Antique price guide books?

[aDawn]

  I wondered if anyone had recommendations for a good antiquing guide book of some sort. Would it be best to buy a book for each type of collection, i.e. one for silver, one for glass? Or is there a book out there with a wealth of knowledge on all general antiques?

Thanks!

[mart]

Do youy have room in your house for an entire library ?? Because thats what it wood take if you depend on books alone !! And even then without someone to explain all the quirks and differences you would be just as lost !! You need to start with one or two areas of interest to you and when you are comfortable with those,,add another !!  Its just too mind boggling and confusing to try it all at once !!  Is there one thing you like more than others ??

[aDawn]

Hmm, I kind of thought that might be the case. While I would love to have my own personal library, unfortunately that's not happening anytime soon

It's tough to narrow it down...there are so many things I'd love to collect. I suppose if I were to pick an area right now it would either be silver wares (I was thinking something like this "Knopf Collector's Guides: Silver & Pewter (The Knopf Collectors' Guides to American Antiques)"), or cut glass/depression glass.

[mart]

You already have one nice little piece of silverplate,, start with it and learn what the marks mean and how the makers styles differ as well as the styles of different eras !!  There is a wealth of knowledge on your computer !!  Cut glass to depression glass is quite a stretch !! Go to a shop somewhere and use your hands and feel a piece of good cut glass !! Chances are you won`t forget the feel of it like you will just reading about it !!  There are so many reproductions of depression glass that learning about it would be difficult !! You can know the patterns but may not know how to tell the repros from the old ones !!  Most of what you need is hands on learning !!