How to Know Whether a Vintage Book is Valuable

It’s the Writers Festival this week (well, it finishes today), and I’ve been having a high ol’ time wandering around Federation Square (about which the beau keeps saying ‘I feel like we’re in the near future’) and perusing the books and journals in the temporary bookshop and Atrium. So what better time to have a think about the value of vintage books?

Whenever I think of this topic, I remember going to a talk given by author of the Treasure Hunter’s Guide, Kirsty Montagu. Among the many pearls of wisdom she shared, one has stuck with me and continues to bother me – that most, if not all vintage books have little to no market value.

This was such a disappointment to me. It’s always so exciting to flip through old books – they often have such beautiful or strange dust jackets and photographs. And they smell really good (unless they’ve gone mildewy…gross).

But the bald fact of the matter is that the market is flooded with old books; I guess people hold onto books in a way that they don’t hold on to clothes (which wear out) or kitchen stuff (which can break if used all the time), or any number of other collectibles. They’re bought to keep. At least the hardback ones were. Result? Even books that are Seriously Old (like, over 100 years old) might have little or no value, because they aren’t scarce and no one has to work hard to hunt them down.

That said, there are exceptions to this rule.

Bishops, Poets and Legs of Mutton: Know Your Sleeve Types

There’s a wonderful array of technical terms when it comes to vintatge clothing. And in the whacky terminology stakes, sleeves are right up there. But the exact terms to use when describing them is something I’ve never been 100% clear on, so I’ve scratched around and consulted my sources, and a rough guide follows (bear in mind, I’m not talking about the difference between long, short and three-quarter, as I’m fairly sure you guys are across that):  

Newsflash: Lea Stein’s Second 2008 Design Now Available

Sometimes there are unexpected joys when you have a laboriously slow internet connection (there are no expected joys, believe you me). Example: the other day I was surfing the interwebs, minding my own business, trying to find out whether Lea Stein’s second 2008 design had been released yet. I checked around a few websites and found nada. Then, I went to Sheryl’s Art Deco (where there’s always a fine array of Lea Stein to marvel at), and lo and behold, text appeared which declared ‘MOUSTACHE – NEW FOR 2008!’ But the picture took about another five minutes to load.

Let me tell you, that was an interesting five minutes. My brain was whizzing. Would it be a curly artist mo, like those brooches by Tatty Devine? Would it be a Sheriff, or a Pirate, or some other face with a ridiculous ’stache? A bearded lady? Of course, it was none of these things. It was

Stakeout: Ballarat Salvos

You may remember last Saturday. It was basically sub zero temperatures, icy, howling winds and the occasional blast of hail. Which, obviously, is why I decided it would be a great day to make my way into Ballarat, winner of every “Regional Centre With the Least Hospitable Climate” award of the last five billion years.

In truth, the beau and I were visiting a friend up there, and between rounds of Lost in Time mini-golf (don’t miss it – each hole is supposed to capture a certain historical era, but according to them history roughly went straight from dinosaurs to the middle ages to pirates. it is AWESOME, and the golf balls are fluoro) and roaming the Ballarat art gallery, I managed to slink off and wander around the Ballarat Salvos on Bakery Hill.

MP Publishes Free Op Shop Guide: Finally, a Policy I Can Get Behind

OK, for this piece of cutting edge intelligence I owe a debt of gratitude to Jimmy/James of The Signage.

Apparently, the state MP for Frankston, one Alistair Harkness, has prepared a free pamphlet/guide to op shops in the Frankston area.

It’s a great free service, alerting people to the addresses and opening hours of ops in the area, as well as letting them know if the shop is run by a charity, and what that charity does.

Savers: As Classy as Dipper and Twice as Smelly

There’s something about Robert ‘Dipper’ Dipierdominico that makes me feel sad inside. I think it’s because just when you thought he had lost all vestige of human dignity and couldn’t possibly sink any further, he jumps frothing through the televisual landscape screeching about 99c socks and I have to allow that he has attained a new level of humiliation. Also my friend once accidentally sex-danced with him and got the death stare from his wife. But that’s another story.

Where am I going with this? Well, I’m about to draw a rather long bow and liken the sad writhings of Dipper to the shamelessness of Savers.

You Guys Will Probably Like The Clothing Exchange

Good thing I never pretended to have my finger on the pulse with this blog, because Oh My Godfather am I behind the times when it comes to all the hep-cat things happening Down Town.

Take, for instance, The Clothing Exchange. This nifty little enterprise has been running for quite some time now, but it took a lazy leafing through the Age last week (and i think it was an old copy of the Age…tragic) for me to get on the bandwagon with this thing. Which I am now doing.

The Importance of Colour When Valuing Vintage

Recently, I have been reminded several times of the importance of colour (especially in relation to scarcity) when it comes to valuing vintage.

Example: think of glomesh. And I bet, when you do, that you think of either white or tan glomesh, or, if you’re feeling really adventurous, black. The prices for such glomesh are (or should be) fairly modest. But the less common colours – say, gold and bronze – are going to fetch a premium. And the really rare, out there colours – I still regret not buying an apple green glomesh handbag – are going to be priced even higher.

Go Marvel at the NGV’s Art Deco Exhibition

Need I say more?

This exhibition is as popular (it was packed out when i was there last Saturday, and it’s been open for over a month) as it is far reaching and ginormous. I was in there for three hours (until the security bums threw me out at closing time), and still didn’t feel like I had adequately gawped in wonder at the collection of more than 300 art deco goodies that were on display.

Spotting Fake Amber: An Easy Way of Working a Jurassic Park Reference Into This Blog

I know you were there with me in the nineties. I know you saw that mosquito suspended in amber while watching Jurassic Park and thought it was the raddest thing of all time. And I know that this sense of history (or prehistory) gives amber a general air of mysterious otherworldliness. Which is why fake amber can be such a bummer. Who wants to find out that they’ve been duped by a dead bug in some plastic goop, and have no possibility of reincarnating dinosaurs? Not me.