Good, Better, Best -- Trade Secrets for Spotting a Find

Good, Better, Best is a terrific concept for a book that antique lovers and collectors will find extremely useful -- IF they are interested in the items that are analyzed. The pictures are wonderful and the information is presented in a clear manner. That being said, personally I feel it's a strange mix of items that are covered. No one knows better than I do about how hard it is to have information about everything, it's just not possible. But I feel the subjects jump around a bit and it would be better served to stick to a time period or type of antique.

Good, Better, Best is advertised as trade secrets for spotting a find. I'm not sure if it's actually trade secrets, but the book is loaded with tips and hints for collectors. There are several antiques that I have a flitting interest in and in fact have bought a few pieces. But I didn't know what I should be looking for. This book has helped a lot and the next time those silver napkin rings show up at auction, I'll be better prepared.

Author Carol Prisant also wrote the New York Times bestseller Antiques Roadshow Primer, as well as the Good, Better, Best column for House Beautiful for several years.

From Viking Studio:
"Good, Better, Best is for novices and enthusiasts alike. From Oriental rugs to Midcentury lamps, Prisant reveals the crucial details that make one antique The Real McCoy, the other, a fake. She shows what to look for and what to avoid. And every category is pictured in four color photos that taken together explain white one piece is merely Good, one so much Better and one, undeniably Best."

A few of the items included are nineteenth century enameled glass; midcentury dining chairs, cat paintings; American tea tables; doorstops; American pilgrim chests; globes, cocktail shakers; Nakashima coffee tables; sunburst mirrors; wine glasses, toast racks; teapots; Shirley Temple dolls; English Regency card tables and travel posters.

Each item spotlighted has a two-page chapter that consists of several different sections.

• A Little Backstory
  Just what is sounds like, a short three or four sentence paragraph about the item. Three examples of the said item in each of the three qualities that make up the title of the book - Good, Better and Best. Each picture is accompanied by a description of why it is good, better or the best.

• Q & A
  Typical questions that a seller or appraiser might get from a would-be collector.

• Look For
  Identification methods, marks that might be more valuable, material hints and tips.

• Stay Away From
  Just like it sounds -- tips on when you should not be spending money or purchasing an item.

Publisher: Viking Studio
Format: Paperback
Date: October 2009
Pages: 149
ISBN: 978-0-14-200527-9