want to sell?

READ THE INFORMATION BELOW SO YOU WILL KNOW HOW TO DESCRIBE YOUR PRINT TO GET INTEREST OR POSITIVE ATTENTION FOR YOUR ITEMS.

DON'T SKIM OR SKIP -- THIS INFORMATION IS FOR YOUR BENEFIT!

I receive hundreds of requests for values and information each year from people who want to sell should their item prove valuable. In ten years of queries, only a few dozen of these items (out of thousands offered) were of value and consistent with items I buy. Only ten to twenty queries resulted in purchases. Imagine the frustration both for me and for the people who caught me when I was stressed or busy with other tasks.

If you want to sell or consign an original Audubon print or antique books, upon first contact with a dealer you must provide ALL the information necessary to establish WHAT YOU ARE OFFERING, its authenticity and its condition. The name of a print or book is not enough! I provide sufficient information below so you will know what to tell any dealer, gallery, or auction house if you wish to consign or sell an original Audubon print or Audubon books. This is all the help I offer to people with unauthenticated items and people looking for values.

IF YOU ARE DETERMINED TO HAVE MY HELP ON AN INDIVIDUAL BASIS, I CHARGE A NON-REFUNDABLE FEE OF $150 FOR UP TO ONE HOUR OF TIME. PAYMENT IS DUE BEFORE WE BEGIN, AND THERE WILL BE NO REFUNDS EVEN IF IT TAKES LESS THAN 10 MINUTES -- WHICH IT MOST LIKELY WILL.

SAVE YOUR MONEY -- HELP YOURSELF.

Evaluate your item in terms of the information below. If it is a framed print, you will probably have to take it out of its frame to do so. Don't be afraid -- just be careful and don't force anything. After your evaluation, you should have some idea of what you have (original, reproduction of a specific type, etc.) Then you can research values on the Internet or using price guides, or by hiring a reputable appraiser with expertise in American prints or books.

I do not purchase reproductions nor do I accept them for consignment. If you contact me with a full description of an item I want, I will gladly pursue a discussion with you.

Okay, now skip ahead until you find the category of your item.

PRINTS

There are millions of Audubon and other natural history reproductions in circulation. If you have a print about which you are seeking information, you should start with the knowledge that it is much more likely to be a reproduction than an original print, no matter how old or real it looks. With prints the writing on the print is considered an important part of the work, and is generally included in reproductions with few or no changes. I do not buy reproduction or facsimile prints (a facsimile is a print that is identical in size and faithfully reproduces the appearance of the original, while a reproduction may be of a different size or make minor changes, e.g., by adding or subtracting writing). If you wish to offer prints for sale or consignment to me, please proceed to the section on authenticating prints.

ANTIQUE BOOKS (pre-20th century)

We are not actively in the market for antique books by authors/artists other than Audubon. Folio refers to larger books (found in a range of sizes) while octavo refers to an average-sized book (about 11 inches x 7 inches, or the size of a modern hardcover novel). All sizes listed below are APPROXIMATE -- small variations in size are normal. The books we are interested in are

Folio-sized books of plates from THE BIRDS OF AMERICA (with hand-colored prints by Robert Havell or chromolithographs by Julius Bien). The pages of such books measure approximately 40 inches x 26 inches.
Folio-sized books of hand-colored plates from THE VIVIPAROUS QUADRUPEDS OF NORTH AMERICA (with prints by Bowen). The pages of such books measure approximately 28 inches x 22 inches.
Octavo-sized books (with or without hand-colored plates) of THE BIRDS OF AMERICA. The pages of such books measure approximately 10 to 11 inches x 6 to 7 inches.
Octavo-sized edition (with or without hand-colored plates) of THE QUADRUPEDS OF NORTH AMERICA or THE VIVIPAROUS QUADRUPEDS OF NORTH AMERICA. The pages of such books measure approximately 10 to 11 inches x 6 to 7 inches.
First or other early editions of Audubon's ORNITHOLOGICAL BIOGRAPHY or his SYNOPSIS OF THE BIRDS OF NORTH AMERICA. These books are octavo-sized and do not include plates. The pages of such books measure approximately 10 to 11 inches x 6 to 7 inches.

If you have any of these books, and wish to discuss consignment or a sale, please contact me. Please provide information on publisher(s), year(s) of publication, number of volumes, number of plates, overall condition of plates, and information on condition of bindings (including boards and spines).

ITEMS CONNECTED TO AUDUBON, HIS ASSOCIATES, OR MINNIESLAND

The minniesland.com collection includes several nice autograph items, two letters, and a few prints of Audubon, Audubon family members, or the Minniesland estate. I appreciate the historical significance of these items, and am always interested in hearing about anything you may have of that nature concerning Audubon or people related to him. I occasionally have customers seeking such items. If you have personal items of this sort, please contact me.

NEWER BOOKS (20th century or later)

I do not purchase reference books or books reproducing Audubon's work. If you have a 20th or 21st century book about which you want information, you can check out our library. There you will find our retail prices for the same or similar items. My retail prices are not what you can expect to sell your items for, but may be taken as an indicator of replacement cost (assuming condition of your book is similar). If I don't sell your book, or you can't find the information you seek on the website, you'll have to do more research elsewhere. I will not supply prices for books or other items marked "SOLD."

Last updated 01.16.11