Collectibles Books

The book is great. My son loved it. Sadly though, it was ordered with the guarantee that it would arrive before Christmas, and it showed up on the 26th. Amazon has been non-responsive and has ignored my correspondence (e-mail & snail mail). So, I would recomend buying the book, just not through Amazon.

This book is magical for kids - I just bought a second one to make sure both of my sons have this book when they are grown and have their own children. The story is about Peef - a bear that Santa makes by hand. Peef is Santa's right-hand "bear", but really longs to be given as a gift to a boy or girl, but he just can't bring himself to tell Santa. Santa figures it out and decides to give him to a child on Christmas Eve. Great lesson about love. Definitely buy the stuffed Peef they sell with the books and then place it in bed with your child Christmas Eve. After the kids have read the book several times leading up to Christmas, and then wake up to Peef on Christmas morning, they feel so special. They believe Santa decided they were the one who was special enough to receive his special bear.

I am so looking forward to reading this to my kids! It really is a cute book.

The book is a great story and even better when you hear the author read it the way he wrote it. It is a great story about Santa making a friend and eventually giving his friend away to a little child.

Santa is up to something! He's asked all of his elves to pick out their favorite fabric and bring it to him. Just what is Santa doing? Why he's making a multi-colored Christmas Bear, that when the final stitch is completed and with a push from Santa's finger, the bear speaks his own name...Peef.

Peef is an important bear. He is Santa's chief assistant and dearly loves Santa. But what Peef really wants is to belong to and bring happiness to a special child. That doesn't seem to be Peef's fate until one Christmas Eve when Santa is one toy short. Peef's dream is realized as he is left behind to bring one special child great happiness.

This is a wonderful Christmas story! It wraps up the gift of love, sacrifice and the sense of belonging all in one little bear. The illustrations are spectacular and will draw children and adults alike into the story.

Armchair Interviews says: This book, first introduced in 1995, is sure to become a classic and treasured by all children everywhere who dream of loving that special bear.

This book is packed with useful information. Anyone interested in gemstones will learn a lot of things you don't typically find in other books on this topic. I'm glad I got it.

With wonderfully good information and great images, the writer introduces a wide reaching and vast amount of valuable information through a fascinating, personalized journey. However this otherwise excellent treatise could be made infinitely better by a more professional publishing house. The typography, layout, and copy editing are awful, albeit I absolutely love the riveting cover.

If his book Secrets of the Gem Trade has made Richard a rock star, it is because he has accomplished the notable feat of making the nuances of fine gems accessible, not only in his rich text but also with extraordinary images of extraordinary gemstones; many as seen through the lens of famed gem and mineral photographer Jeffrey Scovil. Richard has literally defined "connoisseurship," guiding the reader into the world of colored stone appreciation, enriching the journey with his passion for history and travel.

This book has earned its place in classic gemological literature and no library collection is complete without it. Secrets of the Gem Trade serves not only as an invaluable reference, but also as inspiration to many wishing to enter the world of colored stones.

E. Skalwold, F.G.A, G.G.

This made for a fascinating read and the pictures are fantastic. Is it worth the sticker price? Yes.

I highly recommend this book. Although it doesn't cover a wide specter of colored gemstones, it does focus on the ones worth investing in and it goes into detail about what to specifically look for when investing in these particular gems. The fact that it is peppered with stories of the author's adventures is a plus. A very satisfying read!

Mr. Muldavin's book is a very attractive, entertaining and informative work. It is a pleasure to browse, with colorful 50's style illustrations as well as a generous sprinkling of color photographs of some of the records themselves and their vintage art jackets. The pages are of a slick, sturdy weight paper which will hold up well under a lot of thumbing through by the reader. It begins with a very interesting introduction which includes an explanation of codes and abbreviations used within, the purpose of the book, various types of children's records, what "vintage" means, information on children's record labels, a most interesting history of the "Golden Age" of children's records, and much, much more. The meat of the work is a well-organized discography of thousands of 78 rpm children's records from the 1940-50's with their disc ID numbers, song titles, artists, year, and estimated value. This book covers in an eye-catching way everything you didn't know you wanted to know about vintage children's records.

Peter Muldavin's COMPLETE GUIDE TO VINTAGE CHILDREN'S RECORDS provides a catalog of values paired with color photos for almost 13,000 records on over 450 labels. Many entries are unique to this reference, which offers a nearly complete listing of vintage children's records, primarily in the 78 RPM and early 45 RPM formats. The comprehensive coverage for nearly all 78 RPMs in the USA can't be beat.

Now readers of all ages can see for themselves what Internet-savy record collectors have known for years--that there is nobody else with author Peter Muldavin's depth of knowledge on the subject of childrens' records from the prime years of vintage vinyl.

My husband is an avid vintage vinyl collector. From the moment I first heard about this book, I knew we needed to buy it. And we were not disappointed. When the book finally arrived, we were flabbergasted by its quality. THE COMPLETE GUIDE TO VINTAGE CHILDREN'S RECORDS is a gorgeous book from it's cover art to the meticulously designed, full-color inner pages. The publisher obviously spared no expense. The result is a book everyone (not just record collectors) can enjoy, a book so sumptously packaged it can take its place among your favorites on the coffee table. A comprehensive research tome disguised as a handy collector's catalog, it is jam-packed with valuable information delivered factually but with an irresistable touch of whimsey. One wonders if this is due to the delightful nature of the subject matter or due to some special characteristic of its author, who is aptly dubbed the Kiddie Rekord King.

Buy this book and leave it on your coffee table for your friends and family members to enjoy!

Let me say at the outset that I'm not really -- yet -- a children's record collector, but I am a fan of the wonderful and imaginative art that graces so many of the covers. And the older I get, the more the songs, stories, and fables themselves touch my heart in ways that complex adult materials can't. I discovered this guide by accident while trying to find a particular song from my childhood. In the tradition of Schroeder Publishing's Collector Books, it is a very impressive work. Collectors will find not only values for a vast number of records, but also insightful information on the various labels. Hundreds of jackets and records are illustrated in color. It's fun just to flip through. The love and enthusiasm that Mr. Muldavin clearly feels for his hobby are infectious and he shares his expertise fully. Highly recommended!

One of the fondest memories I have from my youth is that old, suitcase style record player where I would play records for hours. I used to have a lot of old kids records and would dearly LOVE to still have them. My favorite was an Batman LP from the 60's that came a comic that retold Batman's origin. Collector Books is always ahead of the pack when it comes to publishing great niche books, and they've released truly the ultimate book for fans and collectors of children's records.

The Complete Guide to Vintage Children's Records is a remarkable book and a journey through a wonderful era of nostalgia. The Author, Peter Muldavin is a lifelong collector of children's nostalgia items and this book came about out of pure necessity. There simply was nothing else out there on the market. Now, the focus of the book is on 78 rpm records and not 45's or LP's. It's important to point that out as what most people are going to encounter in garage sale or flea markets is going to be LP's or 45's. Muldavin is concentrating on the era of his childhood, the early baby boomer years when 78's were prevalent in the 40's and through the late 50's.

Muldavin provides a very detailed and entertaining history of childrends records which highlights the Golden Age of kids records from 1946 - 1956. This includes a top ten list of record companies who produced children's records which includes Golden, Victor/RCA, Decca, Capitol, and Mercury. He also covers unique packages such as shaped or die-cut records, picture discs, filmstrip records, etc...All highly collectible today! There's also very valuable information about identifying and dating records, grading, and buying and selling. This truly is one-stop shopping for the Kid's record collectors.

Perhaps the most important section of the book is the 80 pages dedicated to label notes and identification. Here, Muldavin lists the hundreds of different label producers along with information such as distributor, content, subsidiaries, record size, color of label, date range, and miscellaneous notes. For example, Blue Ribbon records was a division of Mercury Records producing general children's entertainment records in the 1950's on 6", 7", or 10" vinyl. Over 450 different labels are noted.

The guide portion makes up the 300 pages plus of the book. It lists records alphabetically by label brand, beginning with Action Records and ending with Young People's Records. The guide is done in a grid format listing the main title, Disc #, artist, year, and values for both G/VG and EX/NMT grades. In all over 13,000 records are listed in the guide with hundreds of clear color photos included. In here you'll see pictures of records such as The Travels of Babar, Astro Boy, Mighty Mouse in Toyland, Jerry Lewis the Noisy Eater, and Uncle Milty and Donald Duck...what gems!

One of the best books I've seen yet from Collector Books...gorgeously illustrated and thorough. The perfect Baby Boomer companion!

Reviewed by Tim Janson

This book is just what I have been looking for to help me with some of the issues I have struggled with all my life. READ THIS BOOK to deal with road rage, anger, depression and difficult people, not only in the workplace, but also everywhere/anywhere social interaction takes place. If you get a chance, attend her seminar/workshop for an energizing and engaging learning experience where she brings the book to life. (Thank you Anna!)

This book is a logical explination of how to vew others in the right perspective. Included are concrete peacemaking ideas for the workplace. It was an inspiring experience to read this work.

This material was an epiphany for me..
Anna's training at the county was illuminating in that it suddenly started answering questions I had about myself an life in general; after the first part of the class, I bought her book and ordered another from her recommanded bibliography and went to the next part of the class eager to keep the momentum.
What I mostly like about her book and her training is the universal appeal of it's material.
It puts all the knowledge you acquired and the questions you still have in a logic and informative frame that you can acually work with and benefit from.
I almost made me slap an imaginary forhead and say: duh!
It is useful at work, in your personal life, in your relationships and it may even make retirement an adventure yet to come.
Raluca

PS
Any manager would have to attend this class under "mandatory training" and I will certainily recommend it to anyone who has it available to them.

Excellent book that will help you control your temper and maintain relationships in the midst of daily conflicts and frustration. I am a church administrator, and came across this book in the library while doing research for a church staff, "Leadership conference" that I was teaching. The book presented "conflict resolution" in such a simple and understandable way, that I used the material in my presentation and even offered to order the book for those who would be interested in reading it. 66% of the people attending ordered the book, and one person ended up giving it to his boss to read! Another said he put a note on his toolbox at work that said: BO, BS & BIBS! (You'll have to read the book to find out what those mean.) The author's way of presenting her concepts stick in your mind easily, and do make you think about them when you are facing the many times that conflict happens in your life. I would recommend this book to anyone!

My company is rapidly growing and naturally has lots of conflict. this book has helped me better handle the situations. More importantly, I have been teaching techniques from it at all levels with great sucess both for the company and people's personal lives.

There are too many salient points to mention, the cycle of Contempt, the health effects of "flooding", Baby-in-the-backseat, and so many thoughts and techniques that lead to a path of lower conflict both at work and at home.

Let's start out with the openers...when someone makes you angry, you literally cannot hear what is said to you for about 30 minutes AND your body will not return to a low stress state for 3 hours...that's just the health effects.

I highly recommend this to anyone who is dealing with lots of confrontation or is supervising indiviuals in crisis.

This is by far the best edition of the Beatle record price guide to date. The collaboration of Perry Cox, Frank Daniels, and Bruce Spizer is a home run. It's very well organized with many photos. If you're a collector or a seller you need this book!

This is an excellent book for any serious Beatles collector. Perry Cox really knows what we, as Beatles fans, want in a book. A lot of nice photos and useful and interesting info. Definitely a must have!

Now, let's face it; you won't be carrying this price guide with you to garage sales. No, this will be the reference book that stays at home. And what a book it is! Similar in size to Bruce Spizer's record books on the American Beatles' releases, this baby is published in a hard-cover format on nice glossy paper. The color photos are wonderful for fans to view the items, and the whole book is entertaining as well as informative in terms of accurate prices. Some of the color on some pages seemed to have a purplish haze to them, but hopefully that is remedied on new issues. Overall, a top-notch job by Perry. Now, Perry, what I would like to see from you is a price guide on international pressings. Maybe concentrating on the UK and Japanese pressings since many of these are collectible. Also, tell Bruce he's not done yet. He may have called his last book "Swan Song" as a way of saying goodbye, but I'm sure many fans, including myself, would like to see him tackle all of the British pressings.

for many many years,perry cox and bruce spizer have done thier best to uphold great quality items on beatles reference subjects.
they have finally started to do it in a very good way by showing COLORFULL scans of every capitol or apple product you can think of is the united states.
perry worked his butt off on this book.
why am i giving it 4 stars instead of five?
one reason.
nothing is included from canada(he gives credit to another book on that subject)which would have really been helpfull on the capitol issues..but spizers books covers canadian lps and 45s.
also bootlegs are missing..and many times there were infamouse ones that would make a good fan laugh ..like "how do you do it" on the swan label which was never released but would have been a hoot to see here.
knowing this book was never intended to show boots it is forgivable but two or three pics wouldnt have hurt.
other than that,there are guides to show you what lps were issuerd on what label variations and finally some good pricing.perry has been a seller of beatles records for many years and in this book he shows you just how incredible the beatles were to not only groove to,but to collect.a MUST for any beatles fan or collector!
also other formats are finally addressed and treated with respect(reel to reels and 4 tracks especially!)

This 6th edition from Mr. Perry Cox & Frank Daniels continues the long tradition and reputation of Perry's top price guides with the highest degree of research, knowledge, sources and listings available anywhere!

First, I give my strongest praise and congratulations to the co-authors (Perry and Frank), along with additional kudos to Mr. Bruce Spizer who contributed the Foreword, layouts, editing and publishing in this beautiful edition (and yes, I own most of his incredible "labor of love" books surrounding The Beatles records). These gentlemen are what we collectors consider "The Source" when it comes to being specific, detailed, precise and answering the tough questions that come with collecting what I consider "the greatest music memorabilia of all time".

Secondly, I would like to take a moment and get personal about Perry Cox and what he means to me in this business. I have done business with Perry since the early 1980's (when, at that time, I was just a young sailor in the U.S. Navy and spending as much of my extra money on my #1 passion - Beatles records and memorabilia). Perry immediately befriended me and has been more of a "mentor" and a "personal confidant" during these 25 years of our friendship. He has yet to steer me wrong or not provide the tough answers throughout all these years and I greatly admire his passion, dedication and genuine love for the hobby more than anyone else that I have had the pleasure of sharing this excitement with in this hobby. I remember back in the 80's and most of the 90's when I would receive Perry's "mailer lists" that he religiously mailed out to those of us on his distro list. Receiving those lists in the mail has long been replaced with the technology and real-time convenience of the internet (specifically Ebay), but I will never forget what those first 15 years were like when we couldn't see the items and relied on Perry's specific details on each item for sale in his mailer list! Times they were a-changin'. Regardless of the resources, Perry has always been top-notch and quickly became my favorite source (which he remains to this day). I have since retired from the U.S. Navy after 21 years service and now live in the Tampa area - but I still email Perry whenever those technical questions need to be answered (or merely for his advice on items I am considering for my personal collection). Bottom line is that I give my full and unconditional recommendation (without hesitation) to any source that Perry endorses in this hobby - and his price guides are legendary among the amateur and professional collectors alike - across the board! Thank you Perry for your deep friendship over the past 25 years my friend.

Next, I would like to humbly thank both Perry and Frank for recognizing me under the "Acknowledgements" section in this price guide. It is a labor of love for all of us and all I can say (after all these years collecting and sharing knowledge, experiences, etc.) is "How cool is it to have your name inside the actual book of your favorite lifelong hobby?" It is a dream come true and I am touched for that recognition! I have had the unbelievable fortune of meeting all four Beatles in person throughout my life, along with being stationed in London for two years with the U.S. Navy, and having my name mentioned in this book completes a long journey for me (for a little boy from Flint, Michigan who originally watched those "four lads from Liverpool" tear it up on that black & white television while dancing with my mother and older sister)! Little did we "Flintoids" know that we would also be treated to our own hometown heroes just six years later from "Grand Funk Railroad". Imagine that...

As for the 6th edition of "The price guide for The Beatles American records", I would like to echo some of the wonderful comments from Mr. Robert York of Tacoma, WA (scroll through the reviews and you will find his detailed analogy of this new guide). I agree that it is very fitting that this book is the same size and lines up beautifully on the bookshelf with Bruce Spizer's books (not a coincidence I assure you - these gentlemen do all the extra work to ensure high quality products from start to finish). This new guide also has more colored photographs and layouts than I've seen to date and it is absolutely gorgeous. It starts out in the inner cover with many of the single (45's) in their respective picture sleeves in bright colors - and ends on the back inner cover with all 24 American Beatles' albums (in order of release) all in color as well. Everything in between these covers is simply magic and very nicely laid out! I am a stickler for detail and for making things "make sense" and this book does exactly that. One of my favorite things is the color-coding throughout the book. The authors got it right and made this very easy to use for all hobbyist - and the outer edges of the pages are actually color-coded so that the user can go right to the appropriate section he/she is seeking (without having to thumb around and find things aimlessly). The guide is broken down into sections, starting with Beatles singles and EP's, then Beatles albums, George Harrison, John Lennon, Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, Pete Best and George Martin, Apple, Dark Horse Records, Compilations, and ends with Vendors (and those who paid to be sponsored in this publication).

I would also like to add that just before the color-coding starts in this publication, the authors have compiled some of the most important pages that will benefit collectors ten-fold (these pages are priceless, trust me). They have added sections on introduction, Market Analysis, Beatles records worth $1,000 or more, Grading records (very important especially for newcomers in the hobby), Acetates and Test Pressings, Promotional Records and Markings, Sealed Albums (which I have been involved in with Perry over many years), Capitol Inner Sleeves (nice explanations on what sleeves go with which albums, etc.), Records from other countries, Capitol-Apple Labelography (these are truly valuable pages here because it is so detailed and collectors need to become aware of all the differences on these labels), Capitol-Apple Tapeography, Pressings of "A Hard Day's Night" on UA (this is not testable, because 99% of us would fail the exam), Beatles U.S. Discography (you'll love this section and is perfect for "quick reference" or when creating your own personal spreadsheets, discography, or collections), and the last item in these white pages before the color-coding starts (and perhaps among the most important of all) is the "How to read the guide listings" section. This section specifically educates the reader on the Spizer Identification Number (which Beatles author/historian Bruce Spizer developed this numbering system for identifying items pictured and described in his books on The Beatles American records). This numbering system is quickly becoming popular among collectors and I would not be surprised if Mr. Spizer's system will one day be the universal standard for identifying all Beatles' American records (I have almost finished numbering my own personal collection with his numbering system and it just makes good sense)! Again, those white pages (pages 1-43) are some of the most valuable and educational sources that you will ever find on collecting Beatles American records (the price guide is worth its price for this information alone, not to mention pages 45-316 "the meat and potatoes" of the entire price guide).

Lastly, I highly recommend this price guide to everyone interested in gaining knowledge on Beatles American records, their history, how to identify exactly what you have, and it is simply the top-notch book available anywhere on this subject. A superior book cover-to-cover and I am so impressed with various elements throughout this guide. It takes the reader on a journey itself and you will experience the roots, growth and unbelievable spectrum that The Beatles records went through from the start to present day. After traveling through these pages several times I found myself in many different stages of my life, in retrospect, thinking about where I lived when a certain album was released or what girl I was sharing those moments with, etc. An incredible 5-star book which should be owned by all Beatles hobbyist (I own three myself and had to ensure I got the low serial #'d edition in the slipcase signed by all three gentlemen mentioned above). Purchase the guide, you'll be amazed at the weatlth of knowledge, perspiration, inspiration, dedication, and how cleverly laid out it really is! "I read the book today, oh boy..." and Perry, Frank & Bruce "made the grade". Cheers!

The Transformers Identification and Price Guide by Mark Bellomo is the greatest for the Transformers, More then Meets the Eye show every action figure created from Gen 1 and more. I have not seen a more detailed Transformers toy book with strenght, weakness, and more in one complete book. I recommend this book if you are Transformers More then Meets the Eye fan.

This is the best Action Figure guide I have ever seen. It is very informative and very accurate, the author even adds his personal take on most of the figures. And talk about bringing back old memories. I actually bought this book for nostalgic purposes and was very pleased. It was nice seeing all the old Transformers from the 80's in one piece. Makes me wish I knew what happened to all my old ones, man I'd be rich if I would have taken better care of them. Hope Mark Bellomo does a guide book for the rest of the Transformers. If you are looking for the ultimate 80's Transformers Action Figure guide, this is it!

I had heard good things about this author, and this guide, from reviews at other Transformer sites, so I bought it (it was also being sold for half price at amazon.com when I bought it). It was well worth every penny! It is very thorough and gives great details on each type of Transformer and each of the "lines of Transformers" that were made up to 1990. Each Transformer is also given approximate prices for what they are worth as well. Granted, the prices will change over time, but this guide will still be a worthy identification reference for a very long time.
I would have given it a 5, but there were quite a few grammatical errors in the book, but it won't affect your ability to understand the information.
My favorite part of the book is that the author appears to have had fun writing it, but takes it seriously enough to make it a very thorough reference guide. A must have for any Transformer fan, from beginner to expert!

This is a great book about the 80's transformers toy line. It has plenty of info on many transformers like their favorite motto to stats. If you are fan and/or collector this book is a must!!!

This is great reference guide. It shows all the Generation 1 Transformers (84-90). It shows all the pieces and a bio of each character. It also shows the value.
As kid I had over 50 of the originals and they are worth a ton of money. I use this book as a guide to purchasing used transformers at Ebay.
I wish he would come out of with with a volume 2 (92-07) which would show all the generation 2, Beastwars, Alternators, Universe,Cybertron, 07 movie, and classics. Which I think are better than generation 1.
Awsome book. I reconmend this book to all collectors.
Also check out the G.I Joe guide.

These pop-ups are just amazing! I love to see the new ones he creates almost every year!

Beautiful pop-up book; so much fun.Winter in White: A Mini Pop-up Treat (Classic Collectible Pop-Up)Robert Sabuda lives up to his outstanding reputation as an incredible artist. This book will be well loved in our household.

Love it! Love it! Love it! This little book is a pop-up treat!
I was very surprised at how pretty a bunch of white pop-ups could be.
I was really pleased with this book, & so were my young granddaughters.
Money well spent.

We collect these pop-up books and continue to be amazed at the skill and talent it must take to create them. This mini pop-up is a treasure. You can pick it up time after time and find something new. It is a joy to share with others. These are definitely 'adult' that would not stand up to little hands, but can be shared with the child one-on-one. Everything we have gotten from Robert Sabuda has been amazing!

This is a beautiful book with wintry scenes for small folks with someone to help them read it -- without ripping it apart. I purchased it for my toddler grandson. Only caveat, it's not the only book of its type, so check before buying that a similar book is not already owned.

Brief Description of Book
This book lives up to its name and is a great gift for someone you may know who is just getting hooked on buying vintage costume jewelry. It would make a great companion gift to a fabulous vintage piece. This book Collecting 101 is a bit basic for absolute beginners only.
The core thesis of the book is G-U-I-D-E an acronym that stands for:
* Is the piece in Good condition?
* Do U Like it?
* Is it a good investment?
* Is the piece designer signed and is it well designed?
* Are there extras that make it more interesting?
These questions are posed to help the buyer select good pieces at whatever price point they are starting to collect at. The author explains her GUIDE concept quite concisely and uses it throughout the book.

The author suggests four designers that beginners should collect Trifari, Coro, Kramer and Weiss. She recounts a little history about each of the companies, shows photos of their marks and recommends pieces to purchase. For example she suggests Trifari from the 50's and 60's because it is plentiful, available in excellent condition and not too expensive. The author uses a lot of photos to illustrate these sections

The next portion of the book is arranged the alphabetically and cameos 130 designers. Each profile contains a little company history, marks, signature look of a designer and recommendations of pieces to buy.

In the next chapter there is a section called "Marked by Style" on identifying unmarked jewelry. A little more than a beginner skill in my opinion but an interesting section to ponder nonetheless. She focuses 75% of her energy on Juliana, the remaining 25% on Eisenberg, Dorothy Bauer, Hattie Carnegie, Goldette, Haskell, Hollycraft, Sarah Coventry, Schauer, Schreiner and Weiss.

The remaining chapters cover:
* Upgrading your collection
* Repairing and Cleaning
* Cataloging a Collection
* Storing and Insuring a Collection

Over all the advice is quite sound, the G-U-I-D-E principle should be followed it will really help anyone avoid unfocused buying.

Quantity of Illustrations:
There are more than 750 total illustrations in Collecting Costume Jewelry 101. There are color photographs, original advertisements in color and black and white. The photos are clear and focused.


Quality of Illustrations:

Comments: The items selected are not riveting I think that they are pedestrian. Maybe that is because this book is pitched at beginners. However I feel that the selections should be inspirational and exciting. This is why the top shelf pieces in a book such as "A Tribute to America" are always fun to look at. I felt the items pictured were what the author could get permission to use. Which leads me to the inclusion of Christmas tree jewelry! There are too many Christmas trees in this book. And I like Christmas tree jewelry.

I have one very pointed example that illustrates my low score on the illustrations. The author devoted 3 pages to Miriam Haskell. In my opinion these are not good representative pieces, they are what was available to include. There is one pair of beaded earrings, a necklace with gold chain and a wood pendant that looks like it was made in shop class to me, several strings of beads, a pearl necklace that is not photographed close enough to generate any excitement and a pair of gilded earrings. I may sound harsh here but the wow factor of buying Miriam Haskell is not expressed in these photos. Feel free to disagree!

As a final note on the illustrations, I am reviewing the first edition of this book. According to the publisher Collector Books a second edition should be available soon. They promise 200 new photos and updates on the price guidelines that are included in the first edition.



Quantity of Information
Range of Information offered:
For the most part this is a good concise book to check for information. If you are looking for in depth information on a particular designer you should probably look at a more specialized book. For example there are entire books on Haskell, KJL, D &E, to name only a few designers.

Is the information thorough?
The information provided seems to be thorough and remember this is a book for beginners.

Values Listed (Prices) Yes
Are they helpful or realistic? The prices are being updated for a new edition
The prices are based on what one might hope to get in an e-bay auction.
Comments: Based on the prices sometimes I want to be buying and other times I want to be on the selling end of the transaction.


User Friendly:
Is the book easy to read and follow? yes
Is there a table of contents and index? yes
Is information easy to find? yes


Is this book a must have? Only for your friends who are just beginning to collect costume jewelry. I think Costume Jewelry 202 is a vastly superior book and I would recommend that (again).

Overall comments
If I had this book many years ago I would have avoided buying stuff I just didn't need. I would have made wiser purchases and would have a better collection today.

I actually bought her 2nd book (202) before buying this one (101) and while I treasure my 202 guide much more than this first one (because I'm not a beginner) - I think it is a fabulous book to have for those starting out. With a lot of fake WEISS and other great designers' jewelry being reproduced and sold as the real thing today (especially on eBay), it's a good guide to have that shows a fair amount and variation of these favorite popular designers' pieces. This will help the beginner collector possibly know a fake when they see it. Not all that shines and sparkles means it is the real thing or that it's collectible. I believe both her books should be bought together but the 202 Guide is definitely the very best there is (because it shows so many patents). I particularly like the fact that both of these books are done in sturdy paperback because if they were hardbound, they would be so heavy given how big they are. Lots and lots of colorful pictures! Well done!!

Found this book to be very helpful at my jewelry shows. Has lots of pictures and information on vintage jewelry and numerous designers. Does not go into great detail, but gives enough good information to be helpful. Because the information is listed in alpha order, my customers find it helpful when looking up specific designers or styles. This book is great for beginners and old collectors alike.

This book along with the "202" book by the same author are "must have"s for costume jewelry collectors, buyers and sellers. I can't rate them highly enough.

I learned many of the basics overtime and searching the internet. It is great to have so much information in one book. The photos are excellent and I would recommend this to anyone starting a collection. Great do's and don'ts.

Great book. Better than some others that I have bought.
Must have if you are interested in Limoges or just beautiful antique pieces

A must book for anyone who collects or is interested in collecting
Limoges. Debby Dubay is an expert on this subject.

Love this book and I highly recommend this book to collectors at all levels and specifically to hand painted Limoges porcelain collectors and china painters. Debby DuBay's books are absolutely beautiful and are useful price guides and reference books. The best books on the market - don't let the price keep you away from this book.

I met Ms DuBay at a conference were she was the opening guest speaker on turning a passion into a profession and then throughout the week she lectured on Limoges porcelain. Dynamic is not a strong enough word for her! After meeting her I purchased all three of her books on Limoges. I love Collecting Hand Painted Limoges Porcelain because it covers the history of painting on porcelain and the women who had influences in the 19th -21st centuries, the art of china painting using examples from artists who are currently painting on porcelain and then she has a section that covers antique Limoges boxes to vases and another section that provides all of the back stamps. Absolutely wonderful book! I recommend all of her books on Limoges. (I even purchased her Potter book!)

I love all of DuBay's books but this is my personal favorite! As a collector of antique Limoges porcelain and as a china painter - I use this book as a reference source. The unique pieces are fantastic and the information is informative yet interesting. Highly recommend.

This book is the most wonderful Encyclopedia about Barbie dolls. It has so many dolls listed with descriptions, prices and pics of the dolls in their boxes. Many pink boxes, OOAK Mattel dolls and collectibles. Pictures are nice, they are from the doll in box, and there are closes on some dolls.

If you need information on Pink Boxes, this book is the best!!! There are a new version 'cos this is not updated, the dolls showed ends on 1999. There are no 2000 dolls or 2001. But there are a second edition, so search for the new edition!

I have looked at many many books trying to find one that would help me to easily identify Barbie. Well folks, this is it! The pictures are wonderful, brightly colored and large enough to see detail. This is a "Must Have" book if you are a collector. (or if you buy used dolls to make up an OOAK) Well worth the money spent. I highly recommend!

I just received the COLLECTOR'S ENCYCLOPEDIA of BARBIE by JMichael Augustyniak. I thought I knew a lot about the value of eachdoll, I sell them and buy them regularly right here on amazon.com auctions. However, I opened the pages of this book and it is fantastic and a must for any serious collector. All the photos are in color, by date, series, it is all in this book. You will be amazed that some Barbies are valued in high 5 figures! I'm so glad I have this reference. Everyone who is interested in Barbie should! END

Maravilloso libro ! , poseo la 1ra y 2da Edicion, y son fabulosos, fotos hermosas y claras, muy bien las descripciones de cada muñeca...,Gracias Micael Augustiniak ! desde San Luis ,Argentina RITA REVUELTO

This book was very informative regarding dolls and values. I wish it would have had more of the "Special Edition" models and values though. Lots of pictures that are a good size for viewing and easy to see.

This book is put together very well, the index pages in the back make it easy to locate the dolls that you are looking for. I am a beginner and this book was very helpful for me to put a value on the dolls that I already have.