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New Books for Collectors
—
August 2006
Doorstop Book, An Encyclopedia
of
Doorstop Collecting
by John and Nancy Smith
Reviewed by Robert Reed
(Antique & Collectible News Service)
 |
A good stop for collectors is the Doorstop Book, An Encyclopedia
of
Doorstop Collecting by John and Nancy Smith.
The newly released volume provides excellent and extensive coverage of century-old American doorstops.
Included in the book are more than 1,000 doorstops in appealing color photographs, complete with current values. Choices in Doorstop are nearly as endless as those which actually inspired manufacturers long ago. They range from animals, birds, and fruits to people, covered wagons, houses, and even windmills.
The authors have been collecting and enjoying doorstops for more than 35 years. The two, a married couple, are recognized authorities on the subject of doorstops.
United States foundries had found strong markets for cast iron items
according to the authors and were already producing notable cast iron
fences, hitching posts, weathervanes, and lawn and garden ornaments.
Progressively gaining a foothold in the U.S. market, they note, the
interest in doorstops led to a stiff competition among foundries to develop
new designs, and to get them into the marketplace.
Designers, the Smiths add, usually worked for one foundry, but would also offer their designs to competing foundries. Because of these factors, quite a few doorsteps had different marks and numbers, but were almost identical except for paint schemes.
Doorstop topics, as the book aptly demonstrates, were vast. Just the
animal section of the book alone extends to include cats, dogs, horses,
donkeys, rabbits, cows, pigs, squirrels, elephants, bears, camels, mice,
reptiles, fish, and even monkeys.
Meanwhile the figural section of people doorstops in the book is
equally far reaching. The reader can find everything from Blue Boy and
cowboys to Whistling Jim and wine merchants.
Also part of the book are samplings of vintage catalogs and other promotions from doorstop makers including the Albany Foundry, Bradley and Hubbard, H. W. Wild, Hubley, and The National Foundry.
The Doorstop Book, An Encyclopedia of Doorstop Collecting by John Smith and Nancy Smith is complete with index and 256 pages. The hardcover volume is $49.95 plus shipping from Schiffer Publishing, 4880 Lower Valley Rd., Atglen, PA 19310.
The Barbie Years
by Patrick Olds and Joyce Olds
Reviewed by Robert Reed
(Antique & Collectible News Service)
 |
Barbie has been big news for decades and just about equal to her legend is the latest and sixth edition of The Barbie Years.
The book amassed by Patrick and Joyce Olds lacks the glitter of many other Barbie doll books. However it is stunningly wide-ranging for the collector.
Included in the coverage are 3,600 different listings for Barbie dolls alone. It extends to her family and friends. There are another 2,500 listings for cases, pets, vehicles and such extraneous items. Then comes clothing, furniture, and whatever. Including multiples and accessories the total amounts to more than 14,000 entries.
Specific sections of the ambitious new volume are devoted to games, jewelry and jewelry boxes, lunchboxes, paper dolls, catalogs, plates, McDonalds Barbie dolls, reading books, puzzles, records and cassettes, vehicles, and watches.
Various extensive lists are provided separately not only alphabetically, but by stock number, and also by year.
Another perk of the perky Barbie book is the family tree which provides connections much like real-life genealogy. Included are Barbie’s sister Skipper, her brother Todd, and Todd’s twin sister Tutti. Other sisters of later years included Stacie, Kelly and Krissy. Also in the family chart are cousins Francie and Jazzie.
Further down in the family chart are all the friends of the chief Barbie characters and all of their pets too. Names can be misleading as well. Butterfly was a pony, Keiko was whale, and Rosebud was a horse.
The Barbie Years by Patrick Olds and Joyce Olds, 6th edition,
is 398
pages. The softcover is $19.95 plus shipping from Collector Books, 1-800-626-5420.
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