2 comments about Antique and Flea Markets of London and Paris.

1. This book met a lot of my expectations by being very portable, very well-illustrated, and full of good descriptions of the merchandise one is likely to find in London and Paris flea markets. "Antiquing" is a very visual experience for me, and having plenty of photographs to whet my appetite for the various shops was a real plus. The book was useful too in helping me plot which days to attend which markets. Even if the merchandise changes and vendors sometimes move, there is enough general information that stays constant for this to be a useful guide for several years. The two-for-one format--London and Paris in one book--is also fun. The only reason I didn't give it 5 stars is because the maps could have been better. Otherwise, a great resource!



2. Antique and Flea Markets of London and Paris is a book serious shoppers will love. While spending several summer months in London, I have visited a number of the markets described. The authors are right on target, and the photos are enjoyable. I learned about many features I've missed, and read about several new places to try on the next trip. The book realizes that shoppers are people, not machines, and tells a little about the market's surrounding area, especially places to stop for a snack and a rest.

   I'm not as familiar with Paris, but if the Paris section is even close to being as accurate and useful as the London section, it will save shopping time and hassle across the channel, as it will in London.

   This is not "the" book for your trip if you need a complete guide book. If you like antiques and markets, however, you will love this book.

2 comments about The Official Identification and Price Guide to Antique Jewelry (Official Price Guide to Antique Jewelry).

1. This book does not meet the standardards set by Warman's or Jeanine Bell.
   The color pictures are grouped together with inadequate description. There are pages with sample spaces left blank. Descriptions are poor.
   The previous edition by Kaplan was so much richer and fitting for the time. Other vintage and antique jewelry books have better pictures, descriptions and general information than this long awaited book. A real disappointment.



2. I bought The Official Identification and Price Guide to Antique Jewelry as a gift for my mother. My knowledge of antique jewelry is next to nil, but the book appears to be comprehensive, with adequate item descriptions and pictures.

1 comments about Half-Dolls Price Guide.

1. I don't received the book about Half-dolls. I pay already my card Visa and I don't received my book.
   Please what the problem?
   Heliane C. Fonseca

5 comments about Standard Encyclopedia of Pressed Glass: 1860 - 1930: Identification & Values (Standard Encyclopedia of Pressed Glass 1860-1930).

1. The 5th updated edition of a pressed glass classic continues to be a 'must' for any avid collector of the medium: it covers glass companies, shapes and patterns, decoration definitions and insights on table glass factories, and more, blending in history with the latest values and collecting trends. Color photos on every page make it easy to identify pieces, while accompanying descriptions comment on cuts, names, pattern development, design modifications and changes, and more. Simply packed with detail, any authoritative glass collecting collection needs STANDARD ENCYCLOPEDIA OF PRESSED GLASS 1960-1930.
   
   Diane C. Donovan
   California Bookwatch



2. Would that it were otherwise! The fact is, no other commonly available reference is as handy and easy to use; and while the pictures leave much to be desired, this book has more useful color pictures than any other. It has helped me become familiar with the most common EAPG patterns, but since I know it's full of mistakes I don't accept its information uncritically. I wish the authors would clean up their many sloppy errors in future editions, even as I look forward to the book's expansion. This book is helpful, but I use mine alongside McCain's vastly more authoritative, reliable work.



3. Some of the reviews of this book surprise me. I have seen similar negative comments written about these authors on separate web sites, and no doubt the comments here are by the same people. My experience with this book is this....the main appeal to this book is that there are literally hundreds and hundreds of patterns identified, and by using the photos in this book, I've been able to identify pieces in my collection that I previously could not. Certainly I wish there was more information and detail written about each pattern...this book lists maybe a line or two about each pattern only, with no to few comments about reproductions. So, I use this book in conjunction with other pattern glass books (Reilly and Jenks, Warman's, etc) to get the most comprehensive picture I can. Some of the pictures are not super clear. Compared to other books which don't list many patterns at all and then do so in black and white or hand drawing, I'll live with it. I would imagine photographing the detail on clear glass isn't easy! I guess I'll summarize by saying that while the book is not perfect, it certainly takes a good stab at trying to organize information and photos of hundreds of pieces of glass from the turn of the century. Are there errors? Probably! But with all the fires in these glass companies over the years I am sure no one has the truth about everything.



4. Suppose you do not know much about glass. You probably won't know a whole lot more when you've looked at this book. Some of the pictures do not show the pattern. There are numerous ones, ie.; caprice, chestnut oak, star & thumprint, etc. that are taken at poor angles, or poor lighting or whatever and are just indisctinct. I was looking for a pattern on Cathedral and that is shown on a bowl that has the pattern going underneath. No way can you see what the entire pattern looks like. In the front of the book, they describe the shapes of the glassware. They list 20 shapes, but in the price guide, they list many more. What is the difference between a milk pitcher and a pitcher? a tumbler and a goblet? What size and shape is a sauce? What is a wastebowl? They never show or describe the bottom pattern. No explanation is given as to whether this is important, distinct or has no effect whatsover. I have no more knowledge of the patterns on my glass than I did before.



5. I have been buying and selling pressed glass for 30 years
   and I can agree with reviewer 'a reader' totally. I have read 3
   other books by this writer and consider them all as incompetently done as this one.

No comments about Miller's Collectibles Price Guide 2008: Over 5,000 Items Valued (Miller's Collectables Price Guide).

5 comments about The Big Book Of Cigarette Lighters: Identification & Values.

1. This book is useful for identification of some lighters. The values are out of date and need to be converted for 2008 prices. The photo images are clear and easy to use. It's a good reference book for lighter collectors or anyone interested in tobacciana.



2. This book was a complete disappointment. We bought this book because we are ebay merchants wanting a good book to identify some vintage lighters we had recently purchased.
   First, its title is highly misleading! It claims to be an identification and value guide but there is no effort made to help the reader identify anything or explain how the prices were obtained.
   The author, James Flanagan, makes no effort to explain to the reader the most basic information on the topic. No information is provided that explains how to identify vintage lighters, names of brands or manufacturers etc. Indeed aside from an exceptionally long list of acknowledgements (10+ people) the author provides two short paragraphs on the subject that explain how writing the book was "his labor of love". That's it!
   He then goes on to show 200 pages of vintage lighter photos along with their supposed values. The trouble with this approach is that he does not explain why he selected the lighters he did and how he arrived at his prices. Indeed many of them seem highly dubious. For example the "Bell Hop Cigarette Holder" on page 204, Flanagan gives a valuation of $75-100 but if you were to look it up in past ebay sales history you would see that since 2000 that lighter has consistently attained a price in the $500+. Ditto for most of the other lighters -- you cannot obtain most of them at the low prices he quotes. Considering this book was published in 2005 and the data cited above was easily obtainable on a site like eBay's marketplace research, such an error is unforgivable!
   I could go on to citizen the book on many other levels (like its lack of high end lighters, its filler topics like match books covers & ephemera, its poorly organized table of contents and many of the obvious errors / typos)... but you get the point. The book was poorly conceived, organized and executed.
   The obvious question arises then as to why the book was published in the first place? The answer is simple: This title is part of a broader series called Schroeder's Antiques - there are several advertisements all over the book for other titles from the series. It looks to me like they wanted a title that they could pass on to retailers as an actual price & identification guide as there are not many good ones out there at this price level. What the consumer gets is a highly questionable source of data with a title that makes it sound as though it is the authority on the subject. Don't be fooled!



3. This is a great book for vintage lighter collectors. I have two from the 50's that I could not find a value for anywhere until I bought this book.



4. Waste of time and money, there was almost no information, not a Zippo in sight, all odd ball lighters, no details just quickie price information including sections on matches, holders and other non-lighter items. We needed a price guide to lighters, and this was not it. The only thing big about it, well there was nothing big about it, as a matter of fact there was not a big value, or even a big book, much smaller than most price guides.



5. Colorful photos capturing details of hundreds of all kinds of lighters make this a prime guide for collectors. The captions right beside each photo note material, manufacturer, date, size, and price range--e. g., "Chromium lighter/case, made for king-size cigarettes, by Evans. Circa early 1950s. 4-3/4"h, 2-1/2w. $30.00-50.00." Animals, Art Deco, Beyond the Ordinary, Decorative, Miniatures, and Sets are among the many different categories. The category Miscellaneous Tobacco Accessories for pipe holders, match boxes, cigarette tins, etc., comes at the end. Numerous sharp photos, simple informative captions, and clear organization make this a ready reference for collectors and dealers at all levels. With its many photos arranged orderly, it is particularly useful to beginners to scan through to find out what types of lighters and related items to keep their eyes open for at flea markets and other resources.

3 comments about Boyds Tracker Resin, Vol. 2: Value Guide, Second Edition.

1. I thought the guide was pretty good but had missed some items. The pictures were not real clear or true color to the real item.



2. I have a Yesterday's Child (Dollstone) figurine collection and had been looking for a book to tell me how many figurines there actually are in this series and THIS IS IT. It is a fantastic book. It has everything that a collector would like to have and I highly recommend it. There are even logs in the book you can record your figurines. Thank you so much for your informative pages that led me to this book. ITS A MUST AND A KEEPER!!!



3. Have you ever wondered how much your Boyds bearstones are worth? Have you asked how many pieces are actually in the Boyds village? How many Uncle Beans Treasure boxes? Did you even know Boyds made collectible dolls too? This book explains it all!
   
   Much more than any previous value guide that came before... the 2nd edition of the Boyds Tracker Resin is your complete reference guide. Use the Tracker to inventory your treasures or just spend hours drooling over all the pieces you didn't even know existed.
   
   The editorials are a valuable teaching tool for the new collector:
   Boyds 101
   The Heart of Boyds
   Those Elusive Exclusives
   Boyds Alphabet Soup
   The Gnomes Homes
   ... and more!
   
   A true Boyds encyclopedia for every resin collector.

No comments about Acoma: The People of the White Rock.

1 comments about American Farm Collectibles: Identification and Price Guide, 2nd Edition.

1. American Farm Collectibles: Identification And Price Guide is a catalog of classic mementos of the bygone era of American farm life, including tools, antique tractors, toys and sleds, kitchen utensils, gardening items, turn-of-the-century ads, and much more. Black-and-white photographs fill almost every page other than the 32 pages of color photos, and the text offers straightforward item descriptions, current prices, and advice for finding collectibles and antiques. A superb resource for the dedicated enthusiast, and fun just to page through for the memories and nostalgia.

No comments about Miller's Pottery & Porcelain Marks: Including a Comprehensive Guide to Artists, Makers, Factories and Forms (Pocket Guides).