No comments about Japanese porcelain: A collector's guide to general aspects and decorative motifs.

No comments about East Asian Art and American Culture.

3 comments about The Passionate Collector: Eighty Years in the World of Art.

1. Anyone involved in these productive years of American art will have have fun reading this knowledgable, gossipy, opinionated insider's account of the large and small events of the period.



2. I found The Passionate Collector a wonderful book. As an artist
   there was much useful information it it. It's a privilege to add this book to my collection of art books. Anyone interested in American artists of the 20th century must have it.



3. Reading this book is like sitting in a room with a very old and rich man to hear him discuss that part of his life devoted to collecting, and later giving away, paintings by fresh and talented American artists. Some of the tales are interesting and some are important only to the old man. On balance your time is well spent. His advice directed to new collectors is especially good. The Conables have done a nice job in helping Mr. Neuberger's informed thoughts on art reach the printed page.

1 comments about More Collectible Bells: Classic to Contemporay (Schiffer Book for Collectors).

1. This is a beautifully produced book with an unrivalled series of 620 stunning color pictures of bells. The illustrations are superbly printed (in China) and look as if they have been cleaned up with a computer so that there are no irritating features in the background. But the text is disappointing both in style and content. The reader will not learn a great deal about bells from the brief accounts that introduce each section and, in many of the captions, there is nothing about the country of origin or the use of the illustrated bell. Few of the bells shown were made to be used - many are modern decorative bells. Because of this, there is not much of interest for collectors of church, temple or animal bells. As to be expected, the emphasis is on bells of America with hardly anything on bells of Europe, Africa and Asia. There is a good index but a poor bibliography. Almost all classical books on bells are out of print and none is as well illustrated as this one. However, bell collectors interested in the manufacture and history of all kinds of bells should try to get hold of a copy of 'Bells and Man' by Percival Price, published in 1983 by Oxford University Press. Regrettably, only 1000 copies were printed and it went out of print almost immediately. American collectors should look for 'The Collector's Book of Bells' by L. Elsinore Springer published in 1972 by Crown Publishers Inc, New York. This is also out of print. The illustrations in these two books are in black and white and far from the quality of Donna Baker's pictiures. But the texts and captions are full of information. Readers of French have another option of a book that is still available. It is 'Cloches de France et d'ailleurs' by Jean-Pierre Rama published in 1993 by Pierre Zech Editeur, Paris. It has beautiful illustrations and a good text but, as the title suggests, it's mainly about French bells.

5 comments about Collector's Value Guide to Japanese Woodblock Prints.

1. I found this book somewhat helpful and useful. But there is something terribly wrong with it, which makes me highly dubious of the writer's motivations. The prices are outrageously high. Every dealer I have talked to, while delighted at the inflation of values for obvious reasons, agrees that the prices are often twice or more the true market value of the prints. I have bought several of these prints in near mint condition in the past year for half the prices quoted here. I suppose I should be delighted that my purchases doubled in value overnight, but ..........



2. I was disappointed with this book. I guess I had expected a fairly comprehensive survey of auction, retail, and internet prices but this contained only brief selections from important artists, e.g. five by Hokusai, three by Harunobu, a dozen or so by Hiroshige. And I agree with another post here about pricing; some estimates are dead on, but many estimates for things I've shopped for or purchased are at least double current retail.



3. If you are looking for a general guide to prices for Japanese Woodblock prints this is not it. I was expecting a much more comprehensive listing, or at least a discussion about how these prints are appraised, but there are only a few price points mentioned. There is quite a bit of useful information, but this is not the good, introductory text that I was hoping for.

   At one point the author says something to the effect of: "if you want to learn about Japanese Woodblock prints, go to a lot of galleries and read a lot of books on the subject." I think I kind of knew that before.




4. ...but indeed, where did she get those prices????? Still a good reference that provides loads of helpful information. A good addition to your Lane, if you are deeper into Ukiyo-e. And the price is absolutely reasonable for the amount of information provided. One of the few references that do not only give information about the classical artists, but also on sosaku hanga and shin hanga artists.



5. If only the content could have delivered on the promise of the Title. I think REDO would be in order.

1 comments about Collecting African American History.

1. As amazing as it sounds, some of the most valuable memorabilia regarding black history in the United States demonstrates some of the most horrific examples of racism. In particular, any material related to the practice of slavery is valuable. To quote Montgomery from page 41, "Evidence of slavery is scarce and expensive, forcing collectors to find more creative and affordable sources for slavery era material. "
   There are fourteen chapters devoted to specific forms of memorabilia. They are:
   
   *) Slavery
   *) Local history and genealogy
   *) Politics and civil rights
   *) Military history
   *) Music and entertainment
   *) Sports
   *) Art
   *) Photography
   *) Books, magazines and documents
   *) Spirituality and religion
   *) Education
   *) Business, economics and careers
   *) Lifestyle and popular culture
   *) Racism
   
   Each chapter begins with a short list of the more valuable items in that category. For example, the list for the art chapter is:
   
   *) Books and journal articles
   *) Exhibition catalogues
   *) Prints
   *) Posters
   *) Commercial art
   *) Jewelry
   *) Combs
   *) Baskets
   *) Textiles, quilts and sewing collectibles
   *) Clothing with African motifs
   
   This book was very instructive in an area of collectibles that I knew nothing about. I of course assumed that old articles had value, but had no idea which ones. If you are someone involved in collecting, this is certainly a book you should read. I regularly go to sales and see people buying up unusual items for their collections or to sell to others for their collections. Now I also know what to look for.

No comments about Comic Character Wristwatches.

No comments about To Feel as Our Ancestors Did: Collecting and Performing Oral Histories.

1 comments about Native America Collected: The Culture of an Art World.

1. "Berkeley lecturer Dubin deserves congratulations for even attempting a clear overview of her thorny subject--the history and present state of the collecting and exhibiting of the objects created by the world's indigenous peoples of North America. That she has to a great degree succeeded is gratifying, so vast are the potential pitfalls. Dubin moves between the worlds of anthropology and modern art with equal confidence and does not mistake evenhandedness for blandness. Thus, for example, the naive collectors of "Indian Art" looking for a fix of authenticity are not isolated and condemned, but placed within a broad historical and cultural framework. . . . "Dubin's knowledgeably poised book is an invaluable contribution to cultural studies."-Publishers Weekly

1 comments about The Best of Bakelite and Other Plastic Jewelry (Schiffer Book for Collectors).

1. This is a beautiful book! Vibrant color photos of some of the most classic bakelite jewelry ever made. Also some great, unusual things such as school pencils and charms that are rarely seen. Unfortunately, most of us who buy books like these are not only interested in the photos and descriptions but are very much interested in the price/value guides. The value guide in this book is way too non-specific. It gives price ranges for entire pages (or double spread of pages) without giving estimates for individual items or even groups of items. An example: pages 102 and 103, $600 to $1100. Not the bangles on page 102 and the pins on page 102 - just PAGE 102. For someone looking for a beautiful bakelite jewelry "wishbook", this is it! However, if you're looking for an updated book with a usuable price guide this book falls short.