Antique Way

The Three Ancient Books Recommend

Insider's Guide To U.s. Coin Values 2006

America¡¯s #1 consumer advocate for coin hobbyists, collectors, and investors is Scott Travers. His mission is to make sure you never fall prey to unscrupulous buyers or sellers. Now he has created a guide that provides comprehensive facts on all U.S. coins, advice on collecting trends, and a complete listing of the fair market value for your coins today. Plus, he teaches you to be the expert with information on:

- Understanding coin grades and what they mean in dollars and cents for collectors
- The advantages of a ¡°certified coin¡± from a grading service
- Essential specifications¨Cdiameter, weight, composition, edge, and designers¨Cfor popular U.S. coins
- Comprehensive listings of coin periodicals

Scott Travers is one of the most influential coin dealers in thw world. In 1997, he was elected Vice President of the congressionally chartered, non-profit American Numismatic Association in a hotly contested election. His name is familiar to readers everywhere as the author of three bestselling books on coins, including The Coin Collector's Survival Manual, Travers' Rare Coin Investment Strategy, The Investor's Guide to Coin Trading, and The One-Minute Coin Expert, which has been called "the most important book of its kind ever written." His expert opinion is often sought by such publications as The Wall Street Journal and Business Week, and he has served as a coin valuation consultant to the Federal Trade Commission. A frequent guest on radio and television programs, Scott Travers has won awards and gained an impressive reputation as a forceful consumer advocate for the coin-buying public. He is president of Scott Travers Rare Coin Galleries, Inc., in New York City.

Official Price Guide To Basketball Cards 2006

The Perfect Choice for Avid Basketball Card Collectors

• UP-TO-DATE. The most current market prices and trends.

• COMPREHENSIVE COVERAGE. Over 50,000 price listings for full sets and individual basketball cards from 1948 to the present. Includes more than 25 basketball card brands and manufacturers, such as BOWMAN, FLEER, HOOPS, PINNACLE, TOPPS, UPPER DECK, and more!

• PROFESSIONAL ADVICE. How to buy and sell your cards, understand card values, care for your cards, and profit from your card collection. Plus a history of basketball cards, additional reading sources, and other invaluable tips for the novice and expert alike!

• WRITTEN BY THE EXPERT. Dr. James Beckett is the authority on basketball card values in the U.S.

• FULLY ILLUSTRATED. Hundreds of black-and-white photos of rare and valuable basketball cards for easy identification.

• AFFORDABLE AND CONVENIENT. This portable, low-priced volume can be taken anywhere you go!

• PLUS! Coupons for $25 worth of discounts on Beckett merchandise, card grading services, and Beckett magazine subscriptions.

Smithsonian Baseball : Inside The World's Finest Private Collections

To a collector, there is no joy parallel to finding that elusive home-run ball, or a jersey worn by a legendary player. Smithsonian Baseball: Inside the World's Finest Private Collections celebrates the abiding passion for our national pastime, as witnessed by the dedication of the sport's most devoted collectors.

The first book of its kind, Smithsonian Baseball features revealing stories and lavish photography highlighting 21 of the best private collections of baseball memorabilia in existence. From a rare copy of the first written rules of the game (1848) to Mark McGwire's record-shattering home-run ball (1998), these impressive collections span baseball's entire history. Some of the game's most historically significant artifacts are part of these private collections, yet most have never before been seen by the public. Marvel at the memorabilia as you read about the historical background of the objects and get to know each collector's passions and motivations. Some of the collections are all-encompassing; others focus on a specific era or type of memorabilia -- game-used bats, for example, or folk art, or celluloid pin-back buttons. One collection features only relics and memorabilia from the grand old ballparks of the past; another comprises items from overseas exhibition tours of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Some of the most valuable vintage photographs and advertising displays as well as the most sought-after baseball cards are in these collections, including the famous T206 Honus Wagner, the highest professionally graded set of 1915 Cracker Jacks, and a gem-mint condition 1952 Topps Mickey Mantle. A father-daughter collecting duo has an impressive collection of World Series scorecards and programs, dating back to the inaugural series in 1903.

The book also includes seven "tips" essays. The hobby's leading experts offer advice on collecting and authenticating artifacts, and show how to build and organize your own impressive 19th-century memorabilia or baseball card collection. Weigh the benefits of having a general collection versus a very narrow one. Find out how to store and display your collectibles. Learn to distinguish between an original first-generation photograph versus a wire photo, a vintage jersey worn at home games as opposed to one worn on the road, a player's game-used bat and one made for retail sale -- and much, much more. It's the perfect gift for any baseball fan, young or old, a baseball collectible in its own right.

Stephen Wong, a lifelong collector of rare and historically significant baseball artifacts, spent two and a half years researching this book. Wong has advised a number of the world's top collectors, and is currently lending his expertise to an upcoming exhibition at the Chicago Historical Society celebrating the glory days of Chicago Cubs and White Sox baseball in the early 20th century. A graduate of Stanford Law School, Wong spent ten years working in finance and investment banking and is currently an Executive Director at Goldman Sachs. He was raised in the San Francisco Bay Area, and now lives in Hong Kong.