Imagine taking a pink plastic handbag to go shopping! The handbags that originated in the 1950s are recurring as popular collectibles today. Over 300 handbags in this newly revised 2nd edition are displayed in color photographs to reveal the beauty of these tiny sculptures of art. The most productive manufacturers of plastic handbags are featured in separate sections, including Llewellyn, Rialto, Myles Originals, Tyrolean, Wilardy, and more. These unusual gems of wearable art are bringing large sums in today's collector's markets. Made with innovative plastics, they are now admired for their aesthetic value. Flip through the pages and enjoy one of the most whimsical collectibles from the atomic age of the fifties. Look in the attic for one of these treasures that someone stashed away in the late-50s and rediscover it today. The prices are skyrocketing. A price guide is included.

Seashells from the worlds' oceans have fascinated people since the dawn of time, and they continue to inspire study, collections, and decorative uses today. This new and stunningly beautiful book showcases seashells that have been assembled by shell artists in sailor's valentines, the octagonal-framed plaques with love messages and floral designs that were said to have been made by Victorian sailors as love tokens for their sweethearts at home. Learn their history, lore, and reality, and be introduced to exquisite designs, both antique and contemporary. Over 200 color photographs, maps, and drawings reveal unique sailor's valentines and shell collectors' chests from England, Barbados, and the United States over a two-hundred year period. Modern sailor's valentines, created by 19 shell artists, display creative interpretations of the traditional style with a wide variety of materials. Their beauty is disarming and their appeal is universal. Enjoy this nautical and historic journey through time.

Here's a big second serving for sassafras softdrink lovers. Ever since Tom Morrison's first beverage book, Root Beer Advertising and Collectibles, was published, a second edition about this popular pop was inevitable. More than 650 photographs of root beer bottles, cans, dispensers, mugs, signs and emblems, and more are depicted in this volume, which was made possible by the groupings of some of the largest root beer collections in America. Root beer tidbits, recipes, lists of clubs and newsletters, and a guide to the brand names also make this book a valuable guide for those who want to know more about these popular collectibles.

Johor: 300 Early Postcards will present a series of postcard galleries showing various aspects of the Peninsular Malaysian state of Johor from the late 19th century to the mid-20th century, in particular the changing landscapes and townscapes. The book will be a richly informative visual guide to a formative period in Johor's history. The postcards presented in the book will be drawn from the vast postcard collection of Dr Cheah Jin Seng, the author of Malaya: 500 Early Postcards, Penang: 500 Early Postcards, Perak: 300 Early Postcards, Selangor: 300 Early Postcards and Singapore: 500 Early Postcards.

This book provides the best study of Art and Crafts style jewelry and metalwork to date. Devised late in the 19th century as a reaction to industrialized manufacturing, the Arts and Crafts movement stressed naturalistic materials, designs and techniques. The book begins with the British movement and traces the roots of this "new art" including its characteristics, materials, motifs, influences and makers' marks. Biographical sketches are provided for over 240 of the most influential British designers/jewelers/metalworkers, with discussions of the guilds, schools and commercial firms. In over 700 photographs, nearly 400 in glorious color, the success of these designs to provide fascinating and beautiful objects is demonstrated.

The pinball book you have been waiting for is finally here! From those fabulous '50s & '60s, Jeffrey Lawton, Bingo Pinball Historian, presents 290+ photos, including original promotional brochures and advertisements, that showcase a fantastic collection of Bally*r Bingo pinball machines, along with a history of the evolution and excitement that surrounds this compelling hobby. All who grew up with street cars, slot machines, pinball machines, pool halls, and diners will enjoy this book tremendously! If you buy only one pinball book, this is the one to have.

Smaller-scale replicas of dream vehicles capture the imagination and touch the child in each of us. Here are Jaguars, Bugattis, Ferraris, Jeeps, MGs, and many, many others, made from 1900 to the present day, powered by pedals, electricity, or gasoline. It covers a spectrum of cars made from the turn of the century to the present day. Over 300 photos of children's automobiles make this book valuable to collectors, restorers, and researchers alike. Detailed captions for each car explain the model, its unique qualities, current value, and interesting restoration information. A large supplement loaded with catalog material presents children's vehicles produced by the Tri-Ang company. Both toy and full-size vehicle enthusiasts will stop to enjoy this interesting corner of the automotive world.

This volume contains the proceedings of a workshop held in Melbourne, Australia, entitled "Coupling of Fluids, Structures and Waves in Aeronautics". The 22 papers deal with new computational methods for multi-disciplinary design in aeronautics. They are grouped into chapters on fluids, structures, electromagnetics, optimisation, mathematical methods and tools, and aircraft design. Several papers treat coupling of these themes in a multi-physics setting. Included is a 17-page report of a Round Table discussion entitled "Future Tools for Design and Manufacture of Innovative Products in the Aeronautics Industry", together with a summary of important themes and issues. This research promotes the advanced technologies necessary for continued development of efficient and environmentally sustainable transport systems.

"Understanding Jewellery is a love letter to glorious pieces from the last hundred years." -M. J. Rose, The Adventurine "An enjoyably scholarly romp through the past and a feast for the eyes for the novice and the consummate jewelry fan and collector."-Beth Bernstein, Forbes "A must-have coffee table book for jewellery aficionados..." -Elisa Vallata, Departures International "As with stocks, education is the way to begin. There are many excellent books on the jewelry market, but start with Understanding Jewellery, the industry bible by two former Sotheby's jewelry executives, David Bennett and Daniela Mascetti." -Bloomberg Understanding Jewellery, by authors David Bennett and Daniela Mascetti, is often described as the must-have jewellery book of our time - a 'Bible' in the jewellery trade. First published in 1989, it has remained in print ever since, amassing a loyal following of devotees who admire its detailed information and stunning imagery. In this new work, Bennett and Mascetti have taken the original concept of Understanding Jewellery a stage further. Now, with the benefit of 20 years of hindsight, they have concentrated on the 20th century alone by conducting a detailed survey of each decade, identifying the key players, trends and movements. The book is an encyclopedic history of the various forms, techniques and materials employed by the companies and individuals who defined jewellery in the 20th century. Most significantly, this book includes a new set of photographs, which make Understanding Jewellery: The Twentieth Century one of the most dazzling, absorbing and varied collections of jewellery images ever assembled in a book. This large format hardback volume is a perfect gift for all lovers of jewellery and the definitive guide for those who desire a deeper understanding of the subject.

Men of note who hail from Texas are featured, with full-body representation and three carefully researched costumes. Figures shown include key political leaders like Sam Houston, Stephen F. Austin, and Comanche leader Quanah Parker, boxer Jack Johnson, aviator Howard Hughes, movie stars Larry Hagman and Audie Murphie, musicians Willie Nelson and George Strait, and military heroes Davy Crockett and Juan Sequin. Paper doll artist Tom Tierney has penned and illustrated hundreds of paper doll books and he takes pride in meticulous research of the costumes. He has recently returned to Texas, where he is opening a Paper Doll store and museum.

This book chronicles the evolution of the Manuscript Society, a fifty-year-old organization of collectors and archivists, in the context of autograph collecting in general. The author presents a comprehensive account of the growing problems posed by forgers and discusses the notorious Salt Lake City bomber, undoubtedly one of the most skillful forgers of this century. From the dilemma faced by archivists when papers are threatened with destruction to some of the Society's most memorable meetings, this work tells a story that will interest generations to come.

A FLAME TREE NOTEBOOK. Beautiful and luxurious the journals combine high-quality production with magnificent art. Perfect as a gift, and an essential personal choice for writers, notetakers, travellers, students, poets and diarists. Features a wide range of well-known and modern artists, with new artworks published throughout the year. BEAUTIFULLY DESIGNED. The highly crafted covers are printed on foil paper, embossed then foil stamped, complemented by the luxury binding and rose red end-papers. The covers are created by our artists and designers who spend many hours transforming original artwork into gorgeous 3d masterpieces that feel good in the hand and look wonderful on a desk or table. PRACTICAL, EASY TO USE. Flame Tree Notebooks come with practical features too: a pocket at the back for scraps and receipts; two ribbon markers to help keep track of more than just a to-do list; robust ivory text paper, printed with lines; and when you need to collect other notes or scraps of paper the magnetic side flap keeps everything neat and tidy. THE ARTIST. The Bodleian Library is one of the oldest libraries in Europe and is the main research library of the University of Oxford. It holds over 13 million printed items and these book spines are just a few examples of the beautiful objects in the Library's collection. THE FINAL WORD. As William Morris said, "Have nothing in your houses that you do not know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful."

This book, by noted SS and helmet scholars Mike Beaver and Kelly Hicks, presents the combat and parade helmets worn by the SS from its earliest days to the end of wartime production. The examples shown are genuine artifacts of the Third Reich, and most are shown here for the first time. Some of the finest collections and sources globally have been solicited in the construction of this book. The value of these SS helmet resources from the world over cannot be overstated in terms of their contribution toward collector knowledge - as well as the safety and survivability of this historical hobby. The photographic selection, and excellent quality of photo-representation, brings to life the heraldry and visual impact of these iconic objects. The reader will not only understand and become well versed in the recognized variations of SS helmets, but will also have a feel for the historical context in which they were used.

Dazzling in their bold use of color and wide range of designs, Art Nouveau tiles are enjoying a resurgence in popularity. These international tile designs encompassed striking decorative elements to be used in residences and public buildings. High fired, these tiles retain their original color and beauty despite over one hundred years of use. This book, designed for both the beginning collector and the long time lover of tiles, includes full color examples of over 600 designs. A very useful and beautiful collectors' guide, it provides information about many major tile manufacturers. It is arranged by company and design and contains a guide to market prices, as well as suggestions and tips for tile collectors. Filling a gap in the tile books currently available, this volume provides both the largest collection of single Art Nouveau images published to date, and a concise introduction to the field of tiles. A bibliography contains research sources for more detailed study and information regarding organizations devoted to tile preservation and collection. This is the perfect choice for any lover of ceramic surfaces and those who appreciate and enjoy color and design. It will undoubtedly be instrumental in not only introducing many to the beauty of Art Nouveau design, but also expanding their interest in collecting this amazing art form.

Meet the lovable teddy bears and toys produced by the famous Gebru**der Bing toy company. This engaging text is illustrated with 372 enchanting color photographs. Once among the world's premier toy companies, Bing manufactured teddy bears of many sizes and talents. Some of the bears presented here perform tricks, walk, tumble, and growl to the delight of young and old. Other clever toys produced by this prolific firm include miniature sewing machines and phonographs, train sets and buildings, and other stuffed and mechanical animals. Provided in this book is the history of the Gebru**der Bing company and designers, the tale of Bing's current revival, and information about the modern day bears the company is producing (based on the company's much loved original patterns). Values are included in the captions. This book will delight collectors and dealers of teddy bears and toys, and is intended for anyone with fond memories of a favorite, furry childhood friend.

This wonderful book has become the standard pocket guide in the field. It is just what collectors need for quick and easy reference...and its newly updated prices make it invaluable. Both handy and beautiful, it shows over 500 pens and pencils in nearly full-size color photos and provides short histories of nineteen main manufacturing companies. Concise, helpful information with each photo includes a guide to the price of each pen and pencil.

This comprehensive new book showcases the most desirable electro-magnetic pinball games ever built. Over 1,000 color photos, arranged in decades from the 1930s to the 1990s, display some of the most popular pinballs ever built. Also, rare photos show Gordon Hasse with some of the most sought-after and popular Gottlieb and Parker games. This book breaks new ground in documenting this classic era. It greatly augments the author's three earlier works on pinball history and rounds out the most up-to-date research in the field.

Since first published in 1991 Pocket Jackson's, as it is most often called, has enjoyed enormous success and is constantly rated as a best seller in the Arts & Antiques category. During the last twenty three years important developments have taken place in the Hallmarking system. Most notably the introduction within Europe of a universally accepted system of marking has lead not only to the addition of new marks, but also, to a change of status of several historic marks. This edition brings up to the present day all the date letters and commemorative marks. It also includes the recently introduced marks for Palladium and a section illustrating the Assay Office identification marks of those countries that are signatories to the International Convention marking system. In addition and of importance are the changes made in the early cycles of Dublin date letters which result from recent research by silver scholars in Ireland.

Terrific Tablecloths from the '40s and '50s is a must have book for anyone interested in textiles. These tablecloths take us back to mom's or grandma's kitchen and the colorful prints inspired by wartime victory gardens, mountain dogwood, and springtime bouquets. And who can forget the wonderful souvenir maps from vacations in Florida? More than 400 color photographs are here to be enjoyed. Captions and updated values make this an invaluable resource for collectors, designers, and antique dealers.

This book will take you on an unforgettable comic adventure through the colorful and cute imaginations of mid-century Japanese textile designers. Travel on the hem of fun and vibrant children's manga or illustration, translated into fabric designs. Over 300 images portray children, animals, and whimsical worlds, beautifully photographed to peak the interest of fabric collectors and historians, sewing enthusiasts, designers, and those who love all things Japanese. More than just an informative guide for collectors, this book paints a vivid portrait of Japanese childhood and explores the transformation of post-war Japan through changes in fabric design. Enlightening sections display images and themes, design layout and influences, design houses, and color trends. Additional chapters list manufacturers and provide photographs of their labels. A glossary of terms, care guide, and fabric resources round out this book. Whatever your interests, you'll love these magical prints and the worlds to which they'll transport you.

In 1982, ownership of Matchbox die cast toys, the most popular metal vehicles in the world, passed from Lesney to Universal. The toys produced under Universal's ownership are documented in this thorough text. It includes the vehicles and a wide variety of other toys manufactured under the Matchbox logo, including infants' educational toys, dolls, and puzzles. This is the third in a series (preceded by Lesney's Matchbox Toys: The Superfast years, 1969-1982 and Lesney's Matchbox toys, Regular Wheel Years, 1947-1969, published by Schiffer Publishing) of marvelous Matchbox books by Charlie Mack. In this revised edition, he has gathered fine color photographs of all the vehicles, their variations, and the other toys produced by Universal. Additional materials include lists of places of interest for the collector to visit and mail order sources.