5 comments about The Book of Wagner & Griswold: Martin, Lodge, Vollrath, Excelsior.

1. This new book by the authors Smith and Wafford picks up where the old "blue" book stops. This book contains practically all new pictures and items which were not in the old book. Based on the title "The Book of Wagner & Griswold" the majority of the book contains information about Wagner. There is 124 pages which deal with Wagner Ware. The information contained is solid and not to be found anywhere else. Once again, this book becomes the Bible for collecting old cookware. The information on Griswold is not nearly as as long as Wagner. It is only 75 pages. There are many new items in this book which was not in the other books. There is quite a bit of information about aluminum Griswold items which is very helpful if you are collecting this type of cookware. Finally the sections on Martin Stove, Lodge, Axford, Vollrath and Excelsior(G.F.Filley) is great! For each manufacture it gives the history along with photo's/prices. Super information which I have not found anywhere else. I think this book is a "must have" for the cookware collector. It is a good companion book to "The Book of Griswold & Wagner." To be fully informed you really need both books. I have found these books by Smith and Wafford to be pretty close in the values of various items. Although variances do exist I have found these to be the closest out of all the cast iron collectable books available. I keep both of these books next to my computer and refer to them almost daily when shopping the internet for cast iron. A++++



2. If you like collections of photos, this book is great ... Hollow.



3. Both this book and the "blue" book mislead readers by listing "price values" that are blatently low,-on the very uncommon items listed, even though the pricing errors were brought to both author's attention years ago. Many revisions later, they remain for the most part unchanged.
   Shame on them.



4. Unlike steve (ca) review, this book is considered the second book that all cast iron collectors must have. While some discrepancy on some values in the book may be present, values on most items are completely accurate. It is unfortunate that the other review destroys the credibility of this fine book. The "RED" book is the most complete and accurate book on the market for Wagner Ware collectors. This book and the "BLUE" book should be in every serious cast iron collector's resource library.



5. This is the second book you should buy if you have any interest in collecting classic American cast iron goods. Collectors call this the "Red Book". The first book, "The Book of Griswold & Wagner", is called the "Blue Book", although it looks kind of turquoise to me, and is by the same authors. This edition, with a copyright of 2001, is getting a little out of date for catalog values, but still is a good indicator of relative value. It covers Wagner, Griswold, Martin, Lodge, Vollrath, and Excelsior. There is little duplication between the Red and Blue books, but together they are just a treasure chest of good clear photogrpahs and information that is not available anywhere else. The author is active in the major collecting societies and solicits information, including photographs and corrections, as each edition is prepared. (As an aside, it's hard to comprehend how someone could be critical of a book full of pictures and descriptions of collectable iron.)
   
   It is really unfair to be critical of the catalogs values in such a work. They are useful in determining relative value and rarity, but the current marketplace must looked at to get the best indicators of value.

5 comments about The Golden Age of Walt Disney Records 1933-1988: Murray's Collectors' Price Guide and Discography : Lps/45 Rpm/78 Rpm/Eps.

1. The book is a really good reference on Disney records. The color pictures are a really nice addition.



2. This is an invaluable resource for Disney record collectors. Beautiful pictures and detailed discriptions of every record the Disney company ever released. The prices listed might seem high, unless you remember that they are only for records in near perfect condition. I have already bought 2 copies.



3. This softbound 256 page book is a handy 6 x 9" making it convenient to take with you as you antique. It contains more than 250 full color, sharp photos of album covers and recordings. This is the first comprehensive price guide and discography covering the complete output of Disney recorded music on both Disney and other labels. It covers the years 1933 to 1988 and is very complete. There is a useful table of contents and index making it easy to locate items. A history and condition guide is provided. Topics range from LPs, 45's, 78's to Little Golden Records. You can't collect items of this topic without this guide. Add it to your library.



4. I enjoy this book alot - it's complete and chock-full of useful information concerning the collection of Disney Records. Of course the prices are something to behold too (I figure I have about $50,000 (hyperbole) in my collection). The guide is very well organized and the individual entries usually consist of a picture, record number, brief description (at least enough to identify a particular cover version) and price. The guide even goes so far as to identify non-Disney labels issuing Disney material.
   
   I wish the guide went into deeper discussions of the various Disney labels and the inner sleeves. I have several examples of, say, a Buena Vista label, and between the two BV labels, they are different! Which one to collect? Sometimes the guide falls a little short, but not often enough to prevent me from recommending this book for the serious collector or even the curious weekender.
   
   Overall, to me, it's a valuable reference and fun to ponder. Now it's always a thrill to find a Disney record and read about some of the history behind it.
   
   Happy hunting...



5. This book is for hard core collectors of Walt Disney records on vinyl and in that respect it is indespensible. There is plenty of material for the Disney amateur historians too. The real treat for all the rest of us is 250 plus color photos of album covers and recordings. It's enough to give anyone the collecting bug. A very complete guide hat lists all of the Walt Disney record even on other labels. Lists picture discs, Little Golden Books, soundtracks to movies and TV shows, storybooks, and material from Disneyland. Includes EP's, 33 1/3 LPs, 45's, and 78's including alll records from 1933 to 1988. Functional table of contents and index help to locate items in the book. Very useful material on accurate grading the condition of records. A short history on the history of Disney records is in the book, an animated film filmography, and the music composers for all of Disney on film is very useful. Softbound covers, no dust jacket, 256 pages in length.
   
   If you are also interested in the process, the how and why of the music of Disney, you also need to read the wonderful book, "The Musical World of Walt Disney" by David Tietyen.

1 comments about Forks, Knives and Spoons.

1. This is a fabulous photo, caption, and appendix compendium for people interested in the many varieties of flatware designed for specific use. Of particular interest to me are the double-page spreads illustrating the different kinds of forks, spoons, and knives, so that one can get a sense of relative size and shape. The down side (yes, I know this would be an up side for some readers) is that the book is cluttered with recipes, making it hard to find information relating to the cutlery. I'd be much happier the food photos run with just captions, amidst appendix material used as body text, with an appendix of recipes, than the other way round. If I want to buy a cookbook, I'll buy a cookbook.

3 comments about Sensational Bouquets by Christian Tortu: Arrangements by a Master Floral Designer.

1. I enjoyed this book very much. Sensational Bouquets is rich in new thoughts about what flowers and plants represent, filled with novel arrangements, and is enriched by outstanding photography of those arrangements. After reading and viewing this book, you will never think about nature and natural beauty in quite the same way. You will be the richer for the experience, because your sense of beauty will expand as a result.

   Christian Tortu grew up on a truck farm in Anjou, and is proud of his agricultural roots. Now he designs backdrops for fashion shows and the Cannes Film Festival. He operates floral shops in major cities around the world.

   Let me share a little of his philosophy, as described in the many sections he wrote for the book. "Each plant is a fragment of a landscape . . . ." In his arrangements, he creates that sense of landscape in a way that I have never seen before in flower arrangements. Nature is palpable in them.

   "If man were to stop rushing around for one moment, he might take a look at flowers -- and then take a closer look." I remember having that experience in the orchid garden in Honolulu. I was enthralled with the beautiful blossoms in my 20 minute self-guided tour. As I was about to leave, an elderly gentleman asked me if I would like to have some help in looking around. I agreed, and spent the next three hours going over the same ground with him. Except I saw about 100 times as much with his help. I was astonished at how many delightful orchids I had totally missed in my haste (and I had thought I was being leisurely).

   "In time, his convictions would crumble, and he would realize classification is fruitless even beyond flowers." People love to judge, and that judgment gets in the way of really seeing and experiencing life. So these arrangements are a metaphor for breaking down our closed mental sets.

   The basic premise is that "all flowers are created equal." Weeds and shrubbery get as much attention as rare orchids. And the moment of perfection is not all that is explored. " . . . [E]very stage of the flower is a moment that deserves attention." One bouquet even captures burned foliage and flowers after a fire. Seeing these images makes one realize the truth of these observations. " . . . [I]n the name of harmony, each one [arrangement] has its own touch of anarchy."

   Mr. Tortu changes things in terms of color, type of composition, and form. I was especially fascinated by his many monochromatic arrangements, especially the green bouquets.

   The book is done in sections: Genesis; Revolution(s); Crossroads; and the Chronicle of a Black Bouquet. Using these themes makes it easier to appreciate the statements his designs make.

   Here are my favorites in the book:

   Agave foliage with euchasis in gray wax vases

   Green tomatoes and basil, tomato flowers, dog rose fruit and vine foliate

   Green arum lilies, tea grass, viburnum, and narcissus buds

   Garlic flower and nasturtium

   Nasturtium, wild strawberries, and blackberries

   Privet berries and King Arthur orchids

   Lime tree branches and iris

   Violets

   White hyacinth, and catmint

   Osage orange, pears and chayote, quince, eggplant, and begonia

   After you enjoy this delightful book, I suggest that you take some other element of nature and see how arranging it differently changes your perceptions. Now that it is spring, you could start by taking fresh shoots and making arrangements of them in new combinations, new shapes, and in different types of containers.

   Open your mind to the potential of new combinations, expressed in new ways!




2. SENSATIONAL BOUQUETS BY CHRISTIAN TORTU is a visual treat as well as a learning inspiration for approaching that most personal craft of bringing the garden into the home - gathering and arranging flowers. Christian Tortu apparently has a following in Paris where he has a florist shop which has emphasized his creed of "All plants are born free and created equal." Having learned his craft and his passion for the natural garden from his parents as he matured in the Anjou gardens, gathering flowers from nature to place at the disposal of clients who yearn for the beauty of the garden to enter their home in ways other than window views, Tortu doesn't believe in the traditional 'sprays' of flowers place in an expensive family heirloom vase on a sterile table. Instead he combines fruit, vines, all phases of a flower's life ( bud, blossom, denuded vestige ) with grasses and all the elements found in the natural setting of his flowers. The results are lush, compact, original thoughts that are startlingly beautiful.

   This is writer Corine Delahaze's first outing and she shows promise of a fine observor and poet. The photography is by Sylvain Thomas and emphasizes the closeup details as well as the free-standing wonders of Tortu's designs. The combination of text and photographs balances well with Tortu's creations. There is much more to learn about nature than just an ordinary treatise on flower arranging here. In Tortu's words "Nature is a place of total freedom. All plant life is accepted as equal." And from this humble belief Tortu lifts the spirit as well as the imagination with his artist's gift.




3. I got hooked on his designs while in Paris. If you are ever there you MUST visit his shop(s)!!

2 comments about Purse Masterpieces: Identification & Value Guide.

1. This is quite possibly the most self-serving book I have ever seen published. The misleading title, Purse Masterpieces, suggests that it will feature the very best extant examples of vintage and antique purses. Disappointingly, what we are given instead is a virtual catalog of the author's own collection, regardless of rarity, condition, noteworthiness or "masterpiece" status. Commonplace and unremarkable purses are included alongside finer examples. There are important categories of purses poorly represented or ignored entirely, presumably because the author either had none in her personal collection or had no interest in the type. The overwhelming majority of the purses included in the book are listed as being from the author's retail store or the author's personal collection. While the author did scatter here and there a limited number of purses from a few select other sources, the book reads like a photographic documentation of the author's retail store. To add insult to injury, the values placed by the author on her own purses appear much inflated, thereby rendering the book's worth as a price guide suspect at best and a disservice to the collectible purse market at worst. The text breaks no new ground and reveals little that hasn't been published elsewhere in other more comprehensive and more fairly written collector books on purses.
   
   The end result is that a book ostensibly purporting to document and value only the finest "masterpiece" examples of purses instead comes off like a means for the author to market all of her own purses by establishing "book" prices and published status of her collection.
   
   The author describes herself as "collecting, researching and writing about vintage purses for over a decade," and while she appears reasonably knowledgeable on the subject commensurate with her limited time in the field, I would humbly suggest a more accurate title for her book. She has a lovely collection deserving of cataloging, and my colleagues and I would certainly help her value them more accurately.
   
   There are many well-researched books and price-guides available on vintage, antique and collectible purses written by professionals with a wealth of time and experience in the field. In my opinion, this book does not add to the fund of knowledge or documentation on the subject previously published. The premise of a book solely focusing on masterpieces is a good one, and I will await the publication. ... This just isn't that book.
   
   A real disappointment.



2. Purse Masterpieces is a wonderful addition to the literature on antique and vintage purses. Many examples pictured in this book have never been seen before, some of them dating to the 18th century. Seven other individual collectors contributed to this book. The sections on beaded, mesh and dance purses has some lovely examples, which any collector would be proud to add to her collection. Another section on frames shows some beautiful jeweled pieces that have not been seen in the exisitng literature. In her first chapter, Ms. Schwartz discusses the relationship of purse designs with the more traditional art form of painting, archeology (Egyptian) and literature. She makes a connection that has not been made in the past in other books on purses, which adds to the literature and makes for a very interesting read. Her value guide is just that, a guide. As all purse collectors know, prices vary from one end of the country to the other, from venue to venue, and year to year. I highly recommend this book to all antique and vintage purse collectors.

5 comments about The Collector's Encyclopedia of Hull Pottery.

1. If I could purchase only one Hull reference it would be Jeffrey Snyder's Hull Pottery: Decades of Design. The Roberts book uses color photos that look they were taken in the 1950's and in at least one case I was unable to ID a piece because of the graniness of the photo. She does include some pieces Synder's book does not and vice versa. I have found using one book to supplement the other the best bet.



2. I BOUGHT THE BOOK TO IDENTIFY THE HULL VASES WHICH I'VE COLLECTED OVER THE YEARS, BUT I WAS REALLY DISAPPOINTED WHEN I OPENED THIS BOOK. MANY OF THE ITEMS WERE ALMOST UNIDENTIFIABLE, DUE TO WASHED OUT PHOTOS OF THE PASTEL ITEMS - AND THE PASTELS ARE THE ONLY HULL ITEMS WHICH I OWN. I WAS HARD-PRESSED TO BE ABLE TO TELL WHAT I WAS LOOKING AT. THE YELLOWS, PINKS, GREENS AND LIGHT BLUES ARE SO PALE, AS TO NOT BE ABLE TO TELL WHERE ONE COLOR ENDS AND THE OTHER BEGINS. IN MANY PHOTOS, THERE IS ALMOST AN ABSENCE OF COLOR - EVERYTHING IS JUST A BLUR. IF IT HADN'T BEEN FOR THE NUMBERS ON THE BOTTOMS OF THE VASES I OWN, I'D NOT HAVE BEEN ABLE TO FIND THEM - CERTAINLY NOT BY THE PICTURES. REALLY POOR EDITING. THOSE PHOTOS SHOULD HAVE BEEN REJECTED AND RE-DONE.



3. I am a dealer so I use this book for pricing, but whether a dealer or collector this is a good book. Plenty of photos, price guide is right on the mark. I am satisfied with it.



4. Though a fairly thorough bibliography of the Hull Pottery organization, this book is way too old(circa 1980!) to accurately depict today's collector market. Perhaps a collector's item now in itself, this book is in dire need of updating and revision. Referring to this edition as an "Encyclopedia" is an insult to readers and collector's alike. It also makes no mention of the extremely popular Marcrest "Daisy and Dot" line, for which I had hoped to find
   a complete product listing. I believe Jeff Snyder's "Decades of Design" publication will provide me with this important information.



5. this book tells you all you need to know about hull pottery

1 comments about 20th Century Paper Dolls: Identification & Values.

1. This book, which retails for under $20, amazingly consists of over 330 pages of pure content in full color.
   
   20th century paper doll publishing was dominated by just a few large companies, but there were scores of smaller companies that contributed to an industry that is now sadly in retreat. Mary Young's book looks at these smaller companies, whose heyday was mostly in the earlier part of the century. It catalogs the output of the smaller companies and provides profuse all-color illustrations of the paper doll sets. Also, it often deliciously allows the user to peek inside the sets to see the paper dolls as both art and historical document.
   
   Countless sets are shown in this reference book, they are named, assigned monetary values, and descriptive notes are often attached. The value to the collector is significant. The identification of orphaned dolls and even loose items of paper doll clothing, the kind that pop up out-of-place in large paper doll lots, is made possible.
   
   The only drawback to the book is that some of the pictures are blurry or are too dark. That is quibbling because a great number of the items of the items depicted in the book are rare. It was a real privilege to get access to these wonderful old and fragile toys.

5 comments about Counting In The Garden.

1. I purchased two of these books for my granddaughters who are beyond learning to count, but certainly not beyond appreciating the beautiful illustrations by Kim Parker. This book is as pleasant for the eyes as it is to read. Highly recommend it.



2. This is truly a treasure....a sweet story and the most beautiful illustrations. The colors alone will make you smile.



3. My 2 year old got this as a gift from my aunt for Christmas - by far a favorite gift this year. It has such beautiful illustrations. She loves the cadence of counting so she'll go through the book on her own and "count". I love that. She relates each page to a certain number of taps on the page. I think the illustrations really help with that because they are so colorful and really keep her interest. The animals throughout are somewhat hidden in the garden and it's fun to find them all. This book is not in hardback so the pages are worn already but that's ok. It shows that it's a loved book!



4. Although this book is appropriate for ages 2-4ish, my 6 year-old daughter LOVES finding the garden friends hidden amongst the pages. She also loves talking about what mediums the illustrator may have used- she came up with crayola water colors!!! This book is definitly a keeper for the years to come.



5. Just got this book for my 21-month-old daughter and from the moment I took it out of the box, she loved it! Now she runs around the house saying "Counting In The Garden" to get me to read it to her (I hid it on a high shelf so that she wouldn't destroy it - it is so pretty!). The illustrations are beautiful and after I read it, I went online and purchased another copy for a friend's daughter and a box of matching notecards, too! Kim Parker is an amazing illustrator - I highly recommend the book.

5 comments about Daisy Air Rifles & BB Guns The First 100 Years.

1. An entertaining and informative compendium of the products of the Daisy Company.



2. The book 100 years of Daisy BB guns is excellent, great pix, very informataive and a must have for the Daisy BB gun fan, collector or shooter. I would have liked more written text but book is great and helpful as it is. I have a few Daisy bb guns but dont concentrate on them. Try it youll like it.



3. - A terrific book with outstanding photography and commentary on Daisy BB guns, toys, and advertising over a 100 year period.
   Gary Garber



4. Nice informative paperback. No prices for us collectors/dealers. Does anyone publish a price guide for BB guns?



5. Very enjoyable. It brought back a lot of memories. I shared it with a
   friend my age, and it gave us a lot to reminisce about.

No comments about Star Wars - Knights of the Old Republic #25 : Vector Part One (Dark Horse Comics).