Have you seen any of these three books gathering dust on a bookshelf in your home? If they happen to be first editions you might be in for quite a windfall.
John Steinbeck's "The Grapes Of Wrath" recently sold for $2,875 at an auction.
How much would you pay for a first edition of the children's book, "The Cat In The Hat?" Depending on its condition, the 1957 book may be worth as much as $4,000.
How about something newer like a first edition of "Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone?" It came out in 1997 and if you have the first British edition you might get as much as $40,000 for it.
If you think that is a lot, consider the $1 million recently paid for a 1938 ten-cent comic about Superman. That sale went through last week. But this week bookstore owners Michael and Shannon Yahn are holding a First Edition Clinic at their Authors Books & Music store on Liberty Street in downtown Warren, Pennsylvania.
How can this be? According to Yahn, "Many Book Club Editions, or subsequent reprint editions issued by a publisher have been touted as "First Editions" when in fact, they are not."
"You can't always judge a book by its cover. That is, of course, unless the cover has what is referred to in book circles as "Points of Issue". Typically a small flaw in an illustration or a mispelled word that was not initially spotted by the publisher before it went to print," he adds.
On Saturday, February 27th, booksellers, Michael & Shannon Yahn (a Warren Area High School alumna), owners of AUTHORS BOOKS & MUSIC, will attempt to shed some light on the mystery surrounding First Editions. The talk will begin at 2 p.m. at the book store located at 227 Liberty Street in downtown Warren. The event is FREE and open to the public. For more information, call (814) 313-1112 or visit www.authorsbookstore.com. The Yahns were instrumental in creating the successful Allegheny Bookmart on Second Avenue in Warren, Pennsylvania and they have been buying and selling books now for 14 years. Visiting them on Saturday is an opportunity to find out how much your books are worth so you may not want to pass this up.
Or at least take a little closer look this year during Spring cleaning before you toss out your kid's or your parents old books. Nothing worse than putting money in the trash.
Pictured Above: Authors Books & Music owner Michael Yahn holds a book "road show" this Saturday at 2 p.m. on Liberty Street. He will evaluate antique and "first edition" books for free.
If you miss this week's lecture and still need info on collectible books, stop by anytime with your book.
--photos and article by Chris Lareau
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