5 comments about Transformers: Identification and Price Guide.

1. This is great reference guide. It shows all the Generation 1 Transformers (84-90). It shows all the pieces and a bio of each character. It also shows the value.
   As kid I had over 50 of the originals and they are worth a ton of money. I use this book as a guide to purchasing used transformers at Ebay.
   I wish he would come out of with with a volume 2 (92-07) which would show all the generation 2, Beastwars, Alternators, Universe,Cybertron, 07 movie, and classics. Which I think are better than generation 1.
   Awsome book. I reconmend this book to all collectors.
   Also check out the G.I Joe guide.



2. This is a great book about the 80's transformers toy line. It has plenty of info on many transformers like their favorite motto to stats. If you are fan and/or collector this book is a must!!!



3. I had heard good things about this author, and this guide, from reviews at other Transformer sites, so I bought it (it was also being sold for half price at amazon.com when I bought it). It was well worth every penny! It is very thorough and gives great details on each type of Transformer and each of the "lines of Transformers" that were made up to 1990. Each Transformer is also given approximate prices for what they are worth as well. Granted, the prices will change over time, but this guide will still be a worthy identification reference for a very long time.
   I would have given it a 5, but there were quite a few grammatical errors in the book, but it won't affect your ability to understand the information.
   My favorite part of the book is that the author appears to have had fun writing it, but takes it seriously enough to make it a very thorough reference guide. A must have for any Transformer fan, from beginner to expert!



4. This is the best Action Figure guide I have ever seen. It is very informative and very accurate, the author even adds his personal take on most of the figures. And talk about bringing back old memories. I actually bought this book for nostalgic purposes and was very pleased. It was nice seeing all the old Transformers from the 80's in one piece. Makes me wish I knew what happened to all my old ones, man I'd be rich if I would have taken better care of them. Hope Mark Bellomo does a guide book for the rest of the Transformers. If you are looking for the ultimate 80's Transformers Action Figure guide, this is it!



5. The Transformers Identification and Price Guide by Mark Bellomo is the greatest for the Transformers, More then Meets the Eye show every action figure created from Gen 1 and more. I have not seen a more detailed Transformers toy book with strenght, weakness, and more in one complete book. I recommend this book if you are Transformers More then Meets the Eye fan.

5 comments about A Museum of Early American Tools.

1. 
   Very informative and well written



2. I would have to say this is one of my best books! The pen and ink drawings a wonderful. So well writen with so much information. I just finished reading this again and feel like going and useing some of the tools in there that i own! I love working with wood and other materials in the American way. Some of the tecniques he dessribes are so ture an i use the all the time! If u love America and/or hand tools, you must own this book.



3. Eric Sloane doing what he does best. The illustrations are superb as usual and so are the descriptions of how the tools were used. This book is bound to make you think differently the next time you are at a yard sale or fleamarket standing in front of a bunch of old rusty tools.



4. I love tools, especially old tools and I found this book to be a treasure trove of information. As the title claims, it is a museum. For every tool there are one or two drawings and a short blurb on the tools were used and made - frequently I want more detail than this, but it is a starting place, just as any museum. For the price, this book is a good value for any lover of old tools.



5. I just finised reading the 1976 edition of A Museum Of Early American Tools. I love this book! It is obvious that Mr. Sloane had both a deep understanding and a heartfelt reverence for our American history, the implements that were such an integral part of it, and the ingenious craftsmen who designed and fabricated them. Our early history is indeed told most eloquently by the tools our ancestors devised. And who better to lead us through that story than Eric Sloane. I'm adding more of his books to my wish list.
   Mike Dearing

5 comments about Timeless Halloween Collectibles, 1920 To 1949: A Halloween Reference Book From The Beistle Company Archive With Price Guide (Schiffer Book for Collectors).

1. Schiffer recently published a book that solely profiles vintage Halloween items made by Beistle from 1920-1949. Titled "Timeless Halloween Collectibles", the data was compiled by Claire M. Lavin who had access to Beistle's archives. The book has both strong and weak points. Among the strong is the photography. Done by Claire's husband, Phil Lavin, the images are crisp and are simply superb. The text is comprised almost entirely of quotes from various Beistle catalogs that helpfully point out the actual names Beistle assigned to their products. The 160-page book is logically arranged and has a generally pleasing layout. Curiously, the book has a 2005 publication date, although it was released in October 2004. As with any book, there are weaknesses. The pages largely contain items seen in previously published references. Although there is some new information unearthed, considering the possibilities any 160-page book provides, there wasn't as much as I had hoped. The book's serious shortcomings are a lack of explanation as to when catalogs were published during the year relative to the actual availability of the items shown (for instance was the 1929 catalog issued in January 1929 with product availability in February 1929, or was it issued in December 1929 with product availability in 1930?); a surprising lack of explanation or even discussion of the varying marks Beistle used during this time period; and a lack of definitive explanation as to which items shown were actually produced for public consumption versus those items residing in the archives that were never commercially produced. The captions are almost all mere recitations of Beistle catalog verbiage. I wish there would have been more of the compiler's voice here. That said, I do think the book is worth buying in order to more fully understand the importance of Beistle in the vintage Halloween memorabilia realm.



2. This book has good descriptions and great graphics for identifying and pricing old, hard-to-find Beistle Halloween paper goods.



3. "The Beistle Company" has been around for a long, long time, providing decorations and party supplies to a countless number of people in the United States and around the world.
   
   The company was founded in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, in the year 1900 by Martin Luther ("M.L.") Beistle. M.L.'s company has grown to become one of the largest producers of Halloween novelties and party supplies in the world.
   
   When M.L. Beistle started his company, he worked out of the basement of his Pennsylvania home, mainly crafting decor for hotel lobbies.
   
   Allow me to quote from Beistle's very own website (located at beistle.com), via an "FAQ" section at that site:
   
   "We {The Beistle Company} are the world's largest manufacturer of party goods. We have been designing and producing decorations and party goods for over 100 years. Our hallmark is the quality of products and the high level of customer service we provide."
   
   ~~~~~~~~~
   
   I still have a couple of packages of old-fashioned Beistle halloween cutouts that I happily display around the house each and every October. It just wouldn't be Halloween-time without Beistle's first-class and spooky-looking cardboard decorations adorning the walls.
   
   Beistle's nostalgic 1950s- and 1960s-era Halloween cutouts can still be obtained at some stores in the USA that sell holiday-themed party decorations and supplies. I can recall buying many of Beistle's products at "Woolworth's", when that store was still in business years ago. "Kresge's" (which later became "K-Mart") was another good place to pick up Beistle items many moons ago.
   
   Today, however, you'll have to search around for other stores and specialty shoppes that may carry a few pieces of vintage Beistle decor.
   
   The packages of Beistle Halloween decorations that I currently have feature a total of eight cardboard cutouts per pack, one of each of the following vintage Beistle-created designs (in vivid color). Remember these?.......
   
   1.) "The Haunted House", with a spooky-looking witch standing in the front door of a house. The witch comes complete with a pointed hat and a cane. There's also a black cat sitting in a window. An owl can also be seen in the attic window above the witch. A flying bat is also part of this eerie hunk of decor. The bat is seen flying against a bright yellow full moon which looms appropriately above the witch's scary-looking dwelling. A leafless tree stretches its way skyward on this cutout too, with a well-placed lit lantern hanging from one of its branches just above the house's front door.
   
   This colorful "Witch In The House" paperboard cutout is my all-time favorite Halloween decoration. It's a simple piece of cardboard -- but it depicts everything about Halloween so well within its 6" x 9" dimensions. Even the "howling wind" is represented here, via a series of lines drawn on the cutout near the witch and the door of the haunted house. I don't know who it was who designed this particular piece of Halloween artwork -- but I tip my hat to that artist.
   
   2.) "Owl Perched On Tree Limb In Front Of Full Moon". .... This Beistle classic is my second-favorite among the cutouts made by that company. The owl's wide-open, piercing eyes are a standout feature. I've also taken note of the "extra markings" that have been added around the owl's eyes on post-1960s versions of this particular cutout. I had previous versions of this decoration which lacked these accentuated eye markings. Either version is first rate, and always worthy of being displayed each and every October. :)
   
   3.) "Black Cat / Jack-O-Lantern On A Pole / Smiling Crescent Moon".
   
   4.) "Jack-O-Lantern With Straw Hat".
   
   5.) "Jack-O-Lantern With Corn-Cob Pipe".
   
   6.) "Witch Flying On Broomstick Over A Crescent Moon".
   
   7.) "Black Cat With Monocle".
   
   8.) "Close Up Of Witch's Face In Front Of Full Moon".
   
   ~~~~~~~~~
   
   Beistle has manufactured some very simple designs for these cutouts, but they each emit an effectively-spooky and eerie quality that befits the "All Hallows Eve" season very well.
   
   The Beistle Company, as referenced throughout this 160-page softcover book, makes many other Halloween-related items besides just the paperboard cutouts I've gushed about above.
   
   But, to me, Beistle shall forever be exclusively associated with those simple, but absolutely perfect, pieces of thin colorful cardboard with pictures of owls, witches, cats, and jack-o-lanterns on them.
   
   Just like that green tree that gets decorated each December, those hunks of Beistle cardboard are a looked-forward-to tradition every October. To borrow this book's title, I'd have to classify them as "Timeless Halloween Collectibles".



4. This book was just what I was looking for. I always look at vintage Halloween on eBay and I always want it!!! Well this kinda feed my craving to fork out a bunch of cash. Why you ask.....well I love the old artwork and I love to look at it more then anything. Well this is a cheaper and, lets face it, a more compact way to enjoy all the wonderful things I used to love as a kid. I would suggest this book to anyone who is interested in true American Art.



5. Nowadays, the Halloween decorations from "the old days" are very pricey and scarce. So I decided to treat myself to some books dedicated to them.
   
   This book is very satisfying. The colors are vivid and the photos of the items are large enough to be able to see a lot of detail.
   
   I'm delighted with my decision to buy the book.

5 comments about Signed Beauties of Costume Jewelry: Indentification & Values (Signed Beauties of Costume Jewelry).

1. This book has been a great help to me as a new beginner to Vintage Costume Jewelry. It has helped me to identify and appreciate the values on some pieces of jewelry. It has become an aid for me to value the jewelry I now collect and resell.
   I would reccomend this book to any beginner collector.



2. This book is much thinner than the first volume and there is no table of contents so it is hard to find the companies covered. These are also the less expensive jewelry companies than the first volume. I wish the author had included more companies especially the less known more valuable marks. The author does a nice job with some basic information but this is not a useful for the advanced collector. Beautiful pictures.



3. This is an excellent resource guide to have. There is so much vintage jewelry out there and details to know. Important for the collector.



4. If you are thinking about collecting (a sick, sick hobby of mine) this is a starter book. Be careful that you don't let the costume jewelry bug bite you. It costs a fortune and breaks everytime you wear it. My jeweler and I now have lunch every week.



5. I was not overly impressed with this book.It did have a list of a dozen or so of what I'd call "THE MASTERS",well know and VERY EXPENSIVE pieces,but none of the lesser ones that you find every day in farmer's markets,auctions,flea markets,yard sales,garage sales,etc.ie NO mention of Sarah Coventry,AJC,JJ,and some others.Okay maybe for a beginners book but mine has been used twice.I've had it for years!

No comments about Roosevelt Dimes Folder 1946-1964 (Official Whitman Coin Folder).

4 comments about 1000 Fruit Jars.

1. This is a great little book to help identify all the differences in your fruit jar collection. All the different embossings are drawn out for you to identify - like all the different Ball fruit jar embossings. It helped us beginning jar collectors! Also has prices for all the different jars.



2. Great little book for identifying all those jars you buy at auctions for a buck a box. Alphabetized, clear images exactly as they appear on the jars, even comparative values for many choices per brand by color.
   It's not a coffee table book, it's a throw it in your bag and take to the sale book. Perfect!



3. This book, One Thousand Fruit Jars, was just what I needed to sort out a horde of old fruit jars from my aunt's estate. Wonderful drawings and values. Helped me 100%.



4. This book is just what I needed on my many excursions to garage/estate sales. I have been able to determine better purchases for my collection by referencing my book on my outings. The images are in alphabetical order and are drawn precicely as they are seen on the jars. Info on jar colors for each embossed design is available too. A MUST HAVE for the avid jar collector!!

No comments about American Rifle: A Biography.

5 comments about Wee Little Garden Gnome (Running Press Miniature Editions).

1. My boyfriend and I took this little guy on our recent trip to Europe and he was awesome, very portable and handy. He makes photos much much more entertaining. Though I do caution that if you put him down in a train station in Rome and then get distracted, it is very devastating when you forget him there. Good thing I got another one!



2. This little guy makes a wonderful travel companion, or he'll wait patiently on your desk or dresser. I especially like his friendly appearance and small stature.
   
   He's solid, made of some kind of plaster-ish composite material.
   
   If you need a miniature friend, this is the guy for you.



3. These wee little gnomes make the cutest little "bag stuffer" to include with your housewarming or feel better gifts.
   Adorable!



4. 
   The Gnome itself is very cute. The little story book is a delight!



5. This is such an adorable and charming little gnome. He makes a great figurine in general, or as someone suggested great for vacation pics. I ended up getting one as a little gift for my mother, who has a small garden on her window. He looks great on the window. Very nice quality, cute design, the little book is a fun read - for adults and kids. And it comes in a neat gift box, makes a delightful gift or for yourself. I may end up getting myself one, since it's charming.

3 comments about Gemstones: Understanding, Identifying, Buying.

1. If you need a book on Gemstones, this is the one. Awesome pictures and great detail on discribing the many different gems around the world. If you are a collector of gemstones, this is a MUST HAVE!"



2. A pretty good book, especially the opening sections about the history of gemstones and the methods used to identify diamonds.



3. I bought this book and received the volume immediately. The book is slender but has a great set of pictures of the different gems. The book is set up like a dictionary with a discussion of each major (and many minor) gem usually with a review of how to identify it and how to distinguish some of the more common fakes.
   
   My only objection is that the book wasn't long enough.
   
   I liked the book a lot and would recommend it to anyone who loves gems.

5 comments about Museum: Behind the Scenes at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

1. What a rich, generous, amazing book! Perhaps fifty different people from curators through trustees, security people, and cleaning staff show us how they all work together to make one of the greatest museums in the world. From the extremely wealthy trustee to the waitress with aching feet, it shows the human faces behind the priceless art in New York's Metropolitan Museum. We know about the life of Van Gogh; now we can learn about the people who serve the place which keeps his work safe for the world to see. To the author: thank you so much!



2. This is one of those books that while you are reading you hate to come to the end because it is so well-written and inspiring. Having gone to the Met many times, it was delightful to read about the behind-the scenes happenings. I very much like the fact that the author painted such a broad scope of people whom he interviewed from the plumbers, waitresses, curators, members on the board of directors and the people whose relatives have given millions in acquisitions.
   
   This is a wonderful book and a must-read for anyone who appreciates art.



3. I must say that I'm surprised by all of the great reviews this book has been given. Its simply ok. The Met is one of my favorite places to visit and reading the description of this book I went into it thinking I would love it. I was sadly mistaken. In fact I couldn't wait to finish reading it.
   
   The author clearly researched his topic well, interviewing countless people in each of the Mets departments but none are presented in an intriguing way. Each person that is profiled is the subject of their own little chapter but the author never goes in depth into the person's job at the Met. Take for instance the fact that we learn that the head custodian is a recovering coke addict but not what goes in to keeping such a massive institution running. We meet curators and learn of their passion for their field or for say baseball but never what goes into their daily job as a curator in the greatest museum in North America.
   
   Really a dissapointment with very little if any redeeming qualities. The book might as well have been about an athlete and ask nothing about their sport or an astronaut and ask them nothing about NASA.



4. This book is mostly a series of condensed and edited interviews with the staff of the Metropolitan. Anyone looking to get the big picture or a great narrative like Calvin Tompkins provided in 'Merchants and Masterpieces' will be disappointed, as I was. All of the interviews provide interesting little nuggets of information, and a few are really fun to read (the best one is with the museum's director, Philippe de Montebello, who seems like a total gent) but all of them could have been trimmed back by about half. This book is mostly padding. And with so many people talking about their jobs without any sense of context, you begin to wonder what the point of this book is. It seems like a memento for people who work at the Met, not a book directed to outside readers. Maybe Danziger was going for the kind of effect that Studs Terkel gets with some of his interview books, like "Working," but Danziger, who is basically voiceless for most of the book, doesn't direct the conversations to big themes the way Terkel can. Basically, you should only read this if you are Met Museum groupie. Otherwise skip it.



5. The author Danny Danziger has skillfully edited a series of 52 interviews with a diverse group of curators, support staff, trustees, and the Met's Director Philippe de Montebello. The result is a vivid picture of an institution, with many fascinating life stories and thoughtful comments on the museum from very different but all compelling points of view.