Book Description
There’s a special comfort in collecting, in surrounding yourself with familiar objects and building a store of assets. The allure of money is especially strong. Coins represent real value. The warmth of silver and the weight of gold are irresistible to some. Coins travel throughout the world and through time itself, representing and absorbing history as they pass from one person to the next. Oh the stories coins could tell if they only had voices.
Coin-collecting is a relaxing and inexpensive (although it can be very expensive!) hobby. If you buy properly, coins can be an excellent place to park your money for a rainy day, and if you buy the right coins and the market improves, you may even be able to make a profit on your collection. In fact, numismatics (the fancy term for coin collecting) offers more riches than you may realize. This rewarding hobby also opens the door to some serious life skills, such as
- History
- Geography
- Observational skills
- Organizational skills
- Analytical tools.
This book is designed to appeal to collectors at every level, from beginner to advanced. This is not a hardcore coin book; rather, Coin Collecting For Dummies is a great general reference that points you in different directions for further investigation. Perhaps the most important goal of this book is to get you excited – and to keep you excited – about coin collecting. Coin Collecting For Dummies covers all these topics and more:
- Deciding what to collect
- Storing your collection correctly
- Finding out about repaired, restored, and recolored coins
- Pricing world coins
- Finding a good coin dealer
- Buying at auction
- Understanding that condition equals value
- Exploring the wild side with rare, expensive, and esoteric coins
- Selling your coins
No one needs coins, but if you decide to collect them, you certainly need this book. Coin collecting can sometimes be a confusing maze of choices sprinkled with little traps along the way. Sure, you can go it alone, but why not make your journey into numismatics a lot easier by picking the brain of an expert collector and learning from the mistakes of others.
Customer Reviews:
Excellent Purchase.......2007-10-09
I purchased this book for my nephew who showed an interest in coin collecting. I started reading it before giving it to him and I learned a lot! It was written in a straight-forward method, clear concise. (I gave it to him a week later)
Great broad overview for new collectors...........2007-05-27
I intended audience for this book is people getting into the hobby of coin collecting. As such, it covers a lot of ground in about 400 pages. It is written to be interesting, engaging, fun and informative. It accomplishes these tasks and gives anyone a good grounding in coin collecting. While there are other books I would get a along with this one, this is a wonderful place to start for people of all ages.
Typical Dummies book-For Newbies only.......2006-11-10
Yeah, its a Dummies book, but if you could only see how many of these books I own! This is good for beginners. I needed it to learn the basic terminology of my new hobby. It worked for me, but even a newbie quickly gets beyond the Dummies stage and wants more.
An Introductory Book From One of the Numismatic Greats.......2006-07-10
If you've ever considered coin collecting, or you've already gotten started and want to learn more, this is the single most important and easy-to-understand primer on numismatics. You'll find yourself referring back to this book again and again as your knowledge grows. If coin collecting becomes a passion for you, then consider the more in-depth texts by Guth.
Beginners book.......2005-10-13
This is a good book for young or beginning coin collectors. It is also a great tool for any coin collector to refer from time to time. The description of the book is accurate. Everybody has to start somewhere in their hobby of choice, and this is a great way to learn more about many different aspects of numismatics.
Book Description
Words from the wise: insiders' tips on how to navigate the art market like a pro Art is about life, the art market is about money. —Damien Hirst
Whether you're an art fan, aficionado, or collector, this completely unique book should be on your required reading list. Like a textbook for a class given by all of the world's leading experts, Collecting Contemporary is the one and only book to teach you everything you ever wanted to know about the contemporary art market. The introduction explains the ABCs of buying art on the primary and secondary markets, at auction, and at art fairs and gives an overview of the world art scene and its social circles. The main body of the book brings together tell-all interviews with the biggest players in the global art market: the Critic (Rimanelli), the Dealer (Boesky, Deitch, Gagosian, Gladstone, Hetzler, Rosen, Shave), the Consultant (Cortez, Fletcher, Heller, Segalot, Westreich), the Collector (Brant, Broad, Joannou, Lambert, Lehmann, Miller, Pinault, Saatchi), the Auction House Expert (Cappellazzo, de Pury, Meyer), and the Museum Curator/Director (Dennison, Eccles, Heiss, Peyton-! Jones, Lowry). Rounding up the book are chapters on the year in art collecting—giving a timeline of the most important annual auctions, exhibitions, fairs, etc. around the world—as well as a glossary of terms every art savvy player should know. The text is illustrated by the work of the hottest artists in today's market, including Matthew Barney, Jean-Michel Basquiat, Damien Hirst, Mike Kelley, Martin Kippenberger, Jeff Koons, Takashi Murakami, Richard Serra, Cindy Sherman, Andy Warhol, Lisa Yuskavage, and many more. Do the math: all in all, these elements add up to the equivalent of an invaluable and privileged real-world collector's education—all between the covers one book.
Customer Reviews:
Buy art, not this book...........2007-08-20
Starting with the positives: you can read the entire book in about 15 minutes.
Here's the bottom line: buy what you like and can afford.
Dealers and critics try to make artists famous because that is how they make their money.
If you buy something from a dealer and later decide that you don't like it, it is considered hoyle (by dealers) to give the dealer first dibs on the re-sale.
Instead of buying this book, save your money and buy a work from a local artist you like - all will be better served.
A Veritable Education.......2007-08-12
Knowing very little about the contemporary art scene, I bought this book to prepare myself for the Venice Biennale. I found the format of interviewing various experts in the art world--from gallerists to collectors to auction houses to museums--extremely helpful and enlightening. It was fascinating that these seasoned insiders often had violently different opinions on the same topic. I'm grateful to Adam Lindeman for pulling back the curtain in Oz to let us glimpse how this complex microcosm really works.
An insider's view.......2007-06-05
The aim of this book is to give an insider's view of the contemporary art market, through interviews of major players (collectors, auctioneers, curators, art critics, museum directors)who, often in a candid way, deliver their own opinion on this peculiar market to the author who is himself a collector.
Why and how do collectors collect, how does an artist's career pick up, what is it to be an art dealer,what link is there between museums and the market, this is the type of question the book tries to answer. Many books have recently been published on this subject (no doubt because of the current boom of the market and the arrival of many new collectors), and I would say this is the one that gives the best insight on this often opaque market.
Very interesting book.......2007-04-03
This is a very interesting and informative book for anyone interested in contemporary art, specially collecting it.
The Meaningful Multi Angle Perspective of the Art World.......2007-02-08
Although Adam Lindemann has obviously his own strong opinions about the contemporary art world and market, he shows enormous restraint in this book in bringing forward the opinions of many people having a view on the subject from very different angles. I learned a lot. What I appreciate the most is a writer not shoveling information down my throat and wanting me to think like him/her but a writer who respects the reader and allow the reader to make his/her own decision, the same way as opinions about art might vary widely. It would be my pleasure to fill my evenings and thinking moments in the presence of people like this author who dares to take a fresh approach.
Customer Reviews:
An old standby continues moving along.......2007-08-17
This used to be considered the bible of pricing of vintage watches - it is a tremendous piece of work - however many models are missing and prices
need updating as the economy has changed very much in a few short years.
However for the beginner there is no better book to learn and have
a handy reference to save money and not lose it when buying an old watch
Pocket Watches.......2007-07-19
The book is not perfect, but it is a great bargain for the money. It is reasonably easy to use and yet detailed in the descriptions and explanations. I was able to pick out my watches and establish a value very quickly. I used it for all my eBay purchases. I do recommend this book as a great reference for pocket watches.
Informative Guide to American watches.......2007-07-13
This is a practical guide to watches and their prices. It dwells mostly on American pocket watches, and in this aspect it is most informative. It is less so on European pocket watches and wrist watches, but still manages to cover a lot of ground. The pricing seems accurate as a guideline.
Good Price Guide.......2007-07-08
An excellent guide to watch values. Strongest for American Pocket Watches and weaker IMO for European Pocket watches and for wrist watches, particularly Quartz.
Great - But.......2007-04-16
I appreciate the amount of information in the book and the author's time invested in the update.
One of my major interests is in the Hamilton 992B pocket watch. I noticed that the author drastically changed the dates of manufacture related to the serial numbers. This is very disappointing. The 992B has not been made for 40 years. Why is the author changing the information?
I wanted to purchase a 992B for the year I was born. This reference book has let me down in having assurance of when that actual date was. The 992B serial number for my birth year was 490,000-495,000 now it is 516,000-520,000.
This lends me to loose trust in the book as a reference. Was the former information incorrect or the current information? At least an explanation on why the change was made could have been provided.
The Bottom Line: It is an excellent reference but the watch collecting information presented is subject to change - so don't depend on it.
Book Description
The name of Rolex is recognized around the world. It has become an icon of beauty, quality, accuracy, style, and taste. While there are other fine manufacturers of timepieces, none has reached this pinnacle of public respect and acclaim. The watches produced by Rolex over the last 90 years are celebrated in this lavishly illustrated new volume. Mssrs. Dowling and Hess, acknowledged Rolex authorities, have captured their beauty in full color photography. They accompany the most thorough and extensive history ever written of the company. Information for collectors and current market values of the watches makes this a truly useful volume and one that will be cherished by watch lovers around the world., 392 photos , 9" x 12", Price Guide
Customer Reviews:
Great Rolex reference, but not much in updates for 3rd edition.......2007-08-19
For a comprehensive Rolex history with pictures, this is one of the best books out there. I definitely recommend this book for the Rolex enthusiast. Because it focuses mostly on history, the pictures are mostly of vintage models.
I own the 2nd edition (published 2001) and was excited when I saw the 3rd edition available (published 2006). I thought maybe there would be updates on the newer watches especially the 50th Anniversary Submariner and Day-Date (the green ones). To my disappointment, the 2nd and 3rd editions appeared to be identical except for the price guide at the end of the book. Yes, it's nice to have updated numbers, but I feel an updated edition should mention some updated watches as well.
A printing error on page 383 was not corrected in this 3rd edition either. That page shows a picture of an upside down Seadweller, but the print below the picture says "The Yachtmaster."
If you already own the 2nd edition and don't care for an updated price list, there's no need to spend $75+ for the 3rd edition. However, the 3rd edition is a good purchase for the first time buyer.
Overall I give the book 5 stars, but I'm giving it 4 stars here because of the lack of updates for the 3rd edition.
Simply the Rolex bible.......2007-08-18
Not much to say about the book. It has evertthing a Rolex collector will neeed.
The best pictures published on watches, ever, No book comes close.
The best Rolex reference history book........2007-08-15
Its worth every penny if you want a reference book on Rolex. No book comes close.
The pictures and quality are fantastic, It is a reference book and not a book that is light reading, its full of heavy detail on every Rolex ever made up to 1999.
Another edition should be due about now, for updates.
I 100% recommend to any Rolex enhusiast, Rolex dealer or Rolex collector. There simply is no book with more detail on the market.
Very kind of Rolex watches........2007-02-05
Rolex watches, it is high cost watches. Very cool Item, very very high cost performance ! Don't kiss me !
Rolex Wristwatches Book Review.......2007-01-21
This great book gave me details about Rolex and their watches that I could not gather anywhere else. I learned basics about the watches that the Rolex dealers are unable to answer. If you own a Rolex, you should own this book.
Book Description
The Watch is a survey of the best vintage and contemporary men's wristwatches that is as visually compelling as it is informative to read.
A well-made man's wristwatch combines inspired design, technical innovation, and precise craftsmanship. Vintage watches are filled with sentiment and history, and are often passed from wrist to wrist across generations. Today, designers use cutting-edge techniques and materials to create some of the most complex miniature machines ever attempted.
Ranging from Patek Philippe and Rolex to Seiko and Swatch, and covering fifty brands in depth, the book provides essential wisdom on buying, collecting, and maintaining these timepieces. Illustrating the text are more than 500 photographs of men's watches, including remarkable details of dials and movements, selected for their beauty and diversity from collections around the world.
Customer Reviews:
WOMEN LOVE WATCHES, TOO!.......2007-08-10
I'm a woman who has loved watches for over 35 years. This book has beautiful pictures, but, I could not find a single woman's watch. It was disappointing. Did I miss something? I returned it!
Beautiful Book.......2007-07-09
A beautiful book featuring beautiful wrist watches including some from both American and high end Japanese manufacturers.
Gene Stones' "The Watch".......2007-05-12
I found this book to be one of the most informative, easy to understand, loaded with excellent pictures, variety of horological subjects, etc.
I recommend this book for anyone who loves watches
The Watch.......2007-05-12
This is another great watch book. There are pictures of watches from all over the world not only Swiss. Big photo and in color you really get to see what they truly look like. They are all a work of art. A must have.
I love this book.......2007-04-09
This book is like my bible. I study it and read it regularly and it always cheers me up on a rainy day when I look at the beautiful pictures of watches. Sounds like I need a life, right? Whatever, get this book!
Book Description
This new 27th Edition simply contains more firearms values and information than any other single publication. Included is a revised Photo Percentage Grading System™ - these 64 pages feature high resolution color images and are the last word to help ascertain any firearm's correct condition factor, based on percentage of original condition. This is the book that the firearms industry refers to as "the bible," and it's easy to see why. Expanded to 2,008 pages, featuring over 300,000 firearms prices, the new Blue Book of Gun Values™ also contains almost one million words of text - no other book is even close! Most of the information contained in this publication is simply not available anywhere else, for any price!
Customer Reviews:
Great book.......2007-09-29
Purchased this book for a friend who collects and restores hand guns. He was very impressed with the lay out and detailing of the prices. he recommends this book highly.
excellent.......2007-09-11
Better quantity and quality than I expected and should be very helpful in quantifying the value of my guns...
reference at its best.......2007-09-07
everything that one could ask for. grading scales, values of guns and all the manufacturers and cross-references in one book. what more could you ask for. order was placed and was received before date of expected delivery, great service. thanks
Guns.......2007-08-15
With the ad of the Blue Book of Gun Values I was able to sell off my gun collection at proper prices. I had no idea what any of my guns were worth. I was able to sell them all for a good price
Very helpful.......2007-08-04
This book has eveything you need to get started collecting or even buying and selling guns. It is helpful in learning a grading system and putting a value with it also.
Customer Reviews:
Great.......2004-03-04
This is a great book for those interested in chronograph watches. The pictures are very good and the detail on the movements is exceptional. The format of the book is rather large, but not too thick. Quality printing and binding. Nearly a must-have for watch collectors and horologists.
Excellent.......2004-02-28
This book is geared to the watch collector and repairer, which is exactly what I was looking for. It has an excellent description of the major dials and movements with nice large pictures. The information is detailed, in-depth and informative. A professional book. It is large format, not too thick, but the glossy pages (which is a good thing) make it heavy. For the collector / repairer of chronographs, this is a must-have book.
Excellent reference book........2002-02-12
Overall an excellent book on chronographs, which is a cross between a coffee table book and a reference work. As a collector, I refer to it a lot.
Unfortunately, the translation is poor, and there are many inconsistencies which can make it hard to follow descriptions: for example, the same component in the chronograph mechanism may be referred to by several different names. Also, the final editing of the English version leaves a lot to be desired, especially in a book of this price. Having said this, it's still a very good book, and I wholeheartedly recommend it.
Excellent work by Gerd-R. Lang of Chronoswiss.......1999-08-24
This book illustrates the intricacies of chronograhs in great detail and with much attention given to not-so-well-known facts. Master Watchmaker Gerd-Ruediger Lang is the founder and manager of Chronoswiss Uhren GmbH in Munich, Germany and his attention to detail can both be found in this book and in his watches, which are famous throughout the world.
Book Description
From the undisputed authority on comic book collecting comes the most complete record of existing comic books from the 1800s to the present -- indexed, illustrated, and priced according to condition.
• NEW for 2007: Up-to-date market reports and a new, fully illustrated, comic-style introduction
• A brand-new color section highlighting the top comics and the hidden gems of each comic book era
• Latest and most comprehensive pricing information on comic books, graphic novels, and Big Little books
• Tips on grading, buying, selling comics, as well as terminology and practices
• Features an all-new article on the history of Marvel Comics' Daredevil and an intriguing look at Captain America
Customer Reviews:
It's Great !.......2007-06-11
this book is great. It has almost every comic out there and it has been very useful at determining the value of my collection. I highly reccommend this to anyone.
Comic book lover's delight.......2007-05-12
Far more than a price guide, the OVERSTREET is an essential reference for comic book fans if for nothing more than its history section which is very well researched and illustrated. The phenomena and import of the comic book is at this writing finally being recognized by scholars. The pricing of comics list is exhaustive with a strange exception, HEAVY METAL. I would not find a listing for this beautifully illustrated, extraordinary comic book and I have ten years of them from the 1970s.
Customer Reviews:
Kovels' in Color.......2007-05-31
This is and has been a standard in the antiques price guide field for years. While not as exciting a format as Schroeder's or Antique Trader's Guides, Kovels' is a basic value guide useful to compare prices found in other guides. Also, Kovel's lists some popular collectibles not easily found elsewhere.
Disappointed.......2007-01-27
The last two Kovels' I purchased were the 1996 and 1998 editions. The 2007 edition in no way compares to the "older" ones; information is not as easy to find, is "scattered," and not as meaningful. The older editions seemed more comprehensive and informative, in a similar-sized book.
KOVEL'S COLLECTIBLES.......2007-01-23
Although this book had a lot of information to offer,I found it quite hard to find things under certain category's. For instance, I was trying to find a price for a plastic bank. First I checked banks,had many kinds listed,plastic,mechanical,etc but I couldn't find the one I had. I checked the index and found banks listed on about 20 different pages under different materials,eras,made by etc...way to confusing for us regular folk who just want to see if they've found a bargin or own something of great value.Unless you are an advid Antique Collector,I wouldn't recommend this book.
Kovels' Antiques & Collectibles 39th edition.......2007-01-19
Bought this book for my wife who is into "junk." As anyone in the collecting business already knows, Kovels' is the bible. I am sure my wife will get a few years of enjoyment from this publication.
Antique lovers BUY this.......2007-01-10
This book keeps antiquers up to date with the latest in hot finds. My step-father uses it as a guide to what to look for when he scouts the local auctions.
Book Description
This fantastic book tells the detailed history of pinball games from the 1930s to the 1990s, including the evolution of all sorts of game features--from flippers and bumpers to sound, scoring, and tilt mechanisms--all immersed in the complex and magnificent artwork characteristic of pinball machines. Pinball manufacturing giants like Gottlieb, Williams, and Bally are well represented, in addition to several lesser-known and foreign manufacturers. With a listing of over 3,000 games built to date, statistics, updated pricing information, and over 900 color photographs (including close-ups, flyers, images of rare prototypes, and games never before seen in print), this is essential for the libraries of all pinball lovers. The pinball machine is here to stay--due in part to the exponential increase in the number of serious collectors and enthusiasts. What other modern amusement machine can boast a longevity of over 60 years, withstanding the test of time and ever-changing technology, while maintaining its instantly recognizable form? The rolling, bouncing silver ball, as unpredictable as the flip of a coin or even life itself, has kept up with cutting-edge advancements in electronics, mechanics, and even computers, to amuse and test the skill of players worldwide!
Customer Reviews:
Pretty good.......2007-01-12
Certainly informative about most pinball machines. My gripe is with a book this big and thick, I should not have been able to find a number of machines not included. Not just any pictures, but no mention what-so-ever. I must say though I was educated much further about pinball machine operations then I was ever aware of prior to looking at this book. Just a little disappointed that some of my favorite machines had no mention. I am a 60's 70's pinball machine lover.
Great Pinball book with high quality pictures.......2006-02-25
You can't go wrong picking this one up. A must for any pinball enthusiast or beginner.
A Must Have For A Pinhead.......2005-10-01
This is a wonderful work of Pinball Book Art. I checked out this book from my local library and it is a must have. The book is heavy and very well made. The photos are very detailed as well. The book takes a certain aspect of the game such as scoring and breaks that parts of the game down, while the next chapter may focus on pinball sound. The book has so much information in it about history, features, and rare pinball features. A book of this size is bound to have a few mistakes and this book has a few small mistakes, but those are very minor and this is a very detailed work and there is no way one man can know it all about pinball. If you enjoy the game of pinball, you need to check out this book. It will not show you how to repair or maintain the game, its focus is history about the game and its evolution over time. I hope you enjoy this book and also keep enjoying playing the wonderful game of pinball.
Casi igual que jugar una partida de pinball.......2005-09-07
Muy buen libro sobre pinball. He recordado aquellos pinballs con los que empezé a jugar a principio de los 70.
A wonderful captivating coffee table book.......2004-12-30
This book is a vibrant timepiece capturing the colorful history of a unique product of the 20th century. When you think about it, when is the last time you *saw* a pinball machine? This book has captured, in both close-up and distant pictures, the colors, lights, and complexity of how these machines work and function. Family and friends--even those who've never seen a pinball--will pull this book out and start browsing in a mesmorized fashion. My only complaint is that the book is somewhat dated as it's from 1999 and doesn't reference the closing of Williams/Bally's pinball division and the great games recently issued by the sole remaining manufactuer, Stern.
However, it very thoroughly shows the evolution of a silver ball falling through assorted pins on a wooden board to the electronic technology of today with plastic ramps, magnets, and flippers. Just facinating to read and look at. If only it had sounds!
Books:
- Collectible Drinking Glasses: Identification & Values
- Crafting and Executing Strategy : The Quest for Competitive Advantage - Concepts and Cases (Strategic Management: Concepts and Cases)
- Creative Cloth Doll Beading: Designing and Embellishing with Beads
- Crochet: Learn to Crochet Six Great Projects (Klutz)
- Crochet Squared: 30 Easy Crochet Projects Made from Simple Squares
- Decorative Style: The Most Original and Comprehensive Sourcebook of Styles, Treatments, Techniques
- Designer Beadwork: Beaded Crochet Designs (Designer Beadwork)
- Draw 50 People: The Step-by-Step Way to Draw Cavemen, Queens, Aztecs, Vikings, Clowns, Minutemen, and Many More... (Draw 50)
- Dream Sewing Spaces: Design & Organization for Spaces Large & Small
- Easy Origami
Books Index
Books Home
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- The Wizard of Oz Collector's Treasury: Collector's Treasury
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- A Child Called "It": One Child's Courage to Survive
- Don't Know Much About the Bible: Everything You Need to Know About the Good Book but Never Learned
- Cacti and Succulents: Step-By-Step to Growing Success
- The New Finance: The Case Against Efficient Markets
- Using Quickbooks 4.0 in the First Accounting Course
- Queen & Country, Vol. 1: Operation Broken Ground
Coins & Medals
| Antiques & Collectibles
| Home & Garden
| Subjects
| Books
A Guide Book of United States Coins 2007 (60th Edition)
How to Make Money in Coins Right Now, 2nd Edition
2007 Handbook of United States Coins Blue Book (Handbook of United States Coins) (Handbook of United States Coins (Paper))
Photograde: Official Photographic Grading Guide for United States Coins, 19th Edition
The New York Times Guide to Coin Collecting: Do's, Don'ts, Facts, Myths, and a Wealth of History
