5 Top FAQs about Collecting Rare Books
Whether you've been collecting rare books for decades or are just beginning to be interested now, you've probably wondered about some or all of these questions at one point or another. So to help answer any that are unresolved, here's a look at some of the issues most frequently asked about in terms of collecting rare books. [Read more]
Rare Book Collecting 101
Rare books - no matter what genre - can prove to be a valuable keepsake, something that can be passed on from generation to generation. But just how to do you go about building a collection? Where do you look? How much can you expect to pay? This article will attempt to answer some of those burning questions about rare book collections. [Read more]
Unearthing anthropology
The study of anthropology is the study of man—that fascinating creature with all its various cultures, histories and quirks. For the collector, this area offers numerous fields and endless choices in collection focus and investment costs. For the dealer, anthropology requires knowledge of the various fields as well as some knowledge of the rarity and value of the literature in order to sell to the collector. [Read more]
Photographs & memories: A case for preserving family memorabilia
I recently played a small role in bringing a set of letters relating to Ashland country history from Philadelphia to Ashland University. At that time, I was surprised to learn that there were some people in the area who didn't understand why anyone would want old letters that were not those of their own family. They didn't know about the brisk traffic in manuscript material of all kinds. Why would anyone want such things? To offer a few answers to that question, let me respond. [Read more]
Richard Morgan: bibliographer & collector of Ohio imprints
"Collectors with money are like dealers with prices. We never know what we'll pay for a book until we actually pay for it," says businessman Richard Morgan, who also happens to be an avid collector of Ohio Imprints. [Read more]
What it's worth: taking the guesswork out of appraisals
Most booksellers, particularly those living relatively close to a school, library, museum, or university, are called upon sooner or later to appraise printed, manuscript, and photographic materials for donation or insurance purposes. Since the mid1980s, when the IRS began questioning appraisals more frequently and issuing more specific rules governing them, fewer and fewer antiquarian booksellers have been motivated to perform appraisals. Many feel they are just not worth the trouble. Others fear incurring the wrath of the IRS if the appraisal is questioned. Still others prefer to discourage donors from sending collections into the black hole of institutional collections where they may be lost to the marketplace and, possibly, to view and study forever. [Read more]
Bookcase games: a collector's empire
When thinking of the term "board games," one might recall the games that were fashioned in one’s youth, with the ancient games of Chess, Backgammon and Checkers being among the more elite of these gemstones of man’s effort to pass the time in thought. Others may have become aware of the existence of games of strategy in the late 1950’s or l960’s, with developments such as "Risk" by Parker Brothers, or "American Heritage Series" games by Milton Bradley, which included such titles as "Battle-Cry," a game of the Civil War, or "Broadside" concerning the War of 1812. [Read more]
Civilizations in the sand — rare and collectible books on the Middle East
In almost every Arab capital these days there is an annual book fair. Except for Cairo, these book fairs are usually for new books. In Cairo there is a side fair for secondhand and out-of- print books which takes place at the same time as the main Cairo International Book Fair. There are secondhand book dealers in Beirut, Aleppo, Baghdad, Damascus, Amman and Cairo. Most of them trade locally, except a few in Cairo who are known internationally. I have met most of them and unfortunately all those I have met suffer from what I call the Suq (local bazaar) syndrome. The unknowledgeable among them think that every book which is a few years old must be worth a fortune. Even those who know the value of their books price them exorbitantly. [Read more]
The magic of magic
The word “Magic” is defined by Webster’s Collegiate Thesaurus as “the art of producing mysterious effects by illusion and sleight of hand.” The word “magician” is defined as “one who practices tricks of illusion and sleight of hand.”
These are nice, concise definitions; but for the book dealer or collector there is much more to magic than any thesaurus or dictionary can describe. Magic is the most universal of the performing arts and one of the oldest. Magic is an art that is, and always has been, known and practiced in every country of the world throughout the centuries. [Read more]
First things first
Many of us first came to appreciate the importance of edition points in college, when we learned, to our chagrin, that the third edition copy of the Sociology 101 text that we cleverly purchased used from our frat brother for five bucks and a six pack would not suffice for the $79.95 fifth edition that was required for the class. Indeed the primary orientation for the general book-buying public has always been upon the latest, and presumably, most current edition of a book. [Read more]
Condition, condition, condition
After 17 years in the business, I have become convinced that there are only two types of booksellers: those who grade their books accurately and those who do not. The fundamental difference in mindset between these two groups speaks volumes about their differing approaches to the trade. Ultimately, I believe that a dealer’s attitude toward the topic of condition comes to be reflected, for better or worse, in all of their key business practices. [Read more]
Common antiquarian ailments
My standard line as a mender of hurt books is: "Half my work is pathology before I ever get to the surgery."
A book falls apart for a reason. Sometimes, the reason is obvious—it was dropped, or it got wet, or the materials just rotted. But most of the time you have to let books tell you why they fell apart. And if you learn a little of their language, they're marvelously communicative.
I'm going to run through a short list of problems that cause dealers to throw themselves and their books on the mercy of binders, discuss what may have caused the problem, and give you an idea of what you should expect from a binder if you find you need one. [Read more]
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