Collectibles Books

I have restored, refinished and sold many antique and vintage trunks. A big part of my success has been "Antique Trunks" because of the excellent historical background, trunk information and pictures.

Identification, values and years are sometimes difficult to determine but Linda and Paul offer a guide that in most cases will help you whittle down to insightful information about your trunk or trunks you wish to purchase.

This well laid out book offers a guide to parts and sections of a trunk, old fashioned Victorian labels, manufacturers complete with locations and addresses, locks, handles, hasps, tips for basic refinishing and restoration.

The guide helps in the identification process in particular because it provides date ranges related to specific designs used in specific time periods.

Besides written information and photographs one section offers diagrams of trunks styles related to patents from years past.

This book is soft cover with a complete glossy finish and will serve you well in most endeavors concerning a by gone era of steamer trunks and the modern era of bringing them back to life and usefulness. Enjoy!

It is just what I wanted. Like it very much.

A treasure trove on this fascinating subject, the informative text, beautiful photos, and handsome lay-out, combine to make this tome invaluable. This well-researched work paints a portrait of a young and eager nation moving on. Whether you're a serious collector or a casual consumer, this exquisite book will chronicle for you the unique industry of American trunk making. The dozens of color photos bring the past to life. Looks great on the coffee table too!

I purchased this book after many other arrowhead/artifact book purchases, this book gave to me, personally, more information, it was simple to read and understandable. I was able to identify alot of items I had found on my property here in the mountains. I know he is in CO. but there were a good lot of items I could identify from here in OR. by the illustration and writing identification. I would like to thank Mr. Yeager for writing an easy to follow book on artifacts and such...I would also LOVE to see his collection sometime. :0)

This guide contains information on what artifacts are made of, how they were made as well as the types of places to look for them. It also offers valuable moral advice on site preservation and the laws pertaining to artifact collection.

June 19,1992 was surface finding in a plowed field in Wilmore Ky., found to my surprise found a 10 pound mint, polished axe. Was very excited... I have found 2000 pieces over the past 10 years. Just found a top to a water jug. Would enjoy any correspondence from other collector's. have many different types found in only 5 fields. cannot identify all of them...One is a triple fulton turkey tail arrowhead, notched at bottom. I also have a piece of drift wood with a large spear inside wood with a celt, and other piece unidentified.

TOP QUALITY BOOK WITH EXCELLENT PHOTOS AND ARTICLES. A MUST FOR ALL REAL ENTHUSIASTIC KNIVE MAKERS AND COLLECTORS.

As a custom knifemaker I'm always excited to see new publications related to the collected works of knifemaking. Of very special interest to me are those books which focus on the art and ingenuity of custom art knives; books which explore the art not only with good photography of quality knives but also with accompanying text providing insight into the methods and intent of the maker. Truly this area of artistic endeavor has been but scarcely examined and over the years I've found only a few books which approach these criteria and which, for the most part, now sit on my bookshelves. There have, however, been two books I've come to treasure above the others; Art and Design in Modern Custom Fixed-Blade Knives and Art and Design in Modern Custom Folding Knives, both by Dr. David Darom.

In these books can be found not only the exquisite photography which occurs occasionally in other collective works but also a depth of writing exploring the knifemaker and his focus on the knives being regarded. With his writing Dr. Darom provides rare and wonderful insight into the world of knives which transports the reader, both those experienced as well as novice, to a higher level of understanding the unique experience of knifemaking. His critical selection of art knives and insistence on only the highest quality of photographs reproduced using top quality printing methods and materials have created the finest art knife books I have ever owned. Coupled with Darom's focus on quality is Amazon.com's ability to bring this treasure to the public for an amazingly low price. I applaud Dr. Darom's efforts and welcome the long awaited USA release of Art and Design in Modern Custom Folding Knives. It is my hope Dr. Darom continues to explore the rich and diverse field of custom knifemaking and finds it worthy of producing future volumes not unlike this one.

In short; Art and Design in Modern Custom Folding Knives is without a doubt indispensable to both professional and the enthusiast alike. This book is of such fine quality I truly must wonder at the ability to offer it for so low a price and advance the suggestion this serves to make it the perfect unique table book or addition to any fine art book collection.

-Charles Kain

I want to say right up front that I am David Darom's partner in his third knife book, "The Art of Modern Custom Knifemaking, 100 Custom Knife Related Projects in the Making" (soon to be released). I very much wanted to write this review, but because of my current relationship with David I was concerned that some might question my motives. But I can tell you that I would not have even met David had it not been for this incredible book.

I first heard about "Art & Design in Modern Custom Folders" a couple of months prior to its release. I am a part-time knifemaker, and a member of a group of online forums that are devoted to custom knifemaking. David had "teased" us with sample photos from his soon-to-be-released book. And the preliminary taste worked...Like most of our 7000+ members, I was more than a little bit intrigued.

Hard bound, printed in Italy, 260 full-color pages filled with breathtaking photos of the some of the most exquisite knives in the world... The book sounded incredible and I couldn't wait to get my hands on a copy. And so with the single-minded goal of acquiring my own copy, when the book had its world premier at New York's annual East Coast Custom Knife Show, I drove up with a few friends.

When we arrived I made a beeline for David's table...I was fortunate enough to meet him, if only for a few minutes (he was swamped with fellow enthusiasts trying to get their own copies). The meeting was brief but enjoyable...and I got what I came for...my own signed copy of the exciting new book.

As soon as I got home I dove in...Every page was a delight and I spent hours and hours fully immersed. David's love for his subject matter was apparent...Never before had we seen such a collection of photos...no props, no distracting backgrounds, just page after page of beautifully-done, world class photography, that showed off the knives in all of their glorious detail.

Needless-to-say, I couldn't wait to tell all of my online friends about this wonderful new book and I posted my own review, followed by much discussion. This ultimately led to an ongoing, long-distance correspondence with David. We became good friends. Several months later he asked me to write an article for his second knife book,"Art and Design in Modern Custom Fixed-Blade knives"...and that experience eventually led to our partnership in the 3rd book.

Not a week goes by when I don't refer to my copy of "Art & Design in Modern Custom Folding Knives"...The pages are now quite dog-eared. I have a sizeable collection of knife-related books and magazines, but this is easily my single, most often used resource for inspiration and ideas.

Am I prejudiced? Absolutely! But I can say without reservation that for overall production value and presentation, David has set the bar high with this book. Nothing else out there comes close. The skill and love that went into the making of this magnificent "coffee table" book of museum quality, folding art knives is unequaled. This masterpiece led me to David...And I am honored to have become his friend and associate.

It is impossible to glance at even one page of this book without being completely drawn in. If you are a knife enthusiast, or if you simply appreciate any form of extraordinary art and craftsmanship, this book is a joy to own.

Dennis Greenbaum

An in-depth family bio on the Bengel family of jewelers through the Art Deco period. Includes lots of family photos, original art piece drawings, and beautifully photographed actual pictures of Bengel pieces. It is a nice slice of life in pictoral form for anyone who wants to see close up, the types of jewelry that was being worn during that era. A beautiful book for the art lover or the vintage lover, for reference or coffee table.

A first-class survey of Art Deco Galalith jewelry which focuses on the output of the German watch-chain and jewelry manufacturer Bengel. The first ninety-seven pages look at thirties fashion, jewelry and the art movements that created such a vibrant look to pendants, bracelets, earrings and brooches. Clearly Christine Weber-Stober has done a lot of research into European Art Deco jewelry and the items made by Bengel from Galalith (from the Greek 'gala', milk and 'lithos', stone)

It was made from milk protein and formaldehyde and was one of the new synthetic products developed in the middle and latter part of the nineteenth century. The beauty of it was that it could be made cheaply, was heat resistant and easy to color, so makers of buttons, belt-buckles, knitting needles and similar small items were able to churn them out by the millions. It did have one drawback though: it couldn't be cast like later plastic but was made in slabs, tubes and rods then cut and worked into whatever simple shape was required.

The various new materials developed in the early years of the twentieth century were ideally suited to designers and creative folk influenced by the new 'isms' of the age: cubism, futurism, vorticism and especially modernism via the Bauhaus. The second part of the book has 253 photos of mass produced jewelry from the Bengel company. Their expertise in metalwork combined with the simple colorful shapes of Galalith makes all of these pieces look quite stunning. Strangely, despite the author's research, there seems to be no real explanation as to why this German metal working factory made such remarkable work. None of it was stamped with the company name, their Galalith jewelry output went to wholesalers who sold it on to retailers who added their brand names.

The book's production is as gorgeous as the jewelry. Printed on matt art paper with a 175 screen, the elegant layout throws up the excellent photography. The text is in German and English but the designers have avoided any potential reader confusion by splitting the text pages horizontally with German occupying the top section. In comparison the books for collectors from the main American publishers in this sector look bland and visually uninspiring (expensive, too).

Art Deco Jewelry is a beautiful celebration of past jewelry style that still looks fresh and lively today.

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

Probably the dawn of art deco fashion jewelry was the 16-28 May 1927 machine-age exposition in New York. This exposition showed how modern technology could be fused with the arts, bringing German bauhaus design to America's attention.

The prior year, 1926, saw the release of the silent film "Metropolis," Fritz Lang's anxious vision of a world demanding conformity in which "the masses" are controlled by machines and their owners. This film's art direction makes use of many art deco design elements which find their way into mainstream costume jewelry design. Geometric shapes and simplicity dominate costume jewelry in which new, inexpensive materials, such as bakelite and corolite could be incorporated, adding translucent and opaque color.

Fashion jewelry components in the 1930's were manufactured primarily in Bohemia so, when Jewish owners lost their factories in 1938, art deco costume jewelry also vanished from the fashion scene. This book gathers -- and preserves in photographs -- much of art deco jewelry's beauty within its pages.

This lavishly illustrated, full-color book starts out with the creation of nine art dolls and their makers. Every detail of the beautiful dolls is shown up close with general commentary on how they were put together.

The completed dolls were then sent on a 19-month journey from artist to artist and their travels were recorded in art journals that are also splendidly displayed in the pages of the book. The amount of creativity within both the dolls and the journals is staggering - I can't even put the proper words to it. This is one art book you will never regret buying.

This book has been a great resource for a fun project a group of "50" something friends have started. We keep going back to our 20 individual copies to reread and be inspired.

This lavishly illustrated, full-color book starts out with the creation of nine art dolls and their makers. Every detail of the beautiful dolls is shown up close with general commentary on how they were put together.

The completed dolls were then sent on a 19-month journey from artist to artist and their travels were recorded in art journals that are also splendidly displayed in the pages of the book. The amount of creativity within both the dolls and the journals is staggering - I can't even put the proper words to it. This is one art book you will never regret buying.

I have collected Barbies for many years and received this book as a gift. I thought it was wonderfully interesting to see many different artists' interpretation of Barbie and her influence on society. I haven't looked at the book for a few years, and I can still picture some of the images - Barbie swimming in French Fries (a play on American diet vs. Barbie's slim figure?) and many dolls watching a huge Barbie face on a movie screen (Is Barbie taking over the world? Should we be on the lookout for Big Barbie?). Overall, I agree that this is a fun coffee table book that would stimulate a lot of interesting conversation.

I enjoyed (and still enjoy) reading this book. The pictures are great and often amusing. This would be a great coffee table book.

As a lifelong Barbie fan, I must say- I love this book. It has something for everyone and you'll see something new every time you pick it up. This book is a must have for Barbie Collectors!

For anyone that is visually oriented, this book is overdrive for the senses! The photography is extraordinary, the knives appear to be at arms reach. Good close up detail, fantastic color along with full pages of multiple knives and exposures put this book at the 100% satisfaction level for artistic integrity. Anyone interested in photographing their own knives will certainly appreciate the shot set up photos and information supplied about achieving these results. I have already modified my microscope stand to take advantage of using reflected light and am thrilled with the results! The text associated with the photos is insightful from the knife makers point of view, making for an informative and pleasant read, get it!

Quite a few books concernig custom knives have been published recently. What sets Art of the Knife apart is the premise Joe Kertzman established at inception. He challenged the knifemaker to submit their absolute best effort to possibly be included. Kertzmans' unique vantage point in the custom knifemaking world and his desire to produce a standout high quality coffee table hardbound does not disappoint. From the opening page he let's the reader know that the book is about the knives and the makers who created them. Easily the best book on the subject I've seen.

This book blew me away, guess i ordered it without paying alot of attention, it is a hardcover and has stunning full page photographs through out the book. The emphasis on each page is on the knives, what materials where used and other info. This book differs from David Darom in that respect, for the money the Darom book at $25 would be a better purchase with more info on the individual makers and demonstrations of their techniques, but don't get me wrong, this book is stunning, really close up photos, lots and lots of knives. Well worth the money for any custom collector or knife maker out there. I give it a 5 star

This book is a beautiful. You do not have to be a car enthusiast to enjoy this book, where art and beauty come together in a well-detailed book. An excellent edition to any coffee table collection.

The author does it again! This time he captures 50 of the best sportscars with purpose made photography, done especially for the book, and writes simple but very informative text so everyone can relive the best of the best.
Bravo!

This is a great book of historical sports cars, with lots of information and beautiful pictures. This is a neat reference and a great coffee table book, very informative and very very classy too! I really recommend this for a car person, of just someone who loves the history or simply the art of beautiful cars.

Sam Kochel: STi driver

I really enjoyed this on several levels. It's a beautifully produced book, with gorgeous illustrations and photographs, and it provides a very good introduction to the Arts and Crafts movement. The book includes information about its origins and leading exponents, and sections on archutecture, furniture, design, and crafts, all copiously illustrated. There is also a list of sources in the back. This book is excellent for browsers, for those wanting a good introduction to the Arts and Crafts movement, or for those who just like beautiful art books.

If you've purchased several books about decorating with Arts and Crafts style and wish to get a more in-depth knowledge of the movement, it's proponents and influences, then this is the book for you. From William Morris to Gustav Stickley, Jane Addams to Frank Lloyd Wright, the author covers the who's who of the movemement, large and small. The book is full of excellent photographs and covers a broad spectrum of the styles popular in Europe and America and how it's design philosophy was incorporated into everything from jewelry to homes. When one thinks of the Arts and Crafts style, Stickley's Craftsman style usually is one of the first things that comes to mind. The "Arts and Crafts Companion" quickly proves that there is much more to the style including Nouveau, Minimalist and Japanese influences. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who wants to have a great reference book as well as to learn much more about the Arts and Crafts movement.

This book is informative, well indexed and offers great quality with regard to print, photographic images and text for the price. Very readable.

The student or collector of Spanish Handguns should read this book. Its detailed listing of serial number ranges and manufacturing dates will be of great assistance to the 03 FFL holder of curio and relic firearms.

Received my book today much faster than promised. The book is not only the most definitive I have ever seen on Astra Pistols, it is the ONLY book I have found on this subject. The book is just superior with a lot of hard work and research apparent. It is a little vauge on some of the very earlier pistols such as the M1911 Astra, but does mention them in some detail. I was a little surprised that a book of this quality had no dust cover, but the book, itself, is excellent. The serious collector must have this publication in his library, without a doubt. Serious Five Star Book!

This book covers all the semi-automatic pistols made by Astra. If you are a fan of these Spanish guns, you need this book for the history and identification of the various models. Both the test and pictures are excellent.