Building a Bookselling Reference Library by Craig Stark #134, 20 April 2009

Sooner or later, all booksellers are faced with the task of handling a signed book - and likely far sooner than later because signed books abound. Questions about authenticity, value and so on understandably come up often, and BookThink has addressed the topic of autographs in a series of articles that can be accessed here.

Today, I'd like to introduce you to a recently released autograph resource that broadens and deepens the discussion - In the Presence of History: The Authoritative Guide to Historical Autographs for Collectors, History Enthusiasts and Investors. It's simply the best thing of its kind I've seen between two covers and an utter must-have for booksellers.

If you're not familiar with the Raab Collection, I'd recommend spending at least a few hours here.

I guarantee that you'll come away with the distinct impression that these guys know their stuff. The Raab's have also worked decades to build what is now an impeccable reputation in the autograph field.

And some good news for those on a budget: A significant portion of the essential know-how in In the Presence of History can be freely accessed on their website.

Read through this carefully, and your knowledge about autographs - how to authenticate, valuate, buy and sell them - will expand exponentially and almost surely persuade you to buy the book, which also contains significant illustrative content and one of the most comprehensive studies of presidential documents and letters extant.

Buy it here: