Antiques Collectibles Books

This book has a ton of useful information about coin grading and collecting in general. The grading pictures, however, are not terrific. But it still is a good and worthwhile book. The photos displaying conterfeit coins are close to useless but the book is still a pretty valuable addition for an amateur collector.

I found this book hard to put down. Very Good....

The 2nd Edition of "PCGS Coin Grading" is an excellent reference. It is critical and required reading for beginning and advanced coin collectors. As I am the author of 7 coin books since 1977, I appreciate the difficulty of attempting to explain the subtle and challenging differences between "a few minor marks in the main focal area" (MS65 grading standards, page 28) and "a few minor marks or one or two significant marks with hairlines" (MS64 grading standards, same page). As a complete reference to the condition (grade) of all U.S. coins, this book does an excellent job. However, as noted on page 7, with reference to the 11 grades of Mint State coins (MS60 to MS70): "It would be desirable to have more space for them on the grading spectrum to reflect their degrees of difference more precisely." This is why I am now writing a new book about Precision Coin Grading that will supplement the PCGS Coin Grading guide by explaining how to determine the "decimal point grade" of your coins. (MS64.5, MS65.8, MS66.3, etc.) In today's market, there can often be a price difference of hundreds or even thousands of dollars between a "just made it MS65" and a "just missed MS66." (MS65.1 vs. MS65.9.) Whether you are buying or selling coins for personal enjoyment or investment, collectors need to know whether they should consider upgrading a coin of "the same grade" (like snowflakes, no two MS65 coins are absolutely identical.) You also need to know if you have a "high end" or "PQ" (premium quality) specimen of a numerically grade coin, from Carson City Silver Dollars to U.S. Commems to St. Gaudens Double Eagles. Rare coin expert Jim Halperin has also attempted to address this issue. I've known both Jim and David Hall since the 1970's. Both are brilliant numismatists who have made valuable contributions to the hobby. Coin grading will always be an art as well as a science, and the 5 critical grading factors (surface, strike, color, marks and eye appeal) may never be determined by a computer, as my good friend Jim suggests. In the meanwhile, the more you know, and the more you learn, the better. As a tool to educate collectors about coin grading, The PCGS Coin Grading guide should really have better photos. Fortunately, many such photos are available on the websites of both PCGS and Heritage. If you don't own this great coin book, and you plan to spend more than $100 on coin collecting in your lifetime, buy this book immediately!

This book is pretty good except that it is in desparate need of more pictures. It completely leaves out the Morgan Dollar, probably the most widely collected of all US coins. Also, it is a 2004 Edition, so the prices are not up to date. It is better when combined with another source book like the 2006 Official Black Book.

You know what they say: "buy the book before you buy the coin." I bought a few dollars on ebay before I got this book. After reading the book and testing my grading skills for a bit, I know that I overbid for what was offered.

No big loss, but you don't have to make the same mistake. Learn the rudiments of grading first, then (if you so desire) bid on raw coins.

The drawings and costumes are exquisite, like most of Tom Tierny books are. The explanation of each type of costume is well-done and easy to understand. My only exception to the product is the near nudity--tastefully done and, I'm sure, just done to show authenticity, but it may be something to consider if you are buying this for a child. This particular book has a lot of the near nudity, but I guess that was ancient Egypt for you.

I purchased these to "decorate" an ancient Egypt report for my daughter. The artwork is beautiful but I did have to censure a few of the outfits (not quiet suitable for elementary school).

We used this book of paper dolls as inspiration for dance costuming representing Ancient Egypt in a presentation at our local zoo's fundraiser "Caravan through Ancient Egypt". Beautiful paper dolls and costumes...excellent quality!

Amazing, two dolls, a dozen or more plates of beautifully draw clothing, how can you go wrong? If you love egypt, this is the paperdoll book for you.

I can't believe no other reviewer has mentioned that the girl paperdoll is topless! In a couple of the costumes, she has nothing on top (sure it's covered by props, but not well) and since when do paperdolls have DD cups? I got this for my daughter for Christmas, but there's NO WAY I would ever let her play with this type of paperdoll. Is it too hard to actually make something that's appropriate for children? Definitely not G rated IMO!

I first found this book at the library when my daughter was four and now she is eighteen! At that time, I had her and my baby boy keeping me running in circles. I just could not keep up with the messes, toys, laundry, etc. Deniece's book broke it down for me and helped me to tackle each element that seemed out of control. But all those "tips and tricks" are not really what stayed with me. I do continue to refer back to my book (I returned the library's copy and bought my own!) for those kinds of helps occasionally, but what has really stayed with me are the Basic Organizing Principles presented in Chapter Two.
They are:
1. Think before you act
2. Discard and sort
3. Group
4. Be motion minded
5. Practice preventive maintenace
6. Use your accrued benefits

Those principles can be applied to every situation in your life and I still find myself relying on them to be efficient at home and at work. I think the book is worth the price just to get familiar with those principles.

The other part of the book that continues to be helpful to me fourteen years after my first read, is the Personal Planning Notebook. Rather than use an expensive pre-packaged system with sections and categories that are not relevant to you, you buy a 5" x 8" binder and Deniece shows you how to set it up in a way that is completely useful and relevant. I have my monthly calendar pages that act as an "index" or "overview" of the month and those help me to organize my daily pages in such a way that I actually get things done!

Not every section in this book is going to be relevant to every reader, but there is plenty here to choose from. I admit that at times Deniece's prose comes across as a little Donna Reed-like, but I forgive her because she is sensible and she knows what she is talking about! She is also the first to say that you need to fit the tips, plans, and advice to fit YOUR life. It is not a cookie cutter approach, but rather an expert's wisdom which you are free to put to use in the way that best suits your life.

I have read and tried the Sidetracked Home Executives and FlyLady, but this is really my bedrock system when it comes to meeting all the "have to's" in my life so I can get to the fun "want to's"!

This is a really great book on organizing. The ideas are practical and doable. I like the puzzle idea of numbering the pieces, though I only used it for those puzzles we planned on doing more than once. With kids, there usually are a few of those. I found the lay-out of the book easy to follow, and the author's tone to be helpful and not demeaning like some "let me be tough" with you tones in other books. All in all it is a very good book and one that I used often when my sons were younger. Looking around my house, I would have to say I am due to read it again.

As a professional organizer, I have read quite a few books on organizing. This book was very light and easy to read, which I liked. In addition, it has practical ideas for using inexpensive (and sometimes free) storage containers. Many people are on a tight budget, but with the suggestions made in this book, you can find the products inexpensively and at your convenience.

If you don't want to read this book cover-to-cover, there is an index in the back that can be used to find solutions to a problem area you want to tackle.

I'd recommend this book as a resource for tackling each room in your home.

Each chapter naturally leads into the next, so the writing flow is smooth, but what sets this book apart from others of its kind is the sheer volume of ideas. The author doesn't provide a one-size-fits-all mentality and allows the reader to draw his/her own conclusion(s) and adapt to his/her own environment. More pictures would have been nice.

I was a 28 year old working woman who was overwhelmed with my domestic responsiblites and drowning in a sea of mess,clutter and chaos. Thanks to "Confessions of an Organized Homemaker" now my home is well put together and neat. No longer do I stress out over grocery shopping, laundry, and planning meals. I was a constant last minute person, doing the laundry when I was down to the last towel, grocery shopping only after I had exhaused all meal possibilites it was terrible. I even served chicken thighs on hamburger bun havles with gravy on top! Thanks to Deniece Schofield I have my life back. She covers everything from finding storage spots to creating your own grocery lists where the items are grouped together by catergories. She lets the reader apply what works and leave what doesn't. This book is perfect for newlyweds and young people who have moved out of the house. Buy it and you'll see what I'm taking about!

In this 2nd volume of The Complete Peanuts, Charles Schulz refines the 1st 8 characters he introduced in the 1st 2 and 1/2 years of Peanuts. Lucy is a little fussier (she'll be known as crabby later on) and Linus, though still a baby, thinks deep thoughts and is known for sucking his thumb. Charlie Brown is establishing himself as the wishy-washy "loser" (he has his 1st Valentine's Day letdown in this volume). Also, the security blanket is introduced but it's Charlie Brown and Schroeder who endorse it at 1st, not Linus. Lucy admits she has a crush on Schroeder (the 1st in a series of unrequited love affairs). Violet and Patty are more or less reduced to 2nd bananas (they'll later be known mainly to repeat all of Lucy's putdowns to Charlie Brown). They plan a party and decide not to invite either Charlie Brown or Lucy, realizing that "inviting some people isn't as much fun as not inviting people." Schroeder is still a big fan of Beethoven and classical music (he's the catcher for Charlie Brown's team) and pretty much replaces Shermy as Charlie Brown's buddy (Shermy is rarely seen in these cartoons, he's given a crewcut). 2 new characters are introduced but only one of them seems to have "staying power"- Pig Pen and Charlotte Braun. Pig Pen is a lovable slob with soot all over his face and clothes. Charlotte Braun is a loud and obnoxious character, who would later be written out. Charlie Brown's team always loses and Snoopy's imagination runs wild (though he still walks on all fours and we can't read his thoughts that often). The term "blockhead" is introduced here. In fact, Schroeder is one of the 1st to call him that (but not to his face!). Lucy's mother disgraces her by writing The Life and Times of a Fussbudget. The term "Great Scott!" is used often by Charlie Brown (it would later be replaced with "Good Grief!"). In 1 cartoon, Violet and Patty announce they will not play Lucy's games, which makes Lucy quite upset. After a tantrum of kicking and screaming, she agrees "All right, then. Let's play your way." In another cartoon, she kicks around Patty's doll, Violet's stamp collection, Linus' cookies, Charlie Brown's picture puzzle and Schroeder's piano. Later, as she's running away from the angry gang, she complains nobody understands her! She won't let Linus play with her toys but she will let him play with a rubber band. She later takes it away, though: "I didn't mean for you to have THAT much fun with it!" Charlie Brown's pitcher mound is introduced. Linus stands up for the 1st time, but quickly loses his balance when Lucy rewards him with a cookie. In a few cartoons, adults appear in the background (particularly in the golfing cartoons). A lot (but not all) of what wound up in More Peanuts and Good Grief, More Peanuts is featured here. There is also an interesting introduction by news commentator Walter Cronkite.

Must have for that peanuts fan in your life. Be aware this is part of a set...

This is the second book in the series and my 12 year old daughter loves both. Once she was reading the first book she wanted the next one too. Seeing how the characters began is fun as well as the old drawings. And seeing them evolve in personality and age is great. Snoopy's antics get more and more animated, Linus is a baby, and there is the introduction of Pig Pen! He actually cleans himself up, but then decides he likes himself the way he was. I got the book for my daughter at Christmas. We've read several pages each night and are now almost done. I guess we'll be getting the next one in the series. If you are a Peanuts fan, these classic comics are definately worth collecting!

I've always loved Peanuts. As a kid, I especially enjoyed the TV shows, but of course everyone loves Snoopy, and the other characters, Charlie Brown, Linus, Lucy, Peppermint Patty, and Pigpen, are all very fun. As a result, when my wife got this for me for my birthday, I was fascinated to see how far what we know as Peanuts had evolved from what it started out as. Charlie Brown still has that shirt with the stupid stripe on it, Lucy has her hair with the two little bobs at the sides below her ears, and Pigpen (who makes his debut here) is followed by a cloud of dust (most of the time). But Snoopy is very very different from what we're used to, spending all of his time on all fours except when he's begging, and being much more dog-like than he was in later strips. He's even drawn differently, with a sharper nose and a more dog-like body. There's another girl (named Violet) who I don't remember from the more recent cartoons, and Patty (no Peppermint) is a pretty straightforward girl, not the tomboy who called Charlie Brown "Chuck" all the time. Linus can't even talk yet! This was one of the biggest surprises: to me, the Peanuts kids were always frozen in time, but apparently Schulz aged them in the first years.

I enjoyed this collection immensely, and I'm now determined to buy more of this collection.

This excellent series by Fantagraphics continues in volume two of the Complete Peanuts. This volume features an introduction by Walter Cronkite. This book features the introduction of Pig Pen. For an oddity, we also meet the long forgotten Charlotte Braun, who is a girl that looks just like Charlie Brown. My personal favorite character, Linus, begins to develop his personality. Volume two is another 5 star edition.

Unfortunately most soft furnishing books are disappointing. The same old stale ideas and uninspiring pictures. This book is different. The patterns are different and unique. Suggestions are inspiring. The addition of tuffets adds another inspirational component to this book. I am glad I bought it without a recommendation.

Great book for Rolex collector. Slow on the shipping, but thats not the publishers fault.
Nice pictures, although all balck & white.

I bought this since I have been collecting Rolex watches, its very informative and has lots of historic model informations.

Worth every penny.

If you're looking for a general purpose collector book covering Rolex watches, this probably isn't the book you're looking for (try the Hess/Dowling book). However, that isn't its focus or purpose. The author, John Brozek, is one of the industry's leading experts on authentication techniques for Rolex watches and that is where this book shines. I would suggest that the author consider re-naming the book in future editions to make clear what it really is: THE BEST DAMN GUIDE AVAILABLE ANYWHERE FOR AUTHENTICATING ROLEX WATCHES.

The book starts out with a basic review of the Rolex company history and the evolution of many of their most popular models. From there, the text moves to an examination of the watch components and a look at many common replicas and fakes for comparison. The author also provides the reader with tables that will allow them to determine the correct movement/case combinations for most Rolex models.

If you collect vintage Rolexes, this book is a MUST HAVE on your bookshelf to help you discern fakes, frankenwatches and swap-jobs. No other book even comes close to providing the wealth of information for Rolex authentication contained in this text. On a critical note, the book hasn't been updated since its 4th edition in 2002. The replica market is in constant change and the author needs to add updates to aid in detection of the latest counterfeit models.

This book is not for casual reading. It is a book for people that want to learn and invest or purchase Rolex watches. It is a reference and teaching guide. Very informative. Well worth the price.

This book is an excellent introduction to Rolex.Full of useful infomation at a realistic price.EXCELLENT!

This book is a must have for the serious collector of Native American jewelry. This compilation is broad and attributes many makers to their nation of origin. There are names, initials, and pictographs, with an assortment of unknowns as well. This book is worth its weight in gold!

I've been able to find some of the marks in the book but so many times the marks I'm looking for are not listed. I was also surprised that some names, such as Harry Morgan, were not in the book.

We have had previous editions of this book by Barton Wirght for years. This up-dated edition is just more current, but overall it is a very helpful bood to us.

Although the exchange process was easy, both copies of the book that Amazon sent had pages either missing or hugely out of order. I wished there was a way for Amazon to check the copies, under such circumstances, before sending them out.

This is the eagerly-awaited second edition of Hallmarks of the Southwest; as a longtime collector of Native American jewelry, I'm happy to finally have a copy of this book.

Naturally, not every craftsman can be represented in such a comprehensive work, and complicating this is that not every piece is stamped with identifying marks. (Some of my favorite jewelry isn't stamped at all, even with "Sterling.") Many of the references are a carry-over from the first edition; since silversmithing is often a family tradition, certian respected craftsmen working today may not be represented but their families are.

It's a valuable overview, and leaves the reader [me, at least] wanting more.

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

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.

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.

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

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.