Travel Book Appraisal

Beckoning Trails Book

The item is a vintage hardcover book titled 'Beckoning Trails'. The cover is made of a blue cloth-bound material, showing visible texture and some fading, consistent with age and handling. The title 'BECKONING TRAILS' is printed in a dark brown or black sans-serif font, prominently displayed in the upper portion of the front cover. Below the title is an illustration depicting a male skier in mid-action, descending a snowy slope. The illustration features outlines in a dark color, possibly brown or black, with light blue and white accents for the skier's clothing and the snowy environment, including stylized trees or snow drifts. The ski poles and skis are also rendered in the same dark outline. The overall color scheme is predominantly blue, white, and dark brown. Visible condition issues include significant wear along the edges and corners of the cover, particularly at the top right corner where material loss and scuffing are evident. There are also several darker marks and stains scattered across the blue surface, suggesting dirt accumulation or liquid damage over time. The cloth binding appears to be generally intact, though some fraying is discernible around the extremities. The book likely dates from the mid-20th century, given the artistic style of the illustration and the typical construction of books from that period. There are no immediate visible maker's marks or signatures from the provided image, but internally, such details might be present. The craftsmanship reflects typical mass-produced book quality of its era, with a sturdy, hard board cover.