Your Best Antiquarian Volume

[N. Eshelman]

I am a bit of a book hoarder and have a couple of books in my library. Occasionally a few other book-nerd pastor friends will share favorite antiquarian titles just to see some of our treasures.
Just for fun: what are some your antiquarian treasures? Any great stories of how you acquired them?

 

[davejonescue]

I dont have an antiquarian book, but my brother about 5 years ago purchased a leaf or page from a 1500's I believe Zurich/Zwingli Bible for my birthday. It is a beautiful piece which has artwork of the offering of Isaac.

 

[Pilgrim72]

I think it was back in 2009, I bought a 1st printing of Moses His Choice by Jeremiah Burroughs (1641) from David Lachman. It is the oldest book I have.

 

[inkling]

One of my favorite subjects - some worth noting:

An old copy of Bunyan Characters by Alexander Whyte - the only date is 1893 and the panels and pages, though intact, look 100-plus years old. I actually love this little series of lectures and use the Logos version to read occasionally

Not as old but favorites all the same:

C. S. Lewis, Essay Collection and Other Short Pieces - I love this book as it contains all known essays (possibly less one or two) in one book. Though only a couple of decades old this book is very rare and the price it commands is absurd

A hardbound copy of C. H. Spurgeon, Smooth Stones Taken from Ancient Books - a nearly 50-year-old copy

 

[Polanus1561]

An old copy of abcs of faith by Alexander Comrie

 

[Logan]

Sometimes known as the English Annotations, or the Westminster Annotations, since a number of the contributors were also Westminster Divines.

 

[Taylor]

View attachment 10014View attachment 10015

Sometimes known as the English Annotations, or the Westminster Annotations, since a number of the contributors were also Westminster Divines.

I was in Chad Van Dixhoorn's basement (taking a class from him) this past year, and I found his copy of this. It was just as old. It was a fantastic thing to have in my hands.

 

[N. Eshelman]

Sure, Logan, I will purchase it off of you.

N

 

[Phil D.]

Sometimes known as the English Annotations, or the Westminster Annotations, since a number of the contributors were also Westminster Divines.

Do you have both volumes?

 

[Logan]

Do you have both volumes?

Not in hard copy. I'm guessing there are three volumes to this edition. Volume 1 goes through Song of Solomon.

 

[Phil D.]

Not in hard copy. I'm guessing there are three volumes to this edition. Volume 1 goes through Song of Solomon.

the 1645 edition was two volumes, with the second covering Isaiah through Revelation.

 

[Logan]

the 1645 edition was two volumes, with the second covering Isaiah through Revelation.

You'll note on the title page that this is the 1657, third edition. But perhaps it's broken up like the 1645 edition.

 

[Phil D.]

You'll note on the title page that this is the 1657, third edition.

Yes I did notice that, but I supposed they would have kept that format in later editions as well, since that creates 2 similarly sized volumes. This seems to be confirmed here.

 

[LeeD]

Thomas Goodwin's A Childe of Light Walking in Darknesse, 1636.

 

[Phil D.]

I don't possess any early theological volumes, but if I had a very large budget for such this would be very high on my list.

 

[TylerRay]

I'm certainly no collector (and I don't have any desire to be one), but I do have an 1821 copy of Boston's Fourfold State that was given me in Scotland.

I used to have the first American Edition (1800s--I don't remember the exact date) of Cotton Mather's Magnalia Christi Americana in two volumes, but I sold it to a good used bookstore in order to buy books that I could conscionably open and make use of. Same goes for an 1800s copy of D'aubigne's five volumes on the Reformation.

Call me crazy, but I'd rather have new reprints of old books that I can get some work out of than old, rare copies that I'm afraid to touch.

 

[inkling]

I'm certainly no collector (and I don't have any desire to be one), but I do have an 1821 copy of Boston's Fourfold State that was given me in Scotland.

I used to have the first American Edition (1800s--I don't remember the exact date) of Cotton Mather's Magnalia Christi Americana in two volumes, but I sold it to a good used bookstore in order to buy books that I could conscionably open and make use of. Same goes for an 1800s copy of D'aubigne's five volumes on the Reformation.

Call me crazy, but I'd rather have new reprints of old books that I can get some work out of than old, rare copies that I'm afraid to touch.

Completely agree and it’s why I have so few collectors besides a couple that are actually sentimental. Budget is not an issue for me but we believe in a modified minimalist approach. I actually sold most of my hard bound library (some significant sets) as I own them electronically and all my reading is electronic, and for study, the Logos system is unmatched for immediately accessing detailed footnotes or other works cited.

 

[danekristjan]

1567 Beza Greek NT
Two 1616 folios of Luther's works in German
1737 four volume set of Turretin in Latin.

 

[Phil D.]

1567 Beza Greek NT

Impressive..!

 

[C. M. Sheffield]

I have a copy of the Saint's Everlasting Rest from 1803. The title page has the beautifully penned words, "This is Jacob Little's Book" and below that the year "1806."

 

[The Original Secession]

I sold most of my rare books before moving to Australia, I did just purchase this one though:

The Doctrines of Divine Revelation, As Taught in the Holy Scriptures, Exhibited, Illustrated, and Vindicated (First Edition) From the Library of Morton H. Smith by Samuel Helffenstein: Very Good Leather (1842) First Edition. | Shelley and Son Books (

AbeBooks.com: The Doctrines of Divine Revelation, As Taught in the Holy Scriptures, Exhibited, Illustrated, and Vindicated (First Edition) From the Library of Morton H. Smith: First Edition. Full calf. Original leather spine label (several small indentations but can still read lettering)...

www.abebooks.com