Antiques Collectibles Books

THE BEST BOOK TO OWN. INEXPENSIVE AND PRACTICAL ADVISE ON HOW TO CLEAN AND REPAIR FRAMES,SILVER, BRASS (THE ONLY PLACE I'VE SEEN BRASS CLEANING THAT WORKS) TRUNKS, POTTERY, AND LAMPS. YOU DON'T NEED A WORKSHOP OR ART SUPPLIES TO USE MR. MCKENZIES' RECEIPES FOR REFURBISHMENT OR REPAIR. NO COLORED PICTURES, JUST DRAWINGS, IT'S THE TEXT THATS WORTH THE PRICE OF THE BOOK. IF YOU CAN READ, THINK, AND FOLLOW VERY SIMPLE DIRECTIONS, THEN USE THE PRETTY COFFEE TABLE BOOKS FOR INSPIRATION AND THIS BOOK FOR REALIZATION. I USE IT OVER AND OVER AND OVER.

I bought an antique camel-back trunk that needed lots of restoring and didn't know how to start. My friend recommended this book, and I am so glad I bought it. Not only did it give step by step on restoring a trunk but it also had a refrence page on suppliers for trunk parts. I highly recommended this book to anyone who needs to repair trunks, lamps, pottery and frames. The furniture repair section was sort of brief; I would have like to see more on this topic.

This is a great book. Informative, practical, concise and easy to follow directions for restoring all types of items. I wish I'd had it years ago.

This is the most helpful book I've read that in very succinct style tells how to buy, fix up, and possibly resell antiques and other second hand stuff. If you love "shabby chic", but can't afford the prices, this book will make it easier to achieve that look. This book is not for people who worry about getting their hands dirty.

Don't let the title fool you - this is NOT just for antique dealers. As someone who is interested in antiques, but who doesn't have a lot of money, this has been a great primer on how to pick items and how to clean, fix and generally improve the the things purchased. Instructions on marbelizing, sponge painting, rebuilding lamps and stripping and refinishing furniture are all easy to understand.

The 2007 Bomm Precious Moments guide is truly precious since it incorporates retail and secondary values into the same book. The cross-indexing by figurine title and model number is also wonderful. The photos are great quality, too. The guide is a must-have for all collectors!

Took a while to receive due to release issues, but once received, Book is great!

I think this book is a great way to keep track of my Precious Moments and give me a current value of each one. However, because values change from year to year, it could be a lot of work transferring them to a new book each year. I think every couple of years would be fine to keep track of what you have unless you purchase numerous figurines every year.

This guide is an essential reference for any serious collector or anyone buying or selling Precious Moments figurines. The lack of serious competition will make sure this sells. However, there is little improvement in this 3rd edition over the 2006 second edition. The addition of the newer figurines and an update in pricing, which seems to average about 16% increase, are the main differences. There is also a size difference. The second edition was a handy 8.5" x 5.5" but the third ed is 11' x 8.5", which I believe is too large for a soft cover book. There is no new information about each piece that is not in the earlier version. It would have been nice to include the size of each item. There is an annoying change in the index that consolidates several previous entires into entries by series. For example, instead of separately listing the sugar town skating pond there is one listing for the series 'sugar town' with 18 page numbers.

Overall, I was disappointed in this guide and would recommend that anyone not needing information on the last 2 years figurines stays with the 2nd edition and awaits the 4th.

Just received this book in today's mail, and frankly, other than the pictures of the pieces, it is, in my opinion, not worth the paper it is printed on. There is NO secondary market except internet auctions for Precious Moments any more. This guide lists "Free Puppies," for example, as a value of $2,100 - they sell regularly on auction for $300 - $450, depending on whether or not they have a box. Last week, one with an original brown cardboard box (extremely unusual), went for just under $600 in mint condition - a beautiful piece. The rest of the "Original 21" are priced through the roof - some of them 10 times and higher prices than what reality is. There is a disclaimer in the book claiming that the prices vary from spot to spot, and they got this information from dealers and collectors around the country. I wish they would give credit to these so-called knowledgable people, and it would be nice to know who paid $2100 for "Puppies" and how many years ago that happened.

For the pictures, the guide is fine, but beyond that, DO NOT rely on it for accurate price information - even many of the suggested retail prices in the book are incorrect.

I give this one a thumbs-down. There is no secondary market to amount to anything in collectibles any more, in my opinion, and this book's prices just encourage disillusionment among collectors so they keep buying (or investing?) in pieces, hoping to make good money when they sell. It ain't gonna happen - there is a ton more merchandise out there than anyone ever guessed back 30 years ago at the beginning of this.

Buy what you like, like what you buy, and don't expect to put your kid through college when it's time to sell - you might not get back enough money to even pay the bookstore bill!

For what it's worth - my opinion!

I didn't realize we had inherited a copy of this book from my father-in-law until I found it rather late in the semester I took Meteorology. I read it cover-to-cover while studying for the final and managed a 'B' which for me on a science topic was AWESOME. Eric Sloane's simplistic explanations and drawings helped this non-science major grasp some of the tougher concepts.

The only time I really NOTICED how old it is was when he mentioned how the earth would appear if one were to take a trip into space in a suit made of air -- we hadn't landed on the moon when this was written. No mention of ozone or the top two levels of the atmosphere either but, hey, who knew they were there in 1949?

This book is an invaluable reference and great educational tool for collectors of ancient coins. It explains many aspects of the field in an academic but witty style. Very readable text, also contains lots of reference material indexed for additional study of specific areas of research. A "must have" for those new to this area of collecting.

This is a good introductory book to ancient coin collecting. Getting one's feet wet in this are of numismatics, is a touchy thing in this day of on line auctions...where forgeries are easily sold as authentic. Book covers most everything a numismatist new to this field could want, online help, types, forgeries, authentication, caveats, etc. Good read for the newbie in ancients.

This is something of a potpourri of ancient coin information. It doesn't make a good reference work, per se; there are other books, etc. to purchase when you settle on your collecting theme. It is a great background resource, though, and helped me to clarify my own collecting themes.

As a collector over 30 years on Chinese and modern world coins, it's an adventoure for me to probe a totally different field of coin collecting - the western world ancient coins. What I need most is something to show me the way, to give me an outline, to guide me to the right direction, as well as to keep me interested at the unfamiliar new world.

This book serves my needs exactly as it starts with very basic but substantial introduction to the ancient western cultures which are not familiarized by an oriental like me. Then there are good references provided, among them I appreciated most the last part of Chapter II, "Ancient Coins and the Internet", and also Chapter VI, "Numismatic Literature". Those information show a beginner to a broader view and an easier access in continuing his collection interest.

I would say the most fancinating part of this book is surely Chapter VII, "Identifying Ancient Coins". It's systematically arranged thus I can get a clear picture of different categories of ancient coins, together with fundamental history background of the coin issuers. That is, indeed, far more interesting than just reading a coin catalogue.

For anyone who intends to start ancient coin collecting, this is the book to start with.

This is a great single volume reference on Ancient Coin Collecting. I don't want to repeat what others have written, but I found it to be thorough, well-researched, engaging and well-organized. It will spark your imagination and add to your knowledge base without overwhelming you.

I bought this for my granddaughter for her 8th birthday, along with three other Tom Tierney paper doll books. She was thoroughly enchanted. The other mothers at the birthday party 'oohed' and 'aahed' over the books. They all noted how difficult it is to find paper dolls anymore and couldn't believe the beautiful quality. It may seem quaintly old fashioned but it was nice to sit and visit with my granddaughter as we cut out the pretty outfits. Soon the older sister joined in, as well as my daughter-in-law and her mother as well! We actually spent three hours with no arguments! That has to be a first in our family! ;^)

This is by far the best of the best drawn by Tom. Every page was a gasp from my mouth, as each gown appeared, and I love this book for the color and designs of its time! If you love the designers of the Old World, Paquin, Worth, Channel, Schiparelli, Poiret, Lanvin etc., they are all here to enjoy and admire. This was for sure one of my all-time favorite Tom Tierney paper doll books, and I have been collecting his work for almost 15 years!

I got hooked on his designs while in Paris. If you are ever there you MUST visit his shop(s)!!

SENSATIONAL BOUQUETS BY CHRISTIAN TORTU is a visual treat as well as a learning inspiration for approaching that most personal craft of bringing the garden into the home - gathering and arranging flowers. Christian Tortu apparently has a following in Paris where he has a florist shop which has emphasized his creed of "All plants are born free and created equal." Having learned his craft and his passion for the natural garden from his parents as he matured in the Anjou gardens, gathering flowers from nature to place at the disposal of clients who yearn for the beauty of the garden to enter their home in ways other than window views, Tortu doesn't believe in the traditional 'sprays' of flowers place in an expensive family heirloom vase on a sterile table. Instead he combines fruit, vines, all phases of a flower's life ( bud, blossom, denuded vestige ) with grasses and all the elements found in the natural setting of his flowers. The results are lush, compact, original thoughts that are startlingly beautiful.

This is writer Corine Delahaze's first outing and she shows promise of a fine observor and poet. The photography is by Sylvain Thomas and emphasizes the closeup details as well as the free-standing wonders of Tortu's designs. The combination of text and photographs balances well with Tortu's creations. There is much more to learn about nature than just an ordinary treatise on flower arranging here. In Tortu's words "Nature is a place of total freedom. All plant life is accepted as equal." And from this humble belief Tortu lifts the spirit as well as the imagination with his artist's gift.

I enjoyed this book very much. Sensational Bouquets is rich in new thoughts about what flowers and plants represent, filled with novel arrangements, and is enriched by outstanding photography of those arrangements. After reading and viewing this book, you will never think about nature and natural beauty in quite the same way. You will be the richer for the experience, because your sense of beauty will expand as a result.

Christian Tortu grew up on a truck farm in Anjou, and is proud of his agricultural roots. Now he designs backdrops for fashion shows and the Cannes Film Festival. He operates floral shops in major cities around the world.

Let me share a little of his philosophy, as described in the many sections he wrote for the book. "Each plant is a fragment of a landscape . . . ." In his arrangements, he creates that sense of landscape in a way that I have never seen before in flower arrangements. Nature is palpable in them.

"If man were to stop rushing around for one moment, he might take a look at flowers -- and then take a closer look." I remember having that experience in the orchid garden in Honolulu. I was enthralled with the beautiful blossoms in my 20 minute self-guided tour. As I was about to leave, an elderly gentleman asked me if I would like to have some help in looking around. I agreed, and spent the next three hours going over the same ground with him. Except I saw about 100 times as much with his help. I was astonished at how many delightful orchids I had totally missed in my haste (and I had thought I was being leisurely).

"In time, his convictions would crumble, and he would realize classification is fruitless even beyond flowers." People love to judge, and that judgment gets in the way of really seeing and experiencing life. So these arrangements are a metaphor for breaking down our closed mental sets.

The basic premise is that "all flowers are created equal." Weeds and shrubbery get as much attention as rare orchids. And the moment of perfection is not all that is explored. " . . . [E]very stage of the flower is a moment that deserves attention." One bouquet even captures burned foliage and flowers after a fire. Seeing these images makes one realize the truth of these observations. " . . . [I]n the name of harmony, each one [arrangement] has its own touch of anarchy."

Mr. Tortu changes things in terms of color, type of composition, and form. I was especially fascinated by his many monochromatic arrangements, especially the green bouquets.

The book is done in sections: Genesis; Revolution(s); Crossroads; and the Chronicle of a Black Bouquet. Using these themes makes it easier to appreciate the statements his designs make.

Here are my favorites in the book:

Agave foliage with euchasis in gray wax vases

Green tomatoes and basil, tomato flowers, dog rose fruit and vine foliate

Green arum lilies, tea grass, viburnum, and narcissus buds

Garlic flower and nasturtium

Nasturtium, wild strawberries, and blackberries

Privet berries and King Arthur orchids

Lime tree branches and iris

Violets

White hyacinth, and catmint

Osage orange, pears and chayote, quince, eggplant, and begonia

After you enjoy this delightful book, I suggest that you take some other element of nature and see how arranging it differently changes your perceptions. Now that it is spring, you could start by taking fresh shoots and making arrangements of them in new combinations, new shapes, and in different types of containers.

Open your mind to the potential of new combinations, expressed in new ways!

If what one is expecting is a well illustrated overview of all gold issues, together with superb documentation of each and every piece of information presented, this is an epitomy of outstanding presentation and scholarship.

On the other hand, if one would desire to know detailed facts about each particular date and mint issue, the die varieties and the like, there are alternatives in multiple volumes, from authors such as Doug Winter for the Southern Mints or Carson City, that certainly detail much more information about those aspects than a one volume book could hope to cover.

I suppose much has to do with one's expectations. This book met my expectations much in the way that my volume of Breen does. Often it is a starting point. The information provided by Breen is not that deeply detailed compared with the immense amount of literature that has been published since his leaving the scene, and the varieties he identified often are not wholly complete. Yet, I have never found that to detract in the least from my enjoyment of Breen as light reading or my ability to use that volume as a first stop when viewing a coin in a series in which I have a limited knowledge.

This excellent,large coffee table type book lists every American Gold coin,proof,and pattern ever struck.Gives Population figures, mintages,beautiful pictures and the latest auction records and availability of all gold coins. No serious numismatist should be without this awesome reference book!!!!

Every now and then a real masterpiece of Numismatic research is created and made available to the public and the Encyclopedia of US Gold Coins: 1795-1933 is one of those masterpieces. As a professional coin dealer who specializes in better and rare dated gold coins I strongly suggest tha aquisition of this book as it will help the collector as well as investor of rare gold coins become more knowledgeable in the various series of US gold coins and there can never be too much information when researching this large and diverse area of coin collecting.

If there was a book that was over hyped, this would be it. This book gives you nothing more than production amounts and supposed current values. There is nothing in this book that can't be found elsewhere. I was expecting an abundance of information on things to look for in a coin, similar in nature to Walter Breens works, die markings, die pairings. What I have gotten is a book that has some nice pictures....and thats it. Do yourself a favor and skip this book.

Any coin collector enchanted by TRULY rare classic U.S. coins (i.e., coins where mere DOZENS of examples still exist!) would do himself a huge favor by acquiring this volume. Here is one book that more than replaces the groundbreaking multi-volume U.S. gold work of David Akers.

Believe it or not, there ARE still many bargains to be had in U.S. numismatics... and they reside in the U.S. gold series. Fact: Many U.S. gold coins dwarf in rarity the "keys" in any other U.S. series by 10X or even 100X.

Amazingly, today's prices (even with gold bullion way up) simply don't begin to reflect this incredible rarity.

Interested? Here's just the volume to guide you along the path to discovering all these hidden treasures.

Does it really get any better than GOLD? I don't think so. It (and silver) are the only metals historically and universally recognized as REAL money. But gold stands alone as the one metal not subject to hideously damaging long-term environmental contamination.

In its day and time, one gold coin might have represented an average working man's weekly or monthly wages. Accordingly, U.S. gold coins have historically been collected only by the super rich. But clearly this no longer need be the case. The rich collected ONLY the very top-grade examples available. These coins continue to be very expensive. Largely neglected, however, have been gold coins of lower grade (coins which would be perfectly acceptable specimens in any other U.S. series.) Bonus: In some cases, the gold content alone accounts for 30-50% of one's purchase price. So the value of your collection is meaningfully backed by gold itself.

We are fortunate to live in a day and time where these lower grade examples of incredibly rare U.S. gold coins are still available (albeit with considerable searching) at true bargain basement pricing -- a combination of rarity and pricing guaranteed to quicken a coin collector's pulse.

This all becomes clear in one glorious volume of amazing scope and breadth.

The price of this volume is likewise bargain-priced. Hundreds of beautiful full color photos on hundreds of pages -- all on glossy heavy paper stock. Paradoxically, the bargain nature of this book about classic Americana is likely due to its having been printed in CHINA. But I have to give credit where credit is due: There is absolutely nothing second-rate about this book's cosmetics or content.

My advice? Buy it as fast as your fingers can click on the order button!

This is an excellent reference book with more pictures, more information, more everything than the other doorstop ref books I have. Worth the money!

This is one of the most informative and detailed doorstop books to date.

The book is appropriately sub-titled "The Encyclopedia of Doorstop Collecting" It covers a vast amount of information, history, general information, with well photographed examples--over 1000, most I had never known existed. I am thrilled to have this in my library.

HIGHLY INFORMATIVE. SUPERB PICTURES. KUDOS TO THE AUTHORS ON A JOB WELL-DONE. GREAT REFERENCE FOR ALL CAST IRON.

The BEST Doorstop reference book ever!! We own two copies--one for the car and one for the house. TONS of information-- history, foundries, designers,catalogue pages, plus over 1000 fabulous clear LARGE pictures. My wife and I can't put it down--we just love it. These authors have done their homework for sure!

I design and sew costumes for our local theatre company and this book has been a huge help in designing the proper look for a particular time period. It is a fun book to peruse to compare prices and styles with today's clothes.

This book has wonderful pen and ink drawings of womens, mens, children and accessories fashions. A great book for fashion drawing students as well as giving a good feel for that era.

This is a very good reference book. It does not show you the little details that photo books of fashion can provide, but the illustrations give you a good feel for the attitude of 1930s fashion. It is full of pen&ink style renderings of men,women and children's clothing. The drawings are also copyright free....