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An often overlooked resource is the local library. Libraries do their purchasing almost exclusively from publishers' new release lists, with the advantage to us of these almost always being first editions. If you have a question about the dust jacket (or anything else) of a first edition, a trip to the library never hurts. Many libraries also have expensive references.
Reference books are a good start, but nothing beats visiting bookshops.
Allen Ahearn, Book Collecting - A Comprehensive Guide
Includes estimated values for first books by over 3500 collected authors.
Allen and Patricia Ahearn, Collected Books, The Guide to Values
A revised edition of the 1991 guide, with values and identification points for more than 20,000 first and important collected editions.
May Hill Arbuthnot & Zena Sutherland, Children and Books, 4th Edition
Overall, the most informative edition of the classic reference, containing information now deleted from Sutherland's 9th edition. Includes information on authors, illustrators, and texts, organized by sub genres, with extensive discussion on understanding children and their literary needs.
Whitman Rose Benet, The Reader's Encyclopedia, An Encyclopedia of World Literature and the Arts.
Copyright 1948, in four volumes.
Whitman Rose Benet, The Reader's Encyclopedia, 4th Edition.
1996 revised reference on World Literature, including biographies, "plot synopses and character sketches from important works; historical data in literary schools, movements, terms, and awards, and myths and legends.
Whitman Bennett, A Practical Guide to American Nineteenth Century American Color Plate Books
A useful guide to American books with a minimum of three color plates, printed between 1800 and 1900. Excludes children's books and books with tinted plates.
Bernard/Bernard/O'Neill Antiquarian Books: A Companion
A comprehensive reference to antiquarian books, with over 450 articles and entries, including printing, illustration, bibliography, the book trade, and Victorian books, as well as numerous appendices.
Bradley, Van Allen, Gold in Your Attic, as well as More Gold in Your Attic and The New Gold in Your Attic
Bradley's books provide an alphabetized index of hundred of titles, and a value price guide. Useful to the collector of rare old books, limited and first editions. These books were eventually compiled into one book: The Book Collector's Handbook of Values.
Carter and Muir, Printing and the Mind of Man
A descriptive catalogue illustrating the impact of print on the evolution of Western civilization over five centuries.
John Carter, ABC for Book Collectors
Classic text contains in-depth, alphabetized descriptions of every aspect of antique and modern book collecting. Long recognized as "the most informative reference book on the subject." It contains over 450 entries of regarding book collecting definations, and technical book terms.
Frank E. Comparato, Books for the Millions
Ian Ellis, Book Finds: How to Find, Buy and Sell Used and Rare Books
An insider's guide to the rare and used book industry, with an index of over one thousand of the 'most collectible' books and authors.
L. Freeman, How to Buy and Sell Old Books
Philip Gaskell, A New Introduction to Bibliography
Incorporating advances since the publication of McKerrow's acknowledged classic on bibliography in the era of hand printing,, An Introduction to Bibliography for Literary Studies, Gaskill "breaks new ground by providing a general descripton of the printing practices for the machine-press period.
Jane Greenfield, Care of Fine Books
Expert advice on the storage, handling and conservation of books from a former conservator of the Yale University Library. Includes sources for conservation materials.
Huxford, Huxford's Old Book Value Guide 25,000 Listings of Old Books With Current Values
This text is published annually and attempts to not repeat listings in earlier editions. Additionally, Huxford provides a comprehensive index of pen names cross-referenced with alphabetized book listings.
Thomas Lee, 20th Century First Edition Fiction: A Price and Identification Guide, Book Emporium Press, MD
A complete guide to identifying and price first edition modern fiction, as well as the current recommended values for over 1200 modern authors.
J.R. Lefontaine, The Collector's Bookshelf
J.R. Lefontaine, The Collector's Bookshelf - Value Guide
J.R. Lefontaine, Handbook for Booklovers
A reference of 33,000 collectible book titles. Includes the correct title and original date and place of publication.
J.R. Lefontaine, Turning Paper into Gold
Bill McBride, A Pocket Guide to the Identification of First Editions
This guide list the methods that past and present English-language publishers use to identify first editions of their hardbound and paperbound books.
Bill McBride, Points of Issue
Lists points in books by authors of the 19th and 20th centuries.
Ronald B. McKerrow, An Introduction to Bibliography for Literary Students
This book is one of the very few authorities that can be descried as essential to anyone interested in the history of printed books in the era of hand printing.
National Children's Book and Literary Alliance
David Pearson, Provenance Research in Book History
Newly revised with updated references, this book is the "standard in a field of rapidly growing interest. It offers a compendium of information on the ways to recognize and identify marks of ownership. Topics covered include inscriptions, mottoes, bookplates, book labels and book stamps, armorials, catalogues, lists of private libraries, provenance indices, heraldry and paleography.
Henry Petroski, The Book on the Bookshelf
The subjects are books and bookshelves, and Petroski "explores the ways in which the housing of books evolved" as the form of books themselves evolved, beginning with the storage of ancient scrolls, to the invention of the modern bookcase, which allowed for books to be stored with their spines facing out.
David and Susan Siegel, Used Book Lovers Guides (US and Canada)
Available by regions, the authors provide the names and addresses of antiquarian, out-of-print, and used booksellers.
Anita Silvey, Children's Books and Their Creators, An Invitation to the Feast of Twentieth-century Children's Literature
A guide to contemporary American children's literature, from books for the very young to young adult novels, covering "genres, history, issues, authors, and illustrators."
Zena Sutherland. Children & Books, 9th ed.
The most recent update of this text, contains authors and illustrators not included in earlier editions.
Lynn Vigeant, Dealer's Thesaurus, 6,000 Ways to Describe Books and Historical Paper
Edward N. Zempel and Linda A. Verkler, First Editions: A Guide to Identification, Spoon River Press)
A wide inventory of the first edition designation practices of nearly 3,000 trade and academic publishers in the United States, the United Kingdom, the Republic Of Ireland, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand,.arranged alphabetically by publisher.
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