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Title: Civil War Weapons

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A history of the Civil War as told through the many weapons used during the period. The sheer number and variations of weapons used are staggering.

Due mostly to the lack of available guns to supply the quickly formed armies, many men brought their own weapons with them. By including all the the weapons used in the period you are truly given a complete history. Full color close up pictures are just the start and every detail from the weapons dimensions and origin to an often incredibly detailed history of the weapon are covered. Coverage includes not only rifles and pistols but also swords and other edged weapons and artillery.

Period photographs and incredible color paintings put you in the middle of the more often than not brutal battles.

Bottom line - a fascinating history that illustrates not only the weapons used in the Civil war but also the determination and bravery with which they were wielded.

Publisher/Book info.:
Publisher: KP Books
700 East State St.
Iola, WI 54990-0001
(800)-258-0929 (consumers), (888)-457-2873 ext. 880 (retailers)

Book information: 2005, 255 page paperback, 8 1/4" x 11"
Author: Graham Smith
Price:$24.99

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Title: Gas Station Memorabilia, Value Guide to

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This book arrived, coincidentally, just as I was finally getting around to properly displaying my small collection of Gas and auto related clocks and signs after many years of having them scattered about hanging simply for safety sake. It's amazing what a difference showing these type of advertising items can make to a room. Their bright colors, logos and size make it a different room.

It's that same "look" that makes this book such a joy to look at. Full color pictures provide just about all you need to know in the 10+ categories covered. Of course brief descriptions are included along with dimensions but it's the pictures your likely to rely on.

Pricing is complex, in a good way. Notations for each item not only includes a rather long list of abbreviations for various conditions and defect but also a letter code for the source of the pricing; auction price, dealer price and collector price. Though some still don't realize the difference, there can be wide price difference, particularly between auction selling prices and either the dealer or collector value. It's critical information.

Advertising sheets and tidbits of information along the way make sure you don't get bored.

Bottom line - with a category as broad as this, with not only the number of subcategories covered but also the sheer amount of total pieces produced over the years, you can't go wrong if the interest is there. This is true even if you own other similar guides, the more guides you have the more likely you are to get greater coverage of the market in total.

Publisher/Book info.:
Publisher: Collector Books
P.O. Box 3009
Paducah , KY 42002-3009
Orders: (800) 626-5420

Book information: 2006, 329 page hardback, 8 3/4" x 11 1/4"
Author: B.J. Summers & Wayne Priddy
Price:$29.95

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Title: Vintage Clothing, Antique Trader Price Guide

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Finally! I've been harping for years at the lack of guide material available on the booming Vintage Clothing market and I've finally received my first answer....and it's a good one!

The Antique Trader staff is a good choice for the production of this guide and their connections within the Antiques and Collectibles worlds make the guides production a successful one.

The guide is broken down fairly evenly between the large categories of pre-1850 to 1930's, 1940's to 1980's and accessories such as hats, ties, etc. with all time periods represented. Though the guide breakdowns are much finer in terms of dating, these broad ranges are traditionally cutoffs for the two large groups of buyers. The later date group represents the bulk of the boom buyers today with the emphasis not so much on collecting and preserving fine piece of, for example, fine and fragile early 19th century pieces, but, instead on the wearability and reuse of pieces within the wardrobe. This period has always been all but overlooked in the few other price references that usually fell inside broader guides and provided limited coverage and few if any pictures.

The editors have used the advice of retail vintage sellers and, as a result, the descriptive text is significant. Descriptions highlight even the smallest details such as small spots, etc. on the pictured pieces. Condition is everything with vintage and though it is rarely a deal breaker some defects can cause price variations so it is valuable knowledge. Condition is a prime factor but so too is the "look" of the piece particularly with those destined to be reworn. Full color pictures scratch this itch and together with the descriptions you could easily make real world comparisons.

Bottom line - If you buy, sell, collect or just like vintage, you have to buy this book. Hopefully this will set the precedent for more guides and the expansion of this guide in the next edition (hint, hint!).

Publisher/Book info.:
Publisher: KP Books
700 East State St.
Iola, WI 54990-0001
(800)-258-0929 (consumers), (888)-457-2873 ext. 880 (retailers)

Book information: 2006, 272 page paperback, 6" x 9"
Editor: Kyle Husfloen & Madeleine Kirsh
Price:$24.99

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Title: Flea Market Trader

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15 editions? They must be doing something right!

One of the things they have done right and before most top level guides is to cover the Collectibles market. Though Antiques pop up here and there, just one look at their cover will tell you where the concentration is. It is a focus that is still lacking in most of the top level guides produced today.

This edition follows the same tried and true format made up mostly of descriptive text and values with a picture here and there to keep you interested.

Bottom line - the coverage of the Collectibles market makes this a must have for the new breed of collectors and dealers of today. Others can gauge their interest but it will certainly be a welcome edition even for those with many top level general guides already on their shelves.

Publisher/Book info.:
Publisher: Collector Books
P.O. Box 3009
Paducah , KY 42002-3009
Orders: (800) 626-5420

Book information: 2006, 416 page paperback, 5 1/2" x 8 1/2"
Author: Editors
Price:$12.95

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Title: Disney Collectibles Field Guide Values and Identification

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I have to build a custom mini bookcase for all the great field guide releases out and coming soon.

This particular edition is the most ambitious to date covering on of the larger collectibles markets out there, Disney. With over 70 years of Disney item production you can imagine the sheer number of items to collect and the subcategories that they cover.

The approach taken is to cover characters and movie titles rather than subcategories themselves. Each section gives an overview of the types of items produced for the character or movie. Reading between the pages so to speak you'll also cover most of the Disney subcategories by the time you've reached the end so you can get a feel for the general subcategory market as well.

Descriptions are often lengthily covering defect of the particular example for comparison sake. Of course you get full color pictures as with all the field guides.

Bottom line - if your just starting to dip your feet into the ever deepening Disney pool, you'll want to start with this guide. The breadth of coverage and cheap cover price provide the introduction you need to determine your areas of interest and get a general feel for the market as a whole. As for the experience Disney collector, I don't need to say anything since most Disney collectors are ravenous and will buy this guide if for no other reason than to add to their collection!

Publisher/Book info.:
Publisher: KP Books
700 East State St.
Iola, WI 54990-0001
(800)-258-0929 (consumers), (888)-457-2873 ext. 880 (retailers)

Book information: 2006, 512 page paperback,4 1/4" x 5 1/4"
Author: Ken Farrell
Price:$12.99

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Title: Bottles, Antique Trader's Identification and Price Guide

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It is the introductory material, which is an unheard of 75 pages!, that has always been an important feature of this guide. For the beginner it gives a very complete overview not only of the specifics you'll need in the field but also of the industry itself.

Covering the world of bottles has always been a difficult one with so many types and variations in the market. This guide has always strived to give as complete an overview as possible without over focusing on one particular category. Over 40 categories are covered both for old (pre-1900) and new bottles in subcategories from Avon to Soda and Whiskey and even perfume.

The addition of more pictures is welcome since often times descriptions of bottles can be quite mundane and pictures are almost required. This edition includes 600 photos and now they are all in color (another often important criteria in the bottle world).

The back section is just as complete as the introductory one is and includes a huge listing of bottle dealers and clubs, trademarks, a full glossary and more.

Bottom line - This edition shows many improvements of its predecessor. Not the least of these is the addition of more pictures and all in full color. For the beginner this guide will certainly determine if bottle collecting is for you. By the time you read it you'll probably be able to teach even a few lower level dealers a thing or two. For the experts there is probably no preaching necessary, you'll want it.

Publisher/Book info.:
Publisher: KP Books
700 East State St.
Iola, WI 54990-0001
(800)-258-0929 (consumers), (888)-457-2873 ext. 880 (retailers)

Book information: 2005, 550 page paperback, 6" x 9"
Author: Michael Polak
Price:$19.99

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Title: Hall China, Collector's Encyclopedia of

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I'm always on the lookout for Hall bargains, I use some piece of Hall China everyday in my house and I particularly love the Hotpoint refrigerator dishes since they're useful and cool looking. To me, Hall is one of the most useful collectible China lines, they beg to be used year after year.

Even if you don't collect Hall, you'll easily recognize at least half of the contents of this guide due to their popularity and high collectibility. If you recognize all of it's contents your a super collector/dealer, this guide is chock full

Obviously you'll get a huge helping of what is probably the most well known Hall offerings, tea and coffee pots and their "Autumn Leaf" line but that doesn't even begin to describe the contents.

The guide is broken down into the large categories of Dinnerware, Kitchenware, Refrigerator ware, Tea & Coffee Pots, Other Products and Reissues and New Products in an attempt to get a handle of the 1,000's of collectible items. Each of the smaller subcategories in the guide are accompanied by a large full color picture illustrating all/most of the items within a particular line. Often times multiple pictures are necessary to cover the scope of the line. Brief, but more than sufficient, descriptions are included along with a small range of values

Bottom line - usually affordable and always beautiful, this useful line is one I can personally recommend. Before you start collecting this guide will help you to narrow (something I rarely do by the way) your area of interest. The guide is very complete, concise and easy and fun to read.

Publisher/Book info.:
Publisher: Collector Books
P.O. Box 3009
Paducah , KY 42002-3009
Orders: (800) 626-5420

Book information: 2006, 383 page hardback, 8 3/4" x 11 1/4"
Author: Margaret & Kenn Whitmyer
Price:$29.95

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Title: Hot Wheels Accessories, The Ultimate Guide

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Hot Wheels and Matchbox both are not only huge toy lines but more diverse than some might know. Usually relegated to a small back section, accessories are more often than not brushed aside in most guides. What good are the cars if you don't have thing to play with them and tie-in merchandise to feed your brand obsession?

Enter the accessory guide. Now it's the vehicles who have to take the back seat! Track sets, advertising, carrying cases, lunch boxes, watches, and even party favors, you'll find all the stuff Hot Wheels produced to keep their customers hungry.

1,500 listings are accompanied by over 400 color photos that make the guide fun to leaf through. Check list style descriptions are brief but complete and include a value though the author does not indicate how these are determined (e.g.. online auction, retail, etc.)

I found one small thing a little perplexing, every so often the author notes that a particular item of line doesn't have prices listed due to space constraints despite the item having a description with a format that has prices on the same line. Though it is minor in context with the number of items included in the guide (I only found a few instances) a couple of items I saw included some lesser known, and earlier, Hot Wheels items that I, for one, would certainly have liked to see his market estimate for. Certainly no reason to not get this otherwise nice guide.

Not to be to elitist to the car lines, the back section also includes a full listing of the recent "Treasure Hunt" cars with extensive descriptions and values along with nice close-up pictures.

Bottom line - the completist wont need prodding to buy this guide and beginning collector will enjoy the broadening of their collecting world.

Publisher/Book info.:
Publisher: KP Books
700 East State St.
Iola, WI 54990-0001
(800)-258-0929 (consumers), (888)-457-2873 ext. 880 (retailers)

Book information: 2005, 238 page paperback, 8 1/4" x 10 3/4"
Author: Michael Zarnock
Price:$24.99

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Title: Advertising Collectibles Price List, Kovel's

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One thing that doesn't stop is advertising, it's everywhere. However, much of it has lost it zest. There was a day where the artistic appeal of advertising pieces rivaled some gallery offerings. Always displayable and often striking, advertising collectibles are a fun way to spice up your home.

As with all of the Kovel guides, and despite a hefty 300 included pictures, it is the listings that make up the bulk of the guide. How they manage to fit 10,000 listings in this guide is amazing and their format allows them to give a very complete overview of all of the advertising subcategories. If you're familiar with the Kovel's, and who isn't, you'll get no surprises for this guide which follows their time tested format.

The one thing that sets Kovel guides above many on the market is the use of actual prices for items from various venues. The use of actual prices (versus market estimates) are always a bonus with price guides. Granted there are other factors to be considered but it is about the best "base" a collector or dealer can have for value determination. At least you know SOMEONE paid that much/little!

Bottom line - It's a no brainer if you collect or sell advertising pieces. The scope of this guide along with actual market reference points will pay for itself with at least one of your purchases or sales.

Publisher/Book info.:
Publisher: Random House Reference
(800)-733-3000 (consumers), (888)-591-1200 ext. 880 (retailers/wholesale)

Book information: 2005, 256 page paperback, 5 1/4" x 8"
Author:Ralph & Terry Kovel
Price:$16.95

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Title: Trains Identification and Value Guide, O'Brien's Collecting Toy

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I'm amazed that this is the first guide on trains submitted since so many of us can trace our collecting in some part to a train set. This is a good one to start with though since it provides a nice overview of all of the known manufactures and the market as a whole.

The guide is broken down by the major manufactures and further by size/gauge when applicable. Descriptions are complete an often times lengthily to include rarity indicators and special features.

O'brien guides utilize the "C" rating system but gives you the equivalent condition words (e.g.. excellent, very good) right up front in case your confused. This ratings system does provide a good method for providing a good range of value particularly with a collectible who's value is so based on condition.

Bottom line - Train collecting is big and most collectors tend to specialize in one manufacture or another for the most part and this tends to drive the price guides towards specialization. This guide is a great guide for all levels of collectors/dealers but it's particularly well suited for the beginner. Providing beautiful color examples of all of the major lines allows the beginner to narrow his or her interest (of not!). It's nostalgic value shouldn't be overlooked either, O'brien guides are always great just to look at.

Publisher/Book info.:
Publisher: KP Books
700 East State St.
Iola, WI 54990-0001
(800)-258-0929 (consumers), (888)-457-2873 ext. 880 (retailers)

Book information: 2006, 399 page paperback, 8 1/4" x 10 3/4"
Editor: David Doyle
Price:$29.99

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Title: Antiques and Collectibles Price Guide, Warman's

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We've been doing a lot of moving around here lately as we prepare to close our retail location of 13 years and transition to fully web based sales. Finally I was able to get a decent grip on my library and this is one of the guides that I literally have almost every edition from it's inception (pre "Collectibles" of course). Despite their age, the older guides have come in very handy on numerous occasions.

I mention this because many dealers and collectors ignore the long term use of many guides, particularly top level ones. Many dealers scan the next years edition and when nothing "new" jumps out at them they feel they can do without it. However, the market is always changing as are the categories of interest covered and values in many/all categories. New categories show up and others disappear along with the valuable reference material for the particular category.

This is exactly why you establish a library no matter how small. Just because a category goes out of vogue doesn't mean the dealers and collectors of these items go away. There is almost always interest even in categories that don't get the regular coverage in yearly guides.

This guide is broken into large category sections that are further broken down by the listings. Most sections includes a nice introduction to the state of the market for that category (others include equally informative introductory material). This usually multiple page introduction highlights what's hot/what's not and often includes ground breaking sales results and other information to help you gauge what to buy and when to sell.

Color coded section edges and over 2000 color pictures make this already tried and true format even easier to use.

Bottom line - they say change is good but in the case of this guide they have a good thing going. As a result, I'm keeping this now full color guide on my must have book list for Antique dealers. Other dealers and collectors should pick this one up too as it is an affordable and valuable addition to any well stocked reference library.

Publisher/Book info.:
Publisher: KP Books
700 East State St.
Iola, WI 54990-0001
(800)-258-0929 (consumers), (888)-457-2873 ext. 880 (retailers)

Book information: 2006, 768 page paperback, 7" x 10"
Editor: Ellen T. Schroy
Price:$21.99

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Title: Little Golden Books Identification & Price Guide, Warman's

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The Warman umbrella is getting bigger and bigger as they acquire great titles one after another and they don't disappoint by taking Steve Santi's guide into the fold.

Little has changed format wise from Steve's already polished guide which I last reviewed in 2003. Few people realize the relative complexity of Little Golden books and are often confused with seemingly identical books which often vary widely in terms of value. The differences can be subtle and don't just revolve around cover price. This guide clarifies the various editions of each book along with their values. The preface section of this guide goes into some detail on the coding system used for the various editions along with a nice grading page which includes pictured examples of the various conditions (e.g. good, excellent, mint) taking most of the guess work out of grading your collection.

The guide is broken down into subcategories to include other Golden/Western publishing items such as the Ding Dong School books and even foreign releases. Every book includes a full color picture (something almost completely lacking in the older Santi editions) so even if you don't collect these books your sure to have a trip down memory lane just leafing through it.

Bottom line - if your just starting in the world of Collectibles then Little Golden books are a great place to start and this guide can show you the way.

Not only do Golden books touch on many areas of popular culture such as cartoon characters and toys, they are, in themselves, a part of the popular culture thread. After all, who hasn't had a Little Golden book in their childhood? All titles are still affordable and will most certainly increase in value over the years.

Full color pictures for every book along with every detail you need to identify the various editions provide everything you'll need to know.

Publisher/Book info.:
Publisher: KP Books
700 East State St.
Iola, WI 54990-0001
(800)-258-0929 (consumers), (888)-457-2873 ext. 880 (retailers)

Book information: 2006, 256 page paperback, 8 1/2" x 11"
Author: Steve Santi
Price:$24.99

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Title: Depression Glass Identification and Values, Warman's

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I found the field guide version of this book to be ground breaking with it's organization by pattern "look" (e.g. florals, geometrics) and this guide and I'm glad to see that they have opted to include this unique, and very helpful, information at the front of this guide. It is the most valuable aspect of this guide for beginning collectors who are likely to get dizzy with the vast array of patterns on the market today.

Of course this guide uses the increased size to go well beyond the field guide version. Following the "look" thumbnail and shape guides in the front section the guide is organized by pattern name. Each section includes a blown up thumbnail of the pattern in Black and White for easy identification and is followed by a brief, but complete, listing of the pieces in the pattern along with values. values are included for various color variations when applicable. Full color examples of many pieces are also included in each section to further illustrate the pattern and colors.

Bottom line - Well laid out and easy to find what you need even if you don't know what it is! The addition of the picture guides in the front of this guide make it a great guide for beginners.

Publisher/Book info.:
Publisher: KP Books
700 East State St.
Iola, WI 54990-0001
(800)-258-0929 (consumers), (888)-457-2873 ext. 880 (retailers)

Book information: 2006, 510 page paperback, 8 1/4" x 11"
Author: Ellen T. Schroy
Price:$27.99

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Title: Toy Trains Instant Expert, Collecting

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Have you ever asked your dealer a simple question about a Collectible only to find that they lose you after the first sentence? Too embarrassed to admit your lack of base knowledge of the field and it's terminology and history? Enter House of Collectibles (a division of Random House) "Instant Expert" series.

This series provides details of everything your likely to need to know to truly come off as an expert...and eventually BE one!

It's easy to understand how one could become lost in the field of collecting trains, it's a HUGE market filled with variations in gauge, materials and quality.

Of course knowing what to collect is just the start. You have to know the real thing from reproductions and newer items, how to care for your collection, what's in store for you price wise and how to talk the talk.

The guide begins by giving you some insight as to what motivates other collectors to collect what they collect. Whether it's based on a particular train line, gauge or era, the choice is very much a personal one and you'll have lots of food for thought with the introductory section of the guide.

O.K., now that the compulsion has taken root you'll only be hungry for more if you a collector worth your salt. Further reading will give you all your likely to be hungry for including an extensive history of toy and model trains including the manufacturing greats, a brief price guide along with some Holy Grail sets and their sky high values, grading and caring for you collection and a full resource guide.

The resource guide deems elaboration as it includes a lot of information that will help you in your collecting pursuits. A full glossary is included so you'll no longer be the new kid on the block. This includes acronyms routinely used in sales listings to indicate the various real train lines represented. The rest of this section includes all of the resources you need to meet other collectors at shows or through organizations, located dealers and reputable auction houses specializing in major train auctions and even how to restore and repair those less than perfect finds.

Bottom line - price guides are valuable but their full value is only realized when the collector or dealer has the necessary information to properly evaluate the field itself. As I've mentioned before, anyone can write a price guide and the motivation to do so can be different for different authors. Values can be low or high and may not necessarily reflect the real world market. The only way to have your finger on the pulse of the market is to get involved and this guide provides the immersion necessary to put you on the road to becoming an expert.

Publisher/Book info.:
Publisher: House of Collectibles
(800)-726-0600

Book information: 2006, 193 page paperback, 4 1/2" x 8 1/4"
Author:Richard Friz
Price:$14.95

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Title: Records & Prices, Goldmine's

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Goldmine has so much information at their fingertips that they have to produce many guides. The focus of their guides varies between genres and time periods covered. This guide focuses on an overview, albeit a hefty one, on the most popular Rock and Pop artists and groups from the 1950's to 1980's. If you want a full perspective or specialized (e.g.. 45's, Jazz, etc.) then you'll find guides for those as well. Stay tuned for my review of their "Standard Guide" covers the market as a whole and serves as an effective weapon or doorstop as well!

The layout follows the tried and true one used by all record price guides and provides the albums catalog number, name and a range of values for various condition examples. Additionally, notations are provided for rare examples and versions that are more valuable than their lesser counterparts for various reasons. Many novice collectors and dealers still overlook these often subtle differences (e.g.. extra track, different covers, etc.) and having this knowledge can mean big bucks for those who know.

Bottom line - this guide is a good choice for those buyers who buy records from time to time particularly for resale. Picking the most popular artists and groups will help in the resale market because it's already established and broad.

Publisher/Book info.:
Publisher: Krause Publications
700 East State St.
Iola, WI 54990-0001
(800)-258-0929 (consumers), (888)-457-2873 ext. 880 (retailers)

Book information: 2006, 624 page paperback, 6" x 9"
Author:John Koenig
Price:$19.99

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Title: Antiques, Schroeder's Price Guide

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A quarter of a century? That's older than a lot of our customer!

With time comes knowledge and Schroeder's is happy to share. Many consider this the top level Bible for Antiques with it's broad range of coverage and inclusion of hundreds of experts among most popular collecting fields.

By utilizing experts in each individual field, you eliminate a single perspective or experience in the Antiques market which may occur in other specialized, and even top level, guides on the market. This goes a long way to eliminating the interpretations you need to do on the values presented.

Shroeder's puts a lot of effort not only into presented the most authoritative pricing but also the most up to date in terms of values and popular markets.

Bottom line - It's unlikely this guide will ever leave mymust have book list for Antique dealers and must have book list for Collectible dealers. If you found us and your reading this, you'll want it.

Publisher/Book info.:
Publisher: Collector Books
P.O. Box 3009
Paducah , KY 42002-3009
Orders: (800) 626-5420

Book information: 2007, 607 page paperback, 8 1/2" x 10 1/2"
Editor: Sharon Huxford
Price:$17.95

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Title: TV Lamps to Light the World, Identification & Value guide

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A very affordable way to give your home or office instant vintage flair is to buy a TV lamp. The subject matter or form runs the gamut and you'll easily be able to find one that fits your taste (or lack there of!).

Fair warning, these often kitschy lamps are addictive, buy your first at your own risk.

I'm aware of one other price guide on TV lamps done some years ago but it was very limited both in terms of values and the selection featured. This guide does a much nicer job of not only showing what I estimate to be some 600+ lamps but goes further to document the major producing companies of these lamps. This detailed company information may well spark cross over collections as they feature many well known pottery companies such as McCoy, California Originals and Haeger. In the case of Haeger, the author provides a full listing of lamps offered from 1954 to 1956 along with identification details and even original pricing.

The guide is broken down by subject matter (e.g.. Deer, Dogs, etc.) and full color close-up photos make up the heart of this guide so you'll easily find any lamp your interested in. Each photo is accompanied by descriptive text that includes size, markings and a brief range of value.

Bottom line - a must have guide for all TV lamp collectors and kitsch aficionados. These lamps appeal to a wide audience of collectors due to the subject matter so this guide is certainly worth a peek to most collectors. The author has done a create job hunting down collections to show some great examples with many I've never seen before, and I've seen a lot!

Publisher/Book info.:
Publisher: Collector Books
P.O. Box 3009
Paducah , KY 42002-3009
Orders: (800) 626-5420

Book information: 2006, 190 page hardback, 8 3/4" x 11 1/4"
Author: John A. Shuman III
Price:$29.95

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Title: Playing Cards, Collecting Identification and Value Guide

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It's a collection of mine I had almost completely forgotten about. It started, oddly enough, in Spain when as a kid (and already somewhat compulsive collector!) I came across some interesting decks of playing cards while looking for cool stuff. It wasn't so much the backs of the decks, which were artistic enough, but the front of the cards that made these a must buy. Every card had cool pictures of figures and wooden clubs. I bought 3 decks with my generously provided spending money. Yes, I still have them!

Playing cards are a little known collectible but those involved have a voracious appetite, often paying significant money for early decks and cards. This guide focuses more on more contemporary decks however and provides an opportunity for newer collectors to start a modest collection for a modest price.

That isn't to say that the guide ignores the relatively ancient decks but they are generally featured in the 30+ page history of playing cards. This section provides pictures of a number of early decks/cards that easily can fetch hundreds of dollars and often times get passed that thousand(s) mark.

Collectors have different reasons for adding playing cards to their collection and for the, again relatively, older decks it is often about the subject matter rather than the age and design of the decks. Decks are produced as souvenirs, advertising and/or tie-in to various products. There are decks for toy collectors, advertising collectors, cartoon character collectors, Brewery and Distillery collectors and...well, you get the idea. The guide is packed with full color close-up examples of all the aforementioned types of decks along with their values. The back of the guide has an again alphabetical text listing of the decks for quick reference along with a broader range of values based on condition.

Bottom line - hard core playing card collectors are not likely to find much new information in this guide but it's focus on mostly newer decks with affordable prices for even the youngest/poorest collector among broad collecting categories makes it certainly worth a peek. This is one of those guides that your not likely to see again due to it's unique coverage so if your interested, buy it now or you'll be sorry.

Publisher/Book info.:
Publisher: Collector Books
P.O. Box 3009
Paducah , KY 42002-3009
Orders: (800) 626-5420

Book information: 2007, 239 page paperback, 8 1/2" x 11"
Author:Mark Pckvet
Price:$24.95

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Title: Carnival Glass, Warman's Companion

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Krause continues their trend in creating guides that are both compact and portable while providing a large amount of reference information at the same time. First with their ultra small field guides and now with their slightly larger counterparts, both by Warman's. Slightly larger than a standard paperback book, these guides are great for that flea market trip of to keep in your car for when the collecting bug hits you without notice.

Though this guide may not replace the larger complete guides on Carnival glass it certain does a great job of providing a wealth of information. With 5,000+ items and 650+ full color photos, most collectors will find this guide more than satisfactory for most of their needs both on the road as well as in their home library.

Though it is alphabetically listed with often less than obvious pattern names, it doesn't take much to find a pattern based on a real world piece with their close-up color pictures and listings of known colors and characteristics of the pattern itself. Once you've found your pattern you'll find a few examples of each pattern along with descriptive text and values to give you an idea of worth or what to pay. The back of the guide provides further examples of values in the form of a text listing by pattern for a total of 5000+ items.

Be prepared!, some of this stuff isn't cheap.

Bottom line - it is getting harder and harder to find good buys these days with the boom in collecting in general so it pays to be prepared. Even if you own all of the full guides on Carnival glass you can't possibly take them with you so unless you've reached the top of the game this guide has to find a place in your trunk or glove compartment.

Publisher/Book info.:
Publisher: Krause Publications
700 East State St.
Iola, WI 54990-0001
(800)-258-0929 (consumers), (888)-457-2873 ext. 880 (retailers)

Book information: 2006, 272 page paperback, 5" x 8"
Author: Ellen T. Schroy
Price:$17.99

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Title: Book Collector's Price Guide, Antique Trader's

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I've rarely been right when I've gambled a little on what I think is a rare or early version of a book I know little about. I usually go by looks and what I think I can figure from the front page/edition listing. More often than not I've been wrong and no profit was realized so if the staff is looking for this guide when it goes missing, it's not in my library!

Book values are nothing to sneeze at and it is one of the few categories left where you can literally find a book for a dollar at a flea market or church sale and make hundreds or more. That is if you know exactly what to look for. It is the back section of the book that I find most useful as it goes into some length to identify true first editions information It can get complicated and the author has broken down the first section at the back by publisher and method of noting first editions inside the book. It is a very complete listing and it should eliminate the guess work that is more often than not dicey for the novice and experienced collector alike.

Of course I should mention the price guide section which now includes color pictures of many books along with detailed descriptive text and range of values based on condition. Condition with books is much more stringent than many other collectibles and this difference is detailed prior to the price guide section.

I don't mean to breeze over the price guides section of course but, to me, it has little value without this complete back section. Along with the aforementioned first edition identifying section the back is chock full of very, very helpful information to make event he beginning collector a power collector or even dealer in very little time. Author Pseudonyms and signature (for those holy grail signed editons! guides complete the wealth of information needed to be a heavy hitter.

Bottom line - if you want to make money than books have a real potential to do so. Not unlike records, the difference between a run of the mill example and one worth multiple times what you paid is subtle and often elusive. This guide does a good job of making most of those difference clear.

Publisher/Book info.:
Publisher: Krause Publications
700 East State St.
Iola, WI 54990-0001
(800)-258-0929 (consumers), (888)-457-2873 ext. 880 (retailers)

Book information: 2006, 449 page paperback, 6" x 9"
Author: Richard Russell
Price:$24.99

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