Antiques Roadshow is the most watched-show on the Public Broadcasting System (PBS). Now there is another book to complement the television series. Roslyn Harbor resident Carol Prisant is the author of Antiques Roadshow: 20th Century Collectibles, which has been brought out by Workman Publishing. The book is a follow up to Ms. Prisant's best selling 2000 volume, Antiques Roadshow Primer.

"Brimming with information and expertise, Antiques Roadshow 20th Century Collectibles speaks in Carol Prisant's lively voice to an audience that has shown up more and more frequently on the show (Antiques Roadshow)," the publisher's release claims. Such an audience is described as "obsessive, bitten-by-the-bug collectors who love teapots as much as Tiffany, ceramics as much as Chippendale."

The book is further described as "a guide to value rather than price." It contains Antiques Roadshow discoveries, tips from experts and appraisers, and a full chapter on how to become a successful collector.

In the latter chapter, one expert, Noel Barrett notes, "America is a collecting nation and I like that. I think it's healthy." Leila Dunbar, another expert, adds: "Pick from the very best. No one beats Marilyn, James Dean, and Elvis." Antiques Roadshow closes with extensive listings of appraisers, auction houses, appraisal organizations, and a reading list and bibliography for interested readers.

In all, Antiques Roadshow is a thick, 588-page book, complete with photographs on literally every page. The book is divided into chapters on Ceramics, Advertising, Glass, Sports Collectibles, Toys, Fashion and Textiles, Dolls and Doll Accessories, Wristwatches, Photography, Entertainment Memorabilia, Costume Jewelry, Posters and Illustration Art, Furniture, plus the before-mentioned Experts Roundtable. Antiques Roadshow also contains a 32-page color photo section with feature items from each of the above chapters.

The Sports Memorabilia chapter, for instance, highlights baseball card collections from throughout the century, signed baseballs and other famous baseball autographs, plus information on collecting valuable bats, gloves, and jerseys. Featured is a baseball autographed on the "sweet spot" by Lou Gehrig, the road uniform Mickey Mantle wore during his great 1956 season, a Ted Williams travel bag autographed by the "Splendid Splinter" and a grandstand seat from the original Yankee Stadium.

The sports chapter also has information on collecting rare golf clubs, golf cards, and golf books, plus information on valuable fishing rods, fishing tackles, fly reels and spinning reels, among other fishing items.

In addition, the chapter on Entertainment Memorabilia contains special sections on The Beatles, "Disneyana," and movie collectibles, including Gone With The Wind, Star Wars, and It's A Wonderful Life.

Also featured are Judy Garland's slippers from The Wizard of Oz, a Marilyn Monroe cover shot from a 1952 edition of Life magazine, and a poster advertisement for Elvis Presley's 1957 movie, Jailhouse Rock. Finally, the author tells us that the gown Rita Hayworth wore when posing for the famous photo of the actress---the one that sold five million copies---itself is up for auction.

As noted, Antiques Roadshow is popular in the United States, airing now on PBS for the past seven years. Originally, however, the show was popular in Great Britain, where it has now been running for 26 years.

Since it is the most-watched show in PBS, the Antiques Roadshow producers decided to bring out a book on the program and on antiques in general. Based on her many years of work in the field of antiques, Carol Prisant was chosen to research and write the book.

For Ms. Prisant, it all started back in the mid-1960s when her mother gave her $200 and told her to "go into the antiques business." That small investment has paid significant dividends. Ms. Prisant was one of the first vendors at the 26th Street Flea Market in Manhattan, an event that also took place in the 1960s. She soon opened her own antiques shop in Locust Valley. Ms. Prisant then went into the appraisal business, before writing on the variegated world of antiques.

For her books, Ms. Prisant said the process was often an arduous one. "I would just sit down and start reading and start taking notes," she said. For her latest book, Ms. Prisant also relied on the appraisers for Antiques Roadshow, who in turn made many valuable research items available to her.

Ms. Prisant said she was not surprised by the success of Antiques Roadshow Primer, since the show the book was based on has been so popular. She also thinks that Antiques Roadshow may even become a more popular book, since people like collectibles more than antiques.

"We're all busy collecting our childhoods," Ms. Prisant said of the popularity of antiques. "That's what it's all about."

In addition to her book writing projects, Carol Prisant is also New York editor for the British magazine, The World of Interiors. She writes about antiques and collectibles for Martha Stewart Living, The New York Times, Town and Country, and House Beautiful. Ms. Prisant remains an appraiser of fine and decorative arts.