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Larry McMurtry once claimed that he was mostly a book hunter who used his side hustle as a writer to finance his love of books and reading. He proved that point well with his 8,500 square foot bookstore in Archer City.
Texas Standard commentator W.F. Strong professes he knows a good deal about Texas literature, but has far less knowledge as to what classic and historical Texas books, in good condition, are worth.
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I know a good deal about Texas literature, both fiction and nonfiction, but I have far less knowledge as to what classic and historical Texas books in good condition are worth. Larry McMurtry once claimed that he was mostly a book collector who used his side hustle as a writer. To finance his love of books and reading.
He proved that point well with his 8,500 square foot bookstore in Archer City, Texas. My knowledge of that market by comparison, would’ve amounted to about, well, five square feet. So during a recent visit to Dallas, I stopped by to see my friends James Gannon and Blake Johnson to get some help in pricing.
Texas Lit. James and Blake operate a fine antiquarian bookstore in North Dallas called. Rare books. I wanted their insights about the value of Texas collectibles. So you might see if you have wealth on your shelf. They know the Texas market well. For instance, they have a great deal of McMurtry’s personal library and a good deal of Bill Whitleys too, among others.
They told me that there are many, many caveats to determining a valuable collectible and antiquarian books, things like first edition or limited edition, signed by the author, pristine condition, spotless unfed, dust jacket, and so on. So I’ll pass on their guidance with general values, but they hesitate to say what a book is worth because there are so many variables involved.
As you might imagine, Larry McMurtry’s, lonesome Dove in hardback first edition signed by Larry is worth a good deal. About 500 to a thousand dollars depending on Providence blood Meridian. Cormack McCarthy’s, apocalyptic anti-Western Opus if signed by McCarthy is worth much more because he didn’t sign very many books.
His signature in a book is rare. Some say that a sign first edition of Blood Meridian may be worth as much as $10,000. No country for old men and all the pretty horses if first editions and signed, might bring in something in the high hundreds or low thousands. For hardbacks, the dust jackets matter.
Clean, sharp, no tears or worn spots are important. Elmer Kelton’s, critically acclaimed novel, the time it never rained. Hardcover first edition signed $600 maybe. And what about Edna Ferber’s Giant first edition Perfect dust jacket. Signed $800 Empire The Summer Moon by SC Gwen. It has been a mega bestseller for years now, but there are many, many copies out there in the world.
So to have a version of value, you need a first edition hard copy signed by Gwen, and you might get 300 to $500 for it. As always, these are estimates the market may be willing to pay a bit more or less, depending on matching want and need between seller and buyer. A two volume box set of books I’ve seen in dozens of homes across Texas is The King Ranch by Tom Lee.
Common editions in good condition may be worth $8,200, but if you happen to have the saddle blanket edition that had only 3000 copies printed for the ranch and not sold commercially, that’s it. Might be sold at auction for as much as $1,800. A simple first edition box set signed by Tom Lee might bring in 200 or $300, and then there are those rare, older books, less known by the general public, but still wonderful because they capture snapshots of life on the frontier when no one else was doing it.
For instance, the trail drivers of Texas about cattle drives is worth perhaps one to $2,000 Retail. And the adventures of Bigfoot Wallace published in 1870 could fetch three to 5,000 at auction. Perhaps double that in the retail trade. If you have Charles Ergos, a Texas cowboy published in 1885, you could have a little gold mine on your shelf in 2022.
That book sold at auction for. $94,500. Beyond Books, there are items in Tana collecting that are much sought after, rare letters, maps, paintings, and even photographs. I asked James and Blake about what they figured was the most valuable Texas artifact of all, and they said probably Travis is a victory or death letter written at the Alamo.
It is not for sale as it’s housed at the Texas State Library and Archives Commission, but if it were for sale, it would bring in at least $10 million and probably much, much more. I’m WF Strong. These are stories from Texas. Some of them are true.
This transcript was transcribed by AI, and lightly edited by a human. Accuracy may vary. This text may be revised in the future.
