An Affinity for the Unassuming.

Posted by Tara on 06.27.2012 at 3:59 pm

Ryan Van Plew-Cid is a Senior Bibliographer in the Antiquarian, Rare, and Collectible Books section at Better World Books.  A self-professed Man of Leisure/Gentleman of Good Fortune.  Slavophile. Purveyor of artisanal cocktails; enthusiast of related cocktailiana, old and new.

For the last seven years I have worked as a Rare Book Specialist in the ARC (Antiquarian, Rare and Collectible) Department of Better World Books.  In those years, I have personally touched over a million books. The vast majority of these tomes have values so fleeting that most are worth less than the paper they’re printed on.  Of course, when you spend every day swimming in a sea of books, sooner or later you’re bound to find a buried treasure or two.

Through my scouting, I have developed an affinity for a certain type of book.  My favorites are the ones that are entirely devoid of any of trappings that overtly advertise themselves as being special or valuable; i.e. leather, gilt, hand-laid paper, high-point titles.  For example, I would receive very little satisfaction from handling a Gutenberg Bible: its value and importance are already known to me and just about everyone else, leaving little to be discovered.  I much prefer working with books whose value and importance are much more demure and unassuming, only revealing themselves to the depth of my curiosity. They lack personality upon first glance.  If personified, they might be described as dry and slightly abrasive, a bit like an old professor.  One title that illustrates this point particularly well is the Theory and Techniques for Design of Electronic Digital Computers, Volumes II and III, which comprises one half of The Moore School Lectures.

Discovering parts II and III of the exceedingly rare Moore School Lectures was no easy feat.  They were part of a much larger acquisition from another prominent bookseller’s inventory.  As “unsaleables”, every book in this lot carried with it the dubious distinction of being a bookseller’s castoff; not “worth” anything.

Additionally, the literature  of Early Computing is not (yet!) exactly the sexiest genre being collected; it was one I knew very little about.  Von Neumann, Shannon and Turing were not yet on the radar.  The original Moore School Lectures were printed as mimeographs.  I was instantly drawn in by the plainness of their appearance.  I had never heard of Eckert and Mauchly, but images of the ENIAC resonated enough for my instincts to inform me that something very interesting was on hand.  A couple of google searches and a phone call to two specialist dealers confirmed these notes to be the literary genesis of the computer age. These books are still waiting for the right savvy buyer, and are listed for around $13K for the pair.

What is the most unassuming, yet valuable, book you’ve ever seen?

2 Comments » | Tagged Ask the Dust: Notes from the Rare Book Section, Antiquarian Rare and Collectible, collect, computers, ENIAC, Moore School, rare, value

Antiquarian Ramblings: A Diamond in the Rough

Posted by admin on 07.31.2009 at 12:58 pm

When the American Archives Series books came to the ARC department, many of them had missing boards and other issues compromising their structural integrity.  They also smelled of the ancient organic dust that accompanies old leather bound books, reminding me that I was due for a Tetanus booster shot.  That said, my expectations were low.

A quick glimpse of the market revealed a value for these volumes at around $100-200 a piece.  Not bad, but given their present state, and the collective need for some TLC from a sympathetic binder, these tomes were destined to be sold for scrap at auction.  After plowing through a few of these, I came across American Archives; Fifth Series, Volume I.  A cursory glance of this item suggested it would fare the same fate as its siblings.  Since I literally couldn’t judge this book by its cover as it didn’t have one, I dug right in.  And to my surprise,  the latter half of the book revealed a true diamond in the rough.

There in the back, just waiting to be discovered was a pristine facsimile copy of the Declaration of Independence encapsulated within Read more…

1 Comment » | Tagged Antiquarian Ramblings, Antiquarian Ramblings, Antiquarian Rare and Collectible, ARC, better world books, Declaration of Independence, Diamond in the Rough, eBay, ryan

Discovering the Value of Us

Posted by Rudy on 09.29.2008 at 4:00 pm

For the next ten weeks, my more than 200 co-workers and I will be celebrating the very best of one another through each of Better World Books’ core values.

1. We ♥ Books. Respect the book. Read often and help others to do the same.
2. Flabbergast our Customers. Seek out opportunities to make a difference with value, service, and selection.
3. Invest well. Waste not. Choose wisely; consider the return on your efforts and the impact in your actions. Reuse, reuse, reuse… Then reduce and recycle.
4. Lead the movement. Take a stand; share your enthusiasm and build momentum through human connections.
5. Speak through action. Put your ideas to work; play to win but never fear failure.
6. Be passionate. Wear your heart on your sleeve; stand up for what your believe.
7. Pursue growth through learning. Challenge yourself; make a point to try new things.
8. Be genuine. Keep it real; be honest with others and true to your quirktastic self.
9. Embrace change. Adapt to circumstances; help others find ways to succeed in our evolving world.
10. Respect our team. Be humble; welcome diversity and recognize that shared success is the only kind that matters.

To get things started, the Antiquarian, Rare, and Collectible Books Team performed an original composition by cataloguer Carol Devorkin entitled “I Am ARC”…

Read more…

Have your say » | Tagged Dispatches from the Green House, Antiquarian Rare and Collectible, core values, Dispatches from the Green House, original poetry, Rudy Reyes Jr.