Rare Book Valuation. How I Do That. Part Four. "Now Then"

Rare Book Valuation

How I Do That

Part Four

"Now Then"

            Without expanding (explaining more about) the previously designated specimen rare book, I pick up this old tome again while still seated at my workstation and... look at what that craft (internet book valuation search engine sites) ‘told me’ (the “There’s one listed for x-dollars” ‘smart phone’)... again.

            I said that the Allerton – Brook Trout ABE search (Part Two) showed ‘many copies’ for sale and that I poked at those looking for a ‘copy like mine’.  I didn’t say that I didn’t find a ‘copy like mine’ nor did I give notice that ALL of the copies for sale were, in fact, brand new modern print-to-order copies.  There were no ‘old’ copies of Allerton that I could find:  NO COPIES LOCATED... of the actual first edition of the ‘old book I found’.

            “Good”.  And then I searched Book Finder (Part Two) with the same results.  Then I did the broad Goggle search I mentioned (Part Two) and suggested one ‘keep this in mind’.  This did do what I wanted by turning up several minor expansions on ‘what this rare book is’, sort of; these expansions being ‘nice’ but ‘not directly’ a valuation.  They were not ‘copies for sale’.  Good again.

            Google does bring up some big site ‘this old book’ copy sightings including ‘on’ Google, Amazon and... wait for it... eBay.  First two are virtual computer print copies you can read while the eBay notice comes the hard way.

            “Hard way?”

            On the Google search results one offering is ‘photographs’ of copies of the book with most of those being computer generated ‘new books’.  BUT:  I quickly scan these for a photograph of an actual old copy.  Several show up.  I click these noting an ‘on eBay’ image and am taken to an eBay search page on which and after a little clicking, scrolling and poking, I find this photographed old rare book copy of Allerton for sale in Canada for $575. US.  AND a description of the book that I... READ VERY CAREFULLY.  And say no more about that careful reading at this time.

            The same Google search also shows a ‘long ago in the past’ public auction listing for an Allerton that ‘didn’t sell’ at an estimated $1500. - $2500.  I file that price and no sale report.  And move on

            “Move on” means I now leave computer usage research and resort, delightedly, to “Old School” methodology.  “What’s that?”.  I’m ‘getting there’.  

            The ‘old school’ is the way book valuation was done before ‘the internet’ and its handheld smart phones.  Way back before electricity guided the valuation of a rare book “I found” it was “other” “rare book sellers” who did that.  They... found a copy of the rare book (here being the Allerton...) and “cataloged it”.  That was done by writing a precise and ‘price for sale’ description of the book and its condition with further notes to other ‘known copies’, unknown copies if there be none, references to guides noting the book (called ‘bibliographies’ on downward in factual qualities to ‘hand lists’) and noting actual sales of other ‘known copies’.  This craft is often enhanced by a modest “puff” describing the exquisite merit of this rare book for the ‘in the hands of’ a collector or institutional collection.  “Good cataloging” made a rare book seller’s career with many top notch cataloging being “SWEAR BY” grade dependable ‘reference’ to what a “THIS” (here the Allerton) rare book “IS” and... ‘valuation’ (how much it is for sale for ... or ‘did sell’ for).

              Accomplishing this last (‘sell for’) was done by very, very, rapid attention to ‘new (printed paper booklets) catalogs’ from these highly respected rare book sellers.  I emphasize ‘very, very, rapid’.  A rare book was found, it was cataloged.  A few minutes later the telephone rang and “that copy” “is sold”.  The catalog entry there after becomes a benchmark of ‘how much a copy is worth’ ...valuation.  If no ‘other copies’ “show up” a book seller’s catalog valuation may be good for twenty to forty years.  Again:  Twenty to forty years.  That means that today... this method is STILL used for ‘valuation’.  But most rare book hunters “NOW” do not know this “even exists”.  They view the rare book world as ...all... electric valuation.  That closes a big door of... centuries of rare book (valuation) craft.  This is fine with me:  “STAY OUT OF THE OLD SCHOOL”.

            “Old School” valuation is a method.  It is not a physical entity.  I ‘do it’.  The rarer the book the longer it takes.  To become a stunning-to-read, no copy located, only complete copy ever found and of palpitating physical appearance (a ‘handsome’ rare book); for these to all come together and create a book seller wonder of a rare book doesn’t happen often and fast. The longer a found book holds those ‘stunning’ characters with ‘no copy located’... the longer this takes.... the better the rare book.  In most cases.  Finding nothing or only skimpy mentions of a book I feel is rare... over years of ‘keep my eye out’... is good (only ‘makes it better’).  How does the Allerton hold up when this is ‘done to it’?

            The Allerton is ‘a Maine book’.  It is about Maine, Maine history and Maine sporting.  Logically I start my ‘look for’ with Maine cataloging.  I go first to (Joseph) “Williamson”, the comprehensive All Maine Books Printed... prior to 1900 (pretty much) and ‘look it up’ under Allerton and Brook Trout and... find no record of it:  “Not In Williamson”.  Therefore.

            As there are no further Maine bibliographies other than specific topic compilations (“Maine Logging”, “Maine Civil War”, etc.) and these are ‘weak’... I am done with this effort and try a new ‘battle plan’.  This is the sit-in-a-chair-with-eyes-closed “have I heard of this book before?” old school method.  This moves to sit-in-a-chair-with-eyes-closed “I’ve heard of this before”.  That could take a year or two.  Then sit-in-a-chair-with-eyes-closed “Didn’t so and so book seller tell me once long ago about selling a book with a fish print in it?”  Again a year goes by.  But...

            NOW of DAY... these sorts of books (“trout fishing”) are collector rare books known here in Book Collector Maine as “Maine”... “Sporting”.  And are ‘well collected’.  Wasn’t there an auction... with a printed catalog... a few years back that had a “slug” of Maine sporting books in that sale including many very rare... Maine... Sporting... Books.  Yes there was!  “What was that sale?” “It was the Thompson (collection) Sale”  It spawned “The Thompson Sale Catalog”.  “Do you have one?”

            Do I?

            Of course I do. I am a professional Maine rare book seller.

            TO DO WHAT I AM DOING HERE I HAVE TO HAVE A COPY

            Of the Thompson Sale catalog... including the wisp of paper printed with ‘prices realized”.  Or professional access to a copy. (Hint:  It is cheaper to ‘own a copy’) (Hint again:  Most have never heard of this catalog, never ‘seen one’, will never have one and will never know I use this all the time for ‘old Maine books and that it is too...  NOT ON LINE.  (Bonus Hint:  If one has, for example, a rare New York State book... USE A NYS rare book sale catalog).

            If, as I do, I have a copy of this catalog in my office with the work station and several walls of... rare book reference books... I do not have to spend two years sitting in my chair with my eyes closed pondering.  No.  I get right up and ‘pull’ “Thompson” off the shelf and head into it to the “MAINE WOODS” section and... am rewarded by being able to sit back down in my comfortable office chair with the electronic gear pushed back from I and have the Thompson Catalog as an open book (reminding that all of this essay is actually about books and reading) and ENJOY an open ended time ‘looking at’ “Thompson”.  It is quiet, pleasant and a full time of ENJOY.  But:

            What do I find.  Out.

            With Thompson open before me at Lot 307 I find what I have come to expect with the Thompson catalog; very fine, clean and precise descriptions touching all the ‘must have’ of “good cataloging.  I find clear title recording including imprint, precise and detailed collation (physical description of the book) written in a pleasing reader style, statement of edition including ‘Only Edition’ as here, imprint details of the earlier slightly alluded to folding fish plate, notice of bibliographic recordings (including here the notice that Allerton is not in ‘Williamson’) and even a ‘good’ ‘Puff’:  “A benchmark item for any collection of Maine fishing books or American hunting and fishing books in general”.  Further... there are four illustrations including the cover, the title page, the folding fish plate and the 1869 banquet menu.  And finally, referring to the wisp of paper ‘prices realized’ hand list, the auction hammer price of $2,128.00 including the buyer premium.  All of this is “I CAN USE THIS” grade valuation information.  It is an almost too good to be true grade for finding ‘so much’ true rare book seller grade info in such a pleasant format... is rare these days

            But there it is... sitting in my lap, in my rare book dealer office... in Maine.

            “Now then” what do I do for I am still not at a “valuation” and that is what all this essay is about:  Rare Book Valuation... How I do it... so... “NEXT” (step): What do I do with all this windfall of information?

            First off I get very... very... VERY considerate of ALL of the details I’ve ‘found out’ about the book from ALL of the sources.  I slow way down and pick the bones.  Remember:  I have to SELL this book.  A ‘doing that’ has to add up to my... MY... valuation... price.