Cranky says, "All prices on this page are just guesses until we see the actual condition of your books. Before we do any binding, we always give you an absolutely accurate price and get your approval to go ahead with the work. Except for a nominal return shipping cost (usually about $3 per volume) we do not charge for an examination and estimate. We won't surprise you, 'cause we don't like surprises either. When we restore or bind your book, we pay the shipping charges back to you."

PLEASE NOTE! Cranky is now retired and no longer rebinding books. If you have a book needing rebinding, please check the recommendation message on the Home page!

Our bookbinding services

Standard size hand Bible restoration includes:
-Light mending, fix small tears, straighten page corners
-New end sheets, new ribbon, new headbands
-Case into a new cover of genuine, bonded, or imitation leather
-Gold stamp "Holy Bible" on the spine
-Gold stamp the owner's name on the front
-For most Bibles this restoration costs from $80.00 to $90.00
-Additional charges for excessive mending, re-sewing, and extra stamping.
-Oversize or thick hand Bibles usually cost about $10.00 more.

Pulpit and family Bible restoration includes:
-Light mending, fix small tears, straighten page corners
-Re-sewing the pages
-New, sturdy end sheets, new ribbon, new headbands
-Seal old family records in clear plastic for protection
-Install a new set of family records for future use
-EITHER make a complete new cover of genuine, bonded, or imitation leather
-OR clean and refinish original front and back covers, reinforce edges and corners, attach covers to brand new, sturdy genuine leather spine
-Gold stamp "Holy Bible" and standard decorations on the spine
-Because of their size and the amount of work involved, Pulpit and Family Bible restoration can cost from $250.00 to $500.00 depending upon original condition.

Hardbound book restoration includes:
-Light mending, fix small tears, straighten page corners
-New end sheets and headbands
-Case into a new buckram cover
-Gold stamp title, author, and decorative lines on the spine
-For books from 5" x 8" to 7" x 10" and up to 2" thick, the price for rebinding is usually about $40.00 to $45.00.
-Additional charges for differences in size and thickness, excessive mending, re-sewing, half- or quarter-binding, and cover upgrade to leather.

Professional journals, periodicals, and magazine hard binding includes:
-Remove covers from individual issues 
-Remove advertising when possible (professional journals)
-Bring table of contents pages to the front and index pages to the back
-Sew all pages
-Attach end sheets and headbands
-Case into buckram cover
-Gold stamp title, volume number, date, and decorative lines on spine
-Gold stamp Library or owner name at foot of spine (professional journals)
-Finished size from 5" x 8" to 9" x 12" and thickness up to 2" is usually about $40.00 per volume
-Additional charges for differences in size or thickness, fold-outs, and inserts. 
Publications that bulk more than 4" per year should be split into semi-annual or quarterly volumes.

Manuscripts, dissertations, and family history hard binding includes:
-Sew all pages
-Attach end sheets and headbands
-Case into buckram cover
-Gold stamp title, author, date, and decorative lines on spine
-Finished size approximately 9" x 12" and thickness up to 2" is usually about $45.00 per volume
-Additional charges for differences in size or thickness, fold-outs, and inserts. 
If more than 4" thick, we recommend splitting into multiple volumes to reduce spine stress.

We also bind and repair County Record books, photo albums, newsfiles, and other volumes.
CLICK HERE to send us a question by email.

Choose from the following available cover colors .  .  .

Genuine leather: Black, maroon, dark green, dark blue, dark brown, light brown, red 

Bonded leather: Black, maroon, dark green, dark blue, dark brown, white

Imitation leather: Black maroon, dark green dark blue, dark brown, light brown, red, white

Sunbeam Library buckram: White, red, maroon, light orange, dark orange, gold, light green, olive, green, dark green, slate blue, aqua, blue, royal blue, dark blue, tan, light brown, rust, brown, dark gray, light gray, black

Spanish buckram: Maroon, green, brown (has an embossed leather-like grain)

Cordoba buckram: Tan, brown, blue, red (smooth with a printed leather-like grain)

Some other questions we've been asked . . .

How long will it take to rebind my book or Bible?
Most books are shipped back in four to six weeks from the date we get a "go ahead" from you. Sometimes a book requires extra attention and isn't completed in the usual time. When it looks like this may happen, we let you know. This will not cause any extra charges to be added to your firm estimate. You pay the price we told you, even if we misjudged and it takes us twice as long!

Do you give any guarantee?
Our repairs and restorations are guaranteed to be free from defects in materials and workmanship. If we did it wrong, we will fix it. We intend to return to you a book or Bible that will give you many years of good service.

Cranky says, "We have built our reputation through more than fifty years of service. We want to do it right the first time, and that's something we are never going to change."

How do I send books or Bibles to you?
Books or Bibles to be repaired should be packed securely before shipment or mailing. A sturdy corrugated cardboard box large enough to hold the books with about an inch of packing (crumpled newspaper is fine) all around them is the most usual packaging. If the book or bible is in pieces, you may need to put it in a plastic bag or wrapper before boxing it. Journals and periodicals can be shipped in the same manner. If you are shipping manuscripts or dissertations on freshly printed single sheets of paper, please wrap or band them so they don't slide around in the box, and to give us a marker between books. We do not change the order of pages while the books are in process, so please make sure they are correctly collated before shipping.

How will you return my finished book or Bible to me?
We ship by FedEx Ground in most cases, and the return shipping costs are usually included in your quoted price. If you ask for something special--overnight shipping, for example--we will add the difference in cost to your bill. We let you know when you are asking for something that will cost extra.

My book is in pretty bad shape. Can you really restore it?
In most cases, we can. Some exceptions are:
-water damage--pages stick together (usually happens to coated paper)
-water damage-- pages excessively stretched (wavy like a washboard)
-rotten paper--fold over a corner; if it breaks off, the pages cannot be re-sewn
-extensive physical damage-- book is actually mangled or missing large pieces

I think my book may be rare or valuable. Should I have it rebound?
Um, maybe. It depends on the value and what you expect to do with the book in the future. The vast majority of books never again reach the value of their original cover price, but some rare volumes or books highly desired by collectors can be worth quite a bit. If you plan to sell the volume, you probably should not have it rebound. The use of modern materials on an antique book can ruin its value. However, if you are keeping the book and passing it to the next generation, rebinding will return it to usable condition and make it last many years. The choice is yours, and we recommend that you determine your book's value before making this decision.

Can you tell me what my antique book is worth?
We are not certified appraisers, so we cannot estimate antique value. Most large cities have professionals who appraise books, but value can also vary a bit from region to region. Appraisers charge for their services, but the International Book Collectors Association  has a "self appraisal" method for determining an approximate value without the expense of a professional. 

A "quick and dirty" book value method is to find the current selling price of your book on one of the search Web sites. Bear in mind that the condition of the book is very important and could be difficult to compare. The selling prices you see will be at least 20-40% above what you can expect a dealer to pay for your book, but should be about right for a sale to another individual. Try a search for your book at American Book Exchange or one of the other sites that represents multiple sellers. 

If you need a professional appraisal, the following trade associations can put you in touch with their members in your area:

American Society of Appraisers
P. O. Box 17265
Washington, DC 20041

Appraisers Association of America
60 East 42nd Street
New York, NY 10165
                

Why does your rebinding sometimes cost more than a brand new book?
In most cases, we put more work and longer lasting materials into our binding and restoration than when a book was manufactured. We recommend that you shop around if your book is still available and all you need is a usable copy. Used book stores sometimes offer great bargains. 

The most compelling reasons for rebinding or restoration are:
-a book is no longer available for purchase
-a book has sentimental value and you want it to last many years
-a Bible contains many handwritten notes
-a very expensive book has been damaged or is getting old
We take great care and do all work completely by hand. We inspect and double-check every step of the way. We intend to return to you a book that will give you many years of good service.

Cranky says, "If you have more questions, please CLICK HERE."

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