5 comments about How to Sell Antiques and Collectibles on eBay... And Make a Fortune!.

1. This book contains a great variety of information about using eBay, but it is not geared to the novice eBay user. The book addresses those wishing to use eBay as an antique/collectible sales business, and for those folks, it is a good book.



2. I love this book. It is a constant companion when researching items. I enjoyed reading it too. Love the way Lynn and Dennis make it so easy to understand.



3. Good book with many interesting and helpful details for buying or selling on E Bay. A favorite place of mine to hang out !!!!



4. I have found this book extremely helpful when setting up my eBay business. I know I will refer to it for many years to come.



5. Like ALL of Lynn's books, this one is just excellent. It clearly explains topics and links you to other information. This book is a must for eBay selling. You won't be disappointed!

5 comments about The Urban Treasure Hunter: A Practical Handbook for Beginners.

1. I read this book from cover to cover and highly recommend it to anyone new to the hobby of treasure hunting and metal detecting. Chaplan knows his subject well and covers everything from how to get started to what to look out for while hunting and what to do with the objects that one finds.
   
   The author leave no stone (or dirt!) unturned in the process. An excellent, all-around resource on the topic.



2. I was looking for a book on using a metal detector. This was not it.



3. This book has a lot of information about treasures all over the country. Tells you where to look, how to go about hunting and what equipment you need and what to do when you find your treasures.



4. This book is an invaluable resource for the beginner and even the intermediate detectorist. It has filled me with new ideas of where and how to search for lost valuables and coins. The tidbits on history and archeology were most interesting.



5. I am just beginning my hobby with a metal detector. I purchased several books on treasure hunting and this is by far the best. It has a broad range of extremely useful information. By all means start with this book if you too are a beginner. Most of the other books I bought had a lot of fluff. This book has a ton of useful information and guidance.

5 comments about Origami Jewelry: More Than 40 Exquisite Designs to Fold and Wear.

1. I've been looking for something like this for a long time. I enjoy origami, but have run out of uses for it. I've done the cards, the gift wrap boxes, quilt squares etc. but I kept thinking that it would do well for jewelry. I might have given it a try myself by now, except that I'm inordinately lazy and have had little time until recently to devote to the project.
   
   Ayako Brodek's book Origami Jewelry came out this year (copyright 2007) and just in time for Christmas gifts, so I've started studying the book for materials list and techniques.
   
   Those who have done origami before will recognize the folds and joining techniques; they're the standard ones found in most books on the topic. Those who have done jewelry making will recognize the findings and their individual uses from their craft as well.
   
   For me, the important information in this case was on finishing techniques that make the paper stable enough for wear, and on the problems one might encounter when taking ideas from one craft into another. In the latter case the fact that some origami papers do not hold up well with surfacing materials.
   
   Definitely something nice to do for holiday giving. In fact, an excellant book to give at the holiday.



2. If - like me - you have long waited for a book that tells you how to make origami jewellery this is it. Look no further. You will not be disappointed.



3. Origami Jewelry: More Than 40 Exquisite Designs to Fold and Wear Very nice presentation. Instructions and diagrams are fairly easy to understand. The pictures of the finished fold are nicely shown. I've been doing origami for 30 yrs and never thought of making jewelry. You always learn new things.



4. I am relatively new to Origami so I found this book a welcome addition to the library, it covers the obligatory choosing of papers, tools to use and importantly for newbies a good solid instructional section on the "basic folds". The jewellery created was quiet nice, a little kitsch for my personal taste, but easily accomplished with a bit of practice.
   
   The big thing for me though came with Metal Clay "paper", I am primarily a jewellery artist and use Metal clay a lot, I love the product of silver sheet clay or paper clay as some people call it as I can fold this like paper in origami styles and then fire it to produce minature fine silver jewellery. Good ideas in the book for me to transfer to silver replicas.
   
   The diagrams were clear, easy to understand and photographed well. Thank you Ayako for a good book.



5. As someone who is a novice I found this book relatively easy to follow. I have been doing origami for a long time, but I am not consistent with it. It is something I love and I know basics, but not something I am constantly working to excel at, even though I wish I had the time to. With a stressful job I needed an outlet and so have taken origami up again to relax and have a creative outlet. I saw this book and thought, wow how cool. I really want to try this. I am more than happy with my impulse purchase. The pictures are clear and concise. She gives you all the basic folds in the front so you don't have to go looking in other materials for them. The author also allows your creative juices to flow. She shows many different project pictures with the same origami shape. This allowed me to take her projects one step further and really make them my own. I have never made jewelry before (other than macaroni necklaces in kindergarten) and she details all the tools and materials you need. Really, if this peeks your interest, the take the plunge and buy it. You won't be disappointed.

5 comments about Furniture: World Styles From Classical to Contemporary.

1. This book is amazing, and needs to be on your shelf if you are involved in Interior Design, Historical Renovation, miniatures construction, film making, etc., etc! What I like best is that it treats less-expected styles, such as Scandinavian and Russian, which are often difficult to locate. The photos are outstanding. The quick Elements of Style at the beginning of each chapter are nut-shell explanations of how to identify a piece as belonging to a certain era. Well worth the price.



2. This is the most thorough, extensive, well-organized, beautifully photographed book on period furniture and interiors on the market today. It should be a required text for all design schools as well as a treasured resource for collectors, historians, and lovers of furniture of all kinds. Well worth it at twice the price.



3. We found this book to be a useful guide for styles of furniture of the upper class of society. For doing stage productions this is very helpful, however, more pictures of "common" furniture styles would make this a perfect book for our reference. If you are interested in collecting antique or reproduction furniture you will find this a great resource. It's like strolling through a museum.



4. I waited and reviewed many books on furniture history and was very pleased with this one. Many beautiful pictures and great information to go with it. Judith Miller is a well penned author in the area of Interior Design. My husband could not put this book down until the end, and was online trying to find many of the pieces for sale! Worth the wait of being picky about what I wanted in a book of this topic. Many of the items in here were, or are, for the top 1% of our society, but you can take the information and apply it intelligently to other more common pieces to get the history and inspiration for those items. I could go on and on, but just trust me when I say, the ink stops here.



5. I had taken this book out from a library to get some ideas for my final project in my cabinet making course and I just had to have it. I like the way the furniture is classified for each time period and also the many pictures and their discriptions.

5 comments about Bushido : Legacies of the Japanese Tattoo.

1. This book is a great reference for tattoo artists and other artists that enjoy the art of Japanese tattooing. It displays full page photographs (including close ups) so you can see the detail and subject matter quite well.



2. Horioshi work speaks for itself and this book is an impressive tribute to it. The pictures are fantastic and it's very nice to see that the family business has its heritage assured.



3. It's a cool book that shows us many curious aspects of the japan tattoo history and tradition.
   But, in another way, there's a lack of variety of photos, like koi fish and masks for example.



4. I was in the process of researching Japanese tattoos for my own tattoo design and purchased four books. Bushido was the best for telling the story and history of Japanese tattooing and the pictures were equally amazing. Bushido was informative and pictures were beautifully shot. By far the best book on the subject I have seen.



5. Recommended to me by a well known tattoo artist, this book truly gave me the nuts and bolts info I needed to make the big leap. Especially helpful
   to me were the explanations of the different areas of the body that are typically tattooed w/their Japanese names. There was also a stunning picture of a gorgeous girl with a ray of butterflies tattooed in the body suit style. As the art evolves from a badge of the criminal class to pure art, I believe we will see more feminine interpretations
   of this masculine art form. Excellent from text to pictures!

5 comments about No. 1 Price Guide to M.I.Hummel Figurines, Plates, Miniatures, & More (Mi Hummel Figurines, Plates, Miniatures & More 10th Ed. (Mi Hummel Figurines, Plates, Miniatures & More Price Guide).

1. Great book - easy to use - wonderful color photos - a must for Hummel collectors!



2. If you're a collector of hummels, you must have this book. The history on each hummel piece is outstanding. The details are just fascinating. Love the book!



3. It is the most up to date and complete guide that I have found for Hummel values. It has enabled me to place the proper amount of insurance on my Hummel collection and know what my collection is worth.



4. Less expensive than buying at the store and the added convenience of coming to my home. Thank you. The book arrived in excellent condition.



5. Book is well done with high quality full color pictures of each piece. Recommend this book to others as a go-to Hummel reference guide.
   
   Unfortunately, prices have collapsed. Hummel pieces are selling on EBay for less than half of the values shown in the book. The book can tell you which piece is worth more than another - but the values shown are 3 or 4 times what you can buy the item for on EBay.
   
   Hummels make for a beautiful collection - but do not appear to be a great investment.

5 comments about Fear Nothing.

1. Afflicted! Christopher Snow is afflicted. Just like Odd Thomas was afflicted .. or Slim McKinzie (Twilight Eyes) was afflicted. It seems like ever young man in a Dean Koontz novel has some sort of affliction.
   
   In Christopher Snow's case, he was a creature of the night. To allow sunshine to strike his skin would result in immediate deadly melanomas (or something) that would eventually lead to his death.
   
   So, he roamed the night and slept in the daytime. This gave him a unique perspective on the small town of Moonlight Bay where some very mysterious things were going on.
   
   His mother died....his father just died .... Chris' journey begins as he discovers that the mortician has switched his father's body with a vagrant.
   
   Then there were the monkeys. Hundreds of evil monkeys. Dogs and cats that talked (in their own way). And...did I mention the monkeys? There were thousands of evil monkeys and humans who seemed to changing into monkeys. And there were the monkeys who seemed to be changing into humans. Millions of monkeys! Billions maybe !!!
   
   Very much in the style of "Odd Thomas" and "Twilight Eyes", Dean Koontz entertains us with a very strange mystery. First published in 1998, "Fear Nothing" once again reminds us of what a wonderful tale-spinner that Dean Koontz "used to be". Except for "Odd Thomas" he hasn't really written anything worth reading since.
   
   "Fear Nothing" is not an epic book but it is a good book. Not really worth the $7.99, but worth at least a good three or four dollars (unlike "The Taking" which I had to pay a friend of mind five bucks to take home with him -- what a gawdawful book).
   
   "Fear Nothing" ... Good book Dean, but how about a little rebate here!
   
   Densel Myers
   Yukon, Oklahoma



2. I am not one who is easily scared. Even King has not yet scared me. Koontz has came close though. From the very first of the story I didn't know if we were going vampire with it or what. his book seemed to keeep me glued to it. Of course if it was my own manuscript I would have had the government raising the dead, but that wasn't the direction he went with it.
   Paul D. Eccles



3. Dean Koontz's propensity for creating unusual characters is unequalled. In Fear Nothing, Christopher Snow, due to a rare disorder that renders him fatally sensitive to light, only goes out when the sun goes down. Snow suspects his parent's recent deaths are connected to the secretive genetic work they'd been involved with.
   
   Christopher Snow sets out, working only in the dark of course, to find out who is behind it all. What he finds will shock you.
   
   Vintage Koontz. You won't be disappointed.Fear Nothing



4. Dean Koontz is a literal master at his craft. And he's also quite the wordsmith, so he always adds his touch of brilliance in his works. But then you pick up one of his works, and it makes me wonder if he was sitting at his computer, with the biggest dictionary available just to add emphasis. And when he goes on this "word overdrive," sometimes you just want to tell him to shut up and get on with the rest of the story! I wanted to tell him to shut up this time because it was really getting on my nerves, and this could've been a GREAT STORY! Many people want a sequel beyond "Seize the Night," but I'll make my call concerning that AFTER I read it and simply stick with "Fear Nothing" in this review.
   
   Christopher Snow is quite interesting. He's not a morning person, he's not really even a light kind of person. He doesn't like the light too much, because of a very rare genetic disorder. So he sticks to being a night person, and he knows the night. And Chris is a witness to something rather strange, something that might be criminal behavior. But what? What is it that Chris witnessed that makes him so interested? Him and his dog, Orson, are on the prowl. They are out to solve a mystery. The time has come to find which friends you can really trust. Chris is already a celebrity around Moonlight Bay, so he really is no stranger. And as time goes on and the night gets darker, it gets rather creepy!
   
   Koontz weaves together some memorable characters in this one. He gives us the likes of Christopher Snow, (of course!) Sasha Goodall, Bobby Holloway and puts the pieces together. So this isn't just an effort that went to waste. I've seen comparisons made to Odd Thomas concerning this. Maybe, but I liked Odd a little bit better. What I didn't like was making the story drag on and on. You don't have to drive people bananas with vocabulary galore to tell a great story. And that's what Koontz did this time. If he didn't, it might have been something awesome. For some this is a Dean Koontz favorite. The question that remains for me is if Chris Snow will be memorable for myself. I have "Seize the Night" waiting on my bookshelf to find that out in the future. I'm hoping for better with that one because I've read the best Dean Koontz has to offer! This certainly isn't it.



5. This was about the fifth Koontz novel that I read since running out of Stephen King books, and I have to say that it's not bad for an end-of-the-world-is-coming kind of affair. Intelligent dogs and cats, creepy menacing people, and a secret that could change the face life on the planet combine to form, with Koontz's dry humor, a very compelling tale that made me want to read it in one sitting. I didn't, of course, but it didn't take long. It's the creepy journey of a man who's just lost his second parent and goes looking for answers and finds instead... Well, I'll let you find out for yourself. I loved this book so much that I was praying for a sequel when I finished it. Fortunately, 'Seize the Night' just came out in paper, so if you like this one, you'll want that one. (Review coming soon)

No comments about The Official Blackbook Price Guide to US Coins 2008, 46th Edition (Official Blackbook Price Guide to United States Coins).

5 comments about Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (Book 1).

1. Great book and seller. Fast shipper and the book was in better than new condition. Thanks



2. Well, This book and the whole Harry Potter Series is excelent, I love them. I'm currently thinking if I want to get the last Audio Books before the movies. I love the movies but books will always be better (although the first three movies I think are almost as good as the books). I did not give this 5 stars because I've heard the Audio Books by Stephen Fry (not sure if the spelling is right ;-P ). I have to say, in my humble opinion, Fry's voice is more grown up as a narrator and his character voices are excellent. His voice sounds over all more respectfull and apropiate. Jim Dale has done his version for the american audience which doesn't mean it's bad, but I like things in their original state. If a movie is made in the US, England, Mexico, or Spain, I usualy prefer it as it came out first. But that is my opinion. Listen to a sample of the Audio Book by each of the readers before you buy.



3. Writing a review on the first Harry Potter book seems superfluous, as it must surely be one of the most reviewed books in the history of literature.
   
   I will therefore refrain (more or less) from summarizing the story, and instead compare my first reading to my recent re-reading of the book.
   
   In my first reading, I met a boy called Harry, who was the quintessential "uncool kid." He grew up at his aunt and uncle's because his parents were supposedly killed in a car crash when he was a baby. That was at least what Aunt and Uncle Dursley told him. Harry was the uncool kid both at home and at school, hence constantly jumping from the frying pan into the fire. At home, "the Dursleys often spoke about Harry (...) as though he wasn't there--or rather, as though he was something very nasty that couldn't understand them, like a slug." Their spoiled son, Dudley, also did his best to bully Harry around. And at school, "Harry had no one. Everybody knew that Dudley's gang hated that odd Harry Potter in his baggy old clothes and broken glasses, and nobody liked to disagree with Dudley's gang."
   
   Hence, when Hogwarts' half-giant gamekeeper told Harry that he was a wizard, he could hardly believe it. And when Harry stepped through the Leaky Cauldron onto Diagon Alley, everything was new and exciting. He had not had the slightest clue that such a world existed; accordingly he saw everything through the eyes of an amazed and hungry learner.
   
   And since I as the reader always walked by Harry's side, I, too, had this "sense of awe." Together with Harry, I marveled at Gringotts Bank and its goblins, the power of the magic wands, the magic broomsticks, Platform 9 ¾ and the steaming Hogwarts Express, the gigantic school castle, the meeting hall with its enchanted ceiling, the moving staircases, the "living" paintings, the ghosts, the owl post, and numerous other things.
   
   Harry became like a two-year old toddler again who is excited about discovering the world, and as the reader I was a toddler with him. This is Fantasy at its best. The fact that J.K. Rowling made Harry an "outsider" to the world of magic is of great importance to the experience of the reader. Otherwise I would not have been nearly as astonished about the details of Mrs Rowling's world as I was. It also prevented the technological aspects of the Harry-Potter magic from totally disenchanting her world.
   
   Now to my re-reading of the "Philosopher's Stone" (I still like the original British title better than the "Sorcerer's Stone").
   
   I read the story again shortly after I finished the seventh book. Knowing where the story and characters are headed, many scenes now took on new significance. It was fascinating to read a particular passage and think: "Ah! Now I know why she put that in there." I have to complement J.K. Rowling on having planned the seven books so well.
   
   Furthermore, reading the first book from the retrospective view of the whole series also makes a difference for the moral custodians among us. If you only read the first book, you might come away thinking that Harry Potter tries to justify the means by the end a little too much. Harry's magic is at first set into motion when he is "upset and angry", the toffee-nosed know-it-all Hermione turns likable by lying on Harry's behalf, and one of Harry's chief character traits is that of a rule breaker.
   
   Aside from the point that novels--including juvenile ones--don't have to portray their main characters as saints, the series has, in fact, turned out to be of great moral depth. Given Harry's final moral choices at the end of Book VII, Book I can now be seen as the beginning of a "Bildungsroman." That is, a Coming Of Age Story in which Harry goes through all the stages of childhood and adolescence, to finally arrive at moral, social, and psychological maturity.
   
   If that is not an ideal way of making teenagers aware of their own journey to maturity, I don't know what is.
   
   - Jacob Schriftman, Author of The Crack Beneath the Worlds and Other Books



4. What is there to say about this book. All of the books in the series were very good. Unfortunately, I loaned this one to a "friend". Had to replace it as I have them all in hardback.



5. The first time I picked up this book, the first in the Harry Potter series, it was with great hesitation. Firstly, it had been a few years since I had done much reading for pleasure, so I was out of practice. Secondly, and more importantly, I had heard a great deal of hype about the series in the media, which automatically made me feel that the books were probably overrated--and I didn't want to be disappointed. In the end, around the same time the film version of this book was released, two of my close friends convinced me to give the series a try, and lent me the first book, which I read shortly thereafter.
   
   Within a week, I had purchased and read the rest of the series (at the time, books 1-4), and was itching with anticipation for book 5. I have since purchased and read the entire series, and just recently decided to reread them all in one go.
   
   So what makes Harry Potter so magical? For me, it was the bare simplicity of the central premise of the series that drew me in instantly. Who hasn't dreamed of having some magical powers to spice up life a bit? Not that magical powers are unique to Harry Potter; far from it, in fact. But it's much harder to really relate to grand tales of epic battles in faraway, long ago kingdoms like Tolkein's Middle Earth or so many others that have followed. What Harry Potter touches is that little daydreaming part inside of us that believes that maybe magic could be real... that it might exist right alongside us in our own "real" world.
   
   Book 1 (The Sorcerer's Stone) will always have a special place in my heart, as it really was the book that brought me back to reading (as stated above). It is imaginative, fun, and has splashes of humor throughout. It introduces many lovable characters who will be with us throughout the series, and does a brilliant job of setting up our journey. It has a comparatively light feel (the later books get progressively darker, without question), but still keeps the reader engaged with elements of mystery and rivalry to generate conflict. And, unlike some of the later books, it is a quick read.
   
   There are, I admit, a few times when one must employ the willing suspension of disbelief (lest the grown witches and wizards of the story seem horribly inept), but otherwise, it is a charming story and a great introduction to the journey ahead. I give it 5 stars, even though it is not my favorite in the series, mostly because this one drew me in so effectively and made me want to read the rest.

5 comments about Goldmine Record Album Price Guide.

1. I should have had this book long ago, not because I needed to sell records from my collection, but just for its endless knowledge of artists, their "family trees", their recording labels,their time zone, the variety of recordings they produced,etc., etc... This is the what,when, where,why, with who,and how long, of the L.P. world. Everyone having anything to do with music, either today, yesterday, or in the years leading back to when the record was introduced, needs to have a copy of their own.You will look at your copy for countless hours, as did I... Thank you Tim Neely, and crew!



2. this is a great book for music collectors, or someone who likes music. It's very interesting and informative



3. When my mom died, she left behind around 400 LPs and another 150 45s from the 1950-1960s. It was a mess of mixed genres, variety of artists, and varying conditions. Since we're a fan of CDs and MP3 players, the records took up a horribly large amount of space and we wanted them gone. After calling a dealer, who suggested pulling out the Elvis and Beatle records and tossing the rest, I decided to do some research and see what I'd need to do to sell them on EBay. During my research, I found a record guild site with an incredibly helpful forum http://www.recordcollectorsguild.org They listed several price guides, but with warnings about their pricing accuracy. Until I tried to sell the records, I didn't fully realize how inaccurate they really are. While this book was not particularly valuable when it came to pricing, it was helpful in letting me know if I had any records that were worth pursuing. However, guides in general tend to have some problems and this one is no different. Some of the problems include:
   
   1) Do NOT expect to get the list price. It is a best case scenario. The introduction to this book is very clear that these prices are mint condition prices. However, the amount suggested to deduct given their condition, is not accurate. The prices really reflect what you could expect to pay at an antique dealer's store, not what you can realistically expect to sell them for.
   
   2) The price guides do not reflect a changing market. At one time, a mint version of Chantilly Lace might have brought 500.00, but not now. The interest in this record is not as great as it once was. However, the price guide is not updated to reflect that change in market. http://www.popsike.com better reflects the current market and it's free.
   
   3) This book does not give you the knowledge you need to accurately grade records. Granted the purpose of this book is pricing, not to teach grading, but grading is integral to pricing. See, collectors want to listen to the records they're buying. So if the record pops or has any static, the record is of little to no value to them. If you're not an experienced collector, what looks minor to you, might be a huge deal to a buyer. Since the selling price of the record depends heavily on the condition of the vinyl, a book that doesn't give a proper education on condition is not too helpful for selling. Furthermore, this book suggested weighing the condition of the vinyl and jacket equally. That is not accurate. The condition of the vinyl is much more important than the jacket.
   
   Again, where this book does excel is in having a large quantity of records, with a very good description to know which pressing you have, and is easy to use. So if you have a few records and you want to know if it's even worth the effort to try to sell them, this book is very helpful. However, if you're planning to use this book to sale, first see if you can get an experienced record collector to help you out. For us, two experienced collectors were able to accomplish in 3 hours, what would have taken me probably 500 hours to do.
   
   Would I have bought this price guide again? Only if I couldn't find it at the local library. For a price guide, it's probably very good, but the main reason I wrote this review is so people won't get the idea they'll have all the information they need to sell in this book. You're really not going to be able to get the information you truly need to value records from this book or any price guide. So, you'd be better off saving your money and doing some research online.



4. All Goldmine guides are very useful in both case: 1) to determine optimal buying' and sellin' costs. Also it's exciting reading. That edition lavishly illustrated. Thanks.
   Will buy also American records 1950-1975!
   Hope, it will be great!



5. THE PRICE GUIDE IS OK BUT IT IS NOT REALLY THAT ACCURATE AS I HAVE FOUND MANY ERRORS AND THERE ARE LOTS OF ALBUMS THAT ARE NOT LISTED AT ALL.