At auction no copies have come up since 1997. Between 1984 and 1997, 8 copies came up. Only two of them were the New York edition. It brought $90 in 1995 and $120 in 1994. It is listed in Howes as an a, its lowest rating. Howes USiana lists 11,600 titles of which half are rated an a. but Howes lists only 10% of the titles that Sabins Bibliotheca records. Its a good thing to be listed in Howes even with a common rating. My guess is that, at a smaller auction house, a very good copy of Latrobe will be estimated $200 to $300 or $250 to $350 and bring $300 to $375. In my view that puts the auction line on this chart at $325. Dealer prices generally start at $500 for a decent copy. On ABE recently there were 5 copies of this edition, none of which seemed exceptional.
If you buy an exceptional copy, $500 is a bargain. If you buy it in poor condition, $200 is no bargain. Remember that someday you may sell your books. Great copies sell very well and attract a strong audience. Poor copies raise doubts about your judgment. With all due respect to Mr. Latrobe, his book is common enough that to own it, it should be a great copy. Negotiate for a better copy at a better price, not a poor copy at a lower price. If you are going to settle for a poor copy, go for something that is exceptionally important or rare. That way, the books overall condition may not detract too much from the value of your collection. With many copies available you can afford to be fussy. You can also consider the first English edition or the second English edition published the following year with a map. Ultimately, to know the one edition you’ll learn about the others. Whatever you decide, you only need one.
My point? Latrobes book suffers from a lack of recognition but the book is actually quite good. It contains plenty of local information. It has a lot of upside because it fits into a wide variety of collecting approaches. But how much can you appropriately pay? Look for a very good copy at a price that is within range of auction realizations and only buy it if it logically fits into your collection.
High Bids Win Rare Books, Catalogs, Magazines and Machine Manuals December 24 to January 9
High Bids Win, Dec. 24 – Jan. 9: Ellis Smith Prints unsigned. 20” by 16”.
High Bids Win, Dec. 24 – Jan. 9: United typothetae of America presidents. Pictures of 37 UTA presidents 46th annual convention United typothetae of America Cincinnati 1932.
High Bids Win, Dec. 24 – Jan. 9: Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec signed Paper Impressionism Art Prints. MayMilton 9 1/2” by 13” Reine de Joie 9 1/2” by 13”.
High Bids Win Rare Books, Catalogs, Magazines and Machine Manuals December 24 to January 9
High Bids Win, Dec. 24 – Jan. 9: Aberle’ Ballet editions. 108th triumph, American season spring and summer 1944.
High Bids Win, Dec. 24 – Jan. 9: Puss ‘n Boots. 1994 Charles Perrult All four are signed by Andreas Deja
High Bids Win, Dec. 24 – Jan. 9: Specimen book of type faces. Job composition department, Philadelphia gazette publishing company .
High Bids Win Rare Books, Catalogs, Magazines and Machine Manuals December 24 to January 9
High Bids Win, Dec. 24 – Jan. 9: An exhibit of printed books, Bridwell library.
High Bids Win, Dec. 24 – Jan. 9: A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur Court By Mark Twain 1889.
High Bids Win, Dec. 24 – Jan. 9: 1963 Philadelphia Eagles official program.
High Bids Win Rare Books, Catalogs, Magazines and Machine Manuals December 24 to January 9
High Bids Win, Dec. 24 – Jan. 9: 8 - Esquire the magazine for men 1954.
High Bids Win, Dec. 24 – Jan. 9: The American printer, July 1910.
High Bids Win, Dec. 24 – Jan. 9: Leaves of grass 1855 by Walt Whitman.
Sotheby's Fine Books, Manuscripts & More Available for Immediate Purchase
Sotheby’s: William Shakespeare. The Poems and Sonnets of William Shakespeare, 1960. 7,210 USD
Sotheby’s: Charles Dickens. A Christmas Carol, First Edition, 1843. 17,500 USD
Sotheby’s: William Golding. Lord of the Flies, First Edition, 1954. 5,400 USD
Sotheby's Fine Books, Manuscripts & More Available for Immediate Purchase
Sotheby’s: Lewis Carroll. Through the Looking Glass and What Alice Found There, Inscribed First Edition, 1872. 25,000 USD
Sotheby’s: J.R.R. Tolkien. The Hobbit, First Edition, 1937. 12,000 USD
Sotheby’s: John Milton. Paradise Lost, 1759. 5,400 USD
