Customer Reviews

Collectors Encyclopedia Of Milk Glass Identification/Values

5 star:		(12)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

This is a wonderful guide to the possibilities in milk glass collecting. I found much here that I never knew existed and the full color photos of each item are beautiful.

The book is arranged by subject matter. Data on each item includes manufacturer, size, dates of production & current market value range. Some of my favorites are the kitchen utensils, lamps & beautifully decorated plates.

There is a wealth of detailed information for collectors here. The introduction has some general collecting tips plus how to get a feel for old glass vs. new. Detailed histories of all the major producers follows.

Finally, the catalog pages of more common recent lines by Westmoreland, Fenton and Imperial are reproduced with a value guide. This book really helped me understand and appreciate what milk glass is all about.

Like many other collectors, I find that my tastes change over time. Since last summer I have been buying odd pieces of milk glass and was looking for some kind of reference book so that I would know what I was looking at and looking for. WOW! This book gave me exactly what I was looking for. I really like the use of actual old advertisements for the "Big Patterns". They show what different items true "names" are and how they were sold and marketed.

At first, I didn't like that the prices were in the back of the book. But upon further thought I've decided I prefer it that way, because then I'm not drawn to, or away from a piece just because of cost. For a dealer this might not hold true, but for a collector like me, it's not such a big deal.

The final thing I like is that it includes examples of colored milk glass as well. I will spend hours pouring over this book. And if another version comes out with different photos and updated prices...all the better for me!

I bought this book 4-5 years ago and really liked it. But as I have collected more and more glass, and seen much more than was ever possible without e-bay (!) I do see the need for a more comprehensive reference. I don't think it should be billed as an 'Encyclopedia', in other words. Like another reviewer stated, I wish there were a LOT MORE info on each piece of glass shown. While the pictures are great, they leave me wanting MORE. And I'm starting to get away from buying price guides, as they are so quickly outdated. I will add, however, that if you are looking for a 'general overview' of the category you may find this book completely adequate and never need another. The pictures are good, and varied; my hunger for MORE MORE MORE is not shared by everyone. I do recommend this book, but for the veteran collector I think it would be a supplemental reference and not the main one.

I find this book an invaluable tool. It is grouped in catagories and is a great assistant in hunting milkglass. I keep a copy in my car, one at my desk and another at my sister's home in Minnesota. Unfortunately, the prices are becoming outdated and are quite skewed. Some items have decreased in price while others have increased, but many dealers use it as a guide. It is up to the customer to learn the current asking prices.

I pick up a lot of milk glass in thrift stores and was hoping this book would help me identify some of the pieces. Unfortunately, most of the items in this book have long been unattainable to the casual collector. The informational section was too short and poorly researched, and the author virtually ignored contemporary milk glass from makers like E.O. Brody, Anchor Hocking and Avon (only a few of Avon's dozens of milk glass pieces were featured).

If you want a book about milk glass from 1950 to present, this isn't it. Hopefully someone will realize the need for a book that covers "common" milk glass, which is getting harder to find and will ultimately be tomorrow's collectibles.

What is contained in this book is certainly good information. However, the problem I had with it is that it focuses mainly on very rarely seen pieces. It does very little in the way of everyday milk glass. It is a good book, but there is a wide open market for someone to publish a more comprehensive one.

This book helped me identify unmarked pieces of milk glass with its extensive display of pictures and patterns. The book is fairly organized and covers many manufacturers that are not so well known.

The only drawback was some pictures were not clear enough to carefully identify a pattern. This is only constructive criticism and should not keep you from using this book as part of a reference and identification guide for fine pieces of milk glass.

I have over fifty antique/glass/collector/etc. books in my libarary, and this is unquestionably the overall best reference book among them. Betty Newbound provides the most useful information and the best organization I have ever seen. I would certainly SEEK more books written by her. She far exceeds other would-be writers such as the Kovar's.

The Newbound's guide to collecting milk glass is an ideal introduction to those wanting a first overview of the field as well as the more advanced collector wishing to confirm a find or get an estimate of value. A very wide range of collecting fields is included, from the aristocrat of collecting - animal covered dishes - to humble toothpick holders and gas station globes. Price indications are included - though these naturally will quickly date and are US only. First rate, clear pictures and well informed descriptions guide the reader through this fascinating world of glass ccollecting. Especially helpfull are the reproductions of manufacturer's catalogues for those aiming at a major production line design. A standard work on the genre. Highly recommended.

This is a very informative book. I learned alot about milk glass. Nice pictures. Reccommend this book.