FOUND FINALLY: Hager’s Comprehensive Price Guide

[HercDriver]

That's awesome! I still love flipping through my Beckett #3, from about 1981, and looking at the prices. I remember seeing it in a book store, bought it, and was mesmerized by all the sets that I never knew existed. And Joe Charboneau on the cover...you could never have enough of those! Great post...

Cheers,
Geno

[bmattioli]

I have the book somewhere now have to find it.. Good you got yours..

[rhettyeakley]

I remember having this book when it came out and it did provide a lot of good pictures of items previously I had not seen before so it was great for that reason. I spent a lot of time going through the book when younger.

The biggest joke was Alan Hager's fake "I have handled 100 of these" claims on items he, in fact, had NOT handled.

He was definitely ahead of his time but was also, unfortunately, a very shady human being.

[JJ McGraw]

Thanks everyone……we wouldn’t be on the forum right now without the internet…..the ultimate game and indeed, life changer, but I love the tactile experience of a research book, can’t wait to dive into this one.

[Peter_Spaeth]

He is credited with inventing the slab as we know it and the 10 point grading system. He had a patent or patents, although I don't recall the details or whether they were ever challenged. ASA (Accugrade) did not in any event enjoy a good reputation.

[gabrinus]

Mike that is cool...this one was always my favorite...Jerry

[JJ McGraw]

Never seen that one Ron…. sometimes books can have more details than the internet. Thanks for sharing that title…..looks like it’s a 1970’s publication by the artwork.

[HercDriver]

It's no earlier than 1981...

[nolemmings]

Enjoy! I have both the Hager (without dust cover) and Erbe books, and they pale in comparison to Lew Lipset's encyclopedia in terms of pre-war research value. Rhett is right, when Hager's first came out it had nice photos of some of the sets; however, it was replete with horrible spelling and grammar. Seriously, pay a 5th grader to edit it. The pricing was at the time more than outlandish, and the boasts about the number of some issues he handled was a crock. Still, I never regretted buying it.
If you have a chance to get the Lipset three-volume set rolled into one you will not be disappointed. I turn to it frequently, even this past weekend. Here is a shot of my third version-- one worn to pieces and the other used for hand-written notes:

Buying the volumes separately is also not a bad idea-- I have a set of those as well.