One of hundreds of manuscripts—this one published in 1617—recovered from the home of John Sisto.
–Those of you near Chicago might be interested in this:
An auction featuring over 75 lots of early Italian and Latin literature from the antiquarian book library of John Sisto of Berwyn, Illinois. The books, maps and engravings comprise what remains of the over 3,500 items seized by the Chicago division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) in 2007, of which 1,600 items were repatriated to Italy after being deemed unlawfully imported.
More details at Art Daily and the FBI.
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4 Comments
Mr. Weber, I’ve been selling books online through various outlets for ~ a decade. There is a prevalent trend that I am mystified by, perhaps you can satisfy my curiosity. Why do sellers inflate the price of worthless books into the stratosphere? I recently was grading a book I have, and found it to be too worthless to list. It was a Nursing workbook, something that will never increase in value. A few sellers had it listed for $800 +. An obtainable new copy was around $10. I’ve had a book for a few years now: ‘North Carolina Giving’. Originally, all the listings were $1,680.00. I started off a hundred or so less. I currently have it for $199.00, and this price has not generated a glance. What is the advantage of hyper-inflating prices beyond the obvious (ie. The building is destroyed by an Act of God, etc.). Thanks, T.George
T. George, they have repricing software adjusting the price upward with no realistic limit. And they probably don’t even have a copy, they’re just hoping to drop-ship from another seller in the event that the one-out-of-a-million buyer comes along and buys the most expensive listing.
Whats worse is undervaluing of good books – and posting off topic
On Topic – Why did the FBI seize those which were not expatriated as well – and hold Buyer not Seller liable?
I am surprised at the auction part?
It should go back to Sisto
Thsi reminds em of the Darwin “Origin….” find here inNYC with NY Public Library Stamps – the heirs assumed it was stolen
Library are not Conservancies or Archives
I have books form he 1800′s stamped DISCARD and some not from the NY PubLib – bought from collections – I am not sure but I as well am not assuming they were stolen. Based upon those in the group stamped discard
I have bought at library sales books never “treated” for circulation [i.e. unstamped] and appear NEW.