What is the most you ever spent on a book?
Which one - and why did you have to own a copy?

I've never really paid an outlandish amount for any of my books. I believe the most I've ever spent on a single [magic] book was $75 for Harry Lorayne's The Classic Collection Volume 2. I got it mainly for Controlled Spelling and the HaLo Aces effects, although I have found many other great things in there as well.

Although you didn't ask, I think it would be interesting to hear if people thought it was worth the price. And to answer my own question: Yes!

One hundred GBP for The Compleat Invocation (Vols 1 & 2 - single volume hardback edition, 1986). It was a lot of money to me at the time! Masses of highly stimulating material, though many presentations are not to my taste.

Also the Karl Fulves sets: The Pallbearers Review (Vols 1-10 in three hardback volumes, 1993) and The Chronicles (hardback, 1997). I think I paid about 150 GBP for the lot. Brilliant encyclopaedic stuff. Worth every penny.

Mike

I bought the Siegfried and Roy tribute book.

More than I would care to think about for some of my rarer magic books..........Same for some of my general library books...........= O

regards,

Dr. Albo books. Think the most I paid for one of those was $300. Ultimate Okito is on my want list if I can find a copy when I am ready! Bill is the Siegfried and Roy tribute book the one that has the items stuck on the pages (letters etc)?

M.I.N.T - Vol 1 and 2

Yes, that's the one. This book is an example of a really well-produced magical experience. It even has some DVD's with it.

I paid $300 US for a 1st edition 5th impression of Greater Magic

That's probably about right for that particular book. There are people who collect variations on Greater Magic. When I got my first copy, they were still available for about $15.00. There were THOUSANDS of copies of this book printed. This would have been in the 1950's. I sold all of my books about 1961.

When I got back into magic in 1972, it took me a long time to find a copy. They were selling for $285 - $325 back then. They weren't really rare, but everyone wanted one. So that drove the price up.

I remember Al Flosso telling me that someone came into the store and told him Macy's had them on a dump table for 50 cents a piece. He bought as many as he could.

$125 for Kaufmans Greater Magic last month. $100 plus for a bunch of books required for graduate school - most a big rip off. Medical books are the worst and most expensive.

Here's a hint when buying books for school. Go online and buy the "Teacher's Edition" on the class or subject/s you're taking. This works especially well for grammar and high school classes.

I'm not a collector, the books I buy are for the value of the contents.

Several years ago I bought a copy of Neo-Magic. I think I paid around$85 for it.
The was way before the reprint came out or any talk of it.

I been fortunate to find many excellent out of print and hard to find books for a bargin, by being patient.
I've spent countless hours going through the many used book stores in the Detroit area and Ann Arbor, when I lived there.
I found a copy of Kaufman's Greater Magic for around $50.

Those bargains got harder to find as a result of the Internet and Abe Books.

Now I tend to look for bargains on Ebay.

Nine dollars.
A sphinx magazine PDF from Lybrary.
I haven't been in magic a long time though, so that's probably why I haven't spent much on books or DVDs.

That is if you mean magic books. Obviously I've spent more than nine dollars on other books.

$500 (including buyer's premium) for Dr. Daley's personal copy of Stanyon's Magic, which he had bound into four hardcover volumes. Although it was expensive, I still don't regret it, as it really is a one-of-a-kind.

Jeff

Pleasant Nightmares for $60 because I am a big fan of magic spook shows

$1800 for Essential Robert-Houdin Elegance Edition but I got it for a better price...Also I spent a lot for Punx books, The Legendary Scroll of Maskelyn Ye Mage ( I have two now!) and many other. I just love books, in the past I have chosen many times not to have even the basics, even starving for days(!) in order to save the money for a book!

1908,

You are now a true collector. Welcome to the club.