Antiques Collectibles Books

This book was bought for my 8 year old son. We are a family of car lovers and he took to it right away. I was surprised to hear him talk about Corvettes, Camaros, Mustangs and other American Muscle Cars like he has known about them for years. When I asked him how he knew about these cars he said he saw them in his coloring book.
I recommend this book for anyone that enjoys American Muscle Cars.
I found myself coloring right along with my son.

I love the Tudor era, its clothing most of all. Herbert Norris's book comes in handy in helping me visualize the characters whenever I read one of the Tudor-themed historical novels that I have. The only drawback is how the information is arranged, but that's a minor complaint. Norris had so much data that I don't think he could have organized it any other way.

It is great book to learn more about Tudor era clothing. You are able to learn the details of the costumes that is wore in Tudor era. Learn more about Tudor fashion. Good to make some copy clothing to attend Renaissance Festival. Help me to design some tudor costumes for some party or for halloween or for Renaissance Festival.

One of the bibles of Tudor Era costuming! Lots of detail and research went into this book. The only problem is the organization could have been a little clearer. But I can overlook that due to all the wonderful infomation included.

I bought this book as a christmas present but I am sure she will love it since she asked for it.

great book. detailed descriptions of clothes, accessories and court day-life related objects such as chariots. And it has a small biography of the tudor kings as well.

I found the text to be very informative. The pictures were clear and the descriptions were accurate.
The histtory of the LE Glass company was helpful in identifying the value of items I have purchased and am presently selling.
I would highly reccomend it to persons that are collecting or have an interest in the history of american depression glass ware.

Loved the book!!! Has pictures of glass pieces that I am collecting with a value along with the photo.

This is a great identification guide. The book has hundreds of photos arranged every way you can imagine - by color, by pattern, by item. Felt includes an interesting history of the L.E. Smith company and useful information about the marks, etchings and decorations on Smith pieces. A section at the back contains thumbnails of all the book's photos for quick reference. You'll find lots of those items you've "seen somewhere" but could never identify. This book is well worth the price for any collector of elegant and/or novelty glassware of the last century.

We are fairly new glass collectors and have found this book to be very helpful. The estimated values seem a bit on the high side and have quite a large range, but do give you an idea of what things are worth. We collect Moon & Star and have never found such a complete listing as in this book.

Tom Felt's L.E. SMITH GLASS COMPANY: THE FIRST ONE HUNDRED YEARS blends a historical overview with an identification and value guide perfect for L.E. Smith glass collectors. Measurements, maker's marks, years of production and color photos of pieces throughout make this a 'must' for any serious collector of the glassware.

This book appears to be a very helpful source for determining hot prospects to watch for when searching coin shops and shows. It gives details needed to learn what to look for when hunting for great deals. My main focus is Morgan Silver Dollars and this book should be a valuable source for my 'cherry picking' ventures.

Error and variety collecting is a relatively new form of collecting. Since the discovery of the 1955 Lincoln Cent Double Die Obverse, collectors have been looking at coins differently. From double dies, repunched mint marks, and off-center strikes to difference in die varieties for the same series--even within the same year--the hobby of error collecting can be as satisfying and profitable.

While other books can discuss the profitability, the Cherrypickers' Guide teaches what to look for. With fantastic illustrations and a solid, usable binding, experts Bill Fivaz and J.T. Stanton show collectors what to look for while looking for errors and varieties. The book covers nearly every series of coins including dollars, commemorative, gold.

One caveat I will give is that those who are interested in varieties of Morgan and Peace Dollars, you may want to also buy Comprehensive Catalog and Encyclopedia of Morgan and Peace Dollars. This book is out of print, but some Amazon Marketplace sellers do have copies.

Happy Hunting!

I have had this about a month, and have used it extensively for 20th century silver issues. Just learning the angles of identifying doubles, recut dies, repunched mint marks, etc. makes this book worth it. I found some sections of no use - such as the extremely rare coins (gold, seated dollars) but the 20th century silver (Dimes, Quarters and Halves) very interesting and enlightening as well as the section on Morgan dollars. If you have a few rolls of Washington Quarters or Mercury Dimes (even circulated) you can probably pay for this book by just going through them for varieties.

I gave this book to my Dad and he loved it. Great info and pictures.

It's a nice book for prices and such (I'm no expert on coin books) does have some great photos (in color) and some information that's helpfull. But i find myself all ways turing to "Strike it Rich With Pocket Change".

"TR"

beautifully printed, reads well, gets you interested in these stamps even if you didn't mean to. suddenly ... you're a philatelist!

Any library strong in stamp collecting, whether it be a specialty collection or a general-interest lending library, will find the oversized presentation of 100 GREATEST AMERICAN STAMPS to be a gorgeous presentation which packs in illustrations and history to survey American stamp history from pre-Revolutionary to modern times. An eye-catching coffee table presentation packs in over a hundred pages of colorful stamps and stories and makes for a reference which will appeal to history buffs and collectors alike, with its market values, information on print quantities, and catalog references.

Stamp collecting's biggest names collaborated to create one remarkable book! With entertaining stamp stories and large, crisp illustrations, 100 Greatest American Stamps is perfect for stamp collectors and history buffs alike.

The 100 Greatest American Stamps were selected by a group of philately's leading experts, dealers and collectors. The finalists range from the greatest U.S. stamp rarities to controversial issues and common commemoratives that are perennial favorites. Janet Klug (immediate past-President of the American Philatelic Foundation and a Linn's contributor) and Donald Sundman (President, Mystic Stamp Company) tell the in-depth story behind the stamps.

Extra-large, crystal-clear images showcase each of these legendary stamps. The detail is impressive - I saw new details on stamps I only thought I was familiar with. Leafing through the pages was like peeking into the world's most exclusive collections. Readers will see the love letter carried in the Alexandria Postmaster Provisional (Blue Boy) cover, examine the famous Ice House Cover, and marvel over other unique items! Related collectibles, including banknotes, medals, and war bond posters, add historic perspective. Issue quantity and historic market values are included, making it fun to trace the market trends. Additional treats include the history of collecting, honorable mention, and a philatelic timeline that shows the important role of U.S. stamps in American history.

Collectors will find the introduction fascinating. Bill Gross, who became the only person to assemble a complete 19th century U.S. stamp collection with his acquisition of the 1¢ Z Grill, tells us what inspires him. Klug and Sundman share their stories - what motivates them and why they've devoted their lives to the hobby. It's interesting to look into the minds of three of philately's titans and discover that they have equally legitimate - yet wonderfully unique - reasons for collecting.

If you only purchase one book this year, make sure it's 100 Greatest American Stamps.

Found this book very interesting with its description of differing tansu from different regions in Japan. Great for collecters of tansu who wish to know meanings/locations of their tansu as well as the era from which it was constructed.

Informational book on tansu, which is collectively a variety of Japanese cabinets. The book describes the different types of cabinets, their uses, and also historical information by period, along with detailed structural notes (ie. cabinets being made from certain types of woods to accomodate changing humidity during the season, flexibility to withstand earthquakes and typhoons, etc.) Black and white photos and diagrams included.

If you're thinking of purchasing a tansu or already own one and want to know more about it, this is the book to have. It covers everything from the history of these unique pieces of furniture, to the materials used in their construction, as well as providing tips of how to select, refinish, and care for them. Truly a scholarly work. But perhaps the best part of all is the book's exquisite photographs showing outstanding examples of tansu from all regions of Japan. You can't help but drool when seeing them.

This book was exactly the information I needed to help design a new stair step tansu cabinet that was both historically accurate, and modernized for today's homeowners. The history of the cabinet style, the construction, the joinery, the hardware, and the finishes used were well laid out in the book and easy to read and understand.

This is an excellent panorama of costumes representing Colonial and Early American Fashions, including nobility, servant, officer, pirate and more. The detail is beautiful, and careful research is obvious here. Tom Tierney can do no wrong!

For classroom use, homeschoolers, or adults fascinated with the everyday details of people's lives throughout history, I strongly recommend this book. Beautiful!

This book is great, not only for the detail of the dresses and costumes, but for the variety of outfits portrayed. I was expecting a lot of dresses, like you would see in Colonial Williamsburg, perhaps. Dress in the English style. But there are quite a few pictures of other colonial dress. There is a Scottish couple, Dutch fashions, and a drawing of Swiss immigrants. Very educational, as we tend to think only of English colonists during this time period.

The photo's was so bad that I am sending this book back to Amazon. What a rip-off, I got this book without thinking...it did not help me in any way, it is not for the beginner, it has no value for the novice knife maker out there.

There is a lot of good info in the book if you could see the illustrations well enough to know what's going on. The book needs updating badly as far as I am concerned. Much of the photography was so dark you could tell very little about what was being shown in the picture. And did I miss the part about subhilt fighters Loveless is famous for. I was disappointed in the book overall.

This could have been a great book except for one thing. Obviously the publishers did not care enough when updating this book to update or even take the time to use quality photo's in their book. I would like to see what is going on in the book but most of the photo's are so awful you can only see shades of grey and black. To let all this effort by Loveless go to waste is a shame!
Save your money and buy an older version, one that hopefully has clear and quality photo's so you will know what R.W.Loveless is building or what step he is using.
The book itself is a great instructional tool. However you just can't get all that Loveless has to offer in this new version because you can not make out many of the photo's.

If you want to make knives with modern tools this is a good book to buy. Alo if you want to smith a blade using old techniques this book has little information to learn how. The chapter on forging gives a vage view on makeing one kind of simple blade ,and even then the author still talks about useing modern equipment. Even in the chapter on makeing knives in a modern shop he only desribes one kind of knife. Which was a single edged simple blade. He never mentioned in the entire book anything about throwing knives or more egzodick knives such as parrying dagger with moving parts. Infact he never mentioned a simple dager or dirk. Even in how vage the book is and leaves you with many questions about many other kinds of knives this would be a good book for someone who wants to make hunting knives or other simple blades.

This book was a big help in giving me ideas getting started in knife making. Book was recomended to me by a Mastersmith out west and it was well worth the money.

This is a great book, well done and well illustrated. It is more than just another book on the Model T. It is a great book that provides an entertaining history of the vehicle that put America on wheels. WELL DONE THANKS.

Tom Collins has undertaken the ambitious task of creating the ultimate book about the Model T Ford. His effort has resulted in the first book to be offered coinciding with the centennial of the introduction of the car. One suspects the timing of the book is no accident, though the haste to completion is likely the reason for the undoing of a good, albeit seriously flawed effort.

The book is a large coffee table sized volume. It is beautifully illustrated throughout, using a mixture of period and contemporary photographs. The quality of the photography and the reproduction of those photos tended to be quite good, although some of the pictures chosen were of only fair composition. The captions of the photographs were very often incomplete, omitting the names of the owners of all of the cars in contemporary pictures, and in numerous cases, incorrectly identifying car years, body-style names and colors. This was true of several images of one car in particular that were identified as being from different years. In another case, a beautiful photograph of a Ford assembly line was used. Unfortunately, the cars being assembled were 1929 Ford Model A's instead of Model T's. Major errors such as these served to discredit the historical accuracy of the entire volume.

Collins used numerous quotes to illustrate his ideas. While the quotations were usually well referenced, there were some statements attributed to Henry Ford, such as telling Edsel to "shut up" during a board meeting, sounded suspect and were not referenced. The reference list utilized by Collins is beyond reproach, but if the book is to be considered a reliable source, better care when attributing controversial statements to the highest profile individual in the book would have been prudent.

Throughout the book, Collins used a friendly, conversational style of writing. The prose is easy to digest, though he was repetitive at times. It seemed as if he felt he had space to fill and often did so by circling around his point instead of stating it outright. This was particularly true as Collins attempted to underscore the impact the Model T had on society, a theme he returned to time and again. While Collin's point was well taken, there was no need to repeat it so many times.

Collins was at his best when writing about the Model T Ford and racing. An entire chapter was devoted to the topic and it was space well utilized. The text was interspersed with quotes from drivers, mechanics and press of the Model T era, greatly adding to the richness and feeling of authenticity of the chapter. The illustrations in this chapter were among the best in the book and will likely inspire more than a few recreations of the racing cars shown.

Chapter 10 focused on stories of the impact Model T's have had on people's lives. Most of the chapter was written by contributors and was edited for length by Collins. It read well with stories that were a delight. This chapter was able to better illustrate the impact the Model T had on people than Collins attempts without the human element. Likely, an entire book could have been devoted to this topic

The last chapter is likely the most controversial aspect of the book and certainly the most inaccurate. It deals with current prices of Ford Model T's and appears to be based on data that is seriously outdated. The highest prices were, predictably, for the earliest and rarest brass cars, but even those are woefully out of touch with reality. According to the book a 1909 Touring car in number 1 condition can be purchased for well under $30,000. To whom do I make out the check? Another example (illustrated with a nice photo of this author's 1926 Touring car) indicates that such a car (1926 Touring) is worth roughly $20,000. While that may be an accurate reflection of the price guides, one can be sure that a car restored to number 1 condition cannot be purchased for that kind of money. The bottom end of the scale is similarly out of reality, with prices of restorable cars significantly below what has been seen in well over a decade. A chapter such as this is ripe for dispute and would likely be better off removed if a revision of the book were printed.

Overall, the book is a beautifully illustrated volume that is highly entertaining to read. Collins served as his own editor and illustrated the peril one faces when correcting one's own work. Many of the shortcomings in the book could have been rectified had the job been placed in the hands of another. Much of the erroneous information likely would have been caught by a technical editor of one of the major Model T clubs or by an outside source referenced in the bibliography. In its' present form the reader should enjoy the book's engaging writing and beautiful illustrations while ignoring the historical inaccuracies and numerous mislabeled photographs. Purchasing the book is recommended to all readers, keeping in mind not to use it as a final reference source. For a true reference, the book by Bruce McCaulley continues to be the standard by which other books on the Ford Model T should be judged.

Reviewed by Eric W. Macleod

I am fascinated by antique automobiles, and while Ford wasn't the first person to manufacture a car, he was the first to make one that most people could afford. No longer was the automobile a plaything for the rich. But more than that, Ford made a flivver that was just right for the times- rugged, easy to fix, and made for the road conditions of the day (today's drivers would have a hard time trying to drive one of these. For example, the throttle mechanism is a post on the steering column, not via a floor pedal).

Tom Collins has made an interesting book, one that is not too technical like some I have read on the T. There are two big drawbacks though- ones that make me rate this book more as 3 1/2 stars rounded up to 4. One is that there are a fair number of spelling errors, and in this day of spellcheck, that is unacceptable. The second, and bigger problem, is that some of the photos in this book are out of focus. Especially ones by Robin Heil-Kern. On a level plane, one half of the photo is in-focus, but the other is fuzzy. In some cases the whole photo is out of focus, like the depth of field was way off. I found it very distracting, and of course if you're looking for a nice picture book, you want clear photos.

The Amazon price is very discounted, and would make this book a good one for your automoblile library.