Which Antiquarian Collectible Book Should You Pick? Four First Editions, Four Different Formats

Four first-edition antiquarian collectible books-an 1868 natural history volume, a 1920s costume plate set, a 1978 children's activity book, and a 1955 papier-mâché guide-compared by price, condition, and format to help you pick the right one.

Last updated Aug 17, 2026

If you collect antiquarian collectible books, the hardest part isn't finding something that catches your eye-it's choosing among very different formats when you only want one. This group spans 1868 to 1978, from a worn natural history hardcover to a set of loose costume plates to two craft guides in strong condition. Do you prioritize a reading copy, a visual reference, or a clean collectible? The answer changes which book is right for you.

Quick Take

Choose Children are Children Are Children when you want a low-cost, clean activity book. Choose Pictures and Stories of Animals when you want a complete antique volume with visible history. Choose Vintage Costumes - Egypt to Modern when visual reference matters more than binding. Choose Exploring Papier Mache when you want a craft guide in excellent shape.

Listed-Price Comparison

Here is the listed price breakdown for the group.

Book	Listed Price	Price Bar
Pictures and Stories of Animals (1868)	$15.00
Vintage Costumes - Egypt to Modern (1920s)	$40.00
Children are Children Are Children (1978)	$3.00
Exploring Papier Mache (1955)	$40.00

All four are first editions published in the United States, and all are illustrated. After that, the formats split sharply. The earliest volume is a compact hardcover with ex-library marks; the costume book is a loose-plate portfolio without boards; the third title is a low-priced later-20th-century activity book; and the fourth is a like-new craft guide. Keep those format differences in mind as you read the notes.

Decision Matrix

Choose Pictures and Stories of Animals if you want a complete 19th-century children's natural history volume and can accept worn covers and library marks.
Choose Vintage Costumes - Egypt to Modern if you want a table-top visual reference with costume plates and don't need a conventional book structure.
Choose Children are Children Are Children if you want a budget pick with clean pages and hands-on activities for kids.
Choose Exploring Papier Mache if you want a craft technique guide in strong condition with a mix of color and black-and-white illustrations.

Product Notes

Pictures and Stories of Animals (Tenney)

Mrs. Sanborn Tenney's antique hardcover is a small volume, about 4½ by 7 inches, with 150 pages and line drawings that cover insects, crustaceans, and worms. If you want a complete example of 19th-century children's natural history, this is the one: the binding is intact and no pages are missing. The trade-offs are visible from the start. It is an ex-library copy with stamped marks on the inside covers, the cover board is separating from the spine, and the pages are yellowed but not brittle. It sits in the middle of this group, so you are paying for a genuine antique with a strong sense of its era rather than for a pristine object.

Vintage Costumes - Egypt to Modern (1920s)

This collection brings together 47 costume plates on thick cardstock, spanning Egyptian looks through modern styles. The visual appeal is the reason to choose it: the plates are mostly very good, and the black-and-white illustrations read clearly against the heavy paper. The limitation is structural. There is no spine, no boards, and no dust jacket, and the plates are loose, so this is a browsing portfolio rather than a bound book. Some marks appear on plates. If you want a reference collection you can spread across a table and study one image at a time, this one earns its place. If you need a book that can stand on a shelf, it won't.

Children are Children Are Children (Cole, Haas, Heller, Weinberger)

This activity book uses an activity approach to exploring Brazil, France, Iran, Japan, Nigeria, and the USSR. The price is the standout: at the lowest listed price in this group, it is still in near-mint condition. Pages are sharp and clean, the cover lies flat, and many one-color illustrations support the craft activities. The condition is essentially like new, with only a bend on the front cover, minor scuffing, and a note in blue pencil on the inside front page. For someone planning crafts or classroom activities, this is a practical buy. The limitation is cosmetic rather than structural, so you get a usable, clean copy for very little.

Exploring Papier Mache (Victoria Bedford Betts)

Victoria Bedford Betts's craft guide is in excellent shape, with an unbroken spine, crisp pages, and a cover that lies flat. The reason to choose it is the pairing of condition and content: a few color photographs plus black-and-white illustrations walk you through papier-mâché projects, and the book itself is a clean 1950s artifact. The limitations are modest but real: there is no dust jacket, the boards show minimal damage, and the inside front page carries a pencil signature, price, and place of purchase. If you want a project book you can actually use without worrying about damaging a fragile antique, this is the one. It sits at the upper end of the group's price range, but the strong condition and sound structure justify the position.

Final Recommendation by Use Case

If your priority is a low-cost, ready-to-use copy, Children are Children Are Children is the straightforward pick: clean, near-mint, and packed with activity ideas. If you want a complete antique hardcover, Pictures and Stories of Animals gives you a genuine first edition with all pages present, as long as you're comfortable with ex-library stamps and a separating cover board. If you care more about visual content than binding, Vintage Costumes - Egypt to Modern offers a plate collection you can spread out and study. If you want a craft-technique guide you can actually use, Exploring Papier Mache combines a strong spine with project instructions.

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