We want to know the value of a book that was published in I think around 1864. It it a complete works of his. It had several stories in that book that was published for the first time. It has a biography in the front, and the pages are coated in 24 karat gold. We want to know what the value of this book is?

-- Anonymous, September 08, 2000

Answers

i will pay $100,000

-- Anonymous, November 08, 2000

I would not pay you a cent for that book. I have 5 of them just like it.

-- Anonymous, April 13, 2001

The only edition of Poe's works from 1864 that comes to mind is the 4-volume set edited by Rufus W. Griswold and printed (by that time) by W. J. Widdleton. Volumes I-III were first published in 1850 and volume IV in 1856. The set had gone through quite a few reprintings by 1864. It contains no first printings of tales or poems, although in a few cases it prints what may have been Poe's final versions. (In other cases, Poe's final version was not available to Griswold.) For the volume on Literati and Marginalia, there are a few first printings. In good condition, any of the full 4-volume sets printed after 1861 are generally worth about $250. Unfortunately, if you offer them to a book dealer, you will likely get only about half of that since most dealers need to make considerable profit to stay in business.

-- Anonymous, April 14, 2001