Customer Reviews

Hollywood Collectibles

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This is a sequel to Dian Zillner's 1991 book on the same subject, collecting movie star memorabilia, vintage magazines, posters, photos, dolls, etc. of movie stars. This book, like the first, is not really about collecting movie memorabilia in general but material on specific stars. Zillner opens this book with profiles and photos of memorabilia on arguably the six most collectible stars: Marilyn Monroe, Lucille Ball, Elvis Presley, Roy Rogers, Elizabeth Taylor, and Shirley Temple (Temple dominates the book as pages 69 to 102 are all on her). (Jean Harlow, James Dean, John Wayne, and the Beatles are mentioned in the foreward as highly collectible but they are NOT in this book or profiled.) Then the bulk of the book is on Zillner's apparent speciality, collecting child stars (child stars also dominated the first book with several of the same stars in both books albeit different merchandise). Each of the following has a chapter with photos of memorabilia: Freddie Barholomew, Joan Carroll, Jackie Coogan, Dionne Quints, Judy Garland, Baby Sandy Sandra Henville, Gloria Jean, Carolyn Lee, Roddy McDowell, Baby Peggy Montgomery, Margaret O'Brien, Donald O'Connor, Our Gang, Mickey Rooney, Viginia Weidler, Jane Withers. The memorabilia in this section leans heavily towards dolls, paper dolls, children's books, toys, and products that were marketed to children in the era as opposed to magazines, photos, sheet music, and posters like the grownup stars. Some of the merchandise is quite rare (I had no idea memorabilia on the short careers of Carolyn Lee and Joan Carroll existed). If you collect or have an interest in any of the stars or child actors listed you might want to check this book out. This is not a newly published book but Zillner avoids dollar values for the memorabilia which keeps the book from being dated, it's basically a illustrated book on vintage movie memorabilia. The Schiffer books are quite attractive pictorials of antiques and collectibles.