Book Repair?

digitalcrack

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Who is the best person/company to contact for book repairs? I have a readable Rags to Rifleman that has it's cover ripped off. I would like to repair it to newer condition.
 
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Hambone

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I had a copy repaired a while back by a company in Tennessee. I could'nt find them on the web but if you'll give me a few days I should be able to get the number for them.

I'm not sure what they would do or charge for just a torn cover. My copy had been ripped in half at the center of the spine. They took the book completly apart and reglued every page for around $75.
 

Mike_Mason

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Be careful...

I'm reminded of the television show 'Antique Auction'...where a person brings in a piece of furniture...which they had repaired...and the appraiser tells them that if they didn't try to repair it then it would be worth $50,000...but since they ruined its antique integrity then it's now worth a hundred bucks lol...

Buddy's book might never be worth many thousands...but I think it's up close to a thousand right now...I recommend getting an appraisal...and possible repair...from a reputable antique book professional.

Just thinking out loud here...

Mike
 

Pushout

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Depends. Will probably depend on how much is left where it was ripped. Hard covers are much easier to do than paper, as long as the original material is present. I was in the bookbinding trade for 27 years.
Up close to a thousand???? According to who??
 

!Smorgass Bored

Hump ? What HUMP ?
Gold Member
You Can't Steal One, If You Can't Find Or Borrow One...imo

Pushout said:
Depends. Will probably depend on how much is left where it was ripped. Hard covers are much easier to do than paper, as long as the original material is present. I was in the bookbinding trade for 27 years.
Up close to a thousand???? According to who??


Supply and demand. A search of all booksellers, turns up absolutely none for sale.
Title: "Buddy Hall: Rags To Rifleman"
Author: W.W.Moody
Search: http://used.addall.com/

Doug
 

Johnnyt

Burn all jump cues
Silver Member
I don't know who owns the rights to From Rags to Rifeman, but if I did I'd have 100 to 200 printed up and keep them at home. Once a month put 2 or 3 of them online in new and used book stores. As long as they sold and the price was still stable/high I'd keep doing it until the price started to drop more than 30%. Then I'd hold them back again until it went back up. Someone is/could make a ton of $$ this way. Johnnyt
 

Pushout

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Smorgass Bored said:
Supply and demand. A search of all booksellers, turns up absolutely none for sale.
Title: "Buddy Hall: Rags To Rifleman"
Author: W.W.Moody
Search: http://used.addall.com/

Doug

Smorg, I would attribute this to the very small demand vs other "collectible" books. Since only pool players would be interested, the market for the title is small. I heard of people on rsb trying to sell it for $100 on Ebay and couldn't get it.
 
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accustatsfan

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Rags to rifleman

To show where priorities are at my ex left some time ago and the only thing she took, destroyed or threw away was my copy of "Rags to rifleman". I tried to get another copy but haven't found one. Don't like it so much I'm going to spend $100 for it. Does anyone know the reason why its not still in print?
 

digitalcrack

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
the damage

rags1.jpg

rags2.jpg
 

Pushout

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Just regluing the cover is not going to be of much use. The cover itself is in BAD shape. And, from your pictures, the spine is not good and it looks like the whole book is in not too great shape. When looking at this kind of repair, you have to take the overall condition into consideration. Is the book signed and by whom? Mine is signed by Buddy and the author. It's worth more signed, but still.
You can look in your phone book yellow pages and probably find someone who does book repair and get a quote. They will have to see the book. I'm afraid that it wouldn't be worth the cost of the repair. As I said to Smorg, the market for this kind of thing is pretty small and I don't know if the repairs you could get done to this would be worth it.
 

Pushout

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
accustatsfan said:
To show where priorities are at my ex left some time ago and the only thing she took, destroyed or threw away was my copy of "Rags to rifleman". I tried to get another copy but haven't found one. Don't like it so much I'm going to spend $100 for it. Does anyone know the reason why its not still in print?

$100 might be close to the going price. I can't see it going for much more. And the reason it's not still in print, could be a lot of reasons. Very small publisher for one, another reason is the quality of the book isn't very good. The type size varies from page to page and the printing isn't very good, at least on my copy and I have a second printing. I doubt there is any demand for the book from the general public.
 

!Smorgass Bored

Hump ? What HUMP ?
Gold Member
A Beat Up Copy Is Better Than NO Copy At All

Pushout said:
Just regluing the cover is not going to be of much use. The cover itself is in BAD shape. And, from your pictures, the spine is not good and it looks like the whole book is in not too great shape. When looking at this kind of repair, you have to take the overall condition into consideration. Is the book signed and by whom? Mine is signed by Buddy and the author. It's worth more signed, but still.
You can look in your phone book yellow pages and probably find someone who does book repair and get a quote. They will have to see the book. I'm afraid that it wouldn't be worth the cost of the repair. As I said to Smorg, the market for this kind of thing is pretty small and I don't know if the repairs you could get done to this would be worth it.


Now I'm thinking Elmer's white glue and extra wide clear Scotch tape...
Doug
( I liked it better WITHOUT the pictures of the damage ) :)
 

Hambone

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
The place that fixed my copy has a website. Go to www.gildedleafbindery.com

The book probably will cost more to fix than it is worth but at least you will be able to read it without it falling completly apart.
 

bud green

Dolley and Django
Silver Member
Copies have sold for over $300 on ebay but its average value is probably closer to 125-150 for this book in good condition.

Mines almost perfect:D
 

Pushout

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
bud green said:
Copies have sold for over $300 on ebay but its average value is probably closer to 125-150 for this book in good condition.

Ebay prices might reflect the market of pool players who are actively looking for a copy, but in the general/specific used/rare book trade, I think it would be lucky to bring $25. I think I paid $30 for mine on Ebay and thought I overpaid.
 

digitalcrack

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
You guys were big help. Thanks! The book is signed by Buddy given to me by a friend. I was thinking of fixing it up and loan it to some of azbilliard members to read for a deposit and shipping fees so if they decide to keep it I'll have at least something in return.
 
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klockdoc

ughhhhhhhhhh
Silver Member
Didn't read all the posts, so....

Like someone said, go to the Yellow Pages and look under either Bindery's or bookbinders. You can probably fine someone locally that can give you an idea on the cost of repair and if it can be accomplished.

Good Luck
 

bud green

Dolley and Django
Silver Member
Its at $275 on ebay for a "buy it now" copy. I've seen it as high as $320 but don't really see why this book is worth that much. Its definately a nice book, but only its rarity makes it worth more than 30-40 bucks.

At least Eddie Robins one pocket books that sell for over a hundred bucks are hardcovers- $275 for a paperback is nuts.
 

Pushout

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
bud green said:
Its at $275 on ebay for a "buy it now" copy. I've seen it as high as $320 but don't really see why this book is worth that much. Its definately a nice book, but only its rarity makes it worth more than 30-40 bucks.

At least Eddie Robins one pocket books that sell for over a hundred bucks are hardcovers- $275 for a paperback is nuts.

Actually, in collecting modern first editions, it's not all that unusual to see a trade paperback as the first edition/printing of a new author's first work. If said author becomes successful, the prices for first books can easily go that high.
 
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