patchouli world

This is a fascinating little book. Far too new for our usual fayre, but reviewed as it is about the business of collecting rare and valuable books. It's not a must-read as it only grazes the surface, but it is an elegant primer that deals with the core terminology up-front, and then runs through the main topics on which people build book collections. Chidley also has an eye towards investment, and has plenty of advice for those who hope their collection will increase in value over the years.

I found the opening sections about how printing machines work, and the terms given to various parts of a book to be the most useful. Also there is a strong glossary at the back. In between, you can dip in and out at will, and gain an understanding of all the common topics including victorian novels, travel, children's, illustrated books, and a guide to popular editions of the classics. Worth every penny!

The book reviewed is Discovering Book Collecting by John Chidley, second edition, published by Shire.

The Gutenberg Bible is famous for the method of its construction. It was the first book ever to be printed in the western world, in 1456. The man who printed it, Johannes Gutenberg, invented the printing machine that he used for the job. It was the first such machine in the west that used movable type and an actual printing machine, made of wood. This machine took several men to operate, but it drastically reduced the price of books which until that point had been drafted manually by scribes, or 'block printed' which took more time and was of lower quality. There is much on the internet about the Gutenberg bible, but the whole story has recently been told by the British television presenter and actor Stephen Fry, in an excellent documentary for the BBC.

The bible is almost priceless. There are around 40-50 copies still in existence, depending on which figures you use, and a single volume of the two-volume set has sold recently for $5.5 million. The rarest examples are complete sets printed on vellum, of which only 40 or so were ever printed. Many copies are partial or have been defaced or damaged before they were quite so valuable.

This book is an extreme example of the sort of work we enjoy researching. If you can't find a book you simply must have, the chances are it is 'rare' and that we can help you. Call now with your challenge for us.