Like peering through the plate glass window of a Woolworth's, Kresge's, or J.J. Newberry's, this popular book reveals the wonderful array of dimestore merchandise that awaited homemakers and gardeners during our country's Depression era. Consumers in those years needed a convenient, affordable place to purchase necessities for the home--and dimestores had it all. Illustrated with over 200 images, many of them drawn from original catalogs and advertisements, this book is a virtual shopper's paradise of Depression era goods from the pretty to the practical: colorful dinnerware, cookware, salt and pepper shakers, cookie jars, linens, home decor, stationery, furniture, needlework, sewing notions, holiday decorations, gardening products, even supplies for the family pet. For all those who treasure memories of their local five-and-ten-cent store, this book is a must. Newly updated values are included for all items.

Distinctive and extraordinary porcelains from the potteries of Limoges, France, are examined and illustrated in over 1,000 beautiful color photographs. These porcelain wares range from nineteenth century cake plates and teacups to striking vases and contemporary boxes. Included among the featured wares are items hand painted by famous decorating firms and others that were offered entirely without adornment. Also included are the manufacturers' marks and histories of many Limoges potteries, including Haviland & Co., ThA (c)odore Haviland, Pouyat, GuA (c)rin, Raynaud and Bernardaud, as well as an extensive bibliography and index. Current values are conveniently located in the captions. This book is a must for anyone with a love of porcelain and an appreciation for true artistry.

When science and post-war lighting designers married, the modern housewife of the 1950s suddenly had an incredible array of weird and wild fixtures to choose from. New materials and production techniques developed during World War II, and a new attitude following it, collided to create the lamps we hate to love. Revisit lamp patterns like amoeba, starburst, atomic, and, of course, the indomitable lava lamp. Page through great figural TV lamps and a generous sampling of floor lamps and table lamps of all shapes and sizes in brass, plaster, Lucite, and ceramics. Each lamp is illustrated in full color with newly updated market values to aid collectors.

The wonderful folk art quality of hand-made hooked rugs endears them to all who encounter them. Over the hundred and fifty year history of their popularity in rural North America, thousands of diverse rugs have been made by cottage industries and individual craftspersons alike. Today older rugs are collected and cherished and new rugs are continually being made. This book will be a guide for antiques dealers and novice collectors alike. This handsome new book preserves, for a new generation of interest in hooked rugs, the historical background of the often whimsical designs and instructions for starting a rug of your own. The sections present over 300 color photographs of different rugs in lively geometric, abstract, floral, animal, Oriental and original designs, and factual discussions of the interesting people who motivated the designs. The author takes a look at the prolific rug producers at the House of Burnham, and gives the complete story of the Grenfell mats of Newfoundland and Labrador. The contributions of rug making promoters such as Philena Moxley, Pearl McGown and Joan Moshimer are heralded with examples of their original designs and hand work. After inspiring them with old designs, the author encourages the readers to pick up some burlap, wool rags and a rug hook and follow her step-by-step illustrated instructions to make their own rugs. Then she explains how to preserve the rugs for the future.

Welcome to the kitchen of yesteryear. This comprehensive guide covers the wide variety of tools and services which have graced kitchens of the past. Hundreds of beautiful color photographs illustrate the text. Cooking utensils, coffee and tea pots, graters, grinders, and roasters are among the implements shown. Serving wares, including graniteware, chafing dishes, egg cups, and tea sets are discussed. Even the tools for Monday's laundry and Tuesday's ironing find their place in this detailed text.

A richly illustrated review of the trends and influences in costume jewelry from the 1920s through the 1960s. Hundred of pieces are shown in color, along with a short history of jewelry, the evolution of costume jewelry, important companies, a glimpse at the industry, hints on testing real versus costume jewelry, and a current price guide make this a great collector's reference.

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.

It's official! The only comprehensive casino chip price guide in the field, featuring chips from the major gaming cities and riverboats in the U.S, is now in its bigger, better second edition! This attractive guide features an easy-to-use system that identifies and grades over 15,000 chips for rarity, condition, and price, complemented by color photos of more than $1,000,000 in rare chips, and nostagic postcard snapshots of dozens of casinos. Also new to this edition are thorough listings of Commemorative Limited Edition chips for Las Vegas and elsewhere. Professional advice on collecting and interesting insider information make this book your best resource for this fascinating hobby. Its convenient size and durable binding are ideal for the heavy use it will receive.

Covering the 100 years that Winchester and its predecessor companies, Volcanic Repeating Arms Co., and New Haven Arms Co., produced cartridges in New Haven, this is the first detailed study ever done on cartridge boxes from the era of the modem gun. Coverage includes all the calibers cataloged for every rifle model from 1856 to 1956. Drawing on never before seen company records and correspondence, as well as interviews with oldtime employees, the authors have unearthed a wealth of new and significant information on this under-researched, fast growing aspect of gun-related collectibles. With over 1,400 pictures, all in full color, this book also includes a Pricing Guide and a Rarity Guide. It is unlikely that the incredible number of varieties of Winchester cartridge boxes pictured will ever again be assembled for presentation to the collecting public. Whether you want to date your collectible box or determine which box would be appropriate as a contemporary display piece with your Winchester rifle, this is the book to own.

This is the first book to cover every aspect of the Savage 99 family of centerfire rifles from the prototypes to the last rifle produced, including Savage's only production military rifle, the Montreal Home Guard musket from WWI. It is also the first book on the Model 99 to be photo driven, with more than 250 color images. The book covers the variations in each model and addresses comparisons between similar models; dispels a number of myths, misconceptions, and catalog errors and omissions; and contains complete production figures by serial number and year. Special features and factory engraved rifles are also included, covering every style of engraving by Enoc Tue in the early twentieth century, the 99K, the PE and DE, and commemoratives.

The Incredible Ball Point Pen tells the story of the ball point pen's painful development, its cacophonous launching, the public hysteria accompanying its debut, and its outrageous and scandalous promotion. It recounts the fabulous riches which followed, the public's rapid and total disillusionment with the product, the collapse of the market, scientific breakthroughs in the 1950s, the industry's resurrection, myriad improvements occurring from 1950 to 1959, and the modern period from 1960 on. This is the most exhaustive work available on early ball point brands, manufacturers, and models. It includes over 400 photos of pens, copies of original ads, patents, documentation, and a comprehensive spotter and price guide. All who appreciate the ball point pen as a collectible and investment and who wish to further their knowledge about this fascinating topic will certainly want this book.

Raggedy Ann and Andy continue to be among the most treasured of all dolls. Children everywhere have fallen in love with these rag dolls and cherished them through adulthood. And avid collectors are found around the world. With 525 color photographs, this newly revised guide to Raggedy Ann and Andy collectibles documents the dolls themselves, as well as the books and other products that Johnny Gruelle's lovable creatures have inspired. For collectors this is a delightful and useful addition to their libraries. This guide includes historical and pricing information for the collector, and plenty of photographs for those who simply enjoy the doll's timeless appeal. Raggedy Ann and Andy will be a welcome addition to those who cherish their Raggedy Ann and Raggedy Andy dolls...young and old, children and collectors alike.

Information about mustache cups has been a well-kept Victorian secret, but this book brushes away the myths and the mystery. Here these Victorian oddities are displayed and explained, from dainty miniatures to hefty farmers' cups. Whether made from ceramics, pottery, silver, or other metals, mustache cups and their many surprising accessories are shown to be cross-collectibles for specialists of all types of tableware. A history of mustache cups is provided, and over 600 color photographs feature more than 640 cups, representing such famous manufacturers as Meissen, Dresden, Royal Crown Derby, Irish Belleek, Limoges, Nippon, and R.S. Prussia. Price guides are included.

This beautiful book offers a showcase of vintage glass that is lovely to see, easy to use, and interesting to collect. It is well-researched, up-to-date, and full of colorful kitchenware from the 1920s through the 1950s presented in over 400 beautiful color photographs. Shown are reamers, mixing bowls, refrigerator dishes, shakers, drippings jars, canisters, provisions jars, measuring cups, cruets, and scores of additional items. Small groupings of glassware are shown with clear explanations, values, measurements, manufacturing information, and much more. Here is a wealth of information that collectors and dealers alike will find invaluable. It is simply unsurpassed in the industry.

This pocket-sized guide to identifying and interpreting metal and ceramic marks has been improved with the addition of the most recent hallmarks, along with details of the new hallmarking system. Do you attend car boot sales or browse in antique shops in search of bargains? Have you ever wished you knew more about grandma's silver spoon? Do you envy the experts' ability to identify and date old hand-me-downs? If the answer to any of these questions is yes, Collins Gem Antique Marks is for you. Packed with thousands of clear illustrations, the book shows hallmarks on silver, gold and platinum, as well as those on Old Sheffield Plate, pewter, pottery and porcelain. Complete with a history of hallmarks and how to read them, Collins Gem Antique Marks is absolutely indispensable. The book provides: Full hallmarks for silver from London, Edinburgh, York, Norwich, Exeter, Dublin, Newcastle, Chester, Glasgow, Birmingham and Sheffield, along with maker's marks from these cities. Up-to-date hallmarks for gold and platinum. Old Sheffield plate marks, showing the variety of maker's marks. Pewter marks and a selection of pewter touch marks. Pottery and porcelain marks showing both letter and name marks, and symbol marks. Redesigned in new Gem style.

Enjoy a wide-ranging array of rare, unusual, and highly prized Flow Blue ceramic wares in 500 color photographs in this new study. The focus is on products of English potteries, although beautiful examples from America and elsewhere are included. Among the photos are lovely teapots in many shapes and sizes, children's tea and dinner services, potpourri jars, pitchers, platters, and plates. Also presented is a survey of the body shapes which Flow Blue adorns. Values for each of the items are included, along with an index and a bibliography. The index cross references patterns found in all four volumes of the author's Flow Blue books.

This book presents the most comprehensive collection of antique and collectible office technology that has appeared to date. 645 beautiful color photos capture the marvelous mechanical inventions that paved the way for the electronic age of computers. See an incredible array of typewriters, adding machines, calculators, check protectors, copiers, duplicators, coin changers, and dictating machines. Items like ribbon tins, medals and awards, novelties, and office-related toys bring offices of the past to life, along with ephemera such as books, catalogs, correspondence, legal documents, magazines, and original patents. Detailed captions, historical data, and helpful pricing information make this book a must for any collector interested in office-related antiques and evolution of technology!

The revised edition of this popular and affordable book focuses on 16 of the most popular glass colors of the Depression era. It identifies, dates, and values over 300 different glass patterns, displayed in 384 vivid color photos. The book is divided into 16 chapters, each offering a brief history and several photographic examples of what is available to collect in a particular color. All of the items shown are described with their pattern name, manufacturer, dates of production, tips for identification, and current values. An updated index of pattern names and glass manufacturers is included for quick reference. While it is a wonderful identification guide, it is also a guide that encourages the collecting of a specific color of glass in various patterns rather than just a single pattern.

That happy go lucky, boy's best friend Snoopyr is recognized by people around the world. From his joyous dance to his brave conflict with the Red Baron he embodies what is best in the human spirit, making it easy to forget he is a beagle. The popularity of Snoopy is so widespread that his image has appeared on thousands of items in the half-century since he was created by Charles M. Shulz in 1950. Many of these items were included in Jan Lindenberger's Unauthorized Guide to Snoopy Collectibles, but the number was so great that they have overflowed into this second, even larger volume. Here are household items, school supplies, books, clothing, sports, games, electronics and more, all illustrated with over 710 color photographs. Concise captions and current prices make this a perfect book for the collector.

The telephone you stashed away in your attic years ago is likely to be a magnificent treasure today!\nEnjoy this wonderful revised 3rd edition of innovative telephones in over 500 color photographs tracing the development of the telephone from Bell\s first experimental equipment. The book pictures exquisite examples of wooden box phones, vanities, upright "candlesticks," and desk stand or "cradle" phones, including some Canadian and European models.\nThis volume has become an important reference for the novice and avid telephone collector alike, with full descriptions of the numerous telephone companies and manufacturers and, in this 3rd edition, an updated value guide. This is the most expansive work ever compiled on collecting antique telephones, helping it become a growing and exciting hobby.

The years between World Wars I and II were a golden age of invention and emerging lifestyles that is vividly reflected in the colorful, stylish, and vibrant material culture known as Art Deco. This style captivated the collective imagination of the world's designers and artists, whose body of work has left an indelible impression that continues to fascinate and influence generation after generation. Collecting Art Deco covers the entire range of decorative accessories made during the 1920s and 1930s through hundreds of color photos and succinct, informative text.

Scenic relief carving is the art of bringing life and depth to a carving that is essentially two dimensional. In the traditional carving of Germany this is an exquisite and beautiful technique, and now Georg Keilhofer, a master woodcarver, shares it with his readers and students. Step-by-step he takes the reader through the carving of a plaque depicting a deer running through the forest. The difficulties and challenges of relief carving and techniques for handling them are explained. Everything is illustrated with full color photographs. This is Georg's second book. His first, Basic Relief Carving, has met with critical and popular success. This new book will take the reader further into the art of traditional wood-carving.

Hollywood Collectibles: The Sequel features beautiful, full-color photographs of memorabilia from 29 of the greatest Hollywood stars, including Lucille Ball, Jean Harlow, Marilyn Monroe, Elvis Presley, Roy Rogers and Elizabeth Taylor. This book also pays special attention to the most famous child stars from 1920 through the 1940s - Judy Garland, Jackie Cooper, Jackie Coogan, Roddy McDowall, Mickey Rooney, Our Gang and Natalie Wood - with a large section on that most famous of all child stars, Shirley Temple. Dolls, paper dolls, coloring books, puzzles, comics, still photos, magazines, books, toys, ads and other items are all pictured in 600 vivid color photographs, all for the collector's delight. Informative passages accompany each section, outlining lives and careers.

Electrical lighting fixtures from the 1920s through 1940s reflect the popular taste for Art Deco styling in public, commercial, and home interiors. Beautiful color photographs of dramatic lights from theaters, important houses, great architects, and interior designers fill this stunning book, showing the great flair for which the period has become so famous. Fixtures shown include radio and accent lamps, boudoir lamps, wall sconces, ceiling fixtures, bridge lamps, torchieres, and smoking stands. Glass shades from the period are highly prized today for their diverse and exquisite designs. This book will be a constant reference for architects, designers, lighting collectors, dealers, and theater historians because it shows so many diverse examples, relates their specific details clearly, and includes values in today's competitive marketplace.