Thursday, June 20, 2013

Sew Expensive... Vogue's New Book for Better Sewing.


Hello lovely readers. For the last few days I have been watching an Ebay auction, waiting with bated breath (what does that even mean?!) to see how much this lovely little gem would sell for. Last night, a first edition, 1952 copy of Vogue's New Book for Better Sewing sold for an amazing $153.50. And it didn't even come with the original dust jacket (a huge contributing factor to the value of a rare book)!



Naturally this delighted me. Not only is this a sensational sum for a sewing book, I was smugly reveling in the fact that I was lucky enough to pick up the exact same book last year in an antique shop for a whopping $7.50. I may have even done a very undignified little dance, spilling my coffee this morning when I saw the ended auction. I may have even terrified the cat and confused my husband by whooping loudly, seemingly for no reason.

And let me tell you, this book is worth every penny ($7.50 or $150, you want a copy). It is by far one of my favorite sewing books.



Many of you familiar with the sewing blogosphere know this book well from reading Gertie's New Blog for Better Sewing. It was this book that inspired Gretchen to start what I consider to to be the most well-written, and most popular sewing blog on the internet today.
If you aren't familiar with her story, it's a wonderful tale that makes you want to just curl up on the floor and hug your sewing machine.

For those of you who don't have hundreds of dollars just laying around to buy books with, keep your eyes open at thrift shops and antique stores. Sometimes a copy will briefly show up for $20- $30 on etsy or ABEBooks. So far though, there isn't a copy selling for less than $199 on the internet. The most expensive copy online right now? It's $248 on Etsy.
Good luck with the hunt, ladies.

14 comments:

  1. I wonder if the sensation of Gertie's blog has driven up the price on Auction sites? Either way it's a terrific blog and I hope she gets to finish the whole book one day.
    Lucky you for finding it for only $7.50! I don't think it would be found in Australia and if it is here I'm sure its being held onto very tightly

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  2. You were so lucky to find a copy for that price! I don't think I've ever even seen a copy for sale here. There will be some, of course, but they're few and far between!

    "Bated breath"- The earliest written citation, as with so many phrases in modern English, comes from Shakespeare's 'Merchant of Venice', where it is used as an abbreviated form of "abated" meaning to reduce. Which makes perfect sense, I suppose.

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  3. I love this book too. I already had one copy when I found another at my church's jumble sale for $2. Now I have two copies. I really should sell one, but that takes effort. Effort that I would rather use to sew.

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  4. That is awesome!! How lucky you found it for $7.50!! I found a 1970 edition at the thrift store for .99. It is a hardcover with a orange cardboard sleeve it slides into. Matches my sewing room! I'm always on the lookout for vintage (anything) sewing books.

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  5. I would definitely be feeling pretty smug if I was you too ;o) What an excellent find for $7.50...will certainly keep my eyes peeled from now on, but don't fancy my chances!

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  6. I've placed this book on my want list. Unlikely chance I'll find it anywhere near $7.50:)

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  7. It's a great feeling, isn't it? I did the same dance when I found Classic Tailoring Techniques by Cabrera for $24 at my local library's used bookstore.

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  8. Wow! I love it when you find something expensive for cheap! I bet the book is amazing :)

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  9. I'm on the hunt for this book!

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  10. I think Gertie's blog has a big influence on the price of the book.

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  11. My stars, that is a hefty price tag indeed! I've seen some vintage Vogue patterns sell for astronomical prices in recent years as well (the highest I've seen actually sell to date was over $400!), and while I adore them dearly, even if I had Bill Gate's pocketbook, I don't know if I could ever justify spending that kind of cold hard cash on just one sewing pattern (unless, perhaps, you made your livelihood from selling vintage repro garments and stood to make a large profit off of that kind of initial investment).

    Here's to the hope we're both able to find much, much lower priced copies of our own one day.

    ♥ Jessica

    *PS* Thank you deeply for your touchingly lovely comment on my (unplanned) blog post today, sweet dear.

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  12. $7.50?! You got it for $7.50? That's probably less than the original price, and definitely less when you adjust for inflation. You are one lucky lady. I just found your blog in that way you do when skip around from blog to blog, enjoying the ramblings of like-minded people. I love your sense of humor, and the way you turn a phrase.
    Oh, and BTW, the expression is "bated" breath, not baited. Think of the word abate, meaning held back; so to wait with bated breath means you are holding your breath in anticipation. Simple, right?

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    Replies
    1. Hi Wendy, I'm so glad that you found my blog! And thanks for clearing up the "bated" part, I never knew that! I'll go fix it. I hope that you come back and read some more next time :)

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  13. $7.50?! You got it for $7.50? That's probably less than the original price, and definitely less when you adjust for inflation. You are one lucky lady. I just found your blog in that way you do when skip around from blog to blog, enjoying the ramblings of like-minded people. I love your sense of humor, and the way you turn a phrase.
    Oh, and BTW, the expression is "bated" breath, not baited. Think of the word abate, meaning held back; so to wait with bated breath means you are holding your breath in anticipation. Simple, right?

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