Outta my range for sure = BIG bucks!

[Flaschenjager]

Hey all -
As some of you may know, I collect antique bottle books. I've picked up many at only a dollar a piece or in lots for a couple of bucks for several. With this being said, I know the many books and their prices well, but have never heard of this book. It is THE STANDARD FRUIT JAR REFERENCE by Dick Roller. Comments from any jar people??? Here's the link:

http://cgi.ebay.com/Rare-Standard-Fruit-Jar-Reference-Dick-Roller-Book_W0QQitemZ140054023773QQihZ004QQcategoryZ892QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

[] For the money, I think I'd rather have some nice jars featured in the book. []

 

[Gunsmoke47]

I don't collect jars Meech but this must have some hidden significance. Look at the bids, 5 bids from 5 different people. Hard to chalk that up to a bidders war or even the seller padding the price. Maybe Bob or Tammy can shed some light. I have spent $80.00 on a book but I agree, if I had $460.00 spare change, I would probably have to buy some glass![] Kelley

 

[PhilaBottles]

maybe its because of the authors name [sm=lol.gif][sm=lol.gif][sm=lol.gif][sm=lol.gif][sm=lol.gif][sm=lol.gif][sm=lol.gif]

 

[bobclay]

Hi all,

This book sells so high for several reasons. It is without a doubt THE most well researched and informative jar book ever printed. It is also VERY limited, with only 600 original copies being printed and almost half of them were destroyed by termites in Dick's garage.

I sold a copy last year for $422.

Bob Clay

 

[PhilaBottles]

why doesnt he reprint them? or sell the rights?

 

[huffmnd]

When was the book published?

 

[capsoda]

Bob is exactly right and Dick Roller has past away. Heavy duty fruit jar collectors will want the signed copy and it had lots of info that the red book does not have.

 

[huffmnd]

That is usually what does it for an author. Your writings go as you go down.

Pun intended.

 

[bobclay]

Dick Roller was a friend of mine. I worked closely with him on the Ball section of the Standard Fruit Jar Reference. One of the main problems with this book was that when first printed in the early 1980s, many collectors wouldn't pay his asking price for the book. (which was around $80 if I recall right) But if you were so lucky to have bought one, you quickly realized this was not your ordinary book. And then when the remaining copies were discovered to be rendered useless by the termites, it just made existing copies that much more desireable. And NO publisher of jar books has ever gone so far indepth as Dick Roller did. Many of those same collectors that wouldn't pay $80 for a hardbound copy back then, gladly spend the bigger bucks now to have one of these.

Jerry McCann has purchased the rights to the book and has plans for reprinting them in the future, but it will be a while before that happens. Each time a copy appears on ebay, the price goes higher.

Bob

 

[huffmnd]

I would love to see a reprinting of the book. I have talke to a couple of my friends locally and they said the same thing about the book. They both owned the same book, one sold it to the other who in turn gave it to his uncle as a present. WOW!! What a nephew. But to get to the point they both gave it a big thumbs up. I will be looking for a copy for myself whenever it does come back out.