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Along with buying toys, I also really enjoy reading about toys and looking at pretty pictures of toys. So I'm always on the lookout for cool books on the subject and was hoping to get some ideas based on what books some of you guys may have. I'll also share what ones I have in case anyone else is curious about toy books as well:
Of course, I got the three main Mego books by Ben, John Bonavita and even Mr. Crouch (for completeness sake). Also:
-Batman Collected: Chip Kidd's great book on Batman collectibles. Not strictly toys only, but it does have great pics on a lot of rare Batman toys included
-Star Wars Database Vol 1 -amazing book from Japan covering almost all the vintage Star Wars toys. Sadly the text is almost entirely Japanese, but it's filled with big, color photos throughout
-Collecting Monsters of Film and TV; Collecting Japanese Movie Monsters -the prices in these books by Dana Cain are not really valid these days (but that's the case with most price guides) but these are still filled with great pics and info
-Unauthorized Guide to Godzilla Collectibles -Sean Linkenback's book is likewise not very accuate as a price guide these days but is the most comprehensive book out there on the subject (in English anyway). Tons of great pics and very informative
-Tomart's Action Figure Collectibles -man, I remember when I first bought this book back in 1991. I think I hardly put it down for the first couple weeks, I just constantly pored through that book. Kind of quaintly out of date now, but it was a big deal at the time
-I'm not sure of the exact translation of the title, but the book in the bottom left is a Japanese book that covers tons of Godzilla, Ultraman and Kamen Rider toys. Mostly vinyls and model kits, but some other stuff too. Only in Japanese of course, but tons of pics
-next to that is "Gashapon HG Series Complete Guide"-covering all the sets of little vending machine figures that Bandai produced from 1994-99 (Godzilla, Ultraman, Kamen Rider and tons more anime and sentai stuff). Very detailed.
-on top of that is "Super #1 Robot" -great English language book covering Japanese robot toys from 1972-82. Mostly pictures, but what great photos they are!
-finally two books in the "Kazunori Saito Collection". These are volumes 1 and 3, covering Chogokin diecast robots and Jumbo Machinders respectively. (volume two covers Popinika, basically the Japanese equivalent of character based Corgi/Matchbox vehicles). These books have fantastic full page photographs of the subject matter (volume three has photos of every single Jumbo Popy made except Garada K7) but the books are just too small. These babies should be full sized, hardcover coffee table books. And of course the minimal text in the backs of the books are Japanese only. But still, better than nothing.
So what else should I get?
Of course, I got the three main Mego books by Ben, John Bonavita and even Mr. Crouch (for completeness sake). Also:
-Batman Collected: Chip Kidd's great book on Batman collectibles. Not strictly toys only, but it does have great pics on a lot of rare Batman toys included
-Star Wars Database Vol 1 -amazing book from Japan covering almost all the vintage Star Wars toys. Sadly the text is almost entirely Japanese, but it's filled with big, color photos throughout
-Collecting Monsters of Film and TV; Collecting Japanese Movie Monsters -the prices in these books by Dana Cain are not really valid these days (but that's the case with most price guides) but these are still filled with great pics and info
-Unauthorized Guide to Godzilla Collectibles -Sean Linkenback's book is likewise not very accuate as a price guide these days but is the most comprehensive book out there on the subject (in English anyway). Tons of great pics and very informative
-Tomart's Action Figure Collectibles -man, I remember when I first bought this book back in 1991. I think I hardly put it down for the first couple weeks, I just constantly pored through that book. Kind of quaintly out of date now, but it was a big deal at the time
-I'm not sure of the exact translation of the title, but the book in the bottom left is a Japanese book that covers tons of Godzilla, Ultraman and Kamen Rider toys. Mostly vinyls and model kits, but some other stuff too. Only in Japanese of course, but tons of pics
-next to that is "Gashapon HG Series Complete Guide"-covering all the sets of little vending machine figures that Bandai produced from 1994-99 (Godzilla, Ultraman, Kamen Rider and tons more anime and sentai stuff). Very detailed.
-on top of that is "Super #1 Robot" -great English language book covering Japanese robot toys from 1972-82. Mostly pictures, but what great photos they are!
-finally two books in the "Kazunori Saito Collection". These are volumes 1 and 3, covering Chogokin diecast robots and Jumbo Machinders respectively. (volume two covers Popinika, basically the Japanese equivalent of character based Corgi/Matchbox vehicles). These books have fantastic full page photographs of the subject matter (volume three has photos of every single Jumbo Popy made except Garada K7) but the books are just too small. These babies should be full sized, hardcover coffee table books. And of course the minimal text in the backs of the books are Japanese only. But still, better than nothing.
So what else should I get?
-Tallahassee 
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