3 comments about Kenneth Jay Lane: Faking It.

1. This book has beautiful pictures, but not enough info & absolutely no help on figuring out values.



2. I really like many of the designs that Kenneth J. Lane has produced over the years and loved having a reference book of all his different styles and periods. The prose is of a chatty style that I usually am not too fond of but Mr. Lane is so upbeat and aware of the good fortune that has blessed him that you can't help but like him. The photography is wonderful and it is fun to see photos of celebrities wearing his jewels. The book could have been stronger if it has an addendix of technical information about the creation of costume jewelry or had a reference as to current pricing of some of Mr. Lane's vintage pieces. But I had many a fun evening looking and reading and will definately keep this book available for several more readings.



3. Received item in a timely manner. Book had many nicks and indentations on the hardback cover. Otherwise, content was in very good condition. Thought there would be more older celebrities in pictures wearing the jewelry, but not to big of a deal.

No comments about Kitchen Antiques, 1790-1940.

5 comments about Glass Toothpick Holders: Identification & Values (Glass Toothpick Holders).

1. This is a wonderful book ... for collectors of toothpicks specifically, but also for anyone who collects and/or deals in early pattern glass. Beautiful photos, great historical info on the old glass companies, and reliable and well-organized presentation of all the information one generally seeks in a collectibles price/pattern identification guide.

   I've often used this book to identify toothpicks, but also found it great for identifying other pattern glass pieces ... The photos really show off the pattern detail, and the (many!!!) accompanying line illustrations are extremely helpful, too. Also, since it's organized by company, if I know who made something but have no idea what it's called, this is the first book I reach for.




2. This book has all the great toothpicks and pictures of the first
   book. The pictures have been redone and are brighter and clearer.
   Plus there are many new toothpicks and pictures for some that were just drawings in the first book. There is also a new contempory toothpick section and a section on foreign toothpicks.
   I think the authors would have a grandslam if they would of expanded the section on newer reprodutions by the newer companies
   and included information on how to rate the condition and how the condition affects value. Great must own for toothpick collectors.



3. I bought this book because another reviewer said it had all the good pictures of the first edition plus more, and was a must have. (I should have put more stock in her "one star" rating than in her description!) Since I didn't have the first edition, it seemed to be a good bet. It IS a beautiful book! It pictures nearly every holder listed. Some of the pictures could be more clear, but overall, it is a good job. It lists the holders alphabetically by company. Listing by design characteristics would make it easier to find and identify holders. HOWEVER, the holders listed are nearly all late 19th to beginning of the 20th centuries. There is a VERY SMALL section on foreign and modern holders. This needs to be expanded greatly to be useful. I had an entire box full of holders, but could only identify two of them, and one of those was a modern reproduction for which the authors gave no values. So I still have no idea if it is worth anything. A 5-star book if you are looking for a nice coffee table book, but not of much help to the actual collector unless you know you only have 100-year-old holders.



4. This book is a gold mine for collectors of old and reproduced American-made toothpick holders! Not only does it have excellent photos and/or drawings, it also gives a brief history of many glass makers in the late 1880s to the present time. Also lists original manufacturer, original colors, reproduced colors and the reproduction company. I've been able to verify and/or identify almost all of my thirty or so toothpick holder collection. Fabulous book, highly recommended!
   
   



5. I recently bought a 74 piece lot of toothpick holders at an estate sale. This book helped me identify several of them. The cross-referencing notes gave me a lot of info that I would not have had. I really enjoy this book.

4 comments about Antique Advertising Postcards in Full Color: 24 Ready-to-Mail Postcards from the Bella C. Landauer Collection (Card Books).

1. It's funny how much and yet how little advertising has changed. These postcards will make you smile, and then make you think...



2. These reproductions of very old postcards from the Landauer Collection are great fun and might have gone UNdiscovered by me were it not for several family members who have become fascinated in A.T.C.s: 2 1/2" X 3 1/2/" Artist Trading Cards. The images are perfect to "remodel" and use for concocting your own cards /OR/ collages.
   
   PLUS, you don't have to sacrifice the actual card but can copy on lighter weight Kodak paper to cut into small images. The postcards can then be used as intended for correspondence with lucky individuals who perhaps share your taste in the unusual & colorful objects used in turn-of-the-century advertising. You may find some you can't resist for your own amusement - to decorate a window sill, for example - OR - ?
   
   The books of 24 cards (each) make interesting gifts - and even better, you can "pair" with "The Antique Advertising Paper Dolls" (isbn: # 0486240452). The cover of that collection would be a wonderful decoration for your own ALBUM of A.T.C.s. You can see how serendipitous this hobby becomes >> from postcards to trading cards to paper dolls. Reviewer mcHAIKU is pleased that each of these has an appeal even for today's teens who try to appear sophisticated/COOL yet want for themselves a slice of someone else's nostalgia!



3. If you like Victorian ephemera, this is the book of postcards you should buy. A very high quality product like most of the offerings from Dover. The postcards are beautiful and interesting.



4. The artwork is unique. The only thing to bother me was the cards had to be torn out. I knew this when I purchased them, but didn't think it'd make that big of a difference to me. It does.

5 comments about Warman's Sterling Silver Flatware: Value & Identification Guide (Encyclopedia of Antiques and Collectibles).

1. I wish I had read the above review before I spent my money on this book. I think if someone is going to sell an identification "guide" for a specific category of goods and they are only going to cover a representative selection of that category, they should at least be honest about it on the cover. The cover of this one should say "If you only need a few photos from each manufacturer and you don't need makers' marks to help you IDENTIFY your silver, then this book is for you!!!"



2. easy to follow and while this does not have hallmarks or much history, does carry clear pictures of standard patterns and makers. Good for a start and considering how little is out there, not bad.



3. This book is a very useful resource if you deal in sterling silver flatware as it provides actual photographs, not drawings of the handles of each patter. The other benefit this book provides is that you can identify the pieces based on size -- and accurately call a piece by the proper name. Each pattern has a list of many available pieces and their value. I use this book alot and bought one for by business partner -- anyone who deals in sterling flatware should have a copy!



4. This book happens to be laying on my business desk at this moment because of the frequency of its use. It is an invaluable resource and guide for Sterling patterns and values. My business sells a lot of silver and couldn't do without this research book.



5. This is an excellent guide for the identification of sterling flatware for the collector or the dealer.

5 comments about The Adventures of Robinson Crusoe (Great Illustrated Classics).

1. I like this book because Daniel Defoe can grasp your attention within the first two chapters. He had caught mine with Robinson Cruesoe's ways.
   Defoe makes his character stand out, and lets you see the relationships in which Cruesoe makes. You feel like you know what Cruesoe is like, after only a few chapters.
   The development of this book, and its characters is extraordinary. With Cruesoe, throughout the book, you see his tenacity, and how he just won't quit, he won't let go of survival. You also see how Cruesoe's friend can learn English, and understands so he can communicate.
   The action in which Robinson goes through is incredible. He battles storms, and gets in fights with cannibal hunters, and fights with survival. With Cruesoe, you wonder how one man does it.
   The plot, having action packed pages, out standing vocabulary, excellent development, and interesting twists, makes you sit at the edge of your seat, and want to read faster.
   Though the book is fiction, it still has a moral. The moral that I think is having a lot to do with colonial times. Having no refrigerators, no computers, no television, and no microwave dinners. This book shows that man can live without modern conveniences. He doesn't need any of the fancy electronics we have made to be content.



2. I saw it in my teachers shelf. I looked at the cover and it looked interesting to me. I read it in the beginning of the year 2003.

   Robinson Crusoe was sailing in a violent storm and it destroyed the ship. Next day he built a fort to protect himself from wild animals. In the beginning of the story he is on a island alone. But at the end he meets some indians.
   People who like adventure would like this book.




3. Steve Smith
   "He felt his lungs ready to burst, his head and hands shot above the surface of the water. As the pull of the sea tried to drag him back out again, Robinson dug his feet into the sand." Robinson Crusoe is about a man, who is 18 years old, is stranded on an island, and no one thinks he is still alive. He encounters many challenges including cannibals, building a new house, making tools, and making a boat.
   In one scene he has to build a fortress to protect him from the cannibals. He had wood log fence, a lookout tower, a retractable ladder, and many weapons. His house was very secure from the cannibals, but took him three months to build.
   I really liked Robinson Crusoe, even thought I don't really like books where people are stranded in the wilderness. I would recommend this book for all ages and usually boys would like it, but some girls would also like it.



4. Before readng this book my 9 year old son liked the idea of reading but had never taken it up with any gusto. However, he just could not put this book down and as a result wrote his first ever book report entirely by himself, for whch he got an A+ mark.
   
   Now my son is hooked-on-classics. Currently he is ready the Three Musketeers and he has Treasure Island all lined up and ready to go when he is done.
   
   This is a fine book from a great series. Many thanks.



5. My book was Robinson Crusoe by Daniel Defoe. This book was about a man Robinson Crusoe, he lived in England but later moved to Brazil where he made a plantation. But when his supplies run out he goes to get more in England with some of his men. But on his way there is a horrible storm that takes his ship off course and destroys the ship leaving the crew dead. But Robison survives and washes up on an uncharted island. There he must learn how to survive on his own and fight savages and mutineers. But he does make a couple of friends along the way.
   The plot of this book is Robison fighting the savages and mutineers and surviving on the island for 28 years, plus he tries to make canoes and get off the island several times. The setting is the island. The main characters are Robison, Friday and the old captain of the mutineers.
   Robinson is a tall, blonde and brave man, he has many skills witch include hunting, farming, carving, wildling, sowing and sculpting. Friday was a savage prisoner of war and the savages that captured him were going to eat him until Robinson saved him. He was named Friday because Robinson saved him on a Friday. Robison teaches him how to speak English and Friday teaches Robinson how to make better boats. Friday is tall, fast, strong and has black hair. And the captain was the captain of a his ship until his men mutinied him and marooned him and some of his loyal men on Robinson's island. Later Robinson, Friday, the captain and his men take back the ship and escape on it. The captain is medium sized has blonde hair is brave, smart and strong.
   This was a great book and I liked this book because of all the adventure and action that took place in this book. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes adventure and action. By: Alec Keiper

2 comments about Made in Japan Ceramics 1921-1941: With Price Guide (Schiffer Book for Collectors).

1. I thought this book was great, it helped me to spot just what I was looking for in the antique shop.



2. 
   I collect older (collectible) MADE IN JAPAN items and therefore I have quite a few books on the subject. This book is not complete but quite helpful. Photos are nice.
   
   Many different volumes have been written on this subject. Infact, I own 3 other books on this subject.
   
   When "Made in Japan" collectibles were issued there were sooooo many different items sold, that it would be impossible to include all of them in just one book. The author tried and did a good job though.

3 comments about Contemporary American Doll Artists and Their Dolls.

1. I felt like I really knew the 25 doll artists in this book after reading their profiles. I enjoyed learning how Jamie Williamson began making polymer clay dolls, where Monica Reo gets her inspiration and why Anna Puchaliski favors making dolls that are a bit on the "dark side." The September 11 chapter was beautifully and sensitively written. Be prepared to shed some tears when reading the profiles on Karen Williams Smith and Kim Jelley in this chapter. This book is a must have for any doll lover.



2. Kathy Witt knows dolls! Her pedigree in the world of writing about dolls and their artists speaks for itself. This book is a wonderful example of how an interest that might seem narrow can be broadened for the masses. I enjoy dolls, but I've never been a collector. However, I've always enjoyed READING about dolls and their histories, and who designs them. Previously, I paid more attention to antique dolls, but CONTEMPORARY AMERICAN DOLL ARTISTS AND THEIR DOLLS opened a window on what's going on in the doll world today. This book is a beautiful addition to any doll lovers' collection! Excellent job, Ms. Witt.



3. Compared to the 500 Hundred Dolls Book the format and appearance of the book was cheap and disappointing,which is no reflection on the artists or their work represented. I would not recommend this book.

No comments about Cowboy Clothing and Gear: The Complete Hamley Catalog of 1942.

5 comments about Omega Watches.

1. First, let me set the record straight because it is not true that this and Kreuzer's books are the only references on Omega watches. In fact, they are the two poorest.
   
   The best written source is, of course, Marco Richon's book, "Omega Saga" published by the Brandt Foundation and distributed by Omega (ISBN: 2-88380--010-3). However, this is available only in French. But I'm told Mr Richon is working on an English book about Omega.
   
   That being said, Goldberger's entry is interesting only because of the high quality of his pictures. They are numerous (approxinaltely 250 models are represented, consistent and professional.
   
   While the pictures are nice, there is practically no information at all on the watches themselves, the technology, or the history of Omega. No production dates for the timepieces are indicated, which might have provided at least some feeling for a historical timeline.
   
   We might also have been interested in Mr Golberger's experiences as a collector, and some knowledgeable information on the current market for vintage Omega timepieces.
   
   Maybe it's a good thing that text is scarce because where there is text, there are errors, not the least of which is that the author is named "Goldbeger" in his bio on the endpage. These 6 short lines have 6 errors in them, and I easily found at least seven more in the two-page Introduction by Mr Giampiero Negretti: clearly some copy reviewer did a very lousy job...



2. Exciting Rare Omega Watches. Very Nice Photo, hot & Cool.
   CK 2915 as number one in the world.
   Thanks, Mr.X.



3. I recieved this as a gift and was really pleased. Its beautifully done. You should know its mostly pictures and captions. it seems to be a broad overview. I am just getting into watch collecting and like Omegas so this book was a fit for me.



4. A very well written book. The price is high but it has great quality.
   Over 200 pictures. Not the best of quality on all, some are a lttle light but good information.
   A slight problem is that the book will soon date, it does not contain much history of the brand but good detail on different models.
   The author has done a great job to keep the book flowing form page to page.
   However much to my surprise no metion at all the Omega is owned by the Swatch group.



5. Gave this as a Christmas gift and the receiptient was so thriled to get this product! Great Picutres