Best Source for Vintage Books?

[Luke49783]

Folks of B&B, I'm hoping that you will be able to help me out with this. My fiancee is a huge Wizard of Oz fan. Coincidentally, we live a couple of miles from where L. Frank Baum used to spend his summer and worked on The Wonderful Wizard of Oz and legend has it that a small castle near me was his inspiration for The Emerald City. Her birthday is coming up next month and I would like to buy her an original copy of the book.

Where would be a good place to look? How much should I expect to spend for a copy in good condition? I know nothing of vintage books, so I'm completely in the dark on this. Any help you can provide would be greatly appreciated!

 

[DavidHM]

Contact a seller in Hay on Wye (Powys, Wales).

 

[packRat]

Have you tried www.biblio.com?

 

[Mike H]

Abe Books

It looks like the 1900 1st edition (only 10,000) copies made, sells for about $7000.

 

[Luke49783]

Hahahaha, maybe I had better rethink this...

 

[Beerhunter]

Abebooks.com
and if you like to travel
http://www.booksalefinder.com/IN.html
Good luck.
PS My shelf space is tapped out.

 

[Beerhunter]

Ageed with packrat. I can say biblio is also good.
http://www.biblio.com

 

[njpaddy]

There are some Oz gift ideas on this site, but it looks like their 1st edition has already sold for $18,000.

http://www.rareozbooks.com/

You can also check for more recent specialty editions. Amazon has an Annotated edition.

 

[SiBurning]

$7000? Yikes!! Well, that's what credit cards are for.

She probably already has the Dorothy watch from The Wizard of Oz: 75th Anniversary Collector's Edition Blu-ray box. If not, mine's still in the box and likely to stay there forever. Let me know.

 

[luvmysuper]

Obviously a first edition is going to cost you.
Having said that, subsequent printings are likely to be much more within the realm of the normal person. If she's a lover of the book, then she'd actually likely be more comfortable with one she could handle and read without worrying about having to use white cotton gloves and a clean room.
I have no doubt that she would love it if you were to buy a copy of the book in a later run, and every day after you shave, sit down with her and read a few paragraphs together.

Sort of an after shave Baum.

 

[oc_in_fw]

Obviously a first edition is going to cost you.
Having said that, subsequent printings are likely to be much more within the realm of the normal person. If she's a lover of the book, then she'd actually likely be more comfortable with one she could handle and read without worrying about having to use white cotton gloves and a clean room.
I have no doubt that she would love it if you were to buy a copy of the book in a later run, and every day after you shave, sit down with her and read a few paragraphs together.

Sort of an after shave Baum.

Yep, first editions are for the wealthy. I love books, but if I had one worth that price I would be afraid to touch it.