The Bottom Line
- Lots and lots of pictures of collectibles.
- Written by a collector and fan.
- Easy to use price guide.
- Pictures are in black and white.
Description
- A generous page size of 8 by 11 inches.
- A detailed price guide listing typical values for more than 1,000 items.
- More than 375 black-and-white photos.
- A four-page Photo Index.
- A brief history of "The Simpsons" and how it became a merchandising marvel.
- Reviews of "Simpsons" action figures, collector plates, books, software and other goods.
- Advice on how to get the best deals when buying "Simpsons" animation art.
- Chapters exploring "Simpsons" bootlegs and hard-to-find promotional stuff you won't find in stores.
Guide Review - "Collecting Simpsons!"
The best feature of "Collecting Simpsons!" is the enormous assortment of pictures with detailed captions that you'll find on every page. Most of the collectibles pictured belong to the author, William LaRue. Unfortunately, the pages are black and white. But you can get a very good idea of what a mint condition toy, mug or game should look like.
In addition to the pictures, there are hundreds of collectibles listed with appropriate price ranges for each item. The price guide is organized neatly into sections such as "Action Figures," "Games" or "School and Writing." One fun section called "Cool vs. Cheesy" gives examples of merchandise that has increased in value because they are true to the show, as opposed to other items that don't make the grade because they were rapidly produced without much thought.
LaRue provides a few chapters for collectors who know little about the show. He writes about the origin of "The Simpsons," as well as the abundance of collectibles available in the United Kingdom and Australia, the immense collection of the Bart Lady, and several other interesting topics.
