Book sale can break buyers' pocketbook

Buying a few hundred dollars worth of textbooks is routine for most University students. But at the Penn Antiquarian Book Fair held Friday and Saturday at the Penn Tower Hotel, a hundred dollars wouldn't even buy one copy of Hamlet. Of course, Book Dealer Cynthia Davis Buffington's copy of Shakespeare's play was printed in 1703, has morocco bookplates, and is actually a compilation of pages from several different early editions. The asking price was a mere $1,100. Buffington was one of fifty dealers at the third annual fair displaying thousands of rare books, autographs, manuscripts, prints and maps. A wide variety of subject areas were represented, including Americana, art, architecture, literature, medicine, music and science. "There are lots of reasons to be interested in rare books," Buffington said. "Customers have different reasons for purchasing items for their collections. Some people who could care less about what's in the book, purchase them because they love the bindings. Others may not care if the book is beautiful or not; it just has to be rare." Signed first editions and letters written by authors were popular with many dealers at the fair. Book dealer Tom Congalton offered a copy of H. G. Wells' Mr. Blettsworty on Rampole Island with an inscription to George Bernard Shaw. The book was priced at $3,500. Congalton was also selling first editions signed by a wide variety of authors, including Henry Miller, Jack London, L. Ron Hubbard, Jim Morrison, and Frank Lloyd Wright. A collection of F. Scott Fitzgerald letters were tagged with prices between $2,000 and $4,500. "The Fitzgerald letters are from a set of 23 never published letters written to his secretary," said Congalton. "We also have a very uncommon Jane Bowles letter to William Saronyn, and the only known example of a Christmas card sent by Zora Neale Hurston." Additional items for sale included an early, ten volume edition of Victor Hugo's Les Miserables, a paperback copy of Magical Rope Ties and Escapes written by Harry Houdini and a first edition of Thomas Paine's pamphlet, Dissertation on First-Principles of Government. "Most book dealers are fanatical about books," said dealer Ray Boas. "One thing about being a bookseller or collector is that there is absolutely no end to learning. It is a fascinating world to be in." Boas emphasized that age is not the most important determinant of value in the book world. Content, edition and condition are much more important. Buffington agreed, and noted that rare book collecting is not only for the rich. "It need not be a pocketbook-breaking exercise, but certainly some money is needed," Buffington said. The Antiquarian Book Fair was the third sponsored by the Friends of the Library of the Universisty of Pennsylvania. Proceeds are used to supplement the libraries acquisitions budgets.