Soldier's $7 flea-market find nets $80,000 (first edition copy of volume one of "The Federalist")

Source: AP

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) - A soldier's rare leather-bound first edition copy of volume one of "The Federalist" sold for $80,000 at auction Tuesday, bringing him an unexpectedly large profit before his upcoming second deployment to Iraq.

Indiana National Guard Capt. Nathan Harlan was 16 when he paid $7 for the 1788 book that's the first part of a two-volume book of essays calling for the ratification of the U.S. Constitution.

Nineteen years later, his purchase at a South Bend flea market netted the divorced father of three a more than 11,000-fold return.

...

James Gannon, Heritage's director of rare books, said Tuesday that publicity about the auction attracted multiple bidders, with the auction house's online listing for the book receiving more than 25,000 hits from interested parties.

Harlan will get all the proceeds because Heritage Auction Galleries is waiving its 20 percent seller's commission in recognition of his military service.

"We are thrilled to have been of help to an American soldier and we wish him good luck and safe passage as he ships out to Iraq," Gannon said.

Read more: http://www.katu.com/news/weird/48465232.html

:thumbsup:

and found a 1st edition, June 1936 of Gone With the Wind.
I don't think it's worth much.

if it's in good condition, i will bet you it is worth MUCH.

http://cgi.ebay.com/Mitchell%2FGone-With-The-Wind%2F2-First-Edition-Books_W0QQitemZ200348819648QQcmdZViewItemQQimsxZ20090603?IMSfp=TL090603172007r15027

???????

;)

I did know that the book would bring about $300 but at that price it's not worth selling now.
I just saw one for $699.00......maybe I need to rethink this.

I agree, that was a cool story all the way around!! I wish I had found it. It would have been very hard to get rid of though...However, at 80K SOLD!!!!!

An old map of the "Battle of White Plains" that we got as a present years ago was just valued by one of their experts at "Over" $5000 dollars!
THAT will pay for a few months of health care coverage!

And what a really great gesture by the auction house.

I understand that this the actual headline and I'm not going after the OP in any way.

I think this is a great story and I am very happy for Capt. Harlan but as an Indy resident who has already seen this story several times on TV, in print and on the web, I have to ask why every single time this is reported the headline identifies him as a soldier. I don't really see his occupation as relevant enough to the subject to justify it being in the headline or even a prominent part of the story.

My theory is that they are so desperate to prove that they run "positive" stories about the military that they are spinning it that way.

Fuckall, I'd hate to be sent to one of those two meat grinders over there...

I am admittedly over-sensitive to journalistic spin and could very well be reading too much into this.

:thumbsup:

:)

I have some of the stones from the Berlin wall,I wonder if they can be authenticated,if so are they valuable?.