No matter if you are a long time aficionado of Art Deco and 20th Century design or a novice collector, this book is a must for you. Its purpose is to explain how you can display and group items from your collection to their maximum visual advantage regardless of whether that collection is large or small. Groupings by manufacturer, material, color, or function are all illustrated with over 120 stunning full color photographs, each with an accompanying diagram to explain the techniques used in their composition. In addition, over 1000 individual pieces shown are fully described and their values given in an accompanying price guide. These include furniture, lighting, pottery, glass, and a wide variety of decorative accessories that bring the Art Deco dA (c)cor to life. In the second half of the book you will go behind the closed doors of the homes of private collectors and have a unique opportunity to see how these techniques have been employed to incorporate Art Deco and 20th Century items into the interiors of today.

The delightful figural toothbrush holders that are so beloved by collectors today have their roots in the early 1800s. Here is the whole range of the holders, with hundreds of the most sought-after designs portrayed in full color. Compiled by some of America's foremost collectors and dealers, this book has over 400 color photos, including examples in ironstone, porcelain, bisque, or other ceramics, as well as glass, chalkware, celluloid, plastic, and lithographed tin. Some of the forms they took were purely decorative, and some were clearly designed to encourage children to brush more frequently. They include whimsical characters, animals, nursery rhymes, sports, occupations, deco animals and figures, holidays, and cartoon characters. Often the toothbrush itself, when in place, would make up a key element in the holder's design, a horse's tail, say, or the neck of a violin. The authors have compiled a brief history of toothbrush holders, along with important information for collectors. The concise captions include size, material, maker (when known), and an estimate of the value on the current collector's market. The variety of forms, the cleverness of the designs, and the nostalgia some of the themes encourage, will delight dentists, toothbrush specialists, and all lovers of the ceramic arts.

This companion volume to other books on Tiffin Glass by this authoritative team offers important information on Tiffin's pressed ware. It includes a color identification guide, nearly 500 archival and color photos and catalog pages, detailed captions, and a price guide. Vases, bowls, candlesticks, and ashtrays are shown in many colors and styles in addition to the popular figurals and paperweights produced by Tiffin Glass. This volume is a must for collectors and dealers of Tiffin and 20th century American glass.

In the collectibles world, this durable antique art form is a perfect example of the old "forest for the trees" maxim. Despite their bold designs and colors, only recently have collectors caught on to the value of these antiques of Americana. And the hunt is on. Once posted in every corner of the nation, this durable art form has yet to shed its luster. At the turn of the century, porcelain enamel signs became a standard form of advertising, and they maintained their dominance until the 1970s. Taken down and tucked away, these signs are starting to re-emerge, more valuable than ever. As you page through hundreds of rich color photographs of the signs, learn everything, from how they were made to who was making them, and how many hundreds of dollars they're worth today.

Turning these pages, the reader plunges deep into a fantastic and spooky world inhabited by all manner of lively, animated vegetables and fruit folk that caper and dance under the Halloween moon. These figures, led by the ever-popular jack o' lanterns, are shown in over 580 color photographs in their many collectible forms, including Halloween figural candy containers, lanterns, and postcards. Assorted noisemakers, wall decorations, hats, masks, and party decorations are also included in this thorough presentation. These collectibles span quite a range from the very old to the modern. Also included is sound advice about how to collect your favorite Halloween characters and prices for all of the items displayed. This wonderful romp through the woody underbrush of Halloween will bring back childhood memories of trick or treats past to all who read it!

Covering the years 1950 to 1970, this fascinating book provides a detailed look at the Fire King pitchers and glasses produced by the venerable Anchor Hocking glass company, established in 1905 and still in business today. Over 350 color photographs beautifully display these Fire King wares, ranging from Tilt Ball and juice pitchers to frosted glasses and cocktail sets. The succinct text describes the evolution of Anchor Hocking pitcher design and teaches collectors how to differentiate Anchor Hocking from similar companies' glassware. Catalog pages are included, along with an index, and current market values in the captions.

Three classic books on Louis C. Tiffany's brilliant Art Nouveau works are combined here in one volume. Louis C. Tiffany Rebel in Glass, Louis C. Tiffany's Glass- Bronzes-Lamps, and Louis C. Tiffany's Art Glass by Robert Koch, the foremost scholar in the field, informed and delighted a generation of art lovers before they went out of print and became hard to find. This combined edition brings the innovative career of one of America's most original artists to a new generation of collectors. It retains all of the original text and photographs of the former editions and has many additional color photographs of Tiffany's most treasured designs from some of finest museum collections in America. Here are the glass windows, lamps, and vases from the flamboyant 1880s to 1920s era that made Louis C. Tiffany famous. Tiffany's bronze desk sets, paintings, ceramics, mosaic tiles, room interiors, lighting devices, decorative glass, and jewelry are all prominently featured. Every art student, museum professional, historian, antique dealer, and art collector will be dazzled by the variety and exquisite craftsmanship displayed here. The book is a treasure itself.

For well over a century, the world has noted the distinctive chairs made by Shaker communities throughout the eastern United States. A writer for House Beautiful suggested at the beginning of the twentieth century that "If you own a Shaker chair, preserve it with great care, for it will soon be considered an antique, and a rare one at that." In this definitive book, that statement is verified as the authors examine in depth the styles and production techniques of chairs made at ten Shaker communities during the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Historical and contemporary photographs, extensive journal and account book references, diaries, postcards, catalog advertisements, and detailed line drawings are all used to document the chairs' history. Readers will find valuable information on identification of chair types and origins as well as an analysis of design and construction. An essential resource for collectors, historians, designers, and devotees of antique furniture.

Here is a guide for the rookie who is just taking the field in the wide world of baseball memorabilia. The authors offer both money-making and money-saving insight on collecting uniforms, equipment, autographs, Hartland statues, Ethan Allen All-Star Baseball, and much, much more. Learn the best strategies for visiting shows and even the Hall of Fame induction weekend in Cooperstown. The real charm of this book is that it ventures beyond the straight investment potential of baseball collectibles to address collecting for the pure fun of it. Between these covers are contributions from collectors of all kinds, who all share their love of the game not only through their diverse collections, but also with memories, anecdotes, and humor that would appeal to any baseball lover. Learn 10 reasons why baseball is the greatest game there is, and the 10 best and 10 worst baseball movies of all time. Test your knowledge with the challenging "Culminating Activity" the authors have prepared for you. With full-color photography, price information, and a useful source directory this book belongs in the library of every baseball fanatic.

Since the early decades of the 20th century, American patriotic jewelry has proclaimed national pride for all who wear and admire it. Flags, eagles, Victory themes, political mascots, and Uncle Sam parade across these pages proclaiming allegiance to the United States. Over 600 color photographs here display diverse jewelry designs, including popular versions of military insignia, that have become icons of history. They come from the finest jewelers and little-known makers across the land, and repeat the glorious message of loyalty to free lands "from sea to shining sea." A wonderful gift and incentive for patriots who want to display their colors, this book will inspire all to collect and wear American patriotic jewelry.

A hot, new collectible has gone international as great M&M's*r items are being released all over the world! Now M&M's fans can see lists and values for all known M&M's dispensers, toppers, tins, and other items, plus related ads and displays from the USA and around the world. NASCAR M&M's items, French pocket surprises, and examples of earlier collectibles are all included in this expansive and colorful guide. Get in on the ground floor of this fast-growing hobby and join the hunt for "the collectible that smiles back at you!"

This book reconstructs and studies the music, liturgy, and illustrations of a twelfth-century manuscript from the Austrian monastery in Lambach. The manuscript was taken apart in the fifteenth century and subsequently sold to various collectors in the twentieth century. The pages are here brought together (albeit photographically) for the first time since the original manuscript was dismantled five centuries ago. The book includes a black-and-white facsimile of the recovered portion of the manuscript. Charts and tables are used to demonstrate how it compares to other twelfth-century liturgical manuscripts.

It is difficult to overestimate the impact of plastics on our modern way of living. A quick look at your surroundings will give you the idea. Almost everywhere you look you will see them. Kitchen items, jewelry, radios, flooring, car parts, toys, furniture: plastics can be used for almost anything, and they have been. It is not surprising, then, that plastics are a rapidly growing area of collecting. Here is a field guide for the collector; written by one of America's foremost dealers, it presents over 500 items illustrated in full color, with helpful background material, descriptions, and a comprehensive price guide. This is a collectible field that is still open to the new collector. The prices on these objects are reasonable, and the objects themselves bring color, beauty, and a touch of nostalgia to the homes of their owners. In addition, the price on these collectible plastics has risen in coming years, as reflected in the newly revised price guide. This is an essential tool in this burgeoning field.

They're back!! "My Little Pony (R)" figurines that bring so much joy to pony lovers and collectors alike, are presented here in a delightfully new volume. These popular toys were made by Hasbro from 1981 to 1991 and were released again from 1997 to 1999 in a new series. My Little Pony and accessories continue to be issued in countries outside the United States. This beautifully photographed edition is dedicated to the ponies (old and new,) play sets, accessories, and related items that were released internationally. Included are adult and baby ponies, pony games, animal families, hair accessories and much more from Argentina, Brazil, Germany, Spain, and other far-away places. The expanded identification guide, as well as an updated pricing index, will help you determine the value of your collection. With over 200 full color photographs of hundreds of new ponies and accessories, this colorful and fact-filled book will give hours of enjoyment to pony lovers everywhere.

A blowtorch is one of those things that is instantly recognized for what it is, even by those who haven't seen one before. Produced from the late 1800s into the 1950s, they show up in antique malls and flea markets, and have become highly collectible. Their enduring brass and bronze construction mean that even the oldest blowtorches can be cleaned and buffed to look like new. When shined they are real attention-getters, and as such they have a following of dedicated collectors. Here is information collectors want regarding blowtorches: who made them, how old they are, what they were used for, which are the rare and valuable ones, how to find and restore them, and how much they are worth. Illustrated with 296 beautiful color photographs, this book will be cherished by tool collectors and everyone with an appreciation for the inventive imagination.

This engaging book details the wide variety of model kits produced by Revell, Inc. of Venice, California, from the 1950s through the 1970s. Over 545 color photographs display many of the much sought after kits, ranging from automobiles and ships to aircraft and spaceships. Also included are a fascinating history of the company and the men and women who drove its success, a detailed recounting of the wide ranging, exquisitely detailed models produced, discussions of the artists who brought the box art to life, a bibliography, and a model kit index providing listings of the models produced, their variations, and their value in the secondary market. Newly updated values are found in both captions and the index. Anyone collecting or building models will be fascinated with this book.

This is the absorbing story of the development, combat use and legacy of the influential sidearms used by the armed forces of the Soviet Union. Featuring archive and present-day photography and specially commissioned artwork, this is the story of the pistols that armed the forces of the Soviet Union and its allies during and after World War II. In 1930 the TT, a single-action semi-automatic pistol developed by Fedor Vasilyevich Tokarev and firing 7.62x25mm ammunition, began to supplement the venerable Nagant M1895 revolver in Soviet military service. From 1933 the TT-33, a simplified version, was also issued; all three would equip Soviet and proxy forces throughout and after World War II, seeing action across the globe. In 1951 a new pistol designed by Nikolay Fyodorovich Makarov entered Soviet service; it became the primary Soviet military and police sidearm during the Cold War era and continued in use into the 21st century. The 9x18mm Makarov round was used in various weapons used by Soviet allies, notably the Czech vz 82, the Hungarian FEG PA63 and the Polish P64 and P83.The PM was quickly joined by the Stechkin machine pistol. Other specialized versions of the Makarov were developed, including the PB suppressed version and the 5.45x18mm PSM, a more compact version. Initially developed in 1990, the improved PMM version of the Makarov was intended primarily to increase the stopping power of the 9x18mm round by chambering a higher-pressure load. In this study, noted weaponry expert Leroy Thompson tells the story of the Tokarev, Makarov, Stechkin and other handguns in service with Soviet and other forces around the world, exploring the development, combat use and legacy of these formidable firearms.

Japanese porcelain of the Nippon era, 1891 to 1921, are visually exciting and form a plentiful group of beautiful, high-quality items which are popular today with a large number of collectors worldwide. This new and lavishly color-illustrated book presents thousands of Nippon porcelain items well known by their different styles of decoration such as Moriage, Coralene, Cobalt, portraits, molded-in-relief, and tapestry. Included here are hundreds of plaques, dishes, lamps, dolls, vases, smoking accessories, and other forms in many variations. Over 830 color photographs, identifying captions and text present this phase of Oriental art along with 130 different manufacturer's marks. This reference work will be especially valuable to the collectors, art dealers and appraisers who enjoy the variety of Nippon wares. A Values Guide is included.

Collecting of black memorabilia continues as an area of growing interest, attracting new collectors every day. It includes everything from household figures to artifacts from slavery, and covers both the stereotype and the reality of the black experience in America. In a recent Wall Street Journal article, Jeanette Carson, a pioneer of black memorabilia, estimated that "of the 30,000 collectors of black memorabilia, the majority are black. "This is a way of preserving a heritage and educating a new generation about how things were." In her second book on Black Memorabilia, one of America's foremost authorities explores the use of black images in advertising, home decoration, office decor, and restaurant themes. Nearly seven hundred items are illustrated in full color and prices are given which reflect current market values.

When investigated with curiosity and enthusiasm, items that may seem mundane and commonplace can prove to be fascinating subjects! Commercial oyster cans have become important collectibles today. This book has over 800 color photographs of oyster cans, jugs, and bottles, and the text provides wonderful details and anecdotes about the history of the oyster industry in Europe and America.

Many people enjoy collecting antique figures, dolls, toys, containers, sheet music... etc. that show black people in all styles of dress and function. They often depict famous people, musicians, and advertising figures, and the variations are many. This book displays 425 color images from several private collections, each item described with measurements and an estimated value range.

Here's a little treat out of the attic. This may be today's penultimate guide for researching and pricing popular chairs from the past. This guide has hundreds of detailed illustrations of American wooden chairs ranging from golden oak to the Viennese-style bentwood. These chairs that furnished the nation's best-dressed homes at the turn of the century. An actual reprint of the detailed catalogue of the Phoenix Chair Company, each page is a careful reproduction of the Sheboygan, Wisconsin, company's own 1907-1908 list of wares for dealers. This time, however, it has current values for these treasured antiques. There is no more-authoritative guide to the chairs produced by this company, which helped set the styles that furnished a nation.

William Morris had a lifelong fascination with illuminated books. He collected thirteenth- and fourteenth-century manuscripts and became one of the foremost experts on the art of bookmaking and calligraphy. Aiming to resurrect a tradition that had fallen into abeyance with the invention of printing, he made eighteen illuminated books, using a variety of texts, during the course of his life. One of these, now held in the Bodleian Library, is a handmade edition of the Odes of Horace. The pages of this book, reproduced here in high-quality facsimile, are among the most intricate and ambitious that Morris ever created. Using a Renaissance italic style of calligraphy, he illuminated letters with delicate shades of gold and silver, and adorned them with floral decoration and miniature faces and figures. The openings to each of the four books of the Odes are stunning display pages on which Morris collaborated with the artists Edward Burne-Jones and Charles Fairfax Murray. The Roman poet Horace (65-8 BCE) wrote four books of lyric poetry in Latin which have subsequently been translated many times and have had an ongoing influence on Western literature. He combined descriptions of the everyday with the poetry of politics, patriotism, love and friendship, producing lines of beauty and wisdom which were very popular in Morris's day and continue to appeal in the twenty-first century. This facsimile edition is presented in a blind embossed slipcase featuring a detail from one of Burne-Jones' paintings in the book with a companion volume containing an introduction to William Morris's manuscript and an English translation of the Odes.

The power and beauty of traditional African sculpture has influenced 20th century art and design around the world. Found in many museums, its abstract forms, skillful rendering, and deep symbolism has also made it a welcome addition to the homes of private collectors. This new book offers a broad survey of the traditional sculpture that is available in the marketplace. The sculpture shown here covers a span of 100 years and focuses on masks, statuary, and architectural carvings in wood, bronze, and terracotta from sub-Saharan Africa with a sampling of the contemporary work in stone. The works are presented in beautiful color photographs, and accompanied by helpful, informative captions and a guide to values in today's market. The book helps the collector evaluate the quality and authenticity of African sculpture.

Florida is the land of pink flamingos, bathing beauties, palm trees, coconuts, and beaches. It is a tourist mecca and a treasure trove of souvenirs. This book is a salute to the popular Florida tourist culture of the 1940s through the 1970s, when mostly northern tourists embraced the Florida sun and beaches with open arms, discovering along with Florida's natural beauty, a lot of kooky kitsch. Kitsch is colorful, funky, fun, and collectible. This book, with its 250 photos, remembers the nostalgic, whimsical objects often bought on impulse, brought home as gifts or mementos, and then relegated to shelves, attics, and bathrooms to sit for years, undusted, as visible reminders of happy trips. Whether a native of Florida, a seasonal visitor, or one in need of a getaway, this book is sure to evoke a bit of Florida sunshine for all.