[Chris65757]

I have a battered copy of Burton's The Anatomy of Melancholy from 1837. Not very expensive, and not that old really.

[spiney2]

dunno. got some late victorian stuff. including t h huxley esssays around 1890. and telegraphy handbook by william preece circa 1893.

[Phoenix Lazarus]

A biography of Henry the Eighth, by Edward Herbert, Lord Cherbury. The edition I have was printed in 1672 and has a couple of old signatures in the front, one of which is very likely as old as the book, which cost about £140.00.

[stud u like]

Family history books from the 1800s.

[Hogzilla]

Not sure, got a few late Victorian copies of things like Byron and Tennyson, utterly valueless in fact I only got them cos they were cheap... Funny cos I love old books and handle them all the time, in the course of work, but don't own or even really covet any.

[elliecat]

I have some old childrens books. They are massive, hardback books with what feels like cardboard for paper. Not sure how old they are think they are from the 20's or 30's, have no idea where they came from though.

[trinity2002]

Without going to my 'read' bookshelf, that quite frankly is that stuffed with books I don't know if I'll ever be able to sort them - I think I've got a 2nd edition Penguin paperback copy of Lady Chatterley's Lover from 1962.

I bought it from a car boot sale years ago and it's in not great condition. Plus it stinks.

I have had older books, but those were ones that were passed on to me when I was a child, and unfortunately with the amount of times I've moved house in my life, they've been lost for years now. I know I had an original copy of Pollyanna's Door to Happiness by Elizabeth Borton, and that book was from the mid to late 1930's.

[mocha-latte]

Originally Posted by trinity2002

Without going to my 'read' bookshelf, that quite frankly is that stuffed with books I don't know if I'll ever be able to sort them - I think I've got a 2nd edition Penguin paperback copy of Lady Chatterley's Lover from 1962.

I bought it from a car boot sale years ago and it's in not great condition. Plus it stinks .

I have had older books, but those were ones that were passed on to me when I was a child, and unfortunately with the amount of times I've moved house in my life, they've been lost for years now. I know I had an original copy of Pollyanna's Door to Happiness by Elizabeth Borton, and that book was from the mid to late 1930's.

IT STINKS Ewwwwwk!

[goldberry1]

I had a friend who used to do house clearances and as he knew I liked books one time he gave me a box of old books. I was looking on my shelves and the only 2 I have left are not as old as some on here but they're interesting anyway.

The first is called 'Great Short Stories of Detection, Mystery and Horror' - published by Victor Gollancz Ltd. London - first published July 1931 but my copy is 1948. Authors of the stories include Wilkie Collins, Algernon Blackwood, Walter de la Mare, Dickens, Quiller-Couch, Poe, Saki. They are a good if spookey read on stormy nights!

Then I have a copy of 'Love and Mr Lewisham' by H.G. Wells published by Nelsons. The illustrations are small wood-cuts, the script is very old fashioned - there is no date anywhere but I would say the book would be anywhere from Edwardian times to the 1930s. I had a similar book suggesting they were both from a series of classics: Emma by Jane Austen.

[Elanor]

I've got lots of my parents' books from the 50s and 60s, and a load of my mother's Little Grey Rabbit and Barnaby Littlemouse books from her childhood in the 40s. I think my oldest book must be my great granny's Mrs Beeton though. It's very ragged and falling apart, because she used it reglarly and then I think my granny used it too. Just had a look, and it's not dated, but I imagine it would have come from around the time my granny was born, so 1915.

I went through a phase of collecting old household advice type books a few years ago actually, and just looked, and I have a book called The Manners of Polite Society, Complete Etiquette for Ladies, Gentlemen and Familes. I bought it on Ebay for a couple of quid, and although it's not definitely dated, it's clearly old because the printing is indented (you can feel the letters pushing out on the other side of the page) and the preface is dated 1875, and I have no reason to think it was printed much later than that. It's in pretty good condition, and is quite interesting to read!

[CLL Dodge]

Nothing older than me.

[goldberry1]

Originally Posted by goldberry1

I had a friend who used to do house clearances and as he knew I liked books one time he gave me a box of old books. I was looking on my shelves and the only 2 I have left are not as old as some on here but they're interesting anyway.

The first is called 'Great Short Stories of Detection, Mystery and Horror' - published by Victor Gollancz Ltd. London - first published July 1931 but my copy is 1948. Authors of the stories include Wilkie Collins, Algernon Blackwood, Walter de la Mare, Dickens, Quiller-Couch, Poe, Saki. They are a good if spookey read on stormy nights!

Then I have a copy of 'Love and Mr Lewisham' by H.G. Wells published by Nelsons. The illustrations are small wood-cuts, the script is very old fashioned - there is no date anywhere but I would say the book would be anywhere from Edwardian times to the 1930s. I had a similar book suggesting they were both from a series of classics: Emma by Jane Austen.

I found my book online - it was published 1900 and is selling for about £45 in good condition - mine isn't.

[cultureman]

I've got an old family edition of the "How To ...", household manual, "Enquire Within - Upon Everything" dating from sometime in the 1860s.

[Lainy]

I think it would have to be a Stephen King book (as I got some of them when I was a pre teen), not too sure of any others

[eluf38]

I've got several books I inherited from my granddad which belonged to his granddad. They were given as Sunday school prizes and dated during the 1890s. The only thing older than that may be the Family Bibles, as they contain the dates for my g.grandad's parents! The Welsh version has no dates in it at all, but looks to be at least 100 years old.

[Residents Fan]

Originally Posted by eluf38

I've got several books I inherited from my granddad which belonged to his granddad. They were given as Sunday school prizes and dated during the 1890s. The only thing older than that may be the Family Bibles, as they contain the dates for my g.grandad's parents! The Welsh version has no dates in it at all, but looks to be at least 100 years old.

We used have some Irish-language books that dated back to the 1930s in our house, but they're gone now.

The oldest book I currently own is the 1948
anthology "From Unknown Worlds".

[Chris65757]

Originally Posted by CLL Dodge

Nothing older than me.

That just a fact or a rule?

[dee123]

When my Grandmother died she left me her 1st edition of the Narnia books.

[NorthernNinny]

Originally Posted by Lainy

I think it would have to be a Stephen King book (as I got some of them when I was a pre teen), not too sure of any others

Me too, I have Salem's lot. The only film that scared me as much as the book did.

Why do they never repeat films like that more often?

[striing]

I've got a Church Bible (ie a big one for a pulpit - don't judge me ) from 1841.

[Muffintop]

I have a medical / recipe book that someone has signed in it 1870.
Its quite amusing reading the cures for ailments etc. I need to get it rebound at some point. No idea where to start on that point.

[Swanandduck2]

I have an old copy of the Complete Works of William Shakespeare that an elderly neighbour of my parents gave me years and years ago when she was moving house. I was about nine at the time.
I also have a very ancient copy of The Irish RM on my bookcase that my father gave me. I think it would fall apart if I actually tried to read it.

[PhilH36]

Probably a copy of The Bible which my birth mother arranged to be forwarded to my adoptive parents for them to give to me. Over forty five years later I still have it.