Rare book conservation tips and techniques

August 27, 2012
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We all have come across books that are in bad condition. Books that have suffered the consequences of exposure to one or more of the enemies of paper books, such as water, mold, smoke, dirt, direct sunlight, dust, insects, bad shelving and so forth. As any rare book collector should be familiar with, some of […]

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The J.K. Rowling price inflation

August 23, 2012
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Among the many prominent British figures present at the opening ceremony of this summer’s Olympic Games, was the celebrated and acclaimed author J.K. Rowling. Judging from Rowling’s wild success in the literary world, it is no great surprise that she appeared at the occasion. In a span of merely fifteen years, she has captured the […]

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The inspiration of Franz Kafka

August 20, 2012
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It was exactly 100 years ago at about this time that the first book by famous, German-language author, Franz Kafka was published. Contemplation (Betrachtung in German) was published towards the end of 1912 and it included 18 short stories that Kafka wrote between 1904 and 1912. In fact, this was the only book published during […]

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Interior decorating with the help of books

August 16, 2012
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In ancient Roman times, those who could afford it commissioned workers to build impressive courtyards in their homes which amassed grandiose fountains and intricate tile mosaics, in an effort to display their prominence and prestige. Today the fervor towards exhibiting personal interests and good taste in homes has turned a bit more subtle.  Now more […]

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The shelf-lot book auction of the century

August 12, 2012
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It was given a catchy name “The Last Book Sale” and it was promoted as “The shelf-lot auction of the century!”  Author Larry McMurtry’s legendary Booked Up Inc. stores #2, #3 and #4 were sold at a public auction on-site in Archer City, Texas on August 10th and 11th. Approximately 300,000 books in over 1500 […]

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The rare “Block Books”

August 9, 2012
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If someone asked you to explain the principle of supply and demand, could you do it? What if someone asked you to apply the principle to explain the current state of the rare book market, would you be able to? The latter may not be as simple to explain by using the basic theory of […]

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Pricing your rare books to market

August 5, 2012
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As every rare book seller knows, pricing a book to market is often one of the most difficult tasks performed in the trade. Prices set too low may mean that there is additional revenue that could be earned if the potential collector is willing to spend more to acquire the book. On the contrary, prices […]

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The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien

August 2, 2012
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      As the world excitedly anticipates the completion of the long awaited for film, The Hobbit, ample credit towards the remarkable rare book whose story inspired the film is certainly due. While the book is not only a classic favorite in rare book literature, it is also significantly valuable in the rare book market, which […]

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The drypoints of Becat in rare books

July 29, 2012
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Every enthusiastic print collector tries to make a determination on what can be considered an “original print” by examining the technique used to create a print coupled with the artist’s preferred media. An original print is a work conceived and originated by the artist as a print and excludes reproductions of the work conducted in […]

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The Rare Books of the Olympics

July 26, 2012
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     Ever since their earth shattering beginning thousands of years ago in Greece, the Olympic Games have intrigued and excited the world, and inspired many artists and writers to depict the energy and triumph that the Games exude. While their purpose is obviously to compete internationally in sporting events, the Olympic Games also serve to […]

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