Re: Wondering how rare/valuable some books are?

"John R. Yamamoto-Wilson" <john@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:1122424915.192587.194600@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

>
> Books more than about 200 years old are described as "antiquarian".


I'd say that probably depends on how the dealer views his business,
his clientele, and possibly, but not necessarily, at what level
he sets his prices. In the days before internet pricing at least.
And whether the book in question is of any special merit in terms
of edition, condition, or whatever. And regardless of its actual age
within limits.

Thus the same 1904 secondhand volume on offer £20 from one seller, Joe
Bloggs Booksellers, might well be described as an antiquarian book ** by
another seller Joseph Bloggs and and Sons, Antiquarian Booksellers at
£50. Because AFAIAA there never has been generally accepted term* for
"collected books" or "collectible books" per-se, which covers the
whole range between modern firsts, which the collector would wish to
distinguish from "merely" new or merely second-hand on the one
hand, and incunabulae at the other.


While on eBay on the other hand ,anything older than 30 years often
qualifies as an "antique book", which is often quite surprisingly
"good for its age" .



michael adams


** This is strictly speaking incorrect. It probably wouldn't be
described as anything. But it might well feature in a catalogue with
"Antiquarian Books or Bookseller" on the cover perhaps, and there would
be unlikely to be any specific disclaimers as to which books among this
antiquarian booksellers stock weren't in fact antiquarian. So the term
probably applies more to dealers than to books.


* a hostage to fortune, if ever I saw one.

...

>
> John
> http://rarebooksinjapan.com
>



.

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