Consumer Reports doesn't rank everything

Here is a link to the FAQ page that links to Products, and on this page is a list of the things that Consumer Reports hasn't ranked. If a patron asks for "Consumer Reports" then at least you can go thorough with a search on GeneralOneFile http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/about-us/customer-service-main/questions-and-answers/index.htm

Davenport's Art Reference & Price Guide

Believe it or not, your Beaverton City Library owns what is considered the world's leading guide to the art market. For many, Davenport's Art Reference & Price Guide is the first source to consult when beginning the process of determining whether a discovered artist may have produced a masterpiece or something more modest.
Next time you purchase a piece of art, whether from an art gallery or thrift shop, and are curious to find out what a representative price would be for an artist's work, this resource is the best place to start. It isn't the final arbiter. It is intended to give the reader an idea as to the relative worth of an artist's work, with further research almost always needed. Stop by the Beaverton City Library and take a look at this great resource that can  be found on the shelves in  the Reference Collection. The library owns the 2012 edition. (REF 707.5 DAV 2012 )

Aging - Planning and Insurance for the golden years

Books and materials on life planning for aging are available to help sort out the decisions you face after retirement. Start thinking now before you retire. Click through on any of the titles to find details and availability within the Washington County Library.
click for the list

Not Buying it: My Year without shopping.

In "Not Buying it: My Year without shopping", journalist Judith Levine involves her partner Paul in a quest to evaluate their consumerism by giving up shopping for a year. During the year they try to find out why they buy the things they do and what do they really get out of the stuff they bring home. In this book Judith's ambivalence about her shopping and shopping in our culture in general via her journalistic skills. She offers us a window into what that year looked like for them along with information on topics such as the "household storage" and "out of household storage/self-storage" industries. According to the author, in 2006 there were 37,000 self-storage facilities in the United States that averaged from 80-90 percent of occupancy.


If you are not already questioning your spending, this book may spark some discussion as to how you too could survive a year without shopping.

Consumer Reports Does not Rank Everything.

To have a complete list of things that Consumer Reports hasn't ever ranked, or that they ranked four or more years ago, go here: http://tinyurl.com/3ptdjb . You will not find recent rankings of furnaces, hearing aids, automobile stereo equipment, herbal supplements, radar detectors, mattresses, tires, power blowers, power drills, golf equipment or many other very popular things in Consumer Reports. I say rankings. But you can find buyers advice.

What's It Worth??

The Prices 4 Antiques database has been around since 1999 and is a great source for researching antiques, collectibles and fine art. The information in the database includes data from over 140 U.S. auction houses, with more than 50 national and regional auction houses covered on a regular basis. There are approximately 1,300 categories in the database and each record has at least one full-color photograph. Some of the categories included are advertising, architectural, autographs, books, bottles, clocks & watches, crafts & folklore, dolls, ephemera, firearms, furniture, games, glass, jewelry, kitchen & household, music, nautical, paintings, pottery & porcelain, textiles, toys, and tools. Each category is then further divided, giving the user a wide range of choices for their search. As the site states: "Prices 4 Antiques' records are routinely used to learn what was paid for a specific item listed in the database, to estimate the value of similar items for sale, purchase, or insurance purposes and to support values in a formal appraisal or in a family division of property." Updated daily, this is a wonderful resource for anyone interested in the fascinating world of antiques and collectibles.

Need help in figuring out which Hearing Aid to buy!!

Thanks to the company the HearingPlanet, the Beaverton City Library is able to provide access to a Buyer's Guide to Hearing Aids that can be found at the library in the Reference area (Ref 617.89 BUY).


The HearingPlanet is dedicated to helping people choose the correct hearing aid. The Guide offers information on the following:

• Comparison chart of some of the most popular hearing aid models.Information included in the charts: manufacturers names and models, and the following for each model:one-fit option, # listening programs, data logging, wireless capaable, manufacturer warranties.



• The four different styles of hearing aids.



• What features should one look for in a hearing aid.



• What is the difference between hearing aid manufacturers.



• Can I use Bluetooth devices such as mobile phones with hearing aids.



• Frequently asked questions about hearing aids.

The Guide also offers information on how to use the Hearing Planet company to help purchase hearing aids. The HearingPlanet is the leading online resource and provider of digital hearing aids. One can also access their website and download this document if they wish at http://www.hearingplanet.com/.
The information made available in this Guide is presented for educational purposes only and should never replace the advice of a hearing care professional. (From HearingPlanet)

Consumer Information

Did you know that there is a great website for doing consumer research on all sorts of items? It is called consumersearch.com. They are a clearinghouse for all sorts of consumer sites like consumer reports, cnet, and others. They have useful links to other reviews as well as links to websites selling the products.

For each product the website selects the top products based on expert and user reviews. They offer a full report on who the experts are and why they say what they say, as well as a review of important product trends and developments. They also rank the top reviews and include pertinent links to the websites and organizations who did the reviews.

The site is easy to use and great for when you want information from multiple sources. Check it out at consumersearch.com

RV Comparisons

JR Consumer Resources is a consumer group that publishes unbiased RV ratings and reviews on over 64 different RV manufacturers in North America. The information provided is based on independent research and interviews. Included in the books are motorhomes, travel trailers and fifth wheels. We have the 2006-2008 RV Comparison Guide and the 2008-2010 RV Comparison Guide. Both of these titles are located in the Reference Collection on the Consumer Information Index Table.

Waste Not Want Not

Living within one's means and topics of personal responsibility have been common publishing themes lately in business books. Books on raking in millions through real estate investing...not so much....

Stop Acting Rich by Thomas J Stanley 332.024 STA
You would think that our wastrel ways are over, we're erasing debt, and stocking up on savings. The reality is that not only are we spenders who barely understand the concept of frugality, we are big spenders on expensive elite brands, and we do it in an attempt to emulate the rich people we see on television, in magazines, and down the street. The recession may have caused us to take a breather, but every indication is that we will pick up right where we left off when gentler economic winds blow again. -publisher marketing

Be Thrifty by Pia Catton 332 area --On Order, click link above to place hold

"Be Thrifty" is not about being cheap; it's about being smart and self-sufficient. Drawing on the work of experts in every field, it shows how to cut food bills, credit card debt, and even cut hair to save money.

Suddenly Frugal by Leah Ingram 332 area -- On Order -- click link to place hold

A guide to help you identify small, painless changes you can make to your daily habits that can add up to big savings while bringing you closer as a family. By grouping these money-saving tips into a room of the house or errand on a to-do list, you can immediately put your suddenly frugal plan into actionaand instantly begin saving money. By pinpointing the dollar amount associated with each cost-saving step, financial whiz and mom Leah Ingram will inspire you to embrace - and enjoy - your new frugality.

The New Frugality by Chris Farrell 332.024 FAR

Drawing on his expertise as a financial reporter and his years of conversations with his public radio listeners, he provides down-to-earth, practical advice for every aspect of your financial life, including:
- how to always maintain a "margin of safety" in your spending
- the frugal home: renting vs. owning
- the two best ways to save for college
- wise debt vs. foolish debt
- why giving your money away can be "newly frugal"

Wealth Watchers by Alice Wood 332.024 WOO

Ten years ago, Alice Wood was living a normal life, balancing her career, family, and finances with con dence. Having grown up with a father who was a bank president from the pre-branch banking era and a mother who was influenced by the Great Depression, Alice learned prudence and financial responsibility at home. After an injury, Alice encountered many new challenges; for the first time in her life she was overweight and in serious debt. Weight Watchers(R) allowed Alice to lose the weight and keep it off. Inspired by Weight Watchers'(R) daily discipline of journaling and the principle of group accountability, she decided to create a new and radically simple program to reclaim her financial stability. She called it Wealth Watchers. This simple program enabled her to meet her own financial goals and soon was helping thousands of others to do the same.

Repair/Troubleshoooting Help

Where do you go when your gadget, computer/ stroller/ refrigrator, breaks? Google works well but only if it’s something popular, like iPods for example. For less popular devices you might need more specialized resources. Two websites that can be of great help are the following:

1) Safemanual's/Diplodocs. http://safemanuals.com/ With nearly 900.000 user manuals this is the first site you should visit. Go and get the owner’s manuals for the device in question. There are a million reasons why your user manual gets separated from your item especially when you most need it.
So, Paris-based Safemanuals is certainly worth putting in your bookmarks. It’s a free service, has 880,000 user manuals online already and grows by around 500 user manuals daily.
Neither the uploading nor the downloading require registration or authentication and the site has already found that some manufacturers are using the site to distribute their user manuals.

If you either can't find your needed manual in the website above and/or already own one but still need help with your problem, then ask about it on the website below.

2) FixYa. http://www.fixya.com/ FixYa is a free tech support community for troubleshooting and fixing electronic gadgets. In 2005, too many product manufacturers were neglecting post-purchase customer support. While there were thousands of shopping sites and search engines, customers were looking to repair, modify and beautify their belongings were left at a loss.
Frustrated entrepreneur Yaniv Bensadon set out to build a community resource capable of providing relevant and up-to-date troubleshooting data for one million products.
Through the sites unique rating system, FixYa is allowing users to find the best solutions for the most common problems of each and every product that the site is covering. The best thing about this database is that it is based on true user experience rather than projected FAQ's by the manufacturer.
One Can: Browse Experts, Search databases of previously answered questions, Find Products, Find Cars, Find Manuals and User/HowTo Guides, Find Warranty Service Plans, Repair Service Directory, Ratings& Recommendations and more.

Happy troubleshooting.

Beyond Consumer Reports

Most of us are familiar with the reviews and articles in Consumer Reports, but there is a website that may prove helpful when the product you are looking for is not in that popular magazine. ConsumerSearch.com searches for information from the Internet and print publications and then analyzes the product reviews based on how credible they are. Comparative reviews, top-rated products and best bets in each class can be found in their reports. Product categories include electronics, home & garden, kitchen & food, fitness & sports, computers & Internet, family & pets, and health & beauty. Even infomercial products are included in this website, so if you’re thinking about buying a Magic Bullet Blender or a Malibu Pilates Chair, you might want to check out this website first!