The Economics of the Manuscript and Rare Book Trade; ca. 1890�1939,

Year

2024

Publisher

Arc Humanities Press

Language

English

Pages

ISBN

978-1-80270-187-6

Link

Last Update

17-Nov-2025

Keywords

Language & Literature

Description

A MARKET FOR rare or unique objects desired by a relatively small group of individuals, whether buying for themselves or for institutions, can be difficult to predict.¹ Rare, or antiquarian, books fall into this category. Auction estimates for such material have always been unreliable, and reserve prices prevent items from being sold for sums deemed too low. Similarly, books may remain in a dealer’s stock for many years before a buyer is found. What appeals to a consumer, and how much they are willing to pay for it, is influenced by many factors and these change over time. When a...