Collecting Costume Jewelry 101, Basics of starting, building & upgrading, Identification and Value Guide [Illustrated] [Paperback]

Julia C. Carroll (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 15, 2007

Beginning and experienced collectors and even dealers sometimes have difficulty distinguishing a valuable piece of costume jewelry from less valuable jewelry. Two brooches, both signed by the same designer, can have vastly different values. This book provides beginning collectors with friendly one-on-one advice on how to begin a collection and how to recognize good quality costume jewelry. Background information for almost 130 different manufacturers, including the author's recommendations on which pieces from each designer are the most collectible, are provided. Over 200 new photos have been added to this edition, bringing the total to around 900 full-color photographs. A new section on miscellaneous makers is featured, and additional, up-to-date information about selling jewelry on eBay is provided. Once again, tips on how to upgrade a collection by selling to dealers and trading with friends; tips on how to catalog a collection; and tips on repairing, storing, and cleaning jewelry are included. A glossary of jewelry terms, complete bibliography, and an index of patent design numbers round out the book. 2008 values.

Editorial Reviews

Review

This book is large, colorful and descriptive. Questions about starting a collection, what makes a piece worth collecting and how much you should pay art all addressed in the first 29 pages. The information is presented clearly and concisely. The author, Julia C. Carroll, takes us knowledgeably from the beginning of collecting costume jewelry and onward through the continuing journey in her comprehensive book.

About the Author

Julia Carroll has been collecting costume jewelry for over 12 years. She taught computer science for many years, and at that time very few published materials were available to teach young children, so she frequently wrote her own lessons. She used this skill in trying to teach others about collecting costume jewelry.

Product Details

• Paperback: 352 pages
• Publisher: Collector Books; 2nd Revised edition (September 15, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1574325620
• ISBN-13: 978-1574325621
• Product Dimensions: 10.8 x 8.4 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #204,276 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #84 in Books > Crafts, Hobbies & Home > Antiques & Collectibles > Jewelry

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

30 of 30 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Incredible upgrade, beautiful book!, October 1, 2007

By 

L (MI) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Collecting Costume Jewelry 101, Basics of starting, building & upgrading, Identification and Value Guide (Paperback)

Hang on to your hats, jewelry lovers!!!! This is a book you MUSTN'T MISS!!! Julia C Carroll never disappoints collectors at any level of expertise. Once again, in this visually stunning new book she grabs us with beautiful pages in a logical and practical teaching layout that keeps us turning those pages!! The pictures are generous in volume and so well done you can examine the details in each piece. This new upgrade is a MUST HAVE-beautiful, bright, full of the great educational info of the original "101", but with so many more pictures and facts!! I find other authors' guides nice to thumb through, but you really learn to identify and nail down pieces out in the real world by studying Julia's "101" and "202". My collection is now full of incredible pieces I learned to look for only because of her great books. If you want the pride of knowing what to buy, and how to not overpay, buy and study this wonderfully updated book...even if you have the original "101", ADD THIS TO YOUR LIBRARY!!! Then sign on to buy her "202". Thanks, Julia C!! How about a "303"??????!!!!

21 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A beginners' guide to collecting designer costume jewellery, March 22, 2008

By 

Genevieve Hayes (Australia) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Collecting Costume Jewelry 101, Basics of starting, building & upgrading, Identification and Value Guide (Paperback)

"Collecting Costume Jewellery 101" is essentially a beginners' guide to the main makers of (American) designer costume jewellery. Other information is also given, such as how to repair and clean costume jewellery and what to do with unwanted jewellery, all of which would be useful to a person starting a costume jewellery collection. However, the vast majority of this book are devoted to summaries of the main jewellery making companies.

For most designers, the summary given is brief, comprising the dates of operation of the company; a brief history of the company; the signature look of the product; and buying recommendations. Nevertheless, this is more than enough for a beginning collector. Greater detail is given about Coro, Kramer, Trifari and Weiss, however, four designers whom Carroll recommends for beginning collectors. Numerous color photographs are also provided for each designer, with values given for each piece of jewellery.

For people seeking a more detailed discussion of designer costume jewellery, I recommend the sequel to this book, "Collecting Costume Jewellery 202", although both books are well worth investing in.

14 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars ANOTHER FABULOUS BOOK BY JULIA CARROLL, November 14, 2007

By 

Deborah J. Reece - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Collecting Costume Jewelry 101, Basics of starting, building & upgrading, Identification and Value Guide (Paperback)

I am so tickled and honored to have jewelry from my private collection featured in Julia's books. This new Second Edition of the "Collecting Costume Jewelry 101" book features a bright new cover with colorful layouts and 200+ new photographs and additional designers. Julia and I have been jewelry friends for many years and her incredible knowledge in this field has helped me form an extensive collection. So jewelry lovers, it is time to set aside the original edition that is dog-eared & note filled, and add this new second edition which features many new photographs and designers that are not in the first edition! As her other books, it is a great learning tool that will teach you so much about forming a fabulous costume jewelry collection of your own! She is so thorough in her research which you will see with all the updated information and new values. We can only hope there will be a 303 version in the future!