Collectibles Books

I HAVE GOTTEN ALOT OF USE OUT OF MY STAINLESS GUIDE AND WISH IT EVEN HAD MORE PATTERNS IN IT. BOB PAGE AND REPLACEMENTS LTD DID EVERYONE A GREAT SERVICE BY MAKING THIS BOOK. www.replacements.com

Love it! This is the bible of stainless flatware identification. It is very well organized, easy to follow, and narrows down your search immediately. I highly recommend it to anyone who deals in vintage & new stainless flatware. 5 Stars!!

This book saves time narrowing down your search for the right flatware!! It can take forever to figure out what you want to eat with for the next 10+ years if you rely on department stores to have a decent selection, cause that's very hard to find!

This book is the best I've run across...Its easy and very thorough, with pages and pages of patterns...Great for quick and easy identification....Easy to find facts and makers...

This book is a good reference source for the meaningful information on cars produced through this period. We are not talking War And Peace, though from the heft of it you might think so. Very dry and factual. It also illustrates why alot of the 70's were a terrible time for cars. It even lists my old plymouth cricket!

Does anyone know if this book is available as a cd rom

If you are a car buff you have to have this book. I own this book as well as the now out-of-print American cars 1805-1942. These are the bibles of car history. No other books have what these have. A real bargain for all the detailed information you get. Strongly recommended.

The Standard Catalog of American Cars is the best source for in-depth information on all makes of American cars. In addition to thousands of photos, the catalog includes specs, serial numbers, production totals, and current values on a 1 to 6 scale. Specs include original prices, weight, options, engines, overall length, wheelbase lenth, locations of factories, and much more. It's a great first source for anyone that's thinking of buying an older American car. It arms the potential buyer with enough information to have an intelligent conversation with anyone selling classic cars. With the information in this book, I've talked to sellers and knew more about their car than they did. As an old car collector and hobbyist, I've found it to be an indispensable tool. The only criticism I have is that I wish it had more photos in general, especially color.

Bought this for my husband and it will keep him busy for hours reading it. He loves any book that has Cars or Truck in it.

THIS CATALOG IS INVALUABLE TO US, BUYING CARS FOR EXPORT. WE CAN CHECK ENGINE SIZES, OPTIONS, VIN NUMBERS ETC. BEING OUTSIDE THE U.S. ITS A COMPLETE WINDOW ON ALL CARS THAT ARE LIKELY TO BE ADVERTISED FOR SALE FROM 1976 ONWARD. I WOULD NOT BE WITHOUT IT.

This book is not for everyone. Flammang and Kowalke have given us not merely a reference book, but a sort of "living history" of the American automobile industry's most challenging era. It's great fun to track the changes in American cars from the North American Vinyl-Backed Road Pigs of the mid-70s through the confusing transitional years of the 80s, on into the rebirth of the American auto industry in the 90s. Reading this book not only shows you how the way cars are built has changed; you also get a sense of how the way cars are sold has changed.

The reason this book is not for everyone is that this is essentially an encyclopedia. There's a section for every American automaker, and within those sections, a section for every model year. Thus you can learn what makes, say, a 1978 Chevy Impala different from the 1979 models. Or you can read about the travails of the Ford Motor Company in the late 70s and see how they dug themselves out of a rut with their products. Flammang and Kowalke have done a good job researching this book and finding telling little factoids to help illustrate where each company was at in a given year.

This book is also a boon to collectors, as it gives fairly complete production numbers. You can learn about ultra-rare body styles, option packages, and the like.

I've only got one quibble: the authors exclude any discussion of "captive imports" (cars produced by foreign manufacturers but sold with American names, like the Dodge Colt and Ford Fiesta). I can understand their rationale, but there are future collectibles among these cars, and it's been a *long* time since the Standard Guide to Imported Cars has been updated. On the whole, though, this is a good book for any hard-core auto enthusiast, and one of the best rainy-day reads I've got.

The Standard Catalog of American Cars really sets the
standard to an automotive history book. The information is
overwhelming, and you will find yourself glued to the book
any chance you get.It's also a great book for anyone looking
for a used domestic automobile. It lets you find the right
car, and gives you options that you can look for while
shopping for your car. This is not a book for page flippers.
But it will fill your head with a wealth of information.
Best book ever!!!!!

This thing is a monster. It has details on nearly every comic published, through to September 2001 or so. Besides the usual pricing information, if also includes circulation info (for some titles) and CGC info (how many copies have been CGC'd, and what the highest grade is). Many titles have a short series synopsis included, with information on storylines, creators, and anything else that might be interesting about a title.

This book is so much more than a price guide. Don't get me wrong, as a comic book price guide it's a good one, not only giving you the average comic store retail value of books, but that the average online auction value is in several CGC grades. It's fair and accurate on most books, though it doesn't give insanely high values to some of the `hot new' books. Also, it has individual listings for each comic book with check boxes by every issue so you can keep track of what you have and what you need.

But this 5.5 pound monster isn't just about how much your comic is worth. For most series it gives a background and description of the series. It tells you who wrote and drew every single comic, and it even has how many issues were printed for most comics.

Newcomers to comic books can enjoy this rich wealth of comic book information but I believe the long time comic book fanatic will best enjoy it. For the long time fan this book will not only help you keep track of your vast collection, but it will allow you an opportunity to discover new comic series. It will reacquaint you with lost comic book loves, and it will provide you hours of reading.

This is a must have for every comic book fan new and seasoned, young and old. I can't recommend this enough!

This catalog provides a wealth of information for collectors of comic books. It can be overwhelming for a novice (me) to absorb, but what fun I will have while I learn. Definitely a worthwhile investment.

The Overstreet Comic Price Guide has been around so long that it's become ubiquitous in the industry. It's the default standard of most collectors. Now while Krause Publications does out their own yearly price guide, the Standard Catalog of Comics is a whole other animal. This massive, 1600 plus page tome lists more comic titles than any other guide at over 165,000 comics, far more than any other guide going, and includes hundreds of variant issues. The Standard Catalog of Comics is the blue collar guide to comics. It isn't filled with fluff articles about Superman or Archie, this is a guide designed for and by comic book collectors and enthusiasts.

First, this book does a far better job of explaining comic grading and conditions than Overstreet, and features close-up photos of standard defects such as creasing, spine-roll, rusty staples, and stress creases. But what really sets The Standard Catalog apart from its competitor is it's pricing data. With Overstreet, we get dozens of pages of retailer reports offering their opinions and a handful of recorded sales that to me has always been fairly useless. Today, the internet, and particularly eBay has changed the way comics are bought and sold and pretty much replace retail shops and conventions as the preferred place to buy and sell back issues. What this book provides is real date culled from real sales, and a lot of it.

What the editors have done is to track up to 25 recent auction closings for various combinations of CGC graded comics. For example, Daredevil #1 had at 25 reported closings in a condition of CGC 6.0 over the evaluation period. These books closed with a low of $455, a high of $911, and an average of $640. In another example, Marvel Team-Up #24 had 4 closing (and three is the minimum used for reporting) in a grade of CGC 9.8. The high was $147. Now this book in standard NM condition is only valued at $8 so you can see the wide disparity in slabbed comic books. This is real world data that is invaluable to collectors like myself who have moved to eBay to buy and sell comics. Where there is no auction data each book is given only a NM grade and then there is a chart to calculate the value of a book in lower grade. This information comes from the Comic Base, as well as convention and mail order sales. Purists may be bothered by that but really, what more does one need? The CGC data is what is going to appeal to most collectors anyway.

Another thing setting the Standard Catalog apart is its circulation data. With records of capital City and Diamond orders along with the publisher's statement of ownership figures, circulation totals are provided for thousands of comics. Now you can know just how many copies of the supposed "rare" title were distributed. Again, this is invaluable information for collectors. Listed for issues are items such as notable character appearances, events, origins, first appearances, artist/writer credits, they even list the title of the story for hundreds of thousands of individual issues. In addition brief capsule essays are provided for nearly all mainstream comic titles.

The book is clearly and concisely written. The information is provided in a well laid out format and is easy to follow and locate. Is it perfect? Well not quite. While there are over 2,000 comic photos that only averages to just over one per page and more photos would have been welcome. Still the wealth of valuable information in the book makes it absolutely indispensable for any comic book collector and should be in the possession of anyone who is series about comics.

Reviewed by Tim Janson

When I opened this book for the first time I thought: "too long an intro. But I was srong anything in it is there for a purpose. It's rare to see such a work. Bravo !

As a historical shooter of percussion and western arms I bought a replica of an 1860 Richards Army conversion and then found an absolute dearth of information about it. Mostly all that could be found were references to this type of weapon but little information. McDowell's book fills a longstanding void about this transitional era in firearms between percussion and cartridge. This is a definitive work with substantial documentation that resolves what is an inherently confusing topic. These types of revolvers are being made now with the growth in Cowboy Action Shooting and shooters are always avidly interested in the history of their weapons. This is a plethora of photographs and diagrams which resolves the sequence of development of these types of arms in such a way that the student of these arms can get a full understanding of their circumstances of development. With this book a great void in firearms history is perfectly filled in.

Excellent study of the various models of cartridge conversion revolvers. It's all here S & W, Colt, Remington, and others. Great photos of the guns. Well documented and researched with details of every gun right down to how many were produced and any variations during production. Reccomended to anyone who desires to know more about the early cowboy guns before the 73 Peacemaker came along.

I own two of the actual revolvers pictured in this book that I acquired from large personal collections, and I eagerly reference my copy every time I acquire one of these rare pieces from the transitional phase of Colt's cartridge revolver development. It is thoroughly researched, and every model is dissected and thoroughly photographed. Not just the guns are featured here, but the leather! There are rare military and civilian holsters pictured here that you may never see in three collector's lifetimes!! N.

this book is for you... it is full of great pictures and information... it is awesome

Digby Diehl has dug up enough ghastly art and story lines from the old E.C. vaults to chill even the most die-hard Crypt fans! This book captures the horror and fascination many of us experienced as kids, encountering our first Tales from the Crypt comic. This archive presents a rich visual history of the development of the horror genre in comics, its rise to horrific success, and the devastating blows it was dealt in the 1950s, as comics came under tighter censorship scutiny. It is worth having this book for the collection of cover art alone, but also worth noting is the section on its spinoff into the television series. Anyone who has ever seen the comics, or the shows, will undoubtedly enjoy poring over this collection into the wee hours of the night...

A mere comic book in 1950, today Tales From the Crypt and its Crypt Keeper are trademarks whose value exceeds their initial medium, much as Disney's Mickey Mouse surpasses the value of his cartoons. And if Mickey means amiable family entertainment, the Crypt Keeper signifies a particular kind of horror tale: one combining brevity, gore, black humor, and moral irony.

Tales From the Crypt is also a multimedia property. Digby Diehl touches most bases along its history, beginning with the origin of comics books, a marriage between newspaper comic strips and pulp fiction. In 1896, Richard F. Outcault created The Yellow Kid, a comedic strip of cartoons about ... a yellow kid (allowing its publisher to showcase a newly invented, bright yellow ink, a favorite practice of tabloid yellow journalists). Until the late 1920s all cartoon strips were comedic, hence, a comic strip.

In 1933, Max Gaines conceived of reprinting comic strips into pulp books, making him the Father of the Comic Book. In 1945, his partners at Action Comics bought him out and he founded Educational Comics, publishing titles such as Picture Stories From the Bible and Bouncy Bunny in the Friendly Forest. He died in a 1947 boating accident, saving a child's life while perhaps sacrificing his own.

Bill Gaines grew up hating and avoiding comics because they had represented Max, a critical and demanding father. Now Bill's mother insisted that he run EC. He did, changing EC from Educational to Entertaining Comics, and hiring Al Feldstein to draw an Archie clone, Going Steady With Peggy. But Bill soon dropped the idea of cloning successful trends, a standard publishing practice then (and now?), and created what he called his New Trend titles.

The history of EC's New Trend horror and crime comics (Tales From the Crypt, Vault of Horror, Haunt of Fear, Crime SuspenStories, Shock SuspenStories) informs much of Diehl's book, but there is much else. We read of Weird Science and Weird Fantasy, Bill's sci-fi comics tolerated out of love since they never achieved the success of their horror siblings; the GhouLunatics (Crypt Keeper, Vault Keeper, Old Witch); Harvey Kurtzman's distaste for horror, his meticulous attention to military detail in his beloved EC war comics (Two-Fisted Tales, Frontline Combat), and his creation of, and defection from, MAD; EC's plagiarism of Ray Bradbury's "What The Dog Dragged In," leading to a long, congenial working relationship with Bradbury (but who later requested that his name not be put on covers, as he worried that being adapted by the comics hurt his authorial reputation); and the cloning of the New Trend, so that by 1953 about 150 competing horror titles were being published, today mostly forgotten.

Sections on each EC artist includes bios and samples of his unique style. Al Feldstein, who wrote and edited most of the New Trend, demanded that each artist have his own signature style. Bill Gaines encouraged it by instituting an "Artist Of The Issue" kudos page, a respect rarely accorded by other publishers.

EC's five horror and crime titles all folded in 1954, due to public outcry against comic book sex and violence. Psychiatrist Dr. Fredric Wertham of the New York Department Of Hospitals and Harlem's Lafargue Clinic led the fight. Powerful enemies against EC included gossip columnist Walter Winchell, waging a vendetta against EC business manager Lyle Stuart (whose book had revealed the "seamier side of Winchell's private life"); Senator Estes Kefauver (D-Tenn) of the Senate Subcommittee to Investigate Juvenile Delinquency and a presidential hopeful; and EC's competitors, particularly Archie Comics's John Goldwater and DC's Jack Liebowitz. As President and Veep of the Comics Magazine Association of America (CMAA), Goldwater and Liebowitz prohibited the words "horror, terror, crime, and weird" for a comic book to earn the CMAA's new seal of approval, required by distributors. EC's strength was its horror and crime titles, unlike its competitors. Ironically, Bill Gaines had called the meeting at which the CMAA was formed.

Wertham recruited support from "women's groups and religious organizations," vilifying horror and crime comics for their "detailed descriptions of all kinds of felonies, torture, sadism, attempted rape, flagellation" and portraying women "in a smutty, unwholesome way, with emphasis on half-bare and exaggerated sex characteristics." He decried all horror and crime comics, but EC had the most to lose. Ironically, EC was rare among publishers in diluting its horror with humor. The GhouLunatics' wry commentaries distanced readers from the suffering characters.

One rare political hero was New York Governor Thomas Dewey, who vetoed "numerous bills outlawing horror comics." But though attempts at state censorship failed, bad press, public pressure, and boycotts discouraged distributors and retailers from carrying EC. Bill Gaines summarized, "Magazines that do not get onto the newsstand do not sell."

Gaines requested permission to testify before Kefauver. In his statement (reprinted by Diehl) Gaines says, "I do not believe that anything that has ever been written can make a child hostile, over-aggressive, or delinquent." Here he was disingenuous, or at least contradictory. Gaines believed in comics' power to influence youth, periodically publishing what he called preachies (tales condemning racism, anti-Semitism, drugs, etc.), usually in Shock SuspenStories. And if art can influence for good, it follows that it can influence for ill.

The question should not have been: are violent comics potentially harmful? Tobacco, marijuana, airplanes, cars, guns -- and yes, art and ideas -- are all potentially harmful. To users, to third parties, to children. The proper question is: Do we chose to live and raise children in a society that assumes the risks of liberty, or do we wish a society cocooned, safe, and inoffensive, hypersensitive to the sensibilities of all?

Although Diehl makes no connection, Wertham began his campaign in 1948 and Bradbury began Fahrenheit 451 in 1950. One wonders what influence the psychiatrist had on the author. For the society in Fahrenheit 451 is a democracy, one in which whatever book offends any group is banned, until none are left. Unlike 1984's obvious state totalitarian target, Fahrenheit 451 reveals that people can discard their freedom by choice.

Yet as EC so often demonstrated in its pages, you can't keep the dead down. The Crypt Keeper lived on. In fanzines, in Russ Cochran's hardcover reprints (published in black & white so as to display the artists' meticulous ink lines), in the Amicus films, in the HBO series (Diehl includes a 93-episode guide covering the first seven seasons), in the more recent films, in the Tales From the Cryptkeeper cartoon. All covered, if only a page. There are a few errors (remarkably, Boris Karloff is referred to as William Henry Platt). Thankfully, there's an index, albeit incomplete. No reference to Karloff under any name.

Not covered are the Amicus film novelizations by Jack Oleck. Although pictured in the collectibles section, there's no information on its making. I miss it because it was both my introduction to Tales From the Crypt (being underage for the Amicus film) and my first "adult" book. To boomers, Tales From the Crypt is a comic book. To Xers, an HBO series. To those born in between, the Crypt Keeper is Ralph Richardson, seen on the back of Oleck's novelization.

Diehl's book reprints four "classic" stories and all 105 EC horror and crime covers (nine per page). Extensively researched, generously illustrated. If you have a serious interest in Tales From the Crypt, you'll want this book.

While I was never a big fan of the HBO cable series - I always felt it was more a star vehicle than a scare vehicle - I did always enjoy the comics it was based on, and with this, the offical history of EC and all their creations, you too will become a fan all over again. This book comes fully equipped and packed with features. It spotlights the history of EC and beyond, background profiles on artists, writers and producers, as well a comprehensive listings of episodes from the HBO series, plus four reprinted classics from the original run (LOWER BERTH/THE THING FROM THE GRAVE/HORROR WE? HOW'S BAYOU? and THE OCTOBER GAME - adapted from a story by Ray Bradbury... who has an interesting history with EC), plus a cover gallery running the gambit of all the EC horror series. This is a must for any fan of the series or collector of comics in general. Very fun, very nice package and very well done. My only complaint is that on occasion the material can read a bit light, but it never bores you... and you learn a thing or two, like: Just who owns all the original art work from MAD #1? To find out - buy and and read inside.

This book is the size of a coffee table book, but you can actually read it and learn something. It is difficult to find a good history of the phonograph, especially the business history of how it developed. This book fills the bill. It also features a large number of clear photographs so you will know what the author is talking about. If you are interested in antique talking machines, or need a good coffee table book, this is a good choice.

Nice color photos, easy read although there is so much information and names, one can get confused on who is who and what company they started and worked for. Covers the complete history of the phonograph and the records that play on it. Explains how it came about, all the patent wars between people and technology that changed the phonograph early on. Nice sized book, easy to handle, easy read. Beautiful color photos of phonographs of all types. Lots of information. Worth having if you love old phonographs.

This is truly a remarkable book. If you are interested in the subject of phonographs and how they got started then this is the book for you. It is filled with the history of the phonograph. Especially interesting was the story of how Nipper the dog came about. You can't go wrong with this book.

The Talking Machine: An Illustrated Compendium is an extraordinarily well-assembled collection of nuts-and-bolts information, fascinating anecdotes, and gorgeous photography. Those who are familiar with this subject will find as a great a plunder of knowledge as those who are just beginning their education. The book traces the invention, evolution and maturation of the mechanical "Talking Machine," variously known popularly as the phonograph, gramaphone, graphophone, victrola, etc., depending on manufacturer. We learn of the birth of this amazing instrument in the hands of Thomas Edison's labratory cronies, its period of idleness immediately afterward and its re-birth and "perfection" some ten years later. We follow the incredible and relentless period of patent lawsuits. Learn who among the famous helped "make" the invention with their visits to the recording studio. Discover the many small firms in the Chicago area which sprang up and were often as not just as quickly snuffed out by the "Big Three": National Phonograph (Edison), Victor Talking Machine, and Columbia. The well-presented text is sumptuously augmented with an amazing collection of beautiful color photographs. This book is not cheap at $70, but would be worth twice the amount in the invaluable information given!

This book is a must have for anyone who is pursuing the art of making teapots. It addresses so many things you wouldn't even think of. For example the author discusses what makes a teapot pour properly, methods for making lids that don't fall off while pouring, what forms keep the tea hot longest, and many other helpful tips. Also, it isn't a tough read. Each section showcases work from various artists with different methods of creating each peice of a teapot. I find this book very engaging and informative. It is a must have for any potter who plans to make teapots on a regular or semi-regular basis. If you are a person who enjoys tea, you may also like this book as it would demonstrate what you should look for in a teapot as well.

As a potter who make lots of teapots, I bought The Teapot Book and read it with great interest. The tips, illustrations and photos are a great help to me in improving the skills needed to make teapots. This book should be an inspiration to any potter aspiring to make excellent teapots. It will also be of interest to all potters and collectors as well. The book has diagrams, and beautiful full color photos of a teapot being assembled. There are contributions of glazes and tips by various European and American potters. The photo gallery of teapots and short anecdotes about the teapot and potter exhibits a cross sections of many styles of teapots from handmade to thrown. A very well written book.

Having only just received the teapot book and scanning it I definitely like what I see. It looks to me like there is some very nicely laid out step by step explanations for making different forms and great tips on putting the infamous teapot together. Cheers, Cheryl

I have been doing ceramics for five years, and specialize in teapots. This book has helped me immensely, including design and techniques. I highly recommend it.

I SAW THIS BOOK ADVERTISED IN ANOTHER PISTOL BOOK I HAVE. IT IS ABSOLUTELY BRILLIANT!!! BETTER THAN ADVERTISED

This is not just a book about toy cap pistols, it is a time machine. Not only does Mr. D'angelo present the cap pistols of our youth but he reveals the actors who played the part on television. A fact filled, exhaustive research of a love he shares with us. I had forgotten many of the toys he describes. Each page brought back memories of a childhood where honor and truth was the spoken word of the cowboy. So fans of the 50's and 60's westerns, return to those thrilling days of yesteryear when all boys wore their six shooters with pride and rode into the sunset.....

MR. D'ANGELO HAS BROUGHT A WEALTH OF PERSONAL KNOWLEDGE AND WARMTH ON THE SUBJECT INTO HIS WRITING; HE HAS COMPLETELY AND EXHAUSTIVELY RESEARCHED THE BACKGROUNDS OF ALL OF THE CHARACTERS AND THE WEAPONS, AND DISCUSSES THEM WITH OPEN FAMILIARITY. FOR THOSE RAISED DURING THE 50'S AND 60'S, THIS IS A TRIP DOWN TV AND THE MOVIES'S MEMORY LANE. THIS BOOK IS OBVIOUSLY A LABOR OF LOVE, AND IT TRULY SHOWS. A GREAT ADDITION TO ANY COLLECTOR'S LIBRARY, AND GREAT FOR THE NOSTALGIA BUFFS!

A masterpiece of research and delivery. This is a book I keep out and enjoy referring to every time I watch a western on TV. The unexpected benefit from this book occurs when friends notice it on the table. I thought I knew everything about people I have known for years, but this book starts conversations into childhood favorites that are truly enlightening and very enjoyable. A must have for anyone who has every watched a TV western of owned a cap gun.

This is the Bible for Tiffany collectors but it also has a history of the purpose of each piece of flatware.

This book is a superb work. The authors have filled a major void in the literature concerning the history of American decorative arts. The quality of the research and textual insights make this book essential reading for anyone interested in Tiffany silverware or the latter 19th century of American craftsmanship. The photography is so magnificent that I repeatedly find myself leafing through this book to admire the beauty of this flatware of a bygone era. A great read...a beautiful coffee table book...a classic in every respect.

For all silver lovers, not just Tiffany lovers. Beautiful book, beautifully produced. Pictures could not be better.

This is a terrific book! It covers the complete spectrum of Tiffany silver flatware from 1845 to 1905. It's lavishly illustrated with photographs, diagrams, and original pattern drawings. It covers the full-line patterns, the not-full-line patterns, and the custom patterns made for the likes of the Vanderbilts and the Hearsts.

The book breaks the patterns down by designer: early pieces by retailers Polhamus, Hebbard, Gorham, Moore and others; the major designers Edward Moore, Charles Grosjean, and Paulding Parnham. It shows the various place pieces in standard patterns, as well as covering the extensive amount of fabulous and rare serving and other odd pieces (how many of you own a scallop serving fork?) There are also several useful appendices, including: Flatware Terminology; Glossary of Technical Terms; Tiffany Flatware Markings; and a Tiffany Chronology. As well, a thorough index makes it easy to find patterns or pieces you are looking for.

All in all this is the perfect book for the collector of this wonderful silver. It does not contain pricing information, which is a good thing in this day and age of online auctions, as such pricing info is often outdated by the time the book reaches the press. The only problem I had after reading it was that I wanted to own everything in the book! Don't hesitate, buy it!