• Doyle
    Rare Books, Autographs & Maps
    November 25
    Doyle
    Rare Books, Autographs & Maps
    November 25
    Doyle
    Rare Books, Autographs & Maps
    November 25
    Doyle
    Rare Books, Autographs & Maps
    November 25
    Doyle
    Rare Books, Autographs & Maps
    November 25
    Doyle
    Rare Books, Autographs & Maps
    November 25
    Doyle
    Rare Books, Autographs & Maps
    November 25
    Doyle
    Rare Books, Autographs & Maps
    November 25
  • Sotheby's
    Fine Books, Manuscripts & More
    Available for Immediate Purchase
    Sotheby’s: William Shakespeare. The Temple Shakespeare. Housed in Custom Bookcase. $6,365.
    Sotheby’s: Frederick Douglass. Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, Boston: Anti-Slavery Office, 1845. $14,000.
    Sotheby’s: Charles Dickens. A Christmas Carol. London: William Heinemann, 1915. $2,900.
    Sotheby’s: F. Scott Fitzgerald. First Edition Set, Including This Side of Paradise, The Great Gatsby, and others. Charles Scribner's Sons. 1920 – 1941. $24,180.
    Sotheby’s: Lewis Carroll [Charles Lutwidge Dodgson], John Tenniel. Alice's Adventures in Wonderland First Edition. Macmillan & Co., 1866. $15,000.
  • Dominic Winter
    Printed Books & Maps, Geology & Charles Darwin
    5th November, 2025
    Dominic Winter, Nov. 5: Darwin (Charles). Geological Observations on the Volcanic Islands, 1st edition, 1844. £4,000 to £6,000.
    Dominic Winter, Nov. 5: Rashleigh (Philip). Specimens of British Minerals, 2 parts in 1, 1797 & 1802. £3,000 to £5,000.
    Dominic Winter, Nov. 5: Murchison (Roderick Impey). The Silurian System, 1st edition, 1839. £3,000 to £5,000.
    Dominic Winter
    Printed Books & Maps, Geology & Charles Darwin
    5th November, 2025
    Dominic Winter, Nov. 5: Darwin (Charles). The Structure and Distribution of Coral Reefs, 1st edition, 1842. £3,000 to £5,000.
    Dominic Winter, Nov. 5: Darwin (Charles). Geological Observations on South America, 1st edition, 1846. £3,000 to £5,000.
    Dominic Winter, Nov. 5: Sowerby (James). The Mineral Conchology of Great Britain, 6 volumes, 1812-29. £2,000 to £3,000.
    Dominic Winter
    Printed Books & Maps, Geology & Charles Darwin
    5th November, 2025
    Dominic Winter, Nov. 5: Emerson (William). Cyclomathesis: or an Easy Introduction to ... Mathematics, 10 vols. in 9, 1770. £1,500 to £2,000.
    Dominic Winter, Nov. 5: Robinson (Thomas). New observations on the Natural History of This World of Matter, 1696. £800 to £1,200.
    Dominic Winter, Nov. 5: Aquinas (Thomas). [Summa Theologica], Secunda Parte, Venice, 1496. £700 to £1,000.
    Dominic Winter
    Printed Books & Maps, Geology & Charles Darwin
    5th November, 2025
    Dominic Winter, Nov. 5: Parfit (Cliff). Tesuki Washi. Handmade Papers of Japan, 1981-1988. £400 to £600.
    Dominic Winter, Nov. 5: Herbert (Thomas). A Relation of some yeares Travaile... Into Afrique and the greater Asia, 1634. £800 to £1,200.
    Dominic Winter, Nov. 5: Lindbergh (Charles A.). The Spirit of St. Louis, 1955, signed. £200 to £300.
  • Swann
    Autographs
    November 6, 2025
    Swann, Nov. 6: Lot 93: Autograph album containing 29 autograph letters signed by each president from Washington to Coolidge, 1785-1945.
    Swann, Nov. 6: Lot 166: Franz Schubert, Autograph Musical Manuscript, fragment from Die Taucher, 1813.
    Swann, Nov. 6: Lot 111: Thomas Jefferson, holograph plat drawing: map of field near Monticello, 1790s.
    Swann
    Autographs
    November 6, 2025
    Swann, Nov. 6: Lot 208: George Sand, Autograph Manuscript Signed, draft of her one-act play, Francia, ca. 1872.
    Swann, Nov. 6: Lot 218: Walt Whitman, Manuscript Signed, draft of three complete poems from Leaves of Grass, 1891.
    Swann, Nov. 6: Lot 8: James Dean, Photograph Signed and Inscribed, still from Giant, 1955.
    Swann
    Autographs
    November 6, 2025
    Swann, Nov. 6: Lot 20: John Lennon, Typescript Signed, interview discussing Paul, Linda, and Yoko, 1971.
    Swann, Nov. 6: Lot 215: Mark Twain, engraved portrait Signed, "Mark Twain / SL. Clemens," 1890s.
    Swann, Nov. 6: Lot 81: Vaslav Nijinsky, reproduction of an artwork by Léon Bakst Inscribed and Signed, 1916.
    Swann
    Autographs
    November 6, 2025
    Swann, Nov. 6: Lot 73: Malcolm X, The Harvard Crimson Signed and Inscribed: his street address and phone number, 1961.
    Swann, Nov. 6: Lot 11: Lou Gehrig, Photograph Signed and Inscribed, ca. 1939.
    Swann, Nov. 6: Lot 153: George Gershwin, Photograph Signed and Inscribed, portrait by Renato Toppo.

Rare Book Monthly

Articles - October - 2024 Issue

Four Book Collectors and Sellers Share Their Passion for Collecting

Everyone is a Collector.

Everyone is a Collector.

The world is filled with readers who love books and who are sort-of collectors in that they place the books they have read on their shelves and keep them there, perhaps forever. Still, they may not think of themselves as book collectors despite the love that makes it hard to part with those treasures. Maybe it's time to become a true collector rather than a de facto one. This is a field where there are knowledgeable people willing to help you share their passion.

 

In celebration of the 75th anniversary of the American Antiquarian Booksellers Association (ABAA), AbeBooks, the world's largest online book selling website, has put together a group of four short interviews with book people. They will give you a feel for the excitement of intentionally collecting books rather than just accidentally so. One of the great things about book collecting is that everyone can pick their own particular niche in the field. There is no one size fits all. In fact, it isn't limited to official “books,” as many people collect other forms of paper as well, documents, manuscripts, letters, posters, maps, etc.

 

The four booksellers and collectors who share their stories are Lisbet Tellefsen, Rebecca Romney, Obediah Baird, and Walter Reuben. Lisbet Tellefsen is an Oakland-based collector and community archivist. She has been collecting virtually her whole life, with the focus shifting from pop culture to posters, Afro-Cuban culture, and black LGBTQ culture. Rebecca Romney has been involved in the book trade most of her adult life, now as a co-founder of Type Punch Matrix. You may have seen her as the book expert on TV's Pawn Stars. Obadiah Baird is one of the co-owners of The Book Bin. His specialty is science fiction, fantasy, and horror. Walter Reuben, logically, is the proprietor of Walter Reuben, Inc. His specialty is films and old Hollywood ephemera.

 

You can hear their messages and better experience the excitement of book and paper collecting for yourself by visiting AbeBooks.com. Click here.


Posted On: 2024-10-01 04:39
User Name: keeline

I would say "Everyone CAN BE a Collector."

Not all are. Probably in terms of percentages, fewer members of the post-Baby Boom generations are collectors now.

When I managed The Prince and the Pauper Collectible Children's Books from 1988 to 2000, we had many who came in and claimed emphatically that they were "not a collector." There is one view of a collector that is a person who spends large sums on their books or other items.

But when these non-collectors are looking for something and it has to be a particular format or artist for illustrations, and it is not readily available, they have quietly swerved into the collector classification, even if they are not willing to admit it.

And when a non-collector is trying to find something that admitted-collectors are also looking for, they have to compete with them or accept that they probably won't get what they are looking for unless they have the kind of luck that wins the lottery once every year or two.

The same applies to condition. When the non-collector wants nice copies of books from decades before that are no longer in print, this is also part of the realm of the collector.

We often joke that if you have more than five of some class of something or have spent more than double the price of a new copy available now, you are a collector.

But many are just readers and use libraries and library apps to read what they want. They don't try to keep that which they read because of expense and space considerations. I see others who claim they buy books, read them, and sell or give them away. It seems too expensive to be believed but I have to take them at their word on a claim like this.

Thee are some groupings of books that are accumulations and others that are collections which are curated to achieve a level of completeness from some aspect and upgrade over time.

When universities have book collection contests among students, there is usually both a descriptive bibliography requirement as well as an essay on what ties the components of the collection together.

One of the interesting things about acknowledging that one is a collector is the realization that one is not alone. Suddenly you discover communities and realize that you are not the only one who likes a certain kind of book. These can be the people from whom you can learn but will also compete with when it comes to obtaining the more scarce items.

Sometimes we think about collecting things. But I am also interested in collecting both information and the acquaintances and friendships along the way. These can be from fellow collectors and booksellers. This weekend I'll be in Sleepy Hollow for the Nancy Drew Sleuths convention where about 150 fans of that and similar series will gather for presentations, activities, and books.

As much as I like book fairs and have some conversations with booksellers I know or ones that seem to be handling my field, it is hard to converse with the fellow shoppers. Part of this is that they are busy shopping for the rare find. But another part is that it is considered bad form to converse in someone's retail space lest you take business from the person who paid for that space. There are not as many receptions for collectors to meet. That is where bibliophile societies and book clubs can offer opportunities.

James D. Keeline


Rare Book Monthly

  • University Archives
    Rare Autographs, Manuscripts & Books
    Now through Nov. 19
    University Archives, Nov. 19:
    Lot 308 - Bob Dylan Handwritten & Signed Lyrics to "Just Like a Woman" With Jeff Rosen & JSA Authentication
    University Archives, Nov. 19:
    Lot 455 - Isaac Newton Admiration For Judaism & Moral Continuity With Christianity! 350+ Words in his Hand - Extraordinary Content!
    University Archives, Nov. 19:
    Lot 219 - 371g Moon Meteorite, Incredible Find - Laâyoune 002
    University Archives
    Rare Autographs, Manuscripts & Books
    Now through Nov. 19
    University Archives, Nov. 19:
    Lot 448 - Scarce Einstein AM on Unified Field Theory, 180+ Words & 11 Equations in His Hand! From His Published Article, "A Generalization of the Relativistic Theory of Gravitation"
    University Archives, Nov. 19:
    Lot 159 - Woodrow Wilson Baseball Signed for WWI Red Cross Fundraiser, Ex. Forbes & PSA Authentic - Finest Known!
    University Archives, Nov. 19:
    Lot 84 - Lee Harvey Oswald ALS to Brother, Trying Desperately to Get out of Russia! Highly Important
    University Archives
    Rare Autographs, Manuscripts & Books
    Now through Nov. 19
    University Archives, Nov. 19:
    Lot 152 - George Washington Signed Discharge for MA Soldier Whose Regiment Was at Bunker Hill!
    University Archives, Nov. 19:
    Lot 88 - Abraham Lincoln Fully Signed Military Appointment for Mexican War Vet & Respected Cavalryman
    University Archives, Nov. 19:
    Lot 188 - Apollo XI Astronauts & Their Wives Signed Photo, Plus Crew Signed Cover, From Apollo XI Presidential Goodwill Tour Era, Pre-Cert Zarelli
    University Archives
    Rare Autographs, Manuscripts & Books
    Now through Nov. 19
    University Archives, Nov. 19:
    Lot 265 - Martin Luther King, Jr. TLS Re: "Stride Toward Freedom" Film Rights To Literary Agent Marie Rodell
    University Archives, Nov. 19:
    Lot 324 - John Lennon Signed Apple Records Check, PSA GEM MT 10! Possibly Finest Known
    University Archives, Nov. 19:
    Lot 79 - John & Jacqueline Kennedy Signed WH 1963 Christmas Gift Inscribed to Close Friend Joan Braden, PSA Authentic
  • Rare Book Hub is now mobile-friendly!
  • Doyle, Nov. 5: The Director's copy of the first edition of Samuel Beckett's Waiting for Godot, inscribed by Beckett. $7,000 to $10,000.
    Doyle, Nov. 5: Don McLean's personal test pressing of American Pie before mass production, gifted in 1971. $8,000 to $12,000.
    Doyle, Nov. 5: The important and extensive archive of original fashion photographs of model Dorothy Rice, 1945-58. $20,000 to $30,000.
    Doyle, Nov. 5: A Charles Adams theater advertisement. $8,000 to $12,000.
    Doyle, Nov. 5: A Small Patinated Bronze Bust of Marlene Dietrich. $800 to $1,200.
    Doyle, Nov. 5: Marlene Dietrich Studio Photograph. $100 to $200.
    Doyle, Nov. 5: The very large and uncommon British Quad for Hitchcock's The Birds. $500 to $800.
    Doyle, Nov. 5: An Original Crystal "Sputnik" from the 1966 Met Opera Chandelier. $3,000 to $5,000.
    Doyle, Nov. 5: The rare poster from the first American performances of Endgame, 1958. $1,000 to $1,500.
    Doyle, Nov. 5: The original Coconut Grove Playhouse poster for Waiting for Godot, possibly unique. $3,000 to $5,000.
  • Bonhams, Nov. 3-13: Presentation Copy of a Whitman "Holy Grail." Whitman, Walt. $10,000-$15,000.
    Bonhams, Nov. 3-13: Endymion in Original Boards. Keats, John. $8,000-
    Bonhams, Nov. 3-13: Association Copy of the Privately Printed Edition of The Tale of Peter Rabbit. Potter, Beatrix. $8,000-$12,000
    Bonhams, Nov. 3-13: Christina Rossetti's Own Copy of Her First Book. Rossetti, Christina G. $8,000-$12,000
    Bonhams, Nov. 3-13: The Borden Copy of The Life of Merlin in an Elaborate Binding by Riviere. Heywood, Thomas, Translator. $6,000-$8,000
    Bonhams, Nov. 3-13: Arion Press. Whitman, Walt, Leaves of Grass. $4,000-$6,000
    Bonhams, Nov. 3-13: Call It Sleep in the First State Jacket. Roth, Henry. $2,000-$3,000
    Bonhams, Nov. 3-13: Steinbeck's Best-Known Work. Steinbeck, John. $2,000-$3,000
    Bonhams, Nov. 3-13: A Fine Jewelled Binding Signed by Sangorski & Sutcliffe. Sangorski, Francis. $40,000-$60,000
    Bonhams, Nov. 3-13: The Complete Tales of Beatrix Potter: A Complete Set of First Editions. Potter, Beatrix. $2,000-$3,000
    Bonhams, Nov. 3-13: Kelmscott Shelley. Shelley, Percy Bysshe. The Poetical Works. $3,000-$5,000
    Bonhams, Nov. 3-13: Inscribed by Martin Luther King Jr. King, Martin Luther, Jr. $3,000-$5,000
  • Old World Auctions (Nov 12):
    Lot 75. The Second Printed Map of the North American Continent - Full Contemporary Color (1593) Est. $35,000 - $40,000
    Old World Auctions (Nov 12):
    Lot 37. Schedel's Ancient World Map with Fantastic Humanoid Creatures (1493) Est. $16,000 - $18,000
    Old World Auctions (Nov 12):
    Lot 104. Important Revolutionary War Plan of Battle of Quebec in Contemporary Color (1776) Est. $4,000 - $4,750
    Old World Auctions (Nov 12):
    Lot 43. Mercator's Map of the North Pole - the First Printed Map Devoted to the Arctic (1606) Est. $2,750 - $3,500
    Old World Auctions (Nov 12):
    Lot 237. Rare and Striking Bird's-Eye View of Lawrence, Kansas (1880) Est. $2,000 - $2,500
    Old World Auctions (Nov 12):
    Lot 10. Rare Map from Atlas Maior with Representations of the Seasons in Contemporary Color (1662) Est. $14,000 - $17,000
    Old World Auctions (Nov 12):
    Lot 374. Bunting's Map of Europe Depicted as the Queen of the World (1589) Est. $2,000 - $2,400
    Old World Auctions (Nov 12):
    Lot 590. Willem Blaeu's Magnificent Carte-a-Figures Map of Asia (1634) Est. $2,750 - $3,500
    Old World Auctions (Nov 12):
    Lot 647. The Earliest and Most Decorative Map of the East Coast of Africa (1596) Est. $3,000 - $3,750
    Old World Auctions (Nov 12):
    Lot 710. Ruscelli's Complete, Third Edition Atlas with 65 Maps (1574) Est. $9,500 - $11,000
    Old World Auctions (Nov 12):
    Lot 696. Superb Hand-Colored Image of the Adoration of the Shepherds (1502) Est. $800 - $950

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