Saturday, August 13, 2011

What Is The Right Price For Antique Book Prices?

A typical flea market shop, in GermanyImage via Wikipedia
People purchase antique books for diverse purposes. Some like the way these books make the room look elegant. Others do think about profits. And some collect themes or genres in antique books from periods to authors.

These books of antique value give us a peek into the distant past. Not only the writing style of these books but also the techniques of putting books together. The contents do little to these people. They are looking to go into the past by the fascinating way and style of the writing itself.

One of the problems with antique books is that they are very sensitive to heat and moisture. They are also not so easy to be handled frequently as they tend to be brittle. With usage crease, warped binding and tearing pages will cause the value to go down considerably. They need special attention with respect to age and value.

Keep them flat on a smooth shelf to preserve the shape because they are heavy. There are some large books that weigh a ton. Most antiques books that are over a hundred years old cannot fight the acidic elements of untreated wood. So keep them away from untreated or raw wooden surfaces. When you store them make sure they are not exposed to sunlight throughout the day.

You may find that some pay even $2000 for an antique book but remember that the price alone does not determine the value of a book. There are many other characteristics that go into evaluating a book. Rarity of a book and condition today says much about the value. But it is true that if the book is really a rare item the price of course is going to go up.

The original copy of Gone with the Wind is rare and has a big price than any other common version or book. If the antique book is autographed then the price will go through the roof. This will explain why authors signing the book events are valuable. If an authentic author's signature is found that book is valuable in any market. Apart from what the book is about and who wrote it how many owned it from the time of publication is significant.

The place to go and look for antique books is the antique dealers and shops. Among others you can try thrift shops, flea markets, swap meats and garage sales. Some books may not be antique yet and may take a few years and you can start collecting them now. Take good care of them, preserve them and one day you can offer it as an antique to sell them for a profit.

There are some pointers to look. Look for 1st edition books, books in excellent condition called mint as well as those autographed editions which were popular those past years and by a known figure in their day.

Want to find out more about antique and collectible guide, then visit Robert Fenn's site on how to choose the best antique hunting for your needs.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Robert_R_Fenn

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Friday, April 8, 2011

Exceptional New Acquisitions: Spring, 2011


Our catalogue for Spring consists almost entirely of new acquisitions. We are especially pleased to feature a rare first edition of Galileo’s Dialogo, his famous defense of the Copernican system and arguably one of the most controversial books ever printed, which remained on the index of prohibited books for nearly 200 years.

Selected items follow below. For more information about these works or to see a complete listing, call us at 888-819-0748 or:






Featured Item
“A Milestone of Science and Philosophy”
GALILEI, Galileo. Dialogo… sopra i due massimi Sisstemi del mondo tolemaico,. Florence, 1632. First edition of the work that led to Galileo’s persecution by the Inquisition, his famous and celebrated defense of the Copernican system, with 31 in-text woodcut illustrations and diagrams. This copy with the iconic engraved frontispiece depicting Aristotle, Ptolemy and Copernicus discussing their astronomical theories—issued separately and often not present. $155,000.

From the Catalogue

The Sun Also Rises is one of Hemingway’s greatest novels, and one of the most difficult of modern first editions to find in the exceptionally rare first-issue dust jacket..

An exceptional letter signed "G. Washington" as Commander in Chief of the Continental Army, dictated to General Woodford at a defining moment in the Revolution as Washington and his troops faced the brutal winter of 1779-80, is a lengthy letter of significant content, most desirable as Washington is responding to an urgent letter from Thomas Jefferson, then Governor of Virginia, who had requested Continental troops to bolster his weakened Virginia militia.

Also featured is a selection of scarce Shakespeare quartos from a private collection. As the first separate printings of Shakespeare’s plays, the quartos played a critical role in the preservation of the texts. Extraordinarily rare—in many cases extant copies number in the dozens—these editions can serve as the cornerstones of any great Shakespearean collection.

A number of richly illustrated books based on the films of Walt Disney, each signed by Disney and two additionally signed by several Disney Studios animators, also come from a private collection.
 

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Sunday, April 3, 2011

Fountain Pen Hospital

vintage Pens
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  Last Updated 4/1/2011 4:26 PM   (*Recently Updated)


Aurora #98 Fountain Pen & Pencil Set - Gold-filled Caps - Piston Fill  -Small Ding In Fountain Pen Cap - Pencil Missing Tiny Piece At Tip So Lead Does Not Retract Entirely
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Aurora #98 Fountain Pen & Pencil Set - Gold-filled Caps - Piston Fill -Small Ding In Fountain Pen Cap - Pencil Missing Tiny Piece At Tip So Lead Does Not Retract Entirely 
Year: 1975
Type: Fine Nib - 5 1/2 In. Closed - Excellent
Price: $195.00

Conklin Jr. Endura - Mahogany Hard Rubber - Gold Filled Trim - Lever Fill - Light Wear To Barrel Imprint
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Conklin Jr. Endura - Mahogany Hard Rubber - Gold Filled Trim - Lever Fill - Light Wear To Barrel Imprint 
Year: 1933
Type: Fine Semi-Flexible Nib - 5 In. Closed - Excellent
Price: $195.00

Conklin Endura Symetrik - Standard Size - Green Marble - Gold Filled Trim - Lever Fill
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Conklin Endura Symetrik - Standard Size - Green Marble - Gold Filled Trim - Lever Fill 
Year: 1935
Type: Firm Fine Nib - 5 1/4 In. Closed - Near Mint
Price: $250.00

Conklin Green/Black Speckles - Gold Filled Trim - Lever Fill
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Conklin Green/Black Speckles - Gold Filled Trim - Lever Fill 
Year: 1928
Type: Medium Flexible Nib - 4 7/8 In. Closed - Near Mint
Price: $295.00

Conklin Jr. Endura - Lapis Blue - Gold Filled Trim - Lever Fill
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Conklin Jr. Endura - Lapis Blue - Gold Filled Trim - Lever Fill 
Year: 1932
Type: Firm Fine Nib - 5 In. Closed - Near Mint
Price: $275.00

Conklin Jr. Endura Set - Black/Bronze Marble - Gold Filled Trim - Lever Fill
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Conklin Jr. Endura Set - Black/Bronze Marble - Gold Filled Trim - Lever Fill 
Year: 1932
Type: Some Small Chew Marks On Cap - Fine Rigid Nib - 4 3/4 In. Closed - Price For Set - Excellent
Price: $265.00

Moore Maniflex - Brown Snakeskin Celluloid - Gold Filled Trim - Lever Fill - Some Brassing On Cap Band
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*Moore Maniflex - Brown Snakeskin Celluloid - Gold Filled Trim - Lever Fill - Some Brassing On Cap Band 
Year: 1938
Type: Extra Fine Nib - 5 In. Closed - Excellent
Price: $195.00

Parker Jr. Duofold  Streamline Set  - Lapis Blue - Button Fill - Gold Filled Trim
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Parker Jr. Duofold Streamline Set - Lapis Blue - Button Fill - Gold Filled Trim 
Year: 1929
Type: Firm Fine Nib - 4 1/2 In. Closed - Price For Set - Excellent
Price: $365.00

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Thursday, March 24, 2011

F. Scott Fitzgerald's "This Side of Paradise"

“An author ought to write for the youth of his own generation…” —F. Scott Fitzgerald

Few first novels have launched a career quite as brilliantly as This Side of Paradise. The brash 23-year-old wrote of his extraordinarily popular novel, trumpeted by critics as the voice of a generation, "My whole theory of writing I can sum up in one sentence: An author ought to write for the youth of his own generation, the critics of the next, and the schoolmasters of ever afterward." This selection brings together first editions of the first novels of some of our finest writers, many signed. Some of these authors demanded recognition of their talents from their very first publications; others achieved their reputations over subsequent years of patient toil. But it is here, at the beginning, where we meet them for the first time.


"FOR PETE COMPTON, A WILD MAN IF THERE EVER WAS ONE": F. SCOTT FITZGERALD’S FIRST BOOK, THIS SIDE OF PARADISE, WONDERFULLY INSCRIBED BY HIM ONE DAY AFTER PUBLICATION

F. Scott Fitzgerald. This Side of Paradise. 1920. First edition, first printing of Fitzgerald’s first novel, inscribed one day after publication, "For Pete Compton, A wild man if there ever was one—F. Scott Fitzgerald, Princeton, NJ, March 27th 1920."

The inscription is particularly appropriate in that This Side of Paradise is a romantic evocation of Fitzgerald's Princeton days, begun while he himself was still an undergraduate there. "Daring and bold for its time, the novel projected new freedom—to flirt, smoke, pet, drink and dance. It functioned as a kind of bible for the Jazz Age among the nation’s youth, catapulting Fitzgerald to overnight fame" (Nolan).

Without extraordinarily scarce dust jacket. $63,000.



MAILER, Norman. Naked and the Dead. New York and Toronto, 1948. First edition of Mailer’s first and "best novel, and certainly the best war novel to emerge from the United States," inscribed on the half title "To —, Cordially, Norman Mailer, Oct ’93." $4200.



Toni Morrison. The Bluest Eye. 1970. "This is a love story—except there isn’t much love in it." First edition of this Nobel Prize-winner’s scarce first book, "an eloquent indictment of some of the more subtle forms of racism in American society," signed by her. $11,000.



JOYCE, James. A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man. New York, 1916. First edition of Joyce’s classic stream-of-consciousness work, published in New York against numerous attempts to remove "offending passages"—a defining moment in the history of free expression and the emergence of the modern novel. A beautiful copy. $16,000.



SMITH, Betty. Tree Grows in Brooklyn. New York, (1943). First edition of Betty Smith's scarce first novel, inscribed, "To Bill with love, Betty Smith, June 1960, Chapel Hill, N. Car." $16,500.



About Us

Founded over 30 years ago by David and Natalie Bauman, Bauman Rare Books offers an extraordinary selection of fine books and autographs ranging from the 15th through the 20th centuries. With a reputation for meticulous research, an exceptional inventory, and an expert staff, Bauman Rare Books offers an extensive range of client services. We have built some of the finest collections in the country and we offer expert gift services to both individuals and corporations. Whatever your interests—milestones of American history, literary classics, landmarks in science and medicine, beloved children’s books—you are certain to find the right book at Bauman Rare Books.

Please visit our New York gallery or our main office in Philadelphia. Our expert staff will be happy to discuss your interests and answer your questions.

New York gallery: 535 Madison Avenue, between 54th and 55th Streets, Monday-Saturday, 10-6.
Las Vegas gallery: The Shoppes at the Palazzo, Suite 2856, open daily, 10-11.
Philadelphia office: 1608 Walnut Street, 19th Floor, Monday-Friday, 9-5.
1-800-99-BAUMAN www.baumanrarebooks.com

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