Rare Books & Manuscripts | mark funke bookseller

We research, catalogue, buy and sell rare books.

Departments

We specialize in four broadly defined areas: Early Printing, Science Fiction, Economics, and German language material.

Early Printed Books & Manuscripts

Our early printed books and manuscripts were written prior to 1800, with a specific emphasis on books published in Latin America and continental Europe.

Books for a Better Tomorrow

'Books for a Better Tomorrow' encompasses science fiction, the history of computing, artificial intelligence, robots, and space travel.

Money & Economics

The economics department covers economic theory, the history of business, trade, and numismatics.

Germany, Switzerland & Austria

Across all categories we seek out German language material. Many of our books are in German or relate to the cross-cultural interests of Germans and Americans. This material covers a broad spectrum including the former East Germany, the Cold War, protest movements, migration patterns, and the effects of German colonialism.

Themed Catalogues

We believe in catalogues

The oldest form of antiquarian bookselling by distance is through catalogue. We take pride in upholding this tradition through regularly issued print and digital catalogues. Customers may request complimentary printed catalogues with any order. Our printed catalogues are also available for purchase.

Digital list of 33 photo albums documenting the history of the 20th Century. Items are grouped by decade and listed chronologically, starting with 1922 and ending in 1989.

Twentieth Century in Photographs

There was a narrow window of time when teenagers gathered around mimeograph machines in basements and garages to publish science fiction fanzines. This catalogue is the story of “American samizdat”, a history of science fiction, amateur self-publishing, and nerd culture.

Science Fiction

A catalogue of 39 objects pertaining to the cultural and life experiences of individuals expelled or forced out of their home countries between 1923 and 1945 due to Hitler's rise to power.

Exile

This list attempts to explore two questions: What is money? And, what happens when our unit of accounting, our measuring stick, starts to disintegrate? Join us on a wide-ranging jaunt through 500 years of inflation and economics.

Inflation & Economics

A catalogue of 32 books printed in the sixteenth century, including works by Georg Agricola, Pietro Bembo, and Plutarch. Come for the woodcuts; stay to brush up on your Latin.

Sixteenth Century

This catalogue delves into the underlying structure of German fascism, with a strong emphasis on its legal and bureaucratic institutions. Contents include banned books, psychiatry, legal history, and the diaries of Dr. Gerhard Scholtz, co-conspirator in the July 20, 1944 plot to kill Hitler.

Fascism

Research

We believe in research

When you buy a rare book or manuscript from us, you not only buy the book, but also the description and meticulous research that went into the book. Every book is shipped along with a copy of its description, which is our guarantee to you of what you are buying. Customers are invited to use our extensive rare book research library free of charge. Contact us for any research questions. We also write about new additions to our research library in our Notes on Books.

Relationships

We believe in relationships

One thing that differentiates us from other antiquarian booksellers is that we do not sell on third-party marketplaces. Our rare books and manuscripts are only available directly from us. There is no substitute for holding a book in your hands. Therefore, we travel regularly to antiquarian book fairs and conferences. Please see the events page for our fair schedule and an opportunity to view our rare books in person.

Our office and reference library are located in Mill Valley, California just a few miles north of San Francisco. We welcome visitors by appointment to browse our bookshelves full of rare books and antiquarian collectibles.

We are here to help and provide personal service. Please contact Mark by email, or call/text +1.206.632.1535 with any inquiries about our items.

Our Promise

We believe in promises

We guarantee the authenticity of everything we sell. All items are guaranteed as described.

We are proud members of the Antiquarian Booksellers Association of America (ABAA), the International League of Antiquarian Booksellers (ILAB), and the Independent Online Booksellers Association (IOBA) and adhere to their codes of ethics and mission:

"The mission of the ABAA is to promote ethical standards and professionalism in the antiquarian book trade, to encourage the collecting and preservation of rare and antiquarian books and related materials, to support educational programs and research into the study of rare books, and to facilitate collegial relations between booksellers, librarians, scholars, and collectors."

Holiday Sale