Mis-bound book values

Keith Williams wrote:

> How much value (if any) does having a mis-bound book add to its value?


I've been trying to puzzle out why misprinted stamps and misstruck
coins have great value:

http://www.invertedcenter.com

while misbound books (and most other defective collectibles, for that
matter) are valueless curiosities.

Perhaps the key is that the stamps and coins are issued officially by
governments. Quality control in such situations is usually exceedingly
high and thus such mistakes are exceedingly rare. Such things are also
either legal tender or tantamount to such. And finally the responsible
government agencies always seem to suppress such things.

Whereas book binders probably end up with lots of problematic volumes,
their standards are probably not so high, and the books don't have same
official value that their philatelic and numismatic counterparts have.
And, although they surely don't want such things circulating,
publishers, printers, and binders don't have police powers to go round
them up.

Just my 1955-Double-Die-Lincoln two cents.

William M. Klimon
http://www.gateofbliss.com
 >> Stay informed about: Mis-bound book values 

michael adams wrote:

> Stamps are printed on sheets of between 400(?) and 1000 (?)

[snip]

> Presumably coins are manufactured in batches as well. And whether
> articles are made in batches on machines, or singly, ceramics etc
> clearly affects identification, classification, and subsequent
> evaluation.


Those are all useful insights--though they don't perhaps really explain
why misprinted stamps are desirable and misbound books are not.

There is, e.g., plenty of research going on now (and for the last
century since Sadlier and Carter) on book bindings--for some recent
examples, see:

http://www.finebooksmagazine.com/issue/0403/book_review-21.phtml#Bookbinders
http://www.finebooksmagazine.com/issue/0401/book_review.phtml

Perhaps something is to be learned from misbound books?

In any case, I return to my central point that there seems to be
something particular about defective items issues officially by a
governmental body.

William M. Klimon
http://www.gateofbliss.com
 >> Stay informed about: Mis-bound book values 

"William M. Klimon" <wklimon.RemoveThis@cox.net> wrote in message
news:1150918062.722492.298330@m73g2000cwd.googlegroups.com...
> Keith Williams wrote:
>
> > How much value (if any) does having a mis-bound book add to its value?
>
>
> I've been trying to puzzle out why misprinted stamps and misstruck
> coins have great value:
>
> http://www.invertedcenter.com
>
> while misbound books (and most other defective collectibles, for that
> matter) are valueless curiosities.
>
> Perhaps the key is that the stamps and coins are issued officially by
> governments. Quality control in such situations is usually exceedingly
> high and thus such mistakes are exceedingly rare. Such things are also
> either legal tender or tantamount to such. And finally the responsible
> government agencies always seem to suppress such things.
>
> Whereas book binders probably end up with lots of problematic volumes,
> their standards are probably not so high, and the books don't have same
> official value that their philatelic and numismatic counterparts have.
> And, although they surely don't want such things circulating,
> publishers, printers, and binders don't have police powers to go round
> them up.
>
> Just my 1955-Double-Die-Lincoln two cents.
>
> William M. Klimon
> http://www.gateofbliss.com


Stamps are printed on sheets of between 400(?) and 1000 (?)

They're easily examined, but neverthesss if one gets into
circulation, then presumably another 399 - 999 will have done as
well. And so they're easily identified and catalogued. Their likely
rarity as compared with the entire issue of a particular stamp may
also be guessed at, maybe. Misprinted stamps can be objects of
research therefore.

Binding errors are more likely to be singular - in the machine era
from a machine handler clearing a blockage maybe - in the hand
ear from a binder stacking or sewing the signatures in the incorrect
order. Binding errors are only identified if someone takes the trouble
to collate each and every book at the bindery - unlikely in the machine
era at least - or even as a buyer - up until such time as they read the
book. Whereas as we know all good collectors collate every single
book they buy, immediately on purchase. Nevertheless as a consequence,
binding errors don't admit to easy identification, and classification
and are presumably all equally singular\rare. Misbound books are objects
of curiosity, but not in the main, of research. Unlike in the case of
broken type, where the presence of broken letters in a run of books
may be used as an indication of edition or priority but will have
no necessary impact on value either way.

Presumably coins are manufactured in batches as well. And whether
articles are made in batches on machines, or singly, ceramics etc
clearly affects identification, classification, and subsequent
evaluation.




michael adams

....





>
 >> Stay informed about: Mis-bound book values 

"William M. Klimon" <wklimon.DeleteThis@cox.net> wrote in message
news:1150989166.294010.194340@c74g2000cwc.googlegroups.com...
> michael adams wrote:
>
> > Stamps are printed on sheets of between 400(?) and 1000 (?)
>
> [snip]
>
> > Presumably coins are manufactured in batches as well. And whether
> > articles are made in batches on machines, or singly, ceramics etc
> > clearly affects identification, classification, and subsequent
> > evaluation.
>
>
> Those are all useful insights--though they don't perhaps really explain
> why misprinted stamps are desirable and misbound books are not.
>
> There is, e.g., plenty of research going on now (and for the last
> century since Sadlier and Carter) on book bindings--for some recent
> examples, see:
>
>
http://www.finebooksmagazine.com/issue/0403/book_review-21.phtml#Bookbinders
> http://www.finebooksmagazine.com/issue/0401/book_review.phtml
>
> Perhaps something is to be learned from misbound books?

....

It's doubtful. Both of those sources are mainly in relation to binding
variations, which occur in batches which as I suggested in relation to
broken type, can form a useful tool for maybe establishing priority.

....

>
> In any case, I return to my central point that there seems to be
> something particular about defective items issues officially by a
> governmental body.

....

In addition, both stamps and coins have a face value, and the fact
that they're defective doesn't detract from that face value - which
means they're more likely to enter circulation. In addition the
fact that they're defective doesn't affect their utility.
Which is supposedly the raison d'etre behind stamp and coin
collecting. That they're not just pieces of paper or metal discs.
The fact that they enter circulaton means that they latterly become
available to collectors.

Books have no similar face value, and if found to be defective by
readers are likely to be returned to the shop and thus not enter
circulation at all. Misbound books have no remaining utility unlike
stamps and coins but are simply a nuisance. The same would apply
to collectors, who would be aware that there's no market in misbound
books, for the reasons already given. And so they're less likely to
enter circulation in the first place.

By and large the only unique objects that are valued, have some
merit in themselves. Misbound books are unique, but being defective
of itself doesn't constitute merit, but merely detracts from any
merit in the original book.



michael adams



>
> William M. Klimon
> http://www.gateofbliss.com





>
 >> Stay informed about: Mis-bound book values 

michael adams wrote:

> Presumably coins are manufactured in batches as well.

A visit to a US Mint (and presumably any other mint) would reveal that
coins are made in a continuous process.
Coin blanks are constantly fed into a hopper, the blank stamped by dies
and the finished coin is ejected.
The process continues until quitting time or if there is a problem with
the machine.
Increased quality control has made error coins harder to find than in
the past but they still exist and probably always will, this being an
imperfect world.
Common errors include off-center strikes, double strikes, clipped coin
blanks.
Less common are serious problems with the dies (such as the famous
doubled die Lincoln cents) although coins showing minor die cracks are
very common.
 >> Stay informed about: Mis-bound book values 

Flimpy McDoodlebug wrote:
> michael adams wrote:
>
> > Presumably coins are manufactured in batches as well.
>
> A visit to a US Mint (and presumably any other mint) would reveal that
> coins are made in a continuous process.
> Coin blanks are constantly fed into a hopper, the blank stamped by dies
> and the finished coin is ejected.
> The process continues until quitting time or if there is a problem with
> the machine.
> Increased quality control has made error coins harder to find than in
> the past but they still exist and probably always will, this being an
> imperfect world.
> Common errors include off-center strikes, double strikes, clipped coin
> blanks.
> Less common are serious problems with the dies (such as the famous
> doubled die Lincoln cents) although coins showing minor die cracks are
> very common.

Actually there is a way that errors in making a book can contribute to
value. That happens usually when the first issue, first edition has
glaring errors which the author or his publisher then fix. So the first
issue first edition can be idenitied by its errors. Some of the Mark
Twain books have a whole list of these. So, Whenever they are
advertised for sale the list is trotted out, or a statement witrh all
the known errors found in the earliest issues. Some times with the
further statement, "Except....". And then a price.

There are some books listed in BAL in which the publisher never changed
the date for as long as twenty or thirty years, so the only way of
identifying them is the errors, sometimes together with what is being
advertised for sale, at what date, and placed where [?] in the ads.
Best,
Annibale
 >> Stay informed about: Mis-bound book values 

"Annibale" <zita.TakeThisOut@speakeasy.net> wrote in message
news:1151194019.566175.153100@y41g2000cwy.googlegroups.com...
>
> Flimpy McDoodlebug wrote:
> > michael adams wrote:
> >
> > > Presumably coins are manufactured in batches as well.
> >
> > A visit to a US Mint (and presumably any other mint) would reveal that
> > coins are made in a continuous process.
> > Coin blanks are constantly fed into a hopper, the blank stamped by dies
> > and the finished coin is ejected.
> > The process continues until quitting time or if there is a problem with
> > the machine.
> > Increased quality control has made error coins harder to find than in
> > the past but they still exist and probably always will, this being an
> > imperfect world.
> > Common errors include off-center strikes, double strikes, clipped coin
> > blanks.
> > Less common are serious problems with the dies (such as the famous
> > doubled die Lincoln cents) although coins showing minor die cracks are
> > very common.
>
> Actually there is a way that errors in making a book can contribute to
> value.


> That happens usually when the first issue, first edition has
> glaring errors which the author or his publisher then fix. So the first
> issue first edition can be idenitied by its errors. Some of the Mark
> Twain books have a whole list of these. So, Whenever they are
> advertised for sale the list is trotted out, or a statement witrh all
> the known errors found in the earliest issues. Some times with the
> further statement, "Except....". And then a price.
>
> There are some books listed in BAL in which the publisher never changed
> the date for as long as twenty or thirty years, so the only way of
> identifying them is the errors, sometimes together with what is being
> advertised for sale, at what date, and placed where [?] in the ads.
> Best,
> Annibale


Yes but those aren't binding errors. They're editorial or proofing
errors which, as with broken type, as has already been pointed out
are often well documented can help establish priority.

What's being discussed are misbindings, which usually occur
individually.


michael adams






>
 >> Stay informed about: Mis-bound book values 

William M. Klimon wrote:
> Keith Williams wrote:

> > How much value (if any) does having a mis-bound book add to its value?

> I've been trying to puzzle out why misprinted stamps and misstruck
> coins have great value:
> ...

> while misbound books (and most other defective collectibles, for that
> matter) are valueless curiosities.

> Perhaps the key is that the stamps and coins are issued officially by
> governments. ....

> Whereas book binders probably end up with lots of problematic volumes,
> their standards are probably not so high, ....


As with any collectable, price is determined by supply and demand.


A large number of collectors consider misprint coins, bills, and stamps
to be COOL, NEAT, RARE, etc. (There has been much discussion about
why this is so.) The error is visually striking and one can imagine
the error occuring. The manner of the error occuring and getting past
the inspection process is exciting to the collector.

Most rare book collectors seem to be more be like art collectors - they
desire
the perfect copy of the book and consider mistakes in printing
or binding as detrimental defects. [As previously discussed, mistakes
that a
re points for first editions are not defects, they are part of the
first edition.
Similar to a lithograph that has a first and second state.]

My guess as to why book collectors are like this is that most book
collectors are also avid readers. When they hold a rare first edition
they feel a connection to the author and the excitement of reading the
book as it was first published. Defects detract from this feeling.


The printer knocking over a stack of signatures and putting them
back in the wrong order is not an event that is exciting to the
book collector because the emotional link is to the author and
the publishing event. -- - - -- The image of a coin stamping machine

misfeeding and the resulting error evading detection is exciting to
the coin collector because that process is part of what a coin
collector
thinks about when looking at a coin.


Brian
 >> Stay informed about: Mis-bound book values 

William M. Klimon wrote:
> michael adams wrote:
>
> > Stamps are printed on sheets of between 400(?) and 1000 (?)
>
> [snip]
>
> > Presumably coins are manufactured in batches as well. And whether
> > articles are made in batches on machines, or singly, ceramics etc
> > clearly affects identification, classification, and subsequent
> > evaluation.
>
>
> Those are all useful insights--though they don't perhaps really explain
> why misprinted stamps are desirable and misbound books are not.
>
[snip]

> In any case, I return to my central point that there seems to be
> something particular about defective items issues officially by a
> governmental body.
>
> William M. Klimon
> http://www.gateofbliss.com

Stamp collectors collect varieties of the same item. Years back, there
was a U.S. stamp showing a honeybee visiting clover. Working in a
bank, I collected the credit-card payment envelopes. Two of them were
of the honeybee missing variety.

Book collectors, on the other hand, seem to be looking for the one
ultimate copy of each item. Why bother with the second printing, when
you can have the first? Why without the dust jacket, if you can get
one with the dust jacket?

I am reminded of the time I passed by a Dover book whose cover had a
different title than the title page. So the book was neitherr the one
nor the other.

David Ames
 >> Stay informed about: Mis-bound book values