Frequently Asked Questions Can you tell me how much it will cost to rebind or repair my book before I send it to you? There is no way to properly estimate what work needs to be done without first seeing the book. I would be extremely cautious about agreeing to send your book to someone to work on if they told how much the repair would cost before seeing the book. How do I know if my damaged book is worth having repaired? We don’t appraise books at Handbridge Bindery, only repair them. An easy way to find out what your book is worth is by visiting a few web sites that contain books for sale. Look to see if your book is listed and the price it is selling for. A few excellent sites are: www.abaa.org , www.bibliofind.com , www.abebooks.com , and www.alibris.com . Something to keep in mind is that you cannot place worth on something of sentimental value. Does Handbridge Bindery have any references? Yes. We work with various institutions across the country as well as book dealers and book collectors. A few of our major clients are Michael D. Heaston Rare Books and Manuscripts, Kenneth Rendell Inc., The William Reese Company, Michael Ginsberg Books Inc., MacDonnell Rare Books, and the Hermitage Bookshop. Please contact bindery owner Glenn Fukunaga for the names and addresses of these and other references. I've never had anything restored before. What is involved? We recommend that you first contact owner Glenn Fukunaga with a brief description of the condition of your book. You may contact him by phone at (512) 445-4544, fax (512) 445-2927, e-mail: bindery@flash.net or by regular mail at Handbridge Bindery, Inc., 800 South Lamar Blvd., Austin, Texas 78704. Once you have spoken to Glenn about your book, he will have you send it to us so that he may prepare an estimate of the work that needs to be done. Once an estimate is agreed upon you will be asked to send 50% of that cost for a down payment. When the work is finished, Handbridge will ship your book back to you along with an invoice. First-time customers are required to pay the balance before the finished book is returned. Glenn has been professionally shipping books since 1978. How long will it take to repair my book? Our normal turnaround time is approximately two to three weeks. There are currently seven binders at Handbridge working on the repair and restoration of books, maps, paper and custom box making. We do accept time sensitive jobs or “rushes.” These jobs do incur a rush charge. The item is usually ready to be returned to you in a few days, with some exceptions. Do you accept credit cards? Yes, we accept Visa and Master Card. Does the restoration of my book affect its value? In many cases having your book repaired will enhance the value of it. No one wants to own a book that is in disrepair.