The Breaker : Still controversial – but it can be profitable
- by Susan Halas
Very simple tools will do the job.
Though I can not estimate the profits with certainty, I can say I’ve had this particular book before in a later, smaller edition in even worse condition (sans camels) and that nearly every piece sold.
Before discussing how to take it apart let's talk about what parts might have value.
It’s important to remember that even though all these pieces come from the same volume they are not all of equal value and they should be priced accordingly. The ones with the maps and pictures are worth more, the ones with only text are worth less.
Given that today practically any text is accessible on the web, there are some dealers who’d argue that the all text sections have a monetary value of next to zero; but this writer would not be in that camp.
This is also true of maps. For some regions an 1856 map is not early and may not have wide appeal. On the other hand I’m fairly certain that there is going to be a buyer for the Franklin Polar Expedition with a map. Likewise the summary of Australian explorations with an accompanying map of the Eastern coast of that continent is an item with much appeal.
There are quite a few parts that relate to Africa and it is possible that they will sell better if presented as a lot. What’s the most important factor in determining the price is thinking about who is collecting this explorer or region and what about the selection makes it worth acquiring. That means looking them up individually, it also means looking at the prices realized for similar material.
How to break it
Taking a book like this one apart is not very complicated. It requires a soft pencil, an X-Acto or box cutter style knife with a NEW sharp blade and pair of fine pointed nail scissors.
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Institutional Collections & Deacccessioned Books
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Institutional Collections & Deacccessioned Books
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