Collectibles Books

A fabulous book, with so much to read and see, and LEARN! Gloria Allen is always thorough in her research. Wonderful!

Gloria Allen's "A Maryland Sampling" is much more than a book about needlework or samplers. In truth, it weaves multiple histories of young girls, the early days of female education in Maryland, families and tradition to create a fascinating picture that deserves to be told. Equally important, "A Maryland Sampling" details, to a greater extent than ever before, the embroidery work of young African-American girls in Baltimore and the teachers and schools that sought to give young girls of color an education equal to that of while children. Even if you're not a needleworker or sampler collector - and I am neither - "A Maryland Sampling" is a beautiful book with a beautiful story.

A former curator and then director of the Daughters of the American Revolution Museum in Washington, D.C., Gloria Seaman Allen brings to bear her considerable years of experience and expertise in "A Maryland Sampling: Girlhood Embroidery 1738-1860". A beautifully illustrated history of Maryland samplers and pictorial embroideries that were the instructed obligation of young girls who were thereby able to showcase their needlecraft skills and abilities. Now these samplers are highly prized among collectors and antiques dealers. Allen focuses specifically on Maryland and how needlework traditions from its 18th and early 19th century English, German, and French settlers were carried on down through the end of the American Civil War. A truly seminal work of painstaking scholarship, "A Maryland Sampling" is especially recommended as an addition to academic library American Cultural History reference collections, and to the attention of needlecrafters, as well as Americana collectors and dealer.

Dr. Allen is an excellent historian and this beautiful, informative book gives evidence to it. For anyone interested in the historical aspects of needlework of the Baltimore area, this is a must see and read book. The pictures are sharp and clear and the history of the girlhood embroideries is right on track.

THIS IS A WONDERFUL BOOK OF 384 PAGES, WITH MANY BEAUTIFUL PICTURES. IT DOCUMENTS MARYLAND SAMPLERS AND EMBROIDERIES. THE BOOK GOES IN DEPTH TELLING ABOUT THE SCHOOLS, TEACHERS AND THE PUPILS, INCLUDING THE AFRICAN AMERICAN COMMUNITY WHO CREATED THESE BEAUTIFUL WORKS OF ART.

VERY INTERESTING TO READ, AND A VALUABLE BOOK TO HAVE, FOR ANYONE INTERESTED IN SAMPLERS AND THEIR HISTORIES.

This book is amazing!! It's great for huge Disney lovers (like me lol!) or if you're just interested in Mickey Mouse! It has tons of fun stuff inside and I enjoyed reading and looking at all of it! I totally reccomend that everyone get it! :)

Tieman's books in regards to all things Disney are always an easy read and a thorougly researched treasure.

If you are a Disney/Mickey fan this book is a MUST! Amazon offers (NO DOUBT) the best price you will find! You can nearly purchase two for the price of one on Amazon (at least I was fortunate to do so).

If you are into memorbilia this book is a real keepsake! Nearly every other page has a sweet surprise reproduced to take you back in time.

These books are an investment.

Robert Tieman's Mickey Mouse Treasures is another winner. We all knew it would be, but the 6 pages about "the Mickey that never was" did come as a beautiful surprise.

This is the third and final book in the series written by Robert Tieman. The first two books were fun and wonderful, but this was his best of the lot in my opinion. Of course, I am a Mickey Mouse fan and this book is all about Mickey. This book contains really wonderful reproductions of old Mickey Mouse memorabilia, the originals of which I could never afford. If you like Mickey you really must own this book!

I am late on reviewing this book but had to comment. I LOVE this book. Very goog work and research! Great photography! It's so nice to see someone put this much effort in a Monkees collectible book. My only complaint is the records are not valued correctly. We need a Monkees record collecting guide. If not for values, just to see the great world wide covers of the albums, single and EP's that differ from country to country.

Marty Eck ( Is that his real name?)bought most of the items in this book. Since most of us could never afford such a collection or FIND some of these gems, this is a great coffee table book. Again with putting values on collectibles, any kinds, is a matter of supply and demand.

To me, Ebay is where I usually can find recent values. Being a Monkees record collector, I am thinking of joining forces with a major colector in the UK to create the book I always wanted. This book is a great asset to anyone's Monkees collection! Buy it!

I love this book it has everything you need to know what is very valuable. There's a lot of interesting stuff in it that was very popular and sold very well back then when the Monkees were quite hot......So I also consider this book a classic because it has so much information in it I just love it......

If you enjoyed The Monkees you can't miss with this 208 page, softbound volume that contains more than 400 large, sharp, full color photos of every type of The Monkees collectible. More than 600 items are documented and priced for the period 1966 to 1972. Pre-Monkees items involving individual band members are included. Topics range from The Monkees history, books, magazines, music, fan clubs, trading cards, concert items, movies and counterfeit items. There is sufficient text included that is interesting and informative. If you were a Monkees fan you'll enjoy reliving times past. A super book you'll enjoy. Add it to your library.

I also know the Author very well and I am glad that he finally put out the one and only Monkees Price guide. I do recommend it. I have bought stuff from the author personally and he really know this stuff.

If you enjoyed The Monkees you can't miss with this 208 page, softbound volume that contains more than 400 large, sharp, full color photos of every type of The Monkees collectible. More than 600 items are documented and priced for the period 1966 to 1972. Pre-Monkees items involving individual band members are included. Topics range from The Monkees history, books, magazines, music, fan clubs, trading cards, concert items, movies and counterfeit items. There is sufficient text included that is interesting and informative. If you were a Monkees fan you'll enjoy reliving times past. A super book you'll enjoy. Add it to your library.

A great place for both new and old collectors a like to find information! The detailed photo's are as much of a pleasure to look at as the text is to read. I only wish the Young family would send their collection on tour!

AS A COLLECTOR AND SON OF A COLLECTOR I CAN SAY WITHOUT THIS BOOK YOU WILL BE LOST. THE SECTION ON THE MARKS COULD STAND ALONE. FOR US COLLECTORS THIS IS GOING TO BE FUN SEEING WHAT ITEM COME "OUT OF THE CLOSET" AND INTO THE MARKET!COMPLAINT, THE SECTION ON SILVER CUPS IS TO SMALL.

This is the most comprehensive book ever written about mustache cups, their history, age, and value. The photography is excellent. Not since 1972, when Dorothy Hammond published her book, has a book shown the pictures, dates, descriptions,condition, the backstamp and the value. Their book includes wonderful sets and groupings; silver cups/saucers and their marks; reproductions and fakes; and a wonderful chapter on available accessories.

Paula & Glenn should win an award for this one!

If you collect mustache cups--you need this valuable collector's guide. Written in an enjoyable format, the book gives hundreds of colorful pictures of mustache cups and saucers from around the world. There are pages of valuable potters marks to check your own with. There is even a section on quadruple plate mustache cups and marks. The history of the cups is great. And, best of all, there is a price/value guide for each cup. Now I know what my collection is worth! I'm so glad that this book has finally been written. Thank you, thank you, thank you!

Not since Dorothy Hammond's 1972 book on Mustache Cups has anyone written on this subject. Pauline and Glenn are to be congratulated for producing this fine publication which, in my opinion, is long overdue.

The book is split into chapters dealing with the different types of cups and saucers and it is well illustrated with detailed photographs. No matter how many pictures the book has, though, there never seems to be enough of them and they leave you wanting more. One chapter that I particularly found useful deals with manufacturer's marks. This is an excellent reference section that should help date most marked pieces in any collection.

The authors have included valuations on most pieces which they explained should act as only a guide to real market prices. The problem with listing valuations, which Dorothy Hammond also acknowledged, is that prices may soon become out of date or not be truly reflective of the actual market prices when one considers the multitude of styles, types and condition of pieces that exist.

I know that the authors are considering a second edition: I hope they succeed.

Outstanding service. Book was in better than expected condition.

This is not a story, it's an informational book about Nancy Drew. Everythin in it is factual and it even shares a few mysteries of the life of Nancy Drew. I recomend this book to any mystery fan, ND fan, or the curious reader.

...and other fascinating background trivia for the queen-of-teen-sleuth buffs! I'm not a true Nancy Drew fan, I'm a bookseller with a mercenary interest in the vintage teenage sleuth, but this book almost made me a believer! The author approaches her subject matter with the infectious enthusiasm of the true fan, and delves into carefully guarded mysteries of secret ghostwriter identities, Riverview's true location, and other gems of trivia too numerous to cite, with a determination and verve Nancy herself would be proud of! Fun to read, captivating, and informative to the collector and bookseller alike! (and by the way, the writing is adult-level, not 4-8 yrs., as the description implies!)

What a fun read! I loved seeing all the old pictures, and was amazed by the "behind the scenes" intrigue of the Nancy Drew publishing syndicate. Plunkett-Powell really tracked down the many Carolyn Keenes, in true "sleuth style." Anyone who ever stayed up late reading their Nancy Drews with a flashlight under the covers will absolutely love this book.

This was the best and most well-researched book I've ever read about Nancy Drew. Not only does Ms. Plunkett-Powell "introduce" us to the REAL Carolyn Keene -- Mildred Wirt Benson -- but she gives us a history of how the idea for Nancy Drew was born and some of the politics involved in it for Wirt when Stratmeyer died and his daughter, Harriet, took over everything and tried to control too much of the writing. We learn which NDs weren't written by Wirt, and how much of the writing was changed as well as the covers.

She tells collectors how to know the worth of their stash. She goes through each of the characters and their start with the series. She even talks about the TV show and MOVIES in the 1930s that were made -- more for the fun of it than to truly showcase the books. Info about Russell Tandy, the illustrator of the early books and the first to design covers, also is described.

She hasn't forgotten anything. It's truly a work of genius for the Nancy Drew collector, a "must have" for all of us!

Mark Goodman has created a wonderful book on coin photography. Concise and easy enough for an amateur like myself to learn from.

If you sell coins on the internet, or just want amazing pics of your prized coins and medals, it is a no-brainer to buy this book!

I'm very new to numismatic photography, but I'm very interested in creating the best quality images of my collection possible.

This book presents a good overview of the tools (camera, copystand, lights, post-editing software) and techniques for doing this.

It is a short and easy read for the novice, and more advanced photographers should appreciate the extra sections written to go a level deeper into each topic.

Imaging coins of various compositions (copper, proof silver, gold, etc) are discussed in detail. Raw and slabbed coins are also addressed throughout, and the many sample photos thoughtfully include the camera, aperture, and shutter settings.

Thanks to the advice presented here, you don't need to spend a fortune on creating good images. But with some small tool upgrates and some hints and tricks as presented by Mark Goodman, virtually anyone can make great photos!

The author, Mark Goodman, has put together a nice systematic presentation of the material. For example, Mark has broken down high, medium and low contrast coins into chapters. In each of the chapters, Mark selected representative examples of coins that fall into the relevant contrast category. Photos of each coin are presented with changes in lighting. The photos are compared and contrasted.

I have bought multiple copies of this book (as gifts) and have recommended this book to collectors of material other than numismatics as the principles in this book are universal.

Excellent book. Quick read. Immediate results. Nice reference material.

I've known Mark Goodman for a couple of years through an online forum for coins. His tips along the years have made my coin photography much better. He graciously provided PDF documents that were quite helpful along the way. I am counting on this book to really put me over the top and into a different class of coin imaging.

The book is well laid out and covers everything you need to become a top-notch coin photographer. It has beginner sections right along advanced sections, so this book is for anyone who owns a camera and wants to image coins.

I have yet to make it through the whole book... There is a lot of information to absorb. But my images are already improving and my skills were adequate before. Soon, they will be much more than adequate due to Mr. Goodman's instruction.

Thanks, Mark!

OUTSTANDING. Beyond doubt, this book is an indespensible addition to numismatic literature. In the Internet Age, coin photography is more important than ever. The body of work, hobby wide, will improve dramatically as hobbyists improve their skills - thanks to this book.

What a creative and practical book! I love origami and have incorporated it into my card making, gift wrapping, decorating, and table setting for years. However, I had never made jewelry with it. The techniques in the book have opened a whole new area of possiblilites for me.

I ordered this book without high hopes and was pleasantly surprised. Finally, an origami jewelry book that goes through the process step by step with clear photos as a guide. All the questions I had regarding origami jewelry making were answered. In the past, much of my paper jewelry making was based on guesswork.

As someone who is a novice I found this book relatively easy to follow. I have been doing origami for a long time, but I am not consistent with it. It is something I love and I know basics, but not something I am constantly working to excel at, even though I wish I had the time to. With a stressful job I needed an outlet and so have taken origami up again to relax and have a creative outlet. I saw this book and thought, wow how cool. I really want to try this. I am more than happy with my impulse purchase. The pictures are clear and concise. She gives you all the basic folds in the front so you don't have to go looking in other materials for them. The author also allows your creative juices to flow. She shows many different project pictures with the same origami shape. This allowed me to take her projects one step further and really make them my own. I have never made jewelry before (other than macaroni necklaces in kindergarten) and she details all the tools and materials you need. Really, if this peeks your interest, the take the plunge and buy it. You won't be disappointed.

Origami Jewelry: More Than 40 Exquisite Designs to Fold and Wear Very nice presentation. Instructions and diagrams are fairly easy to understand. The pictures of the finished fold are nicely shown. I've been doing origami for 30 yrs and never thought of making jewelry. You always learn new things.

I am relatively new to Origami so I found this book a welcome addition to the library, it covers the obligatory choosing of papers, tools to use and importantly for newbies a good solid instructional section on the "basic folds". The jewellery created was quiet nice, a little kitsch for my personal taste, but easily accomplished with a bit of practice.

The big thing for me though came with Metal Clay "paper", I am primarily a jewellery artist and use Metal clay a lot, I love the product of silver sheet clay or paper clay as some people call it as I can fold this like paper in origami styles and then fire it to produce minature fine silver jewellery. Good ideas in the book for me to transfer to silver replicas.

The diagrams were clear, easy to understand and photographed well. Thank you Ayako for a good book.

I've always bought comic books for the cover art. But with tens-of-thousands of comics out there, it was almost impossible to know which ones to search for. Of course, if I remembered a comic from when I was a kid that was a start, but what of the thousands I'd never seen? I was a blind collector. Gerber's books cover almost every comic book published till about 1965! 20,000+ photographs...fantastic! Even if I couldn't buy them all, I could at least see what was out there. The only weakness is that some later issues of the longer running titles are omitted. I would liked to have seen them all, but can understand the desire to wrap things up. For the price of one good 1950's era comic you can view just about ever cover published...a very good deal.

What a [great] set of volumes. I am a huge comic collector, owning every issue of Spider-Man ever printed, but I am also a great fan and collector of various other comics, and a comic-history buff. These books are a joy to just flip through, learning about Golden and Silver Age comics. The pictures are gorgeous, all in color on glossy paper. And there's 10's of thousands of them! Well worth the money and worth their weight in gold if you're a true comic fan and collector! Might be a bit much for just the casual comic enthusiast. These 2 books and the two volume Marvel set are the standard by which all other collecting resources should be held to!

What a [great] set of volumes. I am a huge comic collector, owning every issue of Spider-Man ever printed, but I am also a great fan and collector of various other comics, and a comic-history buff. These books are a joy to just flip through, learning about Golden and Silver Age comics. The pictures are gorgeous, all in color on glossy paper. And there's 10's of thousands of them! Well worth the money and worth their weight in gold if you're a true comic fan and collector! Might be a bit much for just the casual comic enthusiast. These 2 books and the two volume Marvel set are the standard by which all other collecting resources should be held to!

What can you say about two books that have 21700 comic book covers beautifully printed on gloss paper? WOW! for a start. No one is going to better Ernst and Mary Gerber's five-year labor of love to complete this project. If you collect comics from 1935 thru 1965 you need these. I don't collect them but as a publication designer I have an interest in the visual aspects of popular culture so I got a set...despite the price!

Open either book anywhere and start looking and it soon becomes apparent that this is a very comprehensive collection, I kept coming across comics that ran for a few issues, sometimes only one issue. Each cover has up to twenty-five pieces of information, essential for collectors. Many show a cover of the only copy known to exist. The first sixteen pages of each book has text about collecting comics and their values. I liked the page in book two that is devoted to ads that appeared on the back covers, strangely some collectors only go for these, if you do, go for a copy of 'Hey Skinny!' by Mike Beller and Jerry Leibowitz, surely the only book about the subject.

Author Gerber says on the jacket flap...''if you spend one minute examining each picture, eight hours per day, five days a week, it would require an astounding NINE weeks to complete the job.'' Nine weeks later have a rest and then go and buy the two volume 'Photo-Journal Guide to Marvel Comics' and start to look at a further 7700 covers!

***FOR AN INSIDE LOOK click 'customer images' under the cover.

I was amazed at the scope of this book, every cover from 1935-1965, and the labor that must have gone into compiling and producing it. Its extremely well photographed, carefully indexed, and the quality of paper and binding is excellent. For serious comic book collectors, it's worth every penny. A lifetime book.

This is without a doubt one of the best books I've ever purchased. Not only is the subject covered in great detail, but the best kept 'secret' of this book is that the first 71 pages is a wonderful guide to digital cameras & digital photography in general. I'm sure I will be referring to this book often as I photograph jewelry & collectibles and so should you. Now stop reading this and go buy it already!

A very useful book. Well presented information. Covers many different types of materials to be photographed. Includes discussion about camera use first, in general. Would have liked more about photographing large sculptures. Overall, very good.

It's good to finally have a book to teach me more of digital photography and my arts. Very useful.

This is a wonderful book for those who wish to photograph their work in the most professional way possible. Mr. Meltzer takes you gently by the hand, assumes you are starting from scratch and gives an outline of the various types of digital cameras, how they work and compares them to film cameras -- all in an easily understood way. He then goes on to talk about other equipment, lighting, a bit of colour theory and different methods of photographing. If you need help photographing your art, this is the book to buy!

I'm very happy with this book. It's just what I needed to improve the photos that I take of my work. There is a lot of information, and It's written in words that anyone could understand. Illustrations further help to clarify the material.

Looking at this book reminded me of the many toys and games that I grew up with or found in the attic when I went snooping through the old stuff as a kid. This book is very well done, with lots of pictures and interesting facts. It is obvious that the book is very well researched. Worth the money.

Have you ever wondered who the creators are of the wonderful toys and games you and your family have enjoyed over the years? THE PLAYMAKERS has the answers. You may be especially interested in those most famous or very rare toys or games that you have tried or maybe just heard about over the years.

Even those that may deny they are toy lovers must admit they have some time or another played a game they really enjoyed or had a favorite toy of their childhood. Therefore, everyone is a toy lover! THE PLAYMAKERS will bring back memories of happy times for all ages. The collective book Tim Walsh has put together is remarkable. This is not about toys that can be picked up in any toy store or mall or even those toys made just for children. No, no, no! This is about toys for everyone: young and old, male and female. Toys and games made for all to enjoy.

This colorful, informative book by Tim Walsh is so fascinating that every family should have one in their bookcase. THE PLAYMAKERS is a terrific book that is not only fun to read but is also an historical chapter in the civilization of man.

I was looking for a price guide for these toys and this isn't it, but I didn't even care because this book is fabulous. Wonderful pictures and the origination of the most beloved toys. Big, thick heavy book. Nice coffee table book.

If you have fond recollections of tossing a Frisbee with a friend, putting a hotel on Boardwalk, using a "Q" on a triple word score, dressing a Barbie doll, watching a Slinky descend a stairway, yelling "Yahtzee," or winning a game of Trivial Pursuit or Pictionary, this fine retrospective by Tim Walsh belongs on your coffee table. All those memories and more came back for me as I turned the pages of "The Playmakers -- Amazing Origins of Timeless Toys" and learned of the inspirations, the struggles, the near-misses and the overwhelming successes of toy and game inventors of the 20th Century. The nostalgic experience and the well-researched backgrounds of these fun and educational diversions make for hours of reading and fact-finding enjoyment. I was surprised to learn that most of the big sellers over the decades have been of American origin -- though Trivial Pursuit came out of Canada and Rubik's Cube has Hungarian roots. It's a bullet-proof selection for anyone on your Christmas list who never quite grew up when it comes to playing with toys and games.

A flip through the pages of Tim Walsh's "The Playmakers" is a trip in a time machine. I had more fun reminiscing about my favorite toys than I remember having when I played with them 25 years ago! The genesis of the greatest toys of all time is a captivating story that has never before been told in such interesting detail. Tim's passion for playthings oozes from the pages and stirred nostalgia in the heart of this overgrown kid.