3 comments about Soviet Impressionist Painting.

1. I thought I would never own this book as the out of print version was running from $300 up to $800!!!!?!?. That was for a book only a few years old. This one will be the same. This publisher tends toward the lower print runs so I suspect this item will be history (so to speak). As an artist my point of view is all about the images. I read the books that are honest assesments of the work and not deconstructionis bs (read Michael Fried). This book offers a fair assesment of the work being shown with no illusions regarding the setting within which the art work was created. In the introduction we read, "...they (critical western writers) imagined that in a controlled society all art was necessarily bad, because artists can only create in absolute freedom. Yet few in the West could name a single Soviet artist or visualize any of their paintings. What we had were blanket dismissals from the ill-informed." This book is about dispelling those blanket dismissals. Apart from all that, when the artwork is taken at face value, the work presented is a mindblowing celebration of talent. With awe I read artists name after name without any recongnition and realized the treasure this book begins to expose. The images are beautiful. The editors were not afraid to run an image over the gutter to show its best impact within the confines of the book. This is a book that will be read and studied for years. If you are a fan of Sorov, Sorolla, Fechen, etc....this is the mother load. The cover art is a good representation of the quality and kind of work you will find inside.



2. Covering Soviet realist art from the 1930s to the 1980s, this impressive volume Soviet Impressionist Painting is a revelation. The well written and accessible text is both interesting and informative, explaining the prevailing conditions which influenced the artists and their work. The reproductions of the paintings are interspersed with the text, and vary from smaller than postcard size to the double page spread, one quibble here is that the text and the image to which it refers rarely appear on the same page, but usually two or three pages apart; with illustrations on every page this seems an odd arrangement. It concludes with a twenty five page chronology of Soviet art.
   
   Perhaps because of their initial impact, the first impression is that the majority of pictures here depict happy workers off to the field, smiling families and cheerful youths. However this is not strictly the case, there are more pensive portraits and groups, and there is a fair sprinkling of landscapes along with a few still life and some nudes.
   
   What really stands out, regardless of subject matter, is the quality of the painting; vibrant and energetic, with lively brush work and a strong sense of light these pictures cannot fail to appeal. Here the quality of the photography and printing come to the fore, one can sense the texture of paint and the brush work, adding greatly to the vitality of the work. The colour reproduction is superb, rich and at times vivid or even luminous; the paintings truly come to life on the page.
   
   This is genuinely a sumptuous volume, lavishly illustrated almost entirely in colour. Grab a copy while you can before this one goes out of print.



3. Bolshevik political ideology held contemporary European art movements such as Cubism and Abstract Modernism in contempt. The Soviet Union authorized, supported and fostered a naturalist oriented art movement from the 1930s through the 1980s. Thanks to the Cold War politics of the Kremlin, Russian artists created a realist school of painting, while the Communist government did what it could to suppress Soviet Impressionist paintings -- many of whose art works still managed to be smuggled out into western markets and find their way into European and American museums. With the collapse of the Soviet Union, scholars and art critics were finally able to appreciate Soviet impressionist art and arts. Now a compilation of the best of that art is showcased, along with an informed and informative commentary, in the 463-pages that comprise "Soviet Impressionist Painting" by Vern G. Swanson and published by the Antique Collectors' Club. Profusely illustrated with superb reproductions throughout, "Soviet Impressionist Painting" is enhanced with the inclusion a Chronology of Soviet Art; a glossary, extensive endnotes, a bibliography, a listing of the illustrations, and a comprehensive index. A seminal contribution to 20th Century Art reference collections and supplemental reading lists, "Soviet Impressionist Painting" is highly recommended for personal, academic, and community library collections.

4 comments about The Codex Nuttall.

1. The Codex Nuttall is a graphical transcription of Mayan hieroglyph of uncomparable beauty and emotional impact. The original is exposed at the Peabody Museum; in the book is depicted with hi-fidelity colors and printed on quality white paper. It results very close to the original and better than photographic reproductions available. It is indispensable for all that works with design so as painters, architects, tattoonists.... But it is a powerful tool for who are interested to know about the magical simbolism of the Ancient Mexicans.

   Stefano Bianca designer musician inventor




2. I'm sorry if this confuses you but this book is actually a Mixtec manuscript, not Maya. In the edition I read, the colors are not as good as the reconstruction of the Codex Borgia. The Zouche Nutall codex contains stories of Mixtec towns and persons. The most interesting one is the story of Eight-deer. This books is a wonderful source of information for those interested in Archeology, Art, or simply curious



3. This is an interesting reproduction of the original document that is now kept in the British Museum. Essentially it is a historical geneological representation of the Mixtec kings lineage from 838 A.D. to 1330 A.D. Most of the information centers around the great military and political hero 8-Deer Tiger Claw. The Codex Nuttall is very difficult to understand and very little explanation of each plate is given. On the flip side, the pictures if studied carefully, are quite revealing and graphic in nature. As Meso-American art it is a wonderful depiction of Mixtex kings and their lives. The colors are true to the originals and rich with hues of red, brown and green mostly. This is a good book for anyone intersted in Meso-American art, either to reproduce or inspire to create something new borrowed from something old. As an archeological artifact it is a superb collection of drawings that inform as well as visually entertain. If you're into Pre-Columbian life in Mexico or want to learn more about the ancient civilizations that existed, this is a book for your collection.



4. El códice Nuttall es uno de los varios códices mixtecos que resaltan por su belleza y maestría de la composición.

   Pero son más que simples representaciones. Son una forma de escritura, que aún no se ha terminado de descifrar del todo. No sólo inspiran creación artística, sino también constituyen un legado cultural de nuestros antepasados; en ellos se plasmaron sus conocimientos históricos, medicinales, matemáticos, astronómicos, literarios, etc.

5 comments about Collectible Costume Jewelry: Identification & Values.

1. Wonderful photographs wide range of designers as well as some unsigned pieces. The only issue I have with the book is the value guide is a bit out dated. (book released in 1997! Almost vintage it self!)
   But it will give you a good idea of a value range. The market goes up and down and I am certian this was written when it was up, with today's gas issue the same pieces do and will sell for much less, as I have seen on eBay. The Florenza pieces in the book have a low value and I've seen the prices so much higher than what is marked this book. It does give you a good idea though.
   There is a great varity of types from rhinestone necklaces to bakelite clips to compacts and a few copper pieces. Demis, full parures, broochs, bracelets.. Very well done book.
   Apparently I got a "Library" copy that was dog eared and marked up inside, but all in all I am happy with this book and suggest it to all collectors.



2. I bought this book for my grandmother who is a serious pin collector. She has hundreds, if not thousands, of pins! She loves this book and references it often in identifying pins, etc.



3. This is a really good book from Cherri Simonds who knows good vintage jewelry, and shares her wealth of knowledge with the rest of us. The photos are very clear, and there are some excellent examples of the very best in vintage and costume collectibles. In addition, she has a section on identifications of designers and manufacturers which is always helpful if you are in the business of buying and selling. There are many examples of the old advertisements, which are great to learn what was popular during the past decades. The only thing missing in this great work is the flip side photos of all of the works, which I suppose would have made the book far to bulky and expensive. If you are a collector, this is a great addition to your reference library.



4. After years of selling on eBay and teaching eBay selling skills for my community's adult education program, I decided to try my hand at buying vintage jewelry on eBay. Armed only with my personal taste in what looked pretty, a few name brands I recognized, and what was affordable, I started buying. When I saw a book on vintage jewelry collecting up for auction on eBay, I decided to research the book on Amazon before bidding. While the reviews were negative, Amazon displayed an array of similar books and voila! I chose this one to begin my education in jewelry collecting. What a great choice for my needs! Special features of this book include a charming introduction about author Cherri Simond's own collecting history, hundreds of beautifully sharp color photos of jewelry with approximate dollar value as of 2005, jewelry designer/maker brand logos, jewelry terminology, and history of major jewelry designers and companies. With prices of everything fluctuating so dramatically today, the 2005 prices in this book are still a good ballpark for suggested comparative value. I learned about major designers whose pieces I now seek, the delicacies of storing and cleaning vintage pieces, and how glamorous high-end costume can be! I keep the book on my computer table and refer to it daily when checking eBay auctions. I recommend this book for other newbies like me - as well as anyone who enjoys "pretty picture books". We can dream, can't we!



5. Collectible Costume Jewelry: Identification & Values
   I highly recommend this book for the novice collector. This is the first book that I purchased when I began my collection and I still refer back to it. The photographs are vibrant and detailed. The book also has an easy reference guide of jewelry designers and their time frames. A brief history is provided on the costume jewelry industry along with copies of old advertisements. This book helps make collecting fun and exciting.

1 comments about The Official 2008 Beckett Price Guide to Basketball Cards, 17th Edition (Official Price Guide to Basketball Cards).

1. magnifying glass! thats what you will need to use this worthless book. no insert listings , micro print adds up to garbage. i tossed it as soon as i checked it ouy.

1 comments about The Official Blackbook Price Guide to US Postage Stamps 2008, 30th Edition (Official Blackbook Price Guide to United States Postage Stamps).

1. Exactly what my dad was looking for. Has been collecting stamps for ages - just what he could use to price his collection.

5 comments about Fountain Pens Past & Present (Fountain Pens Past and Present).

1. As a beginner collector I found the book very usefull. It helps you organize and plan your collection. But also don't miss Fountain pens of the World by Andreas Lambrou. It's is expensive but it's a "must have".



2. This book does help identify pens to some extent. It often takes extensive looking to find information the reader doesn't already know.



3. As a novice collector, I found this book extremely helpful. The pictures
   are fantastic and it covers the history of all the pen companies. Having the price guide is very helpful to get an idea of value. I highly recommend this book for anyone interested in fountain pens...Paul Erano
   got it right!



4. An excellent book for those folks, like me, new to the Fountain Pen Collecting hobby. Does a good job comprehensively covering the development of the fountain pen while showing many differenct models from different companies. Lots of additional information as well. I was happy to meet the author, Paul Erano, at my first pen show in Raleigh NC earler this month. He autographed my book and I enjoyed seeing the real pens at the show. Just reading this book got me plenty of background knowledge and made the show far more enjoyable and taught me good questions to ask while acquiring pens. Organization might be improved some, but overall highly recommended.



5. This book is an excellent guide for pen collectors and covers company histories plus significant design changes over time as fountain pen technology changed as to ink filling methods. Also included is a guide to the value of various pens from the early days on.

5 comments about Authentic Victorian Fashion Patterns: A Complete Lady's Wardrobe.

1. A must have book for anyone interested in Late Victorian clothing. The introductions gives a basic review of drafting methods, with careful reading and patience (lots of it!) the patterns are easily drafted to modern measurements. You can't beat the price for the number of patterns you get.



2. This book contains sewing patterns drawn from the same issues of the magazine _The Voice of Fashion_ as Dover's earlier collection _59 Authentic Turn-of-the-Century Fashion Patterns_. Both books contain patterns for the 1890s. This book focuses more on women's patterns; the other book contains many children's. I collect original issues of _The Voice of Fashion_. This magazine was published from 1886 to 1909. Every issue mirrors the season's changing styles. I am glad to see an anthology that makes the 1890s patterns more widely available. One note for seamstresses enlarging the patterns--the measurements on them are not inches, or metric. They are for a patent drafting system that is not included with either book.



3. Have you ever wondered how they made those lovely turn-of-the-century gowns? This book tells you how they did it! A reprint of a 1905 Butterick sewing book, it is intended for readers who aready know how to sew, as no beginning techniques are included. Full of vintage photographs and detailed instructions, this book gives step by step procedures for many tailoring techniques which we rarely see on anything but designer wear. These techniques can be applied by any seamstress to produce a more fitted and tailored look to their fashions. Definately worth owning for any costumer or fashion designer looking for a more romantic and tailored look in their fashions.



4. The buyer should know that a large majority of the patterns have blouses in the leg of mutton style. Since this was not what I was looking for I had to send it back. However the patterns did seem to be historically accurate.



5. The book apparently is a copy of original books used by dressmakers in Victorian times. I was actually looking for patterns to scan and enlarge for doll cloths making.
   The diagrams and measurements were confussing but I was able to get some ideas and was able to use doll patterns I had and adjust them to the configurations in the book. Wasn't an easy matter however.
   As a pleasent book to view and reflect on the fashions of that day and for ideas it was very nice. As an actual workable book for dressmaking I found it confussing and I've sewn for over 50 years.
   Still in all, worth the price for the lovely designs.

5 comments about Sterling Flatware Identification & Value Guide.

1. I bought this book because it was the only book out there that included Unger Brothers patterns. But, then I found myself looking up other patterns too. The book also has a brief price guide in the front of the book and a letter code rating system which corresponds to a price range. Every pattern in the book has a letter code which lets you know how valuable and sought after the pattern is. I have gotten a lot of use out of this book and I would recommend it to any serious collector or dealer.



2. very nice and informative book, a great haelp to any silver lover!



3. Silverplated Flatware by Tere Hagen is an ID and Value guide for mostly silverplated utensils or flatware. The book I received had a publisher's mistake on pgs. 369-370 in that the top part was not cut so I had to cut the pages to get to the information. There were a few pages that were pulled from the binding. But, I did not buy it for cosmetic reasons. I wanted the information. The illustrations are fantastic. It made identifying products much easier than going all over the web looking for them. So it is a timesaver. It would have been nice to have more history about the various pieces. There was a lot of information about the companies themselves but not how the were named, or why such names were chosen or for what occasions. It would have been easier to research if the pieces were in alphabetical order under each company.The book illustrated here is not the one I am reviewing.The silverplate book has a blue cover. The Sterling book was similar without the flaws.



4. I WAS HOPING TO GET SOME HELP IN MY SEARCH FOR STERLING HALLMARKS, BUT THIS BOOK IS REMARKABLE. EASY TO READ AND VERY NICELY ORGANIZED WITH CLEAR ILLUSTRATIONS, ALPHABETIZED LISTS OF PATTERNS, CURRENT APPROXIMATE PRICES OF THE NEWER SILVER AND OF COURSE A FEW PAGES OF HALLMARKS.



5. This has become my bible for identifying sterling flatware. Of course, it has the most popular patterns, and obscure patterns may not be found; but generally, it is a great resource for collectors or those who sell flatware on auction sites. I keep it right by the computer, and use it almost on a daily basis. I have recommended it several times to those who don't know how to ID what they have. I don't know what I would do without it.

5 comments about Unsigned Beauties of Costume Jewelry: Identification and Values.

1. I had read the book before when I started researching my mothers pins. I have now purchsed two of Marcie's books. They are well written, easy to follow, good pictures of pins and great advise.



2. Marcia "Sparkles" Brown puts together the best books on costume jewelry there are. With all the pictures she includes it makes it so much easier to find something you may be wondering about and she has a lot to look at! I absolutely love her books!



3. I was looking forward to receiving this book because as a collector I did not have a book on unsigned costume jewellery. However I was disappointed with the copy I received.
   My main complaint is the quality of the illustrations. For the most part the photos are dull, too dark and the colours are distorted. Some pages have a definate brownish tint and other pages are quite grey. In comparison to other books on the suject the photos lack colour and clarity but this may be due to the printing and perhaps I received a particularly bad copy.
   The book has 3 chapters that give insight into the birth of costume jewelry, the metals, stones, shapes and settings and also how to start a collection, date and restore pieces.
   For the price the book covers the subject well.



4. An excelent reference book, however, sellers/buyers need to know a particular designer to find items. Not all items are referenced. Sellers/buyers need to do MUCH more research if they are looking for something special.



5. A wonderful book for the costume jewelry enthusiast. Great pictures and fantastic writing. It gave me a great insight on the quality and craftsmanship of unsigned pieces of costume jewelry. I would highly recommend this book to anyone interested in collecting costume jewelry

5 comments about Buried Treasures You Can Find: Over 7500 Locations in All 50 States (Treasure Hunting Text).

1. This book contains a few interesting and potentially helpful tidbits of information for the treasure hunter. However, most of the information about the "7500 locations" is often little more than can be had from reading the "Welcome to..." signs found as you drive into town. If you expect to have a handy collection of ideas to keep you and your metal detector busy, then this book will be a disappointment.



2. But this writer simply tried to cut too wide a swath. I'd have preferred fewer lost treasures and more information on those.



3. This book is great. It has many great places to look for treasure in every state. The author has done years of research to find many old ghost towns, buried treasure stories, and many other places. It gives tips on metal detecting, but seems to have been paid by Garrett Metal Detectors to advertise and show their detectors in this book. It also informs you how to find good places to look. This book is a masterpiece and very interesting even if you are not going out to look for lost treasures of yesterday.



4. it listing a lot of tips 7500---however since it list so many tips--- needless to say it can only give a brief bit on each one----its a good starting point of "local treasure stories /tales" in your state & area that you then must go and do the "leg work" to flesh out the rest of the story. if you are a research based type hunter its a good starting point--- "tips" to get you started ---if you expect ---"well go the the corner of elm and jones street in zippytown,florida and walk seven feet east --dig five feet down and you'll be set for life ---well get real --if it was that easy the bookwriter would do it. good hunting to all.



5. Very happy with this book. Came in a timely manner was very easy to read and thoroughly enjoyed it.