One of the loveliest objects to come from China’s Imperial history is the snuff bottle–elegant, tactile, beautifully crafted, and above all small; it makes an ideal subject for collectors.
This book clearly explains the history of snuff and its specialized bottles from the 17th century to the present in…
This book provides a review of the history behind colorful Depression glassware, descriptions of specific pieces along with their values, and information on how to collect and display Depression Glass. Illustrated with over 300 color photographs, individual chapters highlight premium giveaways, children’s sets,…
A new kind of antique Chinese furniture swept onto the market in the early 1990s. It appealed to people who were sure they did not like Chinese furniture, people who were ready for new ideas about Orientalia, and people who couldn’t afford the five- and six-figure prices routinely attached to classical Chinese…
”Collecting antique jewelry can bring you endless hours of enjoyment, for it not only satisfies a love of days gone by but also brings a yearning to learn more about other times and places. The collector shows a desire to be unique in setting, rather than following, fashion trends.”
Roseann Ettinger’s…
This valuable text provides a sweeping survey of the McCoy pottery produced by both the Nelson McCoy Pottery Company and its predecessor, the Nelson McCoy Sanitary Stoneware Company. Among the more than 750 color photographs are illustrations of McCoy wares ranging from utilitarian stonewares to beautiful artwares,…
Fostoria is one of the best known and most admired names in American glass. Probably more brides and homemakers have received gifts and purchased glass made at the Fostoria factory in Moundsville, West Virginia than from any other glass company. This is the first book to present all of this fascinating and highly…
During the 1940s, the Anchor Hocking Glass Company, of Lancaster, Ohio, introduced a line known as Fire-King. This pocket-size guide offers a brief history, with over 200 full color photographs, updated market values, and index. Colorful examples of dinnerware, mugs, a myriad of mixing bowls–from splash proof to…
This bright and colorful guide presents a sweeping survey of the Homer Laughlin China Company’s most popular dinnerware-Fiesta Ware. These brilliantly colored, inexpensive dishes helped brighten The Depression when they were introduced in 1936, and are avidly collected today. Hundreds of color photographs…
Here is a beautiful publication of factual information and 1043 color illustrated examples of highly popular styles. Important and prolific designers of costume jewelry, including Chanel, Schiaparelli, Boucher, Miriam Haskell, Monet, Sarah Coventry, and many more are well represented. Current prices are included to…
Here again is the fascinating world of marbles, newly revised. Indians, Aggies, Steelies, and more…every major category of marble is presented in this new and exciting guide. Included are old handmade marbles of glass, earthenware, minerals, and steel; machine-made marbles and their manufacturers; and…
Over 500 beautiful color photographs and an informative, succinct text provide a sweeping overview of stunning modern tableware designs. This book presents manufacturers both familiar and less known that revolutionized dining in the mid-twentieth century. Among the pottery firms whose wares are presented are Red Wing,…
A tremendous resource for toy collectors and dealers, this new book compiles the catalogs of the Hubley Manufacturing Company from 1946 to 1965. Each page is reproduced in full color, making it an invaluable reference for identifying and dating Hubley toys. Hubley was incorporated in 1894 in Lancaster, Pennsylvania,…
This book is written for beginning and intermediate wood carvers interested in carving a traditional Hopi kachina-style doll. Tom Moore, a respected kachina-style doll carver for forty years, provides historical information about the evolution of kachina dolls and kachina carvings. He traces the art form from the early…
Here are enough projects to keep even the most productive do-it-yourselfer occupied through several seasons of warm weather. This book contains over 30 projects and ideas for ways to expand your living space outdoors. Beautiful color pictures illustrate many of the projects, and more than 130 illustrations and…
After the success of his book, Carving Caricature Heads & Faces*, Pete LeClair shares his insights into carving whole figure caricatures from scratch. Heavily illustrated in color, the book starts with a simple block of bass wood, and goes all the way through the carving and painting of a figure. Each step is…
However depressing the Depression Era may have been, the manufacturers of glassware did their best to add color to people’s lives. The kitchens of America were awash in blue, green, pink, and golden glasswares, not to mention the opaque hues of Jadite, Delphite, and milk glass. Prominent among them were the milk glass…
This practical book provides guidance in identifying and evaluating American brilliant cut glass. It is organized by patterns and illustrated with 396 color and black and white photographs. Standard, Choice, Premium, and Rare quality pieces are identified throughout, and separate value ranges for each quality of every…
This classic reference to popular plastic jewelry has been enlarged for this new edition. Over 1000 examples and an informative text tell the success story of plastic jewelry from the 1920s through the present, including natural (tortoiseshell and horn) and synthetic (celluloid, Bakelite, Lucite, and more) plastics in…
This beautifully illustrated new edition contains over 600 color photographs and an instructional text that capture the romance and allure of the Hawaiian Islands when they were a Territory of the United States, from 1900 to 1959. The collectibles shown are all from collections in Hawaii, including Aloha clothing,…
Extensive information and color photos present all the Hot Wheels die cast vehicles that Mattel, Inc. made from 1968 to 1999. Collecting Hot Wheels continues to grow as a popular hobby.
In this revised and expanded edition, over 240 color pictures display nearly all of the Hot Wheels made up to 1999, with newly updated…
This book showcases a wide variety of Nativity sets that display multi-cultural artistic interpretations of the true meaning of Christmas. Artisans from more than forty countries on five continents are represented, each with beautiful expressions of the greatest story ever told, often with photographs from the country…
Whether placed in a window, beside the bed, or illuminating the dining table as an elegant centerpiece, glass candle holders provoke a rich symbolism of home, comfort, and welcome. Today, these beautiful candle holders capture the eye of many a collector. With over 500 photographs of single, double, and triple candle…
The creation of classic American Carnival Glass took the world by storm in the early 1900s, bringing color and beauty in the form of iridized glass to homes everywhere. Carnival’s iridescent, rainbow colored appearance was achieved by spraying the still hot glass with a liquid solution of various metallic salts. A…
This new and improved edition is an essential and invaluable resource for every glass enthusiast, collector, researcher, and historian. It contains over 4,200 alphabetized definitions of glassware, colors, processes, materials, forms, decorative styles, pattern motifs, noted artisans, companies, and designers, from…
This attractive pocket guide presents the story of Carnival Glass, with a chapter giving an overview of how Carnival Glass has endured. Included are brief histories of Dugan, Fenton, Imperial, Millersburg, and Northwood. Over 200 beautiful color photographs will teach you how to identify classic Carnival Glass patterns…
This book presents a unique selection of the most rare and collectible toy cars made in Japan and Hong Kong in the 1950s and 1960s. Three particular groups of toys are covered: the magnificent large-scale tinplate cars made for the American market; the smaller but equally sought-after Japanese diecasts by Model Pet,…
From breakfast, through dinner and beyond, Nora Travis shows in over 400 color photographs the beauty of Haviland China as it graced the dining table in the Age of Elegance and continues to do so today.
A brief history of the Haviland family and their contribution to the American way of life is included, along with the…
Although advertising has a history that goes back thousands of years, it is the Americans who have made it into an art form. Advertisements were put on everything from pocket mirrors to memo pads, the sides of barns to the sides of carriages and buses. A history of advertising printed in the 1880s even show an…
This superb reference work provides a newly revised, comprehensive overview of the entertaining world of battery toys. Battery operated robots, animals, people, character toys, banks, monsters, and cars are shown, compared, and fully analyzed in this first specialized book on the subject. Vehicles and figurals from the…
Here at last is a thorough guide of the most collected dinnerware. In one volume this book provides an excellent survey of the best companies and their most popular lines. The important California companies, including the Wallace China Company, Catalina Pottery, B.J. Brock & Co., and Gladding, McBean & Co.…
In 1996, Star Trek and the crew of the Enterprise celebrate their 30th anniversary. Today, the Star Trek world is a multi-million dollar adventure with three spin-off television series and seven movies to date with thousands of loyal fans. The mountain of collectibles Star Trek has left in its wake are presented here…
From G.I. Joe*t to Star Wars*t John Marshall has provided a thorough, informative, and entertaining look at the action figures produced during the 1980s. In over 430 superb color photographs, fans of the pocket-sized G.I. Joes*t, of movie and TV characters, of fantasy figures, He-Man*t, the Thunder Cats*t, super…
This is the most comprehensive guide to salt and pepper shaker series ever published. Never before have so many shaker series been pictured in one book. Shown in full color are more than 850 sets, making up more than 125 series. Included are well-known names such as Rosemeade, Ceramic Arts, Lefton, Enesco, and more.…
Spanning more than five decades of fabric design, Plaids is an invaluable visual reference guide for designers. With more than 550 full-color photographs of printed and woven plaids, this colorful book provides a sweeping survey of plaid fabric designs, from the standard checks and gingham patterns to the farthest…
The colorful and charming decorations on French Quimper pottery (pronounced Kem-pair) have made it a popular ware for over 300 years. Brightly clad men and women, many in the traditional clothing of Brittany, and other designs, reflect the Celtic heritage of Breton culture: its rolling green countryside, grazing…
Mike Cripps takes the reader through all the steps required to make a handsome, traditional candlestick and an imaginative three section candlestick turned from a single log. Over 230 color photographs taken from the turner’s perspective illustrate the instructions.
In addition, Mike provides an instructive…
This book presents a thorough look at the multitude of fascinating and beautiful ceramic forms produced by the British potter George Jones and his firm, including majolica wares and ”Abbey” blue and white transfer printed ceramics. Over 700 color photographs amply display the diverse table, tea, toilet, and…
The American cowboy’s unique life-style inspired tools, clothing, amusements, advertising, and more which are avidly sought by collectors today. They are presented here with over 1000 color photographs identified in text and captions. Each section of this beautiful new second edition is more complete and has…
Over 300 beautiful print shirts, dresses, and bathing suits-acquired on vacation in the tropics-brought home to preserve the memory, cherished, and shown here to recall and enjoy. Lovely florals, maps, famous scenes, something of the lush vacation lifestyle. The book is organized by tropical locations: the South…
This new edition of the classic reference is enhanced with hundreds of new color photographs depicting a wide array of collectors’ treasures. Victorian hatpins, required to fasten large hats, and the holders used to store them when not in use, are presented in close views with extensive text to interpret their…