Jo Cunningham Jo Cunningham is back with an all-new, revised edition of her bestselling Collector's Encyclopedia of American Dinnerware. In this collector's encyclopedia, hundreds of pieces of American dinnerware are illustrated with both color photos and black and white original catalog pages and advertisements. Included are backstamps, advertising, company information, and values for every piece. There is also a fascinating section on how dinnerware is made and a brief history of the American pottery industry. There is expanded coverage of some company histories. Some of the manufacturers represented include Bennington, California Potteries, Haeger, Hall, Hull, Pfaltzgraff, Purinton, Red Wing, Shawnee, Stangl, Steubenville, Homer Laughlin, Limoges, Paden City Pottery, Jackson China, and many more.

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.

Next to Christmas, more money is spent on Halloween decorations and novelties than on any other holiday. This wonderful book has been credited with inspiring the Halloween collecting craze, giving its devotees a chance to celebrate the holiday all year round! In addition to color photography and a brand new price guide, there are also many fascinating insights into Halloween. Most people are familiar with the symbolsghosts, Jack-O'-Lanterns, witches, bats, skeletons, and black catsbut few know about Halloween's past. Why does it exist? What is the origin of trick-or-treating? Why does it fall on October 31st? Through these pages you will experience Halloween celebrations of the past and take a look at Halloween today. For collectors, this is one of the largest collections of Halloween memorabilia.

My essays and escapades span over thirty years of rare book hunting--an exciting journey that is ongoing. Many of my friends are rare book people, and much of my free time revolves around bookish pursuits. I can't recall a day without thinking about a book and seldom without handling one. I write regularly on my blog about rare books I've found and their history. Recently, my wife and I began plans to expand our library space by converting the attic above the garage, so it seems inevitable that the book you hold in your hand would come to fruition. If you're already a rare book hunter no further prelude is needed. If you have found this book through curiosity or happenstance, and it creates a spark within, I strongly encourage you to follow your own book hunting path. The rewards are great and the space concerns never-ending. Kurt Zimmerman is a highly regarded book collector and author. He has been collecting for over thirty years in two areas: association items related to book collecting history (currently 7,000+ items) and first editions of Latin American literature (over 2,000 items). He received his Master's in Library and Information Science degree from UT-Austin while completing a three year internship at the Harry Ransom Humanities Research Center. There he learned bibliography and rare books from the best in the field. He worked in the rare book trade and as director of the rare books & maps department at Butterfield & Butterfield auction house (now Bonham's) in San Francisco. Zimmerman is a co-founder of the Book Hunters Club of Houston. His established is popular blog bookcollectinghistory.com in 2011. The author can be reached directly at [email protected].

Collectors are bound to love The Encyclopedia of Early American Sewing Machines, Second Edition. The first edition of this book, self-published by author Carter Bays in 1993, sold more than 3,000 copies, and he has totally revamped it for this printing. American sewing machines from 1850 through 1920 are featured in more than 450 large, detailed photographs, half of them in color, and current collector values are estimated. The book traces the history and development of the sewing machine industry from 1800 to after 1900. Almost all known U.S. manufacturers of sewing machines up to 1875 (and several beyond) are highlighted: Singer, Wheeler & Wilson, Shaw & Clark, Weed, Howe, and Holly, to name just a few. Do you own your great aunt's antique treadle sewing machine? This book will identify and give the history of the manufacturer. Specific information is provided on restoring antique sewing machines, and toy sewing machines are also given coverage. This title is sure to become the standard reference for early American sewing machines. 2005 values.

The American Bisque Pottery, operating in Williamstown, West Virginia, from 1919 to 1982, and the American Pottery Company produced popular cookie jars, ashtrays, doorstops, sprinkle bottles, banks, planters, lamps and much more. This book will enable you to identify little-known pieces including airbrushed planters of yarn dolls as well as the most sought-after cookie jars.

A bold expression of a fledgling republic's aspirations and bravado, the American bald eagle has been designed, drawn, illustrated, stamped, engraved, painted, sculpted, carved, photographed, and etched by thousands of artists and artisans since 1782, when it first appeared as the central figure on the Great Seal of the United States. As America's most versatile emblem, the eagle emanates confidence during peace and prosperity, and strength during crisis and war; as a North American native species it exemplifies nature's grandeur and the advance of conservation. In all, the bald eagle is a stirring national symbol made all the more vibrant by its indisputable dominion in the sky. American Eagle: A Visual History of Our National Emblem is a visual survey that explores the eagle in American life. A remarkable book that represents American culture, politics, and history, American Eagle will be the definitive source of this national icon for generations to come.