No comments about Fashionable Clothing from the Sears Catalogs: Mid-1970s (Schiffer Book for Collectors and Designers).

5 comments about 300 Years of Kitchen Collectibles (300 Years of Kitchen Collectibles, 4th ed).

1. The 300 years of Kitchen Collectibles is sorely lacking in information about the last 75 years of kitchen collectibles. The majority of the book covers what I would call primitive kitchen items. The photos are grainy and lack detail. If you have a kitchen item that you need to identify..this book might prove useful.



2. Seldom is a reference book an entertaining read. Seldom is a good read easy to reference and find information quickly. This book does an excellent job of bridging both worlds. For the casual auction hound or dealer this book is invaluable.

   I liked the book so much I was wondering what to give my mother for mother's day. She's one of those people who either has everything she needs or goes and gets what she needs when she wants it. The idea of giving her this book struck me as a good one. Reluctantly I gave her my copy. She clearly has enjoyed it, she allows me to look at it when I'm visiting. She hasn't been willing to loan to me though.




3. This is packrat Linda Campbell Franklin's fifth edition...for many good reasons!
   
   What first seems like a hodgepodge of items to a beginner-collector or student, has a certain logic or shorthand to those in the know, and to those getting acquainted with kitchen collectibles, it's an eye opening education! All sorts of pointers, reproduction alerts and historical notes are placed throughout the book, to avoid being duped by many fakes.
   
   Yes as one reviewer noted, there is scant information on items less than 75 years old, and that's just fine with me..these 890 pages are going to keep me interested and learning for quite a while! The little color section isn't terribly helpful...more smaller photos of items could have been placed in these expensive pages. Still for most of these mechanical items, color is not the key in identification. I'm just tickled to be able to recognize what a peculiar gadget is/was used for! So if someone realistically wants more black and white pictures/drawings, bring them on..and yes there could be sharper photos of some blurry items taken for better clarity in a future edition-it's not a problem for me!
   
   She lists many references for those seeking more information, and addresses to contact specialized collectors or clubs. Well worth the price of admission, alone!
   
   This is a delightful "must have" for the "kitchen curious" and beginning collectors!



4. I bought this book about a year ago, I saw a lady using it at an auction bidding on kitchen items. The next day I ordered this book and it has been my guide ever since, with so many kitchen items out there, fakes and repros, it's good to have a helper to guide you thru a maze of online auctions and fleamarket finds.
   The description are accurate, there are plenty of pictures, the index and glossaries are very well organized, it also gives marks, how the items have changed over the years, who made them, where when and how they were used. I love it.



5. Just received my second copy (replacement copy) of "300 Years of Kitchen Collectibles" and it also is missing pages 401-432 and has duplicate pages 433-464. That makes two books missing the same pages.
   Otherwise the book has a lot of information.

No comments about Grandma's Tea Leaf Ironstone.

No comments about Popular and Collectible Neckties: 1955 To the Present (Schiffer Book for Collectors).

1 comments about Collecting Movie Posters: An Illustrated Reference Guide to Movie Art-Posters, Press Kits, and Lobby Cards.

1. Useful place to begin your collection. Teaches the history of movie posters, lobby cards, press books, and other movie memorabilia. Can help you not get taken.

1 comments about Instant Expert: Collecting Art Deco (Instant Expert).

1. Collecting Art Deco is a great, accessible, and useful guide to collectibles and decorative art from the Art Deco period, appropriate for any level of collector. It contains a multitude of resources within the field of collecting, as well as a complete guide to what to collect and how to identify Art Deco. Collectors will find complete in-depth information, simplified in one book that is user-friendly and compact. Collecting Art Deco covers furniture, sculpture, metalware, prints and graphics - all different types of collectibles and decorative art that fall under the category of Art Deco.

   The book is divided into easy-to-use chapters, with helpful sections on recognizing Art Deco, understanding today's market, identifying fakes, and understanding a collectible's value. There are chapters that focus on furnishings, sculpture, glass, prints, industrial design and more, with lots of black and white pictures throughout the book. In the back, there are invaluable resources such as a directory of art deco dealers, art deco societies, a bibliography and the Instant Expert Quiz, which tests how much you have learned from the book.

   All in all, if you are looking for introductory information about Art Deco that is in-depth and comprehensive, look no further than Collecting Art Deco; as the tagline says, it will help you to "Think like an Expert."

No comments about Collector's Encyclopedia of Occupied Japan Collectibles/3rd Series.

2 comments about 20th Century Neckties: Pre-1955 (Schiffer Book for Collectors).

1. As a price guide the quotes may have been relevant five years ago or reflect the rural Pennsylvania market,but they are not an accurate reflection of the hot demand on both coasts.The current revival is based on the resurgence of the retro tie and swing band culture. The author spends too many pages on the first forty years of neckwear, which few current tie collectors are interested in. Frankly, these ties are boring.The most unfortunate overriding failure of the book is the dismal photography which makes the few exciting ties muted and restrained in their presentation.Another shortfall is the paucity of any of the human interest stories associated with either the tie creators or wearers.The only real bright spot is the great forties advertising, which is a direct lift from much better books.



2. The price of vintage ties is all over the board,...has been since the mid 1990s and continues to be even now (2007). The fact is, vintage ties, the desirable ones and the not-so desirable ones can be easily had for $1-20 dollars. Its not fiction, its fact, unless you're impatient and/or well-off in the world of greenbacks, then maybe you and your well earned pocket full of dough might part ways as it burns inside of your trousers. I personally own a collection of over 200 vintage ties from the 1930s to the late 1940s, all in wonderful condition and 99% have been purchased for under $20 dollars....all worn by myself and not just tucked away for no one to see and appreciate.
   
   It was meant to be worn!
   
   Roseann Ettinger does a good job in her book, and has quite the collection to boot!
   Some photographs better than others, some other books better than hers in some ways, and vice versa. The revival is based on historical attire and dress repeating itself, with little to do with the resurgence that we've seen in the mid 1990s of modern day swing bands, though most if not all did no justice to the originatiors in the craft of that music such as the instrumental magic of Artie Shaw, the vocal stylings of Ella Mae Morse, and so on. Those who have been true to the style and swank of the 1940s have been and will continue to be far beyond any musical fads that pop up on the horizon from before the 1990s and well after!
   
   I say Kudos to Roseann Ettinger and Kudos to many other authors who have written on the subject and can be found on Amazon, etc.

No comments about Great Women Collectors.

2 comments about Costume Jewelry Variations: A Collector's Identification and Price Guide.

1. I have about 40 books on jewelry and this is the absolute worst one I have ever seen.........what a waste of money! Half of the pictures are so out of focus that you cannot see any details on the jewelry, most pictures are in black and white, there are no dates, and any information in this book you can find in almost any other book on costume jewelry. I wouldn't advise that anyone, even beginners to collecting, spend their money on this book.........there are too many good books on the subject! Buy any other book rather than this one.



2. I echo the previous review. I bought the book last year and was very disappointed. I felt as if I got ripped off. The quality of the book was poor. Images were bad and blurry & black and white. There is no rhyme or reason for the book to even be printed. It did not add anything to the information out there on costume jewelry. Save your money.