Kylie Posted May 8, 2010 Share Posted May 8, 2010 I bought my ex all 4 of the Bottersnikes and Gumbles book because he remembered them from his childhood. I tracked them all down on ebay too. I can't remember what editions they were though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
willoyd Posted May 8, 2010 Share Posted May 8, 2010 The oldest book in my collection is our Family Bible, published in 1807. It's in Welsh, so is actually entitled "Y Bibl Sanctaidd." It's a biggie, being some 9cms thick (no page numbers), and has an inscription from my great-great-great grandfather to his wife - her birthday present (but doesn't say which one!). Aside from that, it's a first edition of Nansen's 2-volume "Furthest North", published in 1897. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sadya Posted May 9, 2010 Share Posted May 9, 2010 I think my Proust is from 1919, only one of his books 'Un amour de Swann'. I was surprised to find it in French in our local jumble shop some time ago. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ian Posted May 18, 2010 Share Posted May 18, 2010 I collected from my parents house a few months back, a large, beautifully illustrated book on the life of Jesus, that according to the inscription on the inside cover was given away as first prize in a sunday school competition in 1893. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
green Posted May 25, 2010 Share Posted May 25, 2010 A Time To Love And A Time To Die by Erich Maria Remarque. A near mint 1957 paperpack which cost 3'6 back then! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
emelee Posted May 30, 2010 Share Posted May 30, 2010 A children's book probably. I Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ladybug Posted May 30, 2010 Share Posted May 30, 2010 (edited) The oldest in my collection is the complete works of William Shakespeare, the Globe Edition from 1895. I found it in a lovely second hand book shop in Bognor for Edited May 30, 2010 by BookJumper added punctuation and capitals. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ben Mines Posted July 7, 2010 Share Posted July 7, 2010 I have an edition of The Confessions of S. Augustine printed in 1897. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jemimapd Posted July 13, 2010 Share Posted July 13, 2010 ...that was published in July 1936, two months after the first edition. One of the reasons I like it so much is because it was a surprise find at a library book sale and it cost one dollar. Also, it's apparently worth nothing which I find kind of nice; there's no temptation to sell and painfully part with it and it's good for sentiment and reading purposes only. Then, at another library I got a first American edition of Dorothy Sayers' Busman's Honeymoon. Again, no monetary worth and it cost only a dollar but great for sentimental value! Finally, I found a Greek reader from 1859 that had had a very hard life by the looks of it. I got it mainly, I think, because of the inscription by a previous owner/user whom I later googled and found out a bit about. Is it okay to link to my blog where I wrote about the experience? I hope so. If not, I don't mind if the administrators here want to delete my link. It's just so appropos to this topic! old 1859 Greek reader history http://goodbooksbrightside.blogspot.com/2009/05/library-book-sale-treasures-and-no.html Great topic! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jenmck Posted July 14, 2010 Share Posted July 14, 2010 I have a first edition set of Winston Churchill's Birth of Britain series. I don't know how old they are. But my favorite (if not the oldest) is a first edition collection of short stories by Dorothy Parker that my father bought me. It's probably not that old, but I love it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nursenblack Posted July 16, 2010 Share Posted July 16, 2010 The oldest book I own is a 1904 copy of Eight Cousins by L.M. Alcott, which is in good shape and beautifully bound too. My mom bought it at a thrift store. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rachel2210 Posted July 25, 2010 Share Posted July 25, 2010 A few years ago I bought a bible in an antique shop for £10. I'm not particularly religious but I just liked the look of it. Inside the front cover there is a handwritten message that I can't quite make out. I recognise some of the words but I keep saying I'll go to my local museum to see if anyone there can read it. I think it was published in the 1830's. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chrysalis_stage Posted July 25, 2010 Share Posted July 25, 2010 Bought a book the other day printed in 1877 Life of a Scotch Naturalist Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pixie2610 Posted July 31, 2010 Share Posted July 31, 2010 I have no idea what book is the oldest, other than my children's books I'd have to say it's either Shakespeare, The Complete Works or To Kill a Mockingbird...both are so good in different ways....!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pixie Posted July 31, 2010 Share Posted July 31, 2010 Hmm, I have a book of short stories by Ray Bradbury entitled I Sing the Body Electric that is from 1971. Not really that old. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
my-sweetheart-is-drunk Posted August 2, 2010 Share Posted August 2, 2010 (edited) I have a really old copy of Lewis Carroll's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. I can't find a year of publication on the inside but it was found in my Uncle's attic a few years back along with stuff that had belonged to my great grandmother. Edited August 2, 2010 by my-sweetheart-is-drunk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Parenthesis Posted May 1, 2012 Share Posted May 1, 2012 The three oldest books in my collection are: Little Kitty's Knitting Needles by Rev. P.B. Power published in 1873 Pocket volume of selections from the poetical works of Robert Browning published 1890 The Rainbow Trail by Zane Grey published in 1915 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Devi Posted May 1, 2012 Share Posted May 1, 2012 I will have to check the name, but my mum recently gave me a book from 1906. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pontalba Posted May 6, 2012 Share Posted May 6, 2012 I have my great grandfather's collection, about 200 books, dating between the 1850's and the early 1900's. He collected history and poetry mostly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bookmonkey Posted July 6, 2012 Share Posted July 6, 2012 I have a very early Winnie the Pooh. I can't remember how old it is though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bree Posted July 6, 2012 Share Posted July 6, 2012 (edited) I have a set of 15 leather bound Dickens titles from the 1920s. I came by them on an online classified website - and bought them a month ago for an unbelievable price - INR 1100 (that would be around 13 GBP or $20) They originally belonged to an Englishman who lived in India during the British rule - he has inked his name on the first page in beautiful writing. They have a beautiful solemnity about them. (I'm yet to read them though!) Edited July 6, 2012 by bree Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bree Posted July 6, 2012 Share Posted July 6, 2012 I have a very early Winnie the Pooh. I can't remember how old it is though. How lovely! Just thinking about an old copy of Winnie-the-Pooh - possibly loved by generations of children - makes me happy. Dear old Pooh! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coryographies Posted July 9, 2012 Share Posted July 9, 2012 I love old books! I'm not sure what the oldest one I have is, as we like collecting old and unusual books, so there's lots of turn of the century ones. I also like using old books for my display tables when I do craft fairs! One book I have comes to mind is the complete work of Shakespeare, from the 1840s - its pages are terribly thin so I'm afraid to touch it much, and it has beauitul illustrations in it! I got it from my mother - I'm not sure where so got it though Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TarquinDelouche Posted July 10, 2012 Share Posted July 10, 2012 I have a book from 1928 ironically titled Poems of Today. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mbran1 Posted July 16, 2012 Share Posted July 16, 2012 The oldest book in my collection is The Secret. I have read it a number of times and still whenever i feel little low, i read it again . Its really motivational. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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