Sports and Leisure
Rare Sports and Leisure Books for Sale Online
View our selection of rare and vintage sports and leisure books and ephemera below. Find items related to golf, baseball, football, fox hunting, fishing, or whatever leisure activity you are searching for. Be sure to check back often for new product additions as our catalog changes frequently, sometimes daily.
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Rare original photograph of the Bluebird K7 at record-breaking speed; inscribed by Donald Campbell
CAMPBELL, Donald.
Donald Campbell Signed Bluebird K7 Photograph.
[1960].
Sepia-tone photograph of the water speed record-breaking Bluebird K7 at speed inscribed by pilot Donald Campbell, "To G.M. Williams With best wishes from Donald Campbell." The recipient, Gwynn Mathews Williams, owned the Waterhead Filling Station on Lake Windermere, the largest natural lake in England where several water speed records were broken, from 1953 until the early 1960's. Accompanied by the original typed letter signed by Campbell. In near fine condition. Rare.
Price: $2,750.00 Item Number: 131544
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"My sympathies are with the suffragettes": Rare English parlor game book containing numerous early 20th century signatures
[MACKENZIE, Poppy].
The Truth About My Friends.
London: Dow & Lester, n.d.
Small parlor game book belonging to Poppy Mackenzie, each page with tipped-in printed slip lifting to reveal a self-criticism or "truth" (one of them being "My sympathies are with the suffragettes"), below which the participants have signed their name. In good condition.
Price: $975.00 Item Number: 135645
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Rare original sketch for the ball gown worn by Audrey Hepburn in her breakout role as Princess Anne in Roman Holiday; signed by Academy Award-winning costume designer Edith Head
HEAD, Edith. [Audrey Hepburn].
“Audrey Hepburn in Roman Holiday.” [Original Edith Head Signed Costume Sketch].
c. 1953.
Rare original sketch by Academy Award-winning costume designer Edith Head for the ball gown worn by Audrey Hepburn in her breakout role as Princess Ann in William Wyler's classic 1953 comedy, Roman Holiday. Design for Paramount Pictures, circa 1953. Gouache sketch on paper with added white. Signed and annotated by the designer, "Audrey Hepburn in 'Roman Holiday' Edith Head." The dress appears in the opening scene of the film, when the Princess is shown in newsreels greeting and dancing with dignitaries at an official reception. According to an interview with Head broadcast just after the film's release, she made two regal…
Price: $15,000.00 Item Number: 145841
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Rare original 1970s Palitoy Star Wars Radio Controlled R2-D2
[LUCAS, George].
Star Wars Palitoy Radio Controlled R2-D2.
Coalville, Leicester: Twentieth Century Fox Film Corp./Palitoy, [1977].
Rare Palitoy Star Wars Radio Controlled R2-D2, housed in the original box. Complete with wireless control, original Styrofoam packaging, price tag. In very good condition. Rare.
Price: $750.00 Item Number: 145054
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Rare first edition of one of the earliest chess manuals; Pietro Carrera's Game of Chess
CARRERA, Pietro.
Il Gioco De Gli Scacchi Di D. Pietro Carrera Diviso in Otto Libri. (The Game of Chess).
Militello: Giovanni de' Rossi, 1617.
Rare first edition of one of the early chess manuals, and the first book printed in Militello at Prince Francesco Branciforte's private press. Octavo, bound in full contemporary vellum with ink titles to the spine, large engraving of the Branciforte coat of arms opposite the dedication page, woodcut illustrations throughout the text. In near fine condition. First editions are of exceptional rarity, with only three appearing at auction in the past 90 years.
Price: $25,000.00 Item Number: 96172
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First Edition of William Percey's The Compleat Swimmer: Or, The Art of Swimming
PERCEY, William.
The Compleat Swimmer: Or, The Art of Swimming: Demonstrating The Rules and Practice thereof, in an Exact, Plain, and Easie Method. Necessary to be Known and Practiced by All Who Studie or Desire their own Preservation.
London: Printed by J. C. for Henry Fletcher, 1658.
First and only edition of one of the earliest treatises on swimming, preceded only by Sir Everard Digby's short Latin tract, published in 1589 and translated into English in 1595; and the Dutchman Nicholas Wynman's De arte natandi, 1538. 12mo, bound in full 19th century calf with gilt titles and tooling the spine, gilt ruling to the panels, gilt turn-ins, marbled endpapers, engraved frontispiece. In very good condition. Exceptionally rare with only a handful of copies having appeared at auction in the past century.
Price: $22,500.00 Item Number: 125337
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"A Pike is a Prince of his own liquid country, and like a universal monarch, can command all the regiments of the scaled army": Scarce first edition of the art of trolling from the library of Alfred Dennison
NOBBES, Robert.
The Compleat Troller, or, The Art of Trolling.
London: Printed for T. James for Tho. Helder, 1682.
Rare first edition of Nobbes' authoritative work on the history and methods of trolling. First issue with the engraved hook on page 37 pointing to the right and two woodcut illustrations in the text. Small octavo, bound in three quarters morocco over marbled boards, gilt titles and tooling to the spine, raised bands, marbled endpapers. Lord Spencer's copy with his ownership inscription on the verso of the front free endpaper, "From Lord Spencer's Library 18/". From the library of renowned angling collector Alfred Denison with his gilt leather bookplate to the verso of the front panel. Denison's angling collection of over…
Price: $3,000.00 Item Number: 89160
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Finely bound example of Berchoux's classic poem La Gastronomie ou L'Homme Des Champs A Table
BERCHOUX, J.
La Gastronomie ou L’Homme Des Champs A Table. Poeme Didactique En IV Chants.
Paris: Chez Giguet et Michaud, 1805.
Finely bound example of Berchoux's epic gastronomical poem. 12mo, bound in one quarter morocco over marbled boards with gilt titles and tooling to the spine, marbled endpapers, all edges marbled. Engraved frontispiece and other engravings throughout. In near fine condition. Tasteful bookplate to the front free endpaper. A charming example.
Price: $100.00 Item Number: 96179
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Cours Gastronomique, ou Les Diners de Manant-Ville; Finely Bound
CADET DE GASSICOURT, Charles-Louis.
Cours Gastronomique, ou Les Diners de Manant-Ville, Ouvrage Anecdotique, Philosophique et Literature.
Paris: Imprimerie de Brasseur Aine, 1809.
First edition of this work on French Gastronomy, containing its history throughout the country's various regions. Octavo, bound in full calf with gilt titles and tooling to the spine, red morocco spine labels, marbled endpapers, ribbon bound in. In very good condition. Rare.
Price: $750.00 Item Number: 96186
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Scarce first edition of Antoine Simon Duportal's Recherches Sur L'état Actuel de la Distillation du Vin en France, et Sur Les Moyens d'Améliorer la Distillation des Eaux-De-Vie
DUPORTAL, Antoine Simon.
Recherches Sur L’état Actuel de la Distillation du Vin en France, et Sur Les Moyens d’Améliorer la Distillation des Eaux-de-vie. (Research on the Current State of Wine Distillation in France, and on Ways to Improve the Distillation of Eaux-de-vie).
Paris, Saint Petersbourg: Klostermann, 1811.
Scarce first edition of early work on the distillation of wine and eau-de-vie. Octavo, bound in full period tree calf, gilt titles and tooling to the spine, red morocco spine label, five folding maps of distillation apparatus, rebacked retaining the original spine. Stamps and previous owner inscriptions. In very good condition. Scarce and desirable. Works on the distillation of eau de vie are rare.
Price: $1,500.00 Item Number: 95242
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First Editions of each volume of Lewis' Narrative of Various Journeys in Balochistan, Afghanistan, The Panjab, & Kalat; from the library of Adventurer and Aviator Steve Fossett with his bookplate to each volume
MASSON, Charles [James Lewis].
Narrative of Various Journeys in Balochistan, Afghanistan, The Panjab, & Kalat, During a Residence in those Countries.
London: Richard Bentley, 1842.
First edition of this narrative of Lewis' travels between 1826 and 1838 through Balochistan, Sind, the Hazara, Afghanistan and the Punjab. Octavo, four volumes. Bound in full morocco, gilt titles and tooling to the spine, morocco spine labels, gilt ruled, marbled endpapers, illustrated with engravings, folding map. From the library of James Stephen “Steve” Fossett with his bookplate to the pastedown of each volume. American businessman and record-setting aviator Steve Fossett became the first person to fly solo nonstop around the world in 2002 in his 10-story high balloon Spirit of Freedom. He completed the 2002 trip in 13 days,…
Price: $5,500.00 Item Number: 95145
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"The First Angling Book Written in America": First Edition of the John J. Brown's The American Angler's Guide
BROWN, John J.
The American Angler’s Guide.
New York: Burgess, Stringer & Co, 1845.
First edition of the first angling book written in America. Small octavo, original brown cloth, gilt titles and tooling to the spin and front panel. In very good condition. Period name to the front free end paper. A rare piece of American angling literature.
Price: $2,150.00 Item Number: 88015
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Rare First Edition of Spooner's The Cultivation of American Grape Vines and Making of Wine
SPOONER, Alden.
The Cultivation of American Grape Vines and Making of Wine.
Brooklyn: A Spooner & Co, 1846.
First edition of one of the earliest American books on wine making. Small octavo, original cloth. In very goo condition condition with 12 page corners torn. Rare; the last example at auction was in 1984.
Price: $3,000.00 Item Number: 102334
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First edition of John Mills' Stable Secrets
MILLS, John.
Stable Secrets; and Puffy Doddles, His Saying and Sympathies.
London: Ward and Lock, 1863.
First edition of Mills' humorous work on horse racing. Octavo, original cloth with gilt titles and tooling to the spine, gilt vignette to the front panel, frontispiece and two additional plates by Phiz, publishers advertisements. In very good condition.
Price: $250.00 Item Number: 124083
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Rare 19th century Christmas album
Welcome to Christmas.
1875.
Rare 19th century album on Christmas. Octavo, bound in full black morocco, elaborate ruling in blind and in gilt, silk moire endpapers, eight cardstock leaves, six in cream and two in grey, all hand lettered and or painted in traditional Victorian Christmas imagery. The title leaf with quill and pen, surmounted with elaborate titling in banner “Welcome to Christmas, 1865” and bedecked with holly, ivy and snow. A painted holly sprig follows. Then a lovely table with Christmas fair (”Let our walls now with evergreen garlands be graced } And a dainty repast on our table be placed”) The tree…
Price: $2,500.00 Item Number: 139519
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Rare First Edition of Richard Burton's A New System of Sword Exercise for Infantry
BURTON, Richard F.
A New System of Sword Exercise for Infantry.
London: William Clowes and Sons, 1876.
First edition of this classic text. Small octavo, bound in three quarters leather over marbled boards, illustrated. In near fine condition.
Price: $3,000.00 Item Number: 119468
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“As no man is born an artist, so no man is born an angler": Finely bound facsimile edition of Izaak Walton's The Complete Angler with a fore-edge painting
WALTON, Izaak.
The Complete Angler; or, The Contemplative Man’s Recreation. [Fore-Edge Painting].
London: Elliot Stock, 1877.
Finely bound facsimile reprint of the first edition of this classic of English literature. Octavo, bound in full mottled calf with gilt titles and ruling to the spine, elaborate gilt ruling to the panels, marbled endpapers, all edges gilt. With a fore-edge painting of Walton and an angling scene. In near fine condition. A unique example.
Price: $1,850.00 Item Number: 121046
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"Tell me what you eat: I will tell you what you are": First enlarged unabridged English translation of Brillat-Savarin's masterpiece A Handbook of Gastronomy
BRILLAT-SAVARIN, Jean-Anthelme. Illustrated by A. Lalauze.
A Handbook of Gastronomy [Physiologie du Goût].
New York: J. W. Bouton, 1884.
First enlarged unabridged English translation of Brillat-Savarin's masterpiece. Quarto, bound in full morocco by Tout with gilt turn-ins and inner dentelles, patterned endpapers, ribbon bound in, top edge gilt, illustrated by A. Lalauze, tissue-guarded frontispiece of Brillat-Savarin. In fine condition. An exceptional example.
Price: $750.00 Item Number: 137061
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First Edition of Detaille s'est fait remarquer à la fois par l'ampleur de ses compositions et par le soin dont il témoigne dans l'exactitude des détails
DETAILLE, Eduoard; Text by Jules Richard.
L’Armee Francaise. Types et Uniformes.
Paris: Boussod et Valadon, 1885-89.
First edition of this wonderfully illustrated work. Large folios, 3 volumes. Elegantly bound in full red morocco, gilt titles to the spine, raised bands, top edge gilt. Limited to 100 sets with the 2 volumes suite of 150 plates on Japanese paper.
Price: $2,500.00 Item Number: 4161
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"one of the earliest books on golf instruction and the impetus for all other books of instruction on the game": First edition of Hutchinson's Hints on the Game of Golf
HUTCHINSON, Horace G.
Hints on the Game of Golf.
Edinburgh: William Blackwood, 1886.
First edition one of the earliest books on golf instruction and the impetus for all other books of instruction on the game. Small octavo, original cloth, publishers advertisements before the half title page for Peile's Lawn Tennis as a Game of Skill and four books on angling. From the library of O.M. Leland with his ownership signature and library markings on the verso of the front free endpaper. O.M. Leland of Minneapolis, Minnesota assembled one of the world's finest golf libraries and collection of golf memorabilia which he donated to the USGA Golf Museum and Library, or "Golf House", in New York in…
Price: $3,250.00 Item Number: 95902