If you don't believe me, just ask anyone who has had their imaginations captured by a character, author, or genre. You might hear stories like...
"I didn't mean to start collecting the Stories of Middle Earth, but after I read the Hobbit, I was hooked. It was like an obsession. Hobbit this, Middle Earth that... "
"I thought they were KIDS books..."
"Did you realize that they printed over 200 Destroyer novels?"
"Doc Savage, yeah, I remember. I always wanted the answering machine..." "H G Wells, first edition, The History of the World, Part I, great book, but have you read..."
"Who ever thought that cookbooks were THAT interesting..."
Richard Russell has heard them all, as a matter of fact, as he says in his introduction, he probably has used them all. "I love to read. And I hate to work" is how he starts his book, and how true those words are for book store owners and fans everywhere.
Fortunately, he has compiled his expertise from almost 30 years of selling and collecting into one handy volume from Krause. The Antique Trader Book Collector's Price Guide is truly that; it covers all the pertinent topics from nom de plumes (pen names) to publishing codes, to genres, to autographs, and even manages to have a handy Top 10 list for each section. Dealers from around the country have authored small sections on nomenclature, grading, book clubs, longshots, vanity presses, and Americana. A small section includes selected book stores from across America.
The pricing section of the book covers books in Near Fine/Fine condition and Good/Very Good. Publishing information on each edition is included for ease of identification. Over 5000 books are listed in this edition, but a more thorough work could include 50,000. As the author of a 'How To' book, I can appreciate the effort he has gone to, to stop where he has. Perhaps another edition of this book will expand to include further printings, and volumes of the authors represented.
If you collect books to fuel your passion, or to complete your childhood, this edition is highly recommended and will help you build a book collection worthy of passing onto your children.
The Antique Trader Book Collector's Price Guide can be purchased from Suite 101, or directly from Krause, either online at www.krause.com or via snail mail at:
Krause Publications
700 East State St
Iola, WI 54990-0001
Tim Lasiuta
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