Antique Diamonds

A Vase of Mistaken Identity (Thea James Mystery Series, Book 1)

Product Review
"A Vase of Mistaken Identity is a classic cozy mystery. Thea is a delightful heroine and follows clues in a logical manner. But the nice thing is her realness. I leave clean laundry piles out on occasion and have been known to chase down my cat in my slippers. I love her kindness toward the homeless guy too. The setting is quaint, I would love to visit her shop!" (Linda Mae Baldwin The Road to Romance )

"Cathy Elliott's debut novel is a delightfully entertaining read, in the genre of 'cozy mystery.' Her characters are quirky and humorous, and several times I found myself laughting out loud at her protagonist's crazy antics and self-talk. I could relate with amusement to moments such as when the police investigate a break-in at Thea's cottage, and she allows them to believe her home was ransacked rather than admit to a case of bad housekeeping! Elliott's heroine is so very humanoshe endears herself to the reader from the very first page, and you can't help but admire Thea's bumbling bravery as she searches for answers to the mysteries she finds herself embroiled inothe one unfolding in Larkindale and the mystery of God's love unfolding in her own rebellious heart. The townsfolk are three-dimentional characters that really come to life; full of quirks and whimsy that help them to stay with you long after the story has ended. The novel even includes instructions for making the same quilt that Thea makes in between playing detective. A thoroughly enjoyable and light-hearted read and I very much hope that we hear more from the wonderful town of Larkindale and its unforgettable characters." (Rachel Koopmans CB Reviews )

"If you're looking for a delicious suspense mystery with quirky, realistic characters and a page-turning plot, don't miss Elliott's A Vase of Mistaken Identity." (Gloria Mareschal livinglightnews.org )

Product Description
When Thea James discovers a puzzling list inside a vintage vase, she finds four names on the list . . . including her own! Follow this small-town antique dealer as she becomes a relentless detective on the trail of a killer in this page-turner mystery. Guaranteed fiction! (20061020)

American Pottery and Porcelain (Antique Hunter's Guides)

Book Description
This visual antique reference guide has all the information readers need to identify and appraise American pottery and porcelain -- from the earliest rough vessels of the mid-eighteenth century to the Fiestaware of the mid-twentieth century.

Each piece -- 367 in all -- is photographed in full color and accompanied by an in-depth description of the piece, origin and date of manufacture, relationship to similar pieces and rarity and hints for collectors, helping readers spot potentially valuable heirlooms stashed at home or at garage sales, consignment stores and flea markets.

Publisher Description
Also available in this series: THE ANTIQUE HUNTER'S GUIDE TO AMERICAN FURNITURE: TABLES, CHAIRS, SOFAS, and BEDS, THE ANTIQUE HUNTER'S GUIDE TO AMERICAN FURNITURE: CHEST CUPBOARDS, DESKS & OTHER PIECES, and THE ANTIQUE HUNTER'S GUIDE TO AMERICAN SILVER & PEWTER

Antique American Tractor and Crawler Value Guide

Product Description
Divided by tractor brand, this valuable reference establishes values for North American farm tractors and crawlers. Following the rating system established among car collectors, this unique guide lists tractors with values in five conditions. Values listed are based on prices actually realized at auctions. Expert collectors compare notes, references, and prices to produce this accurate and invaluable guide.

About The Author
RAndy Leffingwell is an MBI best-selling author whose most recent works are Corvette fifty Years, Mustang Forty Years, and John Deere: A History of the Tractor. He resides in Santa Barbara, California.

Antique and Collectible Buttons: Identification and Values

Product Description
Thousands of buttons are featured in over 400 color photographs. No repeats from the first book. Complete descriptions, dates, and current values. This unique book showcases all types of materials such as glass, enamel, brass, plastic, rhinestone, wood, and shell , as well as the amazine pictorials of birds, dogs, cats, insects, people, mythology, and more. AUTHORBIO: Debra Wisniewski is the author of two volumes of Antique Collectible Buttons. She has been involved in her family's estate auctioneering business since 1970. She has served as president and as secretary of the West Michigan Buttoneers and is a member of the National Button Society. She continues to spread the joy of button collecting at schools, historical societies, and civic groups. REVIEW: This book is the second of Debra Wisniewki's bestselling books, with no repeats from her first volume. Using the same user-friendly format as Volume I, the book includes more studio buttons, paperweights, and newly manufactured buttons. Large photos and colorful pages make the book an eye catcher.

Antique Brass and Copper Identification and Value Guide

Product Description
This book will help both the buyer and seller make accurate evaluations. Full-color photographs of more than 500 items together with complete descriptions and current values make this an invaluable reference. Lighting implements, fireplace equipment, kitchen items, tools, hardware fixtures, decorative personal objects, and household copper items including entrance foyer, parlor study, kitchen dining room, and bed bath pieces are featured. 2001 values. AUTHORBIO: Mary Frank Gaston's study of antiques began during the mid-1960s when she and her husband lived in New England which is so rich in our nation's history. She has authored many titles, with subjects including Flow Blue China, Blue Willow, English China, Limoges Porcelain, R.S. Prussia, Antique Brass Copper, Knowles, Taylor Knowles China, and Art Deco. Most of her books have seen multiple editions and/or volumes, as her books are extremely popular among collectors. REVIEW: A reader from Frederick, MD says, "I read 'No Dragons On My Quilt' to my daughter about 12 years ago after borrowing it from a library. Of course we ordered our very own copy. Back then we got it in hardback. Our whole family loves the book so much that we tried to order an extra copy for my son a few years ago. We wanted copies for each child to be passed down to their own kids when they were grown. (It's that kind of book.)"

About The Author
Mary Frank Gaston's study of antiques began during the mid-1960s when she and her husband lived in New England which is so rich in our nation's history. Most of her books have seen multiple editions and/or volumes, as her books are extremely popular among collectors.

Antique Electric Waffle Irons 1900-1960: A History of the Appliance Industry in 20th...

Book Description
Finally. A comprehensive collector's book and historical reference containing everything there is to know about antique and vintage electric waffle irons and the companies that made them. The author, a former science teacher, precision scientific instrument maker, and writer, has for years collected, researched, restored, and in some cases written about everything from antique pocket watches and cameras to old radios and vintage automobiles. Bill's passion for antique electric appliances has led to this first-of-its-kind book. The author's collection of waffle makers, all meticulously restored to like-new condition, numbers in the hundreds. In this book he shares with the reader everything he's learned over the years about these little marvels and the companies and people that created them.

This 258 page book is profusely illustrated with never-before-published materials about waffles and waffle irons including patent drawings, historic paintings, factory-issued literature, and vintage photos and advertisements. Also included are hundreds of informative photos of restored waffle irons from the author's personal collection along with rare and unusual examples from the collections of noted toaster and appliance aficionados from around the country.

This is no ordinary collector-type picture book. It's the culmination of hundreds of hours of research into the history of the electric appliance industry in 20th century America. Through exclusive interviews with the heirs of company founders, with former employees, and with archivists, historians, and librarians, the author has been able to compile in-depth histories of over 85 appliance manufacturers and retailers. For the first time the reader will find detailed biographies of many of the men who founded and ran the companies that gave the world the toasters, the ovens, the grills, and the other kitchen appliances that today we all take for granted.

About The Author
Bill was born in Philadelphia in 1943 but grew up in what was then rural southeast Pennsylvania. He attended Penn State University, acquiring a Bachelor of Science degree in secondary education before pursuing a career teaching science and math. A five year stint of junior high school classrooms in suburban Pennsylvania and rural Ohio, convinced him that a hands-on profession would be far less frustrating and much more mentally rewarding. Two years of specialized training led to a new career as a photo equipment service technician. Bill operated his own wholesale camera repair service in Maryland and Colorado for over 15 years before selling the business and working in industry as a precision scientific instrument-maker. Bill's hobbies reflect his love of tinkering with things old and mechanical. In his spare time, when not gardening or practicing photography, he restores antique pocket watches, vintage Ford cars (five so far dating from 1929 to 1950), antique cameras, and vintage appliances.

A poor quality modern-type waffle iron that failed miserably one Sunday morning led the author on a quest for an old-style, no-nonsense waffle iron just like he remembered his mother using back in the pre-Teflon "Good old days." One vintage waffle iron led to another and another until he had gathered and restored to like-new condition over three hundred of them. Bill's curiosity to know more about these little jewels and the companies that made them led to a four year research project. This book is the culmination of that research, the author's long-time writing avocation, and his love of teaching. The author, with his wife Pat, lives in Colorado with "Maggie" a wonderfully loving and gentle dog recently acquired through the Springer Spaniel Rescue League.

Antique Hunter's Guide to American Silver and Pewter

Product Description
This visual antique reference guide has all the information readers need to identify and appraise American silver and pewter-from Colonial times to the present. Each piece-450 in all-is photographed in full color and accompanied by a detailed description of the piece, origin, date of manufacture, relationship to similar pieces and rarity, and hints for collectors, helping readers spot potentially valuable heirlooms stashed at home or at garage sales, consignment stores and flea markets.

From the Inside Flap
With over 450 examples of American silver, silver-plated, and pewter; American Silver & Pewter is the ultimate guide to the highly popular field of collectibles. From lovely Victorian flatware to graceful Federal tureens to beautifully shaped pewter tankards, this volume covers the entire range of silver and pewter objects made in America and is perfect for novice and experienced collectors alike.

Expertly researched, this handy volume features a full-color photograph of each object, accompanied by an extensive caption describing the object, its marks and dimensions, its maker and the date in was made, as well as hints for collectors such as scarcity, demand, and background information on the maker.

Easy-to-use, portable, and brimming with information, American Silver & Pewter also features a reference guide to flatware patterns (illustrated with line drawings), a glossary, and a guide to makers and their marks. An up-to-date price guide provides a range of prices for each piece, as well as a selection of comparison prices for English-made and other equivalent pieces.

Antique Iron: Identification and Values

Product Description
Antique cast-iron collectibles are featured in over 400 photographs. Included are farming, kitchen, toys, banks, and more cast-iron collectibles. This handy value guide is a wealth of information for the collector. 2004 values. AUTHORBIO: Kathryn McNerney was well-known for her expertise in many fields of antiques and collectibles, including kitchen antiques, antique tools, primitives, blue white stoneware, American oak and Victorian furniture, and antique iron. Her books saw many revised editions, and her books became standard references in the field. She left behind many followers who continue to consult her books and who have made them part of their permanent libraries. REVIEW: This book is a must for collectors of antique iron. A handy pocket guide with current collector values.

About The Author
Kathryn McNerney was well-known for her expertise in many fields of antiques and collectibles, including kitchen antiques, antique tools, primitives, blue & white stoneware, American oak and Victorian furniture, and antique iron. Her books saw many revised editions, and her books became standard references in the field. She left behind many followers who continue to consult her books and who have made them part of their permanent libraries.

Antique Kilims of Anatolia

Book Description
The authoritative account of the acclaimed and collectible kilims, the tribal flatwoven rugs of Turkey. From fleece, yarn, dyeing, looms, and weaves, to the visual language, tribal weavers, and meaning, origins, and aesthetics of the kilim, this book provides an ideal summary of the subject. It is illustrated with over 80 colorful examples, fine ethnographic photographs, and drawings that explain structural features and designs. 80 color and 70 black-and-white illustrations. Originally published in a previous edition as The Tribal Eye)

About The Author
Peter Davies's Turkana Gallery specializes in kilims. He lives in New York City.

Antique Laces: Knitted Laces Irish crochet lace Infant's lace bonnet Diamond bobbin lace...

Antique Quilts and Textiles: A Price Guide to Functional and Fashionable Cloth Comforts

Product Description
This book contains hundreds of color photographs that identify, illustrate, and evaluate antique textiles of interest in the marketplace today, including quilts, coverlets, Marseille spreads, bonnets, Amish socks, aprons, petticoats, and other fashions for the body and home. The information included in the book allows the reader to familiarize himself with both commonplace and fancy items, and provides a source to guide and educate the inexperienced buyer about currently popular collectibles. It also provides a resource for appraisers and others interested in current market values. Both nineteenth and twentieth century items are included, representative of art and function of everyday living. AUTHORBIO: Bobbie Aug and Sharon Newman met in Paducah, Kentucky, at the 1989 American Quilter's Society Show. Both were in the first group tested and certified as quilt appraisers by AQS. Currently, both serve as members of the AQS Appraiser Certification Program Committee. AUTHORBIO: Gerald Roy comes to quiltmaking from a fine art background. After receiving an MFA in painting, he taught art for 10 years in Oakland, CA. Growing up in Massachusetts, he developed a deep love and appreciation for American antiques. Eventually he and his late partner, Paul Pilgrim, opened a gallery on the west coast. Ever since his first serious quilt purchase in 1969, Gerald has been involved in an all-consuming quest to collect the finest examples of quilts. REVIEW: Bobbie Aug and Gerald Roy's Antique Quilts and Textiles provides a price guide to functional cloths, from pieced quilts and comforters to clothing. Plenty of color plates provide clear pictures of cloth 'comforts' while descriptions begin with an introduction in each chapter and move to histories of each cloth style and type. -Midwest Book Review

Antique Tins

Product Description
This beautiful value guide features over 1,500 gorgeous color photos of every type of tin from tobacco and coffee to the highly sought-after talcum and spice tins, many of which feature beautiful graphic designs. The values in this guide were determined from countless hours of research and input from dealers, collectors, and owners of these tins. The guide provides current price ranges for every tin pictured, information on tin collector's clubs, and a condition comparison scale. AUTHORBIO: Fred Dodge has traveled abroad in his years of antique tin collecting. After countless hours of research and input from dealers, collectors, and tin owners, he authored a popular three-volume series, Antique Tins. REVIEW: Within this book readers will find tins from talented artists who have captured hundreds of colorful eye-catching graphics, many of which commemorate special historic events ranging from politics and sports, to famous people and places. Hundreds of tins are featured in full color.