I need help finding a 1916 cookbook

[bugler1998]

I thought I knew how to find scarce books online, but maybe not.

I have an original 1916 hard copy of:  The Greater Omaha Cook Book, Containing Many New, Select and Appetizing Recipes.

Compiled Under the Supervision of the Sisterhood of Temple Israel, Omaha, Nebraska.

Copyright 1916.

I have found reprints later, and Worldcat has a listing, but they say no libraries have it.

A google search only shows pinterist has a copy, page by page.

I checked ebay, amazon, addall and Abe.  Am I missing something?

[shakhammer8u4s]

The fee based version of WorldCat, OCLC/FirstSearch, often brings up stuff that free WorldCat does not.  It shows a copy at the USDA's National Agriculture Library.

By being superduper patient with a google search, i.e. going through dozens of pages of search results, one can usually find a library that gives out its firstsearch password for free.    https://firstsearch.oclc.org/

[argon38]

The Library of Congress copy isn't displaying on WorldCat - not sure why:

https://catalog.loc.gov/vwebv/search?searchArg=greater+omaha+cook+book&searchCode=GKEY^*&searchType=...

https://archive.org/details/greateromahacook00omah

[shakhammer8u4s]

A good point about the fallability of WorldCat/OCLC.  Best practice is to also do a general internet search regarding the item as well.

[rennybooks · Accepted solution]

There is a copy showing up in Worthopedia.  It sold for $10 on Ebay in Dec. of 2016.  It is in perhaps good condition, boards are a bit worn and with stains to the covers.  Not sure if it was an auction or fixed price listing.

[little.font.lord.leroy]

Unsure if I understand your question.

"Re: I need help finding a 1916 cookbook"

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@bugler1998 wrote:

I have an original 1916 hard copy of:  The Greater Omaha Cook Book, Containing Many New, Select and Appetizing Recipes.

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It seems if you look on your bookshelf at home you will find it. I am not trying to be snarky. I just like to answer the question asked rather than assume what the person might be asking.

If you want to find out if a library has it on their shelf, which I don't know why you would since you have a copy, worldcat relies on libraries to submit information, so if worldcat doesn't show a listing for the book that doesn't mean it isn't in a library collection, just that a library hasn't submitted that holding to worldcat.

If you are looking for the value, current listings at Amazon, etc.  or recently sold copies, you might have indicated that.

It seems someone assumed that was what you were asking and was kind enough to use their own worthpoint account to give you a value. It might not be the value you were hoping for, but if that is in fact what you were after, I'd say that individual deserves to have their post marked as a solution.

[bugler1998]

Little font:  Thank you for the help in posting here.

I had already searched all the usual locations, with no luck.  My real inquiry was an effort to find if I had a first edition. I think I answered that myself by looking at the scanned copies I found online.

The next inquiry was did I have a rare 100+year old cookbook.  Again my own inquiry plus the other responses or lack of responses indicate that there are not a lot of copies for sale online at this time.

Having determined that, my final question was do I have a very rare cookbook that folks might pay millions for?

the $10 ebay sale tells me that I better not quit my day job.

Early in my bookselling career I had a modern Canadian cookbook that could only be found online for $250.00  Thinking I had a gold mine I listed my copy for increasingly low prices, even starting an auction for under $10.  Nothing.

You can now find that book for sale at my daughter's antique mall booth for $1.95.  o sales, and it hasnot been removed because I save it as a reminder that making money selling books is not easy.

I have  been a reader of this board for years, and would not insult others by asking them to give me a value.  I did get a good answer, for which I am grateful.  The responses which I got, along with my own efforts, will help me in the future.

I

L

[shakhammer8u4s]

Bugler:  I would encourage you to view that Worthpoint comp with a grain of salt.  This type of early 20th century cook book can do reasonably well at fixed price with best offer and some patience.  The unsold book that you mentioned was probably quite common and listed by an unsophisticated seller who equated online scarcity with true scarcity and collectability.  Even though this book's content is available online it is at least reasonably scarce institutionally and the book also has a local history and Judaica hook:  https://templeisraelomaha.com/our-history/  Collectors viewing this as an artifact or as part of completist cook book collection would find it desirable.  Be sure to point out the history of the temple, the local ads, etc.

I would hope you could get at least $75 for it, if not more.

Good luck!