Collecting Books

The book Giants and the Joneses was great. I liked how the book was based on Jack and the Beanstalk. I liked how the book had its own dictionary too. I recommend this book to a lot of people. I hope she writes a sequel. I can't wait to read her other books.

If you love the B.F.G by Roald dahl, if you like stories about "little people" like The Borrowers and The Littles, if you are in search of a great read aloud for your seven year old, this is the book to choose! As you know, there are no such things as giants, and the giants tell their children there are no such things as beanstalks or iggly plops. Or are there?

This is an incredible book! I teach 2nd grade and used it to teach about context clues. The kids were mesmerized!!

The Giants and the Joneses begins where Jack and the Beanstalk leaves off. In our time, the Giants of the land of Groil still tell the story of "Jack and the Beanstalk." But no one really believes in the "Iggly Plops" or the Little People. No one except an eight-year old giant named Jumbeelia. Jumbeelia drops a bean over the edge of Groil and the next day she climbs down a giant beanstalk where she collects a few new toys - including the three Jones children.

This is a fun story with the added challenge of a make-believe giant language to decode. (A dictionary is included.) The story does get a little scary when Jumbeelia's brother captures the Jones children and mistreats them, but this shouldn't be enough to put most children off. In addition, this story may lead readers to contemplate sibling relationships, treatment of smaller, helpless creatures, and whether there may be truth in legends.

My girls - 5 and 8 - love this book. I read it to them three months ago and we still talk about "igglyplops" and "bealy" things. The story is compelling -- three kids in a world of giants. The giants have their own language, but kids can identify with the giant childrens' normal everyday lives. There's an imagined world, suspense, and siblings who grow to love one another -- who could ask for anything else?

There is so much glassware out there I need to identify and this book really helps - and not only on Hazel Atlas glassware

Excellent book - Perfect for the beginner or long-time collector. Great photos and each page is well explained.

I was really impressed with this book. It filled in many of the little identification gaps that I had missing as a glass collector. There are so many items listed here that were not in his other books. It was enjoyable.......I read it in one day.......informative.....I was able to id many pieces.....and beautifully illustrated. I like the outline key too!

This is a fantastic reference book for anyone who is a fan of Hazel-Atlas glassware. The pictures are crisp and clear - the colors are vivid - and every page is full of photos. Not all of the Hazel-Atlas glassware is marked and this book is a valuable guide to authenticate those items, as well as being an interesting look into the many pieces of glassware that they produced. Very nice to have by the computer when you are surfing ebay.

The identification and value guide are very easily read. The pictures are of great help in identifying the various styles of Hazel-Atlas glass. There is a brief history of the glass from 1885 until the factory was sold to the Continental Can Company in 1956. All in all, well worth the purchase.

This super 176 page, softbound volume is loaded with more than 300 large, full color photos and 50 black and white photos. All of the items are identified by number, including mold dates,pattern origins, and up-to-date, year 2000 market values. There is a wealth of interesting and useful information to meet the needs of the novice and experienced collector. Every pattern is so clearly shown in amazing detail, even hard to photograph clear glassware. You'll learn who A. H. Heisey was, the classes of glass, buying glass, care of glass, as well as Victorian Patterns, Bands, Grooves and Panels, Evolution of Style, Novelties and Rarities. There's a glossary of terms and much more. Heisey Glass collectors will really enjoy and refer to this book often.

As reported in the Fort Pierce, Florida Tribune: This book recently won FIRST place in a National Competition: Non-Fiction category given by the Mid-Administration Congress of the National League of American Pen Women (Spring, 2001) Washington, D.C. and, FIRST place in a competition for a Published Non-Fiction Adult Book, State of Florida, awarded by The National League of American Pen Women (Spring, 2001) in Jacksonville, Florida. The author's bibliography appears in the 2002-2003, 23rd. Ed., of Who's Who of American Women. The book and author were featured on the TV series Collectible Treasures (H&G Network), October 26th, 2001.

For publication: November , 2001

More news about the book Heisey Glassware: The Early Years 1896-1924 ---

At the Mid-Administration Congress of the National League of American Pen Women on October 20th, 2001, in St. Augustine, Florida, a variety of literary competitions were held and Heisey Glassware: The Early Years 1896-1924 won FIRST PLACE in the non-fiction category.

At the same time, The Florida State Association of the National League of
American Pen Women awarded the book, again, in literary competition, FIRST PLACE for a Published Nonfiction Adult Book.

According to reports, this book has become a "classic" for beginning collectors of Heisey Glassware because of its original photographic presentations of the early patterns

In this book author Shirley Dunbar shares with the reader her research on glassware produced by the A.H. Heisey Company, from 1896-1924.

This book contains page after page of large, full color pictures of the different pieces. This is always joy to have as it makes identifying your piece so much easier. You can also find the market value of each piece which is another great plus.
We are given a history of the Heisey Company and its founder and helpful tips for buying and caring for glassware.
A well researched book that every collector would want in their library.
Shirley Johnson

this book is the first book on Heisey glassware to completely cover the early period from 1896-1924. It offers a complete history of the company and includes original color photographs of over 50 patterns along with explanations and dates of origin. It is NOT copies of sales catalogues, but rather an encylcopedia of photos of actual glass pieces. It is highly recommended for collectors of pattern glass, elegant glassware and fine glassware of this time period.

What child doesn't collect rocks at one time or another, especially the shiny and unusual ones? That makes all children rockhounds like Julie in this most interesting story that proficiently explains what quartz crystals are and how to find them. Young readers will enjoy learning about the properties and growth of crystals. Yes, crystals do grow! Author Gail Langer Karwoski has done a splendid job of taking a scientific concept and creating an absorbing story around it.

Artist Lisa Downey's detailed pencil drawings add so much to the story, making it easy for readers to visualize what Julie and Dad talk about on their hunt for rocks. For instance, where Dad explains, "It takes a VERY long time...to grow." The illustrations show the ascending scale of a quartz crystal's growth. The activities in the back of the book are both informative and enjoyable. The book is highly recommended for the rockhounds in any home or classroom, ages 6 - 10.

Georgia author Gail Karwoski offers another well-written and captivating picture book in Julie the Rockhound. The story begins when a young girl, Julie, notices something sparkling on a hillside behind her new home. The sparkle leads her to pick up a rock that's shiny with flat sides and a pointy end. Julie shows her find to her dad who calls it a crystal. The humorous word-play explanations dad offers for Julie's questions about her rock will tickle young readers as they learn along with Julie about quartz crystals. Some of the things I like most about book are the clear, informative writing, the warm relationship between Julie and her Dad, and the informative suggestions in the back of the book that will teach readers how to become rockhounds themselves. This book is ideal for parents, grandparents and teachers to share with young readers or for older children who want to read it on their own. It's great for those who already have an interest in rockhounding and for those who might want to join in the fun.

Karwoski's latest book will appeal to readers of many ages. For the youngest, it is a story of a girl and her dad sharing a day together and exploring the natural world. Older readers will enjoy the details Julie learns from her dad about rocks and rock collecting. Downey's clean illustrations focus attention on the beauty of the quartz crystals. Four pages of activities following the story are sure to lure beginning rockhounds outside to start digging! Teachers will find the book especially useful for teaching about rocks and minerals. A great purchase for the home, classroom, or school library.

I picked up a copy of Julie the Rockhound while at the Southern Independent Booksellers Association Conference. I am so pleased with it I plan to give it to my granddaughter for Christmas. As a former teacher, I am always on the lookout for entertaining and educational reading for children. This one is great. Not only is it a resource for children's reading, it is a means for teaching and inspiring an interest and hobby! The book includes a learning-activity section at the end of the story, parents and teachers will find helpful.

This is a great introduction to rock collecting for kids. The story shares the excitment of collecting and introduces simple and sometimes confusing terms in a funny way. The tips in the back for rock collecting are helpful and easy for any family to follow to add this fun and inexpensive hobby to family outings. The activities are great for home or for the classroom. This is a terrific book for elementary school teachers.

The first useful -and true- price guide for yo-yo collectors, it's also the perfect browsing book for us. The history needs some refining (following Donald Duncan's yo-yos after his company was taken by the courts is difficult, but the entry here was confusing even if you knew the background), but is at least 80% accurate. And you just can't beat those photos -- hundreds of photos of yo-yos forgotten or not even suspected! This book deserves to best-seller status, and to be updated each year. Buy several copies so Lucky can produce annual books for a living.

What do you get an 11-year-old boy who loves the yo-yo for his birthday, apparently this book. My son, who typically reads nothing more intense than a Batman comic was totally absorbed. I now know what my nephew will be getting for Christmas this year.

You don't have to be a collector to read this book, just serious about yo-yos. The history of the toy, contests and manufacturers is fascinating. This is not a trick book, but if your love of the sport goes beyond knowing how to walk the dog then you must get this book.

Lucky has assembled the critical mass of information that the yo collecting hobby has needed for so long. Now we can finally place our yo-yos into the historical context and understand values, rather than blindly guessing. Along the way, Lucky provides the best general yo-yo history yet published, along with 52 pages of glorious color photos. A must for every yo-yo player, collector, or other interested party.

The guru of yo-yo collecting and writer of the collectors corner in Fiend Magazine, Lucky Meisenheimer, has made the long wait for his book worthwhile. Truly he has created the "bible" of yo-yo collecting. History, Yo-Yos, String Packs, Patches and Pins it's all there. Anyone serious about yo-yos should have this book whether they collect or not, but don't even think about calling yourself a collector if you don't have this book.

wonderful photos', informative narrative, the new guy can't go wrong. And the speed of shipping can't be matched. Thanks all around.

Marble Mania will prove to be the standard to which other marble related books will be compared to. A thorough, comprehensive view of all aspects of marble collecting. Graphically superior with detail that will be utilized by not only the beginning collector but the advanced collector also. Mr. Block has taken the time, performed the research and compiled this vast amount of information into an enjoyable, eye and mind satisfying beautiful book. Mr. Block is clear in his intentions to continue to be the leader in an area of great challenge, I can't wait for Mr. Block's next marble book. The bar has been raised!

Marble Mania has fine photographs of every imaginable marble from pebbles found alongside streams to the Industrial Revolution in Germany & Austria. Here the cutting of agate cubes & polishing them into marbles for export all over the world became a huge cottage industry. You have to see the beauty of all the clay, pottery, crockery, china & porcelain globes. It was fun to read this big book. Found myself chatting at the local recycle shop about the blue canning jars in their windows filled with marbles. Eyeing them eagerly, with a little more knowledge & a few more names.

I bought this book for my husband (from Amazon) for Xmas. Not only is the book very beautiful, but he has become an expert in his own right. With a year-2000 interest in things retro, marbles are enjoying a boom. We now have jars of them everywhere, looking great and, according to this great book, appreciating in value as we watch. With the help of the pricing guides we discovered that we already owned some very valuable marbles, and have since acquired more. In fact, the book paid for itself about 10 minutes after we got it, with the discovery of an unrecognized treasure.

i loved this book because it gave you funny expample of how to play i also loved it because it gave you marbles that you can play with.
from,
caroline

What a wonderful trip down Memory Lane! I had a couple of uncles that worked for Marx when I was a little kid and had many of the toys featured in Michelle's book. I can only wonder what happened to my Mark toys. I guess they found their way to cousins or younger friends, but I sure would like to have them back now! Good job Michelle - I truly enjoyed paging through your book - it appears to have been a labor of love as opposed to a for profit project. Thanks for the memories!

This book would be a great companion book. Most Marx toys collectors would benefit from information on part numbers, years of production and viewing the wonderful selection of photographs featured in the book. The book covers about 30 years worth of knowledge on toys produced at the Glen Dale plant site. There is even a partial price listing on items that Ms. Smith and Mr. Whipkey were familiar with. All in all. A good book.

I enjoyed this book because of it's detailed accounts of Marx toys that I grew up with. The price guide is also handy when I'm out looking for Marx items for my sisters' collections. History of a manufacturer is always interesting and the photographs help define the pieces I'm searching for. I appreciate a good book that shows great effort extended in presenting the information. I would recommend this book to the serious toy buyer and to new seekers of antique Marx toys. Kudos to the author!

I found this to be an ideal route to fond memories of my childhood. Many of the toys in this book were basis of several Christmas dreams. As a baby boomer, I have been collecting the dollhouses and furniture with the hope that my granddaughter will appreciate them, too! This is a good reference guide to have!

This brand new (year 2000)192 page book gives you an inside look at one of America's favorite toy makers. It takes you behind the scenes at Marx to help you see and understand the company and its people. There is a beautiful 32 page full color section, in addition to more than 150 black and white photos. Many of the photos have not before been published. More than 1,200 individual items are listed, including many values. Major topics range from Play Sets, Doll Houses, Lithographed Items, to Johnny West, and Sandy Dolls. A Marx time line from 1896 to 1999 is provided along with a handy index. Toy collectors will be delighted with this new reference.

The novel is a refreshing look at life in San Francisco in another time. It is a book after my own heart full of raucous humor, enigmatic characters, intrigue, deceit and mystery. What more could a reader want?

The novel is a refreshing look at life in San Francisco in another time. It is a book after my own heart full of raucous humor, enigmatic characters, intrigue, deceit and mystery. What more could a reader want?

I FOUND THIS NOVEL INTERESTING ENOUGH TO WANT TO READ IT A SECOND TIME ALMOST IMMEDIALTLY IN CASE I MISSED ANYTHING THE FIRST TIME. ITS INTRIGUING WITH CHARACTERS AND A PLOT YOU WILL NEVER FORGET

The novel is a refreshing look at life in San Francisco in another time. It is a book after my own heart full of raucous humor, enigmatic characters, intrigue, deceit and mystery. What more could a reader want?

What a good book, a logical successor to Tales of the City and Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil. Hiassen would have been happy to have written the book.

I saw this book at a small party and immediately orderd six copies. Christmas gifts for my folks and a hard-to-shop-for couple. The tins and packages are beautifully shot and reproduced. As a designer I actually am finding it to be a resource for great retro design and color combinations. There you have it... some really diverse reasons to purchase this wonderful book!!!

I could not believe the quality of this hardback book. Many pricing guide books for collectibles are printed on newsprint, and they are paperback as well. This book is top class all the way! I hope these guys keep coming up with revised additions, as new and yet undiscovered condom tins and boxes surface. Bravo!!!

When I received this book, I was thrilled to see that it was filled with full-color pictures of the condom packages. In fact, 90 percent of this book is pictures, with fascinating bits of history comprising the other 10 percent. It's very difficult to find much information on historical birth control, and this is the first book I've seen dedicated to condoms. It even includes information on "chemical prophylactics" (all I could think after reading this section was "ow, ow , ow"). A great book!

as you might guess i have nothing but good thing to say about our book. you can e- mail me any questions. we are allso looking for any information avaiable as we are thinking of starting a news letter. we might even autograph your copy!

Interesting to find that this is the first book of its kind on the history of condoms and their packaging. Not only does it contain information the average person would never have guessed, it is useful to those into the history of graphic design. The tins are miniatue works of art in themselves, regardless of what they contained! The down to earth style of the text is easy on the reader as well. All in all a great bargain - the hardcover of the book in itself is worth the price of admission!

I purchased this book for my mother who played with Renwal toys as a child. She is trying to complete her childhood collection. She calls it her 'Renwal Bible'!! It is packed with great information and photos. I sincerely believe this is the best gift I have ever given her!

This book has the most information available on the era of the Renwal dollhouse furniture. Having had a collection of Renwal since 1945, I was pleased to see that this book has the current values of such items. I was happy to receive the book in excellent contition, as I usually do in my purchases from Amazon.

Kudos to author, Charles Donovan, for creating a great book on the history of the Renwal Company toys! As one of the many Baby Boomers collecting toys from their past, I am an avid collector of old doll houses (mostly Marx), furniture and dolls. This book on the Renwal toys will be a good resource tool. No one else made doll house dolls like Renwal. This book offers beautiful, clear photos, descriptions and values of the Renwal dolls, furniture and other toy items made by Renwal. There is also a "bonus" at the end, a copy of an early catalog describing the toys. I would highly recommend this book to other collectors.

Mr. Charles Donovan has put together a fine book (all known catalogued and uncatalogued) toys manufactured by the Renwal company from 1945 through the late 1950's. A concise guide for collectors with clear photographs and excellent data.

Kudos to author, Charles Donovan, for creating a great book on the history of the Renwal Company toys! As one of the many Baby Boomers collecting toys from their past, I am an avid collector of old doll houses (mostly Marx), furniture and dolls. This book on the Renwal toys will be a good resource tool. No one else made doll house dolls like Renwal. This book offers beautiful, clear photos, descriptions and values of the Renwal dolls, furniture and other toy items made by Renwal. There is also a "bonus" at the end, a copy of an early catalog describing the toys. I would highly recommend this book to other collectors.