Dear Helaine and Joe: I've enclosed a series of photographs of a book I found at Goodwill for $5. It is titled "The Fireside Encyclopedia of Poetry" and subtitled "Comprising the Best Poems of the Most Famous Writers, English and American." Henry T. Coates compiled and edited the book, published by Porter & Coates in Philadelphia. The only date I can find is 1878 or 1879. Does it have any real value? -- M.L., Evansville, Ind.
Dear M.L.: Old books are endlessly fascinating, but few have any great monetary value. Current collectors tend to focus on first editions, books with their original dust jackets (yes, in some cases, reproductions of these jackets are available) and books autographed by their authors.
There are many types of books that are unlikely to be valuable, including schoolbooks and the most common book on the planet -- the Bible. The rule for Bibles: In order to be valuable, the particular example should have been printed in America before the year 1800 or in Europe before 1700. There are some notable exceptions, but this is a guideline worth keeping in mind.
Still another grouping of books that are unlikely to have remarkable value are anthologies or collections of literary works, such as short stories and poems. Collectors tend to prefer these works in their first-edition state rather than the later reprints that often appear in anthologies.
But we digress.
Founded by Robert Porter and Charles Davis in 1848, the Davis & Porter Co. specialized in publishing trade and art books. Henry T. Coates (1843-1910) joined the firm in 1866, and it became Davis, Porter & Coates; in 1867, Davis left, and the firm was renamed Porter & Coates. When Robert Porter left in 1895, the publishing house became Henry T. Coates & Co. And when Coates retired in 1904, he sold the business to the John C. Winston Co.
Got all that?
There's more: Henry T. Coates & Co. is probably most famous for publishing Home and Garden magazine.
In any case, the book in today's question appears to be the first edition, and it should have 1,002 pages -- later editions (such as the 28th edition in 1888) have 1,016 pages. There should be marbled end papers, and the example belonging to M.L. appears to have a repaired leather-covered board with tape attached to the spine.
By the way, using tape on a book is a cardinal sin that distresses book enthusiasts. Such an amateur repair job should be avoided, as the use of tape will greatly devalue a book.
Other than the tape, this book appears to be in decent shape, though the edges of the bindings are bumped and the surfaces are greatly worn. The charming engraving of "Izaak Walton Fishing" shows only a little discoloration along the top edge.
Given the condition of this book, we feel it has an insurance-replacement value in the $35-$50 range -- not bad for a $5 purchase.
(Helaine Fendelman and Joe Rosson are the authors of "Price It Yourself" (HarperResource, $19.95). Contact them at Treasures in Your Attic, P.O. Box 27540, Knoxville, TN 37927. E-mail them at treasures@knology.net.)
