Bookman's Price Index

A Guide to the Values of Rare & Other Out-of-Print Books
Volume 30
Published by Gale

Established in 1964, Bookman's Price Index is an index to rare and antiquarian books offered for sale in the catalogs of 100-200 book dealers in the U.S., Canada, and the British Isles. The number of titles listed in each volume is approximately 15,000; in the course of a year some 50-60,000 books are described.

Volumes do not supersede previous volumes. Each volume covers catalogs from the previous 4 to 6 months.

Entries Include: Title and author, edition, year published, physical description (size, binding, illustrations); detailed description of the book's condition including flaws, amount of wear, comment on scarcity; price as listed in catalog; catalog source and number.

Included are three appendixes:

"Association Copies": Listing books by significant people who have owned them
"Fine Bindings": Listing books that have had special bindings applied, arranged by the name of the binder
"Fore-Edge Paintings": Listing books that have had scenes painted on the edge of the book, listed by the name of the artist

Review:

"The introduction to this important set of reference books is invaluable for the novice collector, for those who are trying to broaden their understanding of the business of antiquarian books, for people who are searching for or comparing prices of a particular book, or for those who unexpectedly found a box of old books at a neighborhood garage or estate sale or in the attic of a grandparent's home. This is a resource that should be availalble to the general public, and because of the cost, it might be used by professional dealers of antiquarian books as well."
--American Reference Books Annual, 2012

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