What is the most rare book you have in your collection?

[Kyriakos]

Personally i am sad to say that i do not own any really rare books, although since i have been collecting them for 14 years there are a lot of editions that are out of print.
At some point i did own a 50's edition of some of Helena Olga Blavatchky's short stories, but i threw that away in disgust after i had read it- i was only 18 at the time, and the book appeared to contain something contaminated and repulsive. I had bought it from a greek bookstore in central London at the time :)


And you? Do you have anything really rare in your library?

[Modest Proposal]

I have a couple cool ones but certainly nothing very rare. I have a signed copy of 'Fahrenheit 451' as well as a signed first edition of 'Housekeeping' by Pulitzer prize winner Marylynne Robinson.
I have a few SF first editions like 'The Man in the High Castle' which are worth, maybe, a hundred dollars. Also a set of books, the published letter of some figure, that are 180 years old. Probably not worth much in their condition.

[LuggageFan]

I have a first US edition of the Hanns Heinz Ewers' "The Sorceror's Apprentice", in just good condition, no dustjacket, probably not worth more than $50, if that - from 1929, I believe. The only reason I have that (as opposed to the recent trade paperback reprint) is because when I initially started looking for copies of Ewers' works in the late 90's, I found that his works had been out of print since the end of WWII (he allegedly supported Nazism, except for its anti-semitism, thus, he fell out of favor after the war). So I had to look on ebay for copies, and I found they were nearly impossible to find, but I did manage to find one copy of S.A. for sale one day, and snapped it up for something like $20. I missed out, however, on another first US edition of Ewers' "Blood", which would have been worth considerably more than it's asking price of $60.

[the facade]

I've got a first printing of In Cold Blood by Capote in terrible condition. I also have some first edition Par Lagerkvist (Swedish author and Nobel Prize Laureate), one of which is in great condition and with the page edges gilded.

I wouldn't call these rare, but certainly precious to me :)

[dfloyd]

Both are in Mint condition with slipcases. Hiroshima, signed by John Hersey, is bound in black analine leather and worth somewhere around $3,000. Death of a Salesman is signed by Arthur Miller and its value is about $1,000. Both were published by the Limited Editions Club.

[The Comedian]

I have a copy of "Little Black Sambo" -- a racist children's book which was part of my great grandmother's collection from the late 1800s, early 1900s. Here's what it looks like:

http://www.liverpoolmuseums.org.uk/ism/collections/graphics/little_black_sambo.jpg

The book, there's actually a series of them, are a little unsettling, but they are an unfortunate part of Americana which makes them compelling enough for me to keep around.

[Serena03]

Probably a book from the twenties titled Cowboy Songs I received from a co-worker and also the entire "Lock and Key Library" books from the early twentieth century. I have first editions of Churchill's Second World War and History of English Speaking Peoples series as well, but I would hardly call those rare.

[Whifflingpin]

I've a 1709 edition of George Herbert's poems. I don't suppose there are all that many of those. It cost me £1, and I expect that was about right.

[Gilliatt Gurgle]

I like Comedian's idea of photographing the book (s).
Maybe we could see examples of other members books...?

My library at home includes quite a few old books inherited from my maternal grandfather. Not sure if you would consider them "rare" in in terms of value or having a unique characteristic, but I'm sure the numbers that remain are few.

I will photograph a some examples during my next trip home and share with you later.

.

[Lynne50]

[QUOTE= From the Comedian about Little Black Sambo

The book, there's actually a series of them, are a little unsettling, ...[/QUOTE]

Except for the child's name, there is nothing unsettling about the story.

[stlukesguild]

I have no idea at this point... I'm too trashed. I do have a collection of Nietzsche's poetry and a few other old books... but we'll wait 'til tomorrow. Too much beer right now.:party:

[stlukesguild]

Little Black Sambo!:smilielol5: I had that book as well. Yes, slightly embarrassing.

[spookymulder93]

I have no idea at this point... I'm too trashed. I do have a collection of Nietzsche's poetry and a few other old books... but we'll wait 'til tomorrow. Too much beer right now.:party:

You're like a well read Mick Jagger.

[kasie]

I have a copy of The Indians' Book, a selection of stories and songs collected from Native American peoples at the turn of the twentieth century, published 1907, my edition 1935. It has a lovely cover based on an Indian pattern: I was very excited to see a copy of the book in an exhibition at the V&A a few years ago as an example of Arts & Crafts book-binding. I bought it becasue I once went to a course of World Literature and the lecturer said if we ever saw a copy, buy it because it was a wonderful source of original material. It cost me 35/- (£1.75) which was a princely sum to me in those days (mid-60s) as most of my paperbacks cost no more than 5/- (£0.25) - I've no idea what it would be worth now.

On a totally different theme, I have a first edition of B S Johnson's The Unfortunates, the 'novel in a box', published 1969. The chapters are printed separately, the first and last chapters ae marked as such, the rest you shuffle and read in any order. I've even got the band that held them together, printerd with the instructions on how to proceed with this experimental work. Until recently, it was the only edition but a few years ago it was re-published when a critical biography of Johnson was written. I've no idea if it worth anything at all.

[papayahed]

I have a set of books that are centered around the adventures of me, my 3 grade school friends and my dog. Those have to be the best books I own.

[marcolfo]

Not very rare but, a first edition of the silmarilion. seen them on ebay for like a 100 dlls.

[squidy]

Little Black Sambo! I think my mom has one of those. I did not realize it was racist, because from the illustrations, I didn't realize when I was a kid that Sambo was supposed to be human.

I guess the rarest book I personally own is the copy of the Hobbit my dad gave me. It has a strange cover illustration with what could be Hobbiton, but on closer inspection has a weird flamingo and a plumb tree type thing, and I learned from watching a documentary that it was a bootleg from, I think, the 60s. It's in a box somewhere now..
Edit: oh, here's a picture: http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/emu_hobbit.jpg (Oh yeah, I guess it is more like an emu...)

[hazelk]

The Jungle Book - Rudyard Kipling printed 1899. The first edition is 1894.

[Delta40]

What Katy Did at School. I don't know how old the edition is but there it was awarded to a child in Sunday School in 1923.

[Phaedra's Love]

It's not too valuable (I bought it for 15 euros at a vintage bookstore in the Hague), but I have a copy of Twelfth Night published in 1900. It was given to the schools in Netherland by the Help Holland Council in Britain. I also bought Macbeth and Comedy of Errors of the same edition and gave them to my friend as a present!

[keilj]

I have this one

1634


It's not valuable, but I guess it is rare - for the same reason that the Black Sambo books are

I don't find anything racist about my Brer Rabbit book. It's an incredibly rich story, and Brer Rabbit was my favorite character when I was young

[Lokasenna]

It's probably not worth much, but I've got a copy of the complete works of Shakespeare dating from 1881... It's inscribed with Christmas greetings to Edwin (my great-grandfather, I assume - no other known Edwins in the family) from Harold (no idea who that is), which is rather nice.

My personal favourite in my own collection is the libretto of Skallagrim: An Opera, one of only 500 printed, dating from the early 1900s, which is a cheerfully mad Edwardian attempt to turn saga into opera, and features some of the most bizzare lyrics I have ever encountered. I've checked the internet, and it is worth about £60, which is £40 more than I paid for it, but I'd never part with it.

[Delarge]

I own a 1st edition of a danish translation by Christian Winther of "The Iliad" from 1851. This translation was used in high school until 10 years ago. It is a remarkable translation and besides showing the beauty of The Iliad it also shows the danish language from it's best.

I had to learn how to read gothic letters prior to reading it, as it is written in gothic letters.

It is by no means worth a fortune, but got alot of sentimental value to me.

[Gilliatt Gurgle]

I like Comedian's idea of photographing the book (s).
Maybe we could see examples of other members books...?

My library at home includes quite a few old books inherited from my maternal grandfather. Not sure if you would consider them "rare" in in terms of value or having a unique characteristic, but I'm sure the numbers that remain are few.

I will photograph a some examples during my next trip home and share with you later.

.

A few from my Grandfather’s WW I footlocker:

Of course; “Toilers of the Sea” by Victor Hugo
Copyright: Not printed. I am researching this, but I believe it falls within the 1880’s.
The publisher was Peter Fenelon Collier (of “Collier’s” magazine fame) New York:


http://i963.photobucket.com/albums/ae114/tabuka1/Misc%20Album/ToilersoftheSea.jpg


A copy of one of several engravings from the book:


http://i963.photobucket.com/albums/ae114/tabuka1/Misc%20Album/TOSEngraving.jpg


“The Newsboy Partners” by Frank Webster
Copyright 1909


http://i963.photobucket.com/albums/ae114/tabuka1/Misc%20Album/NewsboyPartners.jpg

Page 1 from “Newsboy Partners:


http://i963.photobucket.com/albums/ae114/tabuka1/Misc%20Album/PagefromNP.jpg


“The Pipes O’ Pan at Zekesbury” by James Whitcomb Riley
Copyright: 1913


http://i963.photobucket.com/albums/ae114/tabuka1/Misc%20Album/JamesWhitcombRiley.jpg


“The Rime of the Ancient Mariner” and “The Vision of Sir Launfal”
Copyright: 1898


http://i963.photobucket.com/albums/ae114/tabuka1/Misc%20Album/RimeofAncientMariner.jpg


“Epochs of Ancient History - Rome and Carthage” Text book
Copyright 1887


http://i963.photobucket.com/albums/ae114/tabuka1/Misc%20Album/RomeandCarthage.jpg



Gilliatt

[Ghuyuran]

I went to Germany a year ago and found a small bookshop hidden on the corner of a street in Munich. Inside it was exactly like I had ever dreamed such a store to be. Dim lights, shelves and piles of book everywhere and a coat of dust over all. I, of course, used my rudimentary German and asked for Goethe's Faust, on which the ancient man promptly showed me his fist to see if I wanted a part of it. I still laugh at this little joke of his, when he obviously saw I was struggling with my German. Nevertheless, he went up a ladder and handed me a small red book with gothic lettering inside.

Happens to be a 1924 version. Isn't worth much, but has a great value to me.

[Emil Miller]

I discussed this book with Gilliatt a while ago. It is the oldest book I have and is not in very good condition. It is a second edition printed in 1732.

http://img713.imageshack.us/img713/6745/scan0006o.jpg

[gjgeorge]

Wow!!!, That's really impressive here so many of you guys has one or two rare books. And I am the sad one. Me too don't own any rare book yet :(

[Dark Passenger]

A signed reprint of Fight Club.

[Niamh]

I have a first edition of the Playboy of the western World by Synge, but my gem would be my Poetical Works of Thomas Moore from 1900 with an early signature of John MaCormack who because a famous tenor dubbed "The Count". He is famous for singing Moores melodies and this book comes from around the time he was a student.

[arrytus]

I have two very very good condition Black Sparrow first edition books by Bukowski.

I should note that a work at a used bookstore and last week we got about 3 dozen or more books which were all printed in 1878-1882. I didn't keep/buy any of them however. The age thing doesn't really interest me [or money], only the content.

[Three Sparrows]

I guess the rarest book I personally own is the copy of the Hobbit my dad gave me. It has a strange cover illustration with what could be Hobbiton, but on closer inspection has a weird flamingo and a plumb tree type thing, and I learned from watching a documentary that it was a bootleg from, I think, the 60s. It's in a box somewhere now..
Edit: oh, here's a picture: http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/emu_hobbit.jpg (Oh yeah, I guess it is more like an emu...)

Oh my gosh, I have one of those! I have the Lord of the Rings books like that too, only they are literally falling apart. Also, I have a first edition of "The Shadow Line" by Joseph Conrad. I don't know if these are "rare" but they are fun to have in the bookshelf.

[Tallon]

i have a rob roy from 1828 or something, it's in pretty good condition but i think it's only a second edition. I have some Graham Greene first editions too which are just nice to have because he is great. One of my favourite things i have is a science fiction bookclub edition of Vonnegut's Player Piano from 1952, my local second hand shop had pretty much the entire collection of the science fiction bookclub hardbacks and i was slowly buying them all for 2 or 3 pounds, only to leave the town for two years to return and find them all priced at about 30quid, which was annoying. But i like my Player Piano because i was reading it in 2002 and some little bus tickets fell out where the original owner had been reading it and they were dated for exactly the same day 50 years ago in 1952, which i loved, imagining someone else reading Vonnegut's first novel on the bus 50 years ago to the day.

[prendrelemick]

My oldest book is a 1730 edition of Xenophon's Anabasis, written in Greek with a Latin translation. I cant read it, but I like having it.

The most valuable to me is a signed copy of Ted Hughes' Moortown Diary, an unlooked for gift from the author just before he died.

[Gilliatt Gurgle]

i have a rob roy from 1828 or something...
...50 years ago in 1952, which i loved, imagining someone else reading Vonnegut's first novel on the bus 50 years ago to the day.


My oldest book is a 1730 edition of Xenophon's Anabasis ...The most valuable to me is a signed copy of Ted Hughes' Moortown Diary,

Care to share a photo Tallon and Prendrelemick?

.