Vintage Scuba books

[Sam Miller III]

Dale,

You are very generous with your pricing estimates..

I see most of them on local used book shelves in the $1.00 to $2.50 range. They are just too common at this junction in diving to have much value. As both you and I stated the shipping would be more than the value of the book

I only have a ever so slight passing interest in the Mount book. It really has no value to me, other than I have his modeling book and this book would be a great companion book for the book shelf .

SDM

 

[Ulfhedinn]

Let me see what I can do for you two. Im pretty busy over the next few weeks but Im sure we can come to a deal. Im not looking to make a fortune just assumed that someone would apprecite them for what they are.

 

[Sam Miller III]

ulfhendenn

Notice that you are in SoCal

LA OR OC?

If OC what City?

There still maybe hope,

SDM

 

[Ulfhedinn]

Inland Empire - Banning... 20 mins from Palm Springs

 

[Sam Miller III]

Wow! Way out there-- your a desert rat!

That is a long way from the sea shore.. How did your parents get involved in diving while living so far from the ocean?
SDM

 

[DaleC]

Hah ha Sam, I wish I were generous! In fact I suspect I am rather more cutthroat about scrounging books than I might care to admit. I have champagne tastes that I must support on a near beer budget. My saving grace is that I am willing to put in the hours it takes to cruise thrift stores and bookshops. My wife thinks I am insane but I'm afraid it's much worse than that.

Up here, in a thrift store, that style of book would probably go for .99 - 1.99; they often price books only by type ie: PB's .99, HC's 1.99, coffee table books 3.99 etc... with no regard for content. In a bookstore they would probably be priced at $5. I find, from looking, that the pricing in Canada is greater than in the US for books (as it is with most everything).

You also have to know a bit about what you're after or you can be taken in by people who "think" they have a valuable book. I just saw "On the Bottom" by E. Ellsberg for $24 in a snooty bookstore. The problem was it was also about the 24 reprint - a book I might pay $10 for if I wanted it bad enough. On the other hand sometimes a seller doesn't know what they have and then it works out in the buyers favor. I picked up "The Deep Sea Diver" for $2.99, later to find it listed used on Amazon for $243.
Ultimately though, I'm more of a collector for content than value. I like to read about the history of diving and enjoy being able to reference all sorts of things from print. I also find one book leads to another author or subject and then I learn about that or them and then on to another etc...

Here's my Tom Mount book, "Mixed Gas Diving" (screen left). It's one of four I have from Watersports Publishing out of San Diego.

 

[DaleC]

To continue the discussion,
At that same snooty bookstore I found this book for $7.95. The reason I bought it was threefold.
First, I have never come across it in any of my travels and suspect it would be a harder copy to find even though it is a PB (though a first edition in any case and in quite good condition. Perhaps it was never printed in HC?).
Second, I am interested in Edward Links activities and so this is a welcome addition to broaden my knowledge of him, and Mendels work.
Thirdly, I found the dedication inspiring and unusual enough to trigger my sentimental side.




BTW, while looking for this book on my shelf I found I do have a copy of "Diver Below" by the Freys. And Sam was right on the money, $2.00 was the price I paid.