Collecting Books

Fantastic insight into the great private collections of Imperial Russia.
Beautifully illustrated with photos of the collection's.

I am surprised that Russian nobility possesses great art collection that worth millions of dollars in today's money. Great works by Picasso, Poussin, Monet, Gainsborough, Renoir, Gaugin and other impressionists took pride in the private galleries of russian noble families.

This book will amaze you of the artistic side and wealth of russian nobility.

My only concern is that the pictures are mostly of black and white. Too wordy and contains few interesting information about the paintings and artists.

Still, I gave 5 stars for the effort of coming up with this extraordinary book.

This is a GREAT book. If you are at all interested in collecting Griswold muffin pans this is the final word. You will see alot of times on ebay auctions people refering to the variation. Well that is from this book. Great pictures and drawings. Very very good information. The only negative I see is that the prices listed are somewhat high. Maybe with today's tough economy and the soft market for antiques the prices are really depressed from what they were when this book was written. Anyhow my general guideline for pricing is 1/3 to 1/2 of the price listed is a good deal.

Quite impressive. Drawings accurate. Format well laid out. Photography good quality. Price extimates accurate for existing market trends at time of writing/publication. A MUST HAVE FOR THE COLLECTORS LIBRARY!!!

I picked up A Guide Book of Lincoln Cents by Q. David Bowers last weekend and thought I would post a review of what I thought of it.

It starts off with a nice forward by Charles D. Daughtrey and moves into some very interesting sections. There is of course the history of the Lincoln Cent both wheat and memorial reverse. Then it moves into the minting process. After that it goes into the proofs and how they were made from 1909 to date.

The proof section I found very informative and interesting, after that it goes into grading Lincoln Cents, Mr. Bowers is very honest when it comes to third party grading services and provides some background on when they started.

It then moves into how to be a smart buyer, ways to collect, then finally analysis and market guide to Lincoln Cents. For each year he describes how the dies were that year, what was going on in the world of numismatics, some nice notes, striking and sharpness population reports for MS wheat coins and PF for memorials. There is also a price guide that is pretty close.

What I found interesting was how he took quotes, articles, and other things of interest from some other very popular Lincoln experts. He tried to offer both sides of the fence views and some issues. Take the 22 no "D", there is an quote from Chuck that explains how it is nothing more than a worn out die.

The book has nice color pictures for each year (I think they need to be a little larger)

Things I would change about the book would be- Larger pictures for the grading section, population reports for key dates that go before MS-65 and population reports for MS memorial cents and PF wheat cents.

All in all I would give this book a 9 on a scale of 1-10 and would recommend it to any Lincoln collector.

Coin collectors who are gathering Lincoln cents have lots to work with and understand: it's the country's longest-running coin series. This official guide covers its history, rarity, values, grading and many varieties as the coin nears its 100th anniversary and most importantly, discusses some of the greatest challenges to coin collecting. Tips on buying, selling, and grading a Lincoln cents collection makes for a fine market analysis for all dates and mintmarks, and even includes an appendix on error coins. Any library strong in coin collecting at any level must have this reference.

I have been a collector of biblical coins for more than a decade, and Hendin's writings have been a tremendous help. I enjoy his insights, stories, and overall knowledge. The illustrations of the coins are wonderful, and the pictures in the back of the book are of top quality. I believe Hendin is the foremost expert in the world today when it comes to the coins of the Bible. Of course, these books are a bit pricy. I own the 1st and 3rd editions, but I've held off on the 4th just because I think I'll keep the pattern going and wait for the 5th ed. (2004 perhaps???). But if you own nothing, this edition is better than none. I highly recommend it, either as a resource manual or a book to read from cover to cover.

For collectors of ancient coins, especially those of Biblical or Judaean coins, this work is essential. Now in its 3rd ed., Hendin has re-cataloged and listed coins that were in use from the time of Alexander The Great, through the first and second revolts, and to the city-statesunder Rome. The coins are not only described ingreat detail, but their HISTORY is clearly laid out so that it comes to life. Reading about them,even if one can't collect them, takes you back tothe time of ancient Greece and Rome. Biblical stories are set in context and become all the morereal.

Highly recommend this book, great pricing structure. Could possibly use an easier way of looking up items but generally a great book.

We have been collecting Haeger for years. This book gives us a much better understanding of our collection.

This book, a follow up to Hallmark Ornaments, The First Twenty Years, is an absolute must have for Hallmark Ornament collectors. This wonderfully illustrated book contains large color pictures of all the Hallmark Ornaments 1994-1998, articles from Clara and pertinant ornament information. WONDERFUL!!

I have owned this book for many years & I still find myself flipping through it again & again. They just don't make Collectors Guides like this anymore. Beautiful large hard bound book w/ excellent year by year pictures,discriptions & cost of the original ornaments all in one book.It also shows various ways of using your Hallmark Ornaments in other ways of decorating besides your typical Christmas tree. I rate this a 5 star book & a must for any collector

A rich source of inspiration for a painter on porcelain, a pleasure for an art lover!

As a collector of fine antique porcelains, I was eager to own this book, and delighted when it was finally delivered! The artistry of painting on porcelains has been presented before in other publications, but "Hand Painted Porcelain Plates: Nineteenth Century to the Present" provides a new benchmark in terms of both text information and illustration.

With superb photographic technique, each image captures the magnificent color, form and art and the captions describing the age, area of origin and artist are very well done.

The plate chapters are arranged by country. German, Austrian and Bohemian plates include a history of manufacture, and makers like Richard Klemm, Ambrosius Lamm and other notable producers of Dresden porcelain, as well as portrait specimens produced by KPM and the artists of Vienna are included in this important chapter.

World class English porcelains are well-represented, with stunning and rare Worcester examples, as well as outstanding painted plates from Coalport, Davenport, Minton and Wedgwood. I enjoyed the recognition afforded to the venerable firm of John Aynsley, and the painted scenic view plates are generally missed by other publications on antique and collectible porcelains.

Many French porcelain makers set the decorating standard for others, and the chapter devoted to the makers from France, including Limoges and Sevres, are alone, well worth the price of the book!

With important information on marks, as well as fake and reproduction plates, Richard Rendall presents a clear and comprehensive text, and the examples from Elise Abram's collection are clearly representative of the most luxurious porcelain on the planet!

Recommended to both new and advanced collectors, you will not be dissappointed! This book is truly a feast for the eyes!

Not only is this a wonderful display of Betty Lou head vases, but it is also a wonderful price guide. It is a must for any head vase collecter and I also recommend it for collectors of anything, as it makes a terriffic coffee table book! I found the book most pleasurable to flip through and very useful as a price guide.

This book is filled with the most wonderful pictures and the price guide is very useful. It is so great that Maddy Gordon chose to focus on Betty Lou's headvases. They are classic and timeless. Although I only have a few in my collection, having this book always allows me to look at the beautiful pictures.

Long overdue, and written by people I respect as glass scholars, this is an important volume on a serious glass shelf. As usual many attributions are expalined / illustrated with period info so we know why the authors tell us as they do. Sadly out of print but not always that hard to find yet if seeking through various sources. A major company with a pivotal role in the next generation of glass makers at the end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th century. Good stuff inside this book, nicely illustrated and well organized.

I was so pleased to find this book. I have collected Hobbs glass for many years and have searched for information. Finally, this book is the only resource devoted entirely to Hobbs. The authors have included well documented facts and information about the glass and its history, along with beautiful photographs. There is a value guide if the collector is interested in pricing or selling their glass. All in all this book is essential and long overdue.

I needed a dependable reference for my line of work and this is it-costs alot less then the book stores.

Mendell delivers. I picked up his first edition in 1995 right after I became a private investigator, and bought his 2006 edition as soon as it was released. It's a must-have for the serious investigator, judgment recovery specialist, or attorney who works debt-collection.