Hoppe's book

Bob Jewett said:

That link pointed to a "print on demand" book source in India. I have seen one such reprint that was about half-size which makes the text illegible except with magnification. I'm not sure, but I think such a reprint is probably also illegal.

Since the original is available at a reasonable price (in about 10 full-sized printings over the years), it's better to make sure that's what you order.

Here is a review, perhaps for a different modern on-demand print of Hoppe, but I think you can get the idea:

The original book it self is great, but this copy is terrible. I have to use a magnifying glass to read it. I have 20/20 vision with glasses. It is difficult to take it to the pool table and cannot read it without straining or using a magnifying glass. I would not have paid $5 for this if I had been able to see it first. This kind of stuff is why I do not like to purchase on line.​

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Bob Jewett said:

Sorry, I didn't mean to discourage helpfulness, but since I collect books, the rise of cheaply made and poorly done copies of classics is a hot button for me.

The best way I've found to look for old books is to go to http://used.addall.com/ and put in (for example) "Hoppe" as author and "Billiards" as the title. Addall will search about 30 sites including Amazon but not Ebay and report back with a list of available titles. Here is a direct link to that search:

http://used.addall.com/SuperRare/RefineRare.fcgi?id=180311092716535918

The first listing is not BAISBP but rather "Thirty Years of Billiards" which is an autobiography of Hoppe published in 1925. It is only $6, since it is the Dover paperback reprint, but ships from England.

There are three copies of BAISBP available for under $10 (plus shipping).

You have to be a little careful with prices. A copy of Thirty Years in the paperback reprint is being offered at $1800 -- no, I did not forget a decimal point. $18 would be a reasonable price.

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