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Dickens, Salinger and Frost found at Portsmouth rare book event

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Ken Gloss, guest book and document appraiser for the PBS show “Antiques Roadshow,” said he viewed three unexpected finds while visiting the Portsmouth Public Library on March 3.Courtesy photo

PORTSMOUTH — Old and rare book expert Ken Gloss said he expects “to see what you don’t expect” while touring New England to talk about books and offer free appraisals of books from private collections.

Owner of Boston’s Brattle Book Shop, and guest book and document appraiser for the PBS show “Antiques Roadshow,” Gloss said he viewed three unexpected finds while visiting the Portsmouth Public Library on March 3.

One, he said, was a “nice Robert Frost book” signed by the American poet who died in 1963. Gloss appraised that book for the owner at “a few thousand dollars,” he said.

Someone else attending the Portsmouth library event brought three first edition Charles Dickens books, he said. Gloss valued those books at $200 to $300.

Another rare find brought to the Portsmouth event was a letter by J. D. Salinger. While Salinger died in 2010, Gloss said, it’s special because the author was a known recluse. Anyone close to Salinger would have known he didn’t want his letters on the public market, Gloss said.

The book expert has been giving free lectures around the region including a recent stop in Dover where someone brought an album signed by President Abraham Lincoln, Lincoln’s complete cabinet and the Senate and Congress of that era. Gloss appraised the album at $10,000.

He said his talks include humor-infused stories about old books and book collecting, before he offers his free appraisals. About 60 or 70 people attended the Portsmouth library event, he said.

Most people bring books and learn they aren’t particularly valuable, but are relived to hear that, because they can then “not worry about them” and share them with friends or grandchildren, he said.

The market has changed in the past decade since the internet became mainstream, according to Gloss, who said that finding books online is now easier than scouring bookshops.

“It’s almost like a warehouse,” he said of the online marketplace. “It’s very good if you know what you want.”

Gloss said that’s caused the middle of the book market to drop “drastically,” while the market remains strong for high-end rare books. As an example, he said, there are buyers who will still pay millions of dollars for John James Audubon books with etched folios of bird art that Audubon created in the 1800’s.

In addition to his speaking engagements, Gloss also makes house calls and said “you never know” what’ll be inside. He’s been to mansions in wealthy neighborhoods where books on shelves appeared to have been bought and arranged by a designer. Conversely, he said, he’s been to small homes in modest neighborhoods where a rare treasure was tucked onto a bookshelf.

Gloss’ appearances during the next couple of months are in Mass. and Conn.

“You never know what treasures might be in your own attic,” according to his Web site.

For more information, visit www.brattlebookshop.com.


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