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COLLECTING  BOOKS

 








COLLECTING  BOOKS
COLLECTING  BOOKS
such as those on travel and sports, from the late 19th century onwards, are perennially popular. They also give rare insights into previous eras. But beware: just because a book is old and a first



 
Increased TV coverage of cookery and lifestyle topics has stimulated interest in books on these subjects, with prices being affected by factors such as rarity, desirability, and fashion.



Recipe for success






Despite their popularity, first-edition cookery books from the late 19th and
early 20th centuries can often lie found for less than ,£15-25.

Mrs Beeton is the best-known Victorian author of domestic science hooks, and a top-condition, first edition of her Book of Household Management (1861) can cost more than £1,000. The book was rewritten and reissued several times
COLLECTING  BOOKS








, though, and
for about £20-40. Modern reprints will usually cost less than £10.




Others to look out for include the 19th-century writer Mary Henderson, whose hooks fetch around £20—150. and 20th-century authors X.M. Boulestin. whose works can sell for £10—50, and Ambrose Heath (about £5-15).






COLLECTING  BOOKS




Modern cooks





From the 1960s, the number of cookery books rocketed. Authors of interest include Elizabeth David, Theodora Fitzgibbon, Primrose Boyde, and Patience Grey. Values usually range between £5 and £30. The books of early TV chef Fanny Craddock tend to fetch around £10-20.



The armchair traveller
COLLECTING  BOOKS








Travel guides can fetch high prices. Baedeker produced a range of travel books between 1860 and the outbreak of World War II, at a time of increased interest in travel. The series is known for historical information, attention to detail, and its early star-rating system. The first and only English edition on Russia (1914) can be worth up to £600 or more




. The classic 1929 guide to Egypt, which includes information on the discovery of Tutankhamun's tomb in 1922, is worth around £100-300. Later printings of other Baedekers,
such as an 11th edition on northern Italy (1899), can sell for £10-30 or more, although some can cost up to £300 if in good condition.
COLLECTING  BOOKS






Thomas Cook also produced travel guides, and a pre-1930s first edition, such as Cook's Traveller's Handbook Venice (1923), can he worth £10-300, depending on condition and rarity. Titles in good condition with illustrations or photographs of well- known sights are the most desirable.


Leisure pursuits









COLLECTING  BOOKS





Sports books — especially on golf, cricket, football, and tennis, or ones commemorating a particular event -
are popular. William Tilden's tennis classic Aces, Places, and Faults (1938) can fetch £150-180, while Teclclie Tinling's Sixty Years in Tennis (1983) is worth about £30-60. Sports annuals are also worth keeping.


Fishing hooks are almost as popular as the sport itself. First editions of Frederic M. Halford's Dry Fly Fishing in Theory and Practice and The Dry Fly Man's Handbook can fetch £200-400.

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