When was the last time a used book store near you had a decent numismatic book?

291fifth

Other than Red and Blue books and a few of the most common Bowers/Taxay books I can't recall the last time I saw a good numismatic book at a local used bookstore. Has anyone found anything good in the recent past?

Burks

Some old Krause's. Really beat up so I didn't bother buying them. They still wanted $15 each.

BulletBiter

A few months ago I ran across “The Comprehensive U.S. Silver Dollar Encyclopedia” for under $10. Picked up a few redbooks for time to time, but pickins are normally pretty slim.

Cladiator

Never.

KoinDawg

Better to get used books from AMAZON. The only books at the used books store in my city are paperback novels.

RYK

In the last two weeks, I ordered two hard-to-find coin coin books via resellers at Amazon.com.

flaminio

Since the Internet took off, I rarely venture out to used book stores. Much easier to find them on amazon, alibris, half.com, ebay, or any of a number of other sources.

Shamika

I purchased a copy of Breen's U.S.Coin Encyclopedia for $55 at a used book store in a town I occasionally visit. They also have few odd numismatic books that I've never seen in any other used book store, but most places I visit have crap to offer.

curly

I went to the Used Bookstore in Cols. Ohio, on Lane Ave. this last Sunday. All they had was "Coin Collecting for Dummies".

cladking

I found a copt of Doty's "Money of the World" at a garage sale last year but its'
been a long time since finding much in a book store.

PerryHall

<< <i>I went to the Used Bookstore in Cols. Ohio, on Lane Ave. this last Sunday. All they had was "Coin Collecting for Dummies". >>



Don't let the title fool you. Its a good book and has a lot of useful information.

TwoSides2aCoin

I can't remember a decent used bookstore, let alone a numismatic book in one

DaveG

There's a great used bookstore near us.

Last year I picked up American Journal of Numismatics #11 (the one with Michael Hodder's article on Western assay bars and an article on a hoard of double eagles) for $9!

ziggy29

I saw a used copy of one of the QDB books, but I don't recall which one it was. Anyway, they wanted $50 for it...

Lakesammman

It's been forever.

Longacre

At my town's annual labor day book sale, they commonly have some Redbooks and other general references. I was able to get the Friedberg and Krause paper money books for $2 each.

fc

i often visit used book stores but cannot remember seeing
a book on coins like others have mentioned.

i did find a novel called the "the last coin" by Blaylock, but alas,
it sucked.

CalGold

Ran into an old book on Confederate currency. Can't recall the author. I think it was from the 1920s.
Didn't buy it. Its probably still sittin on the shelf.

CG

dorancoins

Well, the last time I bought a decent numismatic book was at a used bookstore in Charleston, IL (home of Eastern Illinois University) and the title was "The Complete Book of United States Coin Collecting" by Norman M. Davis, printed in 1971 (just a tad older than me. Interesting book despite the fact that some of the information in it has changed. At the same time the book store had a used copy of "United States Copper Cents" by Howard R. Newcomb - and they wanted $18 for this book, and it was in really good shape. But I was short on funds and had to chose the forementioned book - they wanted only $5 - which was not bad.

I actually buy old numismatic books for my library, and I check out the flea markets, antique malls (where I found a few old Red Books for cheap money), and, of course, the used book stores. Unless you live in a metro area like Chicago, its slim pickens.

ElmerFusterpuck

Found a good hardbound copy of the Early Silver Dollars (1794-1804) for about $10 a couple of years ago at Half Price books

carl

Glad somebody posted this subject. I never thought of checking out used book stores for coin books. In fact I never thought of used book stores. Don't even know if there are any around here but I'll look. Oddly enough I have tried most of the large new book stores in the hart of the Chicago land area but never found anything worth buying for coins. Anyone out there know of a used book store in the Chicago land area? I've been trying to find Red Books prior to Edition 8 with out paying an arm and leg for one.

morganbarber

I have not been in that many used book stores, but I am constantly in antique stores. Many have lots of books. Often they have many books on collectibles and older things. I have yet to find a coin book. I think that people who buy coin books hold them to the grave. I keep telling myself that when I finally run into one, that there will be a huge collection of them together.

Calypso

Never. I collect books as well as coins.

MrHalfDime

Although I personally have never found anything significant for numismatic titles for my library in used book stores, a friend did make quite a find which would certainly qualify as "...the last time a used book store near you had a decent numismatic book".

While browsing through an old used book store, a friend spotted what I understand to be an old counterfeit detector. I am out of my field here, but it is my understanding that the Treasury Department published these books, using the original plates for then current currency. Their purpose is to let bankers and shop keepers see what a real note looks like. They are printed in full color, but one-sided, to avoid ilicit use. He took the counterfeit detector to the front counter, along with a few other books, and asked the price. The shop owner looked at the currency detector and said "Oh, my. Look at the pretty pictures of the money". I guess I would need $25 for that. Like a true Yankee who is used to dickering, he clutched his chest, made some comment about how expensive it was, but paid her and told her that if she ever had any other numismatic books, he would like to hear from her.

Several days after that transaction, he received a phone call from the woman at the book shop. Initially he did not like the tone of the call, as she began something like "Do you recall buying that book with the pictures of the money from me the other day? Well, I've been thinking about that....". He was about to say something like "Hey, a deal's a deal", or "What's done is done", but before he could say anything, she continued "I remembered that I have another book just like that, and you can have it for the same price".

I never get deals like that, but it is probably just as well, because I can sleep at night, with a clear conscience.

billboat

Within the last 2 years I've bought the following from my favorite second hand store:

The United States Early Silver Dollars 1794 to 1803 by Jules Reiver
Discovering America: The Coin Collecting Connection bu Russell Rulau
Greek Coins by Ian Carradice

About 20 years ago I picked up a used Whitman Mercury dime folder with some other books---found four Mercs still nestled in the last page.

jonathanb

Several years ago I picked up a copy of Noe's The Silver Coinage of Massachusetts and Storer's The Numismatics of Massachusetts at different book stores. I paid $25 each, and for years I regretted overpaying. Turns out that they're basically unavailable at any price now, and I'd probably be out of luck if I ever had to replace them.

jonathan