Antiques Collectibles Books

This book is nothing more than color pictures of the author & friends collection. Lacks information. More print should have been used on Material types. Not "Grade" "Grade" is nothing more than the Opinion of the Person doing the grading. Lacks coverage. Spectrums of point values are missing. If you want to see color photos of $30. points "Buy It" Other wise spend your money on the new Overstreet Book.
M. H. Clark

Although this book looked promising at first glance (nice cover, written by a member of the Archaeological Society of Ohio of which I am also a member), upon further review it was disappointing. Most of the artifacts were only field grade in quality and there were too many inaccuracies in terms of time period assigned to the artifacts and/or the names. Someone needed to edit this book more closely before it was published. It would be a decent reference guide for Midwest artifacts if it was at least corrected for errors.

Scale from 1 to ten. Ten being the best I would rate this book a BIG 1.

The book is way off on the price values with very low quality examples of points. Appears to me its nothing but a album of someones collection, with just basic names for types. It was a waist of time and money buying this book.

Great photos of arrowheads and other stone tools/slate items. The prices are very accurate and NOT over inflated like the Overstreet arrowhead price guide. I like the fact the artifacts shown are all authentic and not a bunch of "stamped out" fake reproductions like some guides out there. As far as some of the complaints listed: I think it should be understood that this is a price guide and not suppose to be a technical analysis of arrowheads. I like the photo album style. This book simply points the collector or antiques dealer to what to look for, what he/she may own, and what time period it is attributed to in prehistory. The best thing about the guide is the price is very affordable for this book, where else nowadays can you get 300 color pages for $13 bucks!!!

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.

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

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.

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.

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

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.

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!

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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!

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

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".

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

* This is not a common book explaining on ways to make money but the tips and strategies it used really has help me on how to find a really cheap product and sell it high.
* After reading this ebook, I make lots of profit from my eBay business.
* I wish I had read this book earlier so that I make money at home when I was young.
* Trading is a good business in nature. The best thing of all you may not need your own product at the beginning. This book will help you where to get that cheap product to sell.

It is a practical book. Useful tips. If the pictures in color would be better.

Reviewed by Josef F. Buenker for Reader Views (2/08)

I don't know if I'll actually ever do it, but this book made me want to buy things in order to sell them on eBay. Daren and Nancy Baughman, the authors, are in the auction, resale and eBay business. Nancy's (she seems to be the primary author) interest and enthusiasm for her business clearly shows.

Although in certain parts the book had some spelling and grammatical errors, the author/editor's apparent reliance on spellcheck does not detract from the book. "Buy It, Sell It, Make Money" does a nice job of explaining the business of buying and selling "luxury" goods - the term "luxury" being determined by the reader's own lifestyle. Whether one is interested in trading up an item he or she already owns by selling it and buying a better model or one wants to acquire something new, this book could be of great assistance in the process.

After a general explanation of the best venues to acquire and sell various types of items (buying and selling furniture is somewhat different than dealing in modern art), the authors give the reader a very handy guide to the best brand names in a number of common "luxury" item categories, ranging from art to clothing to jewelry to toys.

This book was an interesting read. Anyone who has ever had aspirations of being in the resale or retail business will probably find "Buy It, Sell It, Make Money" interesting.

This is a great book that I recommend. I purchased the book for the guide but it provided so much more. I have been selling on eBay part time but was always in need of things to sell - NO MORE. Thanks to this book, my husband and I went to our first storage shed auction (recommended by the authors) and we purchased one full of great things. Inside the shed we purchased are some great antiques, some very nice china, some English porcelain figurines, tools but the best was a jewelry box. The jewelry box had 2 14kt gold necklaces and a 14kt gold ring with a beautiful ruby. It also was filled with tons of very nice costume jewelry! We are going to make a ton of money off this one purchase - thank you Daren and Nancy for this wonderful book - I Bought it - I'm selling it - and I am MAKING MONEY -- YA

My husband and I have been selling on ebay for about three years now, and we're always looking for new information to help improve our business. This book gave us a lot of great ideas which we put into action the first week after reading. It's an easy book to read and understand, and we both couldn't put it down until we were finished reading. If you're not into ebay, it also gives great advise on other avenues for selling your goods. Buy this book, you'll be pleased!

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.

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!

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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