Customer Reviews

American Junk

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Indeed, Mary Randolph Carter is a kindred spirit to anyone who finds Martha Stewart's ideas too pricey and exclusive. This eye-boggling array of color, texture and whimsy is not only helpful to those of us who appreciate junk treasures, but also inspiring simply as a visual workout; Carter's way with disparate objects and her eye for composition is helpful to anyone contemplating any interior project, whether dealing in new OR vintage. One of my all-time favorites and one I consult again and again, whenever I want to wriggle free my artistic sensibilities.

Fabulous! Fabulous! Fabulous! As a decorator/designer this wonderful book was just a marvelous help to me in finding and paying the right price for those one-of-a-kind treasures clients just love you to death for. I found most of Ms. Carter's tips on junk just ever so clever; the type that make you say "now why didn't I think of that". And the wonderful color photos alone make this book something you'll want to keep looking at over and over.

American Junk is not a how-to book as its subtitle suggests. Far more specific advice about hunting and haggling is available in flea market directories, and there really is no rescue or transformation involved: items acquired move directly to the table top, shelf, desk, floor, wherever. This is a celebration of cheap old stuff that others might ignore or take pains to avoid, an annointment of its value by someone of influence (the author is a vice president at Ralph Lauren, I believe). It's a quasi aesthetic, with loving photographs of the items in assembled in haphazard tableaus. It is of an innocent age, published before e-bay seized collectibles from the trash, before absolutely everybody got into flea market hunt, before Antiques Roadshow--and that was less than 10 years ago! The author does not explain to a doubter's satisfaction how one lives and cleans with so much stuff. Not all of it is really junk, of course--a vintage set of Zane Grey novels, some folk art carving, old textiles are not what I'd call junk. Dirty old Tupperware or small harvest gold appliances that no longer work are what I call junk and they are not to be found in this book. Ah, well; it is fun to give or receive, but take the author's approach and try to get it cheap.

The book was great! Wonderful pictures, and helpful hints on the "how-to's"! I highly recommend this book to anyone who is hunting for good old AMERICAN JUNK!

This book was great on pictures--pictures that showed the "after" of transforming junk. The book, though, lack information on exactly to transfer that junk. It did not get down to the "down and dirty." I have seen better information given on the television show, Decorating Cents, on HGTV.

If you like pictures and use them in your transformation, this is the book for you. If you want detailed instructions, there are other well-informative books that can do a better job.

I GAVE THIS BOOK TO MY COUSIN FOR CHRISTMAS WHO IS AN AVID "JUNK" COLLECTOR AND SHE LOVES IT! SHE LOVES TO GO TO YARD SALES AND FLEA MARKETS, AND IS ENJOYING THE INSIGHTS AND IDEAS THE BOOK HAS TO OFFER. DECORATING IDEAS AS WELL AS TIPS ON WHAT TO LOOK FOR WHEN YOU SHOP. IF YOU KNOW SOMEONE WHO LIKES TO COLLECT UNIQUE, FUN, OR OLD ITEMS THIS IS THE BOOK FOR THEM!!

Colorful picture book boasts fine loving photographs of junk collected in American junk shops by the author, a self confessed junk junkie. The minimal text is sometimes awkward, the author is a more accomplished photographer than she is a writer, and the hundreds of photos are brilliant eye-catching motifs of both, truly collectible antiques and other people's garbage, like amateur paint-by-numbers paintings of dogs. Although the author pays very little for her vast array of objects; $20.00 seems to be the average price, she seems to purchase a home every time she runs out of space to display her treasures, and her constant references to places like "the summer home in Millenton" become a bit daunting.

She made the word Junk legitimate, as well as the secret passions of all of us junkers. Since I discovered American Junk, I've bought Garden Junk--a more specialized junk journey, but with lots of general applications. MRC has been to junkland, seen the light, and shared the thrill of the hunt!

I bought American Junk when it was first published and absolutely love it! I always flip through it before visiting a flea market or auction for the nifty ideas. This is my favorite book!

I bought it then wanted to return it, but didn't. It gave me alot of ideas for garage sale hunting, but the items were really not appealing to me, and i think its written more for martha stewart types. Sorry but I like my stuff a little newer.