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#1
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Is it worth it?
I am trying to decide whether a book is worth the price. The book is
about California history. My girlfriend is a nut about early California. I would give it to her for Christmas. The problem is the front cover is not attached. He asks $250 for ir. He says he has discounted the book from the prices he has seen in view of the binding problem. I can have the binding attached for $100. The dealer is certainly honest. He does tend to over value his books. I can't find a similar book online. My questions are - How much does a disattached cover reduce the price? How much does a repair restore a price? I know this is nebulous I wouldn't be here if it was clear. I have purchased crappy copies only to find better copies listed later. Thank you |
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#2
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Is it worth it?
This is only my opinion, but I would wait for a different copy of the book.
I suspect that a title in that price range will pop up on eBay some time in the next 12 months. That's not to say that you could get it for $350 (the cost of the book and the cover re-attachment) but it wouldn't surprise me to see you pick up a nice copy for half that. Where have you already looked on line? Maybe we can suggest a few more places. Also, I'm wondering why you picked out that particular book. Did your girlfriend request that title specifically? With a scope as broad as "early California", and a willingness to spend $250-$350 for a book, I'm quite sure there are any number of antiquarian dealers who could find you something both appropriate and beautiful. Another thought...some people are more interested in content than the package. A lot of older books have been reproduced on CD's, or by Google. These can be great for someone primarily interested in research or genealogy. If she's more interested in what's inside than having the book on her shelf, look for it in PDF format and get her a pair of diamond earrings. Alice -- Book collecting terms illustrated. Used and out of print books for sale. http://www.mywingsbooks.com/ "Ted Jones" wrote in message ... I am trying to decide whether a book is worth the price. The book is about California history. My girlfriend is a nut about early California. I would give it to her for Christmas. The problem is the front cover is not attached. He asks $250 for ir. He says he has discounted the book from the prices he has seen in view of the binding problem. I can have the binding attached for $100. The dealer is certainly honest. He does tend to over value his books. I can't find a similar book online. My questions are - How much does a disattached cover reduce the price? How much does a repair restore a price? I know this is nebulous I wouldn't be here if it was clear. I have purchased crappy copies only to find better copies listed later. Thank you |
#3
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Is it worth it?
I think there are alternate books. We have a good time reading ephemera
about San Diego. I felt an alternative was a better idea. Her failure is she reads the books I give her. Due to an over romantic gesture, I give her a rather rare or exotic "Christmas Carol" each year. She always reads the book of the year. She holds two Elliot Hubbard Christmas books in original red and green suede. They are in dark red and dark green and not flaky. If I gave her a first edition, she would read it. PDFs are out, she views computers as sadly flawed toasters. Thank you. my-wings wrote: This is only my opinion, but I would wait for a different copy of the book. I suspect that a title in that price range will pop up on eBay some time in the next 12 months. That's not to say that you could get it for $350 (the cost of the book and the cover re-attachment) but it wouldn't surprise me to see you pick up a nice copy for half that. Where have you already looked on line? Maybe we can suggest a few more places. Also, I'm wondering why you picked out that particular book. Did your girlfriend request that title specifically? With a scope as broad as "early California", and a willingness to spend $250-$350 for a book, I'm quite sure there are any number of antiquarian dealers who could find you something both appropriate and beautiful. Another thought...some people are more interested in content than the package. A lot of older books have been reproduced on CD's, or by Google. These can be great for someone primarily interested in research or genealogy. If she's more interested in what's inside than having the book on her shelf, look for it in PDF format and get her a pair of diamond earrings. Alice -- Book collecting terms illustrated. Used and out of print books for sale. http://www.mywingsbooks.com/ "Ted Jones" wrote in message ... I am trying to decide whether a book is worth the price. The book is about California history. My girlfriend is a nut about early California. I would give it to her for Christmas. The problem is the front cover is not attached. He asks $250 for ir. He says he has discounted the book from the prices he has seen in view of the binding problem. I can have the binding attached for $100. The dealer is certainly honest. He does tend to over value his books. I can't find a similar book online. My questions are - How much does a disattached cover reduce the price? How much does a repair restore a price? I know this is nebulous I wouldn't be here if it was clear. I have purchased crappy copies only to find better copies listed later. Thank you |
#4
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Is it worth it?
Ted Jones wrote:
I am trying to decide whether a book is worth the price. The book is about California history. My girlfriend is a nut about early California. I would give it to her for Christmas. The problem is the front cover is not attached. He asks $250 for ir. He says he has discounted the book from the prices he has seen in view of the binding problem. I can have the binding attached for $100. The dealer is certainly honest. He does tend to over value his books. I can't find a similar book online. My questions are - How much does a disattached cover reduce the price? How much does a repair restore a price? I know this is nebulous I wouldn't be here if it was clear. I have purchased crappy copies only to find better copies listed later. Thank you It is very difficult to say whether an unknown book is worth whatever. $250 is a lot of money. The last time I contemplated spending $200 on a book it was a first edition of Richard Francis Burton's translation of the poems of Catullus, in vellum boards and published posthumously (1894). Exactly how rare is this book? Have you checked addall.com ? Francis A. Miniter |
#5
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Is it worth it?
Ted,
If you feel the book with the front cover detached is the book you think your girlfriend would like the most, then you won't care how much the rebinding cost, or whether the rebinding affects the book's value. If you do have second thoughts, then you might want to look for one of the Zamorano 80 books: http://www.dsloan.com/Auctions/A12/A12Contents.htm or a book published by the Book Club of California: http://www.bccbooks.org/pubs.htm best, Jerry Morris On Dec 1, 4:22 pm, Ted Jones wrote: I am trying to decide whether a book is worth the price. The book is about California history. My girlfriend is a nut about early California. I would give it to her for Christmas. The problem is the front cover is not attached. He asks $250 for ir. He says he has discounted the book from the prices he has seen in view of the binding problem. I can have the binding attached for $100. The dealer is certainly honest. He does tend to over value his books. I can't find a similar book online. My questions are - How much does a disattached cover reduce the price? How much does a repair restore a price? I know this is nebulous I wouldn't be here if it was clear. I have purchased crappy copies only to find better copies listed later. Thank you |
#6
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Is it worth it?
I would say that a detached front cover would, in general, make a big
difference to a book's value. If it contains valuable plates, then the difference would probably be less, since the value of the book would be underpinned to some extent by the plates, and the detached front cover might then be a much smaller consideration. I hope Ted makes the right decision! Best wishes, John Townsend Antiquarian Bookseller/Genealogist http://www.johntownsend.demon.co.uk I am trying to decide whether a book is worth the price. The book is about California history. My girlfriend is a nut about early California. I would give it to her for Christmas. The problem is the front cover is not attached. He asks $250 for ir. He says he has discounted the book from the prices he has seen in view of the binding problem. I can have the binding attached for $100. The dealer is certainly honest. He does tend to over value his books. I can't find a similar book online. My questions are - How much does a disattached cover reduce the price? How much does a repair restore a price? I know this is nebulous I wouldn't be here if it was clear. I have purchased crappy copies only to find better copies listed later. Thank you |
#7
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Is it worth it?
On Dec 1, 8:23 pm, "Francis A. Miniter"
wrote: It is very difficult to say whether an unknown book is worth whatever. $250 is a lot of money. The last time I contemplated spending $200 on a book it was a first edition of Richard Francis Burton's translation of the poems of Catullus, in vellum boards and published posthumously (1894). Yep, Catullus had definitely passed away by 1894! |
#8
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Is it worth it?
a
first edition of Richard Francis Burton's translation of the poems of Catullus, in vellum boards and published posthumously (1894). Yep, Catullus had definitely passed away by 1894! Very Good....Catullus died about 1875 years before Burton was born... and Burton died about 4 years before his translation was published. "An idealist is one who, on noticing that a rose smells better than a cabbage, concludes that it will also make better soup." - H.L. Mencken |
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