Book Review and Giveaway: Good, Better, Best

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I have a new obsession that I haven’t really let you guys in on. True, it seems like I have a different obsession each week, but this one has stuck around for quite some time.

Every time I visit a thrift shop or antique store, I scour the piles of old picture frames in search of cut paper silhouettes.

You can see the beginnings of my collection in the above photo. The little boy holding a teddy bear is actually my husband as a child (awwww!). The lady is a “new” ancestor I purchased at an antique store (I love her cut out earring). The mirror is a silhouette of my son that I created here. I know that my mom has cut silhouettes of my sister and I as children, so she needs to get around to pulling them out of the attic to me (Hint, hint, Mom!). I want to add, oh, fifteen more.

When I began researching cut paper silhouettes online, I had never imagined there were so many types of silhouettes, and even fakes being passed off as antique art. Who would have thought? And more importantly, how in the world was I going to know which silhouettes were the real thing if I found them in an antique store?

From Country Living

Luckily, the answer was soon on my doorstep. Viking Studio sent me a complimentary review copy of a new book by Carol Prisant, former antique dealer and author of Antiques Roadshow Primer. In Good, Better, Best: Trade Secrets for Spotting a “Find,” Carol gave me plenty of tips for spotting a must-have silhouette.

If silhouettes aren’t your thing, Good, Better, Best can teach you about American Longcase (Grandfather) Clocks, Globes, Sterling Napkin Rings, and even Shirley Temple Dolls. For each of the over sixty categories of antiques covered, Carol gives you:

• A little backstory or history on each category;
• Full-color pictures of a few examples;
• A Q&A; about the category;
• Tips on what to look for and what to stay away from;
• And of course, examples of what would be considered good, better, and best finds in the category (complete with descriptions and price points for each one).

An example of one of her categories and information given can be found here.

Additionally, if you are into items not covered under her unique categories, Carol (who is now an antiques appraiser) offers general tips on what to look for in antique items, such as color and market value.

I’m very excited to be able to add Good, Better, Best to my collection. This book is really a great resource for the beginning collector or someone who wonders if they’ve really located a valuable “find” at a thrift store. In other words, it’s perfect for me, and I’m assuming you, too. In fact, I may actually carry it around in my glove box in case of antiquing/thrifting emergencies. Yes, I’m that person.

Viking Studio has been generous enough to offer a copy of Good, Better, Best: Trade Secrets for Spotting a “Find” to one of my readers! So, just leave me a comment (with a way to contact you if you win) to be entered in the giveaway. The contest will run through Sunday, November 15th. Good luck!

And if you don’t win, I just noticed that Amazon is selling the book for nearly half-off the cover price of $27.50 (so it’s only $14.85 there). No, I don’t get a dime from Amazon for telling you that, but I thought I’d pass along my “find” with you…’cause I’m nice like that.

About Carol Prisant
Carol Prisant is the author of Antiques Roadshow Primer and Antiques Roadshow Collectibles. The American editor of The World of Interiors, she also wrote and enormously popular antiques column for House Beautiful and has been featured extensively in the media. She lives in New York City.

Tagged as: antiques, books, Giveaway, thrifting