January 18, 2020

Rare Book Appraisal – a 1508 Post Incunable “Unicorn” Bookbinding

I bought this lovely 1508 rather rare post incunable at the Brooklyn Antiquarian Book Fair for $300. It is a single volume from a 7 volume set – which normally is a fatal flaw in the antiquarian book world and something rare book dealers would not touch with a ten foot pole. Nevertheless, see why – after I studied the bookbinding – I value it at a considerably higher price.

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January 9, 2020

How to value a unique 17th century English manuscript

Recently I purchased this fascinating c. 1650 English manuscript on the famous Philosopher’s Stone. 17th century English alchemy manuscripts are rare in commerce and valuing them with few rare book auction comparables can be a challenge. Below I made a short video of how I, as an antiquarian book dealer, go about evaluating a unique text. Hope you enjoy this brief video with mentions of Crusades, Imprisonment in the Tower, and how to turn lead into gold – as well as a few pointers on how to value antique books.

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January 4, 2020

The Value of one of the Most Evil Books Ever Written

In this video, I will show you how I value an early 17th century copy of the famous Malleus Maleficarum or the “Hammer of Witches”   I’ll mention a couple sites that dealers use to check the completeness of rare books and look up auction prices which can help provide comparable for rare book appraisals.   Feel free to reach out if you would like me to value any of your rare books or manuscripts.  You can text photos directly to  6464691851 or email them to webuyrarebooks@gmail.com.

 

posted in: NYC Rare Book Dealer, RARE BOOK APPRAISAL