Bookfinder.com has published its report on Out-of-Print Books in the News. To compile the report, BookFinder crunched a year’s worth of data to come up its list of “the most sought after out-of-print titles in America.”
It’s well worth spending some time chewing on this list, it has top 10 lists in Arts & Music, Biography, children’s, Craft & Hobbies, Fiction & Literature, Mysteries & Thrillers, Popular Science & Technology, Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror, and Society and Culture.
It’s also fun to check for these on Marketplace. Many of them are unavailable, and it’s hard to understand why some of the more sought-after books can’t be reissued. In the meantime, we can keep hoping to stumble onto a copy.
Here’s a snippet:
The American Woman’s Cook Book by Ruth Berolzheimer was first published in 1939, and was reprinted in various editions through the 1970s. Recognized by the James Beard Cookbook Hall of Fame, the work was influential in its time, helping feed hungry families as they economized during the war years. Some collectors are particularly interested in the cookbook’s World War II era “Victory edition,” dedicated to Douglas MacArthur and featuring tips for cooks contending with limited access to various staples.
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3 Comments
Salutations, Steve
I just want to say a quick thank you for your great website. I have learned so much here. I doubt I would have stumbled across Bookfinder’s list, as I use Addall, since it moves so much faster. There is also a list on ebay’s booksellers discussion board that I found very helpful. For instance, I NEVER would have picked up an old copy of Alcoholics Anonymous, and was surprised to learn how collectable they are. I picked up a fifth edition at an FOL sale, and sold it w/i 24 hours for a very nice profit. Thanks again for your willingness to share information with fellow booksellers!
Great list! but can you tell us how it was compiled? Some of the books (eg, Manchester’s “Death of a President”) are quite common…it is implied that these books’ desirability only applies to first editions?
Anyway, great list!
Kathy
I checked the Bookfinder report that you refer to. I have no idea how they came up with that list. About half of them are totally undesirable.
- A Professional Bookdealer