Bauman Rare Books

I didn’t make a purchase but my husband and I stepped in and were wow’d with the assortment of rare books they had! We are huge nerds and love this kind of stuff and were in heaven when we saw all the cool books in their collection. Some were affordable but the jackpot books were definitely out of the price range of an average person.
We highly encourage you stop by if you’re into old books! The customer service was great and didn’t feel at all pretentious!

Bauman has hundreds of books and manuscripts for a range of prices. I like to read books rather than collect them, but it was a fun place to stop all the same.
I didn’t buy anything, but the employees were really nice about taking books out of their glass cases just to satisfy my curiosity.
This is the store featured on Pawn Stars occasionally.

I’m going to start off by saying that Bauman’s is a very cool place. We always make it a point to check out the books in the windows when we are in LV while wishing we could buy, buy, buy.
The few times we have interacted with staff, they have been for the most part really nice, save the few who chose to ignore us.
The reason for the 3-​star review, you ask? Simple. We did once venture to buy a book here. We were green, we were excited to buy our first old, cool book — we found a title that pulled at our nostalgic heartstrings (and was not going to break the bank).
Fast-​forward to today and we are shocked to learn just how much we overpaid for this book. Heed the warnings of others who tell you to approach with caution. Definitely do your homework!
To get an idea, Bauman’s is now «not interested in our book.» After having a leading expert (and bookseller) on the author’s work tell us that he can offer $ 100 for a book we paid several times over this amount is disheartening. Other rare booksellers are not interested at all. We know now that Bauman’s definitely doesn’t want us to know how badly we overpaid hence the lack of interest in what we were told at the time of purchase is a desirable item.
While we know that demand has a great impact on what items are worth, we do not think it reasonable for a book like ours to go from a window at Bauman’s to basically worthless once it’s out the door.
Enjoy the books, but definitely think twice before making a purchase.

In a tacky, vacuous, soul-​sucking wasteland like Las Vegas that launches an all-​out assault on every redeeming sense of taste a human can possibly cultivate, it is refreshing in ways I cannot describe to stumble upon an oasis of calm reflection, serene beauty, and quiet respect for knowledge and art such as this establishment.
Some of their more common texts are listed at a hefty markup from usual retail prices, but I have no frame of reference for pricing on many of their truly rare finds. The condition of these pieces is almost universally eye-​popping, with clean sharp edges, tight crisp spines, glittering leafing, pronounced raised bands, perfectly preserved plates, and generally miles above what one may find on Abe or (god forbid) Amazon Marketplace.
Then there is how friendly, knowledgeable, and accommodating the staff are. I fell happily into a book nerd conversation with Greg and by the time I wandered out I think my wife was asleep on a Palazzo couch.
I am very impressed with this business, and not only will be back, I can’t *wait* to come back.

This rare bookstore is a great place to wander, but unless you have $ 2,000 — 30,000 (or more) to spend on a book, it’s going to be window shopping only.
They do have the books fantastically displayed, though, for widow shoppers — with the book nicely displayed and a little placard in front that gave the description, author, and price.
Today there were rare editions of Peter Rabbit, Shakespeare, a book signed by Churchill, a book signed by Ronald Reagan, and early copies of Gershwin’s music (among dozens more).
Very interesting place, even if the actual shopping part will only be available to select individuals.

One of my favorite places to go in Las Vegas. They have always made me feel welcome when clearly I can’t afford a signed, first edition anything; they never made me feel like they knew it! Because who knows what I’ll do when I hit the big one in Vegas. Excellent customer service is always worth the risk!

I will start with a quote from a few other reviewers «Un-​freaking-​believable. This bookstore is hardcore porn for book and history lovers alike»
Now, why the 5 Stars when I will never be able to afford any of the items on display? Because they allow you to see the history of the world for free. The staff has always been more than helpful even if they know you are just sniffing the book covers…
Its more than rare books. Its the history of the world, of entertainment and everything else right there for you to look at.
Writers signing the inside of a book cover to a dear friend or rival. Some of the writings are hilarious when you think about the time they were written. never knowing their words would be made into a movie a few years later…
Books, artifacts, interesting notes and the history of the books and documents. It’s all here.
Each month is a different theme. One month they had the rarest Bibles. I was allowed to hold one of the oldest known printed bibles. I’m not a religious man, but to think where that book came from, what it took to make it, who held it and the fact that hundreds of years later, it’s still here, still readable and in my hands.
The last time we were there, there were two teenage kids standing in front of a hand– written copy of the Constitution. They were in awe of it. Sadly they confessed that they had heard of it in school, but were never taught about it. So now they got to read it for real…
When one of the staff found out I was a tour director, he took my wife and I into the private library and showed us a map of the United States that was used in the Civil War, complete with troop movement notes and state/​confederacy designations.

Another interesting and different store in the Palazzo. And another shop that I can never afford to buy anything from but hubs and I had a grand time admiring the selections in here. I felt like I had stumbled into the stash of books hidden away by that person in the movie Fahrenheit 451.
Some were original or first copies, some were signed but all were amazing to drool over. I enjoyed the Winnie the Pooh books so much as they took me back to my childhood. There are just so many great books in here; enough to give any bibliophile the vapors!

Beautiful store but you certainly pay for the ambience. Recently introduced signs discourage browsers from price condition/​checking volumes. Wish their prices were accurate to market value as my collection would be notably more valuable. Three volumes I checked were in a range of 50% — 200% over market value. Vegas pricing for non-​collectors? No good if you know what you’re doing anyway.

As I’ve visited this store over the years, I’ve encountered the following:
1 — An autographed first edition of The Great Gatsby…[swoons]
2 — A copy of Shakespeare’s second folio…[faints]
3 — A Chumlee on the tail end of a Pawn Stars taping…[giggles]
If those three finds don’t warrant a five star review, I don’t know what does!

If you are at all serious about rare books, don’t bother with this place. Although it’s fun to browse, I collect antiquarian texts and have been to many stores like this as well as the annual trade shows. I’ll never come back.
My issues:
1) PRICE — I specialize in 19^th and 20^th century texts, so I can’t comment on the pricing of older items. But from what I can tell, the mark-​ups here are insane. (Anywhere from 40% to 100% over the prices you’ll find if you run a quick Google search.) If you actually want to buy anything, you would do much better going through eBay or any independent (but ABAA-​licensed!) dealer.
2) TOUCHING THE BOOKS — Maybe I just had bad luck, but the man working here would not let me touch any of the items in the glass cases. Allowing potential customers to touch the items that interest them is standard in this industry. While I understand that this store probably gets more foot traffic than any antiquarian bookstore in the country, they clearly had the supplies on hand (gloves, foam supports) so that customers could touch the books if the staff deemed them worthy. I suspect that the man who worked here did not take me seriously because I am in my twenties. Although I was dressed business-​casual (was on my way to dinner), you’d think I was Julia Roberts at the beginning of Pretty Woman. Big mistake. Big. Huge! I have to go shopping now.
3) STAFF — On a related note, the guy working here was incredibly patronizing, again (I suspect) because of my age. He didn’t seem to know much about the David Foster Wallace book I was interested in (fair enough, everyone has their specialties). But instead of answering my question or admitting he didn’t know the answer, he launched into a spiel about why we put mylar covers on dust jackets. Compelling. When I asked about the provenance of a book, he told me that it came from a «private individual» and that he couldn’t give me any more information than that because of privacy concerns. Fine. But then he added that it’s «typical» for antiquarian booksellers not to give customers any information about where they got the books – which is objectively not true. I have worked with a number of rare booksellers and «typically», they bend over backwards to give me information about what I’m looking at (all while respecting the privacy of the person they got the book from, obviously). And even if they don’t have that info, they would never make me feel bad for asking.
The impression I came away with was that Bauman does not care at all about their customers – not enough to charge them fair prices, and not enough to treat them with respect when they visit the store. Such a shame.

Incredible!!! Makes me think back to Ron Burgundy in Anchorman when he says, «I’m very important. I have many leather-​bound books and my apartment smells of rich mahogany.»
You said it Ron… now go enjoy some 80,000 dollar reads.

What an amazing shop!!! For book collectors this is a must see while in Las Vegas. … They have an incredible array of collectible rare books and ephemora… the prices reflect the rarity and quality of their inventory so be prepared… but at the same time the staff was patient yet attentive while we browsed. .we also got to see the lady who appears on ‘Pawn Stars’ to assess books that are brought in… really a special store to behold!

The place is PERFECT for the history nerd that is yours truly. I went to see the IN THE BEGINNING WAS THE WORD exhibit and MY GOODNESS was it fantastic. The collection of ancient scripture was beautiful, awe-​inspiring, and just plain special to experience. It was a spiritual adventure for me and I got a lot out of it.
After I was done viewing the Word, I took a stroll and discovered hand drawn maps of our great nation. I really wish I had a spare $ 3600 to spend on such a rare piece of history, but alas. They also had signed documents from President Lincoln, Winston Churchill, Tesla, Twain, and many others. For someone who dedicates my career and life to history, this experience was akin to Disneyland (but with less vomit and tears).
I cannot wait to go back again and again to nerd out and dream of having money so that I can buy any historical artifact that tickles my fancy!

One day, my apartment will have many leather bound books and will smell like rich mahogany. And those leather bound books will had been purchased from Bauman Rare Books.
The books at Bauman’s are gorgeous, as well as their prices –$ 20,000 for a first edition, signed copy of «The Cat in the Hat.» Select books are displayed behind glass, cases, but the majority stand on bookshelves for customers to pick up and sift through their pages — at least, I think customers are allowed to do that… I did.
The genres range from children’s books to Medieval English literature. In addition to the books, there are also signed original musical scores, manuscripts, and letters. Some of my favorites which made me silently squeal with delight include: The First Edition of Beethoven’s score for his Fifth Symphony; a letter written by Richard Wagner; a manuscript signed by composer Franz Joseph Haydn; and a copy of Ian Fleming’s «From Russia With Love.»
Bauman’s Rare Books is an exquisite store to visit in The Palazzo. I walked out of Bauman’s thinking the place could be likened to a museum, because I did learn a bit of history about the books and other items displayed during my 15 minutes there.

I had an amazing time at Bauman’s during a recent trip to Vegas. My friend and I dropped by on a Friday night and were some of the only folks in the store, and the employee was super nice. She offered to let us see anything, including in the glass case, and she said we could take as many pictures as we wanted. Try THAT in a museum!
This may seem obvious, but as wonderful as the books in the glass cases are, there’s also lots of gems in the main shelves – and all of them have an info sheet tucked against the inside cover/​endpaper, much like the display copies in the case.
Hint for folks taking a cab and visiting this location only for Bauman’s: Tell your cab driver to take you to Barney’s New York at The Shops at the Palazzo. Walk through Barney’s, take a left out of Barney’s, and Bauman’s is just a short walk down the hall past 7 for All Mankind.

«You asked me to sign your book so here is my signature.
Best Wishes,
Jerome David Salinger»
Catcher in the Rye signed copy to his mother in law. $ 42,000
That’s the kind of thing you’ll find at this amazing store in Vegas.
Located in the heart of the Palazzo, you will find an incredible collection of antique books that you can actually touch. Antique books that were touched by the the authors themselves. Collections and collections of ancient books that would have otherwise been lost under the ruins of time and changes in culture. Rare copies of books written and often signed by presidents. All in a beautiful display for you to look at and even touch. The sales people are not stingy about letting you touch the books. As long as you’re gentle. They are very knowledgable about the books and their history and are willing to show you any book and tell you of their history.
My favorite find was an illustrated bible centuries old that was illustrated by Ruebens. His method was to hand carve the pictures on wood backwards and then transfer it to paper. Simply stunning. One of the most beautiful things I have ever seen. Exquisite detail.
Of course most of these books are $ 5,000 and up. if I ever win big, the first thing I am going to do is buy a signed copy of Through the Looking Glass. Honestly though, you don’t need a book that sits on a shelf when you can go to this store and touch the real thing.
Pull yourself away from those slot machines for one hour and visit this exquisite store. I guarantee that you will hit it big at Bauman’s Rare Books.

Bauman Rare Books is every bit as cool «in person» as it looks on Pawn Stars! There is an amazing array of rare books on display, from world history, to American politics, to important literary works.
I have to disagree with Vanessa M. about the staff. Hubby and I mentioned that our daughter was beginning to collect signed literary editions, and the two employees in the front of the shop both bent over backwards to give us helpful advice and to show us interesting books — even though we had made it clear, right up front, that we weren’t going to buy anything.

This shop, located between the Venetian and the Palazzo, is not your ordinary antiquarian bookstore.
The store is not huge, but their selection and collection is amazing. First-​editions in pristine condition of Huckleberry Finn (green Webster binding) and Connecticut Yankee caught my eye. It’s not just remarkable that they have the selection that they do… It’s remarkable the condition that their books are in.
As mentioned in other reviews, this is basically a museum-​grade artifact store. The storekeepers are not pretentious though. A sign politely invites guests: «Ask us to show you how to handle antique books.» Very dignified, and a much better approach than the typical book-​Nazi approach that you would typically find in a store with their inventory.
If your literature teacher in high school or college ever touched you, you owe it to him or her to stop in this store at least once if you are in the area.

I’m a book snob so spotting this shop out of the corner of my eye made me squeal with delight, make a sharp right turn, and head in.
This shop is full of beautiful books. Intricately bound, hand carved covers and rare to find first editions. This was a true gem on the Vegas strip and made me want to join the ranks of rare book collectors.
Of course, my pocket book can’t afford such a luxury but I loved hearing all the talk about how these books were collected and the stories behind them. If you’re a book lover, you will appreciate a visit to this shop. This is not your average book store.