4 comments about Fifty Years of Collectible Fashion Jewelry 1925-1975.

1. This book was very informative. It gave the information I needed about some collectible jewelry I am accumulating. It gives a more in-depth history of the manufacturing of many collectible brands than other books I have seen. I would highly recommend this book for vintage jewelry collectors.



2. I started collecting vintage jewelry about five years ago and I had no idea what I was doing. This book really helped me identify a variety of items and their value. Pamela D. Blair, Author The Next Fifty Years: A Guide for Women at Mid-Life And Beyond



3. The value in this book is definitely for the beginner jewelry collector. Many jeweler names are mentioned, with colored pictures of some of their designs. This book is a good springboard for further detailed research by jeweler name recognition. The book also holds value for crafters, there are many excellent colored photographs, of unique designs. The book I purchased did have updated prices to 2001. I could not use this book to value any of my pieces except one, and that was worth the price of the book, because I undervalued the beads, shown in the piece.
   I would not overpay for this book, at a good deal, add this book to your order. Probably best as a library reference book. Quick read. Value is in jeweler name recognition, list, and for jeweler craft ideas.
   I have many vintage family pieces that I have no information on identifying from this book, and I don't think this book would aid me in collecting either. I think the prices shown are rather low.
   Mistreglo



4. I was really disappointed I spent the money on this book. All the price references are in the back, which means taking more time to find them when doing research. I rarely use it.

3 comments about O'Brien's Collecting Toy Cars & Trucks 4th Edition (Paperback) (Collecting Toy Cars & Trucks).

1. I've found most everything I was looking for all in one source! If you like collecting cars and trucks, you must have this book!



2. Information seems to be well organized and spelled out, but was disappointed that there were so few color pictures.



3. For Matchboxes, very difficult to find and reasearch based on a proprietary numbering system. Numbering system not clearly articulated in overview. I had to purchase a new "Matchbox specific" guide from another publisher.

5 comments about The Golden Bowl (Oxford World's Classics).

1. Reading late James - particularly "The Golden Bowl" - often strikes me as being similar to reading a novel in a foreign language whose vocabulary you have mastered but whose grammar remains partially a mystery. Anyone who has attempted this will recognise the sensation of understanding all the words, yet not understanding how they fit together. You read a sentence two, three or five times, and it is only then that you understand, if at all, the meaning of all the words combined. Sometimes the meaning never becomes clear.
   
   "Late James" is a foreign language, but one in which I have become more fluent over the years. When I first read "The Golden Bowl" some years ago I understood very little and did not enjoy it. The long, convoluted sentences, with so many things only half spoken - and often never spoken at all - seemed a vast and elaborate machine which never seemed to produce enough to justify its own existence.
   
   Yet now, having read most of James over the intervening years, I have become more fluent in his language, and find the circumlocutions, complexities and ellipses of the "late style", if not exactly crystal clear, then certainly much clearer, and even rather comforting and enjoyable. The subtle discriminations, the way James holds up to the light tenuous motives and turns them slowly - very slowly - so that their hidden facets become, fleetingly, visible; the very real portrayal of interesting characters that James reveals; as well as the languorous, unpredictable turns of a Jamesian sentence - all offer the kinds of pleasures that no other writer (possibly excepting Proust) is able to produce.
   
   "The Golden Bowl" consists largely of conversations, some continuing over many, many pages. The content of those conversations would, for most writers, comprise the details between the main actions of the plot; and for most writers, those conversations would occupy, at most, a few pages. But for James, it is the interstices between big events, the dramas, not so much of everyday events, but of the subtle daily manipulations, the unspoken victories and losses of personal relationships, which interest him and which comprise the novel.
   
   The subject of "The Golden Bowl" is the reciprocal marriages of father and daughter, to a pair of former lovers. The novel is about the tensions and deceptions, and the manipulations, that arise as a result. Who knows what about whom? Who is responsible for what actions? Who is deceiving whom, and who has the moral authority as a consequence? Ultimately, who, if anyone, triumphs, and is their victory a hollow one? These are the sorts of questions James is concerned with.
   
   "The Golden Bowl" rates as a great novel - one of the greatest of the twentieth century - because of these qualities as well as its ambiguities. It is also an enjoyable novel, but to enjoy it you must first be sympathetic to the sorts of concerns James is interested in, and you also need to be conversant in his distinctive language. Both of these require - or at least I would recommend - first reading James' earlier and middle period works. For most of us, late James can be a struggle, but one which is justified by its rewards. I don't regard reading "The Golden Bowl" as an exercise only for academics, pretentious aesthetes or literary masochists, but I sympathise with those who do.
   
   Giving "stars" to a James novel seems a little inappropriate (he is beyond these kinds of simplistic judgements), But I have given "The Golden Bowl" four stars, because there are times when it strains the patience even of those who admire the writing style and enjoy the late James novels, and I prefer "The Ambassadors" or "The Wings of the Dove". Nevertheless, "The Golden Bowl" is one of the great novels in English and is highly recommended to anyone who has read and enjoyed James' other novels.



2. Reading THE GOLDEN BOWL by Henry James can be either an exercise in frustration or of exhiliration. If after reading a few pages one deduces the former, then one has allowed an excessively convoluted and ornate prose style to interpose itself between a writer with a straightforward theme that is inextricably intertwined with a style that is its polar opposite with a reader who expects the straightforwardness of the theme to link with a parallel style. James uses grammar and syntax in much the same way that Milton does in PARADISE LOST. Reading James and liking James is an acquired taste. For the novels leading up to this one, one can almost argue that James was simply getting ready to write what is generally considered his master work.
   
   The plot is relatively uncomplicated. A father daughter relation is exceptionally close. Their immense wealth insulates them from the mundane trivialities of life. Both are used to acquiring things of value: a painting, a house, and when need be, a husband for the daughter. Adam Verver is the father, a basically decent sort who has Midas type wealth, but is determined to use it to make his daughter happy, a state of mind that is no more different--or more expensive--than acquiring anything else. Maggie is the daughter, also a good hearted woman who has learned from her father that value must be exchanged for value. Enter Prince Amerigo, a titled but impoverished European who is selected to marry Maggie. He is willing to swap values. The difference between his decision and theirs is that he knows what he is contemplating is wrong, but as long as all concerned are upfront, no harm done. Complicating matters is Charlotte Stant, a close friend of Maggie, who is in love with Amerigo and he with her, but both acknowledge that marriage is out of the question. Maggie convinces Charlotte to marry her father--again an exchange of value for value. The two marriages occur and things are more or less normal for a few years. Maggie has a baby, but neither the baby nor her husband are allowed to interfere with her relation with Adam. Maggie, eager to have more time for her father, encourages Amerigo and Charlotte to spend time together. Eventually, Maggie gets suspicious and guesses the truth. The novel ends with Charlotte and Adam leaving for America, leaving a suddenly contrite Maggie to relight the spark in a marriage that was never properly lit in the first place.
   
   The dominant theme is less complex to relate than to analyze. All four spouses are willing to marry as long as each one receives value for value. For Adam, this value is renting/buying (it is difficult to approximate the correct verb) a titled husband that he believes will make Maggie happy. He is quite prepared to pay millions. For Amerigo, this value is getting enough money so that he can make his way in the world. He is prepared to be a probably non-functional trophy husband. For Maggie, this value is fulfilling her biological imperative, and she is prepared to ignore Amerigo or pay attention to him as the case may be. And for Charlotte, this value parallels Amerigo's and she is prepared to pay the same price as he does.
   
   Unifying all these cross-cutting themes is the Golden Bowl of the title. Early in the novel and before any of the marriages, Amerigo and Charlotte plan to buy a suitable gift for his marriage to Maggie: a magnificent golden bowl, with a minute defect, a slight crack. They refuse to buy it for that reason. Later in the novel, the bowl reappears with Maggie's learning that it had been intended as her wedding gift. Maggie sees, perhaps subliminally, that the bowl is symbolic of her life with her father and her husband. As long as she lives with her father, life will be an uncracked bowl, perfect externally but inhuman internally. Maggie's realization that her life with Amerigo must contain that crack comes with breathtaking force. She, Amerigo, Adam, and Charlotte have chosen to live with a cracked bowl. For those readers with the patience and skill in deciphering an admittedly complex text, they can see that in this imperfect bowl Henry James has made a very profound statement about the human condition.



3. "The Golden Bowl" (1904), written by Henry James (1843 -1916), is a book that many consider a classic. I read it many years ago, and decided to read it again after hearing a friend mention it, and realizing I didnt remember much about its plot.
   
   The story is set in England, and its main characters are Prince Amerigo, Maggie Verver and her father Adam, and Charlotte Stant, Maggies best friend. Amerigo is an Italian nobleman that happens to be poor, and decides to marry the very rich Maggie in order to become wealthy. Maggie has a very close relationship with her father, and decides that Adam should marry Charlotte, so that he wont be alone. What Maggie doesnt know, however, is that Amerigo was the lover of her friend Charlotte. That seemingly small detail, that Amerigo and Charlotte go to great lenghts to hide, complicates the relationships of the four characters, and immerses them in a web of lies and simulation. Appearances and reality, what is more important? And what doesn a golden bowl have to do with all that?
   
   If you are interested in finding the answer to those questions, and dont mind the fact that James style is somewhat baroque in this book, you might be interested in reading "The Golden Bowl". The descriptions are great, and the author excels at making you understand what these couples are thinking, and feeling. On the other hand, not much happens, and this is the kind of book that can be easily forgotten. That is what already happened to me once, and it is likely to happen again, at least to me. I dont recommend "The golden bowl", due to the fact that there are other books out there that are unforgettable, books that simply make you remember them...
   
   Belen Alcat
   
   PS: If you are interested in reading this book, please do so. "The golden bowl" was not for me, but maybe you will understand and appreciate it better.



4. The rating is for my own enjoyment of the book - not for its literary quality.
   
   Henry James is not my cup of tea. Tea being an appropriate metaphor, as Mr. James could no doubt write fifty pages about how a woman holds her cup of tea with her pinkie finger extended just so, therefore indicating to the rest of the group her inner turmoils, her family history, and what she fed the dog for dinner.
   
   He has a tremendous command of vocabulary, long, complex sentences, engaging characters but it is such a long, slow read for me I find myself having to go back to the beginning of sentences just to see what the heck was going on when he started them.
   
   This book took me all month to read, with some personal time off causing part of the delay, and reluctance to dive back in the rest. I am sure it is my own failing as a reader, but from a pure reading enjoyment viewpoint, this did not do it for me.



5. This last completed novel of Henry James, the third of his three culminating masterworks, is not for the reader who doesn't understand that there is a difference between high, difficult, art and pop art--and that the difference has nothing whatever to do with class or politics or social status, but rather with depth, complexity, subtlety, and virtuosity of articulated nuance.
   
   The storyline is fairly simple (easy to look up), but what makes the book most rewarding, read after read, is the way that Henry James brings dramatically to life, with unexpected richness of texture, every feeling of passion, ambivalence, anxiety, and inner conflict of the Prince, his lover Charlotte, her husband (Mr. Verver),the Prince's wife (Mr. Verver's daughter, Maggie), and the Assinghams.
   
   Like "Hamlet" or a late Beethoven quartet, one learns to savor "The Golden Bowl" through repeated performances--except here, the reader must do the performing, a daunting challenge that takes patience and a concentration of intelligence that few enough people are interested in cultivating or even capable of. What is the reward for essaying to make James's visionary work one's own visionary work? In a word, it is the life-enriching experience of what Shelley once called "transforming enlargements of the imagination."

5 comments about Bottles: Identification and Price Guide, 3e (Bottles: Identification and Price Guide).

1. Don't buy this book. It is a waist of money and time. I have a lot of old bottles and can't find one of them in this book. It says it is the best book for bottle collectors. If it is, why can't I find even a Vicks Vapo Rub cobalt bottle in it?? I am very dissatisfied.



2. I have a copy of this book, along with dozens of other books on antique bottles and collecting them. It is one of the least worthwhile of them all, and I am including books published in the 1960s with more listings, better photos, etc. The book shows mainly bottles that are more easily found in the West, and chances are that the bottles you want to find info on will NOT be listed. (Of course, no book can list them all, as there have been hundreds of thousands of different bottles made-just in the US alone). But Mr. Polak's book is a hyped mess of misinformation, fuzzy b&w photos (although he does include a lovely centerfold layout of several beautiful bottles in full color!!) and a "quick course" on identifying the age of bottles which is almost useless, as the problem of learning the true age of a bottle is not always as simple as he makes it sound. The list of glass factory marks has been copied from other writers who copied from Julian Toulouse's book on bottle makers' marks, and some of those are in error just as he first presented them in 1971. Production dates of bottles listed must be taken with some caution. Some of the bottle club information is very outdated, having been lifted from old magazines that are 20+ years old. Information is often vague, with little explanation of exact condition, damage, or the exact embossing variant being referred to, which can make a HUGE difference in the value of a bottle in some cases. I think every bottle collector should have a copy, but mainly as another checklist they can refer to, in order to help find out what all is out there in the field of antique bottles that they MIGHT eventually run into at antique malls, bottle shows, yard sales or by digging them themselves. Values are mostly overrated, some are too high, some are too low. Overall, this book is an example of the type of material that I find disheartening: Lots of HYPE, but not much solid, worthwhile information for the serious bottle collector/hobbyist/historian/digger/amateur archeologist out here!!



3. This book is a very difficult book to use. No index, bad alphabetizing of lists, no cross referencing. It lists mostly high-end bottles, and ignores others. It has pages of useless content. e.g. bottle club listings, bottle dealers, etc - all things that are out of date a month after publication and best found other ways. That space could have been used for something useful, like an index. I recommend this to no one.



4. I've been an Antique Bottle Collector for approximately 10 years and have bought all of the previous editions of Bottles: Identification and Price Guide. While the other 3 editions have been excellent and a great help, the 4th Edition is by far the best of the group. The front part of the book with respect to how to understand bottle collecting,the history of bottles and glass, and digging for bottles (which I do) is an excellent update. In addition, the updated pricing sections along with the photographs, both black & white and color, are also extremely helpful. I find that the other area that provided a great deal of help is the back section of the book. The Trademark Section, Glossary, Clubs and Dealer Guide, and Bibliography. Overall, Mr. Polak has done a great job providing a super updated 4th Edition. The book makes mention that it has been called the "Bottle Bible" and I can understand why. It's been extremely helpful to myself and many of my fellow bottle colletors.



5. A lot of good info for the beginning collector and a fair reference for all.

No comments about Warman's Toys Field Guide: Values and Identification (Warman's Field Guides).

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

1. 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.



2. 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.



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. 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.



5. 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

No comments about Native American Art in the Twentieth Century: Makers, Meanings, Histories.

No comments about Art Collecting 101: Buying Art for Profit And Pleasure.

5 comments about The Art of the Russian Matryoshka.

1. The detailed and collaborative work of Rett Ertl and Rick Hibberd, The Art Of The Russian Matryoshka is a unique and distinctive artbook devoted to the classic Russian toy consisting of dolls that fit inside one another. 330 full-color photographs illustrate and showcase rare and vintage matryoshka, while the narrative text covers the history of this device as well as the steps of its creation today. The Art Of The Russian Matryoshka is especially recommended for toy collectors and a welcome contribution Russian Cultural Studies collections.



2. As an avid collector of matryoshka dolls, I found this book covered it all! I especially enjoyed the pictures and explanation of the lathing and prepping of the blanks. And the techniques used to paint the dolls. This book is a must-have for every collector!



3. Our daughter was so happy receiving the book The Art of the Matroyshka for her school project. The book marvelous! Extreem beautiful pictures, so clear! A good story with much details. Very usable for the school project.
   We also were very pleased with the fast en accurate delivery.
   
   Many thanks, Robert



4. Fantastic book! Color plates are exquisite and the text very informative. A definate must-have for any doll collector!



5. I had visited Russia in 1996 and purchased many matryoshkas for myself and souvenirs. I loved this book, because I saw many of the ones I had bought, and others I hadn't and it was wonderful to learn their history. I also am fond of the store that Mr. Ertl has online and hope to purchase some matryoshkas from him in the future.

5 comments about The Official Precious Moments Collector's Guide to Figurines.

1. Just received this book in today's mail, and frankly, other than the pictures of the pieces, it is, in my opinion, not worth the paper it is printed on. There is NO secondary market except internet auctions for Precious Moments any more. This guide lists "Free Puppies," for example, as a value of $2,100 - they sell regularly on auction for $300 - $450, depending on whether or not they have a box. Last week, one with an original brown cardboard box (extremely unusual), went for just under $600 in mint condition - a beautiful piece. The rest of the "Original 21" are priced through the roof - some of them 10 times and higher prices than what reality is. There is a disclaimer in the book claiming that the prices vary from spot to spot, and they got this information from dealers and collectors around the country. I wish they would give credit to these so-called knowledgable people, and it would be nice to know who paid $2100 for "Puppies" and how many years ago that happened.
   
   For the pictures, the guide is fine, but beyond that, DO NOT rely on it for accurate price information - even many of the suggested retail prices in the book are incorrect.
   
   I give this one a thumbs-down. There is no secondary market to amount to anything in collectibles any more, in my opinion, and this book's prices just encourage disillusionment among collectors so they keep buying (or investing?) in pieces, hoping to make good money when they sell. It ain't gonna happen - there is a ton more merchandise out there than anyone ever guessed back 30 years ago at the beginning of this.
   
   Buy what you like, like what you buy, and don't expect to put your kid through college when it's time to sell - you might not get back enough money to even pay the bookstore bill!
   
   For what it's worth - my opinion!



2. This guide is an essential reference for any serious collector or anyone buying or selling Precious Moments figurines. The lack of serious competition will make sure this sells. However, there is little improvement in this 3rd edition over the 2006 second edition. The addition of the newer figurines and an update in pricing, which seems to average about 16% increase, are the main differences. There is also a size difference. The second edition was a handy 8.5" x 5.5" but the third ed is 11' x 8.5", which I believe is too large for a soft cover book. There is no new information about each piece that is not in the earlier version. It would have been nice to include the size of each item. There is an annoying change in the index that consolidates several previous entires into entries by series. For example, instead of separately listing the sugar town skating pond there is one listing for the series 'sugar town' with 18 page numbers.
   
   Overall, I was disappointed in this guide and would recommend that anyone not needing information on the last 2 years figurines stays with the 2nd edition and awaits the 4th.



3. I think this book is a great way to keep track of my Precious Moments and give me a current value of each one. However, because values change from year to year, it could be a lot of work transferring them to a new book each year. I think every couple of years would be fine to keep track of what you have unless you purchase numerous figurines every year.



4. Took a while to receive due to release issues, but once received, Book is great!



5. The 2007 Bomm Precious Moments guide is truly precious since it incorporates retail and secondary values into the same book. The cross-indexing by figurine title and model number is also wonderful. The photos are great quality, too. The guide is a must-have for all collectors!