Rhoda Yee's Dim Sum Cookbook Review - Collectibility
When people search for Dim Sum recipes they usually encounter many from author/chef, Rhoda Yee. Her Dim Sum cookbook on recipes for Chinese tea lunch is often first to mind for a Dim Sum cookbook. Though Rhoda Yee has published several other successful cookbooks, this remains her most popular to date.
The value of this cookbook isn't particularly noteworthy at a $4 average but no Dim Sum cookbook catering to non-Chinese cooks has ever come close to Yee's cookbook in terms of popularity or longevity in the market. I am a huge Dim Sum fan, as my wife Wendy is so I couldn't pass up the chance to include this book in my collectible cookbook recommendations or collectibility ratings.
Cookbook Title: Dim Sum
Author: Rhoda Yee
Publisher: Taylor & NG San Francisco
Copyright: 1977, First Edition
Format: Softcover
Specialization Categories: Asian Cookbooks, Chinese Cookbooks
Average Price: $4
Noted Recipes: Shrimp Turnovers (Jow Ha Gok), Parchment Chicken (Gee Bow Gai), Barbecued Pork (Cha Siu) Cha Siu is my favorite. The best place I've ever had this dish is at a Chinese restaurant called Fat Kee in my hometown of Den Haag/The Hague in The Netherlands. I've never met its match at another restaurant in the Netherlands or in Los Angeles. We attended a traditional Chinese wedding with the reception held at a famous Dim Sum restaurant, Empress Harbor in Monterey Park, California. It seemed fitting to write this review.
COOKBOOK COLLECTIBILITY RATINGS RATINGS EXPLAINED
Availability: 4.0
Popularity: 3.0
Investment Outlook: 3.0
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Final Collectibility Factor: 3.33
Dim Sum Cookbook Availability Rating - 4.0
Dim Sum is fairly easy to find online--usually more than a half-dozen copies are available per book store site for purchase (eBay, Amazon, Online Bookstores, etc). As with most of my cookbooks that have been reviewed, they are a bit more challenging to find in a second hand bookstore. With more limited stock available on specific topics and no aggregate search mechanism for locating things quickly in individual local bookstores, this is sometimes the case. Still, those are the kind of shops--even as an online seller--that I love most. Those are the kind where you shouldn't have a mission or book targeted. Browsing and discovering the perfect book is more what that is all about.
Finding specific secondhand or collectible books is better done online and of course, I'm partial to the Cookbook Village online store. BTW, I don't always review books I have for sale. I try to select based on collectibility vs. selling one of my store books though sometimes I do have one at the same time my article is published.
Dim Sum Cookbook Popularity Rating - 3.0
I rated this cookbook a 3.0 in terms of popularity, mainly because it doesn't compare to some of the mainstream collectible cookbooks. If you narrow down to the subject matter then it would ranked higher (in other words popularity if rated against other Chinese cookbooks) but that wouldn't be on par with its true value as a collectible.
Dim Sum Cookbook Investment Outlook - 3.0
This book has a quite low value of around $4-$5 for a first edition softcover. If you see it for more, look further. Again, this is a great book to have if you are looking for a good cookbook on Dim Sum dishes but as an investment it scores lower. Still, if you are building a broad subject collection, you'll want to include this on your list.
Dim Sum Cookbook Final Collectibility Factor Rating - 3.33
This is a great cookbook and a nice collectible cookbook if you don't specialize in a defined category. Still, don't pay over $5 for it and don't expect it to appreciate in value.
