Customer Reviews

Antique Trader Lamps & Lighting Price Guide (Antique Trader's Lamps & Lighting Price Guide)

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This book follows the general form of most antique guides like Miller's and Carter's with lots of pictures and a guide to price. However rather than include an image of each piece roughly 70% of the lamps are only described in words not illustrated. "Candle lantern, tin, upright square form w/the sides composed of vertical tin strips originally enclosing three panes of glass, square tin base and top w/pierced conical cap & large ring handle." No image. Now imagine trying to identify a lamp you have in your hand with ten thousand descriptions and hardy any photos!

On the back cover, it claims to be the only comprehensive price guide covering all types of lighting. Yet inside there is essentially no mention at all of gas lights. There are kero lights, fairy lights and electric lights only. In the all too few pages of actual text and advice, the author occasionally tells us that gas lights were urban and expensive and then doesn't bother to show us any. I find it hard to imagine that the average nineteenth century mid West farmer could afford a Tiffany light either yet there are plenty in the book. Why no gas?

Sorry, but this is one of the worst antique collectors guides I've seen. Save your money and buy Millers. Their lighting section is better than this entire book and they have lots of other stuff too.