2 comments about Presidential Dollar Commemorative Folder: Complete Philadelphia and Denver Mint Collection (Official Whitman Coin Folder) (Official Whitman Coin Folder).

1. It is ridiculous. The size of the holes in this book is the same as those for quarters. So NONE of them fits.



2. All my coins are stored in Whitman Albums, Folders and Binders. This one is similar to the State Quarters Flip Album so works well :)

1 comments about Value Guide To Gas Station Memorabilia (Value Guide to Gas Station Memorabilia).

1. B. J. Summers and Wayne Priddy's Value Guide To Gas Station Memorabilia appears in its updated second edition to provide the latest values to signs, cans, maps and more from vintage gas station days. Bright medium-sized color photos throughout compliment chapters conveniently organized by memorabilia type - signs, containers, thermometers, even pumps and globes - to make for quick, easy browsing and reference.

5 comments about The Power of Gold: The History of an Obsession.

1. If you have read Bernstein's "Against the Gods" you might be somewhat disappointed. "Power of Gold" reads more like a lose collection of anecdotes than a complete and unbiased history of that fascinating metal.
   
   History of gold in modern times is too US centric for my taste. According to Bernstein, paper money is in - metal is out. Now watching a crazy built up of dept by the current US administration (how many trillions are it today?) you have to ask yourself: who will repay these debts one day? Watching the dramatic decline of the US Dollar and the stellar rise of today's gold prices Bernstein seems to bet on the wrong horse.
   
   Don't get me wrong: "The Power of Gold" is an excellent source about the history of _money_. But in my opinion it's not an unbiased view of the power of gold in today's world.
   
   As Bernstein says in its epiloge to "The Power of Gold":
   "The most striking feature of this long history is that gold led most of the protagonists of the drama into the ditch". Could it be that Mr. Bernstein was misled by it too?
   
   Since "The story of gold has a deeper message, one that has none of the transitory qualities of what we choose as money. Seen in this broader sence, the story of gold has no ending".
   
   Q.E.D.



2. The Power of Gold was lent to me by a colleague at work, a fellow market analyst. He and I talk monetary policy on a fairly regular basis, so he thought I'd like to give this book a read. Indeed, he was correct.
   
   In brief, this is a book which tracks the use of gold from a monetary perspective through most of human civilization. If you're at all interested in history, then this book is definitely right up your alley. It takes a look at world events from a perspective that you won't find in many other sources. Primarily that means focusing on how gold was (or was not) the main focal point of money and trade. I personally didn't care for the author's occassional forays into discussions of the decor of various palaces and whatnot, but they weren't too distracting. Beyond that, it was a very well written book, and a pleasant read.
   
   The really interesting stuff from a my perspective as a trader and analyst, of course, is the latter part of the book where it gets to modern times. I personally found the whole discussion of the 20th century, which was probably the last third or more of the book, to be the most meaningful. The author really presents an excellent discussion of various perspectives and efforts related to different countries being on or off the gold standard and how that all played out in both domestic and global economies.
   
   One of the things which has come up in modern political, social, and economic discussions is the idea of going back on the gold standard. There have been some very prominent proponents. If you want to get an idea of what that might look like, how that might play out in the global trade and economic modern environment, you'll definitely want to give The Power of Gold a read. It will really have you thinking about the complexity of it all, and the implications.



3. Peter Bernstein's "The Power of Gold" is an interesting read. It begins with a series of anecdotes on the history of hold - from the Israelites to King Midas to Crassus to Pizarro and everything in between.
   
   Suddenly, the anecdotes stop and instead the reader faces down some pretty hard core history of the gold standard and the economics therein. The change in tone was startling. Eric Conger, the reader on the abridged audio cassette handles it in stride and does his best to keep the tone and material light.
   
   Bernstein sets gold up as a villain in the lives of men and men's quest for gold does not usually turn out the way they plan. Bernstein details the evolution and subsequent gold standard and in so doing, uses the images of the anecdotes told previously. One of the more powerful and useful images was that of the merchant who was on a ship when it began to sink. Carrying all of his gold, the merchant jumped overboard and promptly sank - which poses the question, did the merchant possess the gold or did the gold possess the merchant?
   
   Once the nations of the world were off the gold standard, the market fluctuated wildly. It reached its zenith when it peaked at $850 an ounce in 1980. When Bernstein published the audio edition in 2000, gold had promptly gone downhill precipitously with a price below $300 an ounce. Bernstein all but closes the door on gold pronouncing that its time in the monetary system come and gone and its uses as a hedge non-existant.
   
   But just before Bernstein hammers in the last nail of gold's coffin, he quotes economist Robert Mundell who stated that gold would make a comeback in the 21st century. Sure enough, on January 14, 2008 (or 3 days before this review), gold was trading at a record $914 an ounce showing that gold's use as an enduring hedge seems as durable as gold itself.



4. The older edition (Aug 30, 2000) has more pages (448 instead of 304) but costs more ($39.00). Comparing the table of contents between the 2 editions, it appears that the first 14 chapters and 207 pages are identical between the two editions but the new 2004 illustrated edition may have discarded or condensed some of the later chapters. The older 2000 edition is still available from Amazon if you look further down in search results for this title.



5. Recently, I have noticed a decline in the value of the dollar in the market and great increase of gold. Even the gold went over one thousand dollar at one point. Then, I came to thinking: what if we might be heading to some kind of economy collapse in our near future where our dollars in the banks will disappear overnight and we will be left penniless and head into a great debt without much a warning. Then, it would be likely that gold and silver might return to being as values/standards of money for survival purposes in the event of economy collapse. At least, that is my understanding of using gold.
   
   Before this year, I rarely take notice of gold and often thought of it as just piece of metal. And, I often wondered why gold would be such a big deal or why would gold became a driving motivation behind every nation's growth. Again, I thought, "they are pieces of metals, nothing more...geez, it sounds like everyone is obsessed with such illusion. Why do we even bother?" Then, I was recommended to this book by Peter Bernstein.
   
   "The Power of Gold: The History of Obsession" is very intriguing and easy to read, with only twenty chapters and roughly four hundred pages. It is certainly a book that I could not put down because it answered some of my questions on the subject, or at least to my understanding. I really liked reading about the histories of gold from the ancient times to present, including the stories of Lydian and Greek as well of Johann Sutter in the time of California gold rush. Also, it was interesting to acquire an understanding about the attitude of the people towards gold in the aftermath of The Black Death during the mid-fourteenth century.
   
   I most certainly agreed with the author when he said the following:
   "Those who believed that gold was a hedge against the uncertainties of life failed to understand that the pursuit of eternity is not to be satisfied by gold, or by anything else we choose to replace gold - dollars, euros, whatever. Gold and its surrogates make sense only as a means to an end: to beautify, to adorn, to exchange for what we need and really want." (p. 372)
   
   After reading this book, I have gained a better understanding about gold itself: how it was viewed, how it was and is being used, and why were/are people obsessed with gold. Gold may be a piece of metal, but it seems to serve mult-purposes.
   
   I am no economist or trader, but I found this book to be an enlightening read and very informative about the gold's nature, its history, and its relationship with humanity.

3 comments about Old-Fashioned Santa Claus Cards: 24 Cards.

1. I was under the impression that these cards were regular Christmas cards and not postcards. Hence the 3 stars, otherwise I like them alot.



2. This is a very beautiful way to share Christmas with others. The old fashioned pictures in a high gloss finish are so bright and cheerful and very Christmasy. Everyone who received one of these cards really appreciated them.



3. Nice Clipart...some good old classic generic clipart.
   I scan it in...wish it was already scanned in.
   
   Great price...
   You should be happy.

1 comments about Scott Standard Postage Stamp Catalogue 2009: Countries of the World Solomon Islands-z (Scott Standard Postage Stamp Catalogue Vol 6 So-Z).

1. When you are collecting stamps you need the best reference catalog available, and this is the one, almost every store and auction uses it not only as a price reference but also as a clasification guide. My only concern is why this volume is cheaper than the other five.

No comments about Collectible Pipes (Collectibles).

3 comments about Knives 2006.

1. I decided to buy this book basing on the pictures of the knives inside. Once received, the pictures are worth more than the price I have paid for. Details with each knife is the extra bonus to the owner. Very good especially for custom knife collectors, and myself as a trader on ebay's -unclevit- listing store. I will buy more from this writer, perhaps every year. Recommend. Good Value.



2. Not the book I wanted. I wanted a book listing Case and Buck knives values. My mistake.



3. I have every edition of the "KNIVES" annuals since the first one came out in 1980. As a knifemaker and collector I like to keep up with the state-of-the art knives that these amazing makers present in this book. The photos are plentiful and the paper quality of these softcover books has greatly improved since editor Joe Kertzman has taken over the helm. If you like knives in all their glory, then all of these books are highly recommended. The only reason that I gave it 4 stars instead of 5 is that I feel that Mr. Kertzman gets a little "ornate" in some of his descriptions. Let the knives speak for themselves, Joe. Hee hee.

No comments about Classic Baseball Cards: 98 Collector's Cards Authentically Reproduced in Full Color.

5 comments about Illegal Tender: Gold, Greed, and the Mystery of the Lost 1933 Double Eagle.

1. The author is a journalist. It is clear that he accustomed to writing shorter essays and getting paid by the word. He spared no words or overstatements. This book is about a federal investigation of a coin wanted by collectors. I am a federal investigator and a coin collector. The first eighty pages of the book are a good read and a nice discussion of U.S. coins and the double eagle. The book then drones on and on discussing an unlikely series of circular interviews described with pointless details. The author attempts to tell the story in a colorful fashion by including passages that are reminiscent of detective novels but falling far short - to the point of being trite. Face it, this investigation lagged for 60 years. Obviously, evidence discovery was slow.
   
   If you are getting on an airplane and want a pleasant read that will put you to sleep, go ahead and buy it. The price is cheap.



2. Although hard core coin collectors will enjoy this book, those of us who enjoy reading non-fiction crime stories will be a little disappointed. The author does a good job in describing the history of the coin at stake but loses something in the translation. The sad fact is that this coin's history is checkered and unknown. Therefore, the reader is always left guessing and speculating about how it ended up at auction. There is very little that is "known" when it comes to how this coin escaped the melt-down. Perhaps this is not the author's fault as he is limited by his subject. The book is readable and grabs the reader at times with the description of the auction as well as the FBI investigation in the 1930's as they tried to track down where the coins came from and who had them. All in all, the author did a competent job but the subject, which could have been fascinating, is somewhat dull.



3. This book is about a 7.5 million dollar gold coin. Obviously, this cannot be a normal coin. The book explain how the 1933 gold double eagle came to be. It begins with Saint Guadens designing the design because Teddy Rosevelt wanted new and inspiring designs. From there heads into the depression and the recall of all gold. The book invesitigates the murky beginning of all the 1933 double eagles. From there, it gets interesting. The secret service has a major headache on their hands. The plot thickens as more people come into play with these rare coins. However, you will have to read the book to see how everything plays out!
   I would reccomend this book to any numismatic interested in the history of these coins. However, some parts of the book can be slow. Do not stop reading it; keep going because the action picks up. Just remember, 10 more 1933 double eagles were just (2005) recently found which would add a new chapter to the book. That development makes the story even more interesting.



4. As with any thriller, the book opens with the background and history of the our protagonist, in this case, the Saint-Gaudens $20 Double Eagle. Tripp repeats the well known history of how President Theodore Roosevelt wanted to extend the gilded age and update the design of US coinage. Roosevelt thought the design of the Mint's Chief Engraver Charles E. Barber's were bland and not fitting of a great nation. Tripp reproduces reports of conversations and letters from Roosevelt to Barber and other US Mint officials demanding they follow the instructions of sculptor, Augustus Saint-Gaudens, as to how the coin would be minted. If you have not heard the details of this history, the first chapter is a must read.
   
   From the history of the rise of the Saint-Gaudens $20 Double Eagle, Tripp then talks about its demise. With the country in the throes of the Great Depression and the country revolting against President Herbert Hoover at the polls, Tripp discusses the tension between Hoover and the transition team of Franklin D. Roosevelt. While the country was experience a near total economic collapse, Tripp writes how FDR did not want to do anything that would give Hoover credit for doing anything before the March, 1933 inauguration.
   
   Hours after FDR's inauguration, the Senate approved the appointment of William H. Woodin as the Secretary of the Treasury. Woodin worked tirelessly with the Hoover administration to try to stop the damage. Tripp paints a great word picture as to how Woodin and FDR created a policy that helped the country pull out of the depression.
   
   One of the problem was the amount of gold leaving the United States and being used for overseas trade. More gold was leaving the Treasury than they were taking in. At Woodin's urging, FDR signed an executive order recalling all privately held gold. As this executive order goes through many updates, Tripp brings us inside the Philadelphia Mint facilities as they continue to mint 1933 $20 Double Eagles. Tripp puts us right in the Mint and traces the path of these gold beauties.
   
   With the order to melt these coins in 1934, the mystery begins. Tripp weaves the story in true mystery novel style following the trail of several of these coins as they leave the Mint. This includes the one coin with a legal export receipt that was shipped to King Farouk of Egypt. Tripp' coverage of the "Palace Collections of Egypt" or King Farouk's by the Egyptian government (website in English) is a classic twist of capitalism and greed meeting politics.
   
   The book bogs down a bit starting in the late 1950s as the trail for all of the Double Eagles gets cold and the various law suits are settled. The story picks up again with the discovery of the Farouk coin. Tripp follows the trail from its consignment in England through the seizure in the Waldorf Astoria Hotel in New York City by the United States Secret Service. From there, the book reads like an episode of Law and Order leading up to the settlement and auction of this one-of-a-kind coin.
   
   The only thing that makes this only a four-star book is that Tripp's prosaic tome makes this composition a somewhat arduous read. One may require a dictionary close at hand to fully understand the lexicon he uses. If nothing else, the book did help improve my vocabulary. Otherwise, Illegal Tender is a wonderful book to read and better than most mystery novels because it is true!
   
   Illegal Tender won the 2005 Book of the Year award from the Numismatic Literary Guild.



5. I'm not a coin collector. There are one or two coins I'd love to own. And I do own a few lovely ones. I say this so you'll know I'm not a member of the society of coin collectors --- that closed society of people who have their own vocabulary and ways of doing business.
   
   But I wanted to read this book because I became interested in why Roosevelt the second opted to steal gold from the American public, making it illegal. I also was enchanted with this coin that Roosevelt the First wanted so badly. He wanted it to not contain the motto, "In God We Trust" because he believed in separation of church and state. So the story begins in 1907.
   
   Well, I got much more from this book than I bargained for. To begin with, it's written wonderfully well. If you remember the old Dragnet radio and television shows, you'll recall how Joe Friday always said, "It was Tuesday, March 1 in Los Angeles. It was raining. ETC." It drew you in. You could picture it, get a feel for it. Well, Tripp does that in this book. He accurately tells the reader when the action takes place --- sometimes including the exact time. He often tells what the weather was like that day.
   
   The book is exceedingly well documented. It is a true historical drama and mystery that, even today, is not really solved. All but one of these lovely coins are illegal. Yet we have reason to believe others exist --- somewhere.
   
   You'll enter the rather mysterious world of the true coin collector and dealer. You'll be thrilled at what you find. You'll meet people of greed. Just to hold this illegal coin, this beautiful, magnificent piece of history, must be the thrill of a lifetime. Yet few people have done so or ever will.
   
   You'll follow the coin from the mint to the final auction that makes this one coin legal (the others, if there are others, are illegal.)
   
   This is a fascinating book and I recommend it highly.
   
   -Susanna K. Hutcheson

4 comments about 2007 Brookman Price Guide United States & Canada Stamps & Postal Collectibles (Brookman Stamp Price Guide).

1. Great reference for all things U.S. and territories -- like it better than Scotts. Get the spiral binding, couple of extra bucks but believe me it is great for laying it open to look at.



2. I have tons of U.S. and Canadian stamps that I have amassed throughout the years and felt it was time to see what they may be worth. The Brookman 2007 price guide will help you identify each stamp, stamp variation and it's going price. It will also help with autographs and First day covers etc. I also found the spiral binding to be very beneficial. If you collect stamps, you must get this book.



3. Bookman's is my favorite. I use it contantly while bidding on Ebay. It gives such a good range of prices for many of the variations you might run into when grading stamps. A few too many ads in it and you cannot remove them as they are usually attach to stamp grading. Easy to write on and keep track of what I have purchased and what I paid.



4. Bought this to catalog some older stamps. Its user friendly and seems accurate. Buy the spiral edition if your gonna use this for a long period of time as it stays open without help.