5 comments about Diamond Ring Buying Guide: How to Evaluate, Identify and Select Diamonds & Diamond Jewelry (6th Edition).

1. This book was agreat help in helping me get the best value in a diamond for my engagement ring



2. this book has all of the fact giving information on diamonds like affects of cut color and clarity on value wich is helpful in understanding what a diamond SHOULD be valued but in real practice in the market place whether shopping online or in a brick and mortor store, diamonds (like most other merchandise) are not offered to customers with a honest description of their quality aspects, which leaves most people lost in the new information which they just learned from fact only books, i own the " thediamondstore" and recc. using the information in this book, but you also need to know the common tricks and methods for misleading consumers at the point of sale , and by combining the two it becomes very difficult to get mislead as to the real value of a diamond.



3. I personally found this book well written and informative. Every chapter covers the basics and gave me enough confidence to make a decision while understanding what our jeweler was talking about. The content is quite easy to grasp and the pictures are enjoyable. This book actually helped me to select an appropriate setting for my anniversary ring, see chapter 12: V-tips for marquise stones. I also found the chapter on clarity & trasparency very clear and to the point. The writer is indeed experienced and knows how to explain this diamond subject to us! After reading this one, I also bought the Diamond Handbook by Newman to acquire more knowledge. Anyone shopping for a diamond ring should get this book before your next trip to your jewelry store, it's flawless!



4. I liked the way Newman clearly explained ideas that a few of the diamond sales people I encountered were unable to explain. This book has lots of information that I didn't find elsewhere. The jewelry store owner I finally bought my diamond from actually uses certain chapters in this book to train his staff!! Excellent book.



5. This "Diamond Ring Buying Guide" does not go into as much detail as some other guides in its discussion of the 4Cs -cut, color, clarity, carat weight. It says little about price and nearly ignores laboratory grading reports. But where other books may only describe the 4Cs, Renee Newman shows readers lots of photos of diamonds under 10x magnification. An abundance of illustrations is the strength of Newman's guides. In addition to close-ups of the stones, there are photos of diamonds mounted in a variety of traditional and unusual rings, which may provide inspiration and ideas if you're shopping for a special ring. Chapters on Gold & Platinum, the pros and cons of different mounts, and advice on how to choose a mount that suits your lifestyle offer practical advice that I haven't seen in other diamond-buying guides.
   
   Newman expands upon the traditional 4Cs by separating cut quality from cutting style and adding 2 new criteria, so the diamond price factors addressed in this book are: cut quality, color, carat weight, clarity, cutting style, transparency, and treatment status. The author feels that transparency and treatments were not issues when the idea of 4Cs was established, but now many treated and low-quality stones are on the gem market, so these factors merit separate discussion. I and SI3 diamonds with poor transparency are now being sold in some jewelry stores, and about one-third of diamonds sold in the US are treated. Most of Newman's 5Cs and 2Ts are given their own chapter. We get the basics with lots of pictures, which helps. I found the discussion of fluorescence ambiguous. Criteria for cut grades are provided for GIA, AGS, and HRD grading systems.
   
   There is a lot of good information in the "Diamond Buying Guide", including some pointers and advice on choosing a ring that I haven't seen elsewhere. I found comparisons of the characteristics of white gold and platinum very useful. Likewise the descriptions of mounts and the practical considerations in choosing a ring style. The book concludes with some "do's and don'ts" of cleaning your diamond rings, buying tips, and a quiz so that you can test your knowledge of 5 crucial chapters. I would consult more than one buying guide before shopping for a diamond, but this one offers some valuable advice, and the photographs make it a pleasure to peruse. For more thorough coverage of how to judge quality through a loupe, try "Diamonds: The Antoinette Matlins Buying Guide".

5 comments about The King of Torts.

1. While 'The Summons' holds the distinction of being John Grisham's worst book 'The King of Torts' seems to be quite a contender for the title. From its beginning until its final word, 'The Broker' is a disappointment for even a Grisham wannabe.
   
   The preposterous story begins in the traditional Grisham manner: a young lawyer is presented with an unbelieveable opportunity. From that point onward the book is predictable and bland. The solution to the poorly executed mystery is not only nonsensical, it is ridiculously far-fetched.
   
   It is difficult to select the specific parts of the book which are a disappointment as there are so many of them. Suffice it to say this book is disappointing and will be a difficult thing to read for even the most dedicated fan of Grisham. If you don't like this book, do yourself a favor and don't even think about reading 'The Summons'.



2. I loved it. I read book after book on the train to work and I can't stop thinking about this one. It was a really fun read. A total roller coaster. Three people I work with read the book as well and thought it was great. Surprised to find that it is reviewed so low here. I've not read a Grisham novel since the Client many years ago, but I want to read more now!!



3. I think I was expecting something different when I first read this novel. However, in the vain of "The Firm," this book is way above average. It has similar elements: the young atty who has nothing, wo is immediately tempted by all the riches in the world. It even has the fun element of "revenge" against the arrogant girlfriend who dumped him and snide competitors. Also a huge education on our country's broken tort class-action system. Highly recommended; educational and fun.



4. This was a great, classic Grisham novel. But what I liked most is the insight into the class action law suits that now seem to be so prevelant in today's society, whether its the tobacco suits or the suits against drug companies. Grisham does a fantasic job of getting you into the mind of the character and feeling his struggle between making a buck and the ethical delimmas that go along with it.



5. Mass tort lawyers are the men who win billion-dollar class-action settlements from corporations selling bad products, then rake fantastic fees off the top, with far smaller payouts going to the people harmed by the products. Clay Carter is a burning-out lawyer at the Office of the Public Defender (OPD) in Washington, D.C., when he catches the case of a teen who, for no apparent reason, has gunned down an acquaintance. Clay is approached by a mysterious stranger, who says he represents a megacorporation whose bad drug caused the teen--and others--to kill. Thus begins the life of a tort lawyer. It's been a while since I have read a "great" Grisham, but this one was pretty good.

No comments about Costume Jewelry (POCKET COLLECTIBLES).

5 comments about Antique Golf Collectibles: A Price and Reference Guide (Antique Golf Collectibles).

1. Have collected putters and was looking for documentation as to the values and was never able to get get a good feel until I found this reference guide. If you collect old golf clubs, or golf balls and tees this guide is a must.



2. Latest 400 page encyclopedia of golf collectibles contains over 500 large, sharp, black and white photos and more than 50 in full color. Not just a picture and price guide. Full text is provided for the major topics ranging from: Collecting Antique Golf, Collecting Societies, Antique Golf Clubs, to Signature Balls, Golf Tees, Golf Art, Medals and Trophies, and Trading Cards. A comprehensive index is included to facilitate item selection. New chapters include Golf Bags and even Auctions. Collectors will enjoy the "paper items" included. A great reference.



3. Now in a thoroughly updated and expanded second edition, Chuck Furjanic's Antique Golf Collectibles is the definitive, authoritative, and reliable price and reference guide for dealers and collectors of golf memorabilia and collectibles. This new edition is highly recommended for personal, professional, and community library antique/collectibles reference sections, and features detailed photos of all golf collectibles, a new sixteen page color section, updated prices for thousands of specific items, and new chapters on golf bags, auctions and more. If you are thinking of buying, selling, collecting or swapping golf related materials, begin with browsing through the pages of Chuck Furjanic's Antique Golf Collectibles.



4. The most comprehensive (individual) price guide for golf collectibles.



5. The book was as represented and came within a week.
   I would not hesitate to do business with this seller in the future.

3 comments about Antique Trader Bottles Identification & Price Guide.

1. Excellent resource with good photos in color! Antique Trader is always a good purchase decision.



2. I bought this book for my husband and if you have a generic looking bottle and want to find out information this is not the book for you. If you have visible writing on it, this would be a great find. I'm not the bottle collector in the family and although this was listed as the "bottle bible" I expected more out of it. My husband is pleased with the book. In other words, he gets to do more collecting and I get to run out of cabinet space!



3. I know bottles...I dig them and I sell them at all the bottle shows in NY,NJ,PA,CT area. I am a professional and am very knowlegable on bottle collecting and appraisals of all kinds. DON'T be fooled by the fancy pictures and the fact it is endorced by Antique Trader. They trusted that he knew what he was talking about when they printed 15,000 copies. They were wrong!
   THERE ARE SO MANY MISTAKEs IN THIS BOOK ON IDENTIFICATION AND PRICING THAT ANYONE IN THE BOTTLE COLLECTING SELLING BUSINESS WILL NOT BUY THE BOOK. I spoke with the author at a recent bottle show where he was selling his book and he refused to acknowlege his own blatent and foolist mistakes through the ENTIRE BOOK which is down right embarassing if you ask me. DON'T WASTE YOUR MONEY!

5 comments about The Barbie Doll Years: A Comprehensive Listing & Value Guide of Dolls & Accessories (Barbie Doll Years).

1. I had a huge box of Barbies from various years. This book helped to identify them. I also recommend a fun read about dolls, Dolls Aren't Just for Kids.



2. This book has a couple of pictures in the front. And the rest are complete and extense lists (vintage & modern dolls and accesories). But the prices are usually not accurate. And to be honest there is no actual good price list to apply to the second market barbie. You pay what you want and can afford. So, it is completely useless to have this book, since 1- It only contains names (no pictures) so it is hard to identify something unless it is NRFB - (in which case you don't need to because it says what it is on the box). 2- The prices are unrealistic.



3. I read the other reviews of this book, and it sounded like it was a good bet. What the other reviews DIDN'T say is that this book is only for those who have New In The Box items! For the average collector who finds dolls in antique malls and garage sales, this is worthless. It only prices items that are unopened in original boxes - perfect mint condition! There are no prices for any other condition level. Also there are virtually NO pictures, making it impossible to use to identify various models . Several reviewers made a big point of there being 50 pages of pictures(actually in the 5th edition it's only 29 pages, 3-6 photos per page, most are of only a single item). Only a handful of Barbies are pictured, with the rest of the pictures being other special items. So if you have one of those typical dolls found in a sale that doesn't have a box with a model number, good luck trying to figure out what you have. This book is worthless for trying to identify which Barbie you are holding, and there is no information at all in the book about identifying the knock-off copies of Barbie on the market. It is strictly a price list by year or model number, with no other information of any kind. If everything you have has boxes with model numbers, the other reviews are right - it's a good book with a VERY comprehensive listing - over 9,000 different items (see why 100 photos is no big deal?!). But if your Barbies are unidentified and in less than store shelf condition, forget it. This book is, a waste of time and money.



4. I love this book, I buy the updated version everytime it comes out. Easy listings so that I can keep track of the value of my collection



5. This book is exactly what it says - a comprehensive review and has an amazing amount of information. This book is perfect for those collectors who still have the doll or product with the original packaging and want an approximate value of that doll or product. The dolls/products are listed by the "title" of the product, i.e. Millenium Bride. What it does not have is alot of pictures.
   
   If you are trying to find out what a particular doll is and/or the value - and all you have is the doll - this is not the best book for the task.

1 comments about The Cultures of Collecting (Critical Views).

1. There are a number of essays in this book that makes it worth reading. My favorites are:
   1. The System of Collecting by Jean Baudrillard - " (collections) constitute themselves as a system, on the basis of which the subject seeks to piece together his world . . ."
   2. Collecting and Collage-making: The Case of Kurt Schwitters by Roger Cardinal
   3. A Collector's Model of Desire: The House and Museum of Sir John Soane by John Elsner. If you are a rabid collector of anything, you will delight in this ULTIMATE collection in which a man turned everything he did and his very house into a museum. He made multiple catalogs of his "collection" throughout his life and arranged and rearranged until his death. It's an amazing story.
   There are 12 essays in all, including one on Freud's statue collection, Cook's collection from his Pacific voyages, and collections of the Austrian Habsburgs. I found it a fascinating read.

5 comments about Warman's Sterling Silver Flatware: Value & Identification Guide (Encyclopedia of Antiques and Collectibles).

1. As an avid collector of sterling silver flatware I am grateful for any new publication relating to pattern identification. Unfortunately, this guide is somewhat disappointing. The pattern illustrations and photographs range in quality from fairly good to down right poor. There is no section on hallmarks, an essential element in the identification of flatware patterns. Warman's guide is primarily a price list. As Moran correctly points out in his introductory remarks, merely a "ballpark" valuation. Nevertheless, while not a definative work, one should consider adding this guide to their sterling flatware reference library.



2. I wish I had read the above review before I spent my money on this book. I think if someone is going to sell an identification "guide" for a specific category of goods and they are only going to cover a representative selection of that category, they should at least be honest about it on the cover. The cover of this one should say "If you only need a few photos from each manufacturer and you don't need makers' marks to help you IDENTIFY your silver, then this book is for you!!!"



3. easy to follow and while this does not have hallmarks or much history, does carry clear pictures of standard patterns and makers. Good for a start and considering how little is out there, not bad.



4. This book is a very useful resource if you deal in sterling silver flatware as it provides actual photographs, not drawings of the handles of each patter. The other benefit this book provides is that you can identify the pieces based on size -- and accurately call a piece by the proper name. Each pattern has a list of many available pieces and their value. I use this book alot and bought one for by business partner -- anyone who deals in sterling flatware should have a copy!



5. This book happens to be laying on my business desk at this moment because of the frequency of its use. It is an invaluable resource and guide for Sterling patterns and values. My business sells a lot of silver and couldn't do without this research book.

5 comments about Barbie: A Visual Guide to the Ultimate Fashion Doll.

1. I love this book. This is the neatest book in the world. It has almost every Barbie I have in there. My favorite Barbie was the Olympic P.J. I use it to help me surf on Ebay. If you like Barbies, get this book now!



2. This book is really nice, the pictures are gorgeous, and it has some index on Barbie dolls by year, also Barbie's friends. Not so much on collectible dolls, but there are some dolls with gorgeous pics, some are different from the publish pics and a few are the same. Nice information for dolls and furniture. Great book! The cover is stunning!!!!



3. My kids like it. It's got excellent layout, clear crisp pics, but isn't comprehensive. Great to look through, and point to - look, I had that one when I was a kid..... (YOU were a KID?) I don't use it with my collection, but I am glad I bought it - it makes a pleasent just for fun.



4. This beautiful book is a must-have for any girl who loves Barbies. It is a children's book and is a visual delight...not a dry guide for adult collectors. The pictures are crisp and labeled, as the other DK books are; "corduroy hat" and "red patent leather pumps," etc. A huge hit with my 9-year old niece.



5. My daughter loves this book, and we are on our 3rd copy because she has worn it out taking it on trips, in the car, etc. Her favorite part is the international dolls section, where she enjoys looking at national costumes from around the world. The layout and photos are very well-done, and it brings me back to my childhood as well!

4 comments about Collector's Encyclopedia of McCoy Pottery.

1. I was very pleased with the information on the McCoy Pottery Company and the pottery manufactured by McCoy that this book offered. I would recommened this book to anyone interested in collecting McCoy pottery. This book has a large selection of photos of the various types of pottery produced and the different markings used on the pottery.



2. I have a question about an entry in the 1997 Collectors Encyclopedia of McCoy Pottery concerning the soup tureen for the El Rancho Sombrero Serv-All. Does the price listed for the Sombrero include the Tureen or would they be priced separately? Judy



3. I received this book as a gift. It is a great reference to have when I am shopping for McCoy pottery and want to make sure I am not over paying. The detailed history of McCoy is also very interesting. My only complaint is that one page of descriptions was duplicated and as a result, it is missing accurate descriptions for one page or about 15 items.



4. This is a well organized reference to McCoy. It contains a history of McCoy; this added knowledge adds to the fun of collecting and allow you to sound more like you know what you are doing. Then there are pages on the different "marks" of the pottery. There is a value guide. But I find it easer to do my own comparing. The big plus is the color pictures that show what is available. For those discriminate people that do not just buy anything that says McCoy there is an index. It is also fun to see you McCoy pieces in the book.