Company

We are foremost antiquarian dealers and experts in early cartographic material, including the finest antique maps of all parts of the world. We have been in this field for more than 35 years. We are members of the International Map Collectors Society, the International League of Antiquarian Booksellers, and the Washington Map Society.

Products

We sell antique maps, sea charts, atlases, travel books, (master) prints, drawings, paintings, navigational instruments and other items related to early cartography and the age of discovery.

Guarantee

All items offered are genuine and authentic antiques guaranteed to have been printed (or hand drawn, or painted, or manufactured) at or near the given date, mostly 16th and 17th century. We gladly provide certificates of authenticity. Items may be always be returned for a full refund if they do not meet up to expectation, no questions asked. We want happy customers only, we want you to be happy, because we want your repeat business.

Making a difference

Our mission is to sell satisfaction. We focus on the extraordinary items that make a difference to any collection, on the items that (almost) no collection has.

These can be relatively common items yet in extraordinary condition, or in stunning color, items of exceptional rarity, unique one-of-a-kind items, items in first state or first edition, items of utmost historical significance or fame, or items of outstanding beauty or decorative value.

Wheter you pursue a complete comprehensive overview of all maps of your region or theme, or whether you just like to have a few maps, going for the extraordinary items is the best way to make your collection stand out. Collectors and libraries will envy you and current and future reference books and websites may well show and refer to your very items.

Extraordinary items yield more happiness, delight, satisfaction and passion.

Value for money

Collecting extraordinary items is a sound long term investment strategy. While common run-of-the-mill items are prone to price erosion, with ample supply and modest demand, extraordinary items are a robust value for money.

Why buy an ordinary item in ordinary condition that is already present in hundreds of private and institutional collections? One that you can also buy easily at any future date?

Always keep in mind that nobody really "needs" an old piece of paper. Especially one that is not-so-rare. Therefore it is better to focus on the extraordinary pieces. We frequently buy back items that we have sold in the past, because these items always remain in strong demand.

We sell you the items that make a difference.

We buy too!

We are always interested in purchasing individual items as well as complete collections of early maps, atlases and globes. We pay the best prices without delay. All enquiries will be treated in strict confidence.

Services

We gladly try to find specific maps or books for you, free of obligations. Please give us your wishlists for rare items, it may well make the difference, because we see many items before they come to the market, and many rare items are marketed quietly before being listed online. We can do official valuations of your individual items or collection as a whole. We can also bid for you in auctions worldwide, for a modest fee.

Our Customers

We sell to a wide variety of clients everywhere in the world: to private collectors, corporate collectors, museums, libraries, as well as to colleague dealers.

Meet us in person

You are always welcome to visit us in California or the Netherlands, but we have no storefront so only by appointment. We travel extensively in the US, Europe, Asia, Australia and we would be pleased to contribute to your collection and to meet you in person.

Catalogue

The online catalogue covers just a tiny part of our stock, so we encourage you to inquire about your areas or themes of interest, and to sign up for our regular email update notifications. It will ensure that you receive early notifications of new additions. Keep in mind that even after 500 years some items sell within a day.