Paradise Lost, Fifth Edition 1691.

From the hoard. For a change, not too bad condition.

 

From a quick perusal of other copies of Paradise Lost currently being offered, it appears that your edition is the second illustrated one.

You mentioned previously finding several copies of Dickens firsts. Are they in decent condition? I'd love to see them.

 

They are not too bad but they are the second state of the first edition in book form, British booksellers tend to sniff and say they only consider the bound parts as originally published as true firsts. Bleak House seems to be first state but it's not one of the popular ones.

 

Gotcha. My sense is it's the same with U.S. dealers.

 

A copy of your edition of Paradise Lost sold at Bonhams Oxford in 2012 for £875, including the buyer's premium. It didn't say which state of the 5th edition it was.

http://www.bonhams.com/auctions/20138/lot/448/?page_lots=6&upcoming_past=Past

 

Cut out the dealers and there is a strong market for less than perfect but very old books in the US. When I was selling on ebay, I got very good prices for near wrecks of early books that the UK dealers would not touch.

Book dealers are generally a bit weird. If not more so. I think more or less never selling anything drives them mad. They often combine snobbery and squalor.

 

I chuckled at your description.

I have some 19th century illustrated books that are scarce or rare and quite valuable if in great condition, but my copies have significant binding defects. I haven't decided yet whether I should have them repaired or rebound and try to sell them via the big auction houses or sell them myself, unrepaired, on eBay.

The latter would be quicker, without the bother and risk of laying out money for repairs, but the former might yield much more in the long run. Plus I have other scarce/rare books of the same genre that are in great condition, so having them repaired and then offering them all together to an auction house might be the way to go. Not sure yet.

Sorry for going off on a tangent. These issues have been in the forefront of my mind lately while I've been researching my books and cataloging them in a spreadsheet.