I wonder if anyone could tell me what they think a particular book I have would be worth.

This is merely out of interest as I have recently become interested in looking into the history side to magic and also this book, due to its age, has always intrigued me.

The book is "Modern Magic, A Practical Treatise on the Art of Conjuring" By Professor Hoffman.

It is a second edition dated Jan 25 1877.

Any comments on this book would be much appreciated.

Thank you

Pharaoh

It looks like it is going from 75.00-150.00.

Pharoah,
My price guide to magic books does not list a date of 1877, however it does list a date of 1876 which would be a first edition with a low value of $225.00. If you had more info I could get a better value for you.
Rennie

Rennie thanks for the information.

The first page of my book is entitled 'Preface to the Second Edition'.

Mr Hoffman then goes on to mention the demand for a second edition and the date at the end of this page is Jan 25 1877.

Further information would be appreciated but if you do need any further information let me know.

Thank you

Pharaoh

Pharoah,
The following is copied from "A Price Guide to Magic Books 1639 - 1990 "by Michael Canick
Modern Magic is considered to be a cornerstone (perhaps the cornerstone) of modern conjuring literature. The 1st edition bears a Routledge monogram on the title page. The 1st state binding has a cover w/ a black hat & gold cone. In the 2nd state, the colors of the hat and cone are reversed.
Modern Magic, c 1876 true 1st (1st edition 1st state ),
Routledge, ts 386 - $225.00
Modern Magic, c 1876 true 1st, rebound - $1980.00 ( auction )
Hope this helps,
Rennie

On the front cover of mine the hat is gold and the cone is black.

I wonder therefore whether this is a 1st edition, 2nd state?

Thank you for your assistance.

Pharaoh

The condition of a book is key in valuing an antiquarian book. If the book is in average condition (and most are), it will not command a high price, probably in the $75 to $125 range.

If the preface states "Preface to the Second Edition," then perforce it is a second or later edition. Canick's comments focus on the first edition, not the second edition, so he is not addressing the binding differences in your copy. Also, I am not aware of anything in the literature which definitively assigns priority in the first edition binding variants, so the notion of a “first state” is misguided and misleading, assuming my information is correct. The term "first state" is a biliographical term and has a very specific meaning in the field.

Finally, the $1,980 price is a long-gone aberration, brought about by two men over a decade ago who obviously had too much cash on their hands! Nowadays, only a truly fine copy would approach that kind of price.