Neptune's treasures: A study and value guide

Neptune's Treasures is the only reference book and price guide devoted entirely to antique, sea shell decorated love tokens, souvenirs and whimsies. It's 128 pages are filled with never before published information and over 260 full color photographs.

"Neptune's Treasures" traces the love of sea shells and sea shell decoration from ancient times right up to today. In it's pages you will meet Phoenician merchants, Greek scholars, Roman warriors, explorers, Native Americans, sailors shell crafters and traders from around the world as well as Counts and Duchesses who built grottos and shell rooms and gentlewomen who became shell craft teachers. Then there is a famous landscaper, and another young man from the mean wharves of London's East End Docks would make a fortune and found a dynasty as well as an Italian immigrant with a gigantic vision. These diverse characters all had one thing in common - their love of sea shells. Telling their story provides a human face and context to the history of sea shell decoration.

Illustrated in the book are hundreds of shell decorated love tokens, picture frames, jewelry, sewing and gift boxes, many decorated with hearts formed by shells or with heart shaped pincushion of silk, nestled in borders of iridescent shells. Vacation, resort and exposition souvenirs, along with whimsical folk art shell novelties fashioned from the Victorian mid eighteen hundreds through to the funky Floridian Flamingo shell concoctions of thirty years ago are all included.

If you are a serious collector of shells or just enjoy vacations by the sea, beach walking and stooping occasionally to pick up a shell to take home as a keepsake you will enjoy this book.

The Smyth's love of antiques began when, as newlyweds in the early 1970s, they filled their home in England with, what was then unappreciated, Victoriana. At the same time, their writing partnership began with editing a technical journal.

By the mid '70s and now living in the States. A new world was discovered when they walked into their first Long Island Antiques Store, filled with American country furniture, primitives and folk art. Carole fell in love with what Richard called 'farmyard junk'. Within a year, Carole was a dealer, specializing in, what else but American country furniture, primitives and folk art.

Now, twenty five years later, together, they exhibit the 'Carole Smyth Collection' of serious fun stuff, a light-hearted blend of Victorian, county, whimsy and funk at over 40 antique shows a year.

They belong to the Long Island Professional Antique Dealers' Association and are members of the Advisory Council for Schroeder's Antique Price Guide and Schroeder's collectible Toys' Price Guide. They have appeared on Fox TV's 'Personal FX - The Collectible Show', Harry Rinker's radio program "Watcha Got?". Besides writing occasional articles for various Antiques Newspapers and national magazines they have their own feature column "Our Two Cents" published monthly in 'New York City's Antiques News' for whom they also write the front page article for each issue.

Carole and Richard have been featured in 'The Wall Street Journal', "The New York Times', 'Newsday', 'Style 1900','Country Living', and numerous other publications nationally.

As the Smyths both enjoy photography, writing, research and arguing, writing antique books and price guides is a natural way to fill their 'spare time'! "Neptune's Treasures" is the third book they have written and the second one they self published.

"The Burning Passion" was their first book and covers the story of American Pyrography, the art of burning designs onto wood and leather which was very popular at the last turn of the century.

"Pails by Comparison, A study and Price Guide for Sand pails and other Sand Toys" was their second book and has become the reference book for collectors and dealers of sand pails. It is the most quoted book on the internet by collectors and dealers in sand toys and is recognized as a significant contribution to recording the history of tin lithographed toys.