Your bookshelf could be hiding a treasure
Rachel Pope has been running Browsers Bookstore for the past three decades, so plenty of rare books have passed through her hands.
This week she lent her expertise to Hamilton’s first Antique Books Roadshow which took placed on Wednesday as part of Hamilton Book Month.
“There are two sides to my business: seven dollar paperbacks and 700 dollar books,” said Pope.
Approximately 70 people crowded into the bookstore to see what their books could be worth, and get tips on how to spot a book that might be rare.
According to Pope, collectors are quite specific about what they’re after, both in terms of content and condition.
Rachel Pope, owner of Browsers Bookstore. Photo by Kai Creighton.
Pope valued an early edition of Peter Pan, under its original name Peter and Wendy, at $450. She advised that first editions are not necessarily rare, though they might be depending on the circumstance. Books which printed many copies in their first run may be commonplace.
A pop-up book titled A Christmas Tale, crafted by Kubasta in 1961, was valued at $350, though Pope said due to the intricate design, it would have to be checked over more carefully to be sure of that estimate.
An 1890 edition of Orchids: Their Culture and Management was valued at $350 or more. Pope said a book with coloured plates or other visual elements is often worth more, but should be checked to make sure all the illustrations are intact.
The first thing you see upon entering Browsers Bookstore. Photo by Kai Creighton.
A copy of Shakespeare’s works was brought rebound in leather, which Pope valued at $120. Pope said because copies of Shakespeare are so commonplace, the value of the book was mostly in the leather it was bound in, not the book itself.
However, she warned that if you have a book that is otherwise rare, having it rebound may decrease its value. Having the original cover and dust jacket for a book can be extremely important when evaluating its rarity.
Though dusty antique books may come to mind when discussing valuable books, Pope said there’s been a recent trend of popular “romantasy” books, which often have exclusive special editions, or the author’s signature, and she’s “begrudgingly” acquired a few of these.
