Posts Tagged ‘collectible books’
Monday, January 19th, 2009
One of the things I love about working here at AbeBooks is the discoveries I make. Pretty much any topic, event, or notable name triggers an “I wonder if we have a book…” response.
With today being Martin Luther King day in the United States, I was prompted to see what collectible books by King we had for offer on the site. (Ok, truth be told, I couldn’t help myself - I had to look as my curiosity got the better of me.) The offerings are pretty outstanding. There are thank-you notes signed by King, a book inscribed to his children’s babysitter, a first day issue MLK stamp and cover that was released on what would have been King’s 50th birthday and first editions of King’s first book, Stride Toward Freedom.
A first edition copy of Strength to Love with a rubber-stamped greeting in King’s handwriting can be purchased for just $250.00(USD) while a first edition copy of Where Do We Go From Here? inscribed to Leonard Bernstein will cost you $15,290.00.
Isn’t it great how book not only allow you to learn about history but also enable you to own a piece of that history? Just another reason to love books!
Tags: collectable books, collectible books, inscribed books, Martin Luther King, Martin Luther King Day, MLK, Signed Books, US history
Posted in AbeBooks, Signed Books, author, biography, books, celebration, collecting, history, holidays, news | No Comments »
Wednesday, January 14th, 2009
Thirty Books with really cool, unusual bindings!
I love reading. I also love books, and I don’t think the two always go together. Some people are in it just for the story, and would read any old copy equally, others are collectors of visuals or value and don’t even read the books. I love both, and am fascinated and delighted equally by the insides and outsides of books. This bit’s dedicated to the outside, and all the creativity, different materials and thought that goes into them. It’s not all cloth, leather and paper - from goatskin to gold and eelskin to ivory, check out some of these bindings - 30 in all.
Left to right: Mother of Pearl, Rubber, Brass, Fur, Ivory.
Tags: beautiful book covers, bookbinding, collectible books, most beautiful books, rare books, strange books, unusual bindings, unusual book binding materials, Unusual book bindings, unusual books, weird books
Posted in AbeBooks, antiquarian, books, collecting, lists, odd | 5 Comments »
Tuesday, January 6th, 2009
In doing some research for a feature I’m putting together about unusual book bindings, I came across the book Bizarre Books by Russell Ash and Brian Lake. I immediately think this is a book I want to read, and possibly own. I love when people are so passionate about books that they write something like this. It makes the world, to my mind, more interesting, more accessible, and more connected. I’m going to order my copy as soon as I’ve finished writing this blog.
In stark contrast to the synopsis of Glenn Beck’s The Christmas Sweater, this synopsis has me itching to read the book.
In the course of their writing and publishing careers, Russell Ash and Brian Lake have collected hundreds of the book trades most bizarre titles. From unintended double entendres (Making It in Leather) and astonishingly specialized subjects (Great Locomotive Boiler Explosions) to weird books on sex (Sodomy and the Pirate Tradition), and religion (Hell: Where Is It?), the authors have left no page unturned in their quest. Along the way, they have also catalogued some noteworthy authors, including Violet Organ, Fernando Poo, Bishop Frediricus Nausea, and O. Hell. A final section looks at publishing curiosities, from unusual book bindings (a “fireproof” edition of Fahrenheit 451 bound in asbestos boards) to unfortunate tributes (Venereal Disease and Its Prevention, “affectionately dedicated” to the authors wife). Now revised and updated, Bizarre Books is a guaranteed good laugh.
Doesn’t that sound great?
Tags: bizarre books, brian lake, collectible books, rare books, russell ash, unique books, unusual bindings, unusual books, weird books
Posted in AbeBooks, books, collecting, humor, odd | No Comments »
Thursday, December 18th, 2008
A few weeks ago, I had the pleasure of spending a few hours with Dave Allen, a local bookbinder. We talk and write a lot around here about rare books, antiquarian books, collectible books, and first edition books, so it was a real treat to go and learn a bit about their creation, restoration and repair.
Dave was very friendly to me and very tolerant of my asking a million questions. He was working on a first edition of Lucy Maud Montgomery’s The Blue Castle, and a probably first edition of L. Frank Baum’s The Wizard of Oz. Watching him work, and listening to him talk about what he does for a living, I was inspired by how much he clearly cares about his job, and the books he creates, repairs and restores.
The article was featured in the Avid Reader this month. Have a look, and read the whole article!
Tags: antiquarian books, book arts, book repair, book restoration, bookbinding, collectible books, crafts, first edition books, rare books
Posted in AbeBooks, Canada, antiquarian, art, books, collecting, literature | 2 Comments »
Thursday, December 18th, 2008
I love Winnie-the-Pooh. Who wouldn’t love the “tubby little cubby all stuffed with fluff”? Apparently somebody loves him a whole lot!
An auction record was set at Sotheby’s yesterday when a collection of E.H. Shepard’s original drawings for A.A. Milne’s Winnie-the-Pooh books sold for approximately £1.3 million ($2 million USD), well above the estimated sale amount. Shepard’s drawing “He went on tracking, and Piglet … ran after him,” also sold at more than double the estimated sales price at £115,250 - a record sales amount for a drawing by a British artist.
The popular image of Christopher Robin dragging Pooh by the leg up the stairs, bumped bidders up to the final sales price of £97,250. Again, the final sale price beat expectations.
These sales amounts are a bit surprising given the recent downturn in the fine art market.
Perhaps comfort can be found in cuddly teddy bears after all.
Tags: A.A. Milne, auction record, book auction, collectable books, collectable children's books, collectible books, collectible children's books, E.H. Shepard, ephemera, Sotheby's, valuable sketches, Winnie-the-Pooh
Posted in Signed Books, UK, antiquarian, art, children's book, collecting, illustration, news | No Comments »
