Date: Fri 13-Aug-1999

Publication: Bee

Author: JAN

Quick Words:

Booth-library-book-sale

Full Text:

Searching For Gems Among The Book Sale Donations

(with photos)

BY JAN HOWARD

The annual Booth Library Book Sale is drawing nearer, and volunteers are

busily sorting and pricing books for the Labor Day weekend event.

Book sale volunteer Isabelle Koehler has spent the past year researching first

edition books with the help of guide books such as Book Prices, Used and Rare,

First Editions ; A Guide to Identification , The Old Book Value Guide and

Collected Books, The Guide to Values , among others, to determine what price

to recommend charging.

She said she is not the final word on a book's price or judgment on its

rarity, however. John Renjillian, a rare book dealer who adds his expertise as

a volunteer for the book sale, decides on the final price and whether it is a

rare book.

"I give him what the price is in the book," Mrs Koehler said.

Mrs Koehler explained that when the volunteers are sorting through all the

books that are donated, they put aside all first edition books for her.

"As long as it says first edition, it goes to me," she said.

Just because a book is a first edition does not mean it has any more value

than any other book, she said.

"It may only be valuable, for instance, if there's a mistake in a book, such

as a misspelling of the author's name," she said.

A book's potential value also depends on its condition, though she noted some

book collectors don't care about its condition if a book is rare.

If the book has been signed by the author, it could have more value than one

that isn't, she said. However, that doesn't mean that every book signed by an

author is valuable.

Other characteristics that might make a book valuable are the presence of a

certain illustrator, such as children's books illustrated by N.C. Wyeth, or

special decorative end papers, she explained.

Mr Renjillian may not think the book is valuable or might reject it because it

is in poor condition, she said. In that case, he sends it back to be included

among books in its category.

Mrs Koehler has been involved with the book sale since she retired as a senior

editor from Grolier four years ago, but has been doing first editions only

this year.

She receives about a dozen first edition books a day all year and researches

them all, she said.

She terms her research as "a winnowing process." If a first edition book is

rejected by Mr Renjillian, it is put into whatever general category it fits.

She said through the years, "We have found a few things that are worth a lot

of money." The highest valued book she remembers was about $200, "But I don't

know if John agreed with it."

While she has not encountered any paperback books of value, she said some do

become part of the rare book section.

"It's an inexact science," Mrs Koehler said. "If we didn't have John, we'd

really have a problem."

This year she is also researching children's books, such as the Nancy Drew or

Hardy Boys series, which she said are valuable.

Two first editions featured this year are Harrison Fisher's American Beauties

(1909) and Our National Parks (1901) by John Muir in its original dust jacket.

A number of books from the 1800s include R. Chambers Book of Days (two-book

set, 1879) and Montesquieu's The Spirit of Laws (two-book set, first American

printing, 1802). Children's authors are prominent this year and include L.

Frank Baum (1917) The Lost Princess of Oz ) and P.L. Travers, who wrote Mary

Poppins ( Ah Wong , signed and numbered 66 of 500 privately printed).

Mrs Koehler said she and her husband, Bob, went from book sale to book sale

when they moved to Newtown. "That's how we got to know Connecticut."

The Booth Library Book Sale, one of New England's largest, will offer over

100,000 books and recordings.

The annual fund-raiser, now in its 24th year, offers hardcover and paperback

books in more than 70 categories, including nonfiction (war and military,

gardening, cooking, art, biographies, crafts, Christmas, chess, history,

flower arranging, and more) and fiction (novels, mysteries, science fiction,

occult, short stories, and more).

Mrs Koehler said every year new categories have to be added as new interests

pop up.

Thousands of books for children will be available, along with computer

software, LP records, tapes and CDs, games, and puzzles.

The Booth Library Book Sale will be held inside Bridgeport Hall, Fairfield

Hills, on Saturday, September 4, 10 am to 5 pm; Sunday, September 5, 10 am to

5 pm; Monday, September 6, 9 am to 4:30 pm; Tuesday, September 7, 2 to 6 pm;

and Wednesday, September 8, 10 am to 4 pm.

Admission of $5 is charged on Saturday only ($3 for members of Newtown's

Friends of the Library); tickets go on sale at 7 am. On Saturday and Sunday,

books will be sold at the marked price. On Monday, books will be sold at half

the marked price from 9 am to 2 pm. From 2:30 to 4:30 pm on Monday and again

on Tuesday from 2 to 6 pm, books will be $5 per bag. Leftover books will be

free on Wednesday from 10 am to 4 pm, with donations accepted.

Refreshments will be available Saturday through Monday. All proceeds from the

Book Sale benefit the Booth Library in Newtown. To reach the sale, take I-84

to Exit 11, turn left at the bottom of the ramp onto Mile Hill Road, and

follow the signs about one mile to reach Fairfield Hills. Parking is free.

For more information, call the Cyrenius H. Booth Library at 203/426-4533.