Expert: Joseph Logue - 4/7/2004

Question
My father has a 7 Chamber Encyclopedias dated 1878. We would like some information on them  as they have maps in them from that period. Could you please advice me where I can get some information about them and where I can get them valued if they are of any value. We live in the Durham area.

I don't think they are in excellent condition. Is it worth getting them re-bound

Answer
Hi Pauline,

Though this is outside my area, I think that you may have something of interest, if not value.  I am a big fan of the Chambers Biographical and Geographical reference works.  Did you mean that the set you have is 7 volumes?  As for their value, I would check out E-bay to see if anything like that has come up before.  I would also check out book collecting Web sites (use Google and type in "first edition," using the quotation marks).  This will point you in the right direction.

Are you in Durham, North Carolina, Ontario, or England?  Many of the book Web sites have British addresses ("co.uk") so you may find something easily if you're in the UK.

Best of luck.  Let me know how you fared.

Sincerely,

Joseph Logue