Lost Dutchman Books - Which ones rare / valuable?

[Randy Bradford]

Recently bought a rather large library of books, including many on the Lost Dutchman. Was curious which books are considered desirable, rare, sought after by collectors. I'm talking about more than simply well-known books, but things like self-published, brochures, obscure stuff. What are the books that Lost Dutchman enthusiasts are always on the prowl for? At some point I'll post al iist of what I have, for the time being I'm just curious what I should keep my eyes open for.

 

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[CreakyDigger]

Recently bought a rather large library of books, including many on the Lost Dutchman. Was curious which books are considered desirable, rare, sought after by collectors. I'm talking about more than simply well-known books, but things like self-published, brochures, obscure stuff. What are the books that Lost Dutchman enthusiasts are always on the prowl for? At some point I'll post al iist of what I have, for the time being I'm just curious what I should keep my eyes open for.

Here is the best place to go to check on prices. For best results keep your search simple - last name of author, a few words from the title, and if need be, the publisher. Choose "used" and then softcover or hardcover, and give it a try.

I don't know which are most interesting for Lost Dutchman enthusiasts, but you will soon know what the market thinks they are worth.

 

[azdave35]

Recently bought a rather large library of books, including many on the Lost Dutchman. Was curious which books are considered desirable, rare, sought after by collectors. I'm talking about more than simply well-known books, but things like self-published, brochures, obscure stuff. What are the books that Lost Dutchman enthusiasts are always on the prowl for? At some point I'll post al iist of what I have, for the time being I'm just curious what I should keep my eyes open for.

this isn't the proper place to be advertising items for sale

 

[Randy Bradford]

this isn't the proper place to be advertising items for sale

I guess it's a good thing I'm not advertising anything for sale. Perhaps you should actually read the thread.

 

[azdave35]

I guess it's a good thing I'm not advertising anything for sale. Perhaps you should actually read the thread.

i read it.....this is a place to research and talk about the LDM...not for you to con others into doing research for resale items....do your own research

 

[Randy Bradford]

So, now that some of you might have forgotten the point of this thread...

Recently bought a rather large library of books, including many on the Lost Dutchman. Was curious which books are considered desirable, rare, sought after by collectors. I'm talking about more than simply well-known books, but things like self-published, brochures, obscure stuff. What are the books that Lost Dutchman enthusiasts are always on the prowl for? At some point I'll post al iist of what I have, for the time being I'm just curious what I should keep my eyes open for.

 

[dredgernaut]

if you have any written by jacob waltz from the late 1800s .. i will buy it.. lol.

 

[Hinterlander]

As a collector of the books, I can tell you that not many of the books out there are very valuable due to the limited audience. First editions by the well known old timers Barry Storm, Sims Ely, etc. carry the most value. Others may be "rare" or harder to get, but can be found for reasonable prices if you look around. Many online are listed at very high prices, but do not sell.

 

[Randy Bradford]

As a collector of the books, I can tell you that not many of the books out there are very valuable due to the limited audience. First editions by the well known old timers Barry Storm, Sims Ely, etc. carry the most value. Others may be "rare" or harder to get, but can be found for reasonable prices if you look around. Many online are listed at very high prices, but do not sell.

I've found that to be true of treasure hunting in general. Really obscure stuff isn't worth anything because casual collectors have never heard of it and serious collectors likely already have it. I've also found collecting treasure materials to be a highly insulated hobby, the people that collect don't tend to advertise so tracking down like-minded folks can be a chore in itself...coupled with the fact that the hobby is regressive, older folks drop out or drop off and newer folks aren't in a hurry to pick the hobby back up.

You're also correct that prices online aren't necessarily reflective of the market. All too often people price things randomly or based on false assumptions about what they're selling. Then, frequently the market follows the buyer, and nobody is selling anything. This is particularly true on Ebay where I've frequently asked folks, "Are you trying to get rid of it, or make a fortune, because you're not going to be able to do both."

I do know there's a collectors market for some specific items. "Jesse James Was One of His Names" (KGC), "Footprints in the Wilderness" (Rhoades Mines), "Treasure of the Valley of Secrets" (LUE Caches) all still demand and get big paydays. I just assumed that there were some LDM books that were highly coveted and sought after beyond the obvious (1st editions, signed copies, etc.). I know there are literally hundreds of LDM books, so it stands to reason there are both collectors and highly sought after but more obscure pieces. Seems like this was the crowd to inquire with, even though some apparently disagree with that assertion.

Thanks again for the feedback...

 

[PotBelly Jim]

Whenever I have a question about books, editions, etc. my first stop is always Doug Stewart's LDM Bibliography site:

https://www.lost-dutchman.com/dutchman/dutch.shtml

Looks like he's still making updates to it. Like Sal said, I don't think any LDM books are particularly valuable but some people sure THINK they are.

There might be a few items in the "rare" category that may attract attention, tho:

1. The old book labeled "Peralta" that Gene Reynolds saw in Erwin Ruth's old papers.
2. The "map" that was the subject of a disagreement and court case involving one of the gents who took Adolph Ruth into the mountains (see Garry's "Detective Jones" letters to get started down that rabbit hole)
3. A picture of the "original" Latin Heart
4. And various other items discussed offline, but that I've never seen brought up on the forums

 

[Randy Bradford]

Whenever I have a question about books, editions, etc. my first stop is always Doug Stewart's LDM Bibliography site:

https://www.lost-dutchman.com/dutchman/dutch.shtml

Looks like he's still making updates to it. Like Sal said, I don't think any LDM books are particularly valuable but some people sure THINK they are.

There might be a few items in the "rare" category that may attract attention, tho:

1. The old book labeled "Peralta" that Gene Reynolds saw in Erwin Ruth's old papers.
2. The "map" that was the subject of a disagreement and court case involving one of the gents who took Adolph Ruth into the mountains (see Garry's "Detective Jones" letters to get started down that rabbit hole)
3. A picture of the "original" Latin Heart
4. And various other items discussed offline, but that I've never seen brought up on the forums

Appreciate the information there sir. I knew there was a digital LDM biblography out there but wasn't sure it was updated or not...taht's a LOT of written material for one lil' ole mine.