1 comments about Figurative Cast Iron: A Collector's Guide (A Schiffer Book for Collectors).

1. A useful book because it covers both doorstops *and* doorknockers, bookends, banks and other cast iron ephemera. The photographs are dark and the pricing is out of date, but there are very few books on cast iron collectibles, making this a valuable addition.

5 comments about The Comprehensive Guide to Chocolate Molds: Objects of Art & Artists' Tools.

1. Wendy Mullen's The Comprehensive Guide To Chocolate Molds: Objects Of Art & Artist's Tools more than just a collector's price guide, Wendy Mullen, chocolate maker for 15 years, delves into the history of antique chocolate molds and their design and production, packing over 1300 photos of such antiques with discussions of all kinds of molds. Topped by an interview with the great-granddaughter of one of the best German mold specialists in history, Anton Reiche, The Comprehensive Guide To Chocolate Molds is unparalleled in depth and detail: there's simply nothing like it on the market, past or present.



2. this book was well worth the money, it was well done. very informitive, unique and happy to own it



3. Wendy Mullen found her first chocolate mold over fifteen years ago and loves writing about chocolate. She has published articles about chocolate molds and this book displays a wide array of antique chocolate molds that include everything from Easter eggs to cats and angels. There are molds for butterflies, bunnies, frogs, turtles, goats, roosters, pigs, lambs, dogs, elephants, teddy bears, deer and just about any other animal you can think of including storks, seals and stylized dolphins. Fairy Tales are also featured and you can may enjoy seeing a Hansel and Gretel house, Red Riding Hood and Snow White Scenes.
   
   All the prices are included so you can have an idea of how much you want to spend if you go looking for these molds. All the main holidays are represented, as are unique items like the the Krampus mold familiar in Austria. Neptune also appears and then there are may pages of Santa. If you love collecting Santa items, there is page after page. Christmas takes up at least one fifth of the book and is perfect for getting ideas if you make chocolates for Christmas. There are snowmen, angels, Christmas ornaments and even manger scenes.
   
   Even if you don't want to go looking for a three hundred dollar scallop shell, at least you can get ideas for what you want to go find online. Many of these molds seem to be useful for candy making and for making soaps.
   
   Additional creative finds at the end include hearts in a postcard style which are very beautiful once painted or if you use three types of chocolate. There are castles, temples, crowns, shoes, cars, boats and even hot air balloons.
   
   A special "Collector's Tips and Closing" section shows how to purchase antique chocolate molds, explains how they must be cleaned and handled to prevent rusting.
   
   From the information in this book, you could actually buy a new chocolate mold that looks antique. Additional information on suppliers is briefly discussed. To find most of the molds, you only need to do an Internet search because all the items have collection information and the names of the specific items.
   
   As a coffee table book this is highly entertaining, but the usefulness factor is especially enjoyable because of the way the book is organized. A lovely gift or a research tool for your own journey of chocolate art.
   
   ~The Rebecca Review



4. I have enjoyed the book on chocolate moulds and it is very informative for the antique moulds. I would recommend this book and am happy that I ordered it. It has many pages of information and pictures.



5. I absolutely love The Comprehensive Guide to Chocolate Molds: Objects of Art & Artists' Tools. It has beautiful photographs of molds with their values. This was of great interest to me since I have a mold collection. Also I use my molds for chalkware and have for more than 15 years. It was exciting to see photos of other chalkware artists' work. In all I love the book and hope Wendy comes out with Volume Two as there are many more molds to cover. Thanks, Carol

5 comments about TV Guide The Official Collectors Guide: Celebrating An Icon.

1. A mind-bending, if not surreal, parade of TV trivia presented week by week, year by year, era by era. Every single TV Guide cover is shown in true color, from April '53 to the first mag-size issue from autumn of last year. They're arranged as text would be on each page, left-to-right, top-to-bottom and IN ORDER on each page, dated and readily viewable. They even include full displays of all fold-out covers, as well as every version of each multiple cover, such as the one which had to be updated at Michael Landon's death, different regional sport-season previews, and the 25-cover tribute to all the Star Trek cast.
   
   The book is in 3 main sections:
   1) A 26-page section of blurb overseeing the history of TV Guide and background trivia of many of the covers
   2) The section displaying the covers themselves, and
   3) A listing of all covers (with dates and captions) and their collectible worth in mint condition.
   
   It is bound in durable yet manageable paperback binding.
   
   Anyone can invent their own TV trivia diversions just by scanning through this book (i.e. what are the earliest covers featuring people who are still alive? or Who has appeared the most times? or How did TV Guide handle documentarial times and issues [JFK's assassination, 9-11, the advent of cable & PBS etc.], or When did one televion era end, and another begin? and the like). The price list section also serves as an easier-to-count ready-reference of all the cover headings.
   
   Mad Magazine presented a similar, also top-rate, timeline of all their covers a few years ago upon the advent of their 400th issue. The first such resource to incorporate all the TV Guide digest covers certainly doesn't disappoint.



2. The episode of Seinfeld where Frank Costanza was noted to be a collector of TV Guide pretty much cemented that publication's place in the lore of pop culture. Now, from Bangzoom publishers comes "TV Guide" the official Collector's Guide. A lot of collector's books claim to be the only book you'd ever need to own but this one truly fits the bill. With over 3700 pictures, and every national and regional TV Guide cover pictured from 4/10/1953 through 10/19/2005 this is truly the ultimate resource for not only collectors, but fans of the magazine as well.
   
   With a foreward by senior TV Guide editor Michael Davis, the book provides info geared towards the collector on where to buy, grading, and preserving your TV Guide collection. The cover subjects are what drives the price of back issues with the very first issue featuring the baby Desi Arnaz Jr. being the most valuable. While I've never collected TV Guide I was a long-time Comic Book collector and basically TV Guides should be kept and stored the same way...in protective bags and ideally in acid free storage boxes.
   
   The guide provides a 19 page history of the magazine as well as a look at TV shows and trends by decade from the 40's through the 2000's; everything from Milton Berle and Howdy Doody to Lost and American Idol. I was born in the 1960's and love many of the shows from that era even though I didn't watch many in their initial runs. It wasn't until syndicated re-runs in the 1970's that I came to adore shows such Bewitched, Gomer Pyle, and Green Acres. As noted in the book, The Brady Bunch was never a top-rated show, but you'd hardly know that since it has gone on to become one of the most syndicated shows in history and a true TV legend.
   
   Next up is 213 pages which show each of those covers from 1953 through 2005 in full color and it's like a trip on a wonderful time machine to page through the decades to see many of the actors and shows that you remember so fondly, and many you may have forgotten such as The Governor and J.J. One TV Guide trend that seems to have ended some time in the early 80's was featuring Santa Claus on the cover of a December issue. The book concludes with a 68 page index and value guide for each issue and doubles as a handy checklist for collectors.
   
   Whether you are storing issues away chronologically like Frank Costanza, or just have a life long love of TV, you are certain to find something to enjoy in this fabulous book.
   
   Reviewed by Tim Janson



3. I was so happy to receive the TV Guide Official Collector's Guide, it is a great publication!! It has a lot more information than I expected - comments by stars over the years and much more!! It is very colorful and I will enjoy reading it for years to come. My 45 year old son has a collection of TV Guides and I know he will be interested in seeing the publication to see if the ones he has are valuable! Thank you



4. This book has several major flaws. For a start, there is no index. The only way to locate covers with your favorite stars or shows is to browse the pages year-by-year.
   
   The price guide only gives values for "mint condition" issues, with no guidelines for how to adjust value for copies in less than mint condition. (Most collectors' guides give a range of prices based on condition.)
   
   It would have been nice if they had included some lists, such as: the most valuable issues; issues with multiple covers; people who have appeared on the most covers; etc. All of these things are mentioned in the text, but there is no way to look them up except by browsing every listing.
   
   Despite these flaws, this is still an invaluable book for collectors, because of it's comprehensive checklist.



5. Enhanced with more than 3,700 full color covers from America's most popular, iconic, and widespread weekly magazine, "TV Guide: The Official Collectors Guide" compiled by Stephen F. Hofer (Curator of the Philo T. Farnsworth Television History Center, Auburn, Indiana, and who himself is the owner of one of the largest collections of TV Guide magazines and memorabilia in the United States) covers all the national and regional digest size covers from April 10, 1953 to October 9, 2005. Included are TV Guide foldout covers, holographic covers, and multiple covers. For the antique dealer and hobbyist collector, each issue has the current secondary market prices listed. Featuring memorable quotes from TV Guide and from television shows, "TV Guide: The Official Collectors Guide" is more than a price guide compendium, (and a superb history of the magazine itself), it is also a very highly recommended tour of American television programming through more than fifty years of popular culture.

5 comments about Vintage Toys: Robots and Space Toys.

1. Gorgeous 192 page, up-to-date book featuring more than 400 superb full color very large, sharp photos of more than 300 robots, spaceships and ray guns. This 1999 book uses a great format, with 2 toys per page, complete with a load of information on each item ! One of the best formats I've seen. It covers the years from the 40's through the 70's. A full color photo of the box is even provided with most toys. Topics range from Acrobat Robot, Astroman, Buck Rogers and Cape Canaveral, to Roby Robot, Smoking Spaceman, Space Trooper and Yonezawa items. You can't miss with this reference book.



2. Vintage Toys: Robots And Space Toys is an outstanding compendium of 300 space and science fiction toys from yesteryear. Jim Bunte, Dave Hallman, and Heinz Mueller collaborate in offering the history of the companies that made these popular toys and the present day market valuations of each toy cited. Profusely illustrated throughout in full color, specifically designed for ease of use as a reference, authoritative and exhaustive, Vintage Toys: Robots And Space Toys is nostalgic, practical, and an invaluable reference for avid collectors and antiquarian dealers alike.



3. ... yes, it has lovely production values with super clear pictures but it also has its faults.

   1) With so may space toys the book could have covered (and remember, this book does not claim to exclusively be a tin toy robot book) there are far too many of the same sort of toy. Many are just duplicates with a different paint job and could have been ditched in favour of a bit more variety, or at least shown in the context of the original toy they were based on. Where are Ideal's Zeroids? How about Major Matt Mason? Surely important space toys? Instead we get Rock 'em, Sock 'em Robots twice!

   2) The toys are shown in alphabetical order within their respective decades which means that it's hard to see how trends developed within any ten year span. Sometimes toys are described as copies or alternative versions of existing toys but the original is only found further on in the book because its name is later in the alphabet. So much for their clear, easy layout which is hyped within an inch of its life.

   3) Information is sketchy at best with many discriptions being almost identical and relying only on visual observations of the toy, something which anyone could do. Surely someone can supply reliable information about Japanese tin robot manafacturers? Some information is also incorrect. The UK Smash robot came from an advertising campagin for instant mashed potato not a comedy show whilst toys described as being influenced by real-life rockets are in fact copies of Thunderbird 1 from the Gerry Anderson 60's TV show.

   All in all this is a nice coffee table book with nice photography but as a resource for space toys from the 50's to the 90's it sure lacks a lot. The authors would have been better off doing better research and thinking more about their choice of toys than to constantly congratulate themselves about a page layout that isn't very special at all.




4. Granted, this is just a pretty slide show, but its done well, and I love looking at these old toys, some of which I had as a kid. The book is really well made, but lacks SUBSTANCE, know that you are buying a picture book and you will be happy with it.



5. I agree with Wil Overton's review (see above). This is a nicely done book for the tin-litho robot collector I suppose, but if you are looking for a real breadth of coverage on vintage space toys, in my opinion you will probably be disappointed. I am a big fan of rockets and spaceman/alien figures (Space Patrol/Tom Corbett/Rocky Jones, etc.)and found very little in this volume of interest to me. In fact, I bought it second-hand at half the publisher's price and felt it had not been a good purchase; but, then again . . . I was looking for much more than robots.

1 comments about The Golden Age of Cigarette Lighters (Schiffer Book for Collectors).

1. This is the leading book on cigarette lighter collecting. There are nearly 1000 lighters illustrated in color. The variety is incredible. From Zippo to Dunhill and so many more. There is even a value guide to give you an idea of value. This is the authors third book on lighters and they really went all out to make this the best book ever.

5 comments about Audubon Art Prints: A Collector's Guide to Every Edition.

1. One of the most common stories you hear while visiting purveyors of original Audubon prints is how they constantly receive phone calls asking "is my Audubon print an original?" Of course, this is due to the combination of two phenomena - people have the general notion that Audubon prints are valuable, but there are millions of reproductions out there which, although they may be aesthetically pleasing, are not worth much. How to tell if you hit the jackpot (an Antiques Roadshow moment) without making that phone call? Buy this book. Bill Steiner has written the first extensive treatment on Audubon prints from the viewpoint of the collector. There are lots of books about Audubon out there, and some scholarly books on the original prints (most notably by Susanne Low). But, this book lays out all the knowledge gathered by an avid collector, accumulated over many years of poking through print shops and galleries and examining large numbers of Audubon prints, of all kinds. If you don't have the time to learn all these details the old fashioned way, as Bill Steiner did, then this is your best key to the world of collecting Audubon prints. It is written in an almost folksy style, and is very accessible to the reader. Of great importance to anyone thinking of starting to obtain some of those actually genuine original Audubon prints is an evaluation of how to do this via auction, and in particular, via online auction sites. But, this book is more than just for the beginner, and long-time connoisseurs of Audubon will immensely enjoy it, both for validation of what they already knew, as well as to see if the author knows something they don't!



2. Compiled by field ecologist and veteran bird-watcher Bill Steiner, Audubon Art Prints: A Collector's Guide To Every Edition is a first-rate guide to the many distinctive avian prints and paintings of John James Audubon (1785-1851). The informative and scholarly text definitively recounts what these great works of art have sold for, as well as the stories behind the creation of the individual artworks. A superb resource for collectors and an indispensable addition to academic American Art History reference collections, Audubon Art Prints is a superbly organized and very strongly recommended presentation enhanced with twenty-two color illustrations and fifty-five halftones.



3. As an art dealer specializing in original Audubon prints, I hear from many people who hope the Carolina Parrot print they found in the attic will turn out to be worth a fortune. Finally, there is a book that will help them...and me!

   This well-illustrated book is the first to read if you have an interest (old or new) in Audubon prints. The book covers the original prints, the valuable full-sized facsimiles, and the not-so-valuable undersized reproductions. Steiner discusses all the major categories (and editions) of original prints including octavo (small) and folio (large), the birds and animals, the copper-plate etchings and the stone lithographs. He also provides a helpful overview of the vast number of facsimile and reproduction editions in circulation. While not complete, it is remarkably comprehensive and will help answer many an Audubon newcomer's questions.

   Novice collectors will find everything they need to begin either a serious or casual exploration of Audubon's art--biography, glossary of terms, authentication guidelines (much easier than you may think!), sample prices, information on dealers and guidance on how to buy or sell prints. Seasoned collectors will find previously unpublished information that disproves or amends rules-of thumb that have been gospel for years; they will also find many new sources for prints, books, and educational pursuits.

   Steiner has strong opinions and personal interests with regard to Audubon, and they are reflected in the text, but he is diligent about labeling them as such, and putting the more esoteric of his interests where they belong--in one of the book's many appendices. Overall, he has done an excellent job pulling together information from disparate sources, making available to collectors for the first time much "dealer lore"--information previously known only by Audubon specialists. This is a quick-reading book, and one that both dealers and collectors will refer to for years to come.




4. I got my copy a few months ago from Amazon.Com, and essentially read through it cover-to-cover, so to speak. I am an amateur collector of Audubon prints, and an enthusiast of Audubon's life, and the legacy he left behind for all the Americans. I think Bill Steiner's book is an invaluable resource that fills a major void about Audubon's prints - - It provides information on what to look for in collecting prints, which prints have significant value now and likely to appreciate in future, the technical details of production of Havells, Imperials, Biens, and the Octavos, some details on restoration and conservation, tips on internet-based sales, his own assesment of the Quality of various double-elephant folio prints (including modern day real high-quality reproductions such as the Amsterdams and the Princetons),and the names of several Audubon galleries (I didn't know some of them existed until after reading the book). Last but not the least, I enjoyed Bill's sense of humor (I particularly had a good laugh reading the recount of his experience at Christie's Auction House). I only wish his book were available to me a couple of years ago when I first started collecting the prints ! I recommend this book highly.



5. The book contains very good information. We were looking to buy a couple of prints for collectible purposes. Thought the book might have a few more pictures than it had, but we were able to decide what we wanted to purchase and we are very pleased.

No comments about Collecting Visible Evidence.

1 comments about Collecting Royal Copley Plus Royal Windsor & Spaulding: Indentification and Value Guide.

1. Joe Devine's Collecting Royal Copley Plus Royal Windsor & Spaulding Identification And Value Guide packs in a lovely photo gallery of pieces with history and values. Royal Copley is the main focus of the presentation, though some Windsor and Spaulding pieces are presented, and about 85% of everything made at Spaulding was Royal Copley. Collectors will find this a 'must have' reference.

No comments about Curiosity and Enlightenment: Collectors and Collections from the Sixteenth to Nineteenth Century.

5 comments about Collecting Little Golden Books: A Collector's Identification and Price Guide (Collecting Little Golden Books).

1. This is a great book. The illustrated covers are enormously fun and are helpful in identifying editions. The indexing is awkward to use, however, as rather than page numbers it directs you to sections, so you basically have to read the index, then go back to the table of contents to find the right section. The extra challenge is that the books within the sections are not all arranged the same way; some are by number, some by title, etc. The author explains why he did it this way, and I was able to understand his rationale, but it is hard to figure out what's going on unless you read the text. It still seems to me a small price to see covers in chronological order wherever possible.



2. I really enjoyed reading the history of Little Golden Books and Western Publishing that begins this useful and fascinating guidebook.
   This book covers the numbering system of the Little Golden Books, the changing prices, how to determine editions (more complicated than you'd think), and how to determine value and condition of a book. I shows pictures of each of the Little Golden Book covers and lists them by book number, the new numbering system, Disney titles, and activity titles. The other members of the Golden Book family like Big Little Golden Books, First Little Golden Books, Little Little Golden Books, as well as promotional titles and foreign titles are included. This guidebook also contains Ding Dong School Books, Eager Reader series, Giant Little Golden Books, and Little Golden records. It includes Elf Books, Wonder Books, Treasure Books and Tell-A-Tale books, too. It tells how to date a book by the spine design and shows back cover designs through the years.
   Some people have found the indexing of this book to be awkward but I did not. I was easily able to find all of the books and information I was looking for. I collect Little Golden Books for my own private use and not for resale and I love this book because it has all the front covers pictured and tells the author and the illustrator. It rekindles the old memories of titles from my childhood that I then search out to share with my nieces and nephews. I especially love Eloise Wilkins' and Garth Williams'numerous Little Golden Book illustrations and this book helped me to discover so many that I wasn't aware of before. It comes with me to many, many garage sales and has been helpful in protecting me from highway robbery that some flea market sellers would have liked to commit! The information it contains about value and how to tell what edition a book is has brought many an inflated flea market price down to a reasonable level for me. I also use it to mark off the books and editions that I have in my collection and I make notes in the book about the quality of the copies I have, so I avoid duplication and I know when an upgrade is a good idea for a purchase. Steve Santi has done a super job of compiling the data on these national treasures and I recommend this book to one and all. This is splendid Americana and is filled with lots of happy memories. You'll like it.



3. Book has same prices as 4th edition updated three years ago. It also drops the guide to other children's books (Wonder, Tell-a-Tale, etc.). Hard to find any useful new information. Sad, since we were looking forward to a real update.



4. Now in a comprehensively updated fifth edition, and knowledgeably compiled by Steve Santi (a personal collector and professional dealer of Little Golden Books), Collecting Little Golden Books: A Collector's Identification & Price Guide features 3,750 black-and-white photographs, and offers 4,500 listings of author, date published, page count, and physical dimension information, as well as approximate current prices to help collectors identify and properly value a mass selection of treasured Little Golden children's books published in the past century. A no-nonsense, easy-to-use resource, Collecting Little Golden Books is very strongly recommended as an informational resource for collectors and dealers with its new sections on Golden Library of Knowledge, See Saw Books, Tintin, A True Life Adventure, Golden Stamp Books, Golden Story Books, Goldencraft Library Bound Books, and more.



5. This book is more than a catalog of photos of little golden books, it is packed with useful information. The information in this book has made it easier for me to determine a price for little golden books, and it has helped me know which little golden books to look for. I've already listed and sold some collectible little golden books at the prices given in this book, and I was surprised by how quickly they sold.