Old AMC and GMC guidebooks

[TEO]

Can anyone suggest ways of affordably acquiring old AMC and GMC guidebooks?

I'm interested in the 18th edition (and earlier) of the AMC White Mountain Guide and pre-1970 editions of the GMC Long Trail Guide. I'm potentially interested in old ADK guides, too.

They're needed for a research project.

Thanks!

 

[Pamola]

here's a thread on old amc guidebooks and where to find them:

http://www.vftt.org/forums/showthread.php?t=13906&referrerid=2627

 

[sweeper]

Check Amazon.com, they have used books.

 

[REK]

Try some small independant shops. I got a 1940 WMG from Old Forge Books in E Possum City (Epsom) for $6 a few years ago. The owner had to look for it but I was patient.
Bob

 

[peakbagger]

I guess its worth stating the obvious that the prices of WMG's has gone up dramatically of late tied to the 100 anniversary of the series. There are several dealers who keep an eye on the various used book web resources and snap up any guides that are selling for below the current value. They then resell on E-bay.

Most of the used book shops keep an eye on the online sites so the likelyhood of getting a deal goes down the better organized the book store is.

Long Trail guides do not seem to have as much as a collectors market.

 

[TEO]

Thanks for the Amazon suggestion. I'd tried it earlier in the day, but I changed the search terms slightly and hit the jackpot.

I've gone the local used bookshop route before--there are two good ones locally--but currently, the earliest they have is a 1970 WMG. A couple years ago I picked up a 20th Edition Long Trail Guide for $2.

Again, thanks for everyone's suggestions.

 

[RoySwkr]

If you are a researcher rather than a collector, they are much cheaper if sweaty, writing within, broken spine, maps missing, etc.

Many libraries have old guidebooks you can borrow or look at there

If your research is on general interest, lots of folks here have old books and might provide the info you want

 

[evilhanz]

Long Trail guides do not seem to have as much as a collectors market.

There are about as many editions of the LTG as the WMG, but they are much less common. So, despite the lack of large number of collectors, prices for early guides are still relatively high.

Many libraries have old guidebooks you can borrow or look at there

They're also valuable enough to steal, so it may be difficult to find the ones you're interested in. Many of the more interesting guides from the state library in Concord have been stolen, for example.

 

[GNR]

WMG at Boston Public Library

The same thing has happened at the BPL. I have looked at the 1936 and 1940 guides there, and wanted to look at others, but many of them are missing.

 

[billski]

Can anyone suggest ways of affordably acquiring old AMC and GMC guidebooks?

I'm interested in the 18th edition (and earlier) of the AMC White Mountain Guide and pre-1970 editions of the GMC Long Trail Guide. I'm potentially interested in old ADK guides, too.

They're needed for a research project.

Thanks!

So I'm posting for posterity....

ebay. I pickup old guidebooks for really cheap - most sellers don't know what they've got or what they are worth. I use them for bushwacking or exploring old discontinued trails, etc. Also Sweetser's 1881 White Mt. handbook is at books.google.com, or you can even buy a reprint via abebooks.com.

 

[roadtripper]

Some of the original editions are free online. Here's the 1920 edition:

http://www.amongtheclouds.com/files/books/The_A_M_C__White_Mountain_Guide_1920.pdf

And here's a thread with a lot more info:

http://www.vftt.org/forums/showthread.php?t=26748

 

[DrJJFate]

Some other WMGs are located here:

1917: http://books.google.com/books?id=kZsSAAAAYAAJ&printsec=titlepage&dq=%22amc+white+mountain+guide%22+date:1900-1919&lr=&num=100&as_brr=0&as_pt=ALLTYPES#PPR2,M1

1922: http://books.google.com/books?id=DJ8SAAAAYAAJ&printsec=frontcover&dq=a.m.c+white+mountain+guide#PPR1,M1

I have been working to assemble a complete Long Trail Guide library. It has taken a couple of years, and although I am missing a few editions, I do have the 1925 & 1937 and all that followed to present.

If you have questions that pertain to these guidebooks, I would be happy to pass along the information.

 

[Trail Bandit]

Hi, I have a 1966 AMC WMG (18th edition) that I bought on E-Bay for some research that I was doing on old trails in the Ossipee Mountains. It has all the maps included and is in great shape. I don't think the owner ever took it on a hike. I think I paid something like $20.00 for it. If you just want copies of a few pages, I will scan them and e-mail them to you for free.

 

[TEO]

Hi, I have a 1966 AMC WMG (18th edition) that I bought on E-Bay for some research that I was doing on old trails in the Ossipee Mountains. It has all the maps included and is in great shape. I don't think the owner ever took it on a hike. I think I paid something like $20.00 for it. If you just want copies of a few pages, I will scan them and e-mail them to you for free.

Thanks, but shortly after I started this thread almost two years ago, I picked up a '66 WMG and a '63 LTG, for a total of about $20, shippin included. However, if anyone has a '36 WMG for sale, I'll open my bidding at $10.

 

[peakbagger]

I am ressurecting an old thread to mention that someone in Lincoln NH is selling a large number of old WMG's for some very expensive asking prices on Ebay. They appear to be double or more than similar guides that have sold in the last few years.

So if you have more money than sense, or desperately need that last one,there they are

Alternately if you have a collection and want an inflated sense of the value of the guides, here's you chance

 

[DrJJFate]

I am ressurecting an old thread to mention that someone in Lincoln NH is selling a large number of old WMG's for some very expensive asking prices on Ebay. They appear to be double or more than similar guides that have sold in the last few years.

So if you have more money than sense, or desperately need that last one,there they are

Alternately if you have a collection and want an inflated sense of the value of the guides, here's you chance

I saw the listings as well (AMC editions 1-7, 9 & 10). I agree with your overall assessment.

For comparison, I saw a similar condition 9th edition WMG sell for $91 in August. The one by this seller is priced at $175 and, coincidentally, as of this morning appears to have sold because it is the only one no longer listed.

And observation is that the second edition listed looks to be in really great shape.

 

[Barkingcat]

The (1934 edition) by this seller is priced at $175 and, coincidentally, as of this morning appears to have sold because it is the only one no longer listed.

I noticed, too, that that edition of the guide sold yesterday.

By contrast, for anyone interested, there's a 1922 edition for sale on Ebay -- starting bid, $0.99 and it's up to $1.25 now.

(My 1922 edition is the Google Books version: http://tiny.cc/klooq

 

[Dr. Dasypodidae]

However, if anyone has a '36 WMG for sale, I'll open my bidding at $10.

You might someday find the 1936 WMG for $10, but I doubt it. However, there are three early editions of the WMG still on sale at the Mountain Wanderer in Lincoln: 1922 (original, not Google edition) for $400, 1928 for $300, and 1940 for $175. All of Matt's WMG's on EBay are also listed on ABE.com, probably for about the same as his mimumum prices on EBay, although I have not looked.

Most of the middle range of the antiquarian book market has seen drammatic drops in prices the past decade because of the Internet, but not so with the top end, including WMG's for some bizarre reason. One possible explanation is that WMGs do not take up much space so are easy to store (hoard?), which I know some used book dealers were doing the past couple of decades as they anticipated that prices would go up. Of course, a lot of the WMGs were lost or got totally abused in packs and the like, and many became separated from their maps, especially the Presi maps that were folded in a sleeve at the back.

But, there is always a chance that you might find an early edition WMG for a great price in a far out of the way used book shop where the owner does not follow prices on the Internet; I know a lot of folks who have built nearly complete collections this way.