Rare Book Valuation. How I Do That. Part Six. "The Rotten Apple"

Rare Book Valuation

How I Do That

Part Six

"The Rotten Apple"

            “Condition” is the rotten apple of rare book valuation.  “Condition” is not the rotten apple for me.  At all.  This is because I know very well what very good (“fine”) condition is.

            Looks like.

            Should be.

            And... “Is mostly not”.

            “Is mostly not” is mostly what

            Mostly

            “THINK” condition “IS”.

            Occasionally I have contact with a one who “feels” condition... but even that

            Is mostly

            Poorly done.

            What is fine condition to eye and I?  Mostly not ever.  How do you say that?  It is said to be a state of a rare book called ‘not breathed on’.  What that means, taking up my specimen rare book; the Allerton Brook Trout...

            Is that the observation of the book’s imprint showing self publication and self distribution of the book... strongly suggest the ‘probable’ that a copy or two... (and a guarded dirty secret I will get back to) could be found to be in “not breathed on” condition.

            Why?  How?

            Let me just look... at the book.

            If the book is about exclusive post Civil War Maine Woods Wilderness Brook Trout fishing by a small gaggle of rich, educated, urban, male, friends... who are the sorts of men who ‘have positions there’ (New York City, et al) and all nod in agreement that Maine Brook Trout fishing is a ‘that’ for them... and... they nod again that they know this...:  The production of the book; a vanity... is and was always intentionally for that ‘they know this’.  The book was intentionally ‘made this way’... including the menu for their dinner together... and was too... intentionally distributed this way... too.  This last meaning what?

            It means that of their casual social contact... and casual social contract... the ‘book about’ their Brook Trout Fishing... in Maine... in 1869... are single copies passed by hand to single receivers who... well... ‘take the book home’... properly... in gloved hand.  At home, the recipient’s den receives both gentleman and his book... protectively... in gloved hand.  He steps to his glass door shielded breakfront bookcase... filled with its ‘are similar’ books.  Opening a door... he then opens a small interior drawer and... right there then slips the Allerton Brook Trout thin tome... into that drawer.  Then he.  Closes the drawer leaving the book in total darkness.  Then he.  Closes the bookcase door and

            NEVER, EVER... ever-ever... opens, looks at, or ever touches that book; the his copy of Allerton’s  Brook Trout... ever again ever... and no one else either ever... excepting one day a century and more in that day’s future... I DO... and find the book (the Allerton)... and know what it is and ... also... that...

            This copy

            Is in

            “NOT BREATHED ON” (fine) condition.

            THAT is what a rare book ‘in good condition’ is to me and my exercise in ‘valuation’.  Most... common rare book folk... “do not know this (not breathed on condition) exists”.  Logically probably I DO KNOW that a not breathed on copy MAY exist and... thereby... do know to keep my eye and I ‘out for it’.  Here notice that ‘logical probable’ ...by feel and not by think... are used independently for rare book concerns such ‘is it a rare book?’ ‘how do I find out a book is a rare book’.  Add... ‘how much is it worth?’... valuation.

            Today’s topic is condition relative to valuation.  And I have established that ‘not breathed on’ is the most desirable condition state.  Right?

            Almost.

            My Allerton is not... ‘not breathed on’.  No... my copy is ‘near fine (covers) with fine and crisp interior being overall a ‘handsome, fine and crisp collector grade condition’ specimen.  It has ‘appropriate and minor rubbing, spine end wear, age toning and dust soiling for its age’ as its only flaws.  That is, the flaws are consistent with what the book should have from being an old rare book that is 150 years old.  Further... this condition state is ‘obvious’ to the knowing eye instantly (under three seconds of viewing).  “Everything is instantly noted as right and to the eye a... ‘wonderful’ condition.

            Now I go back to ‘not breathed on’ condition and the little ‘guarded dirty secret’ noted earlier.

            What this is... is that... if a rare book before one IS in ‘not breathed on’ condition one must ask ‘were there other not breathed on copies found with this copy; that there was a ‘remainder’ of the book found so an abundance (often hundreds of copies) have been found and are quietly being sold one by one ‘into’ the market.  I am saying that too perfect a condition is a warning shot button that I, using feel, have to push... alone with myself judging all this... very fast.  That is the dirty secret; not breathed on perfect ...remainder found... copies of a ... once... rare book.

            No remainder clutch of Allerton has ‘been found’ and most copies “show wear” so are not in that good of condition so collectors have to settle for the best specimen they can find...  if they may find any specimen.  This directs the upward price of Allerton to collectors;  They can get only the best condition they can find.  My copy, therefore... IS VERY GOOD for ‘valuation’ based on condition.

            Is not that nice?  But I already knew all this... and the rotten apple.

            The rotten apple backs into all of this.  If most have never heard of let alone seen a ‘not breathed on’ condition old rare book.  AND:  Have only seen old books in conditions that they have only seen... by their sort of here-there method of ...old rare book hunting and ‘looking at’...  This is the ‘they have’ set of ‘never been to a museum’ (Morgan Library in NYC, for example).  Never been to a rare book dealer’s exhibition (including vast numbers of rare book for sale).  Never been to the auction sale of a long prominent rare book collector’s collection.  AND... lowering the bar... never actually owned (bought for self study) and actual fine copy of a book ‘like’ the ‘books I want’... just to... look at...:   One quickly becomes a sort of beachcomber of an old book hunter; scraping the yard sales for ‘RARE OLD BOOKS’... while never having a clue that most all of that found rare book is in bad to very bad book collector condition meaning no one wants those books so they are not worth any money and are, politely titled “reader’s copies” which actually means ‘they are trash’.  BUT:  The vast majority of the old rare book hunters ARE of THIS.  VERY much unaware  ‘of the condition’ of the ‘old rare book’ they

            Think

            They found.

            The more rotten apples they find and keep as old rare books they found... the more rotten apples they haves.  And... as I said at the end of Part Five... I say and do nothing about this at all.

            The ‘condition’ based rotten apple factors dominates my contact with other rare book sellers and collectors.  The book... being a rare book found, is foisted at me as a good condition given.  “Valuable” and all of that craft (including cell phone research) is foisted at me right then too.  But...:  Condition (of the foist found and valuable rare book)... is never mentioned... at all.  And I really mean this.  NO condition qualifier.  No condition notice.  The book as it is in yard sale, thrift store, box lot country auction or flea market “rescue”... condition is... IS considered to be in ...condition is not a factor... condition.  Obviously to my eye it is a rotten apple... often gathered with other rotten apples.  ALL the books are rotten apples.  NO ONE HAS EVER seen-held-owned... a rare book... in ‘fine’ condition.  No... the rotten apple of an old book is with fellow rotten apples in their boxes of rotten apples of old books that are not valuable and no one wants them... simply ‘due to their condition’.  I do not even have to sniff them (‘the sniff test’)

            As my copy of Allerton is in a condition that supports a two thousand dollar book... I do sniff it.  I touch that base.  Quickly.  I now know my Allerton is ‘sniff tested’ BY ME.  Smell is part of ‘condition’.  Condition effects valuation. 

            Is there a lingering hot spot left to... ‘aware of’.  Yes.  Short and sweet, MY collector / dealer clients are, for the vast whole of them, too... rotten apple grade judges of a rare book’s condition... self supported.  That means that most whom to I sell ‘don’t know the difference’ of condition and how that ‘handbags’ on to valuation.  And I know this.  When I am “selling” an actual rare book.