Free Lecture on RARE MORMON BOOKS, Monday, October 3rd, 2016 in Provo, Utah

You're invited to my lecture this Monday, October 3, 2016 at the Shops at the Riverwoods in Provo, Utah at 7:00 pm.  This month's lecture is "BOOKS FROM THE PROPHETS' LIBRARIES".  I will show books and tell the stories behind books belonging to Joseph Smith, Brigham Young, Lorenzo Snow, Joseph F. Smith, Heber J. Grant, David O. McKay, Spencer W. Kimball, Ezra Taft Benson, Gordon B. Hinckley and Thomas S. Monson.  FREE EVENT.  Sponsored by Moon's Rare Books (Zion's Mercantile), 4801 N. University Ave. Provo, Utah 84604.  Please RSVP, seats are limited.  801-802-6064

First Edition Book of Mormon? First edition King James Bible? Have I ever acquired a copy?

I am often asked, "Have you every found a first edition Book of Mormon?  A first edition King James Bible? "  The answer is, "Yes".  I'm a treasure hunter.  I have the best job ever!  This article in the Deseret News gives a brief overview of how I got to have such a great job. http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865620130/Bible-detective-compiles-impressive-collection.html
You can see more of my treasures at: www.moonsrarebooks.com

First Edition BOOK OF MORMON [1830] for sale in Charity Auction: Opening Bid $69,950

A first edition Book of Mormon [1830] is currently for sale in a charity auction.  http://www.ebay.com/itm/BOOK-OF-MORMON-1830-FIRST-EDITION-/291356089727?hash=item43d62d1d7f .  The opening bid is $69,950.  The auction will benefit "GENERATIONS HUMANITARIAN".  They are  a 501©(3) Utah Nonprofit Corporation committed to transform street children toward an abundance of health, hope, and loving homes thereby breaking the cycle of scarcity for generations to come.  In their January 15, 2015 newsletter, they issued the following statement: 

"We are pleased to announce that a generous donor has gifted a First Edition copy of the Book of Mormon to Generations Humanitarian.  The donor (who wishes to remain anonymous) and Genhu have entrusted the rare book to Moon’s Rare Books of Dallas, Texas, to sell.  The proceeds from the sale will be used to provide food and shelter for street children in Peru and Colombia. With the donation, Genhu plans to increase the number of children we have at the Sunflower Orphanage in Cusco, Peru. www.moonsrarebooks.com

First Edition BOOK OF MORMON: Why are some copies thinner than others?

I recently acquired a first edition copy of the Book of Mormon [1830] that was about 1/4" thinner than most copies that I acquire.  In fact, of the over 175 copies that I've either seen or acquired, only about five or six have been these extra-thin copies. So, here's the question, "What accounts for the difference in thickness?"  Well, fortunately I have friends and experts that I can go to for answers.  In this case I went to Joseph Adams (http://eidolonhouse.com), who has a degree in "printmaking" about this phenomenon.  That's when he told me about "rolling machines".  These rolling machines were used to  flatten and consolidate the sections of a book before sewing.  At the time of the printing of the first edition Book of Mormon by E. B. Grandin in Palmyra, New York, these rolling machines were mostly in use in England--they had just been invented in 1827.

Now, the big question is, "Does this 'thinness' affect the value?".  Well, it depends--for the following reason: The first edition Book of Mormon has a well-known look (see http://www.pinterest.com/moonsrarebooks/first-edition-book-of-mormon-1830-pinterest/).  So, when a person is looking for a first edition Book of Mormon, they usually don't want to explain why their book "doesn't look like a first edition". Having said this, I actually like finding these "thin" copies.  They are typically very clean on the inside.  The text in these books is usually almost always free from the brown splotches (foxing) normally seen in first editions.  This leads me to believe that the leather binding--or more specifically, the chemicals used in tanning the leather--were partly, or mostly to blame for the foxing--but that's the subject of another blog.  In a way, it's a trade off.  So, if you would like a first edition copy of the Book of Mormon, that has a nice, clean white interior, look for one of the thin copies.  The "thin" copy shown is one of ten first edition copies of the Book of Mormon currently for sale at Moon's Rare Books in Provo, Utah.  These books are shown by appointment only.  www.moonsrarebooks.com

How much does a first edition BOOK OF MORMON cost in today's market?

The first edition BOOK OF MORMON was printed in 1830 in Palmyra, New York.  As few as 500 copies ( out of the original 5,000)  have survived.  In today's market, nice--above average-- copies of the first edition  Book of Mormon sell for around $100,000.  There were also four other editions of the Book of Mormon printed during the life of Joseph Smith, the Mormon prophet [1805-1844].  The second edition, which is more scarce than the first edition,  was printed in Kirtland, Ohio in 1837.  The third edition was printed in Nauvoo, Illinois in 1840.  The first European edition was printed in Liverpool in 1841.  And finally, there was another edition ( of a little over 600 copies)  printed in Nauvoo in 1842.  In 2014, a complete set, as shown in the attached photo, would sell for over $250,000.

The first edition BOOK OF MORMON was printed in 1830.  It is interesting to note that after 1830, for the next 58 years, all subsequent editions of the Book of Mormon would be printed in a smaller size and font. I recently acquired Helen Mar Kimball's 1841 copy of the Book of Mormon--which was given to her when she was thirteen years old by "uncle" Brigham Young.  Helen is the daughter of Mormon apostle Heber C. Kimball.

In her journal she made reference to the smaller-sized print, "There is but one fault I find with it--the print is so fine that many times I have been forced to stop reading it; and this, I believe, prevents many from reading it who otherwise would, as some who are not of our faith but are friendly to this people, have mentioned this to me, and said it was the only reason why they did not read it.  This I think is a great pity.".

In the photograph I show several editions, side by side, with the first edition Book of Mormon on the left, and the 1888 pulpit edition on the right. From left to right, these copies of the Book of Mormon were printed in 1830, 1840, 1841, 1852, 1885 and 1888.  The photo below is from Helen Mar Kimball's own Book of Mormon.

This is a very valuable and rare stack of books: (6) first edition copies of the Book of Mormon [1830], a first edition Doctrine and Covenants [1835]--which is worth at least twice as much as a first edition Book of Mormon; and the extremely rare Messenger and Advocate [1834-36] which is worth more even more than the first edition Doctrine and Covenants. http://www.pinterest.com/pin/164662930100172598/

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=67S0Kl60-xU
I've just posted a new video on YouTube that gives tips on buying, selling or having a first edition BOOK OF MORMON [1830] appraised.  If you would like to have your 1st edition Book of Mormon appraised, or almost any book for that matter, all you need to do is send me a few digital images of the binding, title page and text.  I will then send you a free estimate.  If a more formal written appraisal is needed, details can be worked out.   I'm an allied professional with the Appraisers Association of America.  Please send inquiries to: reidnmoon@gmail.com or threenephites@gmail.com

I've started a new blog: http://reidmoon.blogspot.com  This new blog will chronicle my search for RARE BOOKS, great FOOD and TRAVEL to interesting places around the world.  

I would like this First Edition Book of Mormon blog to stay focused on the Book of Mormon and related topics.  

Thanks for reading.  Best, Reid

Did you know that there was no 3rd or 4th Nephi in the first edition Book of Mormon?

There were, however, the following books:

First Book of Nephi
Second Book of Nephi 
The Book of Nephi: The Son of Nephi, Which was the Son of Helaman
The Book of Nephi: Which is the Son of Nephi, One of the Disciples of Jesus Christ.

In 1879, at the recommendation of Orson Pratt, 3rd and 4th Nephi were added to the chapter titles for clarification.  If you look at a modern printing you will see that the the complete titles are now as follows:

THIRD NEPHI
THE BOOK OF NEPHI
The Son of Nephi, Who Was the Son of Helaman

and

FOURTH NEPHI
THE BOOK OF NEPHI
Who is the Son of Nephi--One of the Disciples of Jesus Christ

The 1879 edition is also the first time that the chapters are divided into verses.

Joseph Smith, Jr., the translator of the Book of Mormon, was born 208 years ago today on December 23, 1805 in Sharon, Vermont.  I've attached a link that shows his tiny pocket Bible: http://www.pinterest.com/pin/164662930098320787/

First Edition BOOK OF MORMON - Are there any "Perfect 10's"

Of the original 5,000 copies of the first edition BOOK OF MORMON that were printed in 1830, only about 500 copies have survived.  Over the past twenty years, I've either owned or handled about 150 of those. 

From my experience, if all first edition copies of the Book of Mormon were rated on a 1-10 scale, the results would look something like a "bell-curve".  By extrapolating the results of my own ratings--which are based on my viewing almost one-third of all surviving copies, I would estimate that about 300 of these 500 copies would rate somewhere in the middle--as "4s", "5s" and "6s".  These copies, which are typical of the majority of books that show up on the market, are textually complete, the covers are well-worn, and the original label on the spine if often missing or the gold lettering on the black label has disappeared.  These copies may also have a few torn pages and show signs of damp staining.   

I would estimate that about another 100 copies would be in much worse condition.  These copies are often missing the title page, show damp staining, lack all or part of the original binding, and have various missing pages.  

On the other end of this "bell-curve" are the "100 Finest Surviving Copies".  These are copies that I would rate as a "7" or above.

These copies have the original binding, title page and label on the spine.  The "BOOK OF MORMON" is still visible on the black, red or tan label.  The text block is tight and square.  The original binding is present.  And the pages show less foxing (brown spots) than the previously mentioned copies.  There are probably 60 or so books that would rate a "7", about 25 that would rate an "8", about 10-12 that would rate a "9" and in my opinion, there are only 2 or 3 copies that could claim the distinction of being an almost "perfect 10".  

I've had the fortune of owning two "almost perfect 10s".  Peter Crawley (author of A Descriptive Bibliography of the Mormon Church) saw one of these copies and said that it was the finest copy he had ever seen.  He had originally seen the copy that I acquired in 2010 almost forty years earlier in Northern California.     I've had one other comparable copy.  These "almost perfect 10s" have a nice honey-colored original binding, the "blue speckled edges" are vibrant, the label is crisp and clean, the seven double bands in gilt are present, the text block is tight and the corners are square.  There is little to no foxing, and the front and rear end sheets are present.  These copies show just enough age--yet maintain all of the important distinguishing characteristics of a first edition Book of Mormon.  

I've attached a photo from the label of this "almost perfect 10" copy of the first edition Book of Mormon.  http://www.pinterest.com/pin/164662930098037457/

I've been selling rare books for over twenty-five years.  Occasionally you run into someone who tries to sell you a stolen book--in this case, a first edition BOOK OF MORMON [1830].  This happened last year.  The local Dallas paper did an interesting write up on the events surrounding the disappearance of the book:

http://blogs.dallasobserver.com/unfairpark/2012/06/dallas_book_dealer_cracks_case.php

This story has a happy ending.   Helen, the 89 year-old owner of the book, was eventually reunited with her book.  This story tells how the story ended up:

http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865570908/Stolen-first-edition-Book-of-Mormon-returned-to-Arizona-woman.html?pg=all

I can APPRAISE your first edition BOOK OF MORMON.  As part of my business, I do appraisals on a regular basis.  I'm an allied professional with the Appraisers Association of America  http://www.appraisersassoc.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=Page.ViewPage&pageId=781

I appraise individual books and entire collections.  Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions.

Reid Moon

214-707-0896

www.moonsrarebooks.com

Do You Want to Buy or Sell a First Edition Book of Mormon?

I've decided to start a blog about the FIRST EDITION BOOK OF MORMON.  My name is Reid N. Moon and I am the owner of www.moonsrarebooks.com in Dallas, Texas.

 I've prepared the following informational video on the first edition BOOK OF MORMON

.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QoUblYfU8q0
Tips on buying or selling a first edition BOOK OF MORMON

You can find more information at www.moonsrarebooks.com 

I also have a Pinterest page: http://www.pinterest.com/moonsrarebooks/first-edition-book-of-mormon-1830/  ---where I have posted several photos of the first edition Book of Mormon.