5 comments about Everyday Fashions of the Sixties as Pictured in Sears Catalogs.

1. This wonderful book provides a nostagic trip back to the 1960's, but more than just invoking fond memories, provides a glimpse of that changing decade through fashion. The early 60's ushered in mink stoles for $500.00, lady-like gowns and proper high heels. Towards the end of the '60's fashion takes on a distinct change, reflecting that turbulent time in the U.S. Gone are the wasp-waist dresses, and in come the "hippie" styles of striped bell-bottom pants for both sexes, mini-dresses and go-go boots modeled by Twiggy look-alikes. And the prices! A gorgeous pair of colorful leather flats were about $6.00, leather boots sold for $14.00. Of course, some of the styles are positively heinous according to current standards, but many have stood the test of time and would not seem out of place today. I love to scour old styles when I design my own clothes, and if you are a fashion designer or just love clothes, this is a wonderful reference guide.



2. Great book for those interested in sities fashion. No interpretive text or historical context-- this book is purely an assemblage of some of Sear's catalog most enduring and representative patterns of sixties attire. Ripped straight from the catalogue pages, this book is just filled from cover to cover of catalogue models and accessory displays. My main criticism is that I would have liked to see a book representing not only Sear's catalogue, but other popular stores of the day. In addition, the book could have been longer and more colorful. While I like the idea of black and white photos on the semi-gloss pages, most of the photos are more fuzzy and gray than crisp black and white. Only two pages are actually in color... which is a disappointment and not what you'd want from this time period. Half of fashion interest in the sixties is the bold use of color and pattern never seen before the period.



3. This book has great pictures. It is not as comprehensive as I would have liked, but is still a very helpful guide to 60's fashion.



4. Vibrant color was one of the most important aspects of fashions of the 1960's. Sadly, the color is a missing aspect of this otherwise wonderful volume.
   
   However, if you are looking for a trip down memory lane, Everyday Fashions of the Sixties as Pictured in Sears Catalogs is a great way to recapture the era. It brought back fond memories of my school days.
   
   If you are not a Baby Boomer, you might be very surprised to realize that many of the styles we wore were much more conservative and flattering than the media's reinterpretation of 60's style. (Oh! How I want those shoes!)
   
   Highly recommended for fashion research or pure entertainment! I'd give it another star if there was more color!



5. The decade-by-decade images from all the books in this series are, IMHO, required references for those interested in fashion and costume design in the 20th century.

2 comments about Heywood-Wakefield Modern Furniture.

1. I have just started collecting Heywood-Wakefield furniture. I began after seeing a show on Home and Garden TV Network on the reissued Heywood-Wakefield line currently being manufactured. I ordered a catalog from them, visited their web site, then started looking for dealers here in Dallas. Long story short, I found a gentleman here in Dallas who buys and sells antique Heywood-Wakefield pieces. I looked at what he had to offer, and ended up spending a small fortune on several pieces for my bedroom and living room. He swore by this book. This is the Heywood-Wakefield collector's Bible. It has a comprehensive list of nigh every piece Heywood-Wakefield made from about the '20s on. It has pictures of all the pieces, comments on the piece's designer(s), history, and most importantly, an updated (1999) pricing list. Buy this, and you and your dealers will always "be on the same page," literally, when it comes to discussing pieces. This is especially helpful to those who are buying from dealers cross-country. A definite must-have!!!



2. This book is everything I wanted. The illustrations are bery good and informative.

5 comments about Old Time Radios! Restoration and Repair.

1. What a waste of money! All the hype for this book lead me to believe this was a book that would be valuable to a beginner in the restoration of antique radios. I should have ignored the positive posts that were obviously posted by close members of the author's immediate family. If one is into theory, this is probably about as good as it gets. If one is looking for basic restoration help, fugeddabowdit!



2. This book is OK and I'm glad I bought it, but the author spends too much time on the theory and history of antique radios. Only about 1/3rd of the book is devoted to troubleshooting, and even that part is a little bit sketchy. I think a person can find better troubleshooting manuals, tube manuals, and other interesting literature for free online if you just spend a few minutes searching. It has been my experience that the New Jersey Antique Radio Club is a great resource.
   
   Mr. Carr wrote a great book, but you can do better online.



3. Very thorough. This is a good book if you want to restore old radios. Gives a good explanation of history, and how the tubes and circuits work. There is a good section on troublshooting and repair. The only complaint is that the author goes into great detail to explain how the circuits are effected using equations in calculus ect. It is just a bit much for the novice to grasp. Otherwise a good book on old radios.



4. If you want a book on how tube radios work, this is a great book. If you want to know how to actually restore radios, not so good.



5. I have been interested in and tinkered with electronics since I was a boy, but I didn't have the knowledge to do any involved repairs. Over the years my family and I have had tube radios that worked fine at one time, then started to hum, with the humming eventually getting so bad it drowned out everything else. I remembered my folks taking one of these sets to a radio/TV repairman when I was a kid and being told it wasn't worth fixing. For years I have wanted to find out what caused this and maybe fix those radios. Some 30 years later I spied this book, bought it, and found out what all that humming was caused by. I have proceeded to fix 3 of those old radios that now work like new, for only a few dollars in parts! This book taught me everything I needed to know to do it. I couldn't be more pleased. I had to re-read some sections a few times to "get it", but the info I needed was all there. I can't recommend this book highly enough!!

2 comments about Fishing Lure Collectibles: An Encyclopedia of the Modern Era, 1940 To Present (Fishing Lure Collectibles).

1. Fishing Lure Collectibles: An Encyclopedia Of The Modern Era, 1940 To Present by Dudley and Deanie Murphy is an in-depth illustrated compendium showcasing the great variety of fishing lures which have been developed from 1940 to the present time. Featuring the many intricate details and specifics which characterizes each of the presented lures, Fishing Lure Collectibles introduces the reader to literally hundreds of lures along with such details as their name, date released, length, a color photograph, short notes, and a price value, Fishing Lure Collectibles really delves into an unknown analysis of the world of fishing lures and their historical background. From the Glitter Bug released in 1944 to the Redhorse Spearing Decoy in 2003, Fishing Lure Collectibles truly is the ultimate guide and encyclopedia of fishing lures since the year 1940, and is very strongly recommended to all collectors of lures, as well as general fishermen.



2. I am very happy with this book and another companion book by the same author. This book is a very useful reference to the range of lures manufactured through recent times. I refer to it all the time when I am buying fishing lures on ebay etc. I can't compare it to other books as these are the only lure collecting books that I own. Great photos too.

4 comments about Sweet Valley High # 2: Secrets (Sweet Valley High).

1. Jessica wants to be homecoming queen. She's dying to dance in the spotlight with the shoo-in for king, Bruce Patman.
   
   While Jessica has the popular vote locked up, she learns that other people are rooting for Enid, her sister's best friend.
   
   But Enid has a dark secret that she shares with Liz.
   
   Jessica will do anything to win, but will she take down her sister's best friend and make life miserable for her sister in the process?
   
   The second book in the SWEET VALLEY HIGH series takes drama to a new level that readers will eat up.
   
   Reviewed by: Jennifer Rummel



2. I was at the bookstore earlier today, and I picked this book up and flipped to a random page, but as soon as I read a sentence that consisted of one of the characters wearing a juicy courture outfit, I immediately put it down. And to make matters worse, I've heard that the pants size that Jessica and Elizabeth wear has gone from a perfect size 6, to a perfect size 4. Are you serious? Nice way to add to the growing issue of teenage body issues.
   
   I have been a fan of The Sweet Valley series ever since I was a little girl, and have since then collected a majority of books from the several series that the world of Sweet Valley consists of. So ill say, I was excited when I heard that they'd be reprinting the books with new covers because I saw it as an opportunity for a new generation of sweet valley fans to discover these wonderful books. But I didn't realize that they'd also be changing some of the things in the book. I mean I can understand why they'd want to update some of the things such as the fashions and the use of cell phones, because I know things like that will appeal to todays audience. But still.
   
   The next time I feel like re-entering the world of Sweet Valley, ill just stick to the old fashioned version and pick up one of the books off of my bookshelf.



3. I have been a long-time of this wonderfully crack-tastic series. Be warned as the other reviewer stated some of the changes they made are somewhat bizarre. A burger joint is changed to a Mexican restaurant, a character's clothing style and band name are changed...that however is nothing compared to the insidious fate handed down to slutty rich boy Bruce Patman. His beloved Porsche has been traded in for a CADDY(!?)
   The name brands are a bit ridiculous, I feel and saying all this I will tell you that I cannot wait for the other books come out, so I can compare/contrast with my "old skool" collection.
   Here's the plot of the book: Jessica wants to be prom queen. She finds out her twin sister's BFF has a druggie past and spills the beans to Enid's jealous boytoy, Ronnie.
   There's also something about Jessica's BFF tormenting a French teacher because the teacher is dating her father.
   W#hile Sweet Valley High books are not at all deep, they are quite fun.
   I would highly recommend getting the originals before starting the reissues



4. As a fan of the original books, I was disappointed. Wow, could they make it any more obvious that this is 2008? Way too many pop culture references, and unrealistic dialogue. The real Enid Rollins would NOT be wearing Juicy Couture, that is for sure. Also, the scene where Enid tells Liz she was arrested and paralyzed a 5 year old is way too dramatic and I don't feel that it's real. They could have just written it so she got in an accident, blah blah blah. EVERY page they have to make a reference to a magazine, TV show, band, or fashion label that is commonplace today.
   
   Oh, and for those of you complaining about how the twins went from size 6 to a size 4: In case you have been living under a rock, clothing sizes are DRASTICALLY different than they were in the 80's/90's. What used to be a size 6 is the same size as a 4 or a 2, nowadays. So you should feel lucky that the author didn't write them as a size 2 or zero. Before they redid clothing sizes to make women feel better about themselves, I was a size 6, now I struggle to fill out a size 2 pair of jeans.
   
   And what about issues that real teens face today? Like sex and drugs? Those are hardly mentioned.
   
   I miss the old Sweet Valley...

5 comments about Hallmark Keepsake Ornament Value Guide, Second Edition: 1973-2006.

1. This guide is very useful for determining insurance values for a person's ornament collection. It is not as useful for determining sale prices as sale prices almost never equal value guide prices. It is easy to use and has good pictures of virtually every ornament and merry miniature Hallmark has produced. I highly recommend it to any serious collector.



2. This book lists all Hallmark ornaments in pictures and prices. It is
   helpful to find some of my ornaments and know their value. I would
   recommend it to any collector of Hallmark.



3. I just love this book. It gives you a picture for all ornaments, including miniature ornaments too. Plus, other specialty hallmark products. The book also gives you a market value of the ornament and is nicely organized. I would recommend this book for the novist collector and the serious collector!



4. I think this book is a great way to keep track of my Hallmark Ornaments and give me a current value of each one. However, because values change from year to year, it could be a lot of work transferring them to a new book each year. I think every couple of years would be fine to keep track of what you have unless you purchase numerous ornaments every year. I would, however, like to know where the values come from. If the values listed are to sell, I don't think you could get the amount stated. However, if it's for insurance reasons, I think it would be a great book to have.



5. The Hallmark Keepsake value guide was vary informative and well laid out
   it is a pleaser using it. I would not hesitate buying another value guide for the year 2010.
   
   Thank you for providing such a product.

5 comments about Everyday Fashions of the Twenties as Pictured in Sears and Other Catalogs (Sears Catalogs).

1. Great book. I used it to come up with a 20's custume for a party. Loved the book. Great graphics.



2. This is a very useful source book for every day clothing, particularly things like men's clothes,kid's outfits, maid uniforms, and other things that aren't the high fashion clothing that many books feature. I design theater costumes, and have found this very helpful.



3. A great source of information on the cloths worn by ordinary people of this time period.
   
   Pity people don't dress like this anymore.



4. This is a great book if you're looking for an overview of fashions from 1909 to 1930, concentrating on clothes available from Sears catalogs of the period. The book includes women's, men's, children's, and infant's clothing. The text is entertaining to read. I was a little disappointed that there were not more examples of fashion in the 20's. Nevertheless, it is an informative and fun book to refer to if you have an interest in period fashion



5. The decade-by-decade images from all the books in this series are, IMHO, required references for those interested in fashion and costume design in the 20th century.

5 comments about More French-Beaded Flowers: 38 Patterns for Making Blossoms, Leaves, Insects, and More.

1. Dalene's second book of French Beaded Flowers is a welcome addition to her first. I've already made several of the flowers! Her instructions are clear, and the flowers are just beautiful. Good work, Dalene!



2. I bought Dalene's first French Beaded Flowers book and used it extensively. I was happy to add the second one to my collection. It is a very project-based book like the first one. I have made a number of the flowers already. The instructions are clear and concise. A good book for beginners.



3. I've been working with beads for many years, and creating french beaded flowers for at least 20 years, and I STILL was very impressed with this book (which isn't easy to do!) The instructions are clear and the designs are wonderful! It's hard to say if a beginner would view it the same since I have been working with this art form for so long, but I believe it would be an excellent instructional guide, and a fantastic addition to every beading artist & hobbyist's library.



4. I've had Kelly's first book (as a section of a larger beading book) for a while and have had great fun with it. The flowers in this second book are just as beautiful. The instructions are clear and relatively easy to follow. I've already done a couple of the projects and they've turned out well.
   
   Now for the caution flag. Kelly's first book is titled 'French-Beaded Flowers: New Millennium Collection'. This second book is titled 'More French Beaded Flowers: 38 Patterns for Blossoms, Leaves, Bugs & More'.
   
   However, there is another Kelly book that you may see, titled 'French Beaded Flowers'. Be aware that this seemingly THIRD Kelly book is the UK's version of the second book. The only differences between the two books are the cover, the longer title and the publisher. The project content is exactly the same. Judging from the dates of the reviews written for the UK version, it seems to have been published first. Maybe the publishers of the U.S. version decided to add the word 'MORE' to the title just to be different. Or maybe it was some type of legal thing. The one thing it IS, is confusing to the consumer.
   
   So, please don't be fooled by the cover, like I was and buy both of them. As far as I know, there are only two books by Dalene Kelly on French Beaded Flowers, not three.



5. The book is beautifully presented with exceptional diagrams and step by step instructions. There are many different varieties of flowers not found in other books, exotic orchics and beautiful butterflies. I love it.
   
   I received my book very quickly, Amazon kept me informed via email that the order was received and when the book was sent. Great service.

2 comments about Coin Collecting 101 What You Need to Know.

1. Great stuff for the beginner in this book - small histories of US denominations, coin categories to buy with caution, useful pictorial guide on grading, basics on coin shows, great tips on preservation. Probably not woth a buy for the experienced, but it is called coin collecting 101. Could have done without all the pages of state quarters. Seriously, it looks like the author was just filling pages. Overall all though, worth a buy for the novice.



2. I've very recently started collecting coins and I found this book to be the perfect introduction.

1 comments about Piet Boon 2.

1. Both monographs on Boon's work are spectacular - he deserves much greater recognition outside of Europe. The level of refinement is unrivaled (and perhaps tough to achieve on less than a hedge-fund baby's salary!). Endless rewards in the detail - hardware, finishes, scale, relationship of interior to exterior are all pitch-perfect.