by Mathew Scheidelman, The Antiques Appraiser
The era of the “general line” antique dealer who had a little knowledge of a wide variety of antiques and collectibles is mostly in the past.
There are many still out there, myself included, but the antique business has changed in many ways since I did my first antique show in 1978.
Times and tastes change, fads come and go, what was hot yesterday may have little or no value tomorrow, so a dealer has to change and adapt with the times. This often means specializing.
A dealer’s speciality usually reflects their own taste and interest whether it is glass and china, primitives, tools, furniture, jewelry, fine art, etc.
To some it is considered better to be very knowledgeable on a few items and rely on their network of friends and colleagues when coming across something they are not familiar with.
One specialty is books. Book dealers often carry other paper goods such as post cards, advertising, matchbooks, brochures, magazines etc.
My knowledge of rare and collectible books is limited. I know that first editions are sought after and factors like rarity, topic, author and condition all affect value.
Condition is one of the most important factors when determining the value of an old book and there is a grading system used by many book dealers in an attempt to standardize condition descriptions.
The condition of books and paper goods is subjective and open to interpretation.
Usually the seller thinks the condition is better than the buyer does!I always cringe when I see items listed online and described as being “in excellent condition, except for a large tear” or “like new, but two pages are missing and the binding is loose.”
I see this dozens of times a day!
Here are the book grading quidelines as used by a book dealer friend and as found online:
As New – This grade is seldom used because for a book to qualify it would have to be in the same condition it was in when first published.
That is, immaculate with no defects or signs of wear or use no matter how minor.
The pages must be bright and crisp with no creases, fingerprints, pencil or ink marks, etc.
Fine – Approaches the above condition but may not be crisp and bright and any minor defects or signs of wear. A small pencil mark, smudge or soiling, must be noted.
Very Good – Can describe a used book with minimal signs of use and wear, a small crease or spot, a minor scuff but no stains or tears on either binding or paper, and these must be noted.
Good – Describes the average used book that has been read and handled but all pages, illustrations, and the dust jacket must be present and any defects noted.
Fair – Is a worn book that has complete text pages, including illustrations and maps, but may lack end papers, half title or dust jacket.
It may show signs of age and wear such as pencil marks, a turned down corner, a smudge or stain but they must be noted.
Poor – Describes a book with significant wear, it might be stained, scuffed, spotted and have loose joints or pages.
These are often called “reading copies” because they do have complete text even if maps or plates are missing. Again, all defects must be noted.
Ex-Library – Must be designated no matter what the condition of the book. Often you find card pockets glued inside the back cover, ink stamps, binding labels etc.
Book Club – Indicates a book specifically published as a “book club edition” no matter the condition. These are usually not wanted by collectors.
Dust jackets are also very important and can affect value immensely. Grading and condition applies to them as well.
Other factors that can affect value are: the authors signature, special anniversary or collector editions and unusual or special bindings such as tooled leather with gilding, etc.
If you have antique or rare books you should have them examined by an expert to determine their value.
Book dealers charge for appraisals but if you want to sell a few books most dealers will make you an offer or tell you if you have anything special.
Always get a second opinion if you are not sure.
