Before Google Hobby Shops
June 5th, 2008, 4:22 pm Hobbies News
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You can usually tell the estimated value of a collectable by its position in a shop. Over the past 10 years Observer’s books (and a few other series in a similar vein) have moved from the second-hand bookseller’s bargain bin to the top shelf behind the shop assistant. They’re not quite under lock and key but they are symbolically guarded by the custodian, reflecting a similar upward move in price.
Another indication of value is that these books are rarely to be found in op shops, not at any price. Ten years ago, they were everywhere. This means there is a national search party constantly at work, snapping them up within seconds of appearing for sale.
These mini encyclopedias tell you everything you didn’t really need to know about heraldry, varieties of moss, fire engines, Tudor architecture, ballet and motorcycles. Observer’s is the best known of these books but there are several similar concepts, including Hippo, Dumpy, Nutshell and Ladybird. None of these are considered as valuable.
The reality is that only a few of the Observer’s books are worth big money. All seem to be priced at $10 or above these days, even 1970s reprints. It is probably optimistic but the nature of collecting means that even the most common editions are in demand because every enthusiast wants the complete set. And that means, in the case of Observer’s, a total of 1200 books if you want every edition.
There are more than 98 different subjects in the series (from birds to opera) but many of these, such as aircraft, were updated many times. The first title, the 1937 Birds, is one of the real Holy Grail items. It’s worth about $150 in good condition, probably more on internet auction.
Tags: bargain bin, bookseller, collectable, custodian, encyclopedias, fire engines, google, hippo, Hobbies, Hobby, Hobby Shop, Hobby Shops, holy grail, internet auction, lock and key, nutshell, s books, search party, top shelf, tudor architecture, upward moveRelated posts
