4 comments about Hot Wheels Forty Years (Hot Wheels (Krause Publications)).

1. Hot Wheels 40 Years is a very nicely put together book. It is a vast improvement in design, paper quality and everything thing else the its five years before predecessor Hot Wheels: 35 Years of Speed, Power Performance and Attitude. It is important to point out that although 40 years are covered, this is no field or price guide and only has a very small number of Hot Wheels vehicle photographs inside. Collectors or would be collectors would need to grab a Warman's Hot Wheels Field Guide: Values and Identification or something like this to get prices of and pictures of all the vehicles out there.
   
   What this book is, is a look at the Hot Wheels brand and its history through the eyes of an avid fan and collector. There are many interviews with designers and others associated with Hot Wheels along with many photos, sketches, castings, prototypes and the like. A lot of photos and information holiday cars given as staff bonuses to Mattel employees are inside as well which are quite interesting and show the company is or at one time was a fun place to work.
   
   The reader is taken step by step through the design stage of some vehicles. Commentary is also given on the finished product of cars throughout the decades as well as production errors such as VW beetles having the engine up front.
   
   There are places where maybe the authors love for the product stopped him from asking the hard questions such as what was the public reaction to the Mystery car packaging (black bubble instead of clear so buyer had a lucky dip type experience, I mean it obviously isn't around anymore, did it just get cancelled due to lack of sales or were customers annoyed with what they got? Also no commentary on the general public perception, of Hot Wheels being an inferior product to brands such as Matchbox (who are now owned also by Mattel) or Johnny Lightning and if Mattel plans on trying to life the image and quality of the brand or is content to just compete on price alone.
   
   Hot Wheels being pretty much the cheapest option for die cast car toys meant pretty much everyone had some of these things when they were kids. They are still priced well below Johnny Lightning (although granted their vehicles are more for adult collectors) and Matchbox today so no doubt if you've got kids today they've got some too. This book would make an excellent showing your kids the difference between your childhood and there's book.
   
   The author is really into his combi vans and a lot of the pages are devoted to those Volkswagen vehicles. The back pages of the book have Hot Wheels top 40 castings which is basically the author's opinion on the best car brought out by Hot Wheels each year of its existence.
   
   It's not a bad read and an enjoyable way to relive the past. Unfortunately a fair few photos make multiple appearances in here though, surely the editors could have stepped in and said hey, how about covering a bit more of the range.



2. I purchased this book for my 6 1/2 year old son who is Hot Wheels crazy. He looked at all of the pictures and then put it away. It's really for the collector and Dad who played with the cars in the 70's. For them, it's a great book to have around.



3. I just recieved this book today and "WHOW" what a book. The details of the graphics are fantastic. The are numerous pictures of cars in cards and with the graphics you feel as if you can pick it right off the page.
   
   Angelo has brought the Hot wheel history full circle with this book.



4. interesting book, plenty of photos, not just a dry catalogue, goes into the history of the manufacturing and design process, great coffee table and reference book

5 comments about Presidential Dollars Collectors Folder.

1. It is exactly the one I want! It holds coins tightly and also provides useful information about the presidents in the United States' history. For those who don't care about collecting P and D together, it is a good choice--one hole per dollar. The nice thing is that it also has extra spaces to hold new dollars that not in plan to create yet. I put some old dollars there.:)



2. We selected the product to have project to share as a family. Works perfect! Very well designed and educational



3. This folder is much nicer than the state quarter folder that I have. Good, short descriptions about each president.



4. This was a Christmas President for my husband who started collecting the President Dollars. He was very pleased with the product.



5. Presidential Dollars Collectors Folder Colorful, was a little dissappointed that not all the Presidents were listed, and there wasn't enough room for future Presidents.

3 comments about The Official Beckett Price Guide to Baseball Cards 2008, Edition #28 (Official Price Guide to Baseball Cards).

1. This book is not worth the price. The only cards listed were regular print cards. There were no inserts listed whatsoever. This book is good if you have alot of old cards.



2. the print is so small the book is basically useless. no insert listings! a waste of money



3. Like the Football Card price list I bought it is sometimes very hard to locate the cards. The simple $.05 cards are easy to find, but if you want to find the upscale cards they can be difficult if not impossible to locate. Maybe if your a dealer or have several years worth of experience looking for cards its not so hard.

5 comments about Standard Catalog of World Coins, 1801-1900 (Standard Catalog of World Coins 19th Century Edition 1801-1900).

1. If you collect Modern Foreign this book is a MUST HAVE, I have looked up 100 or more coins and have yet not to locate the coin I am looking for. It is comprehensive, has good pictures most of the Obverse and Reverse some just of the Obverse.
   I highly recommend this book, its great.
   David Jackson



2. This is a book that every collector whose interests exceed his backyard and go beyond his birthdate must have at home. There is no better help to start expanding your collection beyond 1901.
   There is no better does not mean that there cannot be a better one. Some remarks must be taken into consideration
   - this is an American catalog so prices in your country (if you're not American that is) are most certainly different and there is no point to waste your time to prove Krause wrong. E.g. prices of German states' coins in Germany are 50 to 100% higher than in Krause. They are which means that if you are looking for them you move to eBay and look for them elsewhere but not in Germany. Foreign dealers treat Krause prices of foreign coins seriously.
   - this is an American catalog which has a soft spot for American coins. Most foreign readers will be mildly amused by eighteen pages of remarkably uninspired designs of the US patterns (fortunately most of them are not shown) or twelve pages of "territorial gold".
   - this is an American catalog so you may find some of coins from your country missing completely or missing a picture.
   If you can accept all this, you will be happy with your purchase. If you can't, you should think if you won't be much happier with a more specific coin catalog but be sure that no other can give the kind of general view you find in this one.



3. This publication is essential for anyone buying, selling or evaluating coins.



4. This is the most comprehensive coin catalogue and when put together with Catalogue of World Coins 1901 - 2006, it really gives you an accurate picture and value report of what you have in your collection or are thinking about adding to it.



5. Material is horribly dated. Publication date apparently 2004, using 2001-2003 price date. Effectively useless.
   
   You MUST show date of publication in description of item.
   
   Not likely to buy again.

5 comments about Flayderman's Guide to Antique American Firearms and Their Values.

1. I have an old Flayderman's from the 1980s that has been a great source of information over the years on antique firearms. The sheer amount of information gathered in it is incredible and the latest edition is, believe it or not, even better! More information on many of the firearms and more entries makes this edition the best yet. Flayderman's in an invaluable resource for those interested in antique firearms and I highly recommend it!



2. Ever since the first edition, Norm's book has been the standard reference for antique American firearms. No other reference comes close to the breadth of content. Unless someone takes over, this is likely to be the last edition as Norm is getting up there in years.
   
   The index is still difficult to use as it has been since the first edition. It can be frustrating to locate information on a specific, less common, firearm. The prices listed for most items tend to be several years out of date.



3. I have ll the previous books, I have been waiting for this to come out. A must have for anyone who collects antique gun's.



4. As always, Flayderman presents the best in his guides. Well written and explanations are very accurate. A must for gun collectors and dealers.



5. I have bought 5 prior editions of this book. It is the best antique firearms valuation tool out there and full of interesting information.

5 comments about A Guide Book of United States Coins 2008.

1. excellant source for coin collectors just starting in. clear & consise with many interesting facts and stories regarding coins.



2. Hello , I am new to coin collecting so I needed a guide. I wanted some knowledge of the field I was about to enter. This book does that , not only price guide but much much more, full of information and nicely laid out in a easy to read format. Really good basic stuff.



3. Amazon advertised the latest, 2008 version of A Guidebook of US Coins, copywrite 2007, which I purchased. Two weeks later Amazon advertises the 2009 version. I firmly believe Amazon owes me the 2009 version & I go on record for such.



4. I ordered three books to give to clients as gifts. After I had ordered them I wondered if they would make it on time. They were here early. The books were exactly as described, brand new. The price was the cheapest on the net. The shipping was free. This product and service really deserve a 10.



5. This book accomplished just what i purchased it for. I needed to value my coin collection that was not reviewed for many years. The spiral bound edition was particularly useful when looking up many different coins.

5 comments about Florence's Glassware Pattern Identification Guide: Easy Identification for Glassware from the 1920s Through the 1960s.

1. I have many pieces of depression glass and didn't know any of the pattern names. i ordered the book to help identify them. it is helping with that but i thought the book also contained info on estimated value.



2. Was a good book, but if you already have guide 1,2, or 3 it was mostly repeats with different picture views. If this is your first guide it is a great one!!



3. For a collector, this book lacks many of the patterns, needed to know, in pricing a product. Some of the patterns pictured are not defined enough. A
   magnifying glass may be needed for a closer look. For beginners, it is a respected book, written by two experts.



4. I was a bit disappointed in this book mainly because of the way in which it was set up. I am used to their other books such as: "Collectible Glassware from the 40s, 50, 60s". I didn't find it as easy to navigate. The pictures are great though.



5. The book was very helpful, great photos, nicely laid out. Buyers should definately know, however, that it is a book of more rare pieces.

5 comments about Blue Book of Electric Guitars.

1. I've used this book for years for all my guitar buying and selling needs along with the Vintage Guitar Guide. My only complaint is that they have yet to add many of the smaller niche guitar makers over the years and the burgeoning market in house brands is not well covered ( Airline, Supro, etc). Otherwise it has most of the information you'll ever need. Don't take the pricing as the absolute word though, the market fluctuates a lot and prices can be dramatically above or below what is quoted in this book. Use it as a baseline and you're fine, at least you'll always know if that guitar your friend or neighbor wants to sell you is junk or of some value.



2. Needed reference if you have anything to do with guitars. Well done and helps to peg odd guitars.



3. This is an excellent guide for serious buyers & sellers of musical instruments, and gives a fair appraisal of their market's value (in this case, electric guitars) together with historical information & background.



4. Some prices are above what they actually sell for (priced too high) well some prices are below market on EBAY anyway.
   Also they need to expand some area's such as Harmony,Yamaha,Taylor and Blueridge,excellent overall guide to Acoustic Guitars aand there prices.
   Blue book has set the standard for all.
   They do an excellent job on Gibson and Martin both but too little info on small names.
   Maybe i should write a book of Yamaha Acoustic Guitars?
   These are very popular on EBAY and are considered the poor man's Martin,which includes me by the way.
   Good amount on the history of companies that Manufacture Guitars which i find interesting,facts most people do not know or realize.
   Gives buyer's the uphand on what price to pay for what condition,as well as an very good examples shown in pictures.
   I would rate this a 5 but there is too much info missing in there guide which forces me to use several.I wish some day they could make this more complete so i only need to buy one.But otherwise i depend on it.
   If you do not own this you are either a genius with one of the best memories on this planet or you are operating in the dark ages.



5. My Friend has an addiction to guitars so I purchased this book as a birthday gift three days ago and he hasn't put it down. Great book, very informative and apparently addictive too.

5 comments about A Guide Book Of United States Paper Money: Complete Source for History, Grading, and Prices (Official Red Book) (Official Red Book).

1. It's been many years since I've had this book. All of my expectations were satisfied. This book has been the "Bible" for US Paper money as long as I can remember. If you want to understand grading, pricing, or just want to learn about an important piece of American history, its worth the money.



2. I found this book to be very informative & an important book for any collecter/history buff.



3. This book has been so helpful in my collecting quests. I spent about an hour in Borders trying to find a book that gives values of modern as well as old currency for ranges up to Unc-63. It provides all the necessary information (such as signatures, series, quantity printed) for almost all bills and has a nice informative section as well. It gives price points that help you place a bid on valuable bills. This helps all collectors, experienced or not. I highly recommend this book.



4. This is good book about our money and is very educational.
   Well worth the price.



5. This book provides comprehensive and useful information. The valuations cover different seals, mints, signatures, and star notes. The book also includes some information about the history of each note. It is easy to find information and lookup valuations. The only negative is the black & white photos make it a little harder to distinguish between different seal colors when looking up info.

5 comments about Inside the Jewelry Box: A Collector's Guide to Costume Jewelry: Identification and Values (Inside the Jewelry Box).

1. This is a fabulous book on vintage costume jewelry! Beautiful colored photos, prices, loads of information and FUN. The author shares her own stories, talking with you as if you are an old friend, and by the time you finished the book you'll wish you were.
   
   Anyone who has a passion for vintage beauties will love this book. It appeals to collectors on every level. Don't hesitate to buy. You will not be disappointed.
   
   The author's first book on vintage costume jewelry is also a must have!



2. Ooops, I meant, not your OTHER jewelry book. I liked the first Inside the Jewelry Box so much, it was worth buying what I thought was just a second edition of it. But this is an entirely new book, with all new everything: information, subjects, photos. Great job once again by the talented Ann Pitman, who covers yum-yum subjects from fruit salad to Juliana and Lily Dache ... and exotic hard to find extras such as an Italian Ornella boot and a snazzy Calvaire purse. This is one of those books that keep on giving: you keep finding wonderful things you didn't see before, no matter how many times you look. Great job ... on an all-new book!



3. Beautifully written and the photos are stunning! If you collect costume jewelry you won't be disappointed. Only problem is now I have many more pieces to covet!!!



4. Inside the Jewelry Box: A Collector's Guide to Costume Jewelry Identification and Values, Volume 2 is a full-color catalogue of an amazing array of costume jewelry pieces. Each piece is presented with one or more photographs, a recommended price, and the name of the collection from which the sample piece was selected. From charm bracelets to artful plastics to necklaces, earrings, and rings, as well as special sections dedicated to well-known brand designs such as Eisenberg and Bettina von Walhof, Inside the Jewelry Box is a singularly gorgeous compilation and a joy to page through simply to savor the photography. The text offers the occasional sprinkling of historical information, comments, or insights about costume jewelry as well. A highly recommended treasury for collectors.



5. If you are a jewelry lover this is a must have book for your collection.
   Ann does a wonderful job with the pictures and the information. She is very knowledgeable in the costume jewelry field