Old music books

Easily_Deluded_Fool · Post by **Easily_Deluded_Fool** » Thu Mar 06, 2003 1:47 pm

I was given 24 old music books today, published in the UK.

They are from the 1920/30's era, and contain songs copyrighted from 1907 to 1930.

Most of them are from the Lawrence Wright Song and Dance Album, priced at 1 shilling, and are written for piano, some with accompaniment for ukelele, banjo etc.

Does anybody have any idea what - if anything - they are worth?

Dare I ask ......
Does anybody remember songs from those days

Isilwen · Post by **Isilwen** » Thu Mar 06, 2003 1:58 pm

I'd say they'd be worth something... How much, I can't say.

markv · Post by **markv** » Thu Mar 06, 2003 3:04 pm

Probably not much. Printed music scores from that time period are extremely common. They were the popular entertainment of the day. No TV or Radio so what did you do? You all got together at someones house who had a piano and sang. If there are a couple well known songs they may be worth a bit more. My folks are antique dealers and I grew up in the "biz". You can pick up boxes of music scores at estate sales for a couple dollars at most. Look through them and see if any are signed or dedicated, that can increase value.

The primary value is historical and cultural, not monetary. My wife plays piano and we have fun with playing some of these old tunes. I've redone a few and worked them up in a format that works for contra dances. It's always fun when someone recognises a tune your playing as something their parents or grandparents used to sing around the house.

The artwork on some of the covers can be nice to frame, especially in a music room.

If you don't want them, take them to a dealer that doesn't deal with pure antiques but more of the "crafts" style, they'll have better luck moving material like this and will offer more.

As Lee Marsh would say just "enjoy the music"

Mark V.

Easily_Deluded_Fool · Post by **Easily_Deluded_Fool** » Thu Mar 06, 2003 4:03 pm

Thanks for the information.

I've been looking through the books, and some of the songs are surprisingly contempory
e.g. "My Wife's on a Diet".
The words are from a man who misses his potatoes etc,
and is fed up eating salad.
When his wife goes on a diet, so does everybody else!

Of course in these enlightened times that doesn't happen now, does it?

I'm glad in a way that they are of more cultural than monetaryvalue,
'cos it means I might pursuade Mrs Fool to let me keep them
(while she eats her salad

)

markv · Post by **markv** » Thu Mar 06, 2003 4:17 pm

Glad to help, kinda.

I was going to post sooner but your avatar was freaking me out.

Mark V.

thurlowe · Post by **thurlowe** » Thu Mar 06, 2003 4:53 pm

I'm always on the lookout for songs from that era written by my great-grandfather, Thurlow Lieurance. So if there are any in your books, I'm your buyer!

So far, I've found dozens of individual songs on ebay. Listers usually ask about $2.50, unless the copies are signed by my great-grandfather, then they ask about $10. The Lieurance songbooks I've found were listed at about $12. So your songbooks might go for around that.

Cara

markv · Post by **markv** » Fri Mar 07, 2003 8:17 am

thurlowe wrote:I'm always on the lookout for songs from that era written by my great-grandfather, Thurlow Lieurance. So if there are any in your books, I'm your buyer!

So far, I've found dozens of individual songs on ebay. Listers usually ask about $2.50, unless the copies are signed by my great-grandfather, then they ask about $10. The Lieurance songbooks I've found were listed at about $12. So your songbooks might go for around that.

Cara

Cool, I'll keep my eye out for that name. Those numbers sound about right for the values. $12 seems high but for a nice signed copy with colorful cover art I can see it.

Mark V.

OutOfBreath · Post by **OutOfBreath** » Fri Mar 07, 2003 12:30 pm

I've picked up a few old music books and packages of sheet music quite reasonably on eBay. It's been a while because I don't really have room for more books, but when I was actively bidding on books I'd often get a nice hardbound book for a dollar, and then pay 3.20 for shipping.

As with any eBay auction, the key is bidding wisely. I've sometimes seen the little "101 songs" pamphlets that piano companies used to give away by the tens of thousands go for several dollars even though they come up for auction all the time and aren't worth more than a buck if that.

John

selkie · Post by **selkie** » Fri Mar 07, 2003 1:04 pm

If you ebay them make sure you make them available to the UK as well. BUt, bear in mind the high costs of selling stuff that doesn't reach a very high price. I don't suppose there was any Northumbrian music in the bundle?