Advice on value and restoration of Charles Dickens 1st Edition Book

Hi everyone,

I've managed to get hold of a 1start edition Charles Dickens book. Unfortunately the front cover has come off from it.

I am pretty new to buying to sell all kinds of antiques and bought this as love the fact I own it, even if for a short period of time. I'm now in a predicament of if I should get it restored or sell as is as I'm not sure of value of it, and how much the value is hurt by front cover being off and how much value will be added getting it repaired?

Any advice etc, as always, is welcome. I'm expecting restoration cost will cost me more than I paid for the book, but not sure if that's best way to go.

Thanks again.

Matt

 

Forgot to add it's signed by a Dr J.S Campbell who after some research seems to be a prominent Dr of the times, actually helping write a book of his own. Not sure what this does to the value but thought it was interesting as seems he owned the book. Bookeep also has hand written notes inside it, that I'm presuming are the Dr's.

 

Can you show the title age to determine exactly what edition it is?

The loose board is a bit of a problem but professional repair would be more expensive than the book. It is not an original Chapman and Hall binding.

 

Yes, and you should know that, as with much of Dicken's work, MASTER HUMPHREY'S CLOCK was originally serialized.

https://www.baumanrarebooks.com/rare-books/charles-dickens/master-humphrey-s-clock/39542.aspx

Debora

 

Thanks for that. I've added a few more photos that could help.

I've noticed the signature doesn't seem to match the stamp that's on the title page. The stamp is from Dr Campbell, not sure whos the signature is or why they would sign a book?

With the binding is there anyway you can work out its age, of its not original? Or could it be that original volumes have been bound together by someone at some point?

I've noticed Dickens work can come in sections or volumes and can then be bound together to make a book. This one has 3 volumes in one I guess. Master clock maker, the old curiosity shop and Barnaby Rudge.

Thanks again!

 

It does help if you select 'full image' when adding pictures.

It may have been rebound thus in the latter part of the 19th C. I see there is a dated owners name. That could have been the rebinding date.

The high priced Dickens firsts are the published parts bound as a book (usually the only way the parts have survived)

Then we have the book published editions and the first edition first state is more valuable then second state or later editions.

But not nearly so valuable as the bound parts.

To discover the exact 'state' of your various editions, google 'points for Dickens first editions' and you should come up with a list of details (minor text differences and plate differences, usually corrected errors from the first printing.) that will enable you to determine if they are first or second state.

This should keep you busy for a while.

Then you can check comparables to see what people are asking for the three volumes. Asking is not getting, take any prices as double or more what you may get.

 

Your first photo is not clear enough to see the Roman numerals on the title page, but it appears that they might say MDCCCXL, which would be 1840, the date of first publication. However, there are other things to look for and you probably need a book expert to tell you whether it's a first printing, etc. First printings of first editions are often far more significant than later printings.

Also, if yours has had all three original volumes bound into one -- and from the title page you show, and your statement that all three volumes are included on one cover, it appears that it has-- that might make a difference as well.

Here are a lot of listings on abebooks. Some have the volumes being sold separately, some have some vols bound in one, and conditions vary.

http://www.abebooks.com/servlet/SearchResults?an=charles+dickens&bi=0&bx=off&ds=30&fe=on&pn=Chapman&recentlyadded=all&sortby=17&sts=t&tn=master+humphrey's+clock&yrh=1865&yrl=1840

And remember these are asking prices, not necessarily what somebody would end up paying.

 

I have two 1st edition Charlies Dickens books, The Life & Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby, (1839) Chapman & Hall, illustrations by Phiz, signed by Charles Dickens and Dombey And Son (1848), also Chapman & Hall. They are original covers, but in a very bad state and also some bookworm and browning. I've got no idea how much to ask for them, or how much to start them off in an auction. Can anyone help please?

 

Have you had them authenticated as 1st editions, had the signatures authenticated as original and not facsimile?

 

Well they are I think printed in the book, rather than actually personal signatures. But not been added in afterwards

 

@PoppyP , Welcome to Antiquers! You will probably get more and better replies if you start a new discussion thread about your books and include entire photos of each. Take the covers but also the title pages and some of the inside pages. You've written onto a thread of 2016.

 

Thank you, I'll do that!

 

Until well into the 20th C, it was common for the only date in a book to be the original publishing date - not necessarily when that particular edition was printed. According to this site, the engraving (is it the same?) is from 1853:

https://www.meisterdrucke.ie/fine-a...ckens-(1812-70)-engraved-by-Emden,-1853-.html