3 comments about Antique Trader Royal Doulton Price Guide.

1. Antique Trader Royal Doulton Price Guide I collect Royal Doulton items and had hoped this book would be up to date, especially on their Bunnykins Series, animals, and figurines. However, most of what I look up isn't in this price guide. It is nicely illustrated. Maybe useful for beginners, but I was looking for a far more detailed price guide.



2. Good price guide for many (but not all) of Royal Doulton products (tableware not included). An improvement over Charlton in that it provides colour pictures as opposed to Charlton's mostly black/white.Antique Trader Royal Doulton Price Guide



3. This is a good resource for Royal Doulton items not found in the Charlton Standard Catalogue. The two books together will give you a pretty comprehensive resource for identifying & valuing "most" Royal Doulton pieces.
   
   This duplicates a small portion of the info in Charlton Standard, but includes most things missing from it. It is a great resource for animals, Bunnykins, Character Jugs, Flambe, Burslem, Lambert Art wares and more!
   
   To any Royal Doulton collectors, I recommend BOTH of these volumes! (Charlton Standard Catalogue & Antique Trader)

3 comments about Scott Travers' Top 88 Coins to Buy and Sell: 44 Winners and 44 Losers.

1. I would have given the book four stars but for one issue (and it's minor.) The winners should have been in one part and the losers in another. But there was a winner on the left page and a loser on the right page.
   
   I found the book highly useful. I'm not a coin collector. To the extent that I love history and money, I love coins. They have a history. They are a part of history. Some are indeed beautiful. But my interest is that of an investor. And this book is great for either the collector or the investor.
   
   It gives a brief glimpse into each coin. It shows a picture of the coin and tells you why it's either a winner or a loser. Also, it tells you the approximate price you can expect to pay for it. You probably would want a more up-to-date guide as to buy and sell prices to accompany the book.
   
   Be sure and note the condition of the coin. The book makes clear what condition you should buy. You would want to avoid anything but those in most cases.
   
   Also, a most valuable glossary is at the back of the book. I find all the terms used in coin collecting completely offsetting as I know so little about it. This glossary is a great guide that you can quickly go to.
   
   I promise you, this book will help you to avoid the many mistakes that we all make in buying coins.
   
   Highly recommended.



2. I enjoyed the book, however the author is obviously an expert in coin collecting. Several things were mentioned that really don't apply to the "NEW" coin collector.



3. Should you buy the second edition of this book? At $13.95, YES! Is it well written? Yes. If you are planing to spend serious money and are looking for specific advice on what coins to buy or not buy, this is the book for you! It covers all price ranges. It's easy to read and fun to read! It's a popular book and at this writing 40 new and used copies are available on Amazon.
   
   However, it needs an aggressive editor who knows coins! Hopefully, a future third edition will include that! Unfortunately, there is no Table of Contents and no Index in this book. The pairings of Winners and Losers could be improved upon. Winner #17 Better-date silver dollars and Winner #38 1885-CC Morgan dollars graded Mint State 65 should have been paired up with Loser #18 Generic Morgan dollars graded Mint State 65, 66, or 67, Loser #25 Common date Peace dollars graded MS 63 & 64, Loser #26 Picked-through rolls of uncirculated silver dollars, Loser #35 1887/6 Morgan dollar graded MS 64 and higher, and Loser #44 1924-S, 1925-S, and 1928-S Peace Dollars graded MS 65. The explanation for the last loser alone is worth the price of this book! Needless to say, Scott Travers is not advocating that you complete your sets if you are investing in coins!
   
   Another example of the need for editing is Winner #9 Proof 66 nickel three-cent pieces could have been combined with Winner #35 Nickel three-cent pieces certified as Mint State 66 or 67.
   
   Commemorative coins are also scattered throughout the book. Examples are Winner #2 Lafayette dollars graded MS 65 and Winner #15 Isabella quarter MS 65. But, one wonders why not MS 64 coins at half of the price? Examples of losers are Loser #2 Iowa commemorative half dollar MS 65 and Loser #34 Sets of 1946 through 1951 Booker T. Washington commemorative half dollars. Given the explanations, one wonders whether MS 66 & 67 coins would be worthwhile? And there goes the idea of owning a complete collection! There's also worthwhile advice on Buffalo nickels and gold coins.
   
   One controversial loser. Loser #24 is Proof coins priced excessively high because their business-strike counterparts are scarce. It gives the example of the 1877 Indian cent with 900 issued as being excessively priced at $15,000 in Poof 65 RED. However, why not recommend an 1877 Indian cent in PF Red/Brown for $6,500 as opposed to paying $28,500 for the 1877 in Mint State 65 RED or $11,000 in MS 65 RB? It appears Scott Travers is advocating that we don't mix uncirculated and proof coins in our collections. But how does that advice against proofs match up with his Winner #5 1856 Flying Eagle cent in Proof 63, 64, or 65? Or Winner #12 1936 Walking Liberty half dollar in Proof 65 currently priced at $6,000, a much newer coin with more than four times as many coins issued (3901) as the 1877 Indian?

5 comments about Heisey Glass 1896-1957: Identification and Value Guide.

1. Although the written information in this book is pretty informative, especially about the company and it's history, I was disappointed that all the pictures in the book are in black & white and it is difficult to find specific pieces (owned) to see what they may be worth or what particular pattern they are. There is no definative catalog of glassware as I have found in various other books about depression glass and Jadite products. This book will probably stay on my bookshelf.



2. This is an excellent reference book for the Heisey glass collector. It is filled with helpful information!



3. Difficult book to read, but the best of all the books I've found on Heisey glass. There is so much to learn about the beautiful glass.



4. Very useful resource- illustration and descriptions are clear and helpful.
   
   Filled with information about manufacturers and designs. I had no prior knowledge about this book before I purchased it . I was very pleased with its resource value.



5. Fair treatment of history of Heisey Glass, a very basic collector book. There were a few actual errors in the index that made it hard to research particular pattern.

1 comments about The Vintage Era of Golf Club Collectibles: Identification & Value Guide.

1. 
   This books value is in a simplistic version of the Editorial review description: "This book helps fill a . . . gap in understanding a great era of golf, 1919 to 1942..." providing a chance to visually see some of the unique clubs designed during this era. It's nicely done and beautifully photographed, but, that's where it stops.
   
   The book also identifies unique designs, which is where one will gather the best value, though the pictorial representations are not supported by any text other than the simplistic descriptions and approximate values.
   
   Sadly, it lacks any degree of information. It appears to be more of a catalog of someone's collection than a reference work. Although there is a great deal of individually identified (cataloged) clubs, there are far too many instances where it reads more like an auction bulletin, with descriptions such as "Drivers, pyratone shafts 1923 - 1942 approximate value $55.00 each" to describe a page full of images that are all too small to allow the reader to identify any of the single clubs represented on the page. This is also a problem in other areas of the book such as the grips section.
   
   Other than the main chapter headings ("Metal Woods"; "Custom Clubs"; "Wood Heads, Steel, Pyratone, or Wood Shafted Clubs"; "Irons and Full Sets"; "Composite Materials"; "Fancy Face Woods"; "Fancy Face Putters & Irons"; "Utility Irons"; "Practice Clubs"; "Putters"; "Adjustable Clubs") the individual club listings do not appear to follow any order. The listings within each chapter do not follow any date order, and the dates are mixed from within the "era" of the titled subject matter: from the 1920s through the 1940s. On one page the reader can find clubs represented from 1920 and 1930, where the next starts with 1940 ending with1920. It appears that the order was controlled by the graphic designer with no thought given to the usage of the book as a reference source.
   
   Unfortunately, if you were looking to this book as a reference to learn more about any individual clubs you'd have to look through every page listed in the index under the manufacturer's name as the main chapter headings are the sole order. As example: a particular Spaulding wood might be in listed the "Wood Heads, Steel, Pyratone, or Wood Shafted Clubs" chapter because of the type of shaft utilized in its manufacture, whereas a different Spaulding wood could be listed in any one of the "Metal Woods", "Fancy Face Woods", or "Composite Materials" chapters.
   
   In closing if one is expecting this book to compare to The Golfworks series of "The Golf Club Identification and Price Guide" they will be disappointed. If they are looking for a coffee table pictorial of a good deal of the clubs that were manufactured before ones cataloged in The Golfworks price guides.

2 comments about Buy, Keep or Sell?.

1. My wife really enjoyed this book, and found many informative bits of information to help sort out "treasures" from clutter!



2. I liked looking through this book---it was certainly enjoyable to browse, but I can't see it being any real use to anyone interested in collecting. For serious collectors, it would be far too general, attempting to cover many, many areas from Star Wars to Art Deco to lamps to Pez. For non-serious collectors such as myself, it's frustrating, as the tone and advice is aimed obviously at SERIOUS collectors with money to burn. There is barely an item pictured that is priced at a level that one without a good deal of funds could start out buying as a collectible. Also, the book seems to avoid mentioning the buying sources that most beginning buyers would use---lawn sales, thrift stores and ebay, instead focusing on auctions and antique stores and dealers. There is also a heavy British feel to the book. There's a whole section on Dinky Cars, another on Queen Elizabeth II collectibles.
   
   I don't mean to say this is not a well put together and very interesting book. It really is, and I think most even casual collectors will enjoy looking at it, but I don't think it's of much use in really helping anyone decide what to buy, sell or keep!

5 comments about Standard Catalog of World Paper Money, Modern Issues: 1961-Present (Standard Catalog of World Paper Money. Vol 3: Modern Issues).

1. At first that is not colour catalog, so all pictures of banknotes are black and white, but in description for this book there is no such information (minus for AMAZON) - only information is that catalog is paperback...
   There is very little or almost no information about some countries (SLOVENIA, CROATIA, YUGOSLAVIA...), but some countries have too much information (USA...). Won't mention that all informations (facts) about some countries are not truth (example: SLOVENIA never had money named LIPA, first money was named BON, second money issued was named TOLAR - which was till the 2005, when we took EURO)...
   There is a lot of banknotes for some countries that are missing, and I think that collectors for all arund the world send pictures of banknote to the author (Cuhaj), but I think KRAUSE PUBLICATIONS have very little interest about publishing good book - catalog for world paper money. Hope there will be some other publication company that will publish better catalog will real and good information about worl banknotes...
   
   I think this catalog will be better (because of publishing company and also author), but find out that this is just wasting my money.
   
   Also have doubt about author knowing world paper money so good he is saying????????



2. Hello to all reputable collectors!!!
   I am very thankful to authors for this great book!
   It is very useful thing to valuate banknotes.
   Greetings from Ukraine!!!
   Sergey Trushin
   http://www.wezom.com.ua
   http://www.lacrysil.com



3. It was a pleasure to work with you. The catalog is very useful and it was delivered in no time. Thank you



4. As a beginning collector, I didn't really know very much about this subject, and the book helped me immensly. I highly recommend this book both for novice collectors like me, and for those lucky individuals who have been doing it for years. An excellent source!



5. If you collect modern banknotes, you must own the Standard Catalog of World Paper Money, Volume III: Modern Issues (US$50, Krause Publications, ISBN 0-89689-502-5). The simple fact is that there is no other omnibus catalog that covers post-1960 issues in such detail. Now in its 13th edition, Volume III contains 12,000 illustrations of notes from over 200 issuing authorities, most with valuations in three different conditions. The SCWPM is our collector community's bible, and its "Pick" numbers are the lingua franca used worldwide to identify types and varieties. However, anyone who spends more than a few minutes examining the SCWPM soon discovers its many flaws.
   Let me begin by stating that I realize it is a gargantuan task trying to ensure the accuracy of so much detailed data on a subject that is sometimes obscured by intentional secrecy. With 1,048 pages, it's inevitable that minor typos creep in and omissions are made. Many errors I had spotted in previous editions have been corrected, yet new ones have cropped up. But the problems I have with the SCWPM are not minor, they are systemic. According to the back cover blurb, editor George Cuhaj compiles input from "more than 80 experts around the world." This alone probably explains many of the catalog's flaws. These unpaid contributors are anonymous, and they bring different levels of dedication to the task of updating their areas of expertise. As a result, the SCWPM is often inconsistent.
   For example, sometimes a note with a new date or signature combination gets a new type number, other times it warrants only a new variety letter, and other times it's just grouped together with several other dates. Australia, Switzerland, and West African States all have listings with extremely detailed varieties, while most other countries list only an issued note and specimen. Speaking of specimens, often they are listed without description or price. Does this mean they are unconfirmed or rare? And why is it that the introduction claims the variety letter "r" is used to indicate remainders, though Biafra's notes lacking serial numbers are given "b" variety letters and Cayman Islands uses "r" to indicate replacements? Rather than being systematic and predictable, the numbering scheme is arbitrary and subjective. Fortunately, renumbering has been held to an "absolute minimum" in this edition, but unexplained gaps from previous renumberings exist, as do new discoveries shoehorned into the inflexible scheme with numbers followed by capital letters to distinguish them from lower-case variety letters.
   The problem with inconsistencies extends beyond the pervasive numbering scheme to the issue of signatures. If a country's note varieties are clearly distinguishable from one another based upon other attributes--such as date or overall design--I understand there is no need to publish a signature table. However, it is unforgiveable to omit same if the note descriptions make specific references to signatures either by number or name. For example, Argentina SCWPM 275-282 refer to signature titles by letters, but the accompanying table from the 12th edition has been dropped. Likewise, Belgium SCWPM 134-152 refer to signature numbers that have never been documented in any edition. Unfortunately, the signature tables which do appear don't always include the signatory's full name, title, and term of service. In fact, Bhutan's signature table lacks numbers altogether, so references are confusing, to say the least.
   I'm happy to report that the list of banknote printers and their abbreviations has returned after being dropped since the 10th edition, but good luck finding it since it doesn't appear in the table of contents (hint: it's in the back of the book, sandwiched between full-page advertisements).
   Though it bears a copyright of 2007 and claims to cover modern issues from "1961-present," the 13th edition fails to include many recent releases one would expect. For example, there's no mention of the new families of notes from Azerbaijan and Mozambique introduced in 2006, nor of the European Union notes bearing Jean-Claude Trichet's signature, and these have been out for years. Nonetheless, I would recommend the 13th edition if for no other reason than its black-and-white images are much clearer overall than the muddy illustrations of the previous edition. While the front and back of most notes are shown, not all notes are depicted, and the images are just big enough to aid in identification, but not to savor the details. Inexplicably, all recent editions have also included eight pages in color of randomly selected notes without any commentary or obvious purpose. This costly insert should be put to better use--highlighting new color varieties or particularly attractive new issues--or dropped entirely.
   Aside from identification of note varieties, the other purpose of a catalog is to provide accurate values of notes. Here, too, the SCWPM provides questionable guidance. Many countries have not seen any valuation changes whatsoever over the course of several editions. This is simply impossible given the fact that all values are expressed in US dollars, and this currency has experienced a significant drop in exchange rates across the board over the past few years. For example, the high-denomination Haitian notes printed on Tyvek remain listed at relatively accessible prices, despite the fact that I have never seen these rarities offered for sale at any price. Even in those countries which have been updated, the new valuations are unreliable. For example, Romania's notes dated 2005 are all still priced below face value, though not as severely as in the previous edition. On the other hand, the prices of common recent issue Australian notes have spiked beyond reason. And some countries--such as France, Italy, and Qatar--have some VG and VF notes priced at face, despite being demonetized.
   If you collect the entire world, the SCWPM is the only game in town, and is a necessary reference well worth the price, even in light of its shortcomings. But if you focus on particular countries or regions, you'll want specialized catalogs instead.
   
   This review first appeared in print in the International Bank Note Society (IBNS) Journal 46.3.

No comments about Goldmine Records & Prices (Goldmine Records and Prices).

5 comments about Antique Guns: The Collector's Guide (Shooter's Bible) (Shooter's Bible).

1. I recently ordered this for my husband. He saw an ad for it in one of his gun magazines. I looked it up on Amazon, and it was much cheaper.
   
   He refers to it often and thinks it is one of the best that he has.



2. This book is a waste of paper:
   I just received and opened it: The introduction lets you understand you're going to learn the different guns. Page 1 is full of photos of diverse handguns. One is dubbed: "French Flintlock Pistol". The photo shows a back action percussion lock. Hmmm. I jump to "Swiss Military Rifles" (I'm a Swiss collector). Two rifles are listed: First a Mod. 1871, cal 10.5 mm. The caption is a Mod. 1869 and the right caliber is 10.4 mm. Second a 1891, cal 7.63x54 Russian caliber Mod 1891... same as Moisin Nagant. From 1889 to 1890, the Swiss Army caliber was 7.5x55. From 1889 to 1957, the rifles were Schmidt Rubin or derivates. There NEVER was a 7.63x54 cal. Moisin among the Swiss Military Rifles. I shut the book down. I had to put a star to review the book, but it's worth none. It's for sale, new, quarter price.



3. Very interesting, but not exactly what I was looking for. Still a very informative book.



4. Any who buy, sell or trade in antique firearms needs to know identification, firearm specs, and how to value one: Shooter's Bible Presents Antique Guns: A Collector's Guide provides everything needed to do all of this. Color photos introduce the topic, but the heart of the title isn't color: it's black and white photos paired with caliber, barrel, weight and model specifications. Year of introduction or making and current valuation creates an important collector's reference.



5. Any who buy, sell or trade in antique firearms needs to know identification, firearm specs, and how to value one: Shooter's Bible Presents Antique Guns: A Collector's Guide provides everything needed to do all of this. Color photos introduce the topic, but the heart of the title isn't color: it's black and white photos paired with caliber, barrel, weight and model specifications. Year of introduction or making and current valuation creates an important collector's reference.

2 comments about Red Wing Stoneware.

1. This book has excellent colored photos of various Red Wing stoneware. I found the book to be quite informative in regards to the history of Red Wing Stoneware, and the various companies that made such stoneware. I found the price ranges to be quite realistic. This book has everything from crocks, jugs, churns, water coolers, snuff jars, and many more. The glossary of terms was helpful too. As a beginner in Red Wing collections, I'm glad I got this book. This book does not have every Red Wing stoneware piece, but they do have many.



2. Have you ever wanted an easy to use, beautifully photgraphed, and consistantly benificial Red Wing Stoneware reference book? Well look no further. This guide book will help you in sorting out the numerous pieces of Red Wing Stoneware, their markings, and the most current prices.

   This very informative reference is a primer for the beginning collector and a great research tool for the more advanced collector.

5 comments about Official Price Guide to Star Wars Memorabilia.

1. I'd like to begin by noting that this isn't a bad book for the price. It contains some interesting and worthwhile information, and parts of it were fun/interesting to read. I particularly liked the chapter that dealt with reproduction weapons and other fake items (though it would have been nice if it included a few example photos). There were also solid chapters dealing with the history of Star Wars collectables, as well as vintage and new figures, trading cards, comics, etc..
   
   My two main concerns about this book were the quality of the rating system and the price guide (both seemed somewhat misleading). For example, on page 25 he shows a picture of a vintage R2-D2 figure that is in TERRIBLE condition, but gives it a C6 rating. However, I think most collectors would give it a much lower rating (and many would probably just throw it away it's in such bad shape!). Further, if anything, the price estimates provided in this book seem too low! For example, the price guide says a mint/complete loose blue Snaggletooth sells for $55 (but, I've never seen one go for that little anywhere). So, if the author is selling his mint/complete blue Snaggletooth at that price, I'll take it!
   
   Other minor concerns include a price guide that is more confusing than most, and calling the book an "official" price guide when there doesn't seem to be any formal connection at all (I didn't see it stated anywhere, but it seems this is just a name the publisher uses for all their collectable books).
   
   In sum, most of the information provided in this book is not new and is also available elsewhere (by far the best option being John Kellerman's Star Wars Vintage Action Figures: A Guide for Collectors). Though you'll probably pay more for many of these other books, most will contain a lot more photos, be in full color, and be printed on high quality semi-gloss paper. By contrast, this book contains only a modest number of photos, is 98% black and white, and is printed on newsprint. For all of these reasons, I give this book 3.5 stars (rounded up to 4 stars because even an average book on Star Wars collectables is still pretty good).



2. its was okay not as good as the field guide but it had info that the field guide didn't have .



3. This book is a fantastic way to learn how to price items. Since markets fluctuate, and price guides become outdated very quickly, it was a great read that informed me of what to look for when both buying and selling. With the information in this book, you can compare your item with those on the market and it will help you adequately critique and value you're collectible. If you are in a market to get quick numbers for pricing items...this is not the book for you. But if you want to learn what makes items valuable, and how to preserve those that are, this is definitely the book to get.



4. The title of this book is misleading. It should be called "Official COLLECTOR'S Guide to Star Wars Memorabilia". That's because it's really more of a guide for collectors who want to know the history behind many collectible items. It discusses aspects such as bootlegs, production errors, preserving and storing your collectibles, how and where to buy, and so on.
   
   What it DOESN'T do (at least not thoroughly enough for me) is list the going prices for all Star Wars memorabilia. I have a collection I'm looking to sell piecemeal, so I wanted a resource that would tell me what a fair asking price is for my items. This book has a surprising lack of depth when it comes to price listings, however.
   
   For instance, there is no listing of prices for common collectibles such as posters! I also could not find a price listing for the Burger King glassware sets, and various other items that I have in my collection. And even the items that this book does list often have "N/A" for the original retail price and the MISB (Mint In Sealed Box) price.
   
   What it DOES have that might be of interest to a collector is a reference number that you can use to look up the item on the web site database www.rebelscum.com/swdb. Even so, I perused that database, and while it has some great photos and details on Star Wars collectibles (it actually lists the text written on the back of those Burger King glasses!) it does not offer an online price guide, which is what I'm in need of.
   
   So for the serious Star Wars collector, I give this book 5 stars. But as a "price guide" -- which is what it bills itself as -- it falls far short so I have to take back 2 stars.



5. What makes this price guide worth the money is the 225 pages BEFORE the price guide.
   
   If you're new to collecting, this book has practically everything you need to become not merely COMPETENT at it, but SKILLED, even for non-Star Wars related items. It extensively covers terminology, grading, and even online auctions.
   
   If you're a veteran collector, it covers vintage Star Wars items, variations, prototypes, protecting your collection, and even trading cards and comic books.
   
   This is more than merely a list of items and prices. It's truly a "guide" to collecting.