads from old magazines interspersed with original writing. It reminds me of an 8th grade book report. Spend your money elsewhere.



5. The title of this book implies that it is an all-encompassing American dinnerware reference work. However, it is sadly lacking in both breadth and depth. Any collector would be well advised to look elsewhere. This work is so superficial that it is virtually useless.

4 comments about American Limoges: Identification & Value Guide.

1. I found this book after I went to a appraisal in Dallas Texas where author Debby DuBay was speaking on antique Limoges porcelain. I purchased DuBay's book Antique Limoges at Home and then purchased American Limoges by Ms. Limoges to help me with my American Limoges pottery. I found out by reading these reference books every thing I needed to know about my grandmothers "Limoges" Thank you to two wonderful authors who have published two very useful and valuable reference guides on the subject.



2. I found American Limoges after reading Debby Dubay's "Antique Limoges at Home". If you want to know the difference between antique Limoges and American Limoges I highly recommend Antique Limoges at Home! For more info on American Limoges recommend this book.



3. Full-color photos on every page and current price values for each item are the pluses in this book. Many items are not actually identified, however, and names given to the pieces have been coined by the author. Even so, this one serves as a handy reference and guide to those wishing more information on American Limoges, the history and major pieces. I wish there'd been more examples of Viktor Schreckengost's connection to the company and designs made by him for American Limoges but that is a personal preference.



4. Do not purchase any Limoges China, (american) without this book. It is a priceless resource to be carried with you as you explore antique shops. I wish that I had it with me before I gave away my American Limoges China, thinking that it was worthless. Raymonde Limoges has done a great job in assembling this book.

1 comments about Victorian Houseware, Hardware and Kitchenware: A Pictorial Archive with Over 2000 Illustrations (Dover Pictorial Archive Series).

1. Although interesting for the idle reader, this book is a valuable resource for those writing in the period setting, with its detailed descriptions and illustrations of items considered mundane in this era but no longer in use today. Also a priceless resource for the reenactment community.

5 comments about American Sterling Silver Flatware 1830's - 1990's: A Collector's Identification and Value Guide.

1. I bought this book along with Sterling Flatware by Tere Hagan. I find it difficult to use and poorly organized. She has a lot of information on certian patterns and makers but little on others. There is no index and information is incomplete. I use it as a back up to Hagan's book as she sometimes will have a pattern that Hagen dosen't have. Neither book is complete and this book has some information and a couple of Manufactures that Hagan dosen't cover still both books are valuable but even together not complete. I still have quite a few unknowns in my collection.



2. The 1880’s to 1990’s American Sterling Silver Flatware is a reference guide to 23 of the major American Sterling Silver Flatware makers and their production. It provides an overview of the patterns and the individual pieces produced in this 100 or so year’s time frame. For someone who loves silver it is lovely to look at. Some of the images are, just as they are on the front cover; beautifully photographed images. Others seem to be poor quality computer scanned images that produce, in many cases, barely acceptable illustrations or examples of the pattern.
   If you know the name of the company you will be able to find the name of the pattern, the date of issue and an approximate price for four components. Not necessarily the basic four components of a place setting, as I understand it to be, i.e. a Dinner Knife, Dinner Fork, Dessert/Salad Fork and Tea Spoon. One also has access to a list of pieces that were originally produced. Here again, the guide could offer so much more. It does not provide insight into the difference between a Master Butter Knife and a Butter Knife nor does it include the measurements of different pieces, which I would have found invaluable. It is very useful to know that a Place fork or Luncheon Fork might be slightly less than 7 inches in length and that a Dinner Fork may be 7 ½ inches. And just what does an Orange Knife look like, or Strawberry Spoon an as compared to an Almond Spoon. More importantly, how does a Five O’clock Spoon differ from the more Basic Tea Spoon and those, which are mentioned as Full Size Trade Tea Spoon, Full Size Regular Tea Spoon, Full Size Heavy Tea Spoon, or Full Size Massive Tea Spoon. Again, the weight of different items would have been useful. While this book is a very valuable guide to American Silver Pattern, which does have a place in a collector’s basic library, I feel it falls short of its possibilities as an Identification and Value guide.



3. I was simply much too impatient for quick and easy answers the last time I wrote a review for this book, and I am a bit ashamed of myself for having been so negative and hypercritical. After much more time and education on the subject of American Sterling flatware, I realized that Ms. Dolan's approach is actually rather pragmatic and useful (organized alphabetically, by manufacturer, with hallmarks being displayed before each section). I would have appreciated an entire section devoted solely to identifying hallmarks, a wider range of American manufacturers, and an index, but this book has indeed proven useful for me, regardless (even though I am only able to reference between 50 to 60% of the patterns in any given pile of mixed antique American Sterling flatware, using solely this book - but still). Though by no means a complete reference in itself, Ms. Dolan's book should indeed be included in any collection of American Sterling flatware reference material, and seems to fill some of the gaps in other existing reference guides.



4. This book purports to be for the identification and value of American silver flatware. It is woefully incomplete. Where is Tiffany & Co.? Where are all the patterns that I would like to identify? Why is the layout so reader-unfriendly? And who cares that "Baltimore City lies 200 miles from the Atlantic Ocean..."?



5. As a collector, I have some sterling flatware purchased for daily use. However, I was unable to find one pattern in this book that matched the 50+ pieces I have. The photos and drawerings, however, are clear and detailed. Hopefully, someday I will be able to match a piece with the book!

2 comments about Collecting Blue Willow: Identification & Value Guide.

1. My biggest complaint abt this book is that the photos in the Picture Gallery are not separated into categories. Everytime I want to identify some item, I have to page through most of the Picture Gallery photos b/4 I find it. Very frustrating. If you don't mind spending time looking at every page, you will love this book.



2. M.A. Harman's Collecting Blue Willow is packed with color photos of blue willow ware. From brown and green patterns to the well-known blue, this packs in values, photos, and an exceptionally handy list of marks in back.

1 comments about Collectible Drinking Glasses: Identification & Values.

1. This 136 page volume, with prices updated for 1999 features THOUSANDS of glasses, in full color photos. A nice overview and brief history of the hobby is included. Some major topics cover from: Artists and Producers, Characters and Personalities, Fast-Food Restaurants and Food Containers, to Americana, Space Related, Superheros and Sports. Each group of glasses includes photos, a description of the glasses along with a value range. Its completely indexed for ease of use. A must have for collectors of this topic. It carries a list price of $ 17.95.

5 comments about Collector's Guide to Switchblade Knives: An Illustrated Historical and Price Reference.

1. This book has great information on American switchblade history. There is very little information on italian switchblades. All pictures are black and white. If your into American switchblades, this is your book. If your looking for information on Italian switchblades, pass on this book.



2. Some pictures and grading info, has a wide array of types and years of knifes. "Antique American Switchblades" is ten times a better source.



3. The most comprehensive book on collectible early switchblades on the market
   Well layed out easy to understand, very good book.



4. Richard Langston is an acknowledged expert in this field and a well known avid collector of automatic knives. He does not disappoint in the "Collector's Guide to Switchblade Knives" . While the book is a little heavily oriented to towards the early twentieth century companies of Pressbutton, Schrade Walden, and their derivatives, this is in keeping with the spirit of the hobby as these are generally the most sought after knives. His insights on the histories of these companies is invaluable from the standpoint of determining age of these products. On the down side, I would have liked to have seen a little more historical and dating information about other companies products and imported knives, but you can only get so much in one book.



5. Richard Langston's book is best summed up by the title of this review. His historical and informational references are effused
   with his personality and wit. I enjoyed reading the beginning of this book so much, it left me wanting for more. The early days
   of the cutlery industry in the United States, and Upstate New York in particular, were a fascinating time. To read about this
   history from the perspective of someone who has been an enthusiastic student for most of his life, is a gift not often discovered.

No comments about America's Salt & Pepper Shakers.

No comments about Jewel Tea: Sales and Houseware Collectibles : With Value Guide (A Schiffer Book for Collectors).