Collecting Books

I purchased this book along with Christmas Tree Pins/O Christmas Tree and since I rated that book a "5", I am rating this book a strong 4. While the pages are a bit thinner in weight (but still of good quality), the photos are excellent with the pins presented nicely. And, even though the number of pins featured are fewer, this book also includes santas, angels, reindeer, wreaths, and other seasonal pins which makes this a good addition/companion to my library.

Ms. Gallina has done impressive research. Her pictures are well done, in color, and carefully organized by designer and theme. Her captions are descriptive and the values are clear.

This somewhat small book was extremely helpful to me in identifying the values of some recently purchased Weiss candle Christmas Tree Pins. It has also shown me what pins do not carry such a high value.
I would love to see more books like this one for holiday jewelry.
I would highly reccommend this book to anyone interested in Vintage and New Christmas Jewelry.

This book by Jill is one of my favorite books, and not just because my own jewelry is included. Jill's wonderful photography showcases a wonderous variety of this collecting category. I doubt there are very many collectors who don't have a least one Christmas tree pin in their collection. And truly, it is very likely that every single woman who loves jewelry has at least one tree pin for holiday wear. This beautiful book is a perfect addition to any vintage costume jewelry reference library, for collectors and dealers alike. And it may even convert non-collectors! Thanks Jill!

Very enjoyable book with great history of the designers of today and yesteryear that made Christmas Pins. Good color pictures with a price guide that reflects today's prices. If you are a new pin collector this is a must have at a reasonable price. If you are a seasoned collector you will enjoy reading about the short histories of your favorite designers.

excellent book for the pro or just for the interested amateur. great pics,descriptions and info. worth every penny.

This book is geared to the watch collector and repairer, which is exactly what I was looking for. It has an excellent description of the major dials and movements with nice large pictures. The information is detailed, in-depth and informative. A professional book. It is large format, not too thick, but the glossy pages (which is a good thing) make it heavy. For the collector / repairer of chronographs, this is a must-have book.

Overall an excellent book on chronographs, which is a cross between a coffee table book and a reference work. As a collector, I refer to it a lot.

Unfortunately, the translation is poor, and there are many inconsistencies which can make it hard to follow descriptions: for example, the same component in the chronograph mechanism may be referred to by several different names. Also, the final editing of the English version leaves a lot to be desired, especially in a book of this price. Having said this, it's still a very good book, and I wholeheartedly recommend it.

This book illustrates the intricacies of chronograhs in great detail and with much attention given to not-so-well-known facts. Master Watchmaker Gerd-Ruediger Lang is the founder and manager of Chronoswiss Uhren GmbH in Munich, Germany and his attention to detail can both be found in this book and in his watches, which are famous throughout the world.

This is a great book for those interested in chronograph watches. The pictures are very good and the detail on the movements is exceptional. The format of the book is rather large, but not too thick. Quality printing and binding. Nearly a must-have for watch collectors and horologists.

Judith Miller price guides are simply the best! They have great color pictures and easy to read price guides. There are none better.

This book is so easy to use-- great price guide to take along on your antique hunt. A whole list of consultants in various areas of expertise help with this book. It covers everything from Holday Memorabilia to marbles to posters to sports stuff to sewing stuff to Teddy Bears and Toys. Also great section on the weifd and wonderful. Also great list of clubs, societies and organizatins. Space memorabilia, rock and pop, radios, pez dispensers, glass, costume jewelry, ceramics -- almost everything around your grandma's house or you'll see at a garage sale including early computers, comics, and watches. Great pictures -- of almost everything with nice hints as to how to take a closer look at a Coca Cola clock and collector notes. Good range of prices and also explains when it was made and how tall etc so you don't get confused. That old pair of straberry shaped earings are not junk-- they could be worth $70-$100 if they are by Weiss. Even an iPod poster could be worth up to $120.00 That 1940's PINK perfume bottle could be worth a $1000 or more...buy this book and you could get RICH!

I thought Kovels was good but this one is better. nicer pictures and easy to use.

not a whole lot of item's. More picture's than anything. A lot of the item's in the book I beleive are way to over priced. Not a good book to take to flea market's or auction's.

Here is a book you will be unable to put down. The pictures are very clear, the information and descriptions are well done, and especially valuable are the reference sources. This book should appeal to many ordinary collectors.

Secrets of the Gem Trade: The Connoisseur's Guide to Precious Gemstones

In 1996, a fancy quarter carat red diamond sold at Christies for $326,800 per carat the equivalent of forty-six million dollars per ounce. The following year another sub-carater, a ninety-five point fancy purplish red sold for $928,315 per carat or one hundred forty-four million dollars per ounce. At this point any lingering doubts were erased, colored diamonds were not only the most expensive items on earth, their prices had entered outer space.

Stephen Hofer's book is the second and certainly the most comprehensive book on colored diamonds to appear in the past two decades. To call Hofer's book comprehensive is, in fact, something of an understatement. This tome, which weighs in the area of ten pounds, ranks not only a definitive treatment of colored diamonds it also contains one of the most interesting and relevant essays on the subject of color science as it relates to gemstones yet published.

The books major theme is a through-going study of the famous Aurora Collection of colored diamonds. Along the way Hofer also offers a logical new approach to colored diamond grading, a color classification system including a new short-hand system of notation and an excellent essay on gemstone lighting.

Had this book covered any one of these subjects as well as Hofer, it would be an important work. As it covers all of the above better than almost anyone has done before, it is a breathtaking tour de force.

Although this seems like an expensive book, the fact that the large number of coloured diamonds are photographed so well, and rendered so accurately in the printed form is very impressive, especially to anyone who has ever tried to take high quality photographs of diamonds. It seets us a standard to attempt.
The book should also be a must for anybody thinking of "investing" in, collecting a=or aquiring any natural fancy coloured diamond.

I have been aware of the Aurora Collection for 25+ years and was always amazed by it. Unfortunately,the collection raises more questions in one sitting than you can ever find answers for... until Hofer. Hofer is very likely the most knowledgeable person on earth when it comes to fancies, and his long-time association with Alan B and the Aurora collection has resulted in the most definitive book on the subject in print..

The most attractive parts are certainly the photography and the quality of the color printing. There are however a few disappointments. Firstly,under the chapter of the photos for the entire collection,one's appreciation can be marred by the reading of the so called Common Names for the diamonds which are by no means common.For readers who are not color diamond experts (and indeed even for those in the trade), such names could sometimes sound pompous. Secondly, the most widely adopted GIA color grading description is not used.I suppose somehow there is a temptionion for the author to preach and start his own system which could perhaps be understandable as 7 years of hard work has been done.Frequently, I still browse through the book, not so much because of the text,but because of the excellent colour photos. Overall,the author has still done a lot for the trade and introduced the wonderful color diamond world to the public.It is definitely a book I will treasure.For those who have been facinated by this book,they could be frustrated by the absence of sufficient materials on the subject.The way to quench one's thirst is to read the only other comprehensive book (a much thinner but with perhaps much more interesting and readable materials) by Harvey Harris.

This amazing piece of work reflects a tremendous effort by the author and his colleagues. The color photography is superb, especially noteworthy considering the difficulty in photographing small colored objects. ...A very useful appendix... and an extensive glossary provides in-depth discussions of technical terms. This is a beautifully illustrated work... it is an excellent compendium of information and should serve as a very valuable reference for gemologists and any scientist involved in diamond research, faculty, researchers, professionals. Reviewed by: Dr. M.E. McCallum, in Choice magazine, Current Reviews for Academic Libraries, October 1998, Earth Science, # 36-0970.

This was a wonderfully informative book with information that dozens of other books on this subject do not cover. Also suggested is the sequel, Costume Jewelry 202.

"Collecting Costume Jewellery 101" is essentially a beginners' guide to the main makers of (American) designer costume jewellery. Other information is also given, such as how to repair and clean costume jewellery and what to do with unwanted jewellery, all of which would be useful to a person starting a costume jewellery collection. However, the vast majority of this book are devoted to summaries of the main jewellery making companies.

For most designers, the summary given is brief, comprising the dates of operation of the company; a brief history of the company; the signature look of the product; and buying recommendations. Nevertheless, this is more than enough for a beginning collector. Greater detail is given about Coro, Kramer, Trifari and Weiss, however, four designers whom Carroll recommends for beginning collectors. Numerous color photographs are also provided for each designer, with values given for each piece of jewellery.

For people seeking a more detailed discussion of designer costume jewellery, I recommend the sequel to this book, "Collecting Costume Jewellery 202", although both books are well worth investing in.

I am so tickled and honored to have jewelry from my private collection featured in Julia's books. This new Second Edition of the "Collecting Costume Jewelry 101" book features a bright new cover with colorful layouts and 200+ new photographs and additional designers. Julia and I have been jewelry friends for many years and her incredible knowledge in this field has helped me form an extensive collection. So jewelry lovers, it is time to set aside the original edition that is dog-eared & note filled, and add this new second edition which features many new photographs and designers that are not in the first edition! As her other books, it is a great learning tool that will teach you so much about forming a fabulous costume jewelry collection of your own! She is so thorough in her research which you will see with all the updated information and new values. We can only hope there will be a 303 version in the future!

I wish to express my gratitude to so many generous people who helped with this Second Edition of "Collecting Costume Jewelry 101:the basics of starting, building & upgrading".

First, I want to thank my readers. I am warmed by the wonderful feedback I have received from beginning collectors on the first edition of this book. Based on this feedback, I was careful when working on the second edition to leave in place the easy-to-use format. Thank you readers!

A warm thank you must always be reserved for my husband who once again offered me his support and his excellent camera skills. Thank you sweetheart!

Next I want to thank my friends (especially Debi Reece and Dave Mayer) who shared their knowledge and collections with me so I could add over 200 new photographs to this new edition. Thank you dear friends!

Finally, I want to thank the staff at Collector Books for giving me the opportunity to write a Second Edition. With their help this second edition has many beautiful enhancements. For example:

- Collector Books created a hot new cover and vibrant new interior color scheme. I adore the bright colors and I hope you do too. While maintaining the easy-to-use alphabetical arrangement of makers, the interior design is also updated.
- Over 200 new photographs have been added providing additional examples of jewelry designs from many makers.
- The historical information and information about marks is updated.
- eBay selling changes frequently so Chapter 6 - "Upgrading Your Collection" is fully updated.
- A new chapter is added featuring 13 makers not shown in the first edition.
- The popular "Marked by Style" chapter, showing unmarked jewelry attributed by the style to specific makers, is revamped and expanded.
- Of course the values have been updated.
Thank you Collector Books!

I love jewelry, I love collecting, and I love this new edition. I hope you do too. Warm regards, Julia C. Carroll

Hang on to your hats, jewelry lovers!!!! This is a book you MUSTN'T MISS!!! Julia C Carroll never disappoints collectors at any level of expertise. Once again, in this visually stunning new book she grabs us with beautiful pages in a logical and practical teaching layout that keeps us turning those pages!! The pictures are generous in volume and so well done you can examine the details in each piece. This new upgrade is a MUST HAVE-beautiful, bright, full of the great educational info of the original "101", but with so many more pictures and facts!! I find other authors' guides nice to thumb through, but you really learn to identify and nail down pieces out in the real world by studying Julia's "101" and "202". My collection is now full of incredible pieces I learned to look for only because of her great books. If you want the pride of knowing what to buy, and how to not overpay, buy and study this wonderfully updated book...even if you have the original "101", ADD THIS TO YOUR LIBRARY!!! Then sign on to buy her "202". Thanks, Julia C!! How about a "303"??????!!!!

I took the original version of this out of my library. It proved to be a good research source so I decided to buy it. I got the new, updated version which is one of the best sources out there for both beginners and those established collectors. The book is full of large, clear photographs and well written descriptions. The newer version takes the reader through the 1940's and is just great. I would highly recommend this book.

The book is comprehensive enough so as not to overwhelm the learner, but provides enough detail (of the history of frames and their construction, for example) to inspire and to help direct further investigation. The photographs are wonderfully clear and representative, and their texts informative. I was also quite pleased to find that two frames out of my own small collection were featured!

The book is comprehensive enough so as not to overwhelm the learner, but provides enough detail (of the history of frames and their construction, for example) to inspire and to help direct further investigation. The photographs are wonderfully clear and representative, and their texts informative. I was also quite pleased to find that two frames out of my own small collection were featured!

This book offers everything that other books fail to deliver. The color photos let you see the detail. They show different art styles such as tramp art, Eastlake styles, Victorian, Art Deco, Art Nouveau, etc and the book is the 1st to cover table top frames. A price guide is included to help you value what you have or what you seek.

I've read all the books that I could on old frames and this one is the best. The photography, the information, the orderly fashion in which it is laid out, etc. It was so helpful that the other frame books now sit on the shelf, barely referred to again.

This is way more affordable and sufficient for the average coin collector who is interested in circulated coins of the world. Unless you want information on the modern commemoratives, this is the book for you.

I just wish they made one like it for the 19th century as well.

If your coin collecting started from a handful of change brought back from some exotic place by an uncle and has moved only a little ahead ever since, this is your book. This catalogue includes only "real" coins i.e. those which were available at face value not at issue price when issued and which were or still are used in actual transactions. It is neatly divided by countries and the coins are arranged according to their denominations, most of coins are represented in black and white photographs.
However, you should bear in mind that current circulating coins (and conseqently this catalogue) are just a part of a vast numismatic empire. Collecting is just like eating - you may be happy with the starters and live on salads and pasta for ever but at some point you may want to move ahead to more serious dishes - in this case commemorative coins and issues before 1901.
This is a perfect book for a coin collecting beginner but if you consider yourself a serious coin collector you should avoid starters and move on the real stuff. Krause will be more than happy to help you!

This book, like the Standard Catalog of World coins (1901-present) also by Krause et al, contains all you need to identify and price nearly every coin from every nation minted since 1901. The book begins with an identification guide containing images of common themes on each nation's coins (for example, the eagle on Egypt's coins), a chart/list of the various number systems (so you can read the denominations and dates on Arabic, Chinese/Japanese/Korean, Hebrew, and Thai coins, just to name a few), and a Hejira-Christian date chart (important for dating Arabic coins).

The main section of the book is organized first by country, then by era/dynasty, next by denomination (lowest to highest), and last by style (with KM number). Within each style are a list of dates, mintages, and prices at various conditions.

The main differences between this book and Standard Catalog of World Coins appear to be: (1) this book is half the thickness and half the weight, (2) this book is printed on higher-quality paper, and (3) this book doesn't contain as many coins that never went into circulation (commemoratives, etc.). So one might say that this book is aimed toward the collector, while the Standard Catalog is geared more toward the dealer.

Adequate-resolution black-and-white photographs of the vast majority (if not all) of the 20th century world circulation business-strike coinage.

Especially historically accurate. For example Germany is divided into the coinage of various coin-minting units of government over its tumultuous and shattered 20th-century history: Anhalt-Dessau, Baden, Bavaria, Bremen, Brunswick-Wolfenbuttel, Hamburg, Hesse-Darmstadt, Lippe-Detmold, Lubeck, Mecklenburg-Schwerin, Mecklenburg-Strelitz, Oldenburg, Prussia, Reuss-Obergreiz, Saxe-Altenburg, Saxe-Coburg-Gotha, Saxe-Meiningen, Saxe-Weimar-Eisenbach, Saxony, Schaumburg-Lippe, Waldeck-Pyrmont, Wurttemberg, German Empire (1871-1918), Weimar Republic (1919-1933), Third Reich (1933-1945), Federal Republic of Germany (West & unified) (1945-present), Saarland (1945-1957), and German Democratic Republic (East)(1945-1990). I consider that nation-state categorization alone impressive and intimate knowledge of coinage production in Germany, let alone the over-300 coin types documented among all of those coin-producing governments. Similar detail is taken with a multitude of other countries worldwide, with whose history I am less familiar.

Number of coins produced each year are given as are prices for typically 3 grades: very fine, extremely fine, and uncirculated.

The only way that Kraus could "improve" this book is to release a 19th century edition, an 18th century edition, a 17th century edition, and so forth, because it is disappointing to have the history truncated at 1901. Although I am not aware of such per-century editions slicing horizontally across the world, Krause has produced vertical slices by country, such as the history of German coins spanning multiple centuries, which of course overlaps in the 20th century with this book.

Chester Krause, et.al.'s Collecting World Coins widens the focus to world coins from 1901 to the present, appearing in its updated 9th edition to cover 330 coin-issuing countries and states. Over 20,000 coins are listed by date and valued in up to four grade levels. The black and white coin photos here are even more extensive and essential for identification.

This book is simply fabulous in every respect and you will most certainly not be disappointed! The pictures are plentiful, crisp, clear, and full color showing very precise detail of each item featured along with thorough descriptions, references to Ad's, dates and what I consider realistic price guidelines.

There are also additional photos of the inside of some compacts, especially the carryalls, which is extremely helpful in identifying what items should be there in order to maintain value. I have collected compacts and carryall's for years, but often find even though the exteriors are in great shape the interiors lack essential pieces, which can devalue, therefore knowing what you should have inside and out is of paramount importance to your collecting.

Compacts shown in this book are very attainable too, although there are those depicted, which are more difficult to find, rare and more expensive the book gives a wonderful comprehensive overview of VERY accessible compacts the collector can actually find in the market today. Within the first 50 pages I had already easily found and identified 6 compacts I purchased over the last 3 months AND I was able to identify even more within online auctions.

Finally a book that shows compacts, carryall's, etc. in great detail, gives a thorough description, references to Ad's, gives accurate dates and what I consider very accurate price guidelines, plus offers pieces, which can actually be found. This book is a stunning masterpiece both in text and photos and I can't wait to purchase the Second Edition!

I bought this and Volume II. The history! The pictures! You know what you are seeing and reading about in a collectors book, AT LAST! I have been collecting for a number of years, just for the beauty and my own personal thoughts about the people that might have owned these compacts. Now I know so much that I have always wanted to know. Now that I have seen these books, even though some of mine are not listed, I know where to look! I would love to talk to Laura, the author, because she must feel the same.

This book is just as beautiful as Gersons' Vintage ladys compacts with just as many color photographs of compacts. How ever Mueller expands her information on compacts with every chapter and the different compacts are catagorized by type ie, military, novalty etc and she also includes face powder boxes and other related Items in her books. I would recommend getting both volumes of her Encyclopedias as one is meant to compliment the other. There was a wonderful wooden box that she includes in one of the books that was originally meant as a bridal gift that I would love to acquire. Mueller has put keepsakes from her own wedding in it to demonstrate what it could be used for. Plus on the top of many pages of her books are quotes from people who were in the cosmetic and compact business when compacts were originally made that I find fun and unique. I highly recommend these books by Mueller .

From start to finish, this book is loaded with very sharp images of hundreds of vintage compacts ranging from absolutely gorgeous pieces to whimsical and always with great descriptions and current values. All of the photos are in beautiful color and are very sharp & easily recognizable. I've been collecting vintage compacts for years and was still amazed at the variety of styles and manufacturers that are included in this book! It stays on my desk and is a constant source of reference and pleasure! The only thing I would really like to see (maybe in a future publication) is the approximate age of each piece. Whether you're a serious collector or just a lover of the older compact beauties, you just cannot miss with this book....the author knows her stuff!!

This volume, along with volume 2, is the best place to learn about compacts and how to collect them. Gorgeous photos, all in color, covering every possible category of compact imaginable. Mueller covers compact and makeup history, from Egyptian times to the turn of the 20th century to the demise of artistically designed compacts in the 1960s. Any reader will be educated in the world of compacts after going through these two volumes. A quality guide/encyclopedia.

The book is very helpful, especiallly formatted for the comic book fan. It is also great because of how it is organized. I think it is as good as Overstreet.

I picked up this book simply because I was interested in pricing my comicbook collection. Imagine my surprise when I read the wonderful editorial on heroes (both real-world, and the four-color kind) as well as the moving tribute to those heroes of the 9/11 tragedy. I highly recomend this book to everyone!

If you are looking for a great price guide to price out your comicbook collection, then this is the book for you! Fair, realistic pricing, and fine editorial content as well

As always, the Team of Malloy, Wells, and Sodaro bring sanity and clarity to the multi-tiered world of comicbook prices. This guide has consistently ranked as one of the best price guides on the market. Malloy truly has a handle on what stuff is truly worth. This edition is especially relevant in the post 9/11 world, as it contains a pair of stirring tributes to "Heroes" (both the four-color and the real-world kind). I heartily recommend this book

The 2007 edition of Comics Values Annual from Krause Publications is out and it continues to get better and better each and every year. This book gains momentum every year as an alternative to the more well-known Overstreet price guide. The main problem with Overstreet is the endless pages of dealer ads that grow longer each year. Who needs 150 pages of dealer ads anyway? Do people really order that many comics from dealers, especially with eBay? I also don't need the dozens of pages of dealer market reports that are basically already stale by the time the book comes out.I just want prices and information, which is what Comics Values Annual 2007 delivers in a no-frills package.

This edition gives a brief introduction on the industry, a grading guide, and features an interview with artist Joe Jusko. The CV Annual is very different from the Overstreet in its layout, Rather than simply list each title alphabetically, this guide lists titles alphabetically by MAJOR publisher beginning with DC and then continuing with Marvel, Image, Dark Horse, Classics Illustrated, and then tossing in miscellaneous Golden Age titles, Misc. B & W, titles, and misc. color titles from modern publishers like Valiant, Gold Key, Gladstone, Malibu, etc...Now this may not be to every collector's liking as we've been conditioned to one type of delivery, but I personally like it. I mean it's still a Marvel and DC world to most collectors, especially in regards to Silver and Golden Age books so why have to thumb through all the junk no one's interested in when Marvel and DC have their own sections.

Another big difference between the CV Annual 2007 and Overstreet is that this book only lists the NM price per issue while the Overstreet gives three prices. I can go either way on this one. On one hand, it's nice to have all three major grades listed. On the other hand, it's not all that hard to calculate the price yourself based on the grade. Plus, Overstreet has to end up using a miniscule typeface to fit all those prices in the book.

I think the biggest advantage of the CV Annual is that instead of listing a range of issue numbers, it lists each title number by number. This allows for more information to be supplied such as story arc name, character appearance, artist credits, etc. This is a BIG plus!

If you want a price guide that gets right down to it without all the fluff and waste, I cannot recommend the Comics Values Annual 2007 any more highly!

Reviewed by Tim Janson

Because I am only an occasional buyer of Franklin Halve Dollars, I want the best advise possible. That comes from Rick Tomaska's book "The complete Guide To FRANKLIN HALVE DOLLARS.

Excellent book for collectors of Franklin Half Dollars. Lots of GOOD information. A MUST HAVE for collectors.

Info virtually unavailable elsewhere

This is the best Franklin half dollar book I have seen. It starts out with a history of the series. Then it shows 5 tables showing which dates are the rarest. Next it gives detail on every date and mintmark, proof and mint. It gives the value for toned and untoned coins. It also gives historical price comparism and a census of how many have been graded by PCGS and NGC. The only bad thing about the book is it isn't that updated. The prices are from a couple years ago and then censuses are from late 1997. All together this will help you make a great profit off the half dollars you buy. DON"T WAIT, BUY IT!!!

I found this book to be informative on the series of Franklin Half Dollars. A must for anyone seriously considering collecting this series of coins. Although prices specified is outdated, this does not deter from its content.