Avon's 1876 Cape Cod Collection: Glass Dinnerware: Glass Dinnerware Paperback – Illustrated, December 21, 2010

Let' get the bad news out of the way first: when the very first line of a book is an incomplete sentence, you know there are going to be problems following. And there are problems with this book, not the least annoying of which is that the authors have chosen to refer to the pieces in the collection not as they were described and sold by Avon, but, rather, as the authors think they should be described. Thus, the Heart Trinket Cox becomes merely "Box," the Footed Sauce Server becomes "Gravy Boat," etc. In other words, don't try to find information on your pieces by looking for their actual names. Instead, try to guess what the authors would prefer them to be called, and good luck to you!There are numerous inconsistencies amongst the item descriptions. The most glaring of these include:--Several pieces are described as being molded with the backstamp "© Avon," but this practice did not come into being until the later years of production, so there are many states of piecesthat do not include the © symbol. No mention or explanation is given for this.--The book states that the Wine Decanter (or just "Decanter," as the authors would have it) is the only item produced with a matching red plastic insert, when in actuality, the shakers also include a red plastic insert.--In one sentence the authors state that the Presidential Celebration edition of the wine goblet was only produced in 1976. In the next they say it was produced for four years.--The Pedestal Mug is described as having been approved for production 7 months before it was actually designed.--The authors state that the 1990 Christmas Ornament was the only non-dinnerware piece produced, forgetting the Heart Trinket Box, which is a vanity piece.There are numerous mistakes such as these, and I realize, these are probably just nit-picky things, but the 2nd edition of the book claims to be "revised and expanded," and as far as I can tell, no revisions were made other than to update current market prices and add the original sale prices. For the serious collector, the errors and inconsistencies make for a questionable resource.The good news is the information that is presented is mostly excellent, with good background information on almost every piece. The pricing guide is a real plus, and it is clear that the authors really did do their homework before writing the book, even if they did not proofread their final product. Working from limited resources, they have presented a fairly comprehensive guide to the Cape Cod collection, something no one else has done. The book is beautifully designed, with brilliant color photographs of each piece as well as design drawings from the manufacturer for several of the pieces, and good information about the molding processes for the entire collection.This is the only book of its kind and as such it could be a lot worse. But it also could have been a lot better.

Bought to go with my cape Cod collection and to seek any missing pieces I may have.

I bought this book with the idea that it would be a valuable resource for me when I sell some of my collectibles. While I did find most of my items and the current market value is there for me to sell or get insurance, the one thing I needed most was the issue price. I have no clue as to what I paid 25 years ago. No one thought to keep receipts back then. Since these items are considered collectible, IRS regulations require that it be reported on Schedule D and you pay tax on the gain. If you have no idea as to the cost, you end up paying tax on 100% of the sale price! Who wants to do that!!! If this book contained the issue price, that could be used as a cost basis.

This book is great. It reminded me of how I came to own many of the pieces and the joy I felt in collecting them for my own use and for my intention to leave them to my daughters. I had 2 daughters and my collection was enough for them to each have a complete set with several additional pieces. They were used every Thanksgiving and Christmas and we often reflect on how pretty they looked on our table during those family dinners. Thank you for compiling this book.

This is a good book to have if you want to find out what you have in your collection and what you are missing. I think the prices are outdated, and they are not worth as much as they used to be.

I have this whole set in a serving of 6. and this book let me know the value of these pieces. I would gladly sell it. It will never be made again and those that don't have the whole set will never get them again unless they want mine. I sold Avon at that time and bought all of it.

I have several pieces of Cape Cod and didn't know what they were or how they were supposed to be used. I bought this book and it has helped me figure out what everything is. I wish I had been a collector of Cape Cod from Avon it is a really nice red glass china.

To see my dishes in a picture and still love them

Awesome source of info