An original dust jacket can be the difference between a prize find and just another old book. Syd Wachs/ Unsplash
Atlas Obscura: How a Rare Book Appraiser Passes Judgment in 30 Seconds or Less
A discerning eye often means a disappointed collector.
On the main exhibition floor of the 58th Annual New York International Antiquarian Book Fair, sprawled across the 60,000-square-foot drill hall of New York City’s Park Avenue Armory last weekend, a buzzing grid of vendors peddled books and ephemera. The oldest item was an illuminated scroll dating to the 13th century, and the priciest—a first edition of Copernicus’s study of the heavens—held an astonishing $2 million price tag. All of the thousands of items for sale were guaranteed by the Antiquarian Booksellers Association of America, meaning that buyers could return their purchases for a full refund within 30 days if they spot unexpected defects or feel like they were misled.
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Bookyards Editor: You must really know your stuff if you can appraise a book in 30 seconds.
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