The Jungle Book sold but for a complete listing of the titles and collections currently available please visit the online store at Abebooks.com


In addition to a large collections of 19th century children’s books, and adult fiction we have a broad array of art books, reference materials, religion and philosophy. Lately I have been cataloguing 19th century travelogues.

Also available is a large collection of 19th century and early 20th century periodicals, some bound, some still in their original condition: The Atlantic Monthly, Harper’s, The Century Illustrated, Lippincott’s, Putnam, The North American Review, Scribner’s, St. Nicholas Magazine. Many are not yet listed so inquiries for specific editions are welcomed.

A note on “private sales.” Buyers sometimes ask to purchase from me directly rather than through the service where they found the listing. Presumably the benefit is some marginal savings on commissions or the avoidance of some tax.

The convenience of having all my record keeping and “billing” being handled through one platform pleases me. I have no desire to have multiple inventories or to track down payments. The service AbeBooks provides—putting these books in front of potential buyers—is worth the fee they earn.

A note on pricing. As of this writing I am not a member of any trade association wherein members are expected to give one another a specified discount.

As a rule I try to set my prices so that my listing is the lowest priced available item of a similar described condition with photographs. I know my listing price is at the low end to begin with.

There are exceptions. Occasionally I will list a book somewhat higher than the lowest available photographed equivalent because I like it; the enjoyment of having it around outweighs my desire to move it. Othertimes I list a book for an arbitrarily high price; this is generally a sign that I am an unable to find a comparable item or haven’t completed research.

Occasionally I can find no market equivalents but my other research tells me the book is valuable—a good example is Catherine Maria Sedgwick’s A New England Tale. The listing price for these evidently unique items is somewhat arbitrary, and perhaps high, based on the fact that—at the time I did the research—I could find no equivalent.

Occasionally a book’s condition and need of professional conservatorship cause me to again set a price that is somewhat arbitrary, and perhaps low. My hope is these items will find their way into the hands of someone who can rescue them. This typically applies only to books rated fair or poor.

A note on the photography. The AbeBooks platform only allows the display of five photographs. Often this is sufficient to exhibit the book’s condition, any important publication data, and possibly one interesting characteristic. However, a book with multiple illustrations, foldouts, unique printing defects that resolve its value or print run, or isolated areas of damage that warrant disclosure may require additional information. In these cases I often have additional photographs which can be shared via email.

For greater detail on the acquisition of this inventory and plans for its disposition you can read the blog entry A Rabbit Hole Filled With Books. More than a year in I realize it is longer than necessary, and turgid, but it felt good to write it at the time.

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