Product Description

Thanks to Antiques Roadshow(tm), the highest rated, long running prime-time series on PBS(r), with millions of viewers a week, we are a nation seeking fortune in our attics. And thanks to Antiques Roadshow Primer, with 572,000 copies in print, we are highly antiques-literate. But there's another audience out there, too, showing up ever more frequently on Antiques Roadshow-those obsessive, bitten-by-the-bug collectors. Bring on the "Maltese Falcon" posters!

Celebrating the collectible-that 20th-century object that brings with it less monetary value than passion, nostalgia, quirky appeal, and just plain pleasure-ANTIQUES ROADSHOW COLLECTIBLES focuses on 12 major areas that inspire both the thrill of the chase and the thrill of discovery: furniture, photographs, posters and illustration art, costume jewelry and wristwatches, dolls, toys, advertising memorabilia, sports, glass and pottery, and more. A guide to value rather than price, it is packed with a wealth of information that will help turn any interested flea market fiend into a first-class collector. From the innovative design of Bertoia chairs to the high-quality crafting of costume jewelry to the surprising variety of PEZ dispensers, here are 416 pages brimming with information. Bound into the book is a 32-page full-color section, while hundreds of black-and-white photographs illustrate every chapter. There are Antiques Roadshow discoveries, tips from experts and appraisers, the steps to becoming a focused collector-even how to use pieces without compromising their value. After all, isn't it more fun to eat off the Fiesta ware?

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #365042 in Books
• Published on: 2003-02-15
• Format: Bargain Price
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 416 pages

From Publishers Weekly
This lavishly illustrated and enthusiastically written guide to modern collectibles is another success by Prisant (Antiques Roadshow Primer), capturing on the printed page the excitement of the top-rated PBS television series Antiques Roadshow. An excellent introductory essay, "Collecting 101," is a helpful look at the field of collecting itself that includes some tips that even the most experienced collector should remember ("Work on self-discipline"). But this is clearly a book for the novice, and Prisant makes it clear that this is not a definitive work but "a brief overview of the types of collectibles that are brought most often to Antiques Roadshow." Her selection is impeccable, and she provides highly informative chapters on ceramics, advertising, glass, sports collectibles, toys, fashion and textiles, dolls and doll accessories, wristwatches, photography, entertainment memorabilia and furniture. The true beauty of this volume is the hundreds of photographs of the collectibles themselves, everything from Picasso-designed pottery and Miriam Haskell necklaces to a Lou Gehrig-signed baseball and one of Mr. Spock's outfits from Star Trek. Even the more experienced collector will be surprised at the range of artifacts produced in the 20th century.
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From the Back Cover
Is it a Collectible?

Brimming on every page with lively authority and expertise, photographs and insider details, this is the indispensible introductory guide to twentieth-century collectibles from Antiques Roadshow, the PBS phenomenon that has turned America into a nation of treasure hunters.

A guide to value and expertise, it tells you what to look for on those quirky modern objects that inspire passion, nostalgia, and a pure need to acquire here's how to evaluate ceramics like an expert. A ten-point grading system for wrist-watches. And the answer to the riddle: When is a used object valued more highly than the same object in mint condition?

Throughout, there are tips from experts, charts, who's whos of designers and manufacturers, and guides to materials. Plus there is a 32-page full-color section featuring key examples from every category.

About the Author
CAROL PRISANT is the author of the Antiques Roadshow Primer. She is the New York editor of the definitive British magazine The World of Interiors, and she also writes about antiques and collectibles for Art and Antiques, Martha Stewart Living, Town and Country, New York Magazine, and House Beautiful. A former antiques dealer, Ms. Prisant is an appraiser of fine and decorative arts and collectibles

Customer Reviews

Antiques Roadshow Collectibles by Prisant
This work covers practically every important aspect of
antique collection and evaluation. For instance, the authors
point toward important evaluative criteria for antiques
including overall appearance, condition, finish, color,
functionality, attribution, history of ownership and many
other important aspects which indicate value. In addition,
the author quantifies value in terms of sentiment,
historical significance, aesthetic value, intrinsic value,
celebrity status value and market value. The author
provides examples of collectible items; such as,
- Advertising (cigar bands, liquor bottles, ale, bottle caps...)
- Sports (signed baseballs, autographs, bats, gloves, cards...)
- Toys (Tonka, cast iron, trains, boats, robots i.e. Mr.Machine)
- Dolls (mix of saw dust and glue and composite dolls
- Watches (movement, jewels, incabloc shields, caliber,
hands, crystal and grades from factory new to average
- Movie memorabilia
This book is excellent for a potential collector getting into
the antiques business for the first time.

Absolutely Excellent
I am a bit of a novice in this area and have been trying to determine what my collection is worth..as well as what to buy...this is a terrific book...I have found a number of areas that can help me do a better job of deciding what to buy...and what not.

Highly recommend

Not much help for a serious collector or dealer
The scope of the book is too broad and the depth of the topics considered is too shallow. Complex collectibles such as costume jewelry or art glass are given a few pages of attention, but the book tries to cover too many areas at the expense of giving adequate attention to any area. If you want a very, very basic overview, history, and details about popular collectibles, you may find this book of some use. However, your money would probably be more wisely spent on books that deal with your specific topics of interest. It's fun reading, but definitely not a "complete guide to collecting...".