5 comments about Warman's Matchbox Field Guide: Values and Identification (Warmans Field Guide).

1. This is one fine little book. The pictures are superb and the text is short and concise. This book would work well for the seasoned collector as well as a collector that is new to Matchbox.



2. Upon reading this new book from Tom Larson,it has finally shown that there is room for a pocket guide amongst all the other "big" heavy Matchbox collector books. This book can be carried easily anywhere you want. Study up on your Matchbox hobby as you go about your travelling. Carry it to Toy Shows, diecast conventions, and even to the local antique auctions. It is small,light, full of brightly colored, well shot photos of all your favorite Matchbox cars and trucks. There is even some rare vehicles,sets, and other accessories shown. With accurate Price quotations for "Mint In Box" models,you are surely to enjoy this work for years to come.
   For the price, you can't beat it!
   Definitely worth every penny.
   Finally, a beautifully compiled Matchbox toy car collectors guide.
   It will be a hit, Just watch.
   Thanks Tom :)
   just another fine book in the Warman's series.
   Kudos to Krause Publications for jumping on this one.:)
   
   sincerely
   Burney Reid
   "Diecast Enthusiast"
   Coquitlam, B.C.
   Canada



3. This book is very welcome as it will increase many people's enjoyment of collecting Matchbox models. Due to its easy availability and reasonable price it may even attract some more people to this wonderful hobby.
   
   With its compact size it is ideally suited for carrying around to toy shows and flea markets, where it can be used as an aid in identifying models one might come across.
   
   While experienced collectors may be slightly disappointed at the lack of detail and some embarrassing and sometimes misleading mistakes (which have no doubt been caused by the tight deadline pressure under which the book was written), this book is perfect as an introduction for beginners.
   
   The quality of the many pictures is first class, and the introductory pages in the front section of the book, including a well-written summary of Matchbox history and useful collecting tips, are a must read for anyone interested in the subject.
   
   Congratulations to Tom Larson on this fine achievement!



4. Most Matchbox guide books are encyclopedic in size. This is the first one I've found that is easy to take with you to toy shows, garage sales, and flea markets. The photos in the book are outstanding. The helpful collecting tips are well-written and are sound advice for collectors. All in all, I'm very pleased to recommend this book. Mine already has considerable wear, and I'll probably be needing another one by Christmas (hint to family)!



5. It's hard to believe that so much information is packed into such a little book. It's the big little book for Matchbook collectors. The photo quality in this book is second to none. Although the prices of these gems are always in flux, it is great to have an updated price guide. The history, collecting tips and listing of online resources contained in the book are treasures in and of themselves.

1 comments about Toys & Prices 2008 (Toys and Prices).

1. nice book for toys 50 years old...My stuff is about 25 years old so it is not covered

2 comments about Hot Wheels: Warman's Companion.

1. This long awaited book has finally arrived and is well written and helpful to beginner and seasoned collectors. The book provides many high quality photos and has alot of information packed inside. The author is a very highly recognized expert in Hot Wheels and writes for Toy Cars and Models Magazine monthly. The book's size will help people when shopping for or selling these fine cars and is easy to understand.
   I truly enjoy the books that Mike Zarnock writes and it helps me with understanding and documenting the cars I have in my collection. For additional information on the subject be sure to check out his "variations" and "accessories" books as well.



2. This is a handy smaller sized book from the maker of the great Hot Wheels Variation guide books. The first 2/3 of the book is all color pictures of loose older Hot Wheels cars that really seem to be more of a "Here's a sampling of a nice older collection" than a identification guide. Anyone with a Tomarts guide, (even an old one) really does not need this entire first 2/3 of the book as it is disappointingly incomplete. The price guidance of the older cars is a little deceiving as some of the pictures are of very pretty rough shape cars and all the prices are for near mint vehicles. However, the last 1/3 of the book is fantastic, albeit with no pictures. This is Michael Zarnock at his finest, listing very accurate pricing for an incredible number of variations from 1995 all the way up to recent years. The bottom line is that if you know nothing about collecting older Hot Wheels it can get you in the ballpark of knowing what one could be worth if you run across a loose one. If you do know what you're doing you can still get value in the most recent price guide of practically every known variation out there.

3 comments about Full Vinyl: The Subversive Art of Designer Toys.

1. This is such a wonderful, fun, plasticfantastic book! It has great essays from leading toymakers/collectors, amazing pictures and if you're nok hooked on designer toys after this book, I don't know if you ever will be hooked!
   
   There also comes a little keychain with this book... I can't use it though. I don't want to "break the book", but it sure will be nice for someone else!



2. for those of us into urban vinyl, art toys, designer toys or whatever you'd like to call them - this is an excellent book. with it's coverage of dozens of artists with color photographs and biographies, it makes for a great read to the zealous collector, and that is exactly where the catch lies. for those of you looking for a bit of critticism or some braoder cultural context, i, for one, felt that this book treated the designers with over enthusiasm (not to say out-right FANaticism), and the two or three articles relating to urban vinyl as a phenomena semed more like a gesture then a genuine wish to explore the origins and implications of all these small weird toys.



3. It has some designers sketches !
   More than I expected ! Great deal !!

5 comments about Collector's Guide to Pez: Identification and Price Guide, 3rd Edition.

1. Being a personal friend of Shawn Peterson would probably leave you with the notion that I have a biased opinion. Having known him for a number of years and knowing his passion for collecting PEZ, I assure you that a significant amount of time, effort, and research went into this book. In reading a couple of, what I feel are unwarranted, negative reviews of this book I'd wholeheartedly disagree with their assessment. This is an outstanding book of reference with excellent photography and informative narrative. I recommend it to anyone in the hobby, or anyone simply wanting to reflect back to their childhood and reminiscing about a much simpler time in life. He's done an outstanding job in assembling an historic perspective of the company, rare and unusual dispensers, as well as common variety and new offerings. Buy with confidence and enjoy!



2. Although it's not a highly competitive category, this book takes the top spot in Pez guides.
   Being the newest, it has the most up to date pictures, prices and products.
   The extended section on candy packs, and Pez paper products/inserts is helpful, as other books lacked in that departement.
   Overall it's a solid price and picture book, with accurate estimates and such. It's the best of what's out there, so it's worth a shot.



3. Many people like myself collect Pez dispensers. It is a wonderful hobby to have because it is virtually impossible to find every variation of every dispenser there is. Sometimes there are many different variations of a single dispenser, for example the colors that were made. This is where this guide comes in handy. In here you will find colorful pictures of almost every known dispenser made, along with pictures of some different variations. This helps you know what you are looking for when you want a certain dispenser. Listed also are estimated values of the dispensers, which is also helpful in giving you an idea of what that certain dispenser will cost you normally. Also pictured in this book are different inserts from the packages, different displays that were available, different flavor packs that have been packaged with the dispensers and even Pez with unique or foreign packaging. This is a great book for collectors and even those who are a little interested in Pez dispensers. The pictures and information make it easier to know what you are looking for, so if you are looking to collect Pez I recommend this guide as it will be a big help to you.



4. Shawn Peterson's Collector's Guide to Pez is filled with useful information on prices and availability of almost every Pez dispenser ever made. Along with wonderful, colorful photos and great details, Peterson has included great information for both beginning and advanced collectors of Pez products. His information on convention, collectors groups, and bargain hunting are particularly useful as a resource. In a hobby as fun and varied as Pez collectiong is, a great tool is needed. Peterson's text is the Bible for lovers of Pez both young and old. This is the only book you need whether you are a new collector or an old pro. It is definetly worth the money and will be a great addition to your growing Pez collection.



5. This is a great update for anyones collection, I have many new Pez
   dispensers that are now listed in this updated edition.

1 comments about Toys for Boys.

1. For all those boys out there who have those spare $$$$ and want to a wishlist that will express their style and class.... this is the book for you chaps. Or for those who need inspiration to go out and earn the $$$ to buy some insane toys this is the most comprehensive, well catalogued and documented.... must have. One for the trophy room itself!!!
   
   As the book says the difference between men and boys is the price (& class & quality) of their toys....
   
   Guys this is an absolute must have.

5 comments about Toys to Knit: Dozens of Patterns for Heirloom Dolls, Animals, Doll Clothes, and Accessories.

1. I had a similar experience to a lot of the other reviewers. Bought this book because the projects looked cute, but the instructions are terrible. Vague and chock-full of mistakes (were there no testers for any of these patterns?). A lot of these pieces could have been knit in the round with a bit of shaping, instead you have to knit a gazillion tiny pieces and then seam together "according to illustrations". There are no illustrations. Only a few really bad photographs - I mean, they're cute and all, but totally useless. There's a pattern for a cute looking fish with a bunch of scales that are knit and then sewn on "according to illustration" but in the photo, the fish is peeking out from the folds of a blanket, you can barely see a couple of scales.
   
   In another pattern for an elephant, there are so many pieces to make individually that I've given up hope that I'll ever finish it. Even with many years' knitting and designing experience, it's more effort to fix these patterns than it is to just create one from scratch!
   
   It's deceiving in its perceived simplicity. A novice knitter might leaf through the book and see that they only need to know how to knit and purl and do a simple increase and decrase, but it is easier to learn a few more shaping stitches than to suffer through the dozens of seams required to assemble the final product, especially since the incorrect instructions often lead to pieces that dont fit together properly. Very frustrating and a huge waste of $16.



2. I picked up this book because the doll on the front cover looked just like my daughter and I thought it would be cute to make one for her. I am a fairly new knitter but thought the pattern appeared to be something I could tackle. I did find some errors in the instructions for the legs (very confusing for a new knitter). I also found it strange that there was not any type of gauge or swatch (I was taught to NEVER skip this step!), nor the finished size of the doll or any of the toys. Once I did finally get the doll made up, it did turn out to be very adorable in a retro sort of way (think the Island of Misfit Toys on Rudolph) and my daughter absolutely loves it.
   I am now trying to knit up the wrap sweater, and the instructions are disappointing. I was hoping to make a set of clothes for her doll, but if the rest of the instructions are as erroneous or incomplete as the ones for the sweater, I'm afraid I won't get them done.



3. Do not buy this book. Period. As others have said, the instructions for the teddy bear's head are so far off that only an expert knitter is going to be able to figure it out. I completed this after spending hours recalculating the stitch counts and figuring out which row (I think two are actually missing) needed to be added. The results are adorable, but the hassle isn't worth it.
   
   I contacted the publisher, and finally gave up. Those with whom I dealt were a bit on the dim side and couldn't understand what I was telling them regarding the problems with the pattern. The author is apparently British and shares the same name (Tracy Chapman) with a well-known singer, so reaching her is not possible.
   
   Again I stress, don't buy this book unless you are an expert knitter and are willing to rewrite the directions to make them accurate.



4. Most of the toys and accessories in this book are really cute, but there's just not much else going for this book. The instructions look deceptively simple, but as it turns out only a really experienced knitter can make much sense of them. Many of the toys have multiple errors in the instructions, such as the bear, which is missing several rows of stitches. In addition to being deceptively simplistic, the instructions are also way too vague, without any detailed explanations, either for the trickier steps or the more basic parts. The only "explanatory" material for troubleshooting are sections in the back about abbreviations and the conversions of needle sizes and weights and lengths of yarn. And someone who's just a novice knitter might not even realise that it's just asking for disaster and frustration when there isn't even any gauge or yardage given for any of the yarns specified.
   
   A lot of the colors don't even match in the various pictures and accompanying instructions, such as the teddybear sweater that is off-green in the picture yet described as light blue in the instructions. Many times the reader is instructed to assemble the various parts "according to illustration," yet there are no such accompanying illustrations. It also doesn't make sense to have to separately knit all of these little pieces and then seam them together when there is another way. I've made some stuffed animals and dolls in the past, and my sewing instructor didn't tell us to make and stuff each part separately before sewing them all together! If you wouldn't make a sewn toy that way, you wouldn't make a knit toy that way either. Beyond all of the cute pictures of things like various dolls, the teddybear, finger puppets, mouse, kangaroo and joey, and monkey, this book won't be worth much to even an experienced knitter. Someone with a lot more experience probably could figure out the many error-ridden instructions, but why go through so much headache when one could make toys from a better book like 'World of Knit Toys'?



5. I was looking for a book with some doll clothes patterns for a Waldorf-style doll I was making for my daughter. I picked this up at the library. One irritating thing is it doesn't tell you the size of the doll in the book, so I wasn't sure if the patterns would work for the doll I was making. But I set forth and made the wrap sweater and it was very easy and fit my doll very nicely. Which was a 13" Waldorf doll. I also knit up the skirt and the undies. The undie pattern needs a little adjusting to fit better but the rest work out just fine. My kids love looking at all the fun stuff to knit and telling me what to make. After keeping it too long at the library and then wishing I still had it, I think I'll go ahead and buy it.

No comments about Dollhouses: From the V&A Museum of Childhood.

5 comments about Mego 8" Super-Heroes: World's Greatest Toys!.

1. I had all of the items shown in the book as a kid so paging through it was a big trip down memory lane. It reminded me of a lot of fun times.



2. Simply put this is a fantastic book. It is a walk down memory lane for Mego fans who had the pleasure to grow up with these wonderful action figures in the 1970s. The photographs are splendid and bring to life Mego's WGSH line. The author's attention to detail cannot be matched by any other book out there that purports to touch upon this fine line of Mego action figures. If you are debating between Mego books to buy, please don't pass this book up. It is a decision you will regret a year or so from now when you are trying to track down this book from online auction sites, etc. For anyone looking for a wonderful trip into the past, jump on and enjoy the ride!!!



3. This book does not cover everything Mego, but its a wonderful collection of photos and important information. I recommend the book for any Mego collector.



4. A good looking and very informative book full of great photos of the Mego super-hero figure toy line. It's a must for any Mego toy collector and well worth the price of admission!



5. I came into the Mego world a bit late as a wee lad in the early 1980s. But I still remember having the Batman, Stretch Spidey, Dukes of Hazzard, and Incredible Hulk Mego action figures. This book really takes me back to those glory days!
   
   This book is a Mego collector's dream guide! Full of charts, checklists, rare photos and more. Extremely thorough and well researched, if you are a Mego fan, THIS BOOK IS FOR YOU!

No comments about Collector's Guide to Postwar Lionel Trains, 1945-1969 (Collector's Guide).