A young rebel named Antoni Norbert Patek de Prawdzic fled war-torn Poland in 1832 and embarked upon a career path that led him to watchmaker Jean-Adrien Philippe, inventor of the revolutionary built-in crown winding mechanism. In the 160 years since the pair founded Patek Philippe, the line has remained, without a doubt, one of the most traditional and noble watch manufacturers in the world. This illustrated book couples the most exclusive and beautiful timepieces the Genevan brand has ever manufactured with informative history and alluring photographs. Featured inside are several of the most popular examples from three of the company's outstanding watch families: the uncomplicated but cherished Calatrava collection, the groundbreaking sports line Nautilus, and the cross-generational Gondolo family. Each watch is accompanied by a complete list of technical specifications. This book is an essential acquisition for both casual fans and long-time connoisseurs of the brand.

For more than a century, Rolex has stood apart as the most legendary brand of watch in the world. A Rolex conveys many things: a luxury timepiece, a tool of power for movers and shakers and the symbol of passage into adulthood.

The Vintage Watch Company is the only store of its kind in the world, with a devoted client base of devoted Rolex aficionados, from royalty to sporting legends to stars of the silver screen. Throughout, father and son, John and David Silver have been carefully cataloguing and amassing one of the largest pictorial records of vintage Rolex watches in the world. This new and updated edition, with an extra 48 sumptuous pages of fabulous pieces, is published to celebrate the company's 30th anniversary in 2025 and contains a unique collection of vintage Rolex watches that have passed through the store in this time. The watches included take the collection up to the year 2006. Ever the record setter – the Daytona that had belonged to Paul Newman was auctioned by Phillips in New York in October 2017 for $17.8 million – it comes as no surprise that Rolex is the most collected watch brand in the world.

Over 2,000 watches feature in the book. From early Rolex pocket watches to the world’s first wristwatches, elegant in their simplicity yet revolutionary in their impact, to the very first Submariners, iconic Daytonas and jewel-encrusted Crown Collections, the mesmerising archive of vintage timepieces charts the extraordinary rise of an extraordinary brand. Choose from the First Rolex Submariner, later coined the James Bond, or the Early GMT-Master made for Pan Am transatlantic pilots. Read about the First Explorers made famous by the 1953 Everest Expedition, or the Explorer II worn by Steve McQueen. Marvel at Early Vintage collections, from the Officer’s Pocket Watch to the Ladies’ Diamond; from the Oyster and the Stella & Stone collections, to the Sport Collection. Take a look at a new section covering ‘tropical’ dials, watches with dials which have faded gradually through exposure to sun and hot climates, which are highly sought-after; and a new section covering the relationship between Rolex and the luxury jewellery brand Tiffany, one of the most famous co-branding partnerships in history.

This limited edition features the rare Stella colour dial in Lilac on the cover – there are two other limited edition colourways, making three limited editions to celebrate each of the three decades the company has been in business – these books are an essential addition to the watch aficionado’s library.

This book is a perfect gift for all lovers of luxury retail as well as passionate collectors of Rolex watches who will want to read about the models they own.

Great Wines and Great Writers are a Wonderful Blend"Guides to the wide world of wine are many but this is the first book on the market to pair books with wine by an author who is a preeminent expert on both." -Thriftbooks.com #1 Best Seller in Wine & Spirits Buying Guides A fact-filled, jargon free guide to wine, bursting with entertaining anecdotes, literary quotes and compelling humor that teaches you everything you always wanted to learn about wine but were too scared to ask. The pleasures of great wine and great writers. Under the careful guidance of his father, Patrick Alexander began drinking wine with his meals at the age of five. At the same age, encouraged by his mother, he began a lifelong love-affair with books. The twin pleasures of wine and writing remained his passion up to this day. He has raised his own children in many of the world's great wine growing regions, from Bordeaux and Piedmont in Europe to the Santa Cruz mountains of California while researching and writing his definitive guide to the novels of Marcel Proust. History of wine and some of the best wines. For several years, Patrick has been teaching a sold-out wine appreciation class at the nation's No.1 independent bookstore, Books & Books in Coral Gables, Florida. The Booklovers' Guide to Wine is based on this very successful class and blends Patrick's passion for the culture and history of wine and his love of literature for the world's great writers. A literary twist on traditional food and wine pairings, this book explores how great wines and great writers can be combined to enhance the enjoyment of both. The book describes the history of wine from the time of Noah to the birth of two-buck Chuck. If you are a fan of wine books such as Cork Dork, Wine Folly, Wine Simple, or The Wine Bible, and appreciate great literature, you will love The Booklovers' Guide to Wine.

The Collector's Voice is a major four-volume project which brings together in accessible form material relevant to the history and practice of collecting in the European tradition from c. 1500 BC to the present day. The series demonstrates how attitudes to objects, the collecting of objects, and the shape of the museum institution have developed over the past 3000 years. Material presented includes translations of a wide range of original documents: letters, official reports, verse, fiction, travellers' accounts, catalogues and labels. Volume 1: Ancient Voices, edited by Susan Pearce and Alexandra Bounia Volume 2: Early Voices, edited by Susan Pearce and Kenneth Arnold Volume 3: Imperial Voices, edited by Susan Pearce and Rosemary Flanders Volume 4: Contemporary Voices, edited by Susan Pearce and Paul Martin

Accumulated over many years, 'Granny', the enigmatic collector behind this book, presents a selection of quirky post-war goods, advertising and kitchen items.

In Granny's Kitchen Cupboard you'll find a remarkable array of British twentieth-century ephemera. From children's toys, boil dressings and chocolate wrappers to butane fuel and TCP, this selection is an incredible collection of innovative advertising designs, odd curios that have long since been replaced by modern technologies, and recognisable old brands.

After the end of austerity in Britain in the early 1950s, consumerism boomed and these objects portray the societal change that followed. Beautifully arranged throughout, the contents of this book reflect aspects of a long life, most of it lived in a single house in the Home Counties. Nothing was thrown away - everything was recycled and reused in a way that says something about their time, in particular the thrifty mindset instilled by rationing in World War Two.

The collection features old household brands that have evolved into various iterations into the present day, such as Harrods, Johnson's, Vaseline, Vicks, Elastoplast, the AA, Strepsils, W H Smith, Boots, Hoover, Happy Shopper and Lego. But this collection also features some odd items that may evoke nostalgia or even amusement, including fascinating catalogues, vintage pastille tins, an apothecary of unusual medicines, odd household cleaners not to mention rifle cartridges. The book also includes text that divulges the history and use of each object.

The Collector's Voice is a major four-volume project which brings together in accessible form material relevant to the history and practice of collecting in the European tradition from c. 1500 BC to the present day. The series demonstrates how attitudes to objects, the collecting of objects, and the shape of the museum institution have developed over the past 3000 years. Material presented includes translations of a wide range of original documents: letters, official reports, verse, fiction, travellers' accounts, catalogues and labels. Volume 1: Ancient Voices, edited by Susan Pearce and Alexandra Bounia Volume 2: Early Voices, edited by Susan Pearce and Kenneth Arnold Volume 3: Imperial Voices, edited by Susan Pearce and Rosemary Flanders Volume 4: Contemporary Voices, edited by Susan Pearce and Paul Martin

While the importance of collections has been evident in the sciences and humanities for several centuries, the social and cultural significance of collecting practices is now receiving serious attention as well. As reflected in programs like Antiques Roadshow and American Pickers, and websites such as eBay, collecting has had a consistent and growing presence in popular culture. In tandem with popular collecting, institutions are responding to changes in the collecting environment, as library catalogs go online and museums use new technologies to help generate attendance for their exhibits. In Contemporary Collecting: Objects, Practices, and the Fate of Things, Kevin M. Moist and David Banash have assembled several essays that examine collecting practices on both a personal and professional level. These essays situate collectors and collections in a contemporary context and also show how our changing world finds new meaning in the legacy of older collections. Arranged by such themes as "Collecting in a Virtual World," "Changing Relationships with Things," "Collecting and Identity-Personal and Political," and "Collecting Practices and Cultural Hierarchies," these essays help illuminate the role of objects in our lives. Covering a breadth of interdisciplinary perspectives and subjects-from PEZ candy dispensers and trading cards to sports memorabilia and music-Contemporary Collecting will be of interest to scholars of cultural studies, anthropology, popular culture studies, sociology, art history, and more.

Charts a new wave of feminist and queer media activism in post-millennial China Digital Masquerade offers a trenchant and singular analysis of the convergence of digital media, feminist and queer culture, and rights consciousness in China. Jia Tan examines the formation of what she calls "rights feminism," or the emergence of rights consciousness in Chinese feminist formations, as well as queer activism and rights advocacy. Expanding on feminist and queer theory of masquerade, she develops the notion of "digital masquerade" to theorize the co-constitutive role of digital technology as assemblage and entanglement in the articulation of feminism, queerness, and rights. Drawing from interviews with various feminist and queer media practitioners, participant observation at community events, and detailed analyses of a variety of media forms such as social media, electronic journals, digital filmmaking, film festivals, and dating app videos, Jia Tan captures the feminist, queer, and rights articulations that are simultaneously disruptive of and conditioned by state censorship, technological affordances, and dominant social norms.

From hand-forged axes of the Viking conquests to the American homesteader's felling axe, this is a tool that has shaped human history like few others. American Axe pays tribute to this iconic instrument of settlement and industry, with rich history, stunning photography, and profiles of the most collectible vintage axes such as The Woodslasher, Keen Cutter, and True Temper Perfect. Combining his experiences as a forester, axe collector, and former competitive lumberjack, author Brett McLeod conveys the allure of this deceptively simple woodcutting implement and celebrates the resurging interest in its story and use.

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 heroes, of those ever-popular quick change artists of the robot world--the Transformers*t, and even pro-wrestling fanatics will find figures here to warm their souls! Price listings are provided for every figure shown and for every known figure produced within a particular product line. Price ranges are provided both for figures that are mint-in-the-box and for those which, while running loose, have retained all of their accessories and lost none of their finish.

Across America and around the world, people wander through flea markets to search for lost treasures. For decades, no such market was more renowned than the legendary Chelsea flea market, which sprawled over several blocks and within an old garage on the west side of Manhattan. Visitors would trawl through booths crammed with vintage dresses, rare books, ancient swords, glass eyeballs, Afghan rugs, West African fetish dolls, Old Master paintings, and much more. In The Golden Flea, the acclaimed writer Michael Rips takes readers on a trip through this charmed world. With a beguiling style that has won praise from Joan Didion and Susan Orlean, Rips recounts his obsession with the flea and its treasures and provides a fascinating account of the business of buying and selling antiques. Along the way, he introduces us to the flea's lovable oddball cast of vendors, pickers, and collectors, including a haberdasher who only sells to those he deems worthy; an art dealer whose obscure paintings often go for enormous sums; a troubadour who sings to attract customers; and the Prophet, who finds wisdom among all the treasures and trash. As Rips's passion for collecting grows and the flea's last days loom, he undertakes a quest to prove the provenance of a mysterious painting that just might be the one.

Matchbox vehicles, from cars and trucks to tractors and trailers, produced in series 1 through 75 from 1953 to 1969, are presented here in both detailed text listings and over 370 color images. Variations of each vehicle manufactured are detailed, including the many different kinds of box styles used throughout this period. This revised 2nd Edition includes an updated price list for the Matchbox vehicles presented and their variations listed throughout the text. A great resource for collectors.

Proudly advertising its enormous inventory shipped from "Cheapest Supply House on Earth," in 1894, the Sears, Roebuck and Co. catalog offered substantial savings for rural dwellers on almost everything. And everything means everything. From pianos and firearms to clothing, watches, and jewelry, this well-known American superstore had it all. Need a sewing machine guaranteed to last ten years? Just $17.55 from Sears, Roebuck and Co. And why not buy solid gold? Solid gold watches, that is, for just thirty to fifty dollars. In the musical goods department, guitars came with free instruction books, mandolins were becoming so popular that sales had more than doubled in a year, and violins were imported and plentiful. The guns and sporting goods department boasted a wide range of weaponry, including the Colt's Army Double Action Revolver (which, if ordered with an accompaniment of cash payment in full, came with a "FREE nice present" . . . the likes of which are left to the gun enthusiast's imagination). Hundreds of illustrations accompany the fascinating product descriptions and hard-to-fathom prices of over a century ago in this rerelease of the Sears, Roebuck and Co. Consumer's Guide for 1894. Nostalgic for some, fun for all--this book is perfect for anyone interested in collectibles.

New and expanded edition that includes signatures studies of all hall of famers from the 19th century to the present day. Newly added studies of Shoeless Joe Jackson and the rest of the infamous black sox. Roger Maris, Gil Hodges, and the top 50 non hall of fame autographs are also explored in depth. Richly illustrated with nearly 1,000 examples of autographs and forgeries of the hall of famers and stars from yesteryear. Also found within is a new price guide examining values of various signed mediums. A market population grid of the rare and seldom seen signatures tops off the book. Collectors can compare signatures to the examples to determine the genuiness of autographs and assist them in the purchase of that cherished baseball treasure.

All knowledge, the cosmos arranged on shelves, in cupboards, or hanging from the ceiling, 'infinite riches in a little room' - such were the cabinets of curiosities of the 17th century. This survey, now available in a compact edition, traces the amazing history of cabinets of curiosities, from their first appearance in the inventories and engravings commissioned by Renaissance nobles such as the Medici or the Hapsburgs, via those of the Dane Ole Wurm and the Italian polymath Athanasius Kircher, to the serious 17th- and 18th-century scientists Elias Ashmole and Levinas Vincent.

Foreword by Christian Louboutin Vintage Shoes recounts a century of shoe history, from Andre Perugia's designs for society women in the 1920s to Christian Louboutin's red soles. Accompanied by archive images, stunning fashion photography and specially commissioned photographs of rare period footwear, the most collectible and fabulous footwear designs are showcased. An invaluable reference as well as a visual delight of times past, the book explores the key designers, technical developments and cultural influences that shaped shoe fashions, presenting exquisite footwear from such trailblazers as Salvatore Ferragamo, Charles Jourdan, Roger Vivier, Beth Levine, Vivienne Westwood and Manolo Blahnik.

More than 4,000 items are photographed to make Miller's Collectables Price Guide the most comprehensive and informative price guide on the market. Whether you're buying or selling, a dealer, collector, or auctioneer, this is the book you need to help you keep track of the international market. From cups and saucers to teddy bears, Scandinavian glass to Pez dispensers, Miller's Collectables Price Guide reflects the collectables market like no other book. It not only gives you the prices but explains why one item is worth more than another. Whenever you're buying or selling always take Miller's with you.

A brilliant blend of Shop Class as Soulcraft and The Orchid Thief, Earl Swift's wise, funny, and captivating Auto Biography follows an outlaw-genius auto mechanic as he painstakingly attempts to restores a classic 1957 Chevy to its former glory--all while the FBI and local law enforcement close in.

To Tommy Arney, the old cars at Moyock Muscle are archeological artifacts, twentieth-century fossils that represent a place and a people utterly devoted to the automobile and transformed by it. But to his rural North Carolina town, they're not history; they're junk. When Tommy acquires a rusted out wreck of an old Chevy and promises to return it to a shiny, chromed work of American art, he sees one last chance to salvage his respect, keep himself out of jail, and save his business. But for this folk hero who is often on the wrong side of the law, the odds of success are long, especially when the FBI, local authorities, and the bank are closing in.

Written for motor heads and automotive novices alike, Auto biography interweaves this improbable hero's journey with the story of one iconic car to chart the rise, fall, and rebirth of the American Dream. Told in words and eight pages of photos, this wise, charming, and heartbreaking true story is an indelible portrait of a man, a machine, and a nation on the road from a glorious past into an unknown future.

Gilbert White (1720 1793) published his Natural History and Antiquities as one volume in 1789. Both works consist of a series of letters written by White to the barrister Daines Barrington (1727 1800) and the zoologist Thomas Pennant (1726 1798). The letters in Natural History, White's best-known work, contain detailed information about his observations of local flora, fauna and wildlife. White was a pioneer of the study of birds and animals in their natural habitats, rather than as specimens removed from their environments. His methods of observation enabled him to identify and record many previously unknown species. (He was the first, for example, to distinguish the chiffchaff from the warbler by differences in song.) The letters in Antiquities are concerned with the topographical, social and ancient history of Selborne. They include details of important Roman coin finds and are an indispensable source for the history of local churches and buildings.

An epic cultural journey that reveals how Venetian ingenuity and inventions-from sunglasses and forks to bonds and currency-shaped modernity. How did a small, isolated city-with a population that never exceeded 100,000, even in its heyday-come to transform western civilization? Acclaimed anthropologist Meredith Small, the author of the groundbreaking Our Babies, Ourselves examines the the unique Venetian social structure that was key to their explosion of creativity and invention that ranged from the material to social. Whether it was boats or money, medicine or face cream, opera, semicolons, tiramisu or child-labor laws, these all originated in Venice and have shaped contemporary notions of institutions and conventions ever since. The foundation of how we now think about community, health care, money, consumerism, and globalization all sprung forth from the Laguna Veneta. But Venice is far from a historic relic or a life-sized museum. It is a living city that still embraces its innovative roots. As climate change effects sea-level rises, Venice is on the front lines of preserving its legacy and cultural history to inspire a new generation of innovators.