| A few weeks back a woman emailed me to say the | | | | the word 'print' still means the same as it did when I |
| word 'print' has nothing to do with book plates and | | | | began selling paper items almost forty years ago, at |
| pictures such as I sell on eBay and which I encourage | | | | which time it described items from various sources |
| others to sell via various of my own books and | | | | including, books. |
| articles about making money on eBay. | | | | I checked web sites of some of the world's biggest |
| I realise she was probably saying the same thing | | | | sellers of vintage and antiquarian prints and found all |
| other people might be thinking, even though I've | | | | used the word 'print' to refer to illustrations taken |
| been selling these things for over forty years and | | | | from books and, like me and other eBayers selling |
| always described them as 'prints'. So I decided to | | | | these items, those sites invariably reveal the name of |
| investigate, primarily to allow me to reply to this | | | | the book from which the items being sold actually |
| woman and anyone asking a similar question in future. | | | | came. |
| Her 'problem' centred around the fact I use the word | | | | Sites I checked where you will also find lots of |
| 'print' in my writing and in my eBay listings to mean | | | | information about presenting and pricing vintage |
| book plates and picture pages from books and | | | | prints, and which also prove my own and other eBay |
| magazines, and most people agree with my definition, | | | | sellers' definition of the word 'print' as also being a |
| and to date only three people have disagreed. | | | | picture page removed from a book, include the |
| But this lady is one of very few people who actually | | | | following (notice how their wording proves my point |
| do think only rare loose low volume printed items can | | | | regarding definition): |
| be sold under the umbrella of 'print' and these people | | | | Baseball - Boston Champions - From Harpers Weekly: |
| also expect the reverse to be blank on the item | | | | June 27, 1874 (wollmansclassicprints.com) |
| being sold. | | | | They tells us they sell 'Antique Ski Prints from Punch |
| I have sympathy sometimes in this latter respect and | | | | Magazine' !!!! (collectorsprints.com) |
| I always mention in my listing that because my item | | | | On one page they tell us they sell 'Prints from King |
| came from a rare and popular book there may be | | | | Albert's Book' !! (vintageprints.com) |
| other illustrations or text on the reverse of the item | | | | I've gone to a bit of trouble explaining this common |
| which does not show through to the printed side. | | | | misconception of what a print happens to be. This is |
| And naturally I make sure the reverse does not | | | | because I frequently encounter problems from |
| impinge on the front or else I simply don't list the | | | | people who really do think they know it all, and these |
| item! | | | | are the people who will make your life hell on eBay. I |
| But the word 'print' works well for me, and it will | | | | suggest you keep this article handy and feel free to |
| work for you to call these items 'prints' as do most | | | | give it away to any of your own problem contacts |
| eBay sellers of similar items. 'Book plate / print' is | | | | who really do expect to get an original drawing, hand |
| another reliable description. | | | | signed by Picasso, for a few quid on eBay. Believe |
| But I decided to check my definition just to be sure | | | | me those people do exist! |