[music playing]

Um, OK.

This is a first edition of "Lolita" by Nabokov.

RICK: Really? - It's actually just one book.

It was originally published in two volumes.

RICK: All right, I know a little bit about this book.

It's basically a book about a really

bad guy who has a relationship with a very young girl.

Yep.

And throughout the book, he sort

of tries to justify what he did, but he

is obviously just a [bleep].

MICHAEL: This book was considered

controversial when it first came out,

because of its subject matter.

It's about 38-year-old man who has

an ongoing affair with his 12-year-old stepdaughter.

There aren't too many first editions around,

so hopefully it's worth some money.

RICK: I find it really interesting.

It's considered one of the great books.

I've never read it, but a lot of people

say it's very, very, very well written.

MICHAEL: Mm-hm.

RICK: The author, he was considered one of the greatest

writers of the 20th century.

So the first edition was printed in paperback?

MICHAEL: Yes.

His regular publishers wouldn't publish it,

because they were afraid they'd go to jail

because of the subject matter.

So the Olympia Press is a publisher

of pornography in Paris, and all their publications

look like this.

So this is the way the first edition

this book came out , in two volumes,

sort of plain paperback form.

RICK: "Lolita" is considered a classic,

but it almost didn't get published.

Nabokov was so worried about what people would think that he

actually tried to burn the unfinished draft,

but at the end, his wife talked him out of it.

Just goes to show, sometimes you should listen to your wife.

It is really cool.

I know that they can go for a lot of money

in the first edition. MICHAEL: Yes.

But this has a couple condition issues,

so I'm not entirely sure what the actual value of this book

is.

RICK: OK, and how much do you want out of it?

MICHAEL: $2,000.

[music playing]

RICK: Um, books are a weird thing.

I mean, you can be in the business for 20 years

and you're still learning about it.

So I'm just not that specialized in books,

but I know the most brainiac person in the world on books.

OK.

RICK: She's bigger nerd than me, which is pretty big.

So if you don't mind, I'll have her come down here,

I'll have her take a look at them.

If there's a deal to be made, we'll make the deal.

MICHAEL: OK. RICK: Hang out.

I'll be right back. MICHAEL: OK.

Thanks.

Ah.

RICK: OK.

REBECCA: This is a very, very important

book-- one of the most important books in the 20th century.

Here's the thing-- it sounds shady--

it's about a man who is criminally attracted

to young girls, but it is this amazing mix of both

the tragic and the comic.

And Nabokov, his prose is second to none.

Nabokov's prose style is amazing.

How he's crafting the words, what words he chooses in what

order, these things can make a huge difference

between a great writer and an OK writer.

RICK: OK, so what's it worth?

REBECCA: OK, there were actually two issues.

Initially, in Volume One, it has price there, 900 francs.

However, the book sold briskly, and the publisher said,

I'm not charging enough.

So he upped the price.

So if it has the sticker, we know

it's from the second issue.

RICK: OK, so this is a first edition, but second issue.

REBECCA: That's right.

And for a book like this, condition

is pretty much everything.

And for the most part, these wrappers and everything,

they look pretty good.

But you know the key thing that's going on here

is the spine.

It's beginning of the spine perishing,

and some chipping and things like that.

Given that it's a second issue, given the condition,

I would retail this, optimistically,

at $1,300 to $1,500.

RICK: OK, cool.

Every time you come down, I learn something

and increase my vocabulary. Thanks.

Yeah. Yeah.

And I out-nerd you every time, don't I?

RICK: Yeah.

REBECCA: Rick hasn't read the book,

so I can see why he's a little bit hesitant,

but this is one of the classics of the 20th century.

There's going to be someone who wants it.

OK, I know a little bit more about it now.

So how much do you want?

Well, she said they were about $1,500, so maybe $1,000?

RICK: I'm thinking more like $600 bucks.

I mean, she said 13 to 15.

I'm just going to assume I'm going to get 13 for them.

MICHAEL: Mm-hm. Can you go $900?

I'll tell you what, I'll go $800 bucks.

I can't go any more.

I think that's more than fair, because they are perishing,

and I have to resell them.

MICHAEL: Considering what we know about it now,

I think I can do $800.

OK, that's a deal then. MICHAEL: Great.

Thanks.

RICK: OK, I will meet you right over there,

and I'll write you up.

MICHAEL: OK.

The expert knows what she's talking about.

I was happy with her appraisal. $800 is a fair price for it,

definitely.

I'll probably blow it while I'm in town.