Being an appraiser of books and ephemera might not be quite as exciting as it appears on television shows, but it has its moments.
Bernie Spring of Antiquarius Booksellers in Falkland was at Hidden Gems Bookstore on Alexander Street Friday, to appraise any treasures that residents cared to bring in. In all, about 40 people brought in books, postcards and other goodies. Midway through the day, Spring said he hadn’t seen anything earth-shattering, but that’s what often happens.
“When we see all the television programs – that’s edited...,” he remarked. “They just show you the gems.”
However, he says he has done a lot of appraisals, and it can be amazing what does appear. He talked about what types of items can have more value these days, such as books of British Columbia history.
He brought along a signed copy of Dr. W.W. Walkem’s Stories of Early British Columbia, which he estimates is worth about $1,000. In 1914 most of the copies of the book in stock burned, so it’s a rarity. Spring also showed a copy of A Sportsman’s B.C, written by Clive Phillipps-Wolley and published in 1888. He estimated its worth at $200 to $300.
Generally, he said, try to keep an eye out for the unusual, and items should be in really good condition.
Spring is a bit of a pioneer in ephemera (defined as a class of collectable items not originally intended to last for more than a short time, such as tickets, posters, postcards, or labels), which has a lot of potential. He brought along a sales brochure from CCM Bicycles, printed in 1931, which he estimates to be worth about $75.
Owner Beth Phillips says customers were impressed with Spring’s knowledge, and he has agreed to come back, probably in May.