Shopping at Copperfield’s can be as much an educational experience as it is a pleasant and productive one, because we are constantly searching for the oddest, most obscure, and most interesting items to display in our store. Copperfield’s has a highly curated feel to it, with each item of significant interest given its own explanatory sign.
Characterizing the general nature of the rarities that have passed through Copperfield’s is a difficult task because of the totally random nature of our offerings. Items of interest from such categories as musical instruments, books and manuscripts, jewelry, bicycles, furniture, typewriters and other devices, and wall art have been displayed and sold at our location in Downtown Ventura.
Among our rare books is a true first edition of our namesake, David Copperfield, by Charles Dickens (1850). Most of the works of Dickens were published serially, and our copy of David Copperfield is the first edition published in one volume.
We also currently have for sale The Comic History of Rome (1851) by Gilbert Abbott à Beckett in its original serial format and with a custom leather slipcase made to look like a book. In volume VII, one can find an advertisement for Dickens’s “New Serial Work,” which turns out to have been Bleak House.
Among our other rare books may be found volumes related to local and California history and lore, academic studies, contemporaneous accounts of American slavery, Native American studies, musical instruments, and much more. We also have many first and early editions, as well as signed and inscribed books. Please see the Books section for more information.
Copperfield’s has also had several leaves from manuscripts and old books come through its doors. Our most famous item is still on display: a leaf from the original edition of the King James Bible (1611). Featuring the story of Joseph’s dreams on one side, and his being sold into slavery by his brothers on the reverse (Genesis 37), this leaf is beautifully mounted in an antique glass frame that allows viewing on both sides. The document was professionally cleaned by a specialist, and the panes replaced with UV-protective glass in 2013. This item must be seen in person!
We have had several interesting musical instruments in the store, including theremins, piccolos, and marching drums. We currently have a “Royal Surrey Regiment” marching drum for sale, beautifully painted and hand-lettered.
Another of our signature items is our highwheel bicycle, the Boneshaker. It is not an antique, but it sure isn’t something you see every day!
Our buyers strive for the whimsical, the bizarre, and the rare as they assemble the collection of items that make Copperfield’s so interesting. To see the assembled pieces in our store is an exciting, and often educational experience. Be sure to come see for yourself!
If you have “rarities” you would like to sell to us, please click here for more information.
