Collecting Books

If you are a collector, amateur or serious then this book is for you. It is one of the best around simply because it is easy to use, concise, colourful and downright practical. Okay, so it doesn't list every collectable in the world but no one book will do that. What this book will do for you is give you an idea of the cost of many popular collectibles as well as one offs that occasionally come on to the market. This is also a fun book just to browse through to see what is "in" and what is "not in" in the heady world of antiques-to-be and antiques that are already established. A good all round book on a hard to write about subject. As an added bonus it comes out each year so the suject is constantly being updated.

As a new collector of pottery and porcelain, I have been overwhelmed with the confusing array of producers, history, makers and their marks, background, etc. that surround the vast world of collecting. This is the first book that I have read on the subject that gives me a framework to hang all the details on... exactly what us "big picture" people need to make sense of it all!

The book is organized into 4 parts. "Part 1, Buying and Selling Pottery and Porcelain", describes how to get started with collecting and/or selling. "Part 2, Caring for Your Collection", tells you how to handle security, display, cleaning, restoration, and handling ceramics. "Part 3, Identification", helps you determine what it is that you actually have! This part is extremely helpful to the novice, as it first tells you the different ways to classify ceramics; the differences in pottery, stoneware, porcelain, bone china, etc. and describes different kinds of glazes, the different methods of decoration, the different marks (and fakes!)and how to identify them.

Finally, we get to the meat of the book, "Part 4, Ceramic File". No one could possibly write a book that includes everything that there is to be known on this subject, but this one gives an excellent overview, first by world region (Oriental ceramics, European ceramics, etc.) and then further subdividing each region into different major makers. Each subdivision and maker is described and the history given.

I can't say enough good about this book... everyone interested in collecting pottery and porcelain, novice or expert, should have a copy. The descriptions are accurate and detailed enough without being overwhelming, the photos are supurb, and the choices for illustrating the categories are excellent. Take my advice and buy it!

This book is more than just a price book. It uses a series of questions to help you nail down just what you are looking at. In the BASICS section you find the different types of glazes as Lead glaze, Tin glaze, and Salt glaze. The book is small enough that I carry this with me.

Some of the highlights are:

Uses a unique question-and -answer approach to help you identify and date genuine antique glass

Deals with fakes, copies, condition and other factors that may confuse even experienced collectors

Analyses typical items that collectors can find in shops and auction houses

Gives Guidelines to values

Contains a wealth of background information, including an extensive glossary

Is a thorough introductory course for the beginner and also a superb refresher for those with some collecting experience.

It covers antique collectible jewellery from 18th century to modern, gives plenty of details on styles, materials used, hallmarking and things to look for when buying. For each category (i.e. Art Noveau brooches) it gives one representative item in picture and description + estimation of value, and several similar ones (different craftmanship or designer than the main example) but without the value (which bugged me a little). If it also offered a comprehensive table with all/most info arranged in one place, for quick reference, it would be perfect.

If you are just getting started with collecting compacts, this is a nice starter book. It breaks down the different categories of compacts (e.g., enamels, novelties, Deco) and gives excellent color examples with good descriptions of what to look for in that category. The small amount of examples also gives a new collector a good foundation for learning about the different makers and styles without getting overwhelmed. If you already have all the other compact books, this one is still worth getting for the pictures and its fresh take on what's out there. There are also nice tips on maintaining and caring for your compacts.

Mine To Keep is an interesting story about the author's excursion through life. He writes in a way that keeps the reader wanting to continue and not put the book down. His pursuits into different areas of interest are very unique and the lessons he learned on the way are very helpful. The book tells how Edward Denari took advantage of every opportunity to get to the life he wanted. He is obviously a very talented person and through the book gives inspiration. He pretty much says work hard and go for it.

First published in 1982 this all-new 2000 2nd edition of miniature lamps grew out of and far beyond the first book. 256 pages with over 600 examples and history. Price guide is now included. Up to date at last!

I've been collecting dolls for a few years and just recently started to collect the miniature sewing mannequins. I found this book to be extremely helpful with pricing and what to look for. Great pictures too.

This is terrific: scholarly without being pedantic, detailed without being boring, complete without being wordy. It is gorgeously illustrated and printed. Flick doesn't come across as obsessive, but rather as a distanced observer decorously telling his sometimes chilling, always enthralling stories. And the storytelling is seamless.

Kemin Hu is truly one of the experts in this field with a real passion for sharing her knowledge and experience in appreciating scholar's rocks, both traditional and "modern".

Her new book provides many practical insights into rock types in an easy to read style, with a light touch on the broader cultural context of scholar's rocks. For deeper insight into the history, philosophy and aesthetics, I recommend her other books.