Collectibles Books

CS:

I received this book and believe it is as expected. Price is at FMV (Fair Market Value). I have not yet proof read it but what I have seen it makes a great reference for those who collect currency. However, it would have been helpful to include the Friedberg number in the Appendix along with the description. Yes, this number can be variable but you have included prices that are also variable and approximate. It may have been better to give a ratio(range)year column price divided by the face value of the currency.

This book was exactly what I expected. Good photos and stories behind 100 of the most famous notes in history. Great as a reference or as a coffe table book.

This is an incredible book to have in your library if your a collector of U.S. Paper Currency or not. Stunning pictures of each of the notes this book goes into great detail in discussing. I have this book and the 100 Greatest U.S. Coins book sitting out in my livingroom for all to see and everyone who has stopped by can not help but pick up these books. Then the oh's and ah's start pouring out !!! Absolute incredible book to have in anyone's private library without a doubt.

It is the rare numismatic book that is educational AND entertaining. This book is one of those rare books.
I wrote a review of this book for the Bank Note Reporter, the newpaper for collectors of paper money. I have included an only slightly altered version of that review below.

My best purchase at the Chicago Paper Money Exposition was a copy of the new book 100 Greatest American Currency Notes by two of my favorite numismatists--Q. David Bowers and David M. Sundman. Chet Krause and Cliff Mishler wrote a foreword for the book making that four of my favorites all in one book. No, that is not right. Tom Denly was something called valuations editor for the book so that makes five of my favorite--and greatest--numismatists all in one volume.
In short, the book is beautiful to behold and a joy to read. That sums it up quite nicely, but I do have a lot more to say about it. I feel that I am particularly qualified to do this because I had started a book with exactly the same premise. I still have my notebook with my work. That means that they stole my idea! Of course that is easy to say after they have completed their work and I only have a notebook. It is also untrue. The original idea was Jeff Garrett and Ron Guth's popular 100 Greatest American Coins. Imitation is indeed the sincerest form of flattery. I must also say that Bowers and Sundman did a far better job than I would have done (not that I did not have a few enhancements).
The basic premise of the book is to select and discuss the 100 greatest American notes. The authors have done this admirably. The basic methodology was to survey a wide group of dealers asking them to list what they considered to be the top notes. While the methodology was good and the results were great, my first complaint is that I would have liked to have learned more about the methodology. The authors tabulated the results then provided the discussion. As the creators of this project, they have a greater insight than anyone on the subject. I would at a minimum have liked to read more of their thoughts on the results, but these are small complaints.
If you have not seen the book you can cast a silent vote right now for your top note or top ten. Now that you have done that, you will probably not be surprised that the clear favorite of the survey was the "Grand watermelon" ($1000 Series 1890 Silver Certificate). The authors expected it to be number one and I had it number one in the notes for my book. You have to figure that a note with a nickname like that would come in first or to look at it the other way that a note worthy of being first would have a nick name. Indeed, nine of the top ten have nicknames.
Two pages are devoted to discussing the grand watermelon and each of the top ten notes. Thereafter it is one page per note. This is the meat of the book. Indeed, the book could just as easily have been something like 100 Great Paper Money Stories.
The two Davids excelled in the preparation of the text to describe the notes. They supplemented the illustrations of the notes and their discussions with additional illustrations (some of these of coins (gasp)). Most ot these are excellent and some are great in both content and quality. They are a highlight of the book. This seems to be an appropriate place to mention the superb quality of book production. It is color throughout and truly excellent. My one complaint is that the book is in a large format 10 x 12 inches. Many people will consider this a feature. Authors (including me) like these large formats, but they are harder to read. They look great on the coffee table, but are difficult to handle curled up in a chair or in an airline torture seat.
I did not know that the watermelon description of this note could be traced back to an 1891 newspaper story. Perhaps I had read this before, but if I had, I had forgotten it. The entire quotation from the paper is included. From the footnotes at the back of the book I learned this interesting tidbit. The quotation is "From an 1891 clipping, no day date, in a scrapbook compiled in 1891 and 1892 (now owned by Q. David Bowers)." I found many of the notes worth reading.
Each entry includes a box with "historic Market Values" and "Commentary on Value." This is the work of the valuations editor. This book is not a catalog of values (I like that), but the inclusion of this information is interesting in its own right and is nice balances with the text and graphics. When I was working on my project, I had not thought of anything like this.
Number two in the survey is the $500 national bank note. It is a good and obvious choice. It was also number two on my list.
The third note in the survey is Massachusetts Bay Colony 5-shilling notes of December 10, 1690. It is the first government-issue American paper money (according to Eric Newman). Among other interesting (amazing) things that I learned in this entry is that in the 17th century the annual calendar ran from March 25 to March 24. I also learned that the unique example of this note resides in the Essex Institute, Salem, Massachusetts. That is certainly an appropriate city. I wonder if the note is on public display.
The balance of the top ten are very interesting indeed. Instead of being great rarities they are dominated by relatively common notes and certainly are affordable in circulated grades to most collectors. The one exception is number eight, the "Spread Eagle Note" (Series of 1862 and 1863 $100 Legal Tender note).
The others are respectively in positions four though ten (except eight): Lazy Deuce ($2 National Bank Note), $5 Educational note (Series of 1896 Silver Certificate), and Bison Note" (Series of 1891 $10 Legal Tender note), $1 "Educational Note (Series of 1896 Silver Certificate," $20 "Technicolor note" (Series of 1905 Gold Certificate, and the "Indian Chief" (Series of 1899 $5 Silver Certificate).
The other ninety notes include a wide array of interesting and historical notes. The entry on every single one is worth studying, but to me the most interesting (especially for discussion here) are those that might not be obvious choices.
United States fractional notes get two entries on the list. Interestingly, number 14, the fractional currency shield, is not a note at all, but a virtual collection of notes. Having said, that I think that it is a good choice.
Four Confederate notes make the list with several of them having nicknames (the Indian Princess and Montgomery notes (two denominations making the list)).
That vast, amorphous, and ill defined area known as obsolete notes are also included. Numbers 23 and 24 are Santa Clause notes and polar bear notes even though they are more categories than actual notes. Again, I think that they were good choices.
I was pleased and even a little surprised to see both World War II issues (Hawaii and North Africa) make the top 100. They won their places because of their extraordinary historical reasons for issue.
These various categories of notes included in the book are the apparent reason for the awkward book title. I offer this criticism with respect because I struggled with this problem in my unversion of this book. If you say United States notes you probably should not include Confederate notes. Colonial and Continental notes would not really fit. "Obsolete" notes would be in doubt too. Even American notes (as chosen) presents some problems. Does American include Canada? Mexico? I do not like the term currency notes, but I understand the problem. Bank notes does not fit because most of the notes selected were not issued by banks under any definition. Many people (unfortunately) would simply say currency but that is a very bad choice because currency is coins and paper money. In most constructions paper money does not work (100 Greatest American Paper Money). Even notes has some problems. Certainly, national bank notes are notes. but are silver and gold certificates notes? In the final analysis, having said that I do not like what we was used, but I do not have a better title.
I love the book, but I disagree with some of the choices. That is one of the wonderful aspects of books of lists. They are certain to generate discussion if not controversy. I was surprised that no error or star notes made the list. I can understand that they can be excluded as being sort of varieties of other issues, but, still, I think that a token from either or both of these categories could have been included.
You will probably not be surprised that I think that a military payment certificate should have been on the list. Having said that, I should be prepared to tell you which one. I gave that considerable thought in my work. I considered the unknown replacements and the unique replacements. Of course there is the Series 541 $5 with its attractive design and world record price history. I thought about the unique specimen booklets for Series 541 and 591. I really liked them because they have nicknames ("Comptroller Booklets"). Finally, I decided that the best choice would be the unique specimen and progressive proof set of Series 661. It does not have a widely recognized nickname, but it is still a good choice. I had a brief exchange with Tom Denly on this very subject after drafting this review. He said that he thought that if an MPC were to be included, it should be something like a Series 692 $10 or $20 because they would be very recognizable and would also be collectible. I like his thinking!
There are other good features good features of the book that I have not mentioned. The formatter is all quite good. You can imagine my surprise at finding my name mentioned. Earning that honor as an old timer (my term) is a double edged honor. The selected bibliography and recap of the top 100 in an appendix are also useful.
I expect that this will be a very successful book, just as the Garrett-Guth version on coins was. Can it generate more spinoffs like the 100 Greatest World Notes, or even the 100 Greatest National Bank Notes? I doubt it, but I would love to have both of those in my own library.
If it is not obvious, I highly recommend 100 Greatest American Currency Notes by Q. David Bowers and David Sundman. It was published by Whitman Publishing and should be available wherever numismatic books are sold and even in many book stores at around $30.

This book was a gift and the receiver of the gift was very pleased with the book.

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.

This is the real deal. It's what people really wore, not the weird fashion illustrations (although I enjoy looking at those, too). It's interesting to see how modern some of the items are. I'd love to wear the shoes, coats and bags, and a few of the ladies sweater suits today. On the other hand, some of the clothing is incredibly oldfashioned.

The ladies undergarments are a scream. You buy them by your chest size in inches. Notice that there is no "cup size" because these are designed to squash you flat into a tube. See item 4546: "Bust Supporter and Diaphragm Confiner of a strong quality of pick silk tricotine . . . giving a very flat appearance when worn with a very low top corset. Sizes 34 to 46. $5.00

Also, some of the pictures are actually photographs and the models are very "chinny." The models are decidedly shorter and chubbier than today's models, and the flat chests make their chins look even bigger. It's interesting to see how the definition of "pretty" has changed over the decades.

This is great inspiration for anyone interested in vintage clothing or clothing design, or just fun if you love fashion.

This is yet another book that has wonderful illustrations and information about 1920s fashion. I recommend it to anyone who is interested in this pivotal decade in fashion.

This is a lovely book of a wide variety of catalog drawings and photos from the B. Altman Company which carried higher quality items as compared to the Sears catalog books. There are men's and women's clothes and childrens clothes, hats, undergarments, stockings, shoes...A real treat if you are interested in what the upper middle class might have worn. And everything progresses by the year, so you can see how the fashions developed.

"1920s Fashions from B. Altman & Company" provides over 700 black & white illustrations, detailed descriptions, and prices for clothing for the upper class of the Jazz Age. The focus is primarily on women's clothing and accessories, with everything from sophisticated evening wear to bathing suits, but you will also find a complete array of clothing for men and children as well. Please remember, because they buy directly from the manufacturer, "thus eliminating the no inconsiderable profits of the middleman," B. Altman & Company are able to offer patrons the benefit of the savings. This is a superb record of the styles worn by flappers in the Roaring Twenties; note than this is not simply the reproduction of a catalog from a particular year, but has fashion culled from the B. Altman catalogs of the entire decade. Interesting Footnote: The B. Altman & Company Department Store is now the New York Public Library Science, Industry & Business Library. Dover also has a reprint edition of "Altman's Spring and Summer Fashions Catalog, 1915," which records the fashions worn in the United States in the years before the First World War. This volume will be of interest to the fashion historian and of great use to costume designers working with this period of American History.

The 2008 US/BNA Postage Stamp Catalog is a MUST have for any beginning collector. It has helped me correctly identify many of my early American stamps and takes the guess work out of were to add stamps to your album

I started collecting US stamps not long ago. I just bought this catalog and really like it - high-quality color pages; coil binding; useful introduction for beginners (and probably for experts too); US as well as UN and Canadian stamps; etc.

Minor con: 2007 stamps are not complete. It should end at 4220 rather than 4159.

For those who do not want to pay for such a catalog, there are free catalogs, for example, the 132-page (in color) soft-cover Mystic's 2008 US Stamp Catalog is pretty good ([...]).

It's great to finally see color reps of the stamps. It's great to still have order pages and gradient pricing depending on the condition of the stamp.
What I could have done without is the hardback format, soft paperback would have been fine and probably cheaper. Unnfotrunately this edition doesn't have one.

This is an excellent catalog for North American stamps. This is the catalog with the binding that allows the pages to remain flat which helps immeasureably when trying to catalog and then place stamps in an album. I wish all catalogs came this way. I rrecommend this book to anyone, beginner to expert.
Al

First off, I have to say that if you are expecting a how-to book on selling on eBay, this is not your book, although the author does periodically reveal some of her secrets. But if you are looking for a great traveling companion, you will not be disappointed, as each story is one page long, allowing you to read in spurts if you'd like. Like the 2nd book in this series, this one is a fun read. Lynn's engaging personality really shines through in her writing. Her chattiness really adds to the charm of the book. It's fascinating to see what people will pay for an item from a garage sale. The old adage that "one man's junk is another man's treasure" couldn't apply more! Lynn's skill at weaving her personal stories, about her eBay business and her family, esp her beloved grandmother, makes this book immensely enjoyable and hard to put down. Additionally, the simplicity of Lynn's eBay methods may just inspire the reader to get up and start selling on eBay!

Lynn Dralle does not lose steam in her 3rd book of 100 great things. Because it is essentially 100 short "stories" you can read as you have time. Since she teaches with laughter and sometimes touching stories I find the lessons easier to remember. While it gives ideas on how to do things, do not buy this as an eBay "HOW TO" book. She has a few of those too:-)

Gave this as a gift to a family member. They say this book had excellent, extremly helpful information for helping them achieve e-bay power seller status. Thanks for the outstanding, informative writing!

The 3rd 100 Best Things is another installment of examples of Ebay sales done by Lynn Dralle. This is the first book by her I have read, so I do not know what the other titles are like.

The book contains 100 items sold on the Ebay and:

1. The story of how they were obtained (estate sale, inheritance, garage sale, flea market, church charity sale, etc.).
2. Starting and winning bid totals.
3. Number of times the item was viewed on Ebay.
4. Total number of bids.
5. Where the winning bidder lives.
6. When the bid started.
7. Description of the item.

The book has several interesting anecdotes of the item's history, Lynn's family background, responses from winner bidders, and her vast knowledge of antiques and specialty items.

While such information was informative, I would have liked to have seen many more examples of her strategies and how she has been so successful on Ebay. Granted, the examples she did give were helpful (start the bid around $9.99, use the internet to research products, try to sell many lower priced items instead of a few high-priced items, etc.). However, I would have liked to have seen more strategies and examples that could be applied to whatever type of item you want to sell on Ebay. While Lynn seems to specialize on antiques and collectibles, there are several other categories of products on Ebay. Therefore, I would imagine that some strategies in selling antiques and collectibles may not necessarily work for other items.

Still though, a good and entertaining read. Recommended.

This book is fantastic! The information is very helpful and the pictures are some of the best I have seen in any collectors book! This book has given me the knowledge to amass a 600+ piece of Abingdon Pottery!
(P.S. Joe and Joyce Paradis have also written a book about the early days of Haeger Pottery that is equally as good as the Abingdon Book! I highly recommed both books!)

Abingdon pottery is one of the hidden treasures of the Midwest that Joe Paradis has now shared with the rest of the world. I found the book after I had acquired a few pieces. It explains the unique quality of the product, such as the weight and the gloss. Paradis includes cross-referenced lists by item name and stock number. It is very comprehensive, readable, and the photography is excellent.

As an avid pottery collector, I have an ever growing collection of Pottery Collector's Guides. Abingdon Pottery Artware is one I refer to over and over again. Clear pictures of marks, stamps, labels and bottoms and an extensive price guide organized by mold number and alphabetized by mold type making identification a snap. This guide is filled with color pictures that I have found to be true to life glaze colors, each picture also includes mold numbers and production dates. One of my top 3 favorite collector's guides!

Abingdon Pottery has been a little know piece of Americana until Joe Paradis and his outstanding book came along. Paradis covers the history of the pottery works, from the days of sanitary fixture making to the Depression when Art Pottery was made. Also discussed are the unique features of the actual pottery with excellent illustrations and interviews with the surviving members of the Depression Era staff. This book is a must for both collectors of Abingdon Pottery and those interested in American pottery in general.

Accessorizing the Bride is one of the most detailed and comprehensive coffee-table books I have ever seen. The author is meticulous in her description of each garment and article. The top-notch photography brings detail to life. This book is a must read for collectors, historians, or anyone interested in the evolution of wedding apparel.

Sentimental,enlightening and gorgeous. I especially liked the non-traditional wedding gowns and bridal stories.

Norma Shephard's book is a beautifully nostalgic tribute to the wedding fashions and trends of generations past and present. It is as delightful as it is informative.

Readers may find it difficult to believe that author Norma Shephard has such a magnificent collection of wedding accessories. And then to see them photographed so beautifully is almost beyond the realm of imagination. But it is true. Most artifacts exhibited in Accessorizing the Bride, Vintage Wedding Finery Through the Decades are part of the Mobile Millinery Museum's Wedding Collection and yes, she did all the photography in her tiny Burlington, Ontario studio.
What makes this coffee table book so fascinating? It may be the detailed pictures of fabrics, styles, hues, beads, sequins and lace. Or it may be the memories and dreams that it ignites as we flip from era to era and maybe for the first time experience what grandmother or greatgran or even her mother may have worn on her wedding day.
If a bride-to-be is lucky enough to view this book before she's selected her gown and accessories, it may help her decide about a veil, train, headpiece, waistline or hemline.
And for the many ladies who donated or loaned gowns to the Mobile Millinery Museum's Wedding Collection, the book takes on a magical quality of pride and appreciation to know that their wedding finery is being admired all around the world.
What Shephard shows she also tells and her apparent wealth of knowledge goes beyond fashion. Between the lines of real-life stories, anecdotes and progression of style, she subtly integrates the social history of women's movements, traditions, issues and advancements.
Collectors, historians, curators and fashion aficionados will devour this tome of information and illustration, but Accessorizing the Bride, Vintage Wedding Finery Through the Decades offers more than that. While many wedding books feature gowns of celebrities, this issue credits everyday women like you and me with the ability to select, design or create that special gown for that very special day.
Whether chosen as a reference or as a keepsake, this is one high quality coffee table book that will be opened over and over for second, third, fourth and more perusals.

This book by Lupoff and Thompson is a pioneering work. Books on comics used to focus on daily strips and almost always glossed over comic books entirely. This was the first to give us the background of the artists, writers, and the charecters themselves. Well worth the money.

There is a story told, of a poor Italian man who lived in a small house with dirt floors. His only true possession was a painting that has been handed down through his family. He hung it over his fireplace. Well, rumors spread and a investigating Art Historian found that the painting was a lost Bottichelli , valued at several million dollars. After the discovery was made public, the man was forced to sell the painting as he could not afford security or insurance for it. This painting that was once appreciated for its beauty was now appreciated for its large price tag.

The point of this, and there is one, is that comics were once valueless pieces of old paper. People loved them anyways, and loved them enough to write this little book. "All in Color for a Dime" has a secret that modern comic collectors may have lost. It exudes joy for the four-color wonders know as comics. There is so much excitement in recounting the lost but not forgotten Captain Marvel, or even gaining new found respect for Popeye. All those little treasures are recounted in personal stories. Comics for the love of it, and not for the price tag. Reading Golden Age comics for the stories, what a great concept!

However, as a modern comics collector, I seem unable to ignore price tags entirely. I must admit I chucked when one of the writers was astounded to learn that a mint Action Comics #1 could be sold for up to $300.00. Those were the days.

This is a classic reprint. Authentic information from when comics were real.

I read this book four times when I was in junior high and high school, and I'm so glad to see it in print again. Great history, great pictures, and must have for comic book fans everywhere.

An awesome collection of ads from this decade. Hundreds of pages w/ ads of all categories. Very enjoyable. I'm an advertising major & this is a fun book to own!!!

Taschen's fourth volume of the All-American Ads series provides a big look back to the day before yesterday. Steven Heller provides a short overview of the decade and explains that despite the Depression magazines, in which most of these ads appeared, had very high circulations. For a few cents readers could escape the reality of everyday life and be entertained by the features and the colourful advertisements. Naturally there is no real mention of the Depression though some of the ads sport the little NRA symbol and the words `We do our part'

The format of this book is the same as the others, nine sections (Alcohol and tobacco, Automobiles, Consumer products, Entertainment, Fashion and beauty, Food and beverages, Industry, Interiors and finally Travel) provide whole, two or four ads to a page and fortunately none of them are angled or overlap. The digital reproduction of the 1500+ ads is excellent, it is always a problem to reproduce anything that is already printed because it can create screen clash but these are reproduced with clean colors and sharp lines (thanks to 175 dpi).

Most of these ads are copy and picture heavy, stylish use of white space and clever typography was years away, though three ads for Pierce Arrow autos on pages 176-177 stand out because they do seem very modern. Illustrations rather than photography were the main visual elements with headlines and copy used to fill any space that was left.

This as a super book if you are interested in social history or want to see how copywriters created product desire more than sixty years ago or you are just curious about things your grandparents reminisce about. Maybe they remember the 1932 ads for the Pitcairn autogiro, after all no home should be without one!

Once again, Taschen has put forth a wonderfully illustrated and highly enjoyable publication. The ads are superb. The reader can truly immerse themselves in popular culture and daily life in the United States during the 1930s. What I most appreciate is the fact that Taschen presents the materials as is; they let the ads speak for themselves. I consider it one of the best resources of popular culture from the era.

You expect a book like this to be fun, and it is! The hard sell approach, the inflated claims, and the infamous phrase, "It isn't brand X if it doesn't say Y!" (as if your brain is scrambled) ... it's all hilarious now. And even when these techniques get tedious, the drawings and paintings are colorful and well-designed by themselves.

The ads don't mention the Depression, but you can see it in the phrases "stretch your dollars" and "these days..." That's a technique auto makers adopted after Sept. 11th, as in "we're getting America moving again with 0% financing." In that sense, ad makers fashioned a social history that belongs alongside stories of travelling Okies and bread lines. These ads showed what people hoped for, what they wanted to become. And that's just as important as where they were. So while post-Sept. 11th ads wanted to get the family back to the dinner table, so Depression-era folks wanted to get their friends back for champagne and elegant dinner parties.

Still, there is enough variety here to reflect many points of view and design style. Some ads were clearly ahead of their time. Some were still mired in Victorian imagery. A few are really shocking, like the public service ad with a drawing of a sinking Lusitania with the headline, "The Lusitania Sank. So What of It?" (It was an ad for World Peaceways.)

I am no historian or designer or advertiser ... but I found this book mind-blowingly fun.

This is a highly personal volume, based largely on the author's own collection and interests. But this takes it well beyond the typical collector's book. Sigafoose manages to revive the vanished America of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, putting American art pottery in its social and cultural context. Especially fascinating are the many postcards, factory views, advertisements, and catalogue pages that show how the makers of art pottery presented themselves to the world. "Large gaudy vases and highly colored pictures look cheap and commonplace," advises one such ad. "One small [art pottery] vase, costing perhaps a dollar, will do more to give that touch of elegance and refinement to the the home than any other one thing."

I know Dick Sigafoose personally, and he knows his Art Pottery. This book is well written and beautifully illustrated, and covers all of the major art pottery studios - from vases to tiles. Every page is filled with good, clear color photos, plus detailed information on the studios that produced these works of art. I highly recommend this book to art pottery collectors - both advanced and beginners.

This is a lovely book. Beautiful pictures.The collection concentrates on Art Tiles rather than Art Pottery. Great articles on the companies histories. If you collect Art Pottery Tiles this book is for you!

This is a highly personal volume, based largely on the author's own collection and interests. But this takes it well beyond the typical collector's book. Sigafoose manages to revive the vanished America of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, putting American art pottery in its social and cultural context. Especially fascinating are the many postcards, factory views, advertisements, and catalogue pages that show how the makers of art pottery presented themselves to the world. "Large gaudy vases and highly colored pictures look cheap and commonplace," advises one such ad. "One small [art pottery] vase, costing perhaps a dollar, will do more to give that touch of elegance and refinement to the the home than any other one thing."