ABC’s of Book Collecting : American Book Prices Current

AMERICAN BOOK PRICES CURRENT

Published annually since 1895: first edited by Luther S. Livingston, for many years afterwards by Edward Lazare and now by Katharine Kyes and Daniel J. Leab. Now divided into two sections: (1) printed books, maps, charts and broadsides, (2) autograph letters and manuscripts. Each volume (published in January every year – ABPC is the most punctual, as well as accurate, of such records) contains an entry for every lot in all recorded sales. Nothing is included which sold for less than $50.00.

Since 1958 ABPC, as it is commonly called, has included (without feeling the need, as yet, to change its title) the record of printed books (and, unlike its British competitor, of MSS) sold in the principal London and European auction houses as well as those of the United States and has recently added Australia to its coverage. From January 1994, too, ABPC has been made available in CD-ROM, with over half a million entries going back to 1975. It is now, since the demise of book auction records, the only record of sales, and a very good one at that. See also auctions (3).

Previous ABC’s of Book Collecting posts

Carter, John & Nicolas Barker
ABC’s of Book Collecting. 8th Edition
New Castle, Delaware : Oak Knoll Press, 2004

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