1 comments about Warman's Fishing Lures Field Guide: Values And Identification.

1. This book is a great little resource. I purchased it for my Dad for Christmas. He is an avid fisherman who has started collecting vintage fishing lures for the past few years. When garage sale season comes around, he and my Mom like to go look for treasures. When he opened this little book for Christmas, he was so excited. He did not put it down for hours. He said the descriptions and illustrations were great. He also stated that there were a lot of lures in this little field manual that he did not have in his larger resource books. He loved the fact that it was small enough to keep in his pocket when he's going to garage sales!

5 comments about Chasing the Dime.

1. This was my first book by this author and it was okay. I just have the feeling that some of his other books may be a lot better. The writing had enough edge to keep me interested and make me want to read on. However, the tech talk slowed it down for me, rather than draw me in more. I just felt it could have been generalized more and it wouldn't have mattered. And it wouldn't have bogged the story down. Although I see Pierce's reasons for his actions as far fetched, as well as the whole conspiracy around the business, I thought it was an okay read. I will try another by this author, but will read reviews first.



2. I am a Michael Connely fan and have been for years. This book was just an okay effort and I think him capable of far better writing. I'll wait for the next one



3. As a fiction writer myself, I've grown to love Connelly's work. I had a hard time with his first book, "The Black Echo" because much of it seemed like showing off--which may be what it takes to get recognized. His later books, though, settle on me as Raymond Chandler's have done with a rich protagonist whose observations reveal the human animal in action. While many people may read Connelly's books for the whodunit factor alone, his characters stay with me long after I reach the last page. It's hard to create strong stories with vivid characters, and Connelly has become masterful.
   
   For example, in "Lost Light," the book I read before this one, Detective Harry Bosch tries to find the murderer of his mother 35 years after the fact much in the same way novelist James Ellroy, in real life, tried to find out why his mother was murdered in Temple City in 1958. (Read Ellroy's nonfictional "My Dark Places" to see what was probably Connelly's inspiration.) In "Lost Light," Bosch's mother is revealed to have been a prostitute trying to find an out and a better life to help her son. Just when she was about to do so, she was murdered.
   
   Connelly's "Chasing the Dime," is a different book in that the protagonist is not a detective but a 34-year-old scientist, Henry Pierce, with a start-up biotech company looking for venture capital. The story begins as Henry, obsessed over his science and his company's needs, has just lost the love of his life, a co-worker. He's in emotional turmoil. When his new telephone at his new apartment keeps ringing with men looking for someone named Lilly, Henry learns his new number matches an escort's on a pornographic website. He also learns that Lilly has been missing for more than a month. He's compelled to find out if she's okay because it connects eerily to his sister's disappearance when he was young.
   
   What I admire in this novel in particular is that the protagonist does not have the tools or interviewing techniques of a working police detective, yet Henry is driven and uses what he has. He's also under time pressure and the possibility of a sleazy PR disaster just when he's seeking millions of dollars for his company.
   
   "Chasing the Dime" as a title works on a few levels. It's a phrase about trying to earn a living, yet the return does not match the effort. It suggests the futileness of the working life, yet we Americans like to work--and Henry is the epitome of that. The rewards of work are even less for the prostitutes that Henry comes to know, particularly Lilly's coworker Robin. She may earn big money, but she pays for it in physical and mental abuse.
   
   Americans are often major innovators, too, and Henry's goal, using organic molecules, is to create electrical circuitry so small, computers could become the size of a dime. This is real science Connelly writes about, our future, and it makes me think how we as consumers, in chasing the latest gadgets, may be doing so at the expense of losing something else.
   
   Contrasting all this, yet becoming a suspect, is Henry's former girlfriend Nichole, who has a small tattoo of a Chinese character pictogram that means "happiness comes from within, not from material things."
   
   The twists in the end of the story amaze. Just when I thought it was over, wham, something else happens. Connelly mixes plot and character like few others. After I recommended one of his books to a friend, another working writer, she complained that she was spending too much time reading Connelly instead of working. Maybe that's what we all need.



4. Henry's on the verge of the deal of a lifetime, worth more than the dime taped to his wall. But he's had to move to a new apartment, and boy, did he get the wrong number on his new phone! Michael Connelly has devised a terrific plot, and we're still in SoCal, but Henry is no Harry (Bosch). He's a scientist, not a detective. Although the back story is a poignant one, serving as his motivation for his uncharacteristic curiosity about the previous owner of that phone number, the way he becomes involved in the disappearance of the sexy LA Darling Lilly is, well, just plain dumb. Henry also lacks Bosch's depth and humanity, and though decently written, Dime's strong plot simply cannot carry the day by itself. The character with the most presence is the odious villain little Billy Wentz. Still, a so-so mystery by Connelly is better than the best shot taken by many another, less gifted writer. 3 stars.



5. Like most of the other reviewers I have read a lot of Connelly. I think he's one of the best of his genre and some of his books have been brilliant. But this was awful. Cardboard characters and an improbable plot. It almost seemed as if he had written this book as a 1970s "made-for-TV" movie.

1 comments about 2006 Scott Catalogue: Countries Of The World Solomon Islands -z (Scott Standard Postage Stamp Catalogue Vol 6 So-Z) (Scott Standard Postage Stamp Catalogue Vol 6 So-Z).

1. When you are collecting stamps you need the best reference catalog available, and this is the one, almost every store and auction uses it not only as a price reference but also as a clasification guide. My only concern is why this volume is cheaper than the other five.

5 comments about Statehood Quarter Collection Number 3: 2006 To 2008 (Official Whitman Coin Folder).

1. A great way to start your coin collection . I highly recommend this to everyone.



2. I am very unhappy with the new Statehood Quarter #2 book. I purchased 2 and wasted my money. The quarters do not fit in the slots that were made for them. The slots are way too small. I had to manually enlarge the slot in order to use the books.



3. I used the first Whitman binder for the first three years of the statehood quarters and it held the quarters pretty well. But something strange happened when they made the binders for years 4 through 7 (Vol. 2) and 8 through 10 (Vol. 3). They must have got the idea that the U.S. Mint shrunk the size of the quarter, because it is almost impossible to fit the quarters in the slots. All have to be raised up on an end to fit snugly, but it looks awful. That didn't work for me, so I have found another binder that does a better job. It's hard to believe the leading coin book maker missed the boat on this one.



4. Previous reviewers who said the holes are too small are right. It's almost impossible to insert quarters with just your hands. I found that it's not so hard when you use some kind of tool to help you, though.

   First, place the folder on a solid flat surface. Then position the quarter correctly, and push it in as much as you can by hand. Now find something to help you get it in the rest of the way without damaging it. I used the rubber-coated handle of a pair of pliers. Place the tool on the edge of the coin that's still sticking up, and apply pressure to force it into the hole.

   After I got the quarters into my folder, they looked fine. There was no noticable damage. Though the hole size is annoying, this is still a good folder, and I would recommend it, especially if you already have Statehood Quarters #1.




5. This version folder allows the coins to fit in much more easily. No longer that thumb-numbing fight I put up with the last few years.

No comments about Matchbook: Indian Matchbox Labels.

5 comments about More 100 Best Things I've Sold on eBay - Money Making Madness - My Story Continues by Lynn Dralle, The Queen of Auctions.

1. I didn't think she could do it again, but she did!! Lynn Dralle found another 100 items she has sold on ebay, that will amuse and amaze you! Don't read it on a Friday night or you won't be able to sleep in on Saturday morning. Garage sale fever will hit you big time!!!!



2. This book was full of great items she found at garage sales and thrift stores - the first book she listed items she inheirited from her beloved grandmother. Not that I didn't learn from those items she listed in her book too - its just that these items made me think they were more accessible.
   
   This is another book I keep reading and re-reading. The stories for each item are emotionally packed - as well as full of information that I can use to find similiar things.
   
   Thanks for the help Lynn!



3. This is another great book by Lynn Dralle. More great stories of how to sell on e-bay with hints about what to look for when gathering items to sell.



4. This book is more of an entertaining list of items. It will spark your imagination to think outside the box when looking for items to sell. Be wary of any of her newsletters or mailing lists. She would be called the Queen of Spam. My inbox was flooded the day I purchased her bonus items with spam.



5. Lynn Dralle's writing style, as well as examples of her auctions make learning easy. Her stories are humerous, sometimes very touching, and there is ALWAYS a lesson to be learned, be it about antiques, or what moves product. Since it is 100 short stories it is easy to read as you have the time, instead of requiring several long study sessions. Although, I frequently had a hard time putting the book down.

4 comments about Warman's Carnival Glass: Identification & Price Guide.

1. Great service book is in excellent condition.
   Thanks so much.



2. Another excellent identification book by Ellen T. Schroy. It is well organized and the beautiful color pictures are clear for pattern identification. She identifies the maker, the colors which were produce, the known forms, the identifying characteristics, and the prices at the time the book was written. There is a section showing and describing the colors of carnival glass, and an explanation of how to determine the color of carnival glass. Also included in the book is a time line and information about each glass company during the Carnival Glass era. This book is one of the best for identifying pieces of carnival glass. I use it more than any of my other books. It is my favorite! I highly recommend it to every beginning collector!



3. Beautiful colorful photos. Very easy to read and identify patterns. SO MUCH TO LOOK AT!!!



4. Hundreds of classic and popular glass patterns, more than 5,000 prices, and headline production pieces pack Warman's Carnival Glass: an identification and price guide key to understanding Warman colors, forms, identifying characteristics, and values. Each piece receives a color photo paired with information on common reproductions, making for an excellent and solid reference work collectors will find easy to consult.
   
   Diane C. Donovan
   California Bookwatch

1 comments about Antique & Contemporary Advertising Memorabilia (Antique and Contemporary Advertising Memorabilia).

1. A brand new 2002, 416 page beautiful plastic laminated hardbound library book advertising memorabilia lovers will appreciate. There are more than 1,200 large, full color sharp photos included. Current values are shown. Listings are in alphabetical order throughout the book, making item location easy. Useful for beginners and advanced collectors, and everyone interested in ad memorabilia. Add it to your library. It's a beautiful book.

2 comments about Luger Tips.

1. I OWN SEVERAL BOOKS ON THE SUBJECT OF LUGERS AND HAVE FOUND THIS BOOK TO BE AN ASSET TO THE NOVICE AS WELL AS THE SEASONED COLLECTOR. THE BOOK PROVIDES THE BASIC INFORMATION TO BEGIN YOUR SEARCH IN THIS SOMETIMES CONFUSING AREA OF COLLECTING. WITH OVER 300 VARIETIES AND MODELS TO CHOOSE FROM THE BOOK CAUTIONS THE COLLECTOR TO SPECIALIZE IN A PARTICULAR AREA AS TO NOT GET CAUGHT UP IN THE "TOTAL COLLECTION MENTALITY. THE BOOK TAKES THE BASIC MODELS AND THROUGH TEXT AND PICTURES ON THE JOURNEY OF A LIFETIME IN COLLECTING LUGERS. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS BOOK TO ANY COLLECTOR SERIOUS OR NOVICE



2. This 120 page paperback does a pretty good job at giving descriptions and adequate photographs of the various Lugers in the market today... even the newer Mauser Lugers imported by Interarms in the 1970s. Magazines (clips), stocks, holsters and even .22 caliber conversion kits are covered. The quantity manufactured of each type of Luger is included along with the detailed descriptions.

   There is a section detailing values and "collector-recommendation comments" too.

   Overall, I found the book helpful... and I would emphasize, the photos were well done.

5 comments about The Hazel-atlas Glass Identification And Value Guide (Hazel Atlas Glass Identification and Value Guide).

1. I was really impressed with this book. It filled in many of the little identification gaps that I had missing as a glass collector. There are so many items listed here that were not in his other books. It was enjoyable.......I read it in one day.......informative.....I was able to id many pieces.....and beautifully illustrated. I like the outline key too!



2. The identification and value guide are very easily read. The pictures are of great help in identifying the various styles of Hazel-Atlas glass. There is a brief history of the glass from 1885 until the factory was sold to the Continental Can Company in 1956. All in all, well worth the purchase.



3. This is a fantastic reference book for anyone who is a fan of Hazel-Atlas glassware. The pictures are crisp and clear - the colors are vivid - and every page is full of photos. Not all of the Hazel-Atlas glassware is marked and this book is a valuable guide to authenticate those items, as well as being an interesting look into the many pieces of glassware that they produced. Very nice to have by the computer when you are surfing ebay.



4. Excellent book - Perfect for the beginner or long-time collector. Great photos and each page is well explained.



5. There is so much glassware out there I need to identify and this book really helps - and not only on Hazel Atlas glassware