is a volume of Samuel Johsons dictionary published in 1787 worth anything?

Answer 1

maybe...it would be to those who are looking at the standardisation of english as it was the first standard dictionary to be introduced, but to everyone else it may just be an old dictionary.

Answer 2

It could be worth $500, maybe more. The best way to get a quick determination of a book's value is see what booksellers are selling it for. Best sources are www.abebooks.com, www.alibris.com, and www.biblio.com. When I entered "Johnson, Samuel" as the author and "dictionary" as the title on www.abebooks.com, I got 366 matches. Here's a hint: if you're looking for a book that might be valuable, sort the results with the highest price first---the lowest prices are usually for paperback reprints, etc. The first listing was for the 1755 first edition, first printing in two volumes for $39,936.47! Unfortunately, you don't have that, but you can scan through the listings looking for a match to your book (important issues are the printing year, the printer, the edition). In the list, I found, for $2,335 the following:

Book Description: London; J.F. & C. Rivington, L. Davis, T. Payne & Son, W. Owen, T. Longman et al, 7th edition, 1785. Folio, engraved frontispiece portarit by Thos. Cook from an original painting by Sir Joshua Reynolds in the possession of B. Langton..dated 1787 (2 years after publication), title-page, verso blank, [6pp] Preface, [24pp] mostly two-column History of the English Language, [8pp] two-column Grammar of the English Language, followed by unpaginated dictionary printed in three-columns, original reversed calf boards, neatly repaired at edges and rebacked to match re-using the original dark red lettering piece, gilt. Boards a little marked and rubbed, top corner of upper board cracked but repaired and now good; fore-edges of front free endpaper and frontispiece strengthened with archival tape; frontispiece has closed tear in gutter margin and some dampstaining and spotting; some worming with the loss of just a few letters heare and there; 4u and 6Lii torn in margin without loss; 6D and 6M-6N foxed; a good, sound copy in near contemporary condition. Bookseller Inventory # 33459

This might be the edition you have, although it doesn't mention multiple volumes, so it might not. If yours is part of a multi-volume set, it will sell for considerably less than its proportionate share of the full set (there's a premium added for the work of putting together the set). It's impossible to give an exact figure without knowing the exact information for the volume, plus it's condition. But the sources I've listed will give you an idea of what you've got and whether it's worth pursuing---and it seems like it probably is.

Answer 3

Without a doubt I can say yes. Get it valued, I reckon it'll be more than worth it.

But don't sell it, keep it as an heirloom. My grandparents and greater ancestors sold off all their antique stuff for the money and have now got nothing. It can make you extremely jealous of all those b******s that go on programmes like 'cash in the attic' and they've got original paintings by some famous person and antique tables, rocking chairs, lockets, jewels and so on.

Sell it off and at some point, somewhere down the line, someone will hate you for it, guaranteed.

Answer 4

I can't find a price for a 1787 edition, but other 18th century editions I've found start at $350 and go up to $20000.

Answer 5

If it is the First Edition, in good or even fairly good condition then yes it will be worth getting it valued. It is the concept of the book that will appeal to collectors.

Answer 6

EVERYTHING has a value. It's not the copy that Blackadder threw in the fire is it!!

Seriously, get it valued because -if it is genuine- it is worth money. Get at least 2 separate valuations.

Answer 7

www.dominicwinter.co.uk - this book auction site will value this book for you and sell it for you if you want.

Answer 8

Uh.... Yah!