Sell to us
I am actively seeking to buy old manuscripts, handwritten journals, and unique sketchbooks, especially illuminated manuscripts and historical manuscripts. If you have diaries, text manuscripts, or artistic sketchbooks, I can pay very competitive prices, usually higher than could be achieved at book auctions. When I make you an offer I will consider the manuscript’s age, historical significance, any illustrations as well as its rarity, condition, and those unique attributes that just can’t be predicted. As a rare book dealer of long standing I promise to make a fair and informed evaluation of your items and I’ll be happy to explain the thinking behind my valuation.
For Printed Books I am primarily interested in pre-1800 material and fine examples of later books including bindings and sets, important illustrated works, limited edition, fine press books and signed books - especially those with interesting annotation or ownership. A few years ago we sold Dr Johnson’s annotated copy of Chapman’s translation of Homer which he’d used to highlight words and phrases for inclusion in his diary - something like that will always command a high price. We have a particular interest in the history of ideas, welcoming offers of landmark scientific publications such as Max Planck's 1900 paper introducing Quantum Theory which recently sold.
When I make you an offer on a printed book I will consider scarcity, condition, the book’s binding and above all its desirability. How important is this book? Is it a famous work by an important author? Is it a book that broke new ground in its field? And, crucially, is it a first edition, perhaps of an important work of literature by Jane Austen or the Bronte sisters, by James Joyce or even Shakespeare.
Do please get in touch to talk books!