2 comments about Baubles, Buttons and Beads: The Heritage of Bohemia.

1. A beautifully done & informative book. I've enjoyed all of Jargstorf's books & feel they are an important contribution in an area where so few substantive works are available. This holds even more true with regards to beads of Bohemian origin...If you are interested in beads in general, it's recommended; beads of bohemian & czech origin, it's essential reading.



2. To further my passion for beautiful well made vintage jewelry I looked for books to help me. Realising that the Bohemian style was an inspiration, I searched for any books suitable. This book filled every need and interest. The photos are beautiful with many full family histories and photos of the makers and the often tragic end to the Bohemian dynasties because of wars.
   I use my book constantly and have gained so much from the detailed descriptions, the families and the great variation in the Bohemian glass industry, both jewelry and other glass objects. I certainly recommend this book.

4 comments about Wearing Vintage.

1. Great overview of Vintage... one of the first books I've read on Vintage, although I've been a collector for a long time. This book is easy to read and has photos for reference... I would have liked some extra shopping references and online references to sites like:...



2. This book contains great photos of clothes, up close and in detail. The book is divided into clothes categories, rather than by era, but it gives some detail about 20th century fashion trends in each era for each clothing item. Although the author imparts bits of history, she does not do this as if the book were an introduction to fashion history. There is also some information and advice about wearing vintage pieces in general. The resource section is a nice bonus because it describes how to clean and care for items, as well as a glossary of terms, among other sections.

   I think an assumption behind this book is that readers are not so much looking to wear all pieces from the same era like a costume, but rather they are looking to find unique pieces to wear, according to their own sense of style.

   If you are searching to reproduce a specific era, I would seek another fashion book that was specifically written about that era. However, if you are interested in fashion in general and vintage in particular, this book is for you. I would recommend this book to anyone, but especially someone who wants to find unique clothing and learn a little bit about 20th century clothes.




3. This is a very exciting read with a few annoying shortcomings. The book is laid out by clothing type (formalwear, swimwear, daywear, outerware, loungewear, accessories); however, some items are in several chapters (like jeans). Each chapter is divided into men's and women's sections but again, some clothing items are in several sections. Additionally it is almost impossible to follow clothing by fashion (20's, 30's, etc.) or by designer without literally flipping through the entire book. There is a very nice glossary, website index and footnote section in the back, but the index leaves much to be desired. My last complaint is that there are many clothing styles mentioned and described but there are no pictures to show me what these things really look like and exactly how they are different. For me this was especially frustrating in the outerwear section. As you probably can deduce, I am not a fashion design expert but that is why I bought this book.
   
   Overall, I found this a very enjoyable book, despite the above frustrations; there are many excellent photographs and the text is pleasing to read.



4. I enjoyed reading "Wearing Vintage". I've been a fan of vintage clothing for a long time, but had never read up on it and didn't really have a sense of the history of the items. I'd just buy things that looked cool. Now I have a better idea of shat era things are from and how they would have been worn back then.
   
   I really enjoyed the tips on getting out spots and stains from vintage fabrics. These will definitely come in handy!
   
   I also liked how the book was organized by era and item and that it featured both men's and women's clothing and accesories. I'd have liked more photographs, but the ones that are in the book are fantastic.
   
   This is a great starter book on vintage clothing. Five Stars!

1 comments about Close Cover Before Striking: The Golden Age of Matchcover Art (Recollectibles).

1. "Your Red Scarf Matches Your Eyes, You Close Your Cover Before Striking, and Loving You Has Made Me Bananas...." For the graphic artist or just fans of the visually arresting, there are some supurb images in this publication. Chronicle Books put out a book two or three years later called MATCHBOOK ART by Yosh Kashiwabara which is a nice compliment to this Abbeville Book. The Steel/Heimann book was published at a time when Abbeville was putting out a fun, funky series on American Pop culture - John Margolies MINATURE GOLF book, and the Dyer/Spark book FIT TO BE TIED: VINTAGE TIES OF THE FORTIES & EARLY FIFTIES, all of which are useful references for those in the (or into) arts/applied arts field/popular culture/or mid-century americana. The breakdown of categories in CLOSE COVER BEFORE STRIKING works well, the text (which is sparse) is very readable, and the page layout is attractive. I'd say that it would be a fine addtion to any bookshelf.

3 comments about Old Lace and Linens Including Crochet: An Identification and Value Guide.

1. First 28 pages are well-written, lyrical descriptions but not terribly historically informative. While there is an extremely wide range of items shown, many photos are reproductions which lose much in the process.

   Identification of types is very spotty with even the obvious (hardanger and filet) listed only as drawn work or 'beautifully crocheted corners'. Dating of items seemed fairly accurate but pricing was "not of this earth". Most dollar amounts could easily be halved and one collar on page 43 listed at $55-60 I purchased for $8 from a knowledgable dealer.

   This book is useful as an addendum to the library of a serious collector. It is however, of little value to the novice or student because it lacks identifying criteria and the pictures are not high enough quality to decipher detail.




2. That the author loves linens is obvious from her narratives. There are some tips on care and history that are worthwhile. Many of the identifications are misleading, and the prices quoted are most frequently inaccurate. The descriptions, although vague, may be a useful starting point for the novice or casual collector, I would not refer this to anyone as a definitive work, but it is useful as an entry level reference.



3. I MUST AGREE WITH THE FIRST TWO REVIEWS 100%. BUT I BOUGHT IT ANYWAY, TO ADD TO MY MANY OTHER BOOKS. THE BIGGEST DISAPPOINTMENT WAS THE PHOTOS. I WOULD NOT RECOMMEND THIS BOOK TO ANYONE UNLESS THEY JUST WANT TO SKIM OVER IT AND ADD IT TO A COLLECTION THEY MAY HAVE.

No comments about Harvard's Art Museums: 100 Years of Collecting.

5 comments about The Beanie Baby Handbook 1998.

1. check it. site got alot of reviews explains alot 'bout stuff.
   its...a cookbook, think so anyways: 1. lots of people say so
   b. books got a cake on the front 3. yeah people say so
   
   theirs my proof got it all set for ya have fun ;)



2. Lots of information about how much the beanie babies are worth and when they made the beanie baby.



3. i had this book back as a child and after giving it a way years ago, i remembered recently what cute recipes it had in it so decided to get another copy! it was such a bargain and there's so many different cute ideas perfect for parties and many other occasions!



4. Hi. It's been 10 years since Sue and I published the first edition of The Beanie Baby Handbook. The third and final edition (the cookbook) was published in 1998. In case you're wondering, we've attempted to publish an up to date book but Ty will not give us permission. (???) In looking over the Amazon listing, and people's comments, first, they made a mistake on the number of pages. This is a 218 page book, not a 40 page book. Each of the 52 recipes is a 2-page color spread with amazing photos created by Jeanette Long (still our neighbor and friend here in Wyckoff, New Jersey). Jeanette actually cooked, baked or prepared all of those foods, and brought them to a world class food photography studio. Kids and families love Jeanette's recipes, and in my opinion this is not only a wonderful book about Beanie Babies, it's one of the best kids' cookbooks ever published. Anyway, Sue and I are still incurable collectors. We are professional American art and rare coin dealers (19th & 20th Century), we build custom homes, and we manufacture a neat little calorie counter that you may see on TV in December or January. We've also developed a new product called Rare Coin Trading Cards, which we hope to launch as soon as we set up a national distribution system. We published Beanie Baby trading cards in 1998, but Ty asked us to stop when they began publishing their own cards. (Darn.) Beanie Babies were a big part of our life in 1997 and 1998, and I don't think we'll ever have another experience like that again. Although we did create a unique collectible known as autographed coins with two former U.S. Presidents (Ford and Bush) in 2001 and 2002. One of the reasons I posted this message is to tell the many people who write to us that we cannot publish a new edition of The Beanie Baby Handbook without written permission, or a license, from Ty. In 1997, they allowed us to publish the Unofficial edition, but that ended in 1998. Les and Sue Fox



5. I've been "spring" cleaning this "summer" (haha) and came upon this particular Beanie Baby book; boy did it bring back fond memories of our hunt for beanie babies! I got rid of alot of books, but this (and my other Beanie Baby book by Les & Sue Fox) is staying! The recipes are precious with the appropriate beanie baby representing it, for example, BONES PAINTED SUGAR COOKIES - there's a colorful picture of several beanie baby dogs, Bones, Rover + others. It also includes the nutritonal facts for each recipe. Each recipe has a beautiful color photo on the right hand side of the book and the recipe is on the left. You will love this book! I did (do)!!

No comments about Victorian & Edwardian Furniture.

5 comments about Depression Era Glassware: Identification & Value Guide (Depression Era Glassware) (Depression Era Glassware).

1. I have many other books that show depression glass and all of them are great. But this book shows the patterns in line drawings. Sometimes pictures of glass patterns are not as clear as they could be. This book shows a drawing of each pattern and lets you really study it. I found it very helpful in sorting out the initial confusion that new comers sometimes have. Now that I am an 'old pro', I still find myself using this book just to be on the 'safe' side.



2. Now in an expanded and fully updated fourth edition, Depression Era Glassware Identification And Value Guide, glassware specialist Carl F. Luckey is a straightforward guide enabling the reader to competently and confidently recognize and fairly price classic works of 1930s glassware artifacts. While most of the glassware illustrations are in simple black and white, Depression Era Glassware is impressively enhanced with an insert section of superb color photography, all combine to present a variety of patterns from the era in unmistakable relief. The price guide is extensive and lists price ranges for individual pieces of varying sizes. Depression Era Glassware is an excellent, indispensable, authoritative resource for dealers and collectors.



3. As a new collector of depression era glass, I found this book to be incredibly helpful with identification. The line drawings are clear - the reader has no doubt of the pattern (sometimes photos can be unclear due to the nature of glass). I also appreciate the value ranges given and, of special value to me, each pattern has info on what pieces have been reproduced or reissued.



4. I found that the values were very helpful, but since mostly all that was shown pattern-wise was the plate, it was a bit difficult for me to identify some other pieces.



5. I have solved many mysteries of Depression Era Glass patterns on unmarked pieces through the use of this wonderful, well documented guide. Although this guide presents a small insert of colored pictures the bulk of the pages provide "drawings" in black and white which are actually quite helpful in determining the pattern you are matching. In addition, pattern names, manufacturers and years of manufacturing are provided.
   
   As a dealer I find the value guides helpful and they are separated by item category, color and value range. The author is honest enough in the introduction to advise you to depend on other references for value accuracy in the ever changing market, particularly with the advent of internet auctions. This book has been extremely helpful as a reference guide and is a welcome addition to my glassware book library.

No comments about Hummel Art II.

No comments about Antique Enamels for Collectors.