Hello,

Many years ago I found somewhere this nicely illustrated German book from 1938 titled "Geschichte der Mauser Werke" (History of Mauser Works). Today I came across it while searching for something else and wondered how much it might be worth. So I checked online and found it offered for from under 200 to over 600. But I was not little surprised by the fact that all books offered seem to be soft cover, while mine is hard cover (cloth/linen). So, is the hard cover version of this 1938 classic considered rare?

Cheers,
Jani

I would think so

Maybe. But you will need to do further research to try to determine if this book was ever offered in a hardback version.

You have to consider the possibility that the book was rebound with a hard cover at some point. Bookbinding used to be a thing. It is still done, but the craft isn't as common as it once was. A good bookbinder or rare book expert might be able to determine if your Mauser book was rebound.

Based on this search Mauser Book. It looks like hard cover and soft cover are about the same price. Condition drives the price. The one softcover book is pretty cheap compared to the other ones for sale. I assume the book is written in German—correct?

Ken

Correct, the book is written in German. And there are many photographs.

Cheers,
Jani