THE CAT IN THE HAT BUT NOT THE JACKET

November 20, 2015
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The collecting world probably seems nuts to sane people. In books, as with other things, it is astonishing how very small things that would pass unnoticed to a novice can keep serious collectors up at night.   “Dear Mr. Dawson,             I saw your website and wanted to see if you would be interested in […]

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“THE GLORIOUS/WILL BE GLORIOUS TO ALL ETERNITY” TWO PORTRAITS OF PETRARCH IN A 15th CENTURY ILLUMINATED MANUSCRIPT

November 6, 2015
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The production of richly illuminated manuscripts continued well after the invention of the printing press. A good example of their value for research in cultural history, in particular the history of portraits1 , is provided by the sumptuous manuscript of Petrarch’s poems in Italian (4648 Bd. Ms 24+) produced in Florence around 1465-70 and acquired […]

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Rare Book Sale Monitor Update – 3rd Quarter 2015

October 16, 2015
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The Rare Book Sale Monitor (RBSM) has been tracking the sales performance of “blue chips” for some of the major genre of rare books. In addition the author breakdown follows some of the most frequently traded authors of books that are considered rare, in order to track their performance. The sampling selection included in each […]

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Introducing: Rare Book Offer Manager (RBOM)

October 2, 2015
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Alternative type investment mutual funds are often pitched as providing decent returns that are not tied to the fate of stocks or bonds. But getting the right asset mix to deliver on both of these goals has proven quite difficult. Alternative fund strategies, in addition to providing diversification, cushion stock-heavy portfolios by reducing volatility. During […]

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Alice is 150 years old, but she doesn’t look it!

September 16, 2015
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Printed books usually sit around, demanding very little to survive. Water, mold, smoke, dirt, direct sunlight, insects, bad shelving, fire, human misuse are enemies to avoid for a healthy long life that guarantees a book to outlive its creators. Long lifespan coupled with popularity, may lead to production of multiple new editions, revisions, foreign language translations […]

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The Rare Books of Hunter Thompson

August 28, 2015
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Here is a question for all Hunter Thompson collectors out there: If you had to choose between being the proud owner of Thompson’s first or second book which would you choose? The choice, of course, is between Thompson’s famous 1967 Hell’s Angels: A Strange and Terrible Saga of the Outlaw Motorcycle Gangs or the 1971 […]

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Rare Books Digest Sentiment Analysis

August 13, 2015
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Based on an analysis of the interaction we have received over the last two years, on our public-facing social media: Linked-In, Twitter, Facebook, Google+, blog comments and Pinterest, we have prepared the Static Four Quadrant chart exhibited below. Data received through Facebook and Twitter is the primary source of standard follower activity (y-axis), whereas social […]

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Book conservation / Book restoration: Deciding upon a course of action

July 30, 2015
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Book repair, book restoration, book preservation, book conservation or do nothing at all. With a worn or damaged book in hand, the choices for treatment (or no treatment) may seem bewilderingly complex. Add to this the contradictory advice and opinions offered by different authorities, it may seem impossible to come up with a ‘best’ course […]

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Rare Book Sale Monitor Update – 2nd Quarter 2015

July 17, 2015
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In the midst of the Greece crisis reaching yet another boiling point, the RBSM recorded little or no change in ancient, classical Greek authors’ works covering history, science, geography, philosophy and literature. It has definitely not been the type of economic event with significant impact on antiquarian books. The supply of ancient Greek books got […]

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Once Upon a Simpler Time

June 26, 2015
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In the midst of our current, diverse, fast paced, competitive, corporate ladder climbing, rat race of a day-to-day society, nearly every work-worn and weary individual holds in common the ability to think back to a simpler time during childhood where anything and everything was possible between the covers of a book. Throughout that small window […]

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