Beswick Animals (4th Edition) : The Charlton Standard Catalogue

Rating:
Summary: Excerpt from THE HOBBY HORSE NEWS REVIEW, Aug/Sept. 2000
Review: Charlton Press, a noted publishor of collector's guides, uses collector-authors for its guides as Charlton feels this provides important insights needed in a collector's guide. From what I've seen, book height and format are consistent between guides. Each book starts with a blurb about the collectible, such as information on the company or the modeling artists. Item listings come next. These include photo (if available), the item name, number, designer, height, color, issue date, and price. Prices are listed in three currencies: U.S. Dollars, Canadian Dollars, and U.K. pounds. An index is located at the back of the book. Also, included are ads from companies, clubs, and magazines that specialize in the particular collectible.

An important aspect of any collector's value guide is the basis of the valuations. Charlton uses a method based on the actual going price in each quoted region. They gain this data by contacting dealers in the various countries and getting the actual prices the applicable collectibles are going for in that area. This method eliminates the fluctuations of currency exchange rates that would occur if the item was listed, say in U.S. dollars, and than an exchange rate applied to calculate the prices for Canada and the U.K. Now we can move on to specifics.

I already had The Charlton Standard Catalogue of Beswick Animals, first edition, so my main concern was how did the millennium edition compare to the first edition. After all, you can invest in a new collector's guide or use that money for a new collectible, so the guide just better be worth the replacement cost. Five years lie between the first edition (1994) and the millennium or fourth edition (1999). So right, there you have five years of change. (You also have two editions I haven't seen, but I can't tell you about them.) The first edition only had four pages of color photos and all were of the horses. The millennium edition now has sixteen pages of color photos: eight pages dedicated to cats and cows, four pages display horses, and four pages miscellaneous other items. That sounds like the same amount of horse models pictured, but it isn't. The millennium edition presents horse groupings; the first edition only presented a single horse/photo. The photos are different, which brings up the question of whether to let the old edition go or keep it for the color photos.

The introduction is greatly expanded as well. It now has club information, dealer/show listings, and a discussion on how internet pricing may eliminate regional pricing by creating a new universal price. (Good discussion by the way. I recommended it to anyone concerned with values theory.)

The millennium edition maintains the high quality of the first edition, so if you are looking for a replacement, you won't be disappointed.

Rating:
Summary: Excerpt from THE HOBBY HORSE NEWS REVIEW, Aug/Sept. 2000
Review: Charlton Press, a noted publishor of collector's guides, uses collector-authors for its guides as Charlton feels this provides important insights needed in a collector's guide. From what I've seen, book height and format are consistent between guides. Each book starts with a blurb about the collectible, such as information on the company or the modeling artists. Item listings come next. These include photo (if available), the item name, number, designer, height, color, issue date, and price. Prices are listed in three currencies: U.S. Dollars, Canadian Dollars, and U.K. pounds. An index is located at the back of the book. Also, included are ads from companies, clubs, and magazines that specialize in the particular collectible.

An important aspect of any collector's value guide is the basis of the valuations. Charlton uses a method based on the actual going price in each quoted region. They gain this data by contacting dealers in the various countries and getting the actual prices the applicable collectibles are going for in that area. This method eliminates the fluctuations of currency exchange rates that would occur if the item was listed, say in U.S. dollars, and than an exchange rate applied to calculate the prices for Canada and the U.K. Now we can move on to specifics.

I already had The Charlton Standard Catalogue of Beswick Animals, first edition, so my main concern was how did the millennium edition compare to the first edition. After all, you can invest in a new collector's guide or use that money for a new collectible, so the guide just better be worth the replacement cost. Five years lie between the first edition (1994) and the millennium or fourth edition (1999). So right, there you have five years of change. (You also have two editions I haven't seen, but I can't tell you about them.) The first edition only had four pages of color photos and all were of the horses. The millennium edition now has sixteen pages of color photos: eight pages dedicated to cats and cows, four pages display horses, and four pages miscellaneous other items. That sounds like the same amount of horse models pictured, but it isn't. The millennium edition presents horse groupings; the first edition only presented a single horse/photo. The photos are different, which brings up the question of whether to let the old edition go or keep it for the color photos.

The introduction is greatly expanded as well. It now has club information, dealer/show listings, and a discussion on how internet pricing may eliminate regional pricing by creating a new universal price. (Good discussion by the way. I recommended it to anyone concerned with values theory.)

The millennium edition maintains the high quality of the first edition, so if you are looking for a replacement, you won't be disappointed.

Rating:
Summary: An overview of Beswick animal production
Review: This book presents a catalogue of the animal figures produced by the famous Beswick ceramic factory in Britain prior to being taken over by Royal Doulton. Fully illustrated, it also includes information about some of the artists who designed these attractive models, as well as details about the figures themselves, the dates when they were produced, and a price guide for each piece. A must for the serious collector or antique dealer, and a nice addition to your bookshelf for any animal lover.

Rating:
Summary: An overview of Beswick animal production
Review: This book presents a catalogue of the animal figures produced by the famous Beswick ceramic factory in Britain prior to being taken over by Royal Doulton. Fully illustrated, it also includes information about some of the artists who designed these attractive models, as well as details about the figures themselves, the dates when they were produced, and a price guide for each piece. A must for the serious collector or antique dealer, and a nice addition to your bookshelf for any animal lover.