FANTASTIC COLLECTIBLES SCIENCE FICTION & FANTASY COLLECTIBLES email: |
---|
You have just acquired some old paperback books, or you have had some lying about for years. How do you determine if they are valuable enough to hang on to or place on ebay? There are a number of priceguides available, and if you keep reading, I will review the best one in my opinion, and the only up to date one I have come across. But first, lets review some other means to determine prices for paperback books:
What is the best method for determing if you have a valuable paperback book? The answer is to find a priceguide. But which priceguide? The market is constantly changing. Different types of paperbacks run hot and cold. A ten year old priceguide may not reflect the fact that digest style paperbacks are a hot item, or a particular author has become far more collectible of late. Which priceguide do I recommend? Until recently, I would have recommended Collectable Paperback Books by Jeff Canja, or one of the Warren books. However, these are now 7 or more years out of date. Prices do change significantly over time, and dramatically sometimes. It is important to find an up to date guide. At the top of my list is COLLECTIBLE PAPERBACK PRICE GUIDE by Gary Lovisi, published in the last year by Antique Trader. This book has a lot going for it. First, it is written by one of the foremost experts on paperbacks alive today. Gary publishes many of his own paperbacks under the Gryphon Press label, and publishes Paperback Parade, the only periodical devoted entirely to Vintage Paperback collecting. He does a great job and if you have even the slightest interest, get a subscription. Second, there are over 1000 cover illustrations, the largest number of all color illustrations that I have ever seen in a priceguide before. And these are not on separate pages in some remote part of the book. They are interspersed with the text, and would cover 40-50% of the total page area (just a guess). The priceguide covers each genre by chapter, with chapters on Fantastic Fiction (SF/F/H), Mysteries & Crime, Westerns, Movie and TV tie-ins, Sex and Social Issues, and more! There is a listing for pseudonyms, recommended dealers, book shows, an index of authors and more! There has never been a book like this before in our hobby and I believe it will become the template for all future books about books. Third, there are a number of articles written on subjects that should interest every collector. These include:
The only drawback to this book, and it is minor, is that it is not completely comprehensive. It lists 4000 of the most valuable paperbacks, and does not list the common, everyday items. All in all, I highly recommend this price guide. Should you have an interest in checking out this book, I have included a link to Amazon where it can be viewed for both new and used copies. Just click on the bookcover picture in the Amazon link just above this paragraph. If this link is blocked, try the Amazon banner near the top of the page. Just put Antique Trader Paperback Priceguide in their search engine, and it will come right up. If you are looking for a more comprehensive priceguide, the best I can recommend was that By Graham Holroyd- Graham Holroyd's Paperback Prices and Checklist. This is far more comprehensive, and many consider it to be the bible for serious collectors of vintage paperbacks and paperback first editions. Two minor problems- it is becoming somewhat dated, with a 2003 publishing date, so it is out of print. Used copies are usually available from the Amazon link below, but are generally fairly pricey for a used item. This is probably a testament to the value of the book. Enjoy! Was this review helpful? Any Comments?
... |
FOR SALE
PULP ARTICLES
PAPERBACK ARTICLES
INTERESTING LINKS
Hangman
Hangman
provided by The Free Dictionary
| |