Catalogue Descriptions

All our books are fully described by our staff and are shipped on approval. In the unlikely event of a purchase proving unsatisfactory, it may be returned, in its original condition, for a full refund. We would ask that you notify us by email of your intention to return within 7 working days of receipt of the parcel.

The Anitquarian Booksellers' Association Code of Good Practice

 

Thinking of Selling?

If you wish to offer books to us please provide us with a list. We will need certain basic information to help us:

Author, Title, Publisher, place and date of publication. Binding; original or rebound? Binding material; cloth, vellum, leather or something else. Condition of dust wrapper if there is one. Any inscriptions or marks should be noted. Overall condition. Sometimes a digital photograph is helpful. How many volumes? Is it complete? In fact anything that can help us to value your book. If we decide not to buy we can often advise you, free of charge, on the best way of selling or disposing of your book.

Please don't send books to us until or unless we ask you to.

 

Valuations

We are happy to provide informal valuations. If the valuation is a written one for insurance, probate purposes or for any other legal reason then a fee will be agreed before we proceed.

 

What makes a book valuable?

Rarity alone doesn't make a book valuable. The book has to be desirable as well. It's a simple case of supply and demand. The desirability may be because of a books importance in the history of man, its fine printing or illustration, its beautiful binding or the fact that has been made into a successful film.  A first edition of fiction by an author that no one has any interest in remains a first edition but may have little value. Rarity is not something that applies only to old books. Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone was first published in 1997 with a print run of 500. Most copies went to school libraries where they were read to the point of destruction. Therefore copies of this verydesirable children's book in fine condition are rare and valuable. This is not the case with dog-eared, library stamped copies with torn pages. This situation is common with most children's books where the readership is not renowned as a group for looking after things. War, floods, fires, censorship and book burnings have all contributed to older books being scarcer. A valuable book tends to be the first, early or important printing of a title that has earned a place in the human heart or mind.

 

What is a first edition?

A first edition consists of all the copies of a book printed from the first setting of type or from the first print run. Within an edition there can be multiple reprintings. Minor changes to text, illustration or dust-jacket (also known as a dust-wrapper) within a printing are known as states or issues. Thus you could have a first edition, second printing, fourth state. These states generally are brought about by minor corrections to printing errors. When an edition is entirely reset, generally for a new publisher or to accommodate and author's extensive revisions, it is a deemed a new edition (second, third, fourth etc). Publishers may also issue first printings in more than one format. For example printed on large paper or in a limited numbered and signed edition. A good example of this would be Arthur Rackham's illustrated children's books.

It is also good to know what country of origin your first edition is. It may be, for example, a first English edition (not to be confused with a first edition in English, which refers to translations). It may equally be a first American, first Canadian, first Australian, etc etc. Whilst many collectors 'follow the flag' of an author, there can be additional things to consider. Winston Churchill's History of the Second World War was first published in the United States. Herman Melville's Moby Dick was first published, as The Whale, in Britain. All of this adds to the fun of collecting and to the interest of the book.

 

How do I know if I have a first edition?

Unfortunately there is no simple answer to this. Practices vary from country to country and from century to century. In Britain, up until quite recently, most books had a reprint history on the reverse side of the title page, known as the copyright page. Thus 'first printed in October 1925' with no other information and the date 1925 on the actual title page generally means that the book is a first edition. 'First printed in October 1925, reprinted July 1926' says it all! More recently publishers use a series of numbers on the copyright page called a strike-line. Thus if you have a sequence from 10 to 1 you have a first edition. 10 to 2 means a second impression and so on. With a very popular book your sequence could well be, for instance, 40 to 33 indicating a 33^rd printing! The lowest number in the run indicates the impression.

Some books are very helpful and state 'First Edition'. First edition print runs may be anything from small, say 500 or 1,000 right through to over a million as is the case with some of J. K. Rowling's later Harry Potter books. Generally it is necessary to check with the author bibliographies that are available in order to be sure of edition and number of copies printed. At Adrian Harrington Ltd we have an extensive bibliographical library against which our books are checked during cataloguing.

 

Are later editions and printings worth collecting?

Later editions of non-fiction may have value especially such as voyage and travel books. Later editions may have illustrations added to them, thus making them 'first illustrated' editions. They may also be finely bound or inscribed by the author. Generally for later editions to have a value they must have something additional to recommend them. Some editions may be described as the 'best' edition or the 'preferred' edition. This could be because it contains the author's final revisions or is beautifully printed. One may also see earliest obtainable edition, where the first edition is so rare, there may be no known copies of it or that all known copies are in institutions.

 

Dust Jackets (or Dust Wrappers)

Often abbreviated to dws or djs, these printed paper wrappers have, in some instances become the holy grails of collecting. They started to appear in the 19^th century and were used to protect the cover of the book from rubbing and scratching in transit. As such they were generally quite flimsy affairs, simply printed and were discarded by the shop so that the often elaborately decorated book beneath could be seen. Early dust wrappers are therefore scarce. For example only 2 copies of the wrapper for The Hound of the Baskervilles are known to exist! The earlier the jacket the harder it is to find in fine condition. As the twentieth century got into its stride the dust jackets became more and more decorative and elaborate and much memorable artwork was created. Classic wrappers such as the Great Gatsby and The Thirty Nine Steps reflect the graphic design of the time they were printed and remain highly desirable. Sadly, especially when books are given as gifts, the donor cuts the price from the front flap of the dust jacket. This is known as price clipping and devalues the jacket. For the collector having the original wrapper in perfect condition remains the name of the game.

 

The importance of Condition

For many books the rarity lies in finding it in fine original condition. For example, the first edition of Casino Royale without its original jacket is only a fraction of the value in a fine, original dust-jacketed copy. The value of a poor or restored copy lies somewhere between the two. Condition is all and collectors are generally advised to buy the best copy that they can afford. Inscriptions generally devalue a book unless they are pertinent to its history. Thus 'To my darling wife for Christmas' in a copy of Churchill's Thoughts and Adventures is only a good thing if it is in Churchill's hand. As usual there are caveats. The older the book, the harder it is to obtain in fine state as time takes its toll.  In all cases the closer a book is in condition to the way it was when it first saw the light of day, the better.

 

Ownership and Provenance

The history of the ownership of a book from its first appearance is its provenance. In older books it can be a fascinating insight into the books past life. If part of that history involves people of note then so much the better. With modern first editions, however, multiple previous ownership inscriptions from the general public are to be avoided. Provenance involving the author or those associated with the author will clearly enhance the interest and generally the value of the book.

 

How should I look after my books?

Hardback books are more robust than paperbacks but still need care when handling. They should not be opened roughly or too widely. Clean hands are essential. Books like an even climate, the same as human beings. No direct sunlight, heat or moisture. Sunlight is high in ultra violet light which can fade the colour out of books. Heat can cause them to warp and dry out and damp can cause mould. Dust is also to be avoided. Like humans, books like company. A shelf full of books will support and protect each other. A book on its own is vulnerable to damage. With leather bound books a proprietary dressing may be lightly applied from time to time. Modern firsts may benefit from having a clear plastic wrapping and ideally, a purpose-built clamshell style book-box made for them. Adrian Harrington Ltd can help here.

 

What if my books need some conservation work?

We use a number of expert paper conservators, dust-wrapper restorers and book binders. Depending on the work needed we can arrange for your book to be rebound or restored. We can have custom made book-boxes made to protect your book from sunlight and dust. We are always happy to advise on the best solution, including an opinion as to whether or not the book should have anything done to it at all. A written estimate can be provided. This service additionally useful in the event of an insurance claim. In this instance a fee may apply.