Luther Corporation
Rare Books
For Book Auctions….CLICK HERE
First Editions - American Literature - 20th Century Literature

Authors we specialize in:
Sylvia Beach
William Faulkner
Ernest Hemingway
James Joyce
Shakespeare & Co
John Steinbeck

Titles we specialize in:
A Farewell To Arms
Cannery Row
For Whom The Bell Tolls
Men Without Women
The Fifth Column
The Grapes Of Wrath
The Lost Generation
The Old Man And The Sea
To Have And Have Not
Winner Take Nothing

Private collections of books first appeared in classical Greece. It is estimated that in the city of Rome at the end of the third century there were around 30 public libraries. The advent of paperback books in the 20th century led to an explosion of popular publishing.
The value of a book depends on its physical condition. Years of handling and storage take their toll on the dust jacket, cover, pages, and binding. Books are subject to damage from sunlight, moisture, and insects. Acid from the papermaking process can cause the pages to gradually turn brown and ultimately crumble. Collectible books prices and values vary.

Demand – Copies Available - Current Condition - Author Popularity

Book Condition…
  • Look for a solid rectangle, at rest or upright
  • Look for right angles from cover to spine
  • Look for in tact jacket, pages and binding
  • Look for edge wear, stains and tears
  • Look for previous owner's written name
  • Look for water, sunlight and insect damage


    • Book Sizes…
    The size of a book is based on the printing area of a common flatbed press. The pages of type are printed on a sheet of paper the full size of the press, folded and edges trimmed.
  • Quarto: folded twice, forming four leaves (eight pages) up to 13"
  • Octavo: folded three times into eight leaves (16 pages) up to 9 ¾"
  • Sextodecimo: folded four times, forming sixteen leaves (32 pages) up to 6 ¾"


    		•

    Book Structure…
    Front cover
    Front endpaper
    Flyleaf
    Front matter
    Frontispiece
    Title page
    Copyright page
    Table of contents     		List of tables
    Dedication
    Acknowledgments
    Foreword
    Preface
    Introduction
    Body
    Appendix     		Glossary
    Index
    Notes
    Bibliography
    Colophon
    Flyleaf
    Rear endpaper
    Rear cover


    Book Types…
  • Album: A book for collections of memorabilia and photographs.
  • Diary: A book for writing daily events and information.
  • Reference: A non-fiction book providing specific information is a book.
  • Almanac: A reference book with information on many topics is called an
  • Handbook: A reference book with tables or lists of data and information are
  • Manual: A book with technical information about how to use equipment
  • Encyclopedia: A book or set of books with articles on many topics.
  • Dictionary: A book listing words, their etymology and meanings.
  • Atlas: A book that is a collection of maps.
  • Paperback: A book with a flexible cover that tend to be less durable.
  • Galley: A pre-publication promotional copy or bound proof.

    • For Book Auctions…CLICK HERE

    Luther Corporation
    Rare Books
    4089 South 84th Street
    Number 309
    Omaha, Nebraska 68127
    Phone: (402) 980-9523

    To Contact Luther Corporation… Click Here

    Agriculture – Americana - Animals – Anthropology - Archaeology
    Architecture - Art - Astrology –Astronomy - Automotive
    Aviation – Biographies – Birds - Boating - Nautical
    Business - Children - Civil War - Cookbooks
    Ecology - Education - Child Care - Etiquette- Fiction
    First Editions - Field & Stream – Film - Foreign Language
    Gardening Geology - Health - History – Crafts - Humor
    Law - Magazines – Medical – Military - Music - Mystery
    Native American - Natural History - Philosophy - Photography
    Poetry - Politics - Psychology – Religion - Science Fiction
    Self-Help – Sociology - Sports - Travel - Exploration

    Countywebsite.com ©2007