In short, being informed and educated is everything. I bought this book for that reason and I know more now than I ever did. Every figure, uniform, accessory, from vintage 12"(my favs) to 3 3/4". Over 500 full color highly detailed pictures and captions.
The book is a wonderful quick reference book. It could have more information, but then it would not be as small as it is. I've seen the book offered for more at other dealers this price was nice. I recomend this book for Flea Market Visitors.
Although the book had some usefull information in it, the layout was very poor. There was no table of contents beyond a very basic chapt 1 etc. and finding specific items was very difficult and the only way to find it was page by page. The information was also spotty. Some items had information, others were just a picture with a caption of what it was.
The reason I bought it was to find information that would allow me to identify the items I already had and what items I needed to complete a set.
The beginning of the book wasn't bad. The identification of the head types, product stamps, and years of some figures was good.
Unfortunately, there wasn't enough information in it to allow me to learn what I already had and what I needed. I don't think I would recommend the book to someone with the same questions I had. Simply adding a decent table of contents would improve it immensley. Currently, it is the only book I have found on the subject. It could be a good book if addtions were made.
This guide is a nice size to take along to use to compare joes at shows and even on Ebay. It is very concise and has lots of pictures to help you make sure you are getting what it is you see for comparison shopping.