Antique books, rare old editions - a great gift or addition to a collection

2024 Author: Sierra Becker | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-02-26 03:47

Antique books are the pride of book collectors. Still unreceived old rare editions cause spiritual awe and a keen desire to receive such an exhibit. Buying an expensive old book means taking possession of a piece of the historical past, touching a bygone era. The purchase of antique books is not without common commercial sense: foreign and Russian old editions become more expensive every year, that is, they can be a well-founded investment. Russian and foreign antique classics will never lose their value and charm.

The beginning of printing in Russia is considered to be 1564, associated with the appearance of the first printing presses and the release of the first books. In Europe, this happened much earlier - in 1460. Of course, books of the 14th-16th centuries are an ultra-rare exclusive, it is difficult to get them, and they are very expensive, but prints and antiquescollected works from the 17th to 19th centuries are more common with collectors and shops. Such old books also have a high historical and aesthetic value, and the material issue depends on several parameters. Books with a release year before 1890 are especially valued.

How to find out the value of an old book

It is quite difficult to evaluate an antique book on your own. Its cost depends on a number of factors:

• year of publication;
• publisher that published the book;
• condition of the book itself and binding;
• number of pages, text, illustrations;
• rarity, number of copies;
• release region;
• "genre" and category of the book (religious, scientific, historical, fiction, etc.).

At the same time, the value of books indicated in various stores, catalogs, auctions and even historical museums does not have to be the ultimate truth. Enthusiastic collectors are often willing to pay far more than market value, and at the same time, you can buy a rare old book at a very reasonable price. There is an opinion that it is easier and cheaper to buy old Russian books, but this is not always the case.

Antique books in Moscow stores and via the Internet

The book business today is a fairly developed niche. Now you can buy old books in Moscow not only at random "collapses" or through an ad, but also in specialized stores, as well as order delivery from an online store.

Prices for all antiques, and books are no exception, vary quite a lot from store to store, so research a few options before buying, carefully read the terms of authenticity, the condition of the book edition, and shipping information.

One of the reliable and time-tested sources is the Artel antique bookshop and bookbinding workshop.

Here you will find vintage 18th century editions, rare books, antique children's books, collected works of classics, scientific and historical literature, old cookbooks, poetry and much more - the choice is huge. Russian and foreign books are presented. For your convenience, the site has a convenient and extensive catalog, divided into categories, with the ability to sort by the year of publication, by price and time of appearance in the online store, etc.

Also in "Artel" you can order:

• French book binding;
• leather binding;
• embossing on leather book;
• handmade book case;
• restoration of antique books.

The site artelbook.ru makes it possible to order old books online, but if you wish, you can always visit stores in Moscow, at Moscow, st. Sovetskaya (metro station Nakhabino), 99, office 310). Store consultants will be happy to answer your questions by phone: +7(985) 768-68-22.

Antique books as a gift - an exclusive, exquisite present

Interest in old tomes is growing. And even if the recipient is notis a collector, a unique book as a gift will surely appeal to him. An intellectual, valuable and certainly interesting object can speak of status, inspires respect. You can be proud of such a gift.

Even if we don't talk about interested old book collectors, or avid second-hand book dealers, expensive gift books are a great option for congratulating "the person who has everything." You can present a rare book to a boss, a status guest, a representative of authority, without fear of disappointing the gift or being misinterpreted.

For an even greater impression, you can order a French binding of an old book, an exclusive leather binding with embossing, a beautiful case.

Vintage children's books are a complete immersion with a touch of magic

Children's books, fairy tales, collected works for the little ones are one of the most popular options for purchasing old books. An antique book of fairy tales will allow the child not only to recognize the work, but to make a journey into the past.

Buy at least one old children's book in your collection, leaf through it with your baby, show the paper a little touched by time, let you touch the embossed cover and tell a little about the time when the book was published - this instills a love of history, causes a keen interest in the origins.

What to do if an old book is damaged? Restoration will help

You may already havean antique classic, but you don't take it out of the pantry because its binding is frayed, it's scary to touch the pages - it seems they will turn into dust; printed characters are practically unreadable; the paper has turned black with age…

In this case, book restoration and binding services, as well as repair and stitching, provided by the Artel bookbinding workshop will help you.

Repair and restoration of antique books are different concepts. Repair is the repair of defects, firmware, gluing, trimming and replacing parts of the book; and restoration involves the restoration of missing parts or the correction of problem areas without losing the original look and uniqueness. In other words, a properly restored old book has no traces of repair and looks like it just came off the printing press, but with the quality of paper and printing of its time.

There are several options for restoring or making a new binding for an old book, as well as decorating it:

1. Exclusive handmade leather binding. Even just holding a book in a leather cover is extremely pleasant. The publications will organically look both on the mantelpiece, and in the office, and in the ultra-modern interior. Leather binding is equally well suited for antique scientific books, religious literature or children's stories.
2. French binding. Quite a complex technique, the virtuosity of which masters masterfor years. The style originated in 16th century France and was developed by Nikola Ev. At the time of the appearance of technology, it was called "a la fanfare" (a la fanfare). Books in French binding became famous not only for their beauty, but also for their durability. The labor-intensive process consists of attaching the block of the book to cords by hand, then aligning and fastening the edges, rounding the spine and smearing it with bone glue. The binding material can be full leather or semi-leather. Of course, there are other features and secrets in the technology of French binding of books, worthy of a separate topic for narration. Collected works in French binding is a real gem of the collection and decoration of the interior.
3. Handmade book case. If you want a rare book as a gift to look even more significant and bring more joy, you can order a book case. Exclusive, individual covers and cases, made by hand, may well act as an independent gift. Since the design is developed individually, the form of execution can be almost any. For example, options in the form of old caskets, or telephone books are common. Manufacturing materials, as well as decorative elements can be completely different, according to your desire.
4. Embossing on leather book and French binding. An element of decoration, decoration, as well as giving an antique binding a special zest. Not every master can perform such embossing beautifully and correctly from the point of view of technology. In addition to technical knowledge, a lot of practice is required. beautifulthe embossing done fascinates and catches the eye. Foil stamping and blind stamping are the main techniques that have proven themselves more than positively.

The sale of old books and, moreover, their restoration, restoration, decoration is not just a business or job, but a favorite business and art of second-hand booksellers, artists, bookbinders, to which they give their soul for many years. An antique book is capricious, like any mysterious beauty, it requires a purely individual approach to its uniqueness.