I am Rebecca Romney, the Rare Book Expert on Pawn Stars. AMA.

What's the creepiest book you've ever come across or would like to come across?

The Boston Athenaeum has a book bound in human skin. It's a memoir written by a convicted highwayman while in jail. He requested it be bound in his own skin and given to the man responsible for catching him!

Miskatonic's library includes a copy of the Necronomicon by Abdul Alhazred!

Nice. You get points.

Are you compensated by the Gold and Silver guys when they bring you in?

Can't get into background contract stuff because I've signed an NDA. But suffice to say that my company decided to participate in the show for the advertising.

What's Chumley really like?

This is one of the questions I get the most! Chum knows what he is about. He's very good at his role of court jester. He's clever at coming up with the right lines for his role.

Are you actually Rick's buddy, or does he just say he's going to call in a buddy?

We are actually friends; we've double dated and such. But that actually happened after we spent time together from filming the show. Same with Mark from the Clark County Museum.

Mark seems like a really nice guy.

This makes me happy.

I'm pretty sure I would watch a show with just Rebecca and mark eating dinner and talking history.

But with fine wine, that way after 30 minutes in we get Drunken History.

Whenever Craig (gun expert) is in town, we all go out to dinner: Craig, Mark and his wife, me and my husband. It's a nerd fest and it is awesome.

How exactly do you get into that sort of field?

What kinda schooling did it take to become a rare book expert?

Great question. I got into this field the way a lot of rare book dealers seem to--sort of by accident. Right place, right time, right background.

Bauman Rare Books was hiring, I went through a gauntlet of an interview process, and I was trained extensively in the particulars of rare books from there by a hands-on method.

One can obtain an advanced degree specializing in the history of the book, or something similar--but becoming a dealer is slightly different. There's no degree for that; it's more like an apprenticeship.

For instance, in obtaining a degree focusing on, say, special collections, you're working with a static collection of books. So you can say what makes that copy of Huck Finn a first printing. But if you've only seen one copy, how much can you speak to its relative condition?

You need to see multiple first printings to get an idea of condition--key to determining collectible value--and that is hard to do unless you have experience as a dealer who sees so many more books come and go.

Thanks for the answer! Interesting stuff, it makes sense that degrees in it wouldn't be worth as much in the long run as hands on experience.

I can only imagine how much time it took until you were actually "good" at it.

That's one of the amazing perks of being hired specifically by my company, Bauman Rare Books. It's one of the world's largest and best known rare book dealers, so I get access to some incredible and incredibly rare books. Many dealers can go an entire lifetime without selling a Shakespeare Folio--in my first 5 years at Bauman, we sold 4 different Folios. [End shameless pitch for my company]

•Have you ever accidentally damaged a book you were ask to see/check if real? •What was the most expensive book you have confirmed as being authentic?

No. Has Rick damaged a book brought in for the show? Yes. Have I stopped filming to ask people to handle a book properly to avoid damage? Yes.

But actually it's very easy to handle most books without doing them harm if you follow some basic rules. I wrote about that on my blog here:

https://rebeccaromney.wordpress.com/2013/04/17/rare-books-101-part-iv-handling-rare-books/

The most expensive book I've appraised for Pawn Stars was probably the Steuben at $18,000. Though my company sells books in the $100k+ range, and I've personally sold books worth half a million.

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Some of the ones I'm thinking of haven't aired yet, so I have to mum there...but here's a good example. There's a reason I gave Rick that book cradle! So he, and sellers, could look at larger books without destroying the spine.

What was the half million dollar book?

One was a 16th century atlas, complete and with contemporary hand coloring.

i love that her site already has tons of posts and information thats exactly answering what people are asking. i dont think ive ever seen a reddit ama where the person plugged their own site so much, but was actually helpful because its such good and relevant information.

Yeah, sorry for the plugs, perhaps my bad on the Reddit etiquette, but it's easier to point to a place where I give a thoughtful answer over throwing something out off the top of my head that's less well worded.

You get a considerable amount of attention from "Pawn Stars" fans because you're attractive in addition to being whip smart. How do you react to the comments that are made? And what does your husband think of that specific kind of attention you're given?

Well, I'm on TV, and that's what happens to a woman on TV. I admit to a bit of frustration when I'm focusing on books and people explicitly tell me they don't care about that, only my appearance. But, again, I'm on TV. I expect (and receive) a range of reactions.

That said: I do expect and ask for people to treat me respectfully as a fellow human being (while fully aware that internet troll culture can be a strong force!).

My husband just thinks it's funny.

Thanks for the reply. I admire your ability to keep a sense of humor/perspective about a few truly creepy comments posted on your Facebook page and blog.

I try to, specifically because I know most people are genuinely just trying to give me a compliment. But it does sometimes interfere with my purpose of interacting with people online, which I'd like to emphasize is to talk about books.

Do you speak any other languages? And if so, have you ever tried to read non-English books in their original language?

I read in 5 1/2 languages: English, French, Japanese, Latin, Ancient Greek, and the half is Old English. I read books in their original language whenever possible because so much is lost in translation. I wrote a post about this and Latin poetry a while back:

http://rebeccaromney.wordpress.com/2013/01/19/horace-and-the-art-of-archery-the-perils-of-poetry-in-translation/

How hard was it to learn to read japanese? There are SSSOOOOO many books in that language I wanna read...

Yes, learning to read Japanese is much more difficult than learning how to speak it, in general terms. When I lived in Japan most natives just assumed I couldn't read a newspaper and were astonished when I could. But it took a lot of study and hard work to get there (and I'm admittedly rusty these days).

Which Hemingway would you say is the most rare and which of his works is your favorite?

Probably, all things being equal (not signed or anything), his first book: Three Stories and Ten Poems. Published in Paris in 1923 in an edition of only 300 copies.

Sun Also Rises is probably my favorite, though overall I'm much more partial to his short stories over his novels.

Is there a consult prior to the filmed part? It always seems the guys have far too much knowledge about some pieces that come in.

Yes and no. We are told what the item is before filming, but we often don't get to see the item until right before the camera comes on. And there are times when the item is not what we were told!

For me, there are millions of books out there. I don't know the intricate information (bibliographic points, etc.) off the top of my head for every conceivable book (though I know a decent amount). Any specialist in such a field will tell you that knowing where to get authoritative information is also part of being an "expert." So it is imperative I know something before going, for the most part.

If you could pick one book you do not currently have to add to your personal collection what would it be?

Presuming anything that exists, is available for sale and I have the means to get it: the first edition of Moby Dick, inscribed by Melville to Hawthorne. (The Houghton has it.)

Again, that's an off-the-cuff answer. Ask me tomorrow, or in ten minutes, and I'll have a different answer...

What do you think of Kindles and iPads as electronic readers?

I wrote a blog post on this recently. I have no beef with them--I use them myself for certain types of books (though not all). Essentially, you get different experiences, perks, and drawbacks from print vs. digital formats and it depends on what you value most.

https://rebeccaromney.wordpress.com/2013/12/06/electronic-readers-blessing-or-abomination/

What are some common red flags that a book is a forgery? Do you have an interesting story about someone who thought they had something rare and valuable that turned out to be worthless?

It's incredibly difficult to forge an entire book. It would also be expensive. You'd need to use an antique press exactly from that time, ink made in the exact same way, a huge amount of paper from the period, antique binding materials and tools, and an historically accurate, likely hand-cut, font. That's just to start. The most famous print forgeries were all either single sheets or short pamphlets for these reasons.

In fact, this is why forged books aren't really so much of a "thing." Why spend literally tens of thousands of dollars, at least, to get all of that material together--just to forge a book that will probably be detectable in some other way? (Can you really find the EXACT cloth binding used for the Huck Finn first editions? There's always a tell.)

Forgers instead prefer forging single autograph documents or signatures for good reason. (Not that I'm encouraging, here!)

What about forged dust jackets and copyright pages? What are some signs of those?

Yes, forged jackets can happen in the form of a facsimile dust jacket, assuming the jacket isn't identified as such. Generally you can tell by the quality of the paper pretty easily, though.

A forged copyright page would only do good in a very small % of books, and again you run into the problem of having to forge the type, paper, ink, and on top of that figure out how to bind it into the book in a way that wouldn't be obvious to a specialist.

Have you ever found rare items tucked in the pages of a book?

Personally, I haven't. But I know it has happened.

What about letters and handwritten notes?

Definitely. A couple of months ago we found an autograph letter by Thomas Wolfe in a copy of one of his first editions completely by accident.

An 8 hour old AMA and you're still answering? You are my hero.

By the way, you are my favorite person they call in on the show and a major reason why I started reading for pleasure again even with a university schedule. Can you recommend a good classic read?

I've taken some breaks. :) And thanks, nice to hear.

Good classic read would depend on what other classics you've read that you've liked. Let me know.

Big fan Rebecca, love seeing you on Pawn Stars. Can you give us a little idea of what happens behind the scenes? On the show, it looks like you're always there within a few minutes. if they need you. When they tape Pawn Stars, are you on-call or do they have an idea of when they might need to call you in ahead of time?

They call me ahead of time. I run a gallery full time and can't just drop everything to run over there whenever. Mark (the museum guy) complains about this, too. He runs three museums. Busy man!

Do you have advice for younger people on a budget who are interested in collecting books? What sorts of things get people started?

Collect what you love, first and foremost. Most newer books are completely within reach as a signed first printing for under $100.

Buy the best condition you can afford. In the long term, you will be grateful you did this.

But keep in mind that there are many amazing books--and books that probably have meant a lot to you--that don't command astronomical prices. Catcher in the Rye is expensive, sure, but if you love Salinger some of his other publications are much more within reach to the average person.

What would be the best way to preserve an antique book from aging and wearing down from wear and tear over the years?

Depends on how damaged it already is, but if you're just looking for general storage suggestions to make sure the book doesn't get damaged further, I wrote a post about that:

http://rebeccaromney.wordpress.com/2013/02/19/rare-books-101-part-iii-storage/

I hear starting a collection of rare/old books is a bit like picking up a heroin habit. Is this accurate?

Also, what's some of the best books you've read?

(Rare, Old and contemporary)

That's the case for a lot of people! It's called "the gentle madness" for that reason. Some people get really obsessed.

Best books? Torturous question! Paraphrasing Christopher Morley, what is a good book for me may not be for you. So here's a painfully short, pathetic answer:

Some 19th c. authors I love are Melville and Dostoevsky. I'm a Sherlockian to the bone. One of the best books I read published in 2013 was The Fault in Our Stars by John Green.

What's the oldest book you've came across in your work?

We sell individual illuminated leaves from the Middle Ages...right now we have one from the 13th century on display at the Vegas gallery. We also sell books printed in the 15th century; one at the gallery now is from 1473, I believe...

Do you worry at all about the trade in leaves contributing to existing manuscripts being cut up? Is there anything that can be done in the trade to discourage dismantling manuscripts?

Yes, I do worry about that. The problem is that it's so difficult to police. People have suggested not selling to book breakers, but that's not really practical--what, do you have them check a box before bidding at auction that says "I won't break this book"? It's worrisome for sure, but I'm not sure about a practical solution.

Have you ever misidentified a book on the show, either claiming it to be real or fake, and then found out otherwise? If so, any repercussions?

Not real or fake, but once I misspoke about the bibliographic point of the book--I mixed it up with a different book's bibliography. No repercussions because that didn't change the value, just a stupid slip on my part that is now forever part of the TV world. I talk about it in more detail here:

http://rebeccaromney.wordpress.com/2012/09/06/mistake/

It's ok, I forgive you.

Ah, whew!

Seriously, though. It's embarrassing.

Which modern day book(s) do you think will become collectible?

I'm not going to predict the future, sorry. But there are modern day books that are currently very collectible. The first Harry Potter book, for example, or Blood Meridian.

How valuable is the most valuable book that your company posess now?

Probably this Goya book for $525,000. It's spectacular.

http://www.baumanrarebooks.com/rare-books/francisco-goya-y-lucientes/los-caprichos/86558.aspx

Hey Rebecca! As a pawnbroker myself, I love seeing you on Pawn Stars. Can you tell me about the rarest book you've ever encountered. Also, what is your personal favorite book?

I've ever encountered--as in, I've ever seen? Ever personally sold? Appraised for Pawn Stars? Different answers for each!

Personal favorite book is another tortured question for me. I default to Moby Dick because my passion for that book is undying, but my true answer is probably different day to day, even.

Let me ask you another way. What book were you the most in awe when you were in its presence?

The Gutenberg Bible--I've seen a few copies--or the Book of Kells.

Hi Rebecca, My husband and I really enjoy watching your spots on Pawn Stars. Some regulars like yourself, have their own shows now. Any chance YOU might get your own show as well?

Thanks! For me, not likely, but primarily because I can't think of a show idea I'd like to do more than my current job. I wouldn't really be interested in a show unless I were really thrilled with the idea.

Have you ever thought about making a YouTube channel and make videos about rare books you encounter? I would enjoy that. Also, who taught who the handshake you and chumlee had on an episode of pawn stars? Thanks for an answer in advance.

I have thought about doing some sort of video blog. If I do, it will be with my husband, who is an author. But that's still in the nebulous future.

The handshake Chum and I do was just something we made up on the spot one day. No real reason why.

What car(s) do you drive?

Do you make commission in the books you sell, or are you paid by a wage?

I'm on salary, no commission. And I'm a nerd, so naturally I drive a Prius.

Nerds have all moved on to the Tesla. Come on now.

Rich nerds have moved on to the Tesla.

Word.

I collect somewhat rare and important science books but for me a lot of the enjoyment comes from the hunt. Any recommendations for acquiring such books under "retail" value? Also, I literally just finished watching "The Ninth Gate" on Netflix! Thanks.

If you don't want to pay retail, that means a lot of research and work on your part, combined with a bit of luck. Plenty of collectors do this, but it's a serious time commitment. You'll see books priced "under" retail all the time, but it's often for a reason. Until you are comfortable enough to distinguish what's a seriously good deal and what's actually just an inferior copy, just be careful.

Since its an AMA, Kennedy: one shooter or two?

One.

Do they really get such rare books or is it staged in order to get more ratings (for pawn stars)?

I have never filmed a scene to my knowledge where the book was planted. In my personal experience they have always been real sellers who actually own those books.

I have a New Testament that was issued to a relative in the Confederate Army during the Civil War. It has some messages from other soldiers written in it, as well as a poem composed by my relative on the battlefield (Battle of Shiloh). Is there any monetary value in something like this, or is it just a neat family heirloom?

Hard to tell without seeing in person. You should consult someone who specializes in Civil War materials, or see if a local university's special collections can't refer you to someone to look at in person.

Did you previously know the owners of the Pawn Shop or were you just qualified to fit their needs?

Both. Rick had run into us here and there--the antiques world in Vegas is rather small--but Rick specially requested that the production company approach us because we're really the only specialized rare book gig in town.

Do you ever offer to buy books the guys bring in for you to look at?

Nope, never. Other experts on the show may have a different take on this, but in order to maintain my status as a neutral third party to provide an appraisal, I do not have any commercial interest in the books.

That said, I have on occasion needled a seller to come to me first so I would have had the opportunity to buy it! I did this with Adam, who brought in the Steuben Military Regulations.

Hi! I've been to your store several times and love looking around. I've always liked old books and I have several, but I have no idea what any of them are worth (likely very little), is there any online resource you could recommend to just get an idea of what a particular book might be worth (if anything) by title / artist / age, just to see if it's worth having it truly appraised.

Oh, I wish. The problem is that most books are not worth much unless they are first editions, and determining if an individual book is a first edition can be tricky.

Here's a very general way to start. Take a look at the year printed on the title page (NOT the copyright page). Look online and check the year the first edition of that book was printed. If they match--it doesn't mean it's a first edition. But this will discount the vast majority of your old books, and the ones it doesn't discount are worth looking into further.

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Sandman.

Ms. Romney, huge fan! What's your favorite work by Chaucer?

Oh, intriguing question. Do translations count? Boece.

When will your obsession with the Steuben book be over? Just kidding. I followed you over from your FB post that you were doing an AMA.

I have a question. What was the score when you Chum, Mark, and Jeremy won trivia night at that bar? Did Rick's team stand a chance?

I don't recall the final score, though I didn't miss any book questions. :) Rick's team did get some right, including some book questions. That was a fun filming.

If I were shopping at a book store today for a new book that may be valuable in the future, what kind of things should I be on the look out for?

First printing. Not first edition--first printing. And try to get it signed in person. Other than that, in terms of topic, author, etc., it's all up in the air. What's trendy or critically acclaimed now may not be in 50 years.

What kind of books do you read for pleasure? What was your favorite of the past year?

I read anything and everything in terms of genre. I'm reading (and enjoying) Stiff by Mary Roach right now. I love science fiction and fantasy, which seems to surprise people. I mentioned this in another answer, but The Fault in Our Stars by John Green is an amazing recent book that I would recommend to almost anyone.

Have you ever seen the documentary Stealing Shakespeare? Have you ever run into that situation, someone bringing in an absurdly rare and valuable book off the street that you suspect is stolen? How did you handle it?

In my humble opinion, it's pretty stupid to steal a rare/valuable book. It is the job of dealers and special collections librarians to record the individual characteristics of the particular copy they have, and that information once cataloged is easily obtainable.

I haven't personally had someone try to sell me a stolen book, though it has happened to my company. There are organizations in place that we notify in this situation: ABAA security, police, etc.

What was the most interesting book or document you've had the opportunity to see or read?

These kinds of questions are so difficult to answer! I could torture myself for days weighing all the possible answers, then still change my answer again the next day. But I have a special place in my heart for the Book of Kells. I took a trip to Dublin just to see it.

Has rick ever cheated on you with another book expert?

He had others before me. But since then I think I've kept him satisfied. :)

Hey! You're my favorite expert, that guy with the 1776 register seemed to really get under your skin, what gets on your nerves the most when appraising someone's book?

That was all rather dramatic, wasn't it? It's not really that I had a problem with him questioning my expertise. If you tell someone something he doesn't want to hear, it's a pretty natural reaction.

But in general terms I am not a fan of people who are proud of their ignorance. Ignorance is fine--we're all ignorant on many things. But being proud of it is something I don't understand.

What would you consider to be the holy grail of rare books?

For printed books the obvious answer is the Gutenberg Bible. There's certainly a debate to be had for those who want to get down and dirty in their pedantry, but the Gutenberg Bible is unquestionably one of the most important/desired.

Thanks for the AMA, which book have you priced the highest on or off the show.

The company I work for (Bauman Rare Books) sells books into the hundreds of thousands. Pawn Stars appraisals have for the most part been small potatoes in comparison!

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Sometimes, but I don't buy books I've appraised. Some people do come to me with other books after having met me through filming a book segment on the show.

How exactly did the guys at Pawn Stars come to find you? How do find most of your work?

Rick knew about us--we're the only rare book gallery in town. Not sure what your 2nd question means...elaborate?

What's your favorite novel to read on a lazy afternoon?

This is not going to win me any friends, but it's probably Gibbon's History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire.

Have you ever bought anything from the pawn shop for your personal collection or just something that had caught your eye?

Nope, certainly not regarding books. Hope it doesn't ruin my bookish rep to say that I've periodically noticed pieces of jewelry I like! But I haven't purchased anything from them.

As a college student interested in rare books, how can I get into this type of field as a profession or what kind of path would you recommend?

Consider an advanced degree in library science or a program in the history of the book. That's not a guarantee, especially to work as a dealer, but it would be a path to train you in many useful skills for the profession.

How much do you actually get to read for pleasure? Has your profession dampened your enthusiasm for reading as entertainment?

Funny, it hasn't. I deal with books all day, then go home and read more. I suppose it does incline me sometimes to read things that require less thought...I'm not always in the mood for Kierkegaard after 8 hours of work.

I recently read this New Yorker article regarding a rare book forger in Italy. How do you feel about people like this? Is forgery a huge problem in the rare books industry?

Forgery is a bigger problem for autograph documents than printed books. In books it comes much more from individual facsimile pages that aren't identified as such, rather than entire printed books being faked.

Do you have copies of rare Alice in Wonderland's in your gallery? (I'm a slightly amateur collector and I'm curious)

We have the first American edition (the earliest obtainable edition), rebound, at the Vegas gallery right now. We also have a really cool presentation copy of Hunting of the Snark in which Lewis writes an inscription in "fairy writing."

Why Las Vegas?

Can you be more specific?

Why do you think your show belongs on history channel? Id love to watch a documentary that isnt about aliens or atlantis or selling storage units in texas but I guess I'm the minority. Also your show seems fake.

Not my show, can't help you there. They call me in for a professional appraisal, I give it, and that's it.

Do you work in conjunction with any libraries to bolster your collection?

We sometimes buy from libraries, but more often we sell to libraries. University special collections will buy from us, for example.