1 comments about Department 56 Village Collector's Value Guide: 1998 (Collector's Value Guides).

1. I thought it was a wonderful resource - has current and original values & pictures of every SV piece to date, including this years!

No comments about A Passion for Jewelry: Secrets to Collecting, Understanding, and Caring for your Jewelry.

2 comments about Star Spangled Jewelry.

1. A thirty year veteran at collecting patriotic jewelry, Sandra J. Whitson teams up with Nancy N. Schiffer (who has collected jewelry and written reference books for more than three decades) to compile and present "Star Spangled Jewelry", a 160-page compendium of jewelry with an American patriotic theme or motif. Superbly illustrated with full color photography, each one of the more than 625 impressive presented examples is provided with a succinctly descriptive text that also includes the date of the piece being showcased. Comprehensive, authoritative, nicely organized and absolutely beautiful, "Star Spangled Jewelry" is the definitive reference on its specialized subject and highly recommended for inclusion into personal, professional, academic, and community library Antiques & Collectibles reference collections.



2. Star Spangled is only a collection, and not extensive. Did not
   fullfill my expectiations as an answer to questions about this
   piece of costume jewelry history.

2 comments about The Patti Playpal Family: An Unauthorized Guide to 1960s Companion Dolls (Schiffer Book for Collectors).

1. As a lover of the large dolls of the 1950's, 60's and 70's this book is a welcome addition to the world of doll collecting. The drawback is that any collector who wanders through Ebay and tracked sales over time in a spreadsheet could have done the same. Many of the photos in the book I had already seen and even bid upon! (Thus three stars) Nonetheless some of the dolls are truly pretty and beautiful.

   For the newcomer, this is a great primer to get you started. I am still waiting for the really definitive book on large "Walker" dolls. Until that comes out Ms. Cross will have to do.




2. But not nearly as much as I was hoping to learn. The book is attractive with its many color photographs, but there just isn't much 'meat' to it, I'm afraid. Very disappointing.

5 comments about More Pez for Collectors.

1. This book includes mainly pictures and has more information regarding promotional materials, packaging, and accessories (t-shirts, etc.) than actual dispensers. Some information is slightly misleading but Pez afficianados will have little trouble enjoying what Geary has to offer here. Recommended only if you also have the first book Geary wrote ("Pez Collectables")



2. You you want pictures and prices. This is your first book to buy. The book shows variations of diffferent Pez. The only problem the prices are old. The sale of Pez is exploding and the prices are going up and up, but this book will get you started.



3. Don't waste money on this book. It doesn't even deserve one star



4. This book is the ultimate guide to pez collecting. Very informative and helpful for anyone collecting dispensers. If you don't like this book you probably can't read anyway. Must Have.



5. Once again Mr. Geary has out done himself. Just when you thought nothing else could be said about PEZ, Geary comes along with a book that is sure to be a hit with the true collectors. 10 STARS if It was possible.

2 comments about Antique Jewelry: 6th Edition (Official Price Guide to Antique Jewelry).

1. 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.



2. 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.

No comments about The Kovels' Collector's Guide to American Art Pottery.

No comments about Ragwings and Heavy Iron: The Agony and the Ecstasy of Flying History's Greatest Warbirds.

2 comments about Aluminum Giftware (Schiffer Book for Collectors).

1. (...) There is scarcely a page that is free of factual error. There is even evidence of plaigarism, which, ironically, she plagiarized from an innacurate source. On the very few times she gets something right we can attribute it to the "broken clock syndrome," which tells us that even a broken clock is right twice a day. That is, the book is PURE TRASH.

   William Freeman




2. The book vacillates between bad judgement, factual errors, and bad fiction. The pricing is misguided, a good share of the captions are factually incorrect, and far too many of the pieces pictured have not been properly cleaned. Any collector who is only slightly informed knows more about the genre than this author does. As a University Prof, I have used this book in the classroom to demonstrate that being in print "doesn't make it so."

   William Freeman

1 comments about Legal Guide to Buying and Selling Art and Collectibles.

1. Armen Vartian knows more about collectibles than any attorney in the world. Whenever we have a legal question, we always call Armen.