Can You Sell Former Library books as Rare Books?
Some rare books, related to libraries come from:
personal libraries, Ex libris, "from the library of" (Latin)
public, or institutional libraries including schools and other centers of education, ex-library
Depending on which one is the source, the conditions may differ.
Collectible? I say yes.
But here are a few perspectives on both
On Ex Libris books, Books Tell You Why says “It's important to remember that plenty of books are marked “ex libris,” but that doesn't necessary add value to the book (and can actually decrease the value of the book if the marks are obtrusive).”
According to AbeBooks in a great feature, “Ex-library books are rarely collectible. Since condition is vital for collectors, you are going to come across books with torn or lost dust jackets, cloudy and smeared protective sleeves (mylar covers are easy to replace though), and general shelf wear.”
Now my goals differ - I’m not looking for collectibles as there aren’t many Nigerian and West African food/ cook books in circulation so I am thrilled to get any copy at all - old, new, ex-lib, or ex-libris :).
And so, in summary, I say yes, you can sell former library books - I’ve bought them, and will continue to buy them, as a collector whose goal is to close the gap first and foremost.
Here are two books I’ve bought recently that were ex-library:
1. Nigeria in Costume (3rd Editions, 1965) first published in 1960 in celebration of Nigerian independence from Britain. It contains illustrations of Nigerian clothing and traditional wear.
As an exercise, I’m going to do my best to describe a copy based on a listing on AbeBooks
THIRD EDITION, HARDCOVER, USED
My analysis | Hardcover. 3rd edition 1965. Green cloth boards, 48 full-page colour plates with accompanying text, red endpapers, top edge red, pp 103. Minor rubbing to boards, clean, very good condition. Illus. John Danford (illustrator).
There is some damage to the front cover and the spine - and I know this because I watched a video recently that detailed the results of improper storage and handling of books.
Observations
different shades of green. The Front cover and the spine are not as vibrant, and have a brownish/ goldish hue compared with the back. This is likely the effect of sunning. So, was this book on a stand facing the sun? That might explain the difference in the front and back
fraying of the top (head) and base (tail) of the spine, where it likely was held when removing from a bookshelf
The next step would be to take this to an experienced rare book seller and see what they make of my notes :).
Classic Nigerian Cook Book by Laura Edet. I bought this years ago but it was missing a page. And so, on my recent travels, I requested it at a couple of libraries. However, they weren’t able to locate their copies. It is a great collection of recipes and I’m thrilled to have it, ex-libris or not!
I won’t describe it right now though, maybe for my next exercise.
And that’s it. A bit on ex-Libs….
Tell me, would you buy any of these?
