Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire Stupid question about old/rare books

I don't read many books these days. I bought "hell I was there" awhile back and it was good. But my question is regarding the price of old books. Let say an old book in the classifieds/ebay/amazon is selling used in decent shape for $200. I'd assume 'as new' would be costing even more. If there is demand, can't the publisher or whoever reprint more and sell them for "the low low price" of $100 and make some money? Or is it just that the supply is so low that even a bit of demand makes the price high so that only a few 'new' copies would sell if they were actually available? Sorry for a rambling random question.

It costs a lot to print and it takes volume to break even.

As for price the best prices are for first edition.

The wife being a librarian has a lot of first books around the house.
I don't any are the ones that would let one retire but they are subjects she likes.

It's not what's in the book, it's rarity and interest in a particular printing. You can get the collected works of Shakespeare cheap enough but I'm sure there are some early printings worthy of an armed guard. If there's demand a publisher will run another printing even with updates by the author. The latest edition of Htcher's Notebook comes to mind.

As stated above potential sales volume has a lot to do with it. Also copyrights can be an issue, author passes on without assigning them to someone and all of a sudden the rights are split up among 57 grand kids. Can be a big headache to straigthen that out for something that may only sell a few thousand copies

Try to imagine the difference between an original 1886 Winchester and a reissue. Or an original Hawken vs. a
modern copy. Same principal applies to books.

Question was not stupid at all. Stupid questions are the ones that dont get asked.

Condition is everything, just as with all collectables.
It is interesting discussing both printings and editions with collectors. Different cloth, dust jackets and quality of pictures.

Some 2nd editions have greater value "to those who know" than first editions. An example is John George Shots fired In Anger. First edition Samworth is expensive. 2nd edition NRA is expensive for what it is but affordable to most everyone.
The 2nd edition has added material on Merrill's Marauders and the CBI. Also use of the M-1 Carbine in combat.

As with everything collectable, it's depends on if you want it more than the guy you are bidding against. The casual reader bids up the price as he is buying one. The collector is buying many and has to pace himself. After acquiring a reading copy he waits like a vulture for the right collectors copy. When two collectors square off the fun starts.