Vintage American and European Character Wristwatch Price Guide, Book 3 by David A. Mycko, Peter Planes, Roy Ehrhardt, Sherry Ehrhardt (1989, Paperback, Illustrated)

Before budding character watch collectors begin to acquire items for their hobby, it's a good idea for them to become familiar with the items that should grace their inventory. One way of doing this is to build a library of volumes that address comic character watches, and doing some research on eBay and other auction and collectors sites to get an idea of what these items are worth. This is the best way of ensuring that you are not overpaying for your items, while also getting the benefit of knowing which items are key for your collection and which are not.

Books such as this character wristwatch price guide are great additions to this library. While I would not consider this a major reference guide, it certainly is a welcome adjunct. The book was initially printed in order to list the items alongside the author's estimate of what the item was worth. However, as the book was printed in 1989, the estimates should no longer considered accurate or valid. They can, however, give the reader an estimate of what today's value may be and comparisons between items can be viewed.

The book is chock full of pictures of some of the most highly coveted comic character watches ever produced. While the pics are only in black and white, and some are admittedly grainy and not always easy to view, there is still a wealth of information to be found here. There are pages and pages of original watch ads, showing many watches in their original packaging and displays along with their original descriptions. The items are listed alphabetically, rather than chronologically. The date of manufacture ranges from 1933's original Ingersoll Mickey Mouse character watch to watches from the late 1980's. The book includes a thorough look at comic character Bradley watches. Since Bradley manufactured so many character watches during their heydey in the 1970's and '80's, many of these guides will donate a significant portion to this fertile period of comic watches. At the end of the book there is a section showcasing various buyers and sellers of these collectible watches,

PROS - Good coverage of key character watch pieces. Interesting period advertisements that are no longer easy to find. Alphabetical listings. Great range of pictures of items.

CONS - Black and white photos not always easy to view. Complicated value guide. Occasional questionable information (lists the 1976 blue denim tennis Snoopy watch as manufactured in 1958, when this was actually the date of the copyright.)

All in all, a great adjunct to have on hand for dedicated comic character timepiece collectors or dealers.