I am new to this collecting thing, finding out it is quite fun, but expensive. I was wondering what does it mean when a book is price-clipped? How much value does it take away from the book?

What if it is a library copy, but is unmarked with any library stamp?



Thanks for your help.

Hi Bob,

Welcome to the forums, and collecting SK! Yes it can get pricey but it's also easy to get into with plenty of 1st editions for under $20, and gift/artist editions for under $75...In some cases these artist editions are pretty much identical to their signed counterparts.

So to your question.... price clipped means that someone cut off the corner of the inside of the dust jacket (where the price would be printed) this is seen most in the early SK books.

Depending on the book this can extremely affect the value of the book; because the DJ is where a large part of the value is on early SK books. Partially because it's hard to find DJ's in good condition, partially because the price can sometimes be the only way to distinguish the book from a worthless book club edition.

I am not a book dealer, just a collector, but I personally very much dislike books with price-clipped dust jackets, and I always specifically ask if the price is clipped before buying a book.

As for an ex-library copy with no library markings, the price would depend on the condition of the book. If there are no markings no one would ever know it was from a library.

It's an accepted rule among collectors that you are supposed to disclose if a book is ex library. Buyers who find out the hard way that the book they bought is ex-library are not a happy bunch.

Yes, you are right about disclosing an ex-library book.

Here is an interesting case. This is a semi-rare book, but it is from the publisher's own library. Does this affect the value of the book? I assume it lessens it, even though the book is in nice condition.

Here are the library markings on LORD OF LIGHT.

I'd say any library markings would affect the value of the book. I have an almost mint copy of the first edition first printing of the UK Salems' Lot that has a library stamp on the top of the pages and a stamp on the title page. Everything else is virtually in mint condition. I got it for about one-fourth the cost of a copy that would not have the markings.

John

Yeah library markings almost always affect the value of the book negativly..that's why the seller is supposed to disclose it.

I didn't know doubleday had their own in house library - that specific library mark seems pretty cool to me actually (if I understand the markings correctly)