The Collector's Encyclopedia of Salt & Pepper Shakers: Figural and Novelty

One of the first (and one of the best) books I bought on S & P collecting. It has a wonderful section of S & P Condiment Sets, from those I have & can afford, to those I hope to find at a bargain basement cost. The Black Americana section is also very good. The value section has sent me back to antique shops to buy S & Ps I thought too costly, but were a good deal in the long run. High recommended for all.

This is my favorite book on salt & pepper shakers, and I have quite a few! There are so many sets pictured, I keep finding a set I hadn't seen before every time I look through this book. The pictures are great, as are the descriptions! Definitely recommend!

This book is definately for anyone who is looking for a wealth of information about novelty salt and pepper shakers. Since this book was published in 1990, the values may not be as up to date as later books, but I have yet to see another shaker book with so much other information about the shakers themselves. The shakers are photographed in related groups sitting on 4-5 glass shelves with a solid-colored background. The pictures are excellent. The entire first page of each section contains a detailed description of the shakers pictured with the values for each listed at the bottom of the page. The description are truly wonderful and must have been thoroughly researched. That is the best part of this book. Ms. Davern talks about the background of many of the shakers as well as of the company that made them. She also mentions other related shakers that are not pictured in some cases. There are very few collectible salt and pepper shaker books that one can truly say is enjoyable reading. However, this is a wonderful book to just sit and read through due to Ms. Davern's descriptions, personal views, and beautiful pictures. This book is a must for any novelty salt and pepper shaker collector.