# Where to get antique/special edition books? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [October 27, 2004, 3:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-to-get-antique-special-edition-books/271458 "2004-10-27T15:59:11Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![FlyingDragonFan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/c89c15/32.png) [@FlyingDragonFan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FlyingDragonFan)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2004, 3:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-to-get-antique-special-edition-books/271458/1 "2004-10-27T15:59:11Z")
Right now I’m specifically trying to find Nietzsche’s _Thus Spoke Zarathustra_, but I’m looking for general search strategies. I’ve tried Amazon and Ebay, but I get so many responses, it’s a little daunting. Are there good places to look for special editions of common works? I’m thinking of something like the special “Leatherette” edition of [The Hobbit](http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0395193958/qid=1098892984/sr=8-2/ref=pd_ka_2/103-3244293-8566265?v=glance&s=books&n=507846). Or any good search strategies for weeding out all the $3.99 penguin editions, for example? Any help is appreciated. ---
**Author:** ![Meurglys](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/258eb7/32.png) [@Meurglys](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Meurglys)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2004, 4:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-to-get-antique-special-edition-books/271458/2 "2004-10-27T16:10:19Z")
Try [ABE Books](http://www.abebooks.com); it’s a site where thousands of book dealers list their stock… just type in what you’re looking for and see who’s got it at what price/condition/etc. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2004, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-to-get-antique-special-edition-books/271458/3 "2004-10-27T18:09:55Z")
Also try [Bibliofind](http://www.bibliofind.com). I think Amazon owns it now, but they list only rare or antique books. ---
**Author:** ![iamthewalrus\_3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/258eb7/32.png) [@iamthewalrus\_3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iamthewalrus_3)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2004, 6:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-to-get-antique-special-edition-books/271458/4 "2004-10-27T18:13:30Z")
[Powells Books](http://www.powells.com) is one possibility. I don’t know how good their selection is for rare books, but they do have quite a few, and they have a separate “Rare Books” search function on their website. ---
**Author:** ![MisterThyristor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ecccb3/32.png) [@MisterThyristor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MisterThyristor)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2004, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-to-get-antique-special-edition-books/271458/5 "2004-10-27T18:35:28Z")
Personally, I like [Bookfinder.](http://www.bookfinder.com) They index 20 or so databases like abebooks and alibris. If you use the extended search, you can specify used/rare and hardcover. (They also have other search criteria such as signed editions, first editions, etc. and you can indicate a price range.) The results are sorted by price. I did a search for Nietzsche’s _Thus Spake Zarathustra_ and came up with 170 hits, with prices ranging from $2.30 for an Everyman’s Library edition to $1,800 for an 1896 first US edition with notations written in pen by the original English translator. (If you read German, there is a special limited edition published in 1908 with a special leather cover and illustrations by two of the leading art nouveau artists of the day for $12,500. Search under _Also Sprach Zarathustra_.)