5 comments about 200 Years of Dolls: Identification & Price Guide, Third Edition.

1. Dawn Herlocher's 200 Years Of Dolls Identification And Price Guide, 3rd Edition unlike competing doll guides, over 5,000 dolls of all kinds are identified from Raggedy Ann editions to Barbie. The book comes packed with color photos - but the inclusion of manufacturer's marks, comparison charts and histories is what makes 200 Years Of Dolls so special. Of course, there's the latest pricing to aid in valuations. Over 275 doll manufacturers are included in a lovely coverage.



2. I refer to this doll book often.
   Any author who attempts to include 200 years` worth of antique and collectible dolls in one book has quite a feat ahead. But the author does a wonderful job.
   
   This hardback book is printed on quality paper.
   The photos are very nicely taken.
   Information is very helpful.



3. I used this book while conducting an estate appraisal of a collection of some 45 high-end collectible dolls, all in pristine original condition with boxes, hang tags, etc. and some with custom-made display cases. Only 20-25% of the dolls in the collection were listed in this book.



4. I just got done looking through this book, which is the 3rd edition and is dated 2005. I bought this book for $2 used on Amazon and that is all it is worth to me. I bought it for business purposes and if I'd paid the full retail price, I'd have been inclined to return it.
   
   The photos are nice, full color and close up enough to get a good feeling of what each doll looks like, but there are many more dolls mentioned in text that are not pictured. It makes it hard to identify a doll if there's no photo of it.
   
   For example, I mostly deal with Barbie and other fashion dolls and dolls of the later 60's and 70's. There is a section on Barbie but it offers only a few photos and most of the dolls listed are only mentioned in text. If you didn't already know what you had in your hand, how would you be able to look it up?
   
   Crissy is one of the most popular dolls made by Ideal and there is only a mention of her in the 4 pages devoted to Ideal. There is not one photo of Crissy or any of her family. The only photo I saw listed under Mego was a NRFB Cher doll from the 70's. All the other Mego dolls are only mentioned by name. This book also does not list dates for most dolls. I find that frustrating, too. And the prices suggested as the value are very theoretical. Maybe pre-Ebay somebody would have spent so much for Barbie, let's say, but prices are not that good today, although the author does state she based prices on the doll being in mint condition and with original box, outfit and accessories. Still, I haven't seen too many Barbies in the condition she describes go for quite that much online.
   
   Now, I don't want to say this book is all bad. Its just very incomplete in terms of it being a real history of 200 years of dolls. Its a very brief overview of dolls throughout the last 200 years and most of the photos that are featured, are of antique dolls, not fashion dolls, even though many fashion dolls are listed in text. I don't feel it would be worth $30, which is the suggested retail price. This book would be greatly improved by adding LOTS more photos and if it were spiral bound. Its very heavy and thick (415 pages) and pages don't stay open well. There's a whole chunk of pages seperating from the spine already and this book was like new! I also think the year for each doll should also be added next to the description. Again, a nice effort but falls short. It may be that it is too great of an undertaking to be covered in one volume. I feel the author should have covered less to give us more.



5. The book is very incomplete: a great many dolls are not listed; mostly only composition. The dolls that are mentioned are way to often not pictured, which i found enormously frustrating.I thought paging through my new book would be fun but instead it was just irritating. And of course the prices change, so ones really needs to check the internet for those. It's a horrible pictoral reference. Better to invest in the more specific books like Cindy Sabulis's guides.This book is not recommended.

5 comments about Wish You Were Here.

1. I loved this book. There are actually two sets of characters you will fall in love with. It's face-paced, humorous, tension-filled, a great read!



2. I LOVED this book. I read it in one day (not easy to do with two small kids). I laughed, I cried, I could NOT put this book down. Highly recommended. You won't be disappointed.



3. When I got this book, I figured it would be good. So far I have not read a book by Christie Ridgeway that I have not liked. I fell head over heals for Yeager and Zoe. Deke and Lyssa were a treat as well. I liked the twist of Yeager's blindness and how he was when that changed. It put a diferent spin on their story. They had a deeply emotional story that kept bringing tears to my eyes. I savored every page of this book like the best chocolate. I liked the setting, that island was magical and I would not mind visiting it myself if it really exists. Really, I cant say enough. Read it and you will understand.



4. This was not one of my favorite Christie Ridgway books. I much preferred The Thrill of It All and Do Not Disturb. I found the push pull tension between sisters Zoe & Lyssa and their intended men, Deke & Yeager to be tedious. I had to force myself to continue reading to the end. I also did not feel either couple had much chemistry together.
   
   Zoe and Lyssa run Haven House on Abrigo, an island town off the coast of California. Both have survived the untimely death of their parents and Lyssa's leukemia soon afterwards. Lyssa is a five year leukemia survivor and ready to live her own life. Zoe takes comfort in the safe haven of the island and refuses to leave it for any reason. Since the tragedies that befell them in the past always took place away from the island, Zoe feels that Abrigo is the only place where they will both be safe and together.
   
   Deke returns to the island to assist his friend and colleague, Yeager Gates' recovery from a motorcycle accident that has effectively ended his career as an astronaut and currently left him blind. Deke is also there to refurbish his late uncle's house that he had visited in his childhood and last visited with his then-wife, who deserted him there during their honeymoon.
   
   Lyssa is attracted to Deke at first sight, insisting they are soul mates. Deke insists that at age 43 he is much too old for her. He is also guarding his heart which has been broken since the break up of his long ago marriage. Zoe is attracted to Yeager but she feels he would never be with her if he was not blind and saw that she is not like the glamorous women he was frequently photographed with in magazines as a celebrity. I also had a hard time buying their union.
   
   I guess I was spoiled reading her later novels first.



5. This was a great book. It had a wonderful plot, good characters, and beautiful descriptions. I only had one problem with it.
   
   The two characters, Yeager and Zoe where a bit repetative. Their relationship stayed the exact same for about 6 chapters. They would start kissing etc. Then all of a sudden they would stop, ingore each for a few days then it would start again. This bugged me because the book became some what boring and repetative.
   
   Thankfully it picked up after that little part. Overall it was a wonderfulu ubook and I would recomend it to anyone whos loves a great romance story, or just needs that comfort of a great book.
   
   I would classify it as 4 and a half stars.

3 comments about The Skateboard Art of Jim Phillips.

1. Jim Phillips is finally stepping out from the obscurity of his drawing board to take a bow for the countless skating design innovations for which he is solely responsible. The skateboarding, surfing and rock & roll art of the last 30 years was trailblazed by this softspoken and humble artuer and the rest if the world has been playing catch-up ever since. Any skater who grew up riding in the 70s, 80s and 90s had these designs plastered on every wall of their bedroom as well as the decks of their boards. The ripples started in Santa Cruz, CA but have radiated out to impact the art worlds of Europe, Japan and Canada. Check out Jim's other 2 books on Rock Art and Surf/Skate art, too! AWESOME!



2. I think there is a big difference between this book and the Skateboard and rock poster book. This book comes with full blown pages of closeups of all of or most of Jim's artwork. I'm a hobby artist myself so I'm really jazzed up about this book. Another book to get that is rather intresting is Disposable which covers different skateboard companies and riders but you will be happy with this book here.



3. I bought this book based on the two other reviews on Amazon but when I received it i was a little disappointed. It wasn't exactly what I expected. I wasn't very familiar with Jim Phillips' art before this book. I own other skateboard art books, but this kind of art is too busy for me. If you're a fan of Jim Phillips' art then I guess this book is for you, but it wasn't exactly my taste.

2 comments about Standard Catalog of Luger.

1. Great book to start with as well as being handy to add to your gunshow references. Answers a lot of basic questions new collectors will have. A fine book on its own but it will not replace the much more expensive collector references which is why the four stars instead of five.



2. This is an extremely informative and organized source for determining the type, history and value of your lugar, as well as some accessories like clips and holsters. There is also some very helpful advice on do's and don'ts when it comes to purchasing your lugar as to what to look for and what to be weary of. The index is extremely accurate allowing you to quickly look up where your lugar was manufactured and how many were built that year, along with the general rarity of the model. An overall very valuable reference book.

No comments about Georgian Jewellery 1714-1830.

4 comments about Official Soviet Mosin-Nagant Rifle Manual: Operating Instructions for the Model 1891/30 Rifle and Model 1938 and Model 1944 Carbines Originally Issued by the Ministry of Defense of the U.S.S.R..

1. 
   For those of you who have bought a Mosin and want to learn more about maintainence and troubleshooting.



2. Major James F. Gebhardt has done a great service for all of us who own samples of the Soviet Mosin-Nagant Infantry Rifle. He's translated a Soviet manual published in Russian in 1961.
   
   This manual concentrates on the operation and maintence of the three most commonly encountered versions of the Mosin-Nagant rifle, the M 91-30, the M-38 and the M-44. These remained in reserve for the Red Army and Warsaw Pact armies until the fall of the Soviet Union.
   
   The original Mosin Nagant was adopted by Imperial Russia in 1891. The Soviets improved the sights and shortened the barrel in 1930 (hence M 91-30) and this is the rifle so prominently featured in the movie ENEMY AT THE GATES (in a scoped sniper version, that is.) The 91-30 is a real piece of history and this manual is very helpful for any shooter or collector.
   
   The M-38 is a short, carbine length version of the M 91-30. It is interesting that the M-38 was not equipped to mount a bayonet despite the Red Army's long association with bayonets. The M-38 was designed primarily for cavalry (horse cavalry) and Red Army cavalrymen all carried sabers eliminating the need for a bayonet.
   
   The M 44 is an M-38 equipped with a folding bayonet permanently attached to barrel. This was developed to meet frontline demands for something that was handier (shorter) for soldiers who increasingly rode on tanks and trucks instead of horses. The longer 91-30s, which were usually carried with the antique looking angular bayonets fixed, were too long for soldiers who spent most of their time riding on tanks or Lend-Lease Studebaker 2.5 ton trucks. The M-44 had the reliability of the familiar M 91-30 and the 44's bayonet could be pivoted so that it rode out of the way next to the barrel.
   
   The old 91-30 bayonets could be difficult to dismount and the Red Army never issued scabbards for them. To keep the soldiers from losing them, or throwing them away, a lot of officers insisted that they be mounted all the time which is not much of a problem if you're marching on foot through open country.
   
   It can be a real headache if you're getting in and out of trucks, or off the rear decks of tanks, however. And, by 1944, most Red Army soldiers rode on some sort of motorized transport. This was a rude suprise to the Wehrmacht and a justification for the M-44 which served during the Red Army's advance into Germany during 1944-45.
   
   This manual would be a great companion to Terence W. Lapin's excellent book, THE MOSIN-NAGANT RIFLE. I gave it five stars.
   
   It is interesting that Lapin translated a 1955 edition of this same Soviet manual and published his version in 1999. The material is the same except that Lapin adds some useful comments of his own.



3. This is a must have book for every one that owns a Mosin Nagant rifle.
   This is a fantastic manual that includes instructions for every aspect of the Mosin Nagant. Take down & assembly, maintenance, cleaning, inspection, troubleshooting and even shooting & sniper tactics.



4. This book is essential for anyone who owns a M44 type, Mosin Nagant rifle.
   It is easy to read and has some very detailed schematics. There is also some information that was supplied to Russian soldiers that show how to fight with the bayonet, etc. There is even a section showing how to shoot down enemy aircraft. Overall, it was well worth the money.

5 comments about 1000 Record Covers (Taschen 25).

1. As soon as I saw this title, I plonked it onto my amazon wish list, as it combines two of my main passions (music and design). But after flipping through a copy, I had to remove it from my list - maybe if rents plummet and I can afford more space for bookshelves it'll make a reappearance, but until then I'll do without it.
   
   The title - "1000 Record Covers" - at least makes no false claims, e.g. "1000 Great Record Covers", or "1000 Essential Record Covers". However, such a claim is made on the back cover, and I must refute it. Too many of the entries are mediocre, and there are too many masterpieces that are ignored. I would blame this less on the author - all the choices come from his collection, which is by its nature limited - and more on the editors, who should have realized the shortcomings of such a scheme. My personal interest would be in covers from the 70s, 80s, and 90s, and I can't forgive the absence of (for starters) Joy Division, Cocteau Twins, Gang of Four, the Slits, Buzzcocks, the Fall, Wire, the Pixies, Eno, Magazine, the Cramps, the Residents, the Pop Group, Pere Ubu, Avengers, Angry Samoans, Siouxsie & the Banshees, Romeo Void, Monochrome Set, Throbbing Gristle, Psychic TV, X-Mal Deutschland, Coil, Chrome, Crass, Delta 5 - all of whom released LPs with compelling cover designs.
   
   Labels such as Z, Dischord, les Disques du Crepescule, Two Tone, Rough Trade, Factory, Postcard, TVT, are virtually or completely ignored, and designers such as Malcolm Garrett (his Duran Duran work doesn't count - not at the expense of "A Different Kind of Tension"), Vaughan Oliver, tomato, Peter Saville (Roxy Music's "Flesh + Blood" gets in, but it's one of Saville's weaker efforts and his name is misspelled!), Barney Bubbles, Neville Brody are similarly slighted.
   
   The book could also use an index of designers.
   
   It may seem like I'm harping on about bands from mainly one genre (punk/new wave/whatever), but the truth of the matter is that much of the really innovative cover design in the last 30 years has come from that area.
   
   To be fair, the book does include covers of LPs by the Dead Kennedys, Clash, XTC, Ramones, Echo & the Bunnymen, Teardrop Explodes, Public Image, Patti Smith, Altered Images (yay!), so some credit is certainly due.
   
   Also happy to see the a Soft Machine record in there.
   
   And this book did make me recognize what a subtle piece of work TheCure's "...happily ever after" is.
   
   I'm writing this review not to slag the book off, but to inform people with similar expectations to what I had that while there is a lot of good material in here, there are gaping holes as well. Again, I think the weakness lies in limiting the choices to one person's record collection instead of directing the author to choose from the entire gamut of record covers available to him.



2. This is really a great book for those who miss the great art we used to get with vinyl albums. Unfortunately, I just purchased this book on vacation, at the Hard Rock Hotel/Casino in Las Vegas for $40! And my book wasn't hardcover! I should have come home and looked for it on Amazon. Now I know that Amazon is the place for great deals.



3. As an absolute lover of music, I have come to miss that era of the vinyl album cover, when we rushed to the record store and purchased someone's long awaited first or follow up album. We then rushed home and played it on the old component set while reading the liner notes on the back of the album. This book reminded me of that time and many pages were a nice walk down memory lane for this music lover. I guess if I had a complaint, perhaps the authors could have divided the book up into genres as opposed to time period. It would have been nice to see various R&B, Country, Blues, Rock, Disco albums.
   
   I will say this, when I saw it in the store- I bought all five copies and then used them for eventual gifts to people. Everytime, I have given one away, it was a hit because everyone is some form of a music lover and everyone can appreciate the vinyl era. Buy this and then buy it again.... for someone else.



4. I wish it were more descriptive but the images of the covers make the purchase worthwile for the collector. It have does have some great images of hard to find covers from the 40's 50's and 60's.



5. As the son of an Old School Disc Jockey my family received Albums in the mail every month from all the major labels. Between that and digging thru record bins at shops as a kid I think I've seen 60 to 75% of the art in this book. I really miss the size of those albums.
   
   It makes me think of my first trip to Europe. Seeing the scale the masters used when creating art that we only saw in text books. It can be overwhelming. Maybe thats why most CD art "under-whelms me to this day. 4 and 3/4 square does not an impression make.
   
   I would hope that they would create a volume two. As opposed to purchasing a competing book with some of the same artwork. Its no accident that I design covers for a living now. And yes, I design on a 12 inch spec and shrink down. The art demands it.

4 comments about Florence's Big Book of Salt & Pepper Shakers: Identification & Value Guide.

1. The monetary valuations of Salt & Pepper Shakers in this book are virtually useless to either a collector or seller. I have never seen a book so totally unresearched on both pricing and product description. The majority of the photos of the S&P's do not describe the material utilized in their construction, so one is left wondering if they are looking at plastic, metal or other material.
   No person interested in Salt & Pepper collecting should buy this as their first book. If you do, you'll be in for a big surprise when you try to buy an S&P that has been valued in this book for $12, but is belling for $48.
   For the more seasoned collector, it does have some decent pictures, but is more or less a rehash of better produced S&P Collecting books.
   If you've been collecting S&P's for over 6 months, you'll realize that this is a piece of utter tripe; execpt for the photos of the S&P's.



2. The book has tons of pictures. Some of the sets shown are not "true" sets. It is a great book to get a general idea of all the many themes of salt and pepper collecting. High end and low end are all well represented. It was fun to see sets I never knew existed that I would like to have. It gave me more stuff to look for in auctions. It's always fun to add to collections!



3. This was the first book I bought on Salt and Pepper Shakers. I didn't find it helpful at all. Unless you just want a collection of S&P books, don't waste your money.



4. Book was a big hit with a growing collector - some shaker's categories could be expanded upon with more detail and photos - but overall a success...

1 comments about Madame Alexander 2008 Collector's Dolls Price Guide #33 (Madame Alexander Collector's Dolls Price Guide).

1. The 2008 price guide to Madame Alexander dolls updates information with the latest values, offering the information along with small color photos and an organization by type of doll, then maker name. While casual readers may find it doesn't hold the photo-packed identification value of other Madame Alexander doll books, it's not intended for identification but as a reference providing the latest values, which do change immensely: any serious doll collector's library needs this.
   
   Diane C. Donovan
   California Bookwatch

No comments about Grand Complications: High Quality Watchmaking Volume IV (High Quality Watchmaking).