Collectibles Books

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.

To attribute alcoholism to narcissistic regression is both commonplace and controversial. But there a less convoluted clinical "handle": Pathological narcissism is an addiction to narcissistic supply, the narcissist's drug of choice. It is, therefore, not surprising that other addictive and reckless behaviors - workaholism, alcoholism, drug abuse, pathological gambling, compulsory shopping, or reckless driving - piggyback on this primary dependence.

The narcissist - like other types of addicts - derives pleasure from these exploits. But they also sustain and enhance his grandiose fantasies as "unique", "superior", "entitled", and "chosen". They place him above the laws and pressures of the mundane and away from the humiliating and sobering demands of reality. They render him the center of attention - but also place him in "splendid isolation" from the madding and inferior crowd.

Such compulsory and wild pursuits provide a psychological exoskeleton. They are a substitute to quotidian existence. They afford the narcissist with an agenda, with timetables, goals, and faux achievements. The narcissist's addictive behaviors take his mind off his inherent limitations, inevitable failures, painful and much-feared rejections, and the grandiosity gap - the abyss between the image he projects (the False Self) and the injurious truth. They relieve his anxiety and resolve the tension between his unrealistic expectations and inflated self-image - and his incommensurate achievements, position, status, recognition, intelligence, wealth, and physique.

Thus, there is no point in treating the dependence and recklessness of the narcissist without first treating the underlying personality disorder. The narcissist's addictions serve deeply ingrained emotional needs. They intermesh seamlessly with the pathological structure of his disorganized personality, with his character faults, and primitive defense mechanisms.

Hence the importance of this book: it unflinchingly exposes the roots of alcoholism and attributes it to an identity disturbance, paranoia, sadomasochism and obsessive- compulsive disorders. The author's rich experience is evident in each and every page. A documentary treasure trove - if not a theoretical masterpiece. Sam Vaknin, author of "Malignant Self Love - Narcissism Revisited".

Good news, bad news, first the bad news. Forrest: 1) subscribes to a now questioned if not discredited Freudian theory of infantile narcissim; 2) has very low standards of proof; apparently supposing that repeated repetition amounts to proof, when sometimes it isn't even adequate description; 3) has an editor who is asleep at the switch when it comes to reducing florid redundancy; and 4) still has an essentially pathological view of homosexuality and bisexuality, preventing him from discerning homophobia as a form of paranoia (the term 'homophobia' doesn't occur in discussions of 'deviant' sexuality). The good news is that he has a substantial wealth of experience, including quite a lot of military experience at which he obviously worked hard and for which he presumably wasn't paid much. He gives a convincing account of a combination of orality, narcissism, and anger/rage that lying at the foundation of alcoholism, and issues of identity, paranoia, sadomasochism and obsessive- compulsiveness as common superstructures. (I would have put the obsessive-compulsive issue closer to the foundation; but I don't have his experience.) It would be a mistake to discount Forrest's wealth of experience simply on the basis of his dogmatically Freudian outlook. Much of the substance of the work will survive translation into other frames of reference--as is the case with most good Freudian writing. I learned a lot from it and found it fascinating reading.-- Jonathan Ketchum, PhD (Philosophy)

I am not a mental health professional but a recovering alcoholic, and have been searching for some understanding into who I am for a long time now. This text describes me almost too accurately. It opened my eyes up to some of the deeper emotional and psychological problems that I have suffered with for my entire life. The things I gleaned here are painful revelations, but nevertheless necessary disclosures for my mental stability. Essentially this book gave me the language to articulate and understand my existence, and by doing this it has given me a sense of freedom and relief.

At age fifty-two, I am absolutely in awe of this book which hit me like a sledge hammer; it is holographic in its presentation, and speaks to me very deeply, personally, and professionally.

Each chapter is a multi-faceted reflection of the whole, and it pretty much sums up my personal experiences in growing up in a constantly relocating military family within a global environment during the post-World War II and Cold War period. If I had to write a personal byline on this text I would catagorize it in this generational fashion: Paint Your Wagon; The Unforgiven; and, Apocalypse Now; i.e., The American Experience of Conquest!

This text made me realize that my own life-long personal quest as the young captain, the trained assassin sent upriver on a covert mission to terminate the colonel, was really a personal paradox to be reconsidered: the young questing captain, in my personal interpretation of a time paradox, was realistically and symbolically the son of the colonel he was seaching out to terminate. The captain was the son that the remote, alienated, and estranged colonel-father, who had become distraught by the deeper woundings of a continuing warfare and conquest, wanted his son to know and understand him personally at the rivers end! This text allowed me to do this personally.

In conclusion, it is necessary for one to understand that "The Destructive Narcissitic Pattern" (described by Nina W. Brown) of the generational circumstance, the handing down, does not reguire drinking at this level. One can be quite numbed by The Great Depression, World War II, and Vietnam and, by one's sense and mission of self-importance through...Narcissitic Need and Entitlement Deprivation.

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."

Witzel has done it again! The diner images in this book are fantastic, both the vintage and current shots. Many are full page size and more, giving the reader a closeup look at some of America's greatest diners. Along with really informative historical text, each chapter contains a sidebar that highlights a particularly cool diner. It was fun to learn the history of and to see some of the greats like Pal's, Rosies, The Riverhead Grill, the Cutchogue, and Mel's "Googies" Diner in action.

"The American Diner" is a delightful book that maintains the high standards Michael Witzel has always set for himself. Very beautiful, informative and entertaining. Chock-full of outstanding images from photographers like Pedar Ness, Ronald Saari and Howard Ande.

There are many excellent sidebar stories, including one on Jerry Berta's DINERLAND in Rockford, Michigan. This man saved Rosie's Diner, built a miniature golf course and restored another 1947 diner into an art gallery. (I've gotta meet this guy.)

Another delightful effort from Michael Karl Witzel. "The American Diner" entices me to Hit The Road and experience these wonderful greasy-spoons firsthand, especially those original East Coast joints!

This is a wonderful book for we nostalgia nuts! The many photographs and descriptions of pre-fast food America will remind you of simpler times, or make you sad that you missed them.

Thanks Mike. I new B 4 hand that the book would B great. I no your work. 2 of the diner pictures R in my home town. In Middletown Connecticut. USA. The color in the book is so nice. By. Marty.

I found this book after I went to a appraisal in Dallas Texas where author Debby DuBay was speaking on antique Limoges porcelain. I purchased DuBay's book Antique Limoges at Home and then purchased American Limoges by Ms. Limoges to help me with my American Limoges pottery. I found out by reading these reference books every thing I needed to know about my grandmothers "Limoges" Thank you to two wonderful authors who have published two very useful and valuable reference guides on the subject.

Do not purchase any Limoges China, (american) without this book. It is a priceless resource to be carried with you as you explore antique shops. I wish that I had it with me before I gave away my American Limoges China, thinking that it was worthless. Raymonde Limoges has done a great job in assembling this book.

I found American Limoges after reading Debby Dubay's "Antique Limoges at Home". If you want to know the difference between antique Limoges and American Limoges I highly recommend Antique Limoges at Home! For more info on American Limoges recommend this book.

Full-color photos on every page and current price values for each item are the pluses in this book. Many items are not actually identified, however, and names given to the pieces have been coined by the author. Even so, this one serves as a handy reference and guide to those wishing more information on American Limoges, the history and major pieces. I wish there'd been more examples of Viktor Schreckengost's connection to the company and designs made by him for American Limoges but that is a personal preference.

Even though I had been collecting since 1984 I discovered how much there is to know about the subject. Full of history, insights, examples and references, plus beautiful format and photograpy.

Nice for studies and examples of others work but value is underpriced. One must consider the value to the person collecting the china.

Beautiful pictures, excellent information, nothing like it. For novice and advanced collectors I have not found a source so thorough. I suggest you contact the author and review this book. You won't be sorry

A must-have for collectors and antique dealers alike. This book details the history, production, and decoration of American handpainted porcelain, all with beautiful photographs and helpful illustrations. A key component is the identification and valuation of handpainted items.

I am writing to advise that the availability listed by Amazon is very misleading. I ordered one on October 19 and my promised ship date now could be as late as December 24. I'd advise you to buy this book where you can rely on the shipping promised when you place the order. Sign me unhappy with Amazon.

Outstanding book on slag glass. Any one thats in slag glass will find this very helpful. Excellent pictures, tells the year it was manufacture, and tells what its worth than and now.

This is a good book for American or "recent" slag. It was informative, especially with the recent pricings in the back.

Outstanding book on slag glass. Any one thats in slag glass will find this very helpful. Excellent pictures, tells the year it was manufacture, and tells what its worth than and now.

I've bought, read, or browsed through many books on this subject. Granick's book on Amish quilts is the most comprehensive and fascinating I've seen. A delight to read. A delight to the eyes. I recommend it highly.

As a serious collector of Amish quilts, and a textiles professor who also does research on the topic, I am so glad that this book is in print. So many of the others on Amish quilts show the quilts without the cultural context. The cultural and religious context is briefly presented in this book, which is a departure from most of the others.

I highly reccommend this book to anyone interested in Amish quilts. The pictures are gorgeous and the historical text is fascinating. I bought an antique quilt 2 years ago and was told it came from a farm auction in an Amish community in Iowa. As it is a double wedding ring pattern with a multitude of small print calicos and pink backing I dismissed the idea that it was of Amish origin. However, after reading about quilts from Iowa and their use of patterned fabrics I am thrilled to think that it probably is Amish.

A wonderful book!

Not ony does Eve Wheatcroft Granick walk through the evolution of the Amish quilt, she also helps the reader grasp Amish heritage and culture. I would highly recommend this book!