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Rare Finds: A Guide to Book Collecting
Rare Finds is a friendly, wide-ranging introduction to the world of rare book collecting. It is intended for those with a budding interest in this exciting field rather than simply professional booksellers and librarians. The guide contains an easy-to-use Glossary as well as sections devoted to Frequently Asked Questions, Book Production, and Format. Lavishly illustrated, it includes chapters on all major collecting areas.
106 pages, Paperback
First published June 27, 2007
38 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
August 23, 2021
I have great respect for Bauman Rare Books and its expert staff, but this is not a good guide. It's really not much of a guide at all. It jumps right in with very little context, assuming (intentionally or not) that the reader already has some sort of background, and the first 75% of the book focuses on the rarest and most coveted books in every subject area. To the book collector (or aspiring collector) of average income, the suggestions of collectible books here are laughably inaccessible. Yes, who wouldn't love to jump-start their collection with a Mark Twain first edition? Unfortunately, most people are not Bill Gates or Jeff Bezos and don't have tens of thousands of dollars to spare. It is ridiculously unhelpful as part of a "guide" to suggest seeking out some of the most expensive books on the market.
The last 25% of the book does contain some helpful information, but it feels more like an appendix than a cohesive part of the book, and again leaves out quite a bit of important context. Bottom line is that this really isn't much of a guide, so it won't be helpful to beginners, and you also won't learn much if you already have any sort of intermediate knowledge. I'd recommend Ian Ellis' Book Finds as a much, much superior introduction to the world of collecting and dealing rare books.
The last 25% of the book does contain some helpful information, but it feels more like an appendix than a cohesive part of the book, and again leaves out quite a bit of important context. Bottom line is that this really isn't much of a guide, so it won't be helpful to beginners, and you also won't learn much if you already have any sort of intermediate knowledge. I'd recommend Ian Ellis' Book Finds as a much, much superior introduction to the world of collecting and dealing rare books.
October 30, 2012
"Often collectors of science begin with... first editions of landmark books by Galileo, Copernicus and Newton."
Yeah, let's kick off this collection with a 1st ed De Revolutionibus, or at least a Sidereus.
Two stars because Rare Finds is borderline funny in its appeal to the ultra rich.
Yeah, let's kick off this collection with a 1st ed De Revolutionibus, or at least a Sidereus.
Two stars because Rare Finds is borderline funny in its appeal to the ultra rich.
October 23, 2015
After having visited their bookstore in Las Vegas, I was interested to know what goes into rare book collecting. This book is very informative and covers a wide range of topics. Recommended for anyone interested in rare book collecting.
August 22, 2020
A primer on rare book collecting. Good info about starting a collection - travel, Americana, medicine etc. Most important titles in various book collecting areas are included. Very European/American centric.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews