The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1910-06-11
SPECIALTIES IN OLD BOOKS
THE TRADE DIIIDED IWONG
NtNI DEALERS.
Peculiar knowledge Needed 10 HecOE-
niIr What u NAluable Profits oT the
Dealers DlHlruliirS In setting the
Price ENamplrx 1T IOUd FlnslS.

REGULAR knowledge Needed Ia Wecog-
niIr What u Valuable Profits of the
Dealers DlHiruIiieS In setting the
Price ENamplrS ~ GOOd FinslS.
The second hand hook dealer stood boy
an unas~nrted pile 81 books and pamphlets
just bought from pushcart junkmar
You wouldn't give much for n. ohs-
no SAID Well look hero See these
pamphlets. the proceedings Of the Fenian
brotherhood and hero are -eve1 con-
-eCutlve annual reports They've been
thrown away bat THERE'S some collector
of literature on the Irish s'rrawh here
who'd give plenty for them There are
several collectors on thai very line. John
, . y. Crimmins for instance
D Perhaps this looks better "a Won.
J and hr picked mp ono ~ a set of the Man
uals 81 tho Common Council ~ New York.
/, but It isn't except 20 some one who j.
, especially Interested m New York history
and who lacks one of those early valen-
tines
This came from an auction sale in
West Side cross str,.c' IRON the Fifth
avenue manson O. the Fast Side Junk
wagon - a far cry. but wr get oar books
evsryw here
Sometimes va even take a ulunge m
speculation 4 storage company soils an
Ola trunk L. sealed " course. hy' rs
heavy aai We can risk s. ~ on b. A.
rl. worst W. are sure OF getting g ~
back for the trunk and there's d fair
chance or finding some book. ur a book.
prints letters ar Autographs thai D. prove
"a httlr gold mine 20 the man who knows
them and knows hos O. sTs them
That , no. secret IT che business 4
urua-ei'-- must sr1r ms trade and
second hand book dealer must SNOW HI-
which 10 entirely different Tie -eCluI
hand HsaIs- mus. have more ur less "
the know edge of rHe bib.npu.i' and must
be rHprpuGhlv and c-lurIuy informed a,
90 the Na.g-z
In addition no must have feeling a.
. FOB what i- gong rD make an appeal !
don. know just boN rIv 90 define or
describe tat- % cam b.. laugh, IT, q
-ps' Cd; sixth sense
The dealer pal-aI - boz caught sight
uf a man ~ hp bed I4-f entered
-uh. Nlr smith Do" ra..rI I've -un
across an Edwin brood D want Won
rp 50. Here sam Won Ee' 'Na- uar
Edwin brood sirn on" -u.-Iua.suH
ending for Mr Smith 'u ---
That man he c1ltaYrt -s collecting
Dickens. he 81 crazy ahayt b. Vow paid
a good round price fog that EDWIN brood
could afford to because % Mr. Smrp
doesn Van' % - rare euoug. 90 appeal
10 plenty of Others
The same with ts.. Beaumont and
Fletcher here IT, lu odd copy. hgt f
may NJ Iu with fa" -ri some one b. collect
Iug or with one Of dealer who deals oN-
rIusiyelv 10 SETS You -ss e1cr second
hand book dealer hl- his specially
Perhaps YOU can understand vhy re-
strict myself 20 books not h1ndhng prints
or autographs or other sid' lines You've
got a. know your business and Won can't
know everything thoroughly
i even cut out theology ~ a branch m
Itself. and ~ fact some dealers keep ~ b.
exclusively. and handle no fiction
except that kind Wh.cf. has pissed puf ;
~ the fiction into the collectors class D.
some of thi, has a permanent value
In substantiation 81 the dealer state =
ments regarding specialization there arc ii
nine second hand book shops IN ono block a
on Past Twenty-third street. each NJ
which adyertI-es and maIntiIn- IT. own /,
specially One has expensive book cots n
aud here for the most part wealthy patrons p
are wont 10 seek early editions collected
and Handsomely and uniformly I,
bound Other dealers may have SOIL 90 n
stray copies ~ maze up these sats .
and have received a good price FOR their y
for the dealer IN sets can 8.
afford 10 pay we'll h
An interesting feature II tho business h.
is the manner in which the dealers trade y
among themselves They depend largely =
upon one another Tor supplies. and whom
The man who deals IN sets but doesn't 2
know prints gets print he notifies the i
proper dealer and 10 on They -Oon find u
put whether or not they arc hcing fairly I'd
sealt with. and fair dealing counts X
Another dealer In this particular groun b.
seIls hooks Tor the general reader. and D.
rom the general nature of his stock he {,
lfaf'IlH IIiIHi Nf-ll lNIilllFfAlhIFINH ANT inc
general readers taste changes quickly n
md tho books IN stock cant iarry He
luys a book Tor five NJ seven cents and o.
ellis II for ten cents. whereas hIs neighhor
nav occasi1nHlly buv h"ok f0r two and
half cents and -eIl u frr So, but the 81
after sells fewer books -
4 third is the connois-aur " rrrnts %.
and things pertaining ~ art IN
g. can handle these things proftably. Vi
whereas they would b" a loss a. HE fellow N
radcsm"n ot
Another caters largely - an tho Other
,onk sellers buying everything be- .aaz and N
Cling his wares where they belong a.
g. makes one distinct specially u rare z
,ooks This wins him a large patronage h'
rom collectors and he keers himself :,
'retty well informed ~ the wants and 81
acks m collections roundabout ~
Then there h the man who is considered bI
he Napoleon ~ the trade. a true hihlio- %
lille. a dealer who dies a large mail i,
rider business by catalogue and who g.,