Book Values Have Tanked

[Barney]

I am in the process of selling off 35+ years of collecting fly fishing stuff.
It was a rude awakening to discover how much value has been lost with
books, even the "good ones". I have first editions and signed books,
however I regret having many of them inscribed to me.

[addicted to vise]

definitely a buyers market for books, if sellers are intent on selling...

I picked up several good deals on historically relevant books about salmon flies...

[quashnet]

When I started collecting in the early 1980s, historical precedent indicated that angling books were the most likely category to retain and increase in value. No one anticipated the digital media revolution.

It sounds as though you've been advised that personalized inscriptions reduce value. I disagree. I think that anyone interested in Paul H. Young would prefer this copy of his book over an anonymous example:



Inscriptions can increase value by offering insights into the author's character. I have a copy of Art Flick's Streamside Guide that includes a short enclosed letter as well as an inscription. In the letter, Art writes that he is returning the check for $5 that the owner sent Art for inscribing the book. Art says he would never charge "for doing a feller a favor."

But overall, it's true: book values have dropped dramatically.

[Tim Anderson]

John Juracek has something relevant in his blog: https://www.johnjuracek.com/2018/05/13/ ... literally/ . His local library is in West Yellowstone, MT.

Tim

[Flyman615]

A very disheartening situation to be sure...

Scott

[Hellmtflies]

I too started collecting books on fly fishing for trout back in the late seventies. Mostly because I had that thirst and desire to soak up everything I could related to this game. I currently have over 500 titles on the subject. Some extremely scarce 1st editions and other every day copies of some real junk. Some expensive some not so much. I have a running computer list of all of them which includes what I have invested in each and what they might be worth today. I would adjust the current value as time went on. That's the rub. As stated above the values have crashed. Like most collectables today there simply isn't the market that one thought there might be down the road. Truly sad, but that said I didn't buy them to invest for retirement. I purchased them to learn from "The Masters" and then put that knowledge to work on the stream. I also purchased them to have a wonderful resource to refer back to time and again over the years to confirm or deny what I may have discovered a stream on my own. I enjoy the mental discussion I may have with any given writer as I read through their thoughts on a subject. I also loved the flavor of the angling writers form the late 1800's to WW2. Great stuff to read and reread on those frozen evening throughout those long winters. Our angling abilities today are based on the foundations they laid down before us.
Anyway, all of that said, yes, the market has crashed. So be it! Those books I hold dear to my angling and that take up too much space in my home will have to be ripped from my cold dead hands! Millennials be damed!

[Hellmtflies]

John Juracek has something relevant in his blog: https://www.johnjuracek.com/2018/05/13/ ... literally/ . His local library is in West Yellowstone, MT.

Tim

Thanx Tim. Spot on!

[toothybugs]

Like anything, there will be the ebb and flow in markets.

For those of us who do treasure holding a good book, value scarce information, and appreciate the work that went in to writing it and learning its subject matter enough to be able to write a book rather than an article or lived an experience instead of resurrecting a Facebook thread ...it's really nice when one is looking to build a library in a mancave. Books are my weakness these days, particularly since I've largely finished building up my rod collection. My wife doesn't mind books nearly as much as reels and rod tubes showing up in the mail.

[GRASSNGLASS]

Time to buy. These are my purchases from the last three months. I know same words in any edition, but I love leather books. Even the faux leather looks pretty good.

Barry

[two fish mitch]

people who already know everything don't need to read books.
ask anyone under 30.

"I don't know right now but I'll have the right answer when I get back from the bathroom."


cheers,
shawn (46)

[addicted to vise]

Time to buy. These are my purchases from the last three months. I know same words in any edition, but I love leather books. Even the faux leather looks pretty good.

Barry

FFCl books are dirt cheap these days....especially on ebay

[dave potts]

What are FFCL books?

[Flyman615]

Local library book sales notwithstanding, just for the heck of it I've been doing a little research on eBay and Bookfinder.

From what I've seen, asking prices for out-of-the-ordinary/out of print 'trout fishing' books have not markedly declined...at least not as much as I would have thought based on this thread.

Now what prices sellers are realizing in terms of actual sales may be another matter...

Scott

[addicted to vise]

What are FFCL books?

Fly Fishers Classic Library - printed by Coch y Bonddhu books in england - they did a lot of reprints of older books back in the 90's

[addicted to vise]

i watched third edition Hale - How to Tie Salmon flies fall from $160 in its first posting on ebay down to $50 or best offer, at which time my offer was accepted...

This is representative of early publications on classic salmon flies in general, perhaps with the exception of Kelson, Ephemera, Blacker and Tolfrey.

[Hellmtflies]

Here's another bummer that clearly indicates the falling values. A copy of Howard Back's book "The Waters of Yellowstone" 1st and only edition fell from a value of over $400. several years ago to a terrible $150. recently. Sad.

[bob2935]

I have been collecting fishing books since I got into trout fishing around the age of 12 and have 100's of books some rare some standard issue. I get as much enjoyment out if reading a good fishing story as actually fishing. Really do not think this is an ebb and flow situation simply because the 30 somethings and under do not buy fishing books. Most the thirty somethings have little interest in the history of fly fishing which to me is sad. Being a Catskill guy I love all that stuff and when I hit the Catskills my first stop is always at the museum. I will be there this weekend and of coarse while I am there I will be bringing my latest book It's called Fishing a Highland Stream and cannot wait to get at it. Though fishing books are most definitely a dead industry I will continue to enjoy the great writing. The milenaials are missing out on the most critical aspect of fly fishing.

There will be no rebound on the fishing book industry.

[Booman2]

I sold most of my collection over the years, but IMO fly fishing enjoys the best authors of any sport, by far. Back when I was in the service I often spent way more money than I should have on some really great books, and I'll never look back. Dana Lamb, Sid Gordon, George Holden and tons of others - back to Isaak Walton are still treasures to me.
Sadly, I was in Trout Hunter September before last and neither of the twopeople behind the counter knew who Ernest Schwiebert was!
I guess younger fishers just rig their graphite rods, float a strike indicator and count heads.

[PT48]

All too true. I have a small collection of indispensables and beyond that, if I have read them twice, then their purchase is justified. Congratulations to hellmtflies for quoting Shakespeare!

[ChuckC4]

I learned to cast a fly rod from books. I got started bird hunting with dogs from books. And I learned how to tie flies from birds I shot over those dogs, you guessed it, from books. I refinished a damascus barrel LC Smith from multiple books on gun smithing and wood working. I would have loved to learn some, or all of this from family or mentors, but I didn't grow up in a family of upland hunters or fly fishers. Oh, as an aside, most of those books came from a library or were borrowed...

I recently had the rare opportunity to meet an author and have her sign a first edition twenty years after I had initially given the book to my wife. This led to a rekindling of my wife's interest in fly fishing. A signed book with a story like that is priceless to two people. I would not hesitate to share that book with someone though, if I thought it would help them discover the sport of fly fishing.

Reframe "Value".

If one of your books helps to warm your heart on a cold February night, I would say that book is invaluable. If you want more people to appreciate books, I might suggest you share a book with someone or even give one away. Share a book, you will be amazed at the conversation it will start. Who knows, if you share a fly fishing book with a millennial, you just might become a mentor and gain a friend to fish with for life.