Collectibles Books

Inspirational...helps get your own creative ideas going when you see some of the incredible stuff other bead artists are doing. Has a small how-to section which is not very helpful, but the photographs are wonderful.

This book full of photos with amazing artworks. I was surprized what people can make with beads. You can find a lot of great ideas or you can give this book as a gift to someone who enjoys beading or just loves albums with beautiful pictures. You gonna love it!

You can't be a serious bead artist if you don't own this book, that's all there is to it. The introduction itself--with its cogent and encompassing trace of the contemporary groundswell in bead art--is worth its price. As a source for the work of the most well-known and emerging artists this book is a museum in itself. Ms. Withers is to be commended for the beauty of her presentations as well as for her sensitivity to the deeply spiritual and downright funky satisfaction both the bead artist and the bead art owner derive from the humble bead.Diamonds may be a girl's best friend, but women prefer beads. And yes, real men do make bead art!

This book is for one thing only - inspiration! But what inspiration! I'm an actually on my second copy of this book as my first became so worn from my paging and drooling.

The pieces are shown alphabetically by artisan with a two line biography, then a brief desciption of the piece and a listing of techniques used - I love the fact that the dimensions are given with each piece! There is also included an artisan's statement giving you insight into how the artisan sees his/her work.

As this was originally published in 1992 some of the resources are out of date but a web search will remedy that. Also, don't buy this book for instructions on how to do the beadwork, this is strictly eye-candy and how sweet it is! This is the book I pull from my shelf often to remind me of how much I love this medium, how far I have to go in my explorations, and how much fun getting there will be!

Sadly this book is out of print, but if you are a serious beadworker or someone who wants to see the best that beadwork can be - spend the time and money to get a copy of this treasure.

Back in 1992, If you said "beadwork," people would think of the simply strung love beads of the 1960's, or they might consider Native American beadwork. Yet the art of serious beadwork was still alive and was growing, thanks to people like the authors of this book. Unlike today, when there are more books on beadwork than one could possibly read and still have time to actually DO some beadwork, there were no real books on the kinds of beadwork being produced by a few small pockets of artisans.

Then "The New Beadwork" was published.

It would be hard to overstate the impact that this slim volume has had on the art of beading. In the early nineties, if you wanted to buy a book on beadwork, this was it. Not that anyone buying the book would feel as if she hadn't gotten her money's worth - this book became an instant treasure. It was a major factor in elevating a certain calibre of beadwork to an art, just as a beautiful woodcarving or an ancient mosaic is art. The beadwork in this book is so far from love beads or the macrame potholder hanging in your grandmother's kitchen, it seems almost criminal to speak of them in the same breath.

Any serious beadworker, or anyone who aspires to be a beadworker needs this book, as inspiration and also to see how far we have come. If one could only purchase a half-dozen books on beadwork (which would be tragic), this would have to take a place with "The Art and Elegance of Beadwork" and "Creative Beadweaving" by Carol Wilcox Wells, "The Beader's Guide to Color" by Margie Deeb, "The Art of Beadwork: Historic Inspiration, Contemporary Design" by Valerie Hector and Lois Sherr Dubin, and "The History of Beads: From 30,000 B.C. to the Present" (Unabridged Edition) by Lois Sherr Dubin. This listing is subject to debate, of course, but most beadworkers would consider these books to be the best of the best.

It's a pity this book is out of print - but it is still available, and still fresh and useful. It is a worthy purchase for anyone who wants to raise her beadwork out of the craft category and into the realm of artwork.

I know little about Oaxacan ceramics but was immediately drawn to this book by the unbelievably beautiful photos. many of the shots are done outside using natural lighting and it gives the pieces a lifelike feel that I find wonderful. And the creativity of the pieces themselves! A wonderful introduction to one type of Mexican craft.

This is a fantastically colourful & inspiring book...and of the many, many ceramic books I own this is definitely in my Top 5. Lots of beautiful & detailed photos and interesting text. The only downside is that there isn't really any "how to" section in the book to show you how to make the wonderful folk art featured.

Born and raised in México and having a deep appreciation of its diverse and rich folk arts traditions, and guided by the reviews, I bought this book. What others say is true- this softbound book is lavishly illustrated and is a wonderful introduction to the contemporary ceramics covered, as well as the six women potters dealt with. Thise with a love of Oaxacan ceramics will likely love this book as well.

There is but one, very significant problem: the title is, to me, completely misleading. The book actually covers two villages- Octolán de Morelos, and the reigning family of potters, as well as Santa María Atzompa and two of the many potters who work there. San Bartolo Coyotepec and the creator of world-renown black pottery, Doña Rosa Real de Nieto, and her descendants, for example, have no coverage in this book, nor do older more traditional forms.

Oaxaca is an incredibly beutiful state, with many traditions and crafts. This book covers a small fraction of them- and in my opinion misleads with a title implying it covers all the ceramics of Oaxaca. With that caveat, I highly recommend (and give a restrained five stars to) this book, within the scope of its limitations.

Having been to Oaxaca approximately ten times in the past 20 years, I can appreciate the quality and beauty of this fine book. The reasonable price of this "paperback" belies its perfect format/size and its gorgeous photography, text and printing quality.

I've rarely been satisfied with "crafts" books, but this one has been so perfectly written and executed, that it makes me want to jump on a plane and immediately fly to Oaxaca, to find and meet the fantastic artists presented here.

I met one of these women several years ago (Angelica Vasquez), and this glorious book will create an urge in many of its readers to meet her and the other artists that are included here.

I love this book. I have been to Oaxaca several times and have visited most of the potters in the book. On my last trip, I asked each of the women to sign my book near her picture. This is now one of my most treasured posessions along with my memories of Oaxaca. The photographs are great and the stories are beautiful.

This guide continues it's tradition of being an excellent resource of current pricing and point identification. The pictures and identification of the points are worth the price alone.

This is a very good book. Full of good illustrations and info.

Very helpfull,easy to understand.

This is a complete reference and price guide for anyone interested in Indian Point design and collecting with current retail pricing. It contains good photographs of the known Indian Points. You will find page after page of photo's to compare your points to and assist you in point identification. If you only buy one book on Indian Point collecting this is "The Book" that every collector and dealer will recomend that you buy. Back editions contain articles that are always interesting reading so always keep your back editions in your collection.

This paperback is chock full of useful information about collecting and estimating the value of the pieces in your collection written in plain English.

Excellent book on the workings of antique telephones, many drawings of circuit designs and history. Amazon had the best price.

If you don't want just to collect antique telephones but also understand how they work, this book is the source for almost all your answers. Very detailed descriptions, very nice schematics and pictures.

I have worked with old telephones for more than 40 years, and the repair and restoration of them is part of my livelihood. I can state, with authority, that Ralph Meyer has brought together everything a person needs to know about old telephone theory, repair, restoration, and history. I highly recommend Old Time Telephones! to beginners and seasoned collectors or technicians who need an indispensable reference source. Dr. Meyer's book sets the standard for old telephone reference material.

Very informative book: for the collector, restorer and even the technician. Probably the best technical information widely available on the development of the US Public Telephone system subscriber instruments from turn-of-the-century local battery-magneto to the Princess and Trimlines. Covers development, design and even touches on the corporate thinking which influenced this. Keeps the interest of the engineer but not so technical that the amateur shouldn't be able to follow it too. While the emphasis is on Bell phones, the other major competitor's equivalents are covered as well.

I fell in love with old telephones when I bought my first oak wall telephone at an uncle's farm sale in S/E Minnesota way back in 1967. It didn't make any difference to me that it didn't work ... I just liked oak. I bought more wall phones, oak, then walnut and even one with a cherrywood case. The house got filled up with phones that were as much as 5 feet tall. I started collecting desk telephones and candlestick telephones instead. Very few of them worked but that didn't make any difference ... it was a history thing. Besides, I had no training in telephony and there weren't any books on the subject anyway.
And back then most folks, including me, were scared to death of Ma Bell's "Telephone Police."
But now Dr. Meyer's book is out ... I already knew the history of most of my phones but now with the information in Dr. Meyer's book I can actually make some of those old timers work again. If you are a newcomer to the telephone collecting hobby, you have a tremendous advantage over me ... it took me 40 years to learn the history of the telephone. You can buy Dr. Meyer's book, learn the history of the telephone in one weekend and at the same time have the technical information provided to you that will enable you to put grandpa's phone back on line again. The telephones from the 40s, 50s and 60s were the best ever made.
Put your offshore throwaway phone in the drawer ... use Old-Time Telephones as a guide to hook up grandpa's Western Electric 302 or 500 set, or a comparable A/E, Stromberg or Kellogg phone ... put a good phone in service in your house.
BTW ... I don't recall that Dr. Meyer's book gives instructions on the use of a rotary dial. You and your kids will have to figure out on your own how to do that.

James Kennedy's THE ORDER OF ODD FISH tells of Jo, who has lived with her aunt Lily in the California desert all of her 13 years of life. When Lily's annual Christmas party turns up some odd characters, the two find themselves on an unusual journey to an ancient world, where Jo learns the truth about who she is and where the Order of Odd Fish fits into her mysterious heritage. An excellent leisure read for middle school readers.

I read this book and gave it to my 10-year-old daughter to read (I am 40). We both loved it! Kennedy unveils a unique sense of humor through an uncanny plot filled with even more uncanny characters. Definitely unlike any story I've ever read. It was a lot of fun!

This was a terrific adventure. A "coming of age" story like no other I've read before. Mr. Kennedy does not hold back one bit when describing characters, places or events. And what great characters they are! There are the geriatric, ostrich-riding, sword-wielding Knights of the Odd-Fish, impeccably dressed, gossip-column obsessed cockroaches, a "Belgian Prankster" clad in smelly, old pelts and then there's Jo. Jo Larouche would seem to be your average thirteen year old. However, this average thirteen year old was labeled "dangerous" at birth!
The story of Jo Larouche is exciting and bizarre with a dash of grotesque and hilarious. If you enjoy adventures, this is a must-read!

A delightfully absurd romp through a fantastic and bizarre world of cockroach butlers with a flair for fashion and knights that ride flying ostriches in pursuit of pointless quests.

The book opens on 13 year old Jo Larouche, once labeled a "dangerous baby" and left in the care of her Aunt Lily, a mysterious ex Hollywood actress and vaudevillian. Jo is spying on her aunt's Christmas costume party, avoiding a suspicious Russian colonel and vainly attempting to save her aunt from herself. Soon the Colonel is shot by a hedgehog who is subsequently knocked unconscious by a package falling from the sky and addressed to Jo, from the Order of Odd-fish. The situation only degrades from there as Jo, her Aunt Lily, the Colonel, and a self-obsessed, three-foot tall, talking cockroach flee from forces apparently obsessed with their destruction to Eldritch City, where Jo finds herself in the midst of a colorful cast of characters and at the center of an ancient plot and prophesy foretelling the end of the world.

With a world that is at once whimsical and familiar, wondrous and disturbing, beautifully yet sometimes gut-wrenchingly, horribly, and disgustingly detailed, this is one of those books that has something for everybody. It's filed in the young adult section and contains nothing inappropriate for young minds, yet still provides enough fodder that even the discriminating mature fan of fantasy will find it hard to put the book down. Truly a masterful first novel for author James Kennedy, and I am left eagerly anticipating his next book.

Reminiscent at times of Douglas Adams and at others Neil Gaiman, yet wholly original and with a depth of character and story that leaves the reader wishing fervently that the great god Aznath, Silver Kitten of Deceit, will spy our intrepid heroes from wherever he may perch, deign to pounce on their enemies, and save the day.

In the first few chapters of The Order of Odd-Fish, our young hero finds herself torn from everyday existence and plunged into a magical world with magical people and magical items. Anyone who read only so far might think it conventional--even formulaic.

That poor soul would miss the magic, because it's then--just as we get our bearings and settle in for yet another fantasy novel--that Kennedy pushes the reset button again. And again. And again.

Like the story's arch-villain--who at one point stands on stage and strips off layer upon layer of clothing, skin, muscles and organs, only to re-anatomize himself into someone else--this book delights in the (un)making of the world. Layer upon layer of re-readings, mis-readings, de-readings, radically esotericize the 'exotic' narrative we thought we were already securely inhabiting. Call it 'disorientalism'.

"It turned out that all the singers, dancers, and orchestra had been nothing more than papier-mâché."

What a gorgeous book. I've recently become involved in hotglass work myself and picked this book up out of curiousity. Not only is the book full of beautiful pictures and prose but the author also allows us a peek into Paul's techniques, which for me, is incredibly helpful and well worth the price of the book.

Even though it made me late I had to stop and soak in every page from start to finish as soon as I got it in the mail. I think at just about every page a smiling, "Oh my god!" came bounding out of my lips in admiration for this man's extreme talent.

Most of my art books end up on my studio shelf, but this one is so gorgeous and such a joy to view I think I'm going to make it a permanent fixture on the coffee table.

You will not be able to stop the "oohs" and "aahs" . The artist has developed a style unlike anyone else and the photographs are so detail you feel like you have become part of the piece. A work of art in and of itself.

It is a book that every glass lover must have.

Filled with beautifully detailed photographs of Paul Stankard's paperweights as well as excellent closeups of the making of his flowers and other paperweight inclusions. It also includes an interesting background on Paul's career and philosophy, but the multitude of wonderful color photographs of his extraordinary work are what make this book truly special.

While I wouldn't consider myself a "paperweight" fan, I admire Paul Stankard's work immensely.

For so long I've wondered, "how does he accomplish such wonderful things?". This book cannot show his unique genius nor how his imagination works, but it does show just enough of his techniques to sate my never ending curiosity.

You can see how a thistle is built. There are gorgeous pictures of how a glass bee is build and attached to a honey comb. Here are the dragonflies, the orchids and those amazing root people!

The book is filled with full color pictures, and many wonderful detail views. In Paul Stankard's case, "God is in the details".

I admired Paul Stankard's work before I read this book. I admire his ability ever so much more now that I've seen the immesurable detail that goes into each piece.

The Postal Service Guide provides an excellent opportunity to get a ballpark value of an existing collection or to fantasize about your next purchase. Any stamp collector should find this guide a helpful tool. Stamps are pictured in color with information regarding date of issue, value and description.

Thoughtfully catalogued...easy to follow...accurate, current pricing...vivid pictures. Don't hesitate to buy this guide.

jules5253

The USPS Guide to US stamps is the best illustrated and best priced general guide to US stamps. Specialists will want more specific information, but for the general collector the info here is quite adequate, and the color photos are very helpful. It's easy to use, too, and affordable. It fills its niche in philatelic reference material quite adequately.

Reference index excellent for cataloging stamps. The spiral binding is great for being able to open the book and compare the page information against the stamp in hand! Recommend it for all stamp collecting fans

My husband is a beginner at stamp collecting as a hobby. This little book is fantastic. It numbers all your stamps, in a easy to read format. We had been to a stamp and coin store, the week before. We bought a book that was sugested by the store clerk and spent well over $50.00. This little book is just as good, if not better.At a very GOOD Price. Thanks, Amazon!

What a great book. A fascinating subject, fabulous photos and a fun read. The authors give us condom history with a sense of humor. The photographs are wonderful, and the prices helpful.

I saw this book at a small party and immediately orderd six copies. Christmas gifts for my folks and a hard-to-shop-for couple. The tins and packages are beautifully shot and reproduced. As a designer I actually am finding it to be a resource for great retro design and color combinations. There you have it... some really diverse reasons to purchase this wonderful book!!!

I could not believe the quality of this hardback book. Many pricing guide books for collectibles are printed on newsprint, and they are paperback as well. This book is top class all the way! I hope these guys keep coming up with revised additions, as new and yet undiscovered condom tins and boxes surface. Bravo!!!

When I received this book, I was thrilled to see that it was filled with full-color pictures of the condom packages. In fact, 90 percent of this book is pictures, with fascinating bits of history comprising the other 10 percent. It's very difficult to find much information on historical birth control, and this is the first book I've seen dedicated to condoms. It even includes information on "chemical prophylactics" (all I could think after reading this section was "ow, ow , ow"). A great book!

Interesting to find that this is the first book of its kind on the history of condoms and their packaging. Not only does it contain information the average person would never have guessed, it is useful to those into the history of graphic design. The tins are miniatue works of art in themselves, regardless of what they contained! The down to earth style of the text is easy on the reader as well. All in all a great bargain - the hardcover of the book in itself is worth the price of admission!

I recently received this beautiful color collection on "The Mother Road" Route 66. Having traveled West from Chicago to Kingman AZ in the mid 60's on Route 66 it brought back many memories. It also has left me with strong ambitions to repeat that journey but this time all the way to L.A. Wonderful photography and dialouge by the author. Even if you have never traveled on Route 66 you may very well want to after viewing this book.

This is the best Route 66 book I've ever read. The pictures range from breathtaking to amusing and the writing is fresh and clean. A must have for anyone interested in Route 66.

Any book published as part of an "enthusiast color series" is likely intended to be a coffee-table book. And indeed, Route 66 has lots of pretty pictures, captured beautifully by Jim Luning. But unlike most such fare, this book deserves more than coffee-table placement (or, the pinnacle, bathroom-rack status.)

I know the author, Tim Steil, a friend of mine. So, as one who loves grammar, right from the start I had every incentive to pick at his writing. But, alas, I was disappointed. Finding only the most minor of grammatical errors, I had to concede the fact that Steil has written a really good book. Tim's breezy writing makes the book a quick and easy read, and conveys efficiently so much of their adventure that the reader cannot help but feel as if he were there for much of the ride.

Another plus: it's not preachy, or full of phony nostalgia or contempt for "the evils of progress." I love it this book, and I'm not really even a fan of Route 66.

Luning's pictures are gorgeous. I got to meet him when the two authors did some of their preliminary research on the Chicken Basket, one of the offical Route 66 sites covered early in the book. An unassuming and disarming guy, Luning does not betray that he has a long list of credits. But in the book, Luning cannot hide his talent: a fantastic eye for light and color and balance.

So enjoy the pictures. But realize they will not really come to life until you actually read the text.

Route 66 is what an "enthusiast color series" should be.

Route 66, by Tim Steil, is a trip in present, but a journey back in time. There was a day and age when Route 66 was the heartbeat of the Western half of the United States. Unlike its predecessor the Lincoln Highway, Route 66 was modern road made offering fast travel from Chicago to Los Angeles for both automobiles and trucks. Because of the limitations of vehicles of the 1930's through the early 1960's, the road was lined with repair shops, cafes, motels and scenic wonders that range from simple statues or absurd monuments.

More than any other highway, Route 66 has a history and an allure that never ceases to draw the adventurous to it. These days traveling on Route 66 is sort of like visiting a huge living museum of automobile Americana. Steil, aided by photographer Jim Luning, take the journey and give their vision to this long familiar story. The nice part about this book is that MBI, the publisher, chose to offer it as part of the inexpensive Enthusiast Color Series rather than an expensive coffee table book. You can easily take this book with you for easy reading along the way and without taking up too much space at lunch counter. This was a good choice on their part and is sure to make give this book a long sales life.

The author is accurate in his descriptions and the photographer's keen eye caught quite a few features of Route 66 that have not appeared in other publications. Truckers are big part of this story, in fact the famous Dixie Truckers Home in central Illinois gets good coverage right in the beginning of the book. If the lore and legends of Route 66 are already part of your life, or you would just like a low-cost introduction to this famous highway then Route 66, by Tim Steil is a must have item.
- Gary Bricken

Probably the best book to date on the subject, Route 66 is a joy from beginning to end. Referred to affectionately as The Mother Road, Route 66 was the first highway built for high speed travel in the United States. Due to the reliability of the cars and trucks using this road, it was lined with repair shops, diners, and tourist traps. The photography is excellent and the text is insightful and well written. Travelling from Chicago to Los Angeles via this book is a joy!

This book is a feast to the eyes of those of us who love and collect these colorful pails and sand toys from by-gone days. As a collector myself, I found the history to be comprehensive and informative, learning things about the very pails I had in my collection I had not known before. The photography is outstanding and the pails displayed represent the best of many wonderful collections. It is a must-have reference book for anyone collecting or interested in old tin beach toys, and a much needed price guide with regard to their value.

Great pictures are the first thing you notice about this book. Terrific graphics and a sense of style. There are some wonderful examples of pails that I have seen and some that I never seen before. A neat gift for any collector.

EXCELLENT help to me since I knew nothing about Sand Pails and I have been able to identify some at shows and buy a few at great prices. All this from reading this fabulous book. I hope there will be more by these authors.

Great book with so many wonderful photos and great information!
Nice presentation and great use of color. Truly enjoyable!

What a wonderful book. It tells all about the history of sand pails and who manufactured them. BUT the very best part is the pictures. There are over 300 wonderful colored pictures of sand pails organized by themes and years manufactured. Each picture has a wonderful description of the pail....it's size, year made and value. There are also pictures and information on watering cans, sand sifters and various other sand toys we have all seen or played with at one time.

This is one of those books that brings back wonderful memories of ones childhood. You can just picture the sand castles, shells and water lapping at your feet. Who would have ever thought those inexpensive little beach toys would end up being such pricey collectibles?! A book full of information and pictures that can make you feel like a kid again.