Wednesday, September 30, 2009

In Praise of a Great Local Antiquarian Bookshop


Three cheers for Wessel & Lieberman Booksellers. They are my favorite antiquarian bookshop in Seattle and were recently covered by The Seattle Times.

From the small piece...

If you think you have a valuable book, you probably have googled it to see what it's worth, and a "too much information!" moment has followed. What's the difference between "fine" and "near fine" condition? Why does one seller want $30, and another $300? What's the difference between a first edition and a limited edition?

Lieberman says one guide to getting a realistic appraisal is to deal with bookseller who's a member of the Antiquarian Booksellers Association (abaa.org) — prospective members are screened by other members, and must agree to abide by a code of ethics.

Often, a W&L customer has lost a loved one, and though they may have loved the deceased, they don't love the books. "They just know they're there [the books], and they just want to get rid of them," says Lieberman. Though many old books are worth very little, there's always the exception. Lieberman says the store is currently sorting through the library of a retired University of Washington professor, and it's a treasure trove of Northwest history — "In every box we're opening, there's something unbelievably cool."


Photo care of their website.

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