Take a ride back to the days of our youth, to the time when the values that Hoppy espoused were real and the good guys didn't always wear white! Joe Caro takes us back in time with his book, Hopalong Cassidy Collectibles".

Hopalong Cassidy Collectibles is a price guide and much more. It is a pictorial history, movie log, family picture album, merchandise catalog, and licensing information all in between two colorful covers.

Then tuck in a personal interview with Hoppy illustrator Dan Spiegle to add another personal note to the book.

The beginning of the book is a detailed reference area explaining different terms used in valuing collectibles and antiques -- a good reference for any collector. Caro explains about the different value terms collectors may encounter, namely Fluid, Investment and Market values.

Next in the book is a list of Hoppy's films with release dates, then a pictorial "About the Author". Caro shows a few pictures which explain why he is still a Hoppy Kid, family album pictures of him as a young boy wearing his Hoppy outfit.

Another fun and different chapter of the book is Hoppy's Kids, a gallery of collector's pictures both vintage and recent all wearing their Hoppy outfits.

But, the real nuts and bolts of this book is the price guide portion and Caro does it with style. When reading Hopalong Cassidy Collectibles I was not drawn immediately to the prices as I am in other books. It was the pictures, history and descriptions of the items that got my attention, then I looked at the prices.

When I later compared these prices to items found locally, they were pretty much on target.

As collectors, many times we may have an item and be frustrated about the lack of history available. You won't be frustrated if you collect Hoppy! There are over 1200 pictures are in the book and most of them have very complete descriptions. For example, just flipping the page and opening it at random -- this description, which is typical of the book, is under a picture of a knife.

• "The open knife shown above is a "serpentine" version of the Hoppy Trial Knife sna is slightly longer and narrower than the standard version. Look closely and note the slight difference in the end and body shape of this knife. Perhaps a one of a kind. Estimated value is....."

This is one of those collectible books that is a pleasure to read. Every page makes it apparent the author loves what he is doing and loves sharing it. If you are a Hopalong Cassidy collector it is a must-have, if you were a Hoppy Kid -- it is a treat to have!

Hopalong Cassidy's Troopers Creed for Boys & Girls To be kind to birds and animals To always be truthful and fair To keep myself clean and neat To always be courteous To be careful when crossing streets To avoid bad habits To study and always learn my lessons To obey my parents.