I have recently purchased the 1970 & 1971 yearbooks off of ebay. I love them but they are the only yearbooks that I have acquired as of yet.
I would love to have the pattern books and even more yearbooks.
Hey becca - I'll talk to you! 
I actually started doing cakes in the early 80's and Loved the yearbooks! I never bought the pattern books though, I just pretty much free-handed everything. Then a friend of mine moved in 1990, and she gave me all her books from the 70's too! It is so much fun to go thru some of the older books and see the difference in the designs and the methods throughout the years!
I have all but 2 of the yearbooks and I love them, they are what I go to first when wanting an idea, they are also what I take to bed with me at night if Im to tired to read but not ready to sleep at night, its comforting. I only have 2 pattern books, don't know how hot I am to get them all, ususally most of what you need them for I can freehand or get a pattern of the web.
I have all but 2 of the yearbooks and I love them, they are what I go to first when wanting an idea, they are also what I take to bed with me at night if Im to tired to read but not ready to sleep at night, its comforting. I only have 2 pattern books, don't know how hot I am to get them all, ususally most of what you need them for I can freehand or get a pattern of the web.
What two books r u missing?
I have a few OLD yearbooks that someone threw in with a big auction but havent really looked @ them closely. My daughter opened a couple and laughed and said these cakes are gross mom! They look all old timey and not pretty @ all! So I really havent looked since she usually has great taste, but I will give them another look since from a decorators point of view we might like some of the techniques even if the cakes look dated.
I recently got a year book from 1992 and it is Wonderful. I was having a Blast going through it and all the Great Ideas and Wow.. so Much MORE to Look at in that year book then the ones now. I am going to run up to the Supply Store and see if they have any of the older ones left, I bet they do. they have a rack in the back corner of the store that says.. DONT LOOK AT THESE UNLESS YOUR BUYING IT! Hhahahaha.. they have ones to flip through behind the counter.. =0) But this one from 1992 has Cakes for Special Occasions, Decorator's Mini Course, and Products.
* But I was Wondering if anyone else has seen the Servings Charts in the Year books compared to the Wilton School Decorating Cakes - Reference & idea book. ?
There is a good bit of a difference in servings from one to the other. in the decorator book 14"x3" will serve 30 in the 1992 year book it would serve 45 & O WOW,, in 2005 it would Serve (party)63 and (wedding) 78
?!?!?!?! Ok,, Which one would you go by???? lmao, are you all confused now too?
~Sweet~ =0)
I have been doing cake since 1966 and I have all them. I do not have the pattern books because iI had no need for them. If you go to wilton.com you can get patterns from them something new they just started. It is nice to see what is new each year. Most of my customers like the 70's and 80's book for the cakes. Just made a cake from the 1982 book.
I'll bet we have a great one among us! I would love to see some photos 
question: why does everyone like the yearbooks? I have checked some out at the library and I don't really enjoy them as much as I do some of the other decorating books. (such as: Wedding Cakes you Can Make or Cake Decorating for the first time - I enjoy these books much more!!)
The wilton books to me are more like a ordering catalog. I want a book that shows me different cakes and how to do them. Plus wilton cakes consist mainly of cake pans and using the star tip - after I used the star tip on my daughter cake I do not want to use it again!! Even though I will for my first cake I have to make in my Wilton Class.
Let me hear your opinions...maybe you could tell me what I am not seeing.
Thanks. 
I don't understand the concept of the yearbooks either...they are 50% product catalog...and that is really the only part I personally would be interested in...some people told me that the books are for ideas. I get more ideas and learn more techniques from people who do cakes much better than Wilton...and some you can find for free online. I don't even like most of Wilton's cakes or their character cake pans...can someone explain this craze?! I have heard of people looking for really old yearbooks on ebay too...what's up with that? Maybe the old ones have something that the newer ones are lacking? 
Mixee
I am a *50%* girl, I am tight fisted and will RARELY pay more than 1/2 of original price for anything. I have gotten almost all of my yearbooks ro 4-6$, a few I payed full price for but only because I found them out of state at a hobby shop and HAD to have them. The joy in the yearbooks for me is that they are a basis for alot of my ideas. I don't have an original thought in my head and these books go along way toward developing (or copying) an idea I am looking for. I do ALOT of work for my sons school and so many of their ideas are perfect. Yes some years seem repetative and 50% of the book is selling their stuff, but in my eyes, its worth it for no more than I pay for them.
I got a lot of 16 off ebay and I only paid $61.00.Just search ebay for wilton lots.Depending on the year,They go from 5.00-10.00.You can sometimes get them for cheaper.Just depends on the year and how many people are looking for the same one you are.I saw a lot of 26 go for $140.00.Alot of people bidding that day.lol
Thanks so much for you reply-gilpnh &becca0926 ! I will eventually be checking out ebay I just got to get ready for back to school.
Thanks so much.
I feel your pain.My two started back to school 2 weeks ago.They gotta have those clothes.lol. 
Not only thier clothes but also the school supply list is crazy too! 
For what i dont know, will soon find out.
I started buying yearbooks back in the late 90's, and all of the previous years I too found on eBay. My mom was a Wilton instructor back when they first started, and I have all of her publications from the late 60's and early 70's...some are older than me!
For me, the yearbooks are a place to look for inspiration. I can always find different elements from different books to put together on my cake. I'm terrible at looking at a "blank" cake and coming up with everything to do on it on my own.
That, plus the cake data guide in the back is very, very handy.
mixaleena: YES, there is definitely a difference between the older and newer wilton yearbooks, and you see the change happening in the late 70s, early 80s, when wilton seemed to be focusing more on product-hawking. the 1970s books have so much more in the way of instructional pages, recipes, and discussion editorial pieces. the cakes themselves can look rather old-fashioned or quaint, but they do provide inspiration, although i always take the decoration of a wilton-yearbook cake only half-seriously, as they are admittedly done by both left-and-right-handed decorators, and decorated in royal icing, which both behaves and photographs differently from buttercream or other icings.
i even have a wilton yearbook, either a '60s or '70s edition that my mother got at a yard sale, which has a rather alarming black-and-white shot of various simple swirl piped designs, including an unmistakably right-handed swastika shape smack in the middle of a cake 
. i couldn't believe that none of the editors thought that might not be such a great design choice.
I have alot of the wilton books and I pull them everytime I am asked to do a cake....I can visualize something after I have seen something I like....as for the pattern books I know what you mean...I panicked and bought yearbooks for 2003-2005 never used them..in fact I have been contemplating selling them on Ebay.... but afraid to because I may need/want them some day.... so I imagine that it would be hard to come by pattern books for that reason.
Yeah, I heard it was pretty hard to find the pattern books .
You might need them some day.
Wow a 1 that is a good deal !! 
I read on anather forum to allways check out thirft stores or garage sales you might find good deals on pans -books -any decorating stuff that people reallydon't get into the way we do! 
I have all but a few. I think I only bought one pattern book. Mostly, I just copy what the cake looks like.
i only have a few i like to collect the books of the year each memeber of the household was born..kind of strange i know but it does give me something to do.. i have 74,80,01..then my hubbie bought me the 06 but he just got me that one bc it looked interesting.
Quote by @%username% on %date%
%body%