Advice appreciated on restoring a yearbook
 

I picked up a 1938 Pasadena Junior College yearbook which features Jackie Robinson in it. Jackie signed his autograph by 4 of his pictures which is pretty cool.

As the images show, the binding is in pretty rough shape. I was hoping to get advice on whether to restore the binding, and if so, what a reasonable price to pay is (and whether I should have them do anything other than the binding?) Also, would restoring the binding have any impact (positive or negative) on the value? (Honestly I believe that the greatest value here would be separating the pages that Jackie signed and selling them individually which I don't plan on doing, so my goal is not really financial, but I would appreciate knowing if binding it would have an impact.

Any advice on this is appreciated. Thanks!

From what I've seen of regular ol' books on Antiques Roadshow, re-binding is NOT frowned upon and should increase the value.

Rebinding will be expensive - probably 175-250

Can't really help with your question, but just wanted to say that's an awesome piece.

Where do you live, Jeff? I think Jason's estimate might be a little high...

That's good to hear.


If the item had been bound nicely I wouldn't have minded paying an additional $175-$200 in auction, so while I wouldn't mind finding it cheaper, I'd be ok if this is what it cost.


Thanks! It should paid nicely with my 1937 signed yearbook. It's part of my collection focused on integration. Some people don't realize that in college (and high-school) Jackie played on integrated teams. Then he was in the War, and finally graduated to segregated sports in 1945 with the KC Monarchs...



NY

That's an incredible piece, possibly even a one of a kind. Rebinding will absolutely not hurt the value and please for the love of God do not rip out the pages. Spend a couple hundred dollars to have it nicely preserved...you will easily get in back in the sale price.

No plans on pulling the pages out. My point was that my goal here is not necessarily to maximize value, it is also to preserve the item.

Any recommendations on where to do so, or anything I need to know other than simply going somewhere and seeing "please rebind this for me"?

Recommend clamshell box, not rebind
 

Rebinding would not be recommended by most, if not all book specialists.
I would suggest a nice clamshell box. It will be protective and can be as attractive as you want and preserve the original binding.
Glad to hear you are not going to take it apart.

I disagree. It's going to continue to degrade in a box. The best way to preserve the Mona Lisa is not by putting it in a new frame.

Bookbinding is a craft. Find the place with the best reputation you can, and don't rule out shipping it if you can't find find someone in your area, though finding someone local is better as you can see the materials they'll use in person. They should be able to match (or come close) to the original color, and may even be able to lift the graphic from the front and affix it to the new binding.

I have used this place in the past. Obviously not terribly helpful if you're not in the area, but it might give you an idea as to the type of place you're looking for. If shipping ends up being the only option, I can't recommend them enough.
http://www.arsobscurabookbinding.com/site/

You could also consult with the conservationist who recently joined the board. He did some great work with a poster shown in a previous thread. Not sure if he does books, but you could ask and he could probably give you an idea.
His user id is t.tomc

X2!

And I was thinking the same thing.

If I found/owned that, I'd want it preserved as well as it would be something I hand down to my son.

Beautiful piece! :)

Jeff,
If your in NY or Manhattan you can call or try
FineBinding.com
1 212 252 0129
42west 38th st
New York N.Y. Suite 205 between 5th and 6th ave
They do great restoration work . Have done a few items for friends of mine. Call And talk to them I believe they can help you with that item..... Al

Thanks for the lead!






Thanks! There are actually a number of these floating around out there. I actually his '37 yearbook as well (pics below) which was his first year at Pasadena. They are part of my "Integration" collection (some people are not aware of the fact that in High School and College, Robinson played on integrated teams, but after fighting in WWII and graduating to the pros, he had to spend 1945 in the Negro Leagues because the Minors/Majors were closed to him.

Wouldn't they be able to keep the front and back covers and only replace the edge binding? Or is that not done in a "re-binding"?

I really don't know. That's a question for them.

That was what I was hoping, so would definitely appreciate anyone who knows on this.

I would recommend having the entire yearbook deacidified to help preserve the yearbook. You can always fix the binding later, but at least it won't deteriorate any further as long as it is handled/stored properly. If you do have any additional work done on the binding I would suggest maintaining the original binding as much as possible and having the restorer replace the missing/damaged areas in a way that match the original. I personally like preserving as much of the original as posible. If done properly the restored areas would be almost indistinguishable from the original areas.

Good topic. Because the truth is paper deteriorates over time without preservation and protection time will steal part of history. Never an easy decision to restore or preserve an item but talking to folks at library of Congress or baseball hall if fame preservation is taken very seriously. Part of collecting is passing on to the next person next generation the things that have given us joy. I always go to pros and it has always worked out well. That said I have never tried to sell an item I had restored. Guess I only take on projects that I like.

Is there anyone specific you recommend me reaching out to?

Thanks!