Why nobody talks about checking the copyright page on thrift store books

I grabbed a beat-up copy of 'The Sea-Wolf' for $2 at a flea market in Tucson last month and only realized after I got home that it was a first edition from 1904 because I never bothered to flip past the title page lol, has anyone else overlooked something valuable that way?

2 comments

2 Comments

david_adams2mo ago

Depends on who's selling it and where. A beat up book at a flea market for two bucks probably isn't getting authenticated by anyone serious anyway.

shane_perry292mo ago

Ever had a buddy get burned on something like that? My friend spent $5 at a garage sale on a signed first edition, was stoked until his cousin who collects books told him the signature was printed, not actually signed (super common on later printings apparently). He still keeps it on his shelf though, says it's a good story even if it's worthless.