When first invited to give talks and demonstrations on carving techniques to school children, Howard K. Suzuki quickly found out that wood was not the most suitable medium. It took too long to show much progress in the limited time available. He decided to use bars of soap to demonstrate basic techniques on carving and…
This book presents a nostalgic look at baby and children’s wear from the Victorian Era to the first half of the 20th century. It chronicles the changes in children’s fashions over the decades and centuries, from the popularity of tartans and plaids in the 1880s, to Knickerbocker suits and box pleated…
Do you own an old lamp? Would you like to learn its approximate age, value, and history? Antique Lamp Buyer’s Guide is the reference book used by professionals and collectors alike. Dealers and appraisers often carry this paperback with them to quickly identify antique and collectible late 19th century and early 20th…
Almost 100 years ago, in 1896, Amedeo Obici bought a peanut roaster from his uncle and went into business for himself. After ten years of selling peanuts to other shopkeepers from a small store and a horse-drawn cart, in 1906 Obici teamed up with Mario Peruzzi, to expand business, and form Planters Peanuts. The rest is…
In recent years, collectors have come to recognize the beauty and value of Roycroft items, particularly the art metal which is the most available, affordable, and varied of all Roycroft collectibles. Influenced by the English movement that was spearheaded by William Morris, Elbert Hubbard began a new industry dedicated…
Black memorabilia is still one of the hottest items being collected today, although it is growing harder and harder to find good pieces. This new book helps the collector see what is available in the market place, with full color illustrations of hundreds of items. They include kitchen items, like wall pockets, mammy…
By studying primary source material, the authors have compiled the most authentic and readable record of the prolific Adams ceramic wares from England, including earthenware, bone china, jasper, stoneware, basalt, and Parian made over a 200 year period. Over 1250 color photographs illustrate the comprehensive text.…
Once you finish carving your first gnome, the little guy will surely want you to carve some more elfin friends for him! It’s a good thing Al Streetman has included 15 different patterns for well-dressed elves and gnomes of all shapes and sizes–drawn up with the beginner in mind, but with plenty of potential for…
Here are 72 all-new scrollsaw projects, featuring original patterns and designs ranging in difficulty from simple to quite challenging. These unique stand-up puzzles, irresistible holiday decorations, and imaginative project designs are perfect for all skill levels. Creating these clever crafts is fun, relatively…
Includes nearly 750 toys, representing almost 50 years of cartoon collectibles, with items dating back to 1949. All the major players are here: Casper™, cereal and advertising characters; Disney™; Dr. Seuss™; Hanna-Barbera™; Looney Tunes™; The Peanuts Gang™; Popeye™; Rocky and Bullwinkle™; Underdog™, and many more.…
Paperweights that were made in Scotland from 1835 to the present are a wonderful part of glass history. In this beautiful book, Scottish paperweights are displayed in nearly 400 full-color photographs together with a discussion of the major weight-makers and glass houses. The important Ysart Family is thoroughly…
During the 1930s, the first Looney Tunes*r series debuted at movie theatres as part of Warner Brothers Vitaphone Shorts. This classic series achieved overnight success for its brilliant animation and pre-recorded sound. It proved to be the perfect diversion for audiences looking to escape the harsh realities of the…
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…
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.…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
This delightful book examines the graphics found on all kinds of children’s alphabet ware, along with fascinating histories of the firms that produced it. Primarily made in nineteenth century Britain, America, and Germany, these ceramic plates, metal table and flatware, glass dishes, and mugs are considered a…
Now in its revised sixth edition, this classic reference book is designed for the collector, with a historical survey, hundreds of color and black and white illustrations, a description of how mechanical wristwatches work, and a thorough glossary. Updated price ranges for various wristwatches are included, along with a…
It is said that art is a universal language and this book communicates eloquently, revealing to the reader hundreds of antique, hand-painted pieces of Limoges porcelain, each an exquisite masterpiece.
Over 400 beautiful, full color photographs show stunning examples of hand-painted jardinières, punch bowls, spittoons,…
This new book is the first in English on this fascinating and increasingly popular military collectible. The main purpose of this book is to provide the reader with accurate information to aid in translating, determining the origin, value and history of the Japanese military Sake cups. Sake cups were commissioned by…
Wooden pins make wonderful handmade gifts and can be carved in a minimum of space with small equipment. Here, accomplished woodcarver and teacher Mary Finn guides readers through the creation of five colorful designs: a sunflower, cardinal, bunny, Santa, and rose. Mary suggests ideas for developing pin designs as well…
Over twenty West Virginia glass companies of the early twentieth century, including AlleyTM, BeaumontTM, BlenkoTM, FentonTM, FostoriaTM, MonongahTM, MorgantownTM, Paden CityTM, Seneca GlassTM, Weston GlassTM, and West Virginia Glass SpecialtyTM, are featured. More than 500 color photographs display diverse forms of…
Until the late 1960s, lacquer decals (soaked in water and applied to hard surfaces) were a small visual part of every American consumer’s life. They served as advertising signage, announced brand names, instructions, and safety warnings, and were a cheap and classy way to decorate almost anything. Today, decals…
This is an expansive introduction to the popular ceramics produced by the prolific Hall China Company of East Liverpool, Ohio, beginning in 1903. Over 600 brilliant color photographs display these popular pottery wares, ranging from coffee pots and mixing bowls to refrigerator wares and teapots, in both solid color…
Ronson’s place as a leader and pioneer in the manufacture of fine decorative metal wares from the 1900s to the mid-1930s is documented here. In addition to cigarette lighters, for which Ronson is most readily known, the company, then known as Art Metal Works, also produced a diverse selection of metal bookends,…
With clear instructions and vivid color photographs, Al Streetman takes woodcarvers through all the steps necessary to release a wood spirit from a cypress knee. Using the shapes suggested by the forms of the knees themselves, Al carves both a complete Santa figure and a Santa ornament as the central projects of the…
With a combination of simple instructions and over 220 clear color photographs, Dale Power takes readers step-by-step through the process of creating beautiful wooden traveling canes with power tools. Detailed directions are provided for the creation of eye-catching cane handles, the installation or creation of screw…
This special pottery combines the traditions of Pueblo and Navajo artists from Arizona and New Mexico with daring new interpretaions by the modern generation. In hundreds of beautiful color photos, styles inherently connected with old beliefs and Southwest clay are shown to have a fresh appearance in the hands of…
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 admired names in American glassware. Probably more brides and homemakers in America have received gifts of and purchased glassware made at the Fostoria factory, in Moundsville, West Virginia, than any other glass company. During its century of operation, the range of style, form,…