5 comments about Price Guide for the Beatles American Records.

1. Great book, fulled with information and high quality pictures. What makes this book nicer than the previous book is that the pictures, which correspond to the description, are on the same page. The only negative comment I have is that it's a hard cover book, that's too big and bulky, making it more difficult to flip through the pages and quickly look up an item. The last edition was a nice, small paperback book that I kept at my desk to flip through for a quick reference. This book is big, and heavy, and not made for flipping, but rather individual page turning. Being too big for the desk, I keep it on a book shelf, and more often than not, find myself thumbing through the more convenient last edition, rather than the new one. It went from being a guide to a reference book, but a great reference book!



2. for many many years,perry cox and bruce spizer have done thier best to uphold great quality items on beatles reference subjects.
   they have finally started to do it in a very good way by showing COLORFULL scans of every capitol or apple product you can think of is the united states.
   perry worked his butt off on this book.
   why am i giving it 4 stars instead of five?
   one reason.
   nothing is included from canada(he gives credit to another book on that subject)which would have really been helpfull on the capitol issues..but spizers books covers canadian lps and 45s.
   also bootlegs are missing..and many times there were infamouse ones that would make a good fan laugh ..like "how do you do it" on the swan label which was never released but would have been a hoot to see here.
   knowing this book was never intended to show boots it is forgivable but two or three pics wouldnt have hurt.
   other than that,there are guides to show you what lps were issuerd on what label variations and finally some good pricing.perry has been a seller of beatles records for many years and in this book he shows you just how incredible the beatles were to not only groove to,but to collect.a MUST for any beatles fan or collector!
   also other formats are finally addressed and treated with respect(reel to reels and 4 tracks especially!)



3. Now, let's face it; you won't be carrying this price guide with you to garage sales. No, this will be the reference book that stays at home. And what a book it is! Similar in size to Bruce Spizer's record books on the American Beatles' releases, this baby is published in a hard-cover format on nice glossy paper. The color photos are wonderful for fans to view the items, and the whole book is entertaining as well as informative in terms of accurate prices. Some of the color on some pages seemed to have a purplish haze to them, but hopefully that is remedied on new issues. Overall, a top-notch job by Perry. Now, Perry, what I would like to see from you is a price guide on international pressings. Maybe concentrating on the UK and Japanese pressings since many of these are collectible. Also, tell Bruce he's not done yet. He may have called his last book "Swan Song" as a way of saying goodbye, but I'm sure many fans, including myself, would like to see him tackle all of the British pressings.



4. This 6th edition from Mr. Perry Cox & Frank Daniels continues the long tradition and reputation of Perry's top price guides with the highest degree of research, knowledge, sources and listings available anywhere!
   
   First, I give my strongest praise and congratulations to the co-authors (Perry and Frank), along with additional kudos to Mr. Bruce Spizer who contributed the Foreword, layouts, editing and publishing in this beautiful edition (and yes, I own most of his incredible "labor of love" books surrounding The Beatles records). These gentlemen are what we collectors consider "The Source" when it comes to being specific, detailed, precise and answering the tough questions that come with collecting what I consider "the greatest music memorabilia of all time".
   
   Secondly, I would like to take a moment and get personal about Perry Cox and what he means to me in this business. I have done business with Perry since the early 1980's (when, at that time, I was just a young sailor in the U.S. Navy and spending as much of my extra money on my #1 passion - Beatles records and memorabilia). Perry immediately befriended me and has been more of a "mentor" and a "personal confidant" during these 25 years of our friendship. He has yet to steer me wrong or not provide the tough answers throughout all these years and I greatly admire his passion, dedication and genuine love for the hobby more than anyone else that I have had the pleasure of sharing this excitement with in this hobby. I remember back in the 80's and most of the 90's when I would receive Perry's "mailer lists" that he religiously mailed out to those of us on his distro list. Receiving those lists in the mail has long been replaced with the technology and real-time convenience of the internet (specifically Ebay), but I will never forget what those first 15 years were like when we couldn't see the items and relied on Perry's specific details on each item for sale in his mailer list! Times they were a-changin'. Regardless of the resources, Perry has always been top-notch and quickly became my favorite source (which he remains to this day). I have since retired from the U.S. Navy after 21 years service and now live in the Tampa area - but I still email Perry whenever those technical questions need to be answered (or merely for his advice on items I am considering for my personal collection). Bottom line is that I give my full and unconditional recommendation (without hesitation) to any source that Perry endorses in this hobby - and his price guides are legendary among the amateur and professional collectors alike - across the board! Thank you Perry for your deep friendship over the past 25 years my friend.
   
   Next, I would like to humbly thank both Perry and Frank for recognizing me under the "Acknowledgements" section in this price guide. It is a labor of love for all of us and all I can say (after all these years collecting and sharing knowledge, experiences, etc.) is "How cool is it to have your name inside the actual book of your favorite lifelong hobby?" It is a dream come true and I am touched for that recognition! I have had the unbelievable fortune of meeting all four Beatles in person throughout my life, along with being stationed in London for two years with the U.S. Navy, and having my name mentioned in this book completes a long journey for me (for a little boy from Flint, Michigan who originally watched those "four lads from Liverpool" tear it up on that black & white television while dancing with my mother and older sister)! Little did we "Flintoids" know that we would also be treated to our own hometown heroes just six years later from "Grand Funk Railroad". Imagine that...
   
   As for the 6th edition of "The price guide for The Beatles American records", I would like to echo some of the wonderful comments from Mr. Robert York of Tacoma, WA (scroll through the reviews and you will find his detailed analogy of this new guide). I agree that it is very fitting that this book is the same size and lines up beautifully on the bookshelf with Bruce Spizer's books (not a coincidence I assure you - these gentlemen do all the extra work to ensure high quality products from start to finish). This new guide also has more colored photographs and layouts than I've seen to date and it is absolutely gorgeous. It starts out in the inner cover with many of the single (45's) in their respective picture sleeves in bright colors - and ends on the back inner cover with all 24 American Beatles' albums (in order of release) all in color as well. Everything in between these covers is simply magic and very nicely laid out! I am a stickler for detail and for making things "make sense" and this book does exactly that. One of my favorite things is the color-coding throughout the book. The authors got it right and made this very easy to use for all hobbyist - and the outer edges of the pages are actually color-coded so that the user can go right to the appropriate section he/she is seeking (without having to thumb around and find things aimlessly). The guide is broken down into sections, starting with Beatles singles and EP's, then Beatles albums, George Harrison, John Lennon, Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, Pete Best and George Martin, Apple, Dark Horse Records, Compilations, and ends with Vendors (and those who paid to be sponsored in this publication).
   
   I would also like to add that just before the color-coding starts in this publication, the authors have compiled some of the most important pages that will benefit collectors ten-fold (these pages are priceless, trust me). They have added sections on introduction, Market Analysis, Beatles records worth $1,000 or more, Grading records (very important especially for newcomers in the hobby), Acetates and Test Pressings, Promotional Records and Markings, Sealed Albums (which I have been involved in with Perry over many years), Capitol Inner Sleeves (nice explanations on what sleeves go with which albums, etc.), Records from other countries, Capitol-Apple Labelography (these are truly valuable pages here because it is so detailed and collectors need to become aware of all the differences on these labels), Capitol-Apple Tapeography, Pressings of "A Hard Day's Night" on UA (this is not testable, because 99% of us would fail the exam), Beatles U.S. Discography (you'll love this section and is perfect for "quick reference" or when creating your own personal spreadsheets, discography, or collections), and the last item in these white pages before the color-coding starts (and perhaps among the most important of all) is the "How to read the guide listings" section. This section specifically educates the reader on the Spizer Identification Number (which Beatles author/historian Bruce Spizer developed this numbering system for identifying items pictured and described in his books on The Beatles American records). This numbering system is quickly becoming popular among collectors and I would not be surprised if Mr. Spizer's system will one day be the universal standard for identifying all Beatles' American records (I have almost finished numbering my own personal collection with his numbering system and it just makes good sense)! Again, those white pages (pages 1-43) are some of the most valuable and educational sources that you will ever find on collecting Beatles American records (the price guide is worth its price for this information alone, not to mention pages 45-316 "the meat and potatoes" of the entire price guide).
   
   Lastly, I highly recommend this price guide to everyone interested in gaining knowledge on Beatles American records, their history, how to identify exactly what you have, and it is simply the top-notch book available anywhere on this subject. A superior book cover-to-cover and I am so impressed with various elements throughout this guide. It takes the reader on a journey itself and you will experience the roots, growth and unbelievable spectrum that The Beatles records went through from the start to present day. After traveling through these pages several times I found myself in many different stages of my life, in retrospect, thinking about where I lived when a certain album was released or what girl I was sharing those moments with, etc. An incredible 5-star book which should be owned by all Beatles hobbyist (I own three myself and had to ensure I got the low serial #'d edition in the slipcase signed by all three gentlemen mentioned above). Purchase the guide, you'll be amazed at the weatlth of knowledge, perspiration, inspiration, dedication, and how cleverly laid out it really is! "I read the book today, oh boy..." and Perry, Frank & Bruce "made the grade". Cheers!



5. This is an excellent book for any serious Beatles collector. Perry Cox really knows what we, as Beatles fans, want in a book. A lot of nice photos and useful and interesting info. Definitely a must have!

1 comments about The Official Tractor Blue Book 2008 (Official Tractor Blue Book).

1. It's good to be able to look up the vaue of any tractor. very helpful.

2 comments about Chasing the Dream (Dolphin Diaries #5).

1. This is an amazing book and teachs lots about owning dolphins. I love dolphins so much i can relate to Jody. Even with spanish. You should pick this book up. If you reand the first page you will end on the last!!!



2. This book was good. It kind of tears at your emotions, but that only makes it more enjoyable. Once again, the dolphins always, and I mean ALWAYS being super-friendly to Jody as if they were aquatic humans can be quite annoying. After all, wouldn't mistreated captive dolphins be frightened and a little bit tense around humans? And Jody's love of dolphins can be eye-rollingly sickening as well. I mean, it's not like she just really loves them or something, she's practically OBSESSED! She cries every time something bad happens to a dolphin, and passes up fun activities just so that she can SEE them. But although those things can be bothersome, I still enjoyed this book. All of the characters had their time to shine in this book, or so it seemed, and the story, although difficult to imagine in some parts, was interesting and even kind of absorbing. I recommend this series to dolphin lovers, and girls who like unique and entertaining books.

3 comments about Functional Pottery: Form and Aesthetic in Pots of Purpose.

1. This book is an excellent addition to my collection of pottery books. This book deals with the more technical side of pottery. This book is for people who have accomplished throwing but want to take it to the next level. The book covers everyhting from history of pottery, to correct proportions, and also has artist bio's. Excellent book, i rate it 12 out of 10.



2. I found Functional Pottery to be a pleasant surprise for the most part, although I was mildly disappointed by the more practical sections of the book. Roughly the first half of the book provides an interesting historical and cultural review of functional pottery, which went beyond what I had anticipated from the title and general description. A portion of the second half of the book focused on the mechanics of particular forms of functional pottery. This portion, which was my particular interest in buying the book, was a little less thorough and extensive than I had hoped. For the beginner/intermediate potter specifically interested in practical advice and detail regarding the mechanics of functional pottery forms, the material in the book, while useful, may not go far enough. I recommend this book as a general overview, keeping in mind that the scope of the book covers a broader range of topics than implied by its title, and that only sixty pages of the book are dedicated to the practical considerations and mechanics of designing and creating functional pottery.



3. Robin Hopper has written a definitive book for all potters, beginners and masters alike. The chosen work for photos offers an excellent range of contemporary and classic forms for study.

5 comments about Route 66 (Enthusiast Color).

1. Any book published as part of an "enthusiast color series" is likely intended to be a coffee-table book. And indeed, Route 66 has lots of pretty pictures, captured beautifully by Jim Luning. But unlike most such fare, this book deserves more than coffee-table placement (or, the pinnacle, bathroom-rack status.)

   I know the author, Tim Steil, a friend of mine. So, as one who loves grammar, right from the start I had every incentive to pick at his writing. But, alas, I was disappointed. Finding only the most minor of grammatical errors, I had to concede the fact that Steil has written a really good book. Tim's breezy writing makes the book a quick and easy read, and conveys efficiently so much of their adventure that the reader cannot help but feel as if he were there for much of the ride.

   Another plus: it's not preachy, or full of phony nostalgia or contempt for "the evils of progress." I love it this book, and I'm not really even a fan of Route 66.

   Luning's pictures are gorgeous. I got to meet him when the two authors did some of their preliminary research on the Chicken Basket, one of the offical Route 66 sites covered early in the book. An unassuming and disarming guy, Luning does not betray that he has a long list of credits. But in the book, Luning cannot hide his talent: a fantastic eye for light and color and balance.

   So enjoy the pictures. But realize they will not really come to life until you actually read the text.

   Route 66 is what an "enthusiast color series" should be.




2. This is the best Route 66 book I've ever read. The pictures range from breathtaking to amusing and the writing is fresh and clean. A must have for anyone interested in Route 66.



3. Route 66, by Tim Steil, is a trip in present, but a journey back in time. There was a day and age when Route 66 was the heartbeat of the Western half of the United States. Unlike its predecessor the Lincoln Highway, Route 66 was modern road made offering fast travel from Chicago to Los Angeles for both automobiles and trucks. Because of the limitations of vehicles of the 1930's through the early 1960's, the road was lined with repair shops, cafes, motels and scenic wonders that range from simple statues or absurd monuments.

   More than any other highway, Route 66 has a history and an allure that never ceases to draw the adventurous to it. These days traveling on Route 66 is sort of like visiting a huge living museum of automobile Americana. Steil, aided by photographer Jim Luning, take the journey and give their vision to this long familiar story. The nice part about this book is that MBI, the publisher, chose to offer it as part of the inexpensive Enthusiast Color Series rather than an expensive coffee table book. You can easily take this book with you for easy reading along the way and without taking up too much space at lunch counter. This was a good choice on their part and is sure to make give this book a long sales life.

   The author is accurate in his descriptions and the photographer's keen eye caught quite a few features of Route 66 that have not appeared in other publications. Truckers are big part of this story, in fact the famous Dixie Truckers Home in central Illinois gets good coverage right in the beginning of the book. If the lore and legends of Route 66 are already part of your life, or you would just like a low-cost introduction to this famous highway then Route 66, by Tim Steil is a must have item.
   - Gary Bricken




4. Probably the best book to date on the subject, Route 66 is a joy from beginning to end. Referred to affectionately as The Mother Road, Route 66 was the first highway built for high speed travel in the United States. Due to the reliability of the cars and trucks using this road, it was lined with repair shops, diners, and tourist traps. The photography is excellent and the text is insightful and well written. Travelling from Chicago to Los Angeles via this book is a joy!



5. I recently received this beautiful color collection on "The Mother Road" Route 66. Having traveled West from Chicago to Kingman AZ in the mid 60's on Route 66 it brought back many memories. It also has left me with strong ambitions to repeat that journey but this time all the way to L.A. Wonderful photography and dialouge by the author. Even if you have never traveled on Route 66 you may very well want to after viewing this book.

5 comments about The Gun Digest Book of Smith & Wesson.

1. I am a novice S&W collector and was hoping for more of a reference work covering specific models and variations of Smith & Wesson handguns. This book is biased towards current models, both revolvers and semi-autos. The material that is covered is well written, interesting, and timely. Sections are devoted to a sampling of current models, company history, accessories, proper disassembly and maintenance, etc. However, if you are a collector looking for wider coverage of specific models this book may dissappoint. The book is better suited to people who are interested in what S&W is currently offering or how to care for their S&W guns.



2. Patrick Sweeney has taken on the task of giving an extensive review of the available handguns of Smith & Wesson. He goes into considerable depth on the practical use of the various models and what can be expected on the range, in competion and for the very serious job of Concealed Weapons Carry. Chapters on History, Ammunition, Buying Used, and Competion round this fine effort out.



3. Not quite what I was expecting in this book,but is very informative on later model handguns from this great gunmaker.
   Will have to look further for a book with models and serial numbers.



4. This book provides an excellent survey of handguns currently offered by Smith and Wesson. The writer has extensive pratical experience and has been assisted with test firing by a group of friends. Very readable and lots of good photos. I would strongly recommend this book to anyone thinking of purchasing a new or near new S&W.



5. The book is built around several "tests" of different S&W handguns, and it also gives some historical- and tech info.

5 comments about Beckett Basketball Price Guide #15 (Beckett Basketball Card Price Guide).

1. This book is so cool.I suggest you get it.It tells you just about everything you want to know about your cards and how much they are worth.Worth your money to buy it.It is the best thing that I have and it can be yours



2. This is a great source for the basketball collector. It is the most recent of the annual beckett price guides and provides listings for card sets that can't be found such as classic, scoreboard, chivas de guadalajara, and 5-sport sets. no card is left out has been left out. This updated book now gives you updated values for some of Kobe Bryant's rarest cards like the Scoreboard Die-Cut and the Chivas de Guadalajara team set Kobe RC edition. This book is recommended to all collectors.



3. Look, we all know that monthly price guides cannot possibly keep up with the explosion of basketball cards produced by all the companies putting out cards today. All they can do is focus on the name cards on the stars. But if you are trying to put together a set of 1957-58 Topps, 1986-87 Fleer or 1992-93 Hoops, then you need to know ALL the cards so you are prepared for dealers whether they organize their cards by number or team or player's name. With the "Beckett Basketball Card Price Guide" you have your best chance to find out exactly what is out there. True, in practical terms the prices quoted have a chance of being obsolete by the time you track down the cards you want, but the key thing about all of these Price Guides is that they list all the cards, including all the extras, bonsues, special sets and the like. Whether you are looking for a card of this year's MVP, Allen Iverson or Ernie Calverley (he was on the first basketball card put out by Bowman in 1948), this is the book you want to use to put together your want lists when I head out to the card shows.



4. Great book, came in awesome condition and I love using it! Highly recomended for all NBA card collectors!



5. We have been buying this price guide since it's inception but the quality and content has been dropping the last few years. I suppose they are trying to keep the price down, but they are omitting and reducing too much. I would say though, until someone comes up with something more complete, it's the one to buy.

2 comments about Bottle Pricing Guide.

1. I was impressed with the almost 4,000 bottles listed in this book. I was disappointed, however, in the limited number of pictures the author used. Several were very difficult to see and the descriptions were rather vague. The book is small enough in size to be taken along when shopping for old bottles and I find this to be very helpful. In the front of the book there are very brief tips on identifying, buying and selling bottles. I found these tips to be short but informative. I am only a novice to bottle collecting but I think this book would be good for a beginner or a veteran collector. My favorite feature of this book is its compact size. I like the fact that I can easily take it with me when I go shopping for bottles.



2. I just bought 4 different books on collecting bottles and the one thing this book has that the others do not, is lots of pictures. This REALLY helps especially when you are a beginning collector like myself. The descriptions are a bit short (for example, in other books they tell you size and color of the specific bottle) while this one usually does not go into that amount of detail. But for [price], this book really surprised me. I have to say that even though it does have its downfalls in lack of detail, it makes up for it by its pictures. And trust me, I have 3 other books and they probably contain an average of 20 pictures per book. This one has about 3-4 pictures every other page. I do not recommend this book if you are looking for just ONE reference to go by but if you are buying it as a companion reference, I highly recommmend it.

2 comments about The Surfboard: Art, Style, Stoke.

1. It is obvious that surf style is not one of the authors' biggest attributes. This is an unknown. Surf books are hot, you don't have to be a hot surfer to put one together. This is a prime example. Posers looking back for coin. Coffee table book for flatlanders.



2. Phenomenal. Photos are awesome and the story carries through. A must have for groms and old guys alike.

2 comments about The My Little Pony G1 Collector's Inventory: an unofficial full color illustrated collector's price guide to the first generation of MLP including all ... and accessories released before 1997.

1. The pictures in this book are terrific. They are full color and quite detailed. I especially like that Dream Beauties, petites and little litters are included. Accessories are listed but not always shown but it's a wealth of information. I am really enjoying reading it.



2. The guide is beautifully done, with clear pictures and fantastic organization. There is clearly a lot of research and work that has gone into this labor of love, and it shows. This book is just brimming with valuable information.
   
   It's a great resource to have on hand. For those of us with extensive collections, it really makes all the difference when trying to organize and inventory ponies and accessories.
   
   As someone who owns both of Summer's books, I highly suggest getting one of your own--it's a great investment!