Have you entered a religious bookstore lately and seen the price of books? I’ve seen average paperbacks close to $30! And the content of most…yikes! I remember reading years ago a quote by C.S. Lewis where he said for every two or three contemporary books you read, you should go and read a book that is at least 100 years old. While in principle I agree, I think he’s got the ratio backwards. Now, lest I be accused of not being interested in “relevance” to our current culture or current issues, let me explain why I think it important to read from those who walked along the “old paths.”
I’d estimate that about 95% of the “christian” books published today aren’t worth the paper they’re printed on. How many of them will be able to stand the test of time? How many will be republished again and again in the next one, two, or three hundred years? Which books on your shelf will believers want to own 100+ years from now? Apart from historical works and biography, as I look at my shelf of modern books, I would venture to guess that only a very few of them will be known a century from now, and that estimate may be a little generous. Other than books written on very specific cultural issues of the day, a books’ real value, as a general rule, can be ascertained only once it stands the test of time.
I once read that since the time of the Reformation, more than 100,000 hymns have been written. The average hymnbook today has about 800 hymns, with the specific contents varying little from book to book. What that means is that time has sifted and separated the good from the bad, and roughly 1% of all that was written is still deemed valuable today. Horatius Bonar wrote over 600 hymns and in most hymn books you most probably will only find 8-12 of them. So if it is true that time helps us to discern those writings with the greater eternal value, why not try and accumulate those volumes that have passed the test of time, and do it for about the same price, if not more cheaply, to make sure that our libraries are as spiritually profitable to us as they can be. This is not to say these modern publications are completely devoid of value, but rather, I think there are better choices for us to make when considering the use of our resources.
Consider that food for thought. I’m sure not all will agree with my assessment and I can think of at least one counter-argument I could see showing up in the comments. But if you have always wanted to find a few worthy old books, here is a little advice from someone who has made more than his fair share of poor book choices in the past.
So where does one even begin to locate or find these gems from the past? What does one look for in buying an antiquarian volume? I am by no means a “professional” when it comes to book collecting, but here are a few tips I’ve picked up along the way.
What to Look For in an Old Book
1. Only buy those books you’re interested in reading. It’s nice to have some full-leather, 17th century Puritan works on your shelves, but if they’re not read or referenced they become expensive dust collectors; albeit, beautiful dust collectors. My collection is pretty one dimensional, consisting mainly of antiquarian puritan and reformed volumes. I’m not interested in much more than that so with shelf space being at a premium, I only purchase those volumes that interest me. I think that’s the best way to start.
2. Unless it is simply a book you must have, make sure you only buy those that are in “Good+” condition. If one is a little industrious and skilled at minor book repair some good deals may be had with rarer items in less than desirable condition; a fixer-upper, if you will. But there is no need to load up your shelves with books that are missing portions of their spine or has its’ covers detached. In most cases, you’ll never get what you paid for it if you ever decide to sell it down the road.
3. When evaluating the condition of a book you should ask yourself the following:
a) Is there major/minor foxing (ie. mildew stains) on the paper? Sometimes it can be so bad as to make the text near imposssible to read. Minor foxing, however, isn’t much of a problem and should almost be expected.
b) Is the text block tight or has it started to separate? If gutters (splits clear through the text block) are starting to form in several places it won’t be long before the book has some pretty serious problems.
c) Are the corners bumped or rubbed, or are the boards starting to show through the cloth or leather? Ususally, a certain amount of this is to be expected, but you should always assess the general outside wear.
d) Is the spine missing any pieces near the top or bottom or is it starting to separate from the binding altogether? Personally, I can’t stand when the spine is missing a portion at the head or foot and is definitely a deal-breaker for me. If the spine is separating away from the binding itself it can really make the book look terrible; but this is nothing a little wheat paste can’t quickly remedy in most cases if the title is a desired one.
e) Are the boards simply loose, have they split, or are they just hanging on by a thread? When you look at the seam inside the cover, it is important to assess how firmly attached the boards are. If they are loose, or slightly cracked, or if gutters are just starting to form, it may still be a relatively firm binding. However, if there are large gutters or the strings from the text block are stretched or broken, then in most cases it won’t be long before the binding falls apart.
There are general exceptions to some of these points as well as a few other things to consider. But this is a good starting point. If a book rates a minimum of “Good” to “Good+” in these major areas, and it is something of interest to you, then you’ll have a good friend for a long time to come.
4. Remember, just because it’s old doesn’t necessarily mean it’s any good. Like most things, some garbage still manages to find its way onto shelves. I won’t even begin to go into a few “doozies” I’ve pulled down off my shelf only to wonder what in the world I was thinking when I purchased it. Familiarize yourself with some of the old authors and be prudent in your selections. The wrong book, if read undiscerningly, could do great spiritual harm.
Bonus Tip: Sometimes these old books come with a mildewy or musty smell to them which to some is an aromatic delight, and to others, disgusting. When bringing these to bed at night to read, your spouse will be able to tell you very quickly, via their keen sense of smell, whether or not the book is welcome there. Proceed with much caution!
Where to Find Them
1. The largest aggregator of bookseller inventories online is abebooks.com. Unless you’re trying to find a really rare title, you can generally find what you need at Abe.
2. Ebay is great for those who want to build a library of great books without paying a heavy price to do it. Sadly, there are not the same deals to be had as in its early days, but the shrewd buyer can still come away with some real treasures. Here is the category you should go through a couple times a week. There is a lot of junk that is listed but every single day there are books worth picking up.
3. Jon Dorsey at Dust & Ashes Publications is simply the best seller to deal with when trying to find or purchase old books. His knowledge in certain areas is second to none. He has weekly Ebay auctions which can be viewed here, or you can see an inventory of items at his site here. His descriptions of content and condition are always accurate, which helps to take away some of the ambiguity of buying something old and used. He is always open to enquiries to help find specific titles.
4. And since this is a blog and most of us read a number of them, there is a UK seller who has kept up with the times and publishes all his new inventory (which can also be found at abebooks.com) on his blog. It’s a quick scan-through when it comes through your RSS reader. As usual, you take the good with the not so good, which means there is something there for everyone.
5. And for those who are looking for some nice old leather puritan and reformed works, check out Gowanbooks.com and make sure to get on his mailing list. He always puts out a great list that makes you wish you had just a few more dollars to spend.
I hope this is somewhat helpful as a starter’s guide. Happy hunting.
No comments:
Post a Comment