Harriet Beecher Stowe, Uncle Tom's Cabin. 1852-53. 2 vol.

-- Dawn Lilly (lillyac@clinic.net), April 11, 1999

Answers

The information that you've given is the "right" information; the information that you failed to give is the important information. Which printing, which "thousandth", what publisher and city, what color cover, and the list goes on and on, and ends with what condition? There are so many "points" recorded on this title that in order to determine if you have a winner you'll pretty much have to have it appraised by a qualified appraiser who is NOT in the business of buying and selling property. You'll have to pay for the appraisal. You could, alternatively, show the book to three or four book dealers, but you'll never be able to trust the results, and they'll resent you for trying to wangle a free appraisal. If you want to just get an idea of the possibilities, go to ABE, type in your author/title info, click the 'first edition' box and submit your search. You'll get about three pages of returns. This is not a rare, rare volume, but it can be a pricey one. Best of luck, but if you really want to know, spend the money for the appraisal.

-- Charles Gardiner (cgard@rclink.net), April 13, 1999.

Thank you Charles Gardiner. My volumes are in similar condition to books shown on Ebay. Where do I get descriptions of points? The Vol.II offered on ABE reads like what I have. I have seen Ahearn where these go for from $1000. to $10,000., but no one wants to pay it here in Maine.

Also, I have not seen an edition published in London on the internet, but did see it in rare books at the Library of Congress.

Dawn Lilly

-- Dawn Lilly (lillyac@clinic.net), April 13, 1999.

Two suggestions:

Go back to ABE, same search, and take the time to read carefully each description. Don't focus on the price; focus on the information. As you go along, you'll see that some of the dealers are essentially advertising the 'points' possessed by their particular volumes, the color of a cover, sometimes a typographical error on line so and so, page so and so, and etc. In this particular search, I remember that some dealer made reference to the "points in so and so..." the name of the author of the bibliograpgical reference in this case. That's where you start.

In regards to willing buyers in Maine, if you're not already familiar with it, here is the link for the Maine Antiquarian Booksellers Association. Granted, these are dealers; they are neither willing nor able to buy your book at retail level. But it is they, not you, that are in a position to hold onto the volumes until a buyer emerges (for it is they, not you) whom the buyers will seek out), and it is among that group that you are far more likely to find a person willing to invest in your volumes today, against the possibility of finding a buyer at some time in the future.

If you really believe that nobody in Maine wants to pay the price (whatever you imagine that may be), they have kindly put that list of links right there on the front page, making it easier for you to test the desirability of your volumes outside of Maine.

-- Charles Gardiner (cgard@rclink.net), April 13, 1999.