Collectibles Books

In my opinion, this is the first book on "R.S. Prussia" to buy, and surely indispensable for collectors of any stripe! I was amazed when I discovered that a book such as this existed; that anyone would spend the hundreds of hours it would take to do the research and work out the system. Among the many remarkable things in this book on identifying the "R.S. Prussia" porcelain made in the Schlegelmilch factories in Germany/Poland in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, here are three to whet your appetite: (1)the author has worked out a reference system for reading the many many different marks found on the porcelain, which system, if studied carefully, can often produce rare information such as exactly which factory a piece came from and therefore the period in which it was made. (2)the book shows the collector that one mark (say the "Classic" or "Red Mark") may say no more about the age or quality of a piece than another (say the "Steeple") mark. And (3)Capers provides a wonderful history of the Schlegelmilch families and their products, much of the information obtained during on-site European visits by Mr. Capers and his wife.

Some day, one hopes, Prussia collectors generally will use this information and this marking system. The enhancement to collecting "R.S. Prussia" will be immeasurable.

Knowing Ron personally we are aware of the time and energy involved in writing this book - it is truly a labor of love and encompasses a history very dear to his heart - agreeing with the two people who already reviewed the book there is not much more we can add but to say it is a must book for all Prussia collectors - we have referred to it many times in our travels searching for prussia and trying to authenticate different marks.

I am thrilled to be able to review this valuable book! I owe the recognition of several of my best pieces to R.H. Capers and his "labor of love" that is refered to as "Capers' Notes on the Marks of Prussia." R.H. Capers is an avid Prussia collector, and fluent in German. Consequently, we as readers are refreshingly saturated with the "facts versus the fiction" surrounding the history of Prussian China and the marks that represent the manufacturers of this wonderful porcelain we adore. The reading is easy, the text is colorful, and the marks are divided in catagories made up by the manufacturers themselves. Capers deviates from the common and often vague names for Prussian marks, and creates a "Prussian Logo Code System" to aid in identifing the countless marks made for this beautiful china. Each mark is cleverly coded and photographed in color. Capers also includes a color photograph of the piece the mark came from. Capers reveals the authentic marks first, and then provides the reader with a section of fake or "counterfeit" marks found on reproduction pieces. Capers goes the extra mile to provide extensive family trees, birth and death certificates, and photographs of the Schlegelmilch Families who are responsible for producing and selling this lovely porcelain. There are also photographs of the factories themselves. "Capers' Notes on the Marks of Prussia" is an invaluable tool for any serious collector, appaiser or dealer who is conscientious about purchasing authentic Prussia. This book is truly an asset to any porcelain collector's reference bookshelf.

This is the book to have if you're (mainly) interested in Art Deco pieces. The Art Deco was one of the most innovative periods of the 20th century and Cartier really showed the pieces at their best. I love the so-called "Tutti-Frutti" bracelets. Cartier really knew how to use the various cuts to its full potential and set in platina definately had a magical finish. Some pieces have had illustrous owners. When you buy this book, you are almost obliged to buy "Famous Jewellery Collectors", as these two books go practically hand in hand. Most of these famous collectors were very active (in buying) in the Art Deco period.

Excellent book for jewelry collectors and admirers. Book provides history of Cartier and a great insight into period, which makes it a lot of fun to read. It is a valuable resource for anyone interested in Art Deco jewelry. Gorgeous pictures.

If gems and the fine art of the jeweler are your passions, this book is for you. Yes, it's expensive, but it's worth it. The photos (mostly in color) are utterly sumptuous and the text is intelligent, informative and thorough. All in all, a banquet of elegance and unfailing fine taste.

This is a intricately researched and excellently illustrated book on a subject where good informative material is hard if not impossible to find. The author obviosly knows his subject and weaves the history of the region together with a thorough examination of Caucasian Prayer rugs to create a book for both the novice and the serious collector alike. Use it for your own research or put it on your coffee table.

"Prayer Rugs" by Ralph Kaffel was a pleasant surprise. Instead of just another pseudo-scientific rehash of someone else's field work Kaffel has presented us with a lesson in connoisseurship. All too often someone will read all the literature and present their distillation as fact. In "Prayer Rugs" Kaffel show us his sources and when there is disagreement he shows us the differences in opinion. In the discussion of Daghestan Prayer rugs he even gives us the opinions of auction house specialists such as Mary Jo Otsi and Jo Kris. This book is not ethnology or anthropology it is about collecting Caucasian Prayer rugs and in the light it gets a solid 5 stars.

This is a really informative book on Caucasian Prayer Rugs. Comprehensive data on this subject is not readily available in other rug books. Text includes a brief history of trade and rug weaving in the Caucasus in the 19th century, but my favorite feature of the book is the quality and selection of the color plates of the various types of prayer rugs discussed in the book. I learned alot from it.

This is an excellent book,useful information. This book gives you the figurines number,designer,height,colour,when issued and the different varieties of that particular figurine. And most important it's current value in the U.S,Canada and the United Kingdom. I have really enjoyed looking through this book. I find it especially useful when bidding on figurines on sites such as Ebay. I highly recommend this book. :)

This is an excellent book,useful information. This book gives you the figurines number,designer,height,colour,when issued and the different varieties of that particular figurine. And most important it's current value in the U.S,Canada and the United Kingdom. I have really enjoyed looking through this book. I find it especially useful when bidding on figurines on sites such as Ebay. I highly recommend this book. :)

This is an excellent book,useful information. This book gives you the figurines number,designer,height,colour,when issued and the different varieties of that particular figurine. And most important it's current value in the U.S,Canada and the United Kingdom. I have really enjoyed looking through this book. I find it especially useful when bidding on figurines on sites such as Ebay. I highly recommend this book. :)

Simply the best guide to chintz patterns and pricing. Very well researched, and the shapes and catalog pages at the back are especially helpful. I do wish the pattern photographs on each page were both larger and of better quality, though ~ that would seem a better match with the sterling quality of the rest of the book.

This is a stunningly beautiful book packed completely with beautiful photographs. For someone interested in collecting chintz, this is the absolute best thing I've found for learning about the range of patterns. That range is far more extensive than one would expect from the sparse collections of chintz at antique shops and shows. This book will fire the imagination!

Year on year Susan updates and adds to the definitive chintz guide. A mine of priceless information. Well presented, beautifully illustrated and an absolute essential for anyone even remotely interested in chintz pottery. This third edition is a must!

Ms. Lady Henrietta's books are always great. There are many interior designers who write books to put on the market.....but I haven't yet seen anyone who consistently puts out wonderful books like she does. They are the best!! I am a sold sucker on her books. I feared that since she has so many decorating books out there, that they would do nothing but repeat themselves. But was I ever wrong?!! Always comprehensive, detailed, yet never over the top. Her books are always easy to understand. The royal lineage of her family surely puts her in a super huge advantage in that she is always around the beauty in the country homes of England's countryside of Oxfordshire and surrounding areas. I am planning to get each and every book she has written to include in my design library. They are great inspirators.
You will never go wrong with her books. :-)

A wonderful reference guide to fabrics AND a top notch coffee table book! Even your guests who find nothing appealing about textiles will find this book just divine! Pour a glass of Merlot and relax with this wonderful "picture book". The text is excellent too if you are in the mood for details...

Priced at a bargin. excellent text, lovely photos. Highly recommend

The book is well planned and organized and does an excellent job revealing Mr. Boggess' knowledge of hunting collectibles. Expert photography in combination with high grade paper stock do an outstanding job of detailing the presentations for easy identification. What a great combination if there were a follow-up book highlighting fishing collectibles!

"Classic Hunting Collectibles: Identification & Price Guide" is an excellent and much overdo work in the field of sporting collectibles. The images are in color and covers a vast number of the most desired items sought by collectors. It is a must for any collector and/or hunting/fishing enthusiast.

Knowing author Hal Boggess, I know his knowledge is second to none in the field of hunting collectibles. The photographs are just super and the price of the book is very reasonable. Books in this same field sell for double or triple the price and not nearly as well written as Mr. Boggess.

All photographs are in COLOR. Amazing. This is just what we in the sporting collectible field need. I have read this book over and over. This is just the book needed by the hunting collectible community.

His current listed item values is certainly in line with the current sporting collectible market. The values are listed below each of over 1100 color photographs.

Of all my books on lantern collecting, this is the one that I would recommend most highly for the beginning or advanced collector alike. It covers a number of lanterns from different manufacturers with great pictures and thorough, accurate descriptions. It also gives the history of the different major manufacturers, restoration tips, and a priceguide. While it does not cover every lantern made, it does not pretend to. It instead educates the reader, so that he/she may age (by construction methods and lantern chacteristics), and determine value of the lantern without the need of reference. In my opinion, you can not go wrong with this book. Mine is dog earred from being read so many times. This is a "must have" for the lantern collector.

A definitive work on the subject of American made lanterns. A wonderful documentation of the history, contribution and technological progress of lanterns in the United States. An engaging photographic investigation of companies, people, places, uses and prices of kerosene lanterns from 1830 to the present. Contains a wonderful restoration chapter with great hints. It is safe to say that it is a complete treatment.

Author Dennis Pearson has written a wonderful book that not only gives the history of the kerosene (and precursor fuels) lantern, but is filled with some 200 photographs and illustrations of lanterns past and present. The color photographs are simply superb. These are not snapshots of lanterns, they are studio-lit celebrations of the lantern of the quality you would expect to see in a magazine ad. Pearson's work concentrates on the barn lantern, but the major types and manufacturers of railroad lanterns, as well as other types, are also presented with the author himself pointing out that a number of books have already been written concentrating on the railroad lantern. If you're looking for the details that will help you date a lantern they are here, but you may have to do some page flipping, as a single model of lantern may have been made over such a long time that it spans the author's dividing lines: all solder construction, machine and solder construction, and all machine construction. There are chapters on how to date a lantern, the operation of lanterns, and restoring old lanterns. Finally, Pearson gives a "lantern value calculator" that enables you to calculate the rough value of any lantern, and a price guide to some 130 lanterns, including the more common railroad types and some foreign lanterns. Unlike some other books of this type, Pearson's prices seem to match pretty closely with the real world. I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in kerosene lanterns.

This book is what i use in collecting early U.K. coppers. It has photos of the different varieties and has been very helpful to me. The best i could find in this field.

Richard Lobel has put together a definitive work on the coins of the UK and England from 1066 to present. The information is at its most informative when establishing rarity or variety. There are many line drawings to help the reader establish the differences in many of the earlier hammered coinage of England. This is in addition to the wonderful pictures of coins that are throughout this reference.

I would whole heartedly recommend this book for the serious collector of the coins of England and the UK.

The 1998 edition of the catalogue is vastly superior to previous editions of the work. The historical information, the pricing, the photographs, and the quality of the binding are all unsurpassed for reference works of this type. I am especially pleased with the line drawings that have been provided to help numismatists distinguish the various varieties of the Edwardian pennies. The collecting tips which are provided for each issue are also useful for those who have not spent a lifetime collecting the series. If you collect English coinage you MUST have this work on your shelf.

Superb coin book, Best of the best British numismatics catalogues printed now days, is complete, up-to-date information and values from Spink's own worldwide auctions, excellent ilustrations, and beautifully printed with the highest quality and care.
I also recommended Michael Marsh The gold sovereign, and many other of his writings on Gold Sovereigns and Half Sovereigns.
The gold sovereign
The Sovereign - the World's Most Famous Coin: A History and Price Guide

The Spink catalog is published yearly, and is the standard catalog for the coins of England. The prices listed for common coins reflect average prices that a dealer will charge for a coin, but not what they will pay for a coin. The prices shown for rarer coins usually reflect the most recent auction prices for coins, and are a fairly reliable.

One must keep in mind that most common coins appreciate in value a little each year, a few depreciate, and the rarer coins may appreciate in value quite a bit from the time each yearly catalog was written.

I have found that the most useful value for this catalog is its numbering system for English coins, as the Spink catalog numbers are the most widely used and recognized numbers for identifying English coin, both by dealers and collectors.

Marshall Faintich
Author of "Astronomical Symbols on Ancient and Medieval Coins"

I have several editions of this book. You can never have too many. Each one comes with a different mix. And the newer editions of course will have the newer coins. This is not a substitute for the Standard Catalog of World coins but is better focused on England and a lot easer to carry.

The book also teaches us a little bit of symbolism and history.

Keep in mind that this is still just a guide. Other factors determine the value of the coin to you and others.