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First Editions Rare Books

How to Buy Rare Books by William Rees-Mogg, First Edition
How to Buy Rare Books by William Rees-Mogg, First Edition

How to Buy Rare Books by William Rees-Mogg, First Edition

Located in valatie, NY

. Oxford: Phaidon, 1985. First edition hardcover with dust jacket. 155 pp. A guide to collecting books that

Category

20th Century English Books

Materials

Paper

The Manchurian Candidate by Richard Condon – FIRST EDITION
The Manchurian Candidate by Richard Condon – FIRST EDITION

The Manchurian Candidate by Richard Condon – FIRST EDITION

Located in Middletown, NY

New York: McGraw-Hill Book Company Inc., 1959. First Edition. 8vo, 8 3/ 8 x 5 5/8 inches (213 x

Category

Mid-20th Century English Books

Materials

Paper

The History of the World by Sir Walter Raleigh – FIRST EDITION
The History of the World by Sir Walter Raleigh – FIRST EDITION

The History of the World by Sir Walter Raleigh – FIRST EDITION

Located in Middletown, NY

London: Printed by William Stansby for Walter Burre, 1614. FIRST EDITION Folio; 12 1/2 x 8 3/8

Category

Antique Early 17th Century English Books

Materials

Gold Leaf

Wind in the Willows, by Kenneth Grahame, First Edition with Dust Jacket
Wind in the Willows, by Kenneth Grahame, First Edition with Dust Jacket

Wind in the Willows, by Kenneth Grahame, First Edition with Dust Jacket

Located in Middletown, NY

A rare first edition, with near-fine dust jacket of the children's classic. Grahame, Kenneth

Category

Early 20th Century English Books

Materials

Paper

Recent Sales

Rare Book-First Edition-Le Fete Marriage Le Dauphin
Rare Book-First Edition-Le Fete Marriage Le Dauphin

Rare Book-First Edition-Le Fete Marriage Le Dauphin

By Seymour de Ricci, Henri Cohen

Located in New Orleans, LA

Incredible Complete First Edition (1726-1746)of Two Books Bound Together with important Historical

Category

Antique 18th Century and Earlier French Louis XV Books

Materials

Paper

Architectural Digest Celebrity Homes First Edition Books
Architectural Digest Celebrity Homes First Edition Books

Architectural Digest Celebrity Homes First Edition Books

By Paige Rense

Located in New York, NY

A set of the rare first edition books, Architectural Digest's CELEBRITY HOMES and CELEBRITY HOMES

Category

American Books

Decoration Tradition et Renouveau by Claude Fregnac, Rare First Edition
Decoration Tradition et Renouveau by Claude Fregnac, Rare First Edition

Decoration Tradition et Renouveau by Claude Fregnac, Rare First Edition

Located in valatie, NY

Decoration Tradition et Renouveau by Claude Fregnac. Hachette, 1973. First edition hardcover with

Category

Vintage 1970s French Books

Materials

Paper

Decoration Tradition et Renouveau by Claude Fregnac, Rare First Edition
Decoration Tradition et Renouveau by Claude Fregnac, Rare First Edition

Decoration Tradition et Renouveau by Claude Fregnac, Rare First Edition

Located in valatie, NY

Decoration Tradition et Renouveau by Claude Fregnac. Hachette, 1973. First edition hardcover with

Category

Vintage 1970s French Books

Materials

Paper

Lighting from Concealed Sources by J.L. Stair, Rare First Edition
Lighting from Concealed Sources by J.L. Stair, Rare First Edition

Lighting from Concealed Sources by J.L. Stair, Rare First Edition

By J.L. Stair

Located in valatie, NY

eyes. Rare hard to find first edition reference work still relevant today.

Category

Vintage 1910s American Books

Materials

Paper

Rare Disney's Mickey Mouse Annual #4 1933 First Edition Book U.K. Pressing
Rare Disney's Mickey Mouse Annual #4 1933 First Edition Book U.K. Pressing

Rare Disney's Mickey Mouse Annual #4 1933 First Edition Book U.K. Pressing

By Walt Disney Productions

Located in Hamilton, Ontario

Mickey Mouse Annual #4 (London: Dean & Son, Ltd., 1933) This book was published at the end of 1933 for the 1934 year, produced with the consent of Walter E. Disney. Cricket cover tit...

Category

Vintage 1930s English Books

Materials

Paper

James Joyce - Ulysses. First edition, with Joyce inscription
James Joyce - Ulysses. First edition, with Joyce inscription

James Joyce - Ulysses. First edition, with Joyce inscription

By James Joyce

Located in New York, NY

morocco gilt. Light fold marks to sheet with inscription, otherwise fine. A rare first edition with Joyce

Category

Early 20th Century French Books

Andy Warhol Index Book, First Edition, Signed Twice
Andy Warhol Index Book, First Edition, Signed Twice

Andy Warhol Index Book, First Edition, Signed Twice

By Andy Warhol

Located in New York, NY

FIRST EDITION, SIGNED TWICE BY WARHOL (on upper cover and opposite title); WITH THE RARE ORIGINAL

Category

Vintage 1960s American Books

Books, Sir William Jardine's "the Naturalist's Library" Rare First Edition
Books, Sir William Jardine's "the Naturalist's Library" Rare First Edition

Books, Sir William Jardine's "the Naturalist's Library" Rare First Edition

Located in New York, NY

Rare first edition. Leather bound. 40 volumes. Small octavos. Contemporarily bound in three-quarter

Category

Antique 1840s Scottish Books

Materials

Leather, Paper

Joseph Heller - Catch-22: Signed First Edition
Joseph Heller - Catch-22: Signed First Edition

Joseph Heller - Catch-22: Signed First Edition

By Joseph Heller

Located in New York, NY

/25/68 The Ambassador Theater". A rare signed first edition of Heller's masterpiece, a

Category

Vintage 1960s American Books

"Theodore Roosevelt: The Rough Riders, " Signed First Edition
"Theodore Roosevelt: The Rough Riders, " Signed First Edition

"Theodore Roosevelt: The Rough Riders, " Signed First Edition

By Theodore Roosevelt

Located in New York, NY

First Edition, signed by Roosevelt on front free endpaper. A best-seller upon its release, The

Category

Antique 1890s American Other Books

Materials

Paper

"Winston Churchill The Second World War", First Editions
"Winston Churchill The Second World War", First Editions

"Winston Churchill The Second World War", First Editions

By Winston Churchill

Located in New York, NY

FIRST ENGLISH EDITIONS (the preferred editions) in original dust jackets of Churchill's masterpiece

Category

Mid-20th Century British Books

First Edition of Personal Memoirs of Ulysses S. Grant
First Edition of Personal Memoirs of Ulysses S. Grant

First Edition of Personal Memoirs of Ulysses S. Grant

By Ulysses S. Grant

Located in New York, NY

, upon meeting Lee at Appomattox Court House to discuss the terms of surrender. First edition in

Category

Antique 1880s American Books

Very Rare First Edition "The Prints of Paul Klee" MOMA
Very Rare First Edition "The Prints of Paul Klee" MOMA

Very Rare First Edition "The Prints of Paul Klee" MOMA

By James Thrall Soby

Located in Pittsburgh, PA

Black cloth portfolio. The plates were printed by the Meriden Gravure Company with eight color plates reproduced in stencil by Esther Gentle, and a 24-page booklet that contains five...

Category

Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Books

Materials

Paper

Rare First Edition Zane Grey, "An American Angler in Australia" 1937
Rare First Edition Zane Grey, "An American Angler in Australia" 1937

Rare First Edition Zane Grey, "An American Angler in Australia" 1937

By Zane Grey

Located in Quechee, VT

-fiction nature and adventure writer. This is a scarce edition of this work about sport fishing and

Category

Vintage 1930s American Books

Rare "Picasso Theatre" Book, First Edition, 1968

Rare "Picasso Theatre" Book, First Edition, 1968

Located in Washington, DC

Rare "Picasso Theatre" book, first edition, 1968.

Category

Vintage 1960s American Books

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By Hans-Agne Jakobsson, Örsjö Industri AB

Located in Glendale, CA

Hans-Agne Jakobsson 'Mini-Tratten' verdigris patinated outdoor sconce. An exclusive made for U.S. and UL listed authorized re-edition of the classic Swedish design executed in rich v...

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12 Coalport for Tiffany 1899 Gold, Ivory and Cobalt Blue Dinner Plates
12 Coalport for Tiffany 1899 Gold, Ivory and Cobalt Blue Dinner Plates

12 Coalport for Tiffany 1899 Gold, Ivory and Cobalt Blue Dinner Plates

By Coalport for Tiffany

Located in Great Barrington, MA

A set of 12 rare Coalport, made for Tiffany and Co. dinner plates featuring six alternating reserves of two colors of cobalt blue enamel with profuse raised paste gold overlay. The p...

Category

Vintage 1910s English Neoclassical Dinner Plates

Materials

Porcelain

Set of 12 Exquisite "Gilded Age" Sterling Silver Tiffany Charger Plates
Set of 12 Exquisite "Gilded Age" Sterling Silver Tiffany Charger Plates

Set of 12 Exquisite "Gilded Age" Sterling Silver Tiffany Charger Plates

By Tiffany & Co.

Located in New York, NY

This exquisite set of 12 "Gilded Age" Sterling Silver Tiffany Charges was realized in America in 1905. Each plate has heavily detailed boarders featuring a Kylix cup amid scrolling s...

Category

Antique Early 1900s American Neoclassical Sterling Silver

Materials

Sterling Silver

Italian 19th-20th Century Whimsical White Marble Wishing Wellhead with Children
Italian 19th-20th Century Whimsical White Marble Wishing Wellhead with Children

Italian 19th-20th Century Whimsical White Marble Wishing Wellhead with Children

Located in Los Angeles, CA

A very fine and exceptionally carved Italian 19th-20th century Baroque Revival style whimsical white Carrara marble wishing wellhead, raised on an octagonal two-step marble base. The...

Category

Antique Early 1900s Italian Baroque Revival Figurative Sculptures

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Original Sunball Chair by Gunter Ris and Ferdinand Selldorf for Rosenthal
Original Sunball Chair by Gunter Ris and Ferdinand Selldorf for Rosenthal

Original Sunball Chair by Gunter Ris and Ferdinand Selldorf for Rosenthal

$30,331Sale Price|32% Off

H 59.06 in W 70.08 in D 52.37 in

Original Sunball Chair by Gunter Ris and Ferdinand Selldorf for Rosenthal

By Ris and Selldorf, Rosenthal

Located in Little Burstead, Essex

This is a fully restored original version of this 1960's iconic classic astronaut's helmet style space age outdoor swivel chair, As you can imagine, after 60 plus years, the original...

Category

Mid-20th Century German Space Age Chairs

Materials

Velvet, Fiberglass

20th Century Large Exotic Embossed Leather Vertical Valet Wardrobe Trunk
20th Century Large Exotic Embossed Leather Vertical Valet Wardrobe Trunk

20th Century Large Exotic Embossed Leather Vertical Valet Wardrobe Trunk

$3,000Sale Price|33% Off

H 49.75 in W 22.5 in D 19.5 in

20th Century Large Exotic Embossed Leather Vertical Valet Wardrobe Trunk

Located in Encinitas, CA

Mid century embossed leather steamer trunk on caster wheels, with brass plated hardware. A vertical trunk - a royal traveling companion functioning as a portable wardrobe. Slick desi...

Category

Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Wardrobes and Armoires

Materials

Brass

Moby Dick by Herman Melville, Illustrated by R. Kent, First Trade Edition Thus
Moby Dick by Herman Melville, Illustrated by R. Kent, First Trade Edition Thus

Moby Dick by Herman Melville, Illustrated by R. Kent, First Trade Edition Thus

By Rockwell Kent

Located in Colorado Springs, CO

Melville, Herman. Moby-Dick. New York: Random House, 1930. Illustrated by Rockwell Kent. First trade edition (thus). Octavo. Original publisher’s pictorial black front cloth board, s...

Category

Vintage 1930s American Art Deco Books

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A Large Oil Painting by Frederick Arthur Bridgman ‘La Fête des Bois’, Circa 1897
A Large Oil Painting by Frederick Arthur Bridgman ‘La Fête des Bois’, Circa 1897

A Large Oil Painting by Frederick Arthur Bridgman ‘La Fête des Bois’, Circa 1897

By Frederick Bridgman

Located in Tarzana, CA

Frederick Arthur Bridgman La Fête des Bois, Les Bacchantes signed F.A. Bridgman (lower left) oil on canvas Dimensions: Height: 73" Width: 150" ( 185.4cm x 381cm) La fête des bois, l...

Category

Antique Late 19th Century Paintings

Materials

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Vintage Parisian Dueling Pistols
Vintage Parisian Dueling Pistols

Vintage Parisian Dueling Pistols

$12,500

H 3.13 in W 18.25 in D 9.88 in

Vintage Parisian Dueling Pistols

By G. None

Located in Bronx, NY

These vintage early to mid-19th century French percussion cap dueling pistols are presented in their original carrying case. Each is beautifully designed with a decorative etched elo...

Category

Antique Mid-19th Century French Arms, Armor and Weapons

Materials

Steel

Louis Vuitton, Steamer Trunk, Monogram Canvas, Leather, Special Order
Louis Vuitton, Steamer Trunk, Monogram Canvas, Leather, Special Order

Louis Vuitton, Steamer Trunk, Monogram Canvas, Leather, Special Order

By Louis Vuitton

Located in Stamford, CT

Louis Vuitton, Steamer Trunk, Monogram Canvas, Leather, Special Order Style m12031 Custom with a wait time of up to two years. We are pleased to offer one of two large and impressi...

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1990s French Modern Trunks and Luggage

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Large Empire period boat bed and canopy
Large Empire period boat bed and canopy

Large Empire period boat bed and canopy

$18,868

H 44.89 in W 78.75 in D 47.25 in

Large Empire period boat bed and canopy

Located in Paris, FR

Large boat bed in solid flamed mahogany, mahogany veneer, richly decorated with finely chased and gilded bronzes, from the Empire period. Four baluster jambs, adorned with fleurons, ...

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Antique Early 1800s French Empire Bedroom Sets

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American Oak Dining Suite by R.J. Horner
American Oak Dining Suite by R.J. Horner

American Oak Dining Suite by R.J. Horner

$148,500 / set

H 30.25 in W 53 in D 140.5 in

American Oak Dining Suite by R.J. Horner

By R.J. Horner & Co.

Located in New Orleans, LA

This outstanding 13-piece Victorian dining suite by R.J. Horner of New York boasts intricate hand carving rarely seen in furnishings of the era. Crafted of fine golden oak, the suite...

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Antique 19th Century American Victorian Dining Room Sets

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Wardrobe Louis Vuitton Trunk
Wardrobe Louis Vuitton Trunk

Wardrobe Louis Vuitton Trunk

$73,000

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Wardrobe Louis Vuitton Trunk

By Louis Vuitton

Located in palm beach, FL

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Vintage 1980s French Wardrobes and Armoires

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Outdoor Royal Botania Tuskany Daybed
Outdoor Royal Botania Tuskany Daybed

Outdoor Royal Botania Tuskany Daybed

$31,401 / item

H 79 in W 94 in D 94 in

Outdoor Royal Botania Tuskany Daybed

By Royal Botania

Located in Boston, MA

Frame: Teak and olefin fiber Teak We only use carefully selected, fully grown teak, which is harvested in accordance with the strictest environmental standards. The reason for ...

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21st Century and Contemporary Belgian Modern Patio and Garden Furniture

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John Bull Original Annuals from 1820-1829
John Bull Original Annuals from 1820-1829

John Bull Original Annuals from 1820-1829

$9,800 / set

H 16 in W 11.15 in D 1.2 in

John Bull Original Annuals from 1820-1829

Located in Dallas, TX

Presenting a set of 9 volumes, leather bound John Bull yearly annuals. All the weekly newspaper publications of John Bull for the years 1820-1829 (Inclusive), bound together and s...

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Antique Early 19th Century English George III Books

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A Fine and Rare English Silver Mounted ‘Hanger’
A Fine and Rare English Silver Mounted ‘Hanger’

A Fine and Rare English Silver Mounted ‘Hanger’

Located in London, GB

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First Editions Rare Books For Sale on 1stDibs

There is a range of first editions rare books for sale on 1stDibs. Frequently made of paper, animal skin and leather, all first editions rare books available were constructed with great care. First editions rare books have been produced for many years, with earlier versions available from the 18th Century and newer variations made as recently as the 20th Century. There are many kinds of first editions rare books to choose from, but at 1stDibs, Louis XV and Mid-Century Modern first editions rare books are of considerable interest. There have been many well-made first editions rare books over the years, but those made by Henri Cohen, J.L. Stair and James Thrall Soby are often thought to be among the most beautiful.

Finding the Right Books for You

Antique and vintage books add a sense of culture and style to any room. Displaying these types of books in your living room or reading nook can warm a space with a distinguished feel.

Several factors make antique books highly desirable. Original jackets, ornate binding, illustrations and quality of the print all contribute to making a vintage book special. Rare books are of great interest to collectors in the know and can command high prices at auction. In 2021, an important early artist book by Andy Warhol sold at auction for more than $106,000. Somewhere between all the commercial work he did as an ambitious young graphic designer in the early 1950s and his first real debut as a Pop artist a decade later, Warhol produced a trove of incredibly charming drawings. His illustrated self-published artist books from the 1950s are very rare.

Many collectors seek the first edition of certain books. Fewer copies of a book and higher demand make it a rare find. A book that contains the author’s signature also makes it much more prized than other examples of the same title.

Collectors and designers decorate rooms with vintage books for a cozy feeling in a home. Coffee-table books, such as those featuring photography and design, serve as conversation pieces or offer a relaxing moment when leafed through.

Interior designers look for vintage books when they want to add color or detail. For instance, leather-bound books can create a scholarly air while mid-century titles offer a modern edge. Vintage international books or first editions can provide a sense of history.

No matter the genre, there is a book for you. You can find rare, one-of-a-kind antique books on 1stDibs. Browse by authors, like celebrated architect and designer Frank Lloyd Wright and Edgar Rice Burroughs, as well as by period, including mid-century modern, Art Deco and Victorian.

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