Collecting Books

For the advanced collector, there has been a shortage of information on Bing Bears in regards to identification, charm and market value until Ken Yenke wrote and complied wonderful photos of Bing Bears in this comprehensive book. As always, I am impressed and learn more than I had hoped when selecting one of Ken's books to add to my Teddy Bear Book reference library. A wonderful book for all who seek more knowledge about our loved...Teddy Bears.

We, collectors have waited a long time for someone to write a comprehensive book on the wonderful world of Bing Bears & Toys. Ken Yenke has developed a book designed to educated the reader on the history of Bing, as well as, give remarkable early sketches and photos of Bings that most collectors never get an opportunity to actually see. I was quite impressed with the energy and apparent love that Ken Yenke has demonstrated throughout the book. The descriptions are concise yet informative; and the price guidelines help the novice collector and the advanced collector gauge their buying and selling scales. I looked forward to reading this book from the earliest whispers of its development and have not been disappointed in any way. I hope Ken Yenke continues to write books that are educational to collectors and also beautiful to the eye.

This book is much more than a report of a company's products. It is an honest and direct account of what happened to a creative and productive enterprise under Hitler's oppression, and after that it is a beautiful description of the many fantastic items the company developed. Ken Yenke has made a fine contribution to the history of the German toy industry by describing the happenings that led to the demise of the Bing company. The pictures are terrific, and the dialogue is strong and exciting. You'll want to read every word and study every picture. I strongly recommend this book to all toy collectors.

This is a book that has been in my mind since the first time I read it over 30 years ago. I have been trying to find a copy of for my own. I read it for the first time in grammer school. I have always felt sorry for the little girl in it. It always made me feel bad that all she felt she had in the world of any value was that plate. And I loved how proud she was of it.

This is a wonderful book for the casual and serious collector of Blue Willow. The graphics are clear and the number of manufacturer marks listed makes for easy referencing.

I was very glad to find this book. It has help me in so many way about buying and selling of plates. I was surpise ot find out how much some of the plates I had purchased were worth. I recommend this book very highly, the graphics are clear and colorful.

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.

The Fifties Decade year by year in a colorful and informative layout that only Dan Lyons can master! As a Classic Car enthusiast and owner of over 1000 car books I rank this at the top!
I especially enjoy the original color advertisements as they appeared in 50's magazines. As a Baby Boomer I can relive each year one by one of the Fabulous Fifties in this Great Book.
This is a Must have for all you 50's Lovers and Baby Boomers!

This book is perfect for car enthusiasts everywhere. It has full
color pictures of popular autos, as they appeared in the 1950s.
For instance, the Buick Roadmaster is shown with a sporty-open top,
chromium grill, insignia and metal striping. The Mercury V8 is a
312 cu. in. engine with thunderbolt striping and a tire mount in
the rear. A 1955 Cadillac Eldorado is shown, as well as the
DeSoto Fireflite. This acquisition is filled with nostalgia for
car enthusiasts everywhere. It is priced reasonably.

The 1950s were the heyday of innovative American automobile design, a fact celebrated by CARS OF THE FANTASTIC '50s, a survey of the most memorable vehicles of the times. The colorful tri-tones and chrome, wild design features, and glamorous embellishments come alive in a presentation featuring photographer Dan Lyons' lovely full-page color shots. Add in vintage color ads and plenty of background history and you have a keepsake coffee table display with outstanding depth and detail.

Diane C. Donovan
California Bookwatch

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.

Mr. Fricke's work, coupled with unparalleled data compiled by the late Douglas B. Ball, PH.D., represents the most comprehensive, informative and sorely needed reference relative to CSA paper money ever assembled. This book takes the collecting of CSA paper money to an entirely new, lofty level and is a must have for everyone--from the beginning collector to the most advanced. Obscure, priceless information, heretofore available only to a few, is now available to everyone...as it is set forth in vivid detail within these pages. Easy to use...a tremendous step forward to all of numismatics. Simply magnificant. Randy Shipley

Anyone even interested in collecting Confederate Paper Money definitely needs this book, for not only is it informative and well-organized with accompanying pictures and information re the rarity of these Notes, but there is unique information based upon exhaustive research and sources. Without this tome, much of this information would possibly be lost and/or would have never become available. A great job!! McNair

Replaces and upgrades the 20th century Criswell series with a modern variety numbering system, grading, prices, new ways to collect, and a detailed history, census, provenance, rarity and pricing guide unparallelled in the paper money hobby. If you spend more than $200 on Confederate paper money or have a collection of more than a couple of notes, this book will pay for itself - perhaps many, many times over. Differentiate your collection by attributing with PF numbers which indicate better quality attribution, grading and value. This is the book some dealers do not want YOU to have!

I am usually a harsh reviewer and rarely give a book five stars except for one with strong scholarly content. This is one where I did give five stars because the book so adequately covered the necessary topics important to collecting this type of item. It is the most comprehensive book available for information on Fiesta.

Gonzalez is organized, thoughtful, and extremely visual in giving tips on how to recognize Vintage Fiesta from Post86 (reissued) Fiesta, as well as distinguishing knock-offs from the real thing! He discusses each of the impressed stamps and ink stamps used to identify Fiesta, as well as providing pictures of each stamp. He also shows how to measure items to distinguish Vintage from Post86. His value ranges are a bit high, but this book is invaulable when it comes to being a useful resource for new and seasoned collectors alike. This book is great to use hand in hand with the Huxfords' book. The values in the Huxfords are very accurate, but the book can be confusing - especially if you are at a Flea Market and need info quickly. Gonzalez will provide info clearly (and easy to find) without rambling.

Brand new, year 2000 hardback library volume of 182 pages. A beautiful book with a wealth of information and more than 800 full color, large, sharp photos. Covers from Homer Laughlin Lines, Taylor, Smith and Taylor Lines to Knowles, Mt. Clemens, Zephyr, Sevilla, Camwood and others. Item descriptions are very detailed and appear with great photos and values. The photos are exceptional, and true to life. A joy for collectors of colorware.

This is a must have book for the Cap Gun Collector! This book is easy to understand and use as a reference guide. Lots of information that can't be found anywhere else.

I had the opportunity to purchase this book when it first came out. It is an excellent reference for those of us who collect western cap guns and who played with them as childern. Regardless of one's stance on the GUN vs ANTI-GUN debate, one must admit that many of the toys of the 40's to 60's were works of art. Real leather holsters. Guns that did not fall apart. Engraving. The research involved in the book is extensive. The descriptions of the toys are lovingly done. The pictures of the author and staff in cowboy and cowgirl gear give a down home touch. The photos of the guns are helpful for the flea market prowler. This is an excellent book for a limited audience.

This is the leading book on collecting cap guns...Unfortunately it is out of print as it is the "Bible of Cap Gun Collecting...
It has also become the pricing and valuation guide of the cap gun collecting hobby....

Excellent works, both Volumes I and II.
Very important that all photos in colour, grouped according to type.
Careful and clear document, with accompanying advertisement reproductions illustrating the compacts, the styles, the periods covered.
Carefully researched, very neat, clear easy to follow.
Huge selection, especially with 2 volumes.
Estimated values may/not be accurate, but author explains which models need what parts for best vlues.
I highly recommend.

I have both volumes and find these books easy to read with beautiful pictures and descriptions of compacts and carryalls. I reference these books everytime I am about to make a purchase. The compact values are listed under each picture with description so you don't have to look in another part of the book for the price as so many price guides are written. I highly recommend this book as well as volume 1 for any serious compact collector.

This volume, along with volume one, is the source for compacts. There are tons of color photos of everything from compacts and vanities to plies, powder boxes, rouge compacts, and advertising. Mueller gives fine intros to each of her topics, educating the reader on the makers, the different styles, and where to focus your collecting if you don't have big bucks. Mueller also doesn't jack up the prices to astronomical heights like Gerson's book--prices are reasonable and acceptable for easy- and hard-to find compacts. The book is well organized, and I'd be hard-pressed to see how to do this one better.

Received book promptly and in excellent condition. Needed book for research on family heirlooms.

Not only is this book very reasonably priced, it offers a wealth of clear color photos to aid you in identifying your Gaudy Welsh and Gaudy Dutch dinnerware. If you collect or deal in Gaudy Dutch or Gaudy Welsh this book is a must have for your collection.

An invaluable aid to understanding two very different types of china manufactured in England. Wonderful historical information, colored examples and close-ups make for accurate identification. Prices are volunteered for varying shapes, patterns, and sizes. A significant contribution in this field and a must-have book for any collector!