Advice on how to research rarity of book

Hi!
I have a set of 6 volumes Works of Charles Dickens. I want to find out how
rare they may be. Any advice on what to look for or how to reasearch would
be great.
This set is bound in what appears to be leather, with raised decorations
(looks like little clusters of grapes on vines) and ornate embossed/guilded
in gold initial (D) on the front. The spines have the book titles and
Scribners in gold. One Book has part of the cover on the spine loose
exposing what appears to be woven cloth beneath the leather. Bound with
cloth?
Title pages have New York Charles Scribners Sons 1926.
Some have a synopsis of story by Thomas Y Crowell & Co Copyright 1904.
One Volume (Martin Chuzzlewit) contains a postscript dated May 1868,
discusing a dinner on April 18, 1868 in New York.
All are Illustrated, Bleak House & The Personal History Of David Copperfield
credits H.K. Browne for Illustrations.
Any advice as to how to care for these beautiful books would be welcome.
Thank You!
Sandy

Hi!
I have a set of 6 volumes Works of Charles Dickens. I want to find out how
rare they may be. Any advice on what to look for or how to reasearch would
be great.
This set is bound in what appears to be leather, with raised decorations
(looks like little clusters of grapes on vines) and ornate embossed/guilded
in gold initial (D) on the front. The spines have the book titles and
Scribners in gold. One Book has part of the cover on the spine loose
exposing what appears to be woven cloth beneath the leather. Bound with
cloth?
Title pages have New York Charles Scribners Sons 1926.
Some have a synopsis of story by Thomas Y Crowell & Co Copyright 1904.
One Volume (Martin Chuzzlewit) contains a postscript dated May 1868,
discusing a dinner on April 18, 1868 in New York.
All are Illustrated, Bleak House & The Personal History Of David Copperfield
credits H.K. Browne for Illustrations.
Any advice as to how to care for these beautiful books would be welcome.
Thank You!
Sandy

I'm not an expert, just someone who's bought a lot of classic
books, including many sets of Victorian authors. Your damanged set
of Dickens would be worth around $45. That's my guess. Provided
that you have all volumes in the set -- an incomplete set is
pretty much worthless.

You have to bear in mind that Dickens was the most popular writer
in history, and there were a *lot* of sets of his novels printed.
Yours sounds like a standard set, nothing special.

"Sandy" wrote
Any advice as to how to care for these beautiful books would be welcome.

Using a mixture of bleach and ammonia, very carefully wipe the leather using
a fine grit sandpaper.
When clean, seal the leather with multiple coats of a urethane floor finish.

On 2005-01-27, Petronius wrote:
"Sandy" wrote
Any advice as to how to care for these beautiful books would be welcome.

Using a mixture of bleach and ammonia, very carefully wipe the leather using
a fine grit sandpaper.
When clean, seal the leather with multiple coats of a urethane floor finish.

What is this garbage? Someone asks a serious question and you
respond with a recipe to destroy the book.

--
Jonathan Grobe Books
Browse our inventory of thousands of used books at:
http://www.grobebooks.com

Petronius wrote:

"Sandy" wrote


Any advice as to how to care for these beautiful books would be welcome.



Using a mixture of bleach and ammonia, very carefully wipe the leather using
a fine grit sandpaper.
When clean, seal the leather with multiple coats of a urethane floor finish.




This bad advice will now have your name on it for as long as the
internet exists. I know why you did it, but the inside joke is too
obscure.


Francis A. Miniter

"Petronius" wrote in message
...
"Sandy" wrote
Any advice as to how to care for these beautiful books would be
welcome.

Using a mixture of bleach and ammonia,

Which will cause dangerous fumes, which have been known to
have fatal reactions.

Your joke (based on a previous bit of "advice" here), may seem
humorous.....but please consider that someone without even
the most basic bits of knowledge about books, is likely to lack
the same basic knowledge of common household chemicals.

Kris

Jonathan Grobe wrote:

On 2005-01-27, Petronius wrote:
"Sandy" wrote
Any advice as to how to care for these beautiful books would be welcome.

Using a mixture of bleach and ammonia, very carefully wipe the leather using
a fine grit sandpaper.
When clean, seal the leather with multiple coats of a urethane floor finish.

What is this garbage? Someone asks a serious question and you
respond with a recipe to destroy the book.

--
Jonathan Grobe Books
Browse our inventory of thousands of used books at:
http://www.grobebooks.com

What!!! This will damage a leather-bound book! But...I just used it on
the cover of my Ben Hur 1860...

--

'Child, do not throw this book about,
refrain from the unholy pleasure,
of cutting the pictures out.
Preserve it as your chiefest treasure.' - Hilaire Belloc

Al Smith wrote:

You have to bear in mind that Dickens was the most popular writer
in history,

Much as I like Dickens, I find this observation a bit of a
hyperbole. Whose history? Even for the Brits, didn't Agatha Christie
have more sales?

--
Ht

"Kris Baker" wrote
but please consider that someone without even
the most basic bits of knowledge about books, is likely to lack
the same basic knowledge of common household chemicals.

So you think not having "the most basic bits of knowledge about books"
somehow equates to complete idiocy?
Your rational is completely illogical.
A child would realize that post was intended to be humorous.
--
Bob Finnan
http://bobfinnan.com

"Jonathan Grobe" wrote in message
...
On 2005-01-27, Petronius wrote:
"Sandy" wrote
Any advice as to how to care for these beautiful books would be
welcome.

Using a mixture of bleach and ammonia, very carefully wipe the leather
using
a fine grit sandpaper.
When clean, seal the leather with multiple coats of a urethane floor
finish.

What is this garbage? Someone asks a serious question and you
respond with a recipe to destroy the book.

--
Jonathan Grobe Books
Browse our inventory of thousands of used books at:
http://www.grobebooks.com


I'm ignorant about some things, but not an idiot.
Any real advice?
I love my books. I keep them from direct sun, dust them with a soft dry
cloth, no chemicals, minimal handling.
How could I repair the spine without harm? The fabric is guaze-like, brittle
and starting to shread. The leather is split all the way down one side, not
tatered at all.
Thanks,
Sandy