If you only get one good book on paperweights I would recommend Sibylle Jargstorf's 'Paperweights'. It's not cheap, but I got mine second-hand, so it wasn't too bad. It's a beautiful book and covers many different styles and areas of paperweight making.
If you decide to specialise in a particular style of weight there are other books I would recommend, but I still like the Jargstorf.
I agree about getting the 'feel' through collecting cheaper weights at first. Are you drawn to millefiori, lampwork, crimp flowers, or abstract weights?
If you like millefiori it is a good idea to start with some little John Deacons or Peter McDougall's, which are superb work and great value for money, and also look for Perthshire and Strathearn, for the different styles and types of cane. You can move on to Clichy, Baccarat, and Ysart later! :lol:
I have a large collection if crimp flower weights, (mostly Chinese, as you know) and some are very pretty and well made.
Lampwork is not cheap, but the older Chinese weights can still be picked up at reasonable prices, and show amongst other things, the problems and difficulties involved in the construction! :wink:
Abstracts range from the wonderful Selkirk and Caithness examples, which can still be had for reasonable money, through Scandinavian, to 'Bohemian', modern Chinese or Indian, etc. Some Royal Crest are very good, but the quality control is perhaps a little less rigorous than in the Scottish weights.
Good Luck with your collecting! The good thing about paperweights is that they take up less space than other glass - until you get to the quantities I have, that is! :oops: :roll: :lol: