DO YOU HAVE A BOOK QUESTION?

[manor_house_books]

Hi all, pippy_oak here, posting under my brand new user name. Hopefully, Richard will pin this thread, as it seems a nice tidy place to pose specific questions about a book (Is it a 1st edition, what's it worth, where to find it etc. etc.) Don't just come here with a question. If you think you have the answer, then let's hear it.

Or we could just mooch around and learn a few things.

Cheers

Paul

[potty.0127]

Hi,

I have just got hold of a little quirky book called "Manx Tales of Terror" by A. J. Laert and published Gordon Publishing Duke Street Isle of Man price 3/6. Anybody know anything about it or the publishers. Found nowt on Google.

Stu

[jeff-the-book-guy]

Theres not many around, theres a couple for sale (looking on bookfinder) for £13-£16, but can't find any other inofmration about the book.

[potty.0127]

hi Jeff,

thanks for that. This one is quirky as it also has an error sticker on it. the cover is great. Not sure what to do now.

[potty.0127]

Just looked at the Pic. This one has different cover picture.

[potty.0127]

listed it:|

[home4tomes]

Would someone be kind enough to post the measurements (ht x width x depth) of those folding bookcases that all booksellers seem to use at book fairs? many thanks 

[petedec]

Do you mean these ?

310168545401

[gemlea2123]

Hi, I've been trying to find the value of "Sailors' Rest, Life On Board HMS Repulse during World War II" by Alan Matthews (ex crew member), self-published PB 1977, 221pp, ISBN 0953121704, printed by Small Print, Wales.  Slight creasing along the spine front & back but otherwise nr fine.  I've tried Bookfinder, Abe etc, but not sausage!  Any thoughts most welcome. gemlea2123.

[dee3483]

I found thsi reference.
http://used.addall.com/SuperRare/submitRare.cgi?isbn=0953121704&order=PRICE&ordering

[dee3483]

I have a Victorian book on plants with good engravings, some hand painted. Disboarded but text-block is sound and, [as far as I can see without breaking the book] many of the plates are in good order. Question is - do I sell it as a breaker/binding copy or to break it myself and sell the plates individually. That would be out of my comfort zone but potentially profitable. I know good plates from this book are offered for sale in USA at
$40 + each. No telling if they achieve that, of course.

[jeffbrg23]

If you use advanced search on Ebay you can have a look to see if the plates from the book are achieving the prices asked and what the sell through rate is.

Advanced search only covers a couple of weeks, but assuming your not in a huge rush to sell you could monitor the situation over a few months before making a final decision.

[ooldbaker]

I have a friend who sells art auction catalogues. They often contain very fine prints of the works for sale. Sometimes the prints are the first available prints of a particular painting/drawing and therefore considered important.

She showed me a damaged collectors item which, if in new condition would have sold for £100 plus, in it's damaged state it would sell for £20 only. She said that two prints inside (there were over 100 altogether ) would comfortably make £50-£100 each. Like yours the contents were untouched.

ie. at least £100-£200 broken up (probably £500-£600 eventually when all the lesser prints sold) or £20 as a damaged book.

I don't like breaking up books any more than she did but I would have to consider it in her field (you have to know what you are selling). And of course if you don't the person buying it from you might just profit by destroying the item anyway.

I imagine that most of the items that are not extremely collectable would sell very slowly though.

[lespon]

HI I am new to this business and was wondering how you tell a first edition? A bit green round the Gills...lol Cheers Lesley

[jeffbrg23]

It varies depending on the age of the book and the publisher.

This link goes through the basics and gives a breakdown off publishers, well worth adding to your favourites.

http://www.qbbooks.com/first_ed_pub.php

[jeffbrg23]

Theres a bit more information in this link:

http://www.millersmiles.co.uk/bookguide/firsteditionbooks/firsteditionbooks.htm

If you get stuck on a specific book come back and ask someone should be able to help.

[dee3483]

The cold. plates sell in the States. But I would only know if mine are as good as they look if I break the book. And I hate doing that.

[dee3483]

That confirms what I thought, ooldbaker. I know breakers sell for very little &I hate breaking books myself. The cold. plates from this particular book sell well from people who know how to present and market them.

 I think I will try it out on ebay for a week or two then if there is no interest I will offer it to the local antiquarian print shop which has bought things from me before. They might be able to use some of the other engravings too. 

  

[rogersbooks32]

Hi dee 3483 I used to think like you, re never breaking a book no matter how rough, but I sold one like this for not much and the buyer then broke the book and sold on the plates anyway so if I was in this position again I would probably do the braking myself. Even though I love books you have to accept that some book are just not saveable.

[dee3483]

I am coming round to that point of view myself, rb. A bit too sentimental for my own good. 😐 

[ooldbaker]

Its a pity your book was plants not birds

This one has just sold for £7.3M

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1336481/John-James-Audubons-Birds-America-sells-7m.html

On the TV the buyer pointed out it was worth far more as plates but he would not consider breaking it.

I'm not sure I would think the same, especially as the author/painter thought nothing of killing the birds so they would stay still long enough to be painted.