Naomi Judd Cookbook

Cookbook Village specializes in a variety of categories of used cookbooks. In a survey we conducted on top collectible cookbook categories, signed cookbooks were the top choice of collectible for 10% of our customers, making it the third most desirable category after vintage cookbooks and restaurant cookbooks. Over the past years, we received a good deal of questions regarding the value of a variety of cookbooks, with many asking the impact of a signature or autograph inside the book. This article covers some key information regarding signed cookbooks.

Unsigned Versus Signed Cookbooks

If a chef or celebrity signed cookbook, the value is generally much higher and can go up as much as four times the value of an unsigned copy. If the signature is from an author who is not a public figure, the value generally remains the same as the unsigned copy. There are some chefs that consistently signed their cookbooks through book signing events, special initial release signed editions and similar. The cookbooks with these signatures generally only slightly increase in value. Chef signed cookbooks from chefs such as Martin Yan and Emeril Lagasse, Wolfgang Puck, and even Vincent Price (for his coveted cookbook Treasury of Great Recipes) are fairly mainstream and easily found online. A quick search on eBay for a signed Emeril cookbook brings up generally over 100 results.

Chefs with more elusive cookbook autographs are James Beard, Hubert Keller, and Alice Waters. They can be found, but are more difficult to find, thus the values of signed cookbooks tend to be a good deal higher than other signed cookbooks and generally don't stay available online for long.

Sample Values of Signed Cookbooks

If you are wondering what some of these autographed cookbooks might fetch, here are some examples of the values of signed cookbooks Cookbook Village has sold in the past (book's condition and sale pricing may vary this value):

  • (Paul) Bocuse's Regional French Cooking
  • Michael Chiarello's Casual Cooking $19
  • Cat Cora's Kitchen $14
  • Dom DeLuise Eat This Cookbook $22
  • Alain Ducasse Flavors of France Cookbook $20
  • The Figs Table by Todd English $16
  • Wining and Dining with John Grisanti $18
  • Naomi Judd Home Companion Cookbook $25
  • Johnny Mathis Cooking for You Alone $300
  • Martina McBride Around the Table Cookbook $50
  • Coyote Cafe Cookbook by Mark Miller $14
  • Michael Mina The Cookbook $25
  • Jamie Oliver Happy Days with the Naked Chef $26
  • Chez Jacques Pepin Cookbook $21
  • Chef Paul Prudhomme's Fiery Foods That I Love $16
  • Wolfgang Puck's Pizza Pasta and More $16
  • The Sinatra Celebrity Cookbook (Nancy Sinatra, Frank's wife) $30
  • Kitchen Sessions with Charlie Trotter $18
  • Fanny At Chez Panisse by Alice Waters $24
  • Justin Wilson Cookbook of Cajun Recipes $22
  • Roy's Feasts From Hawaii Cookbook by Roy Yamaguchi $16

Chefs with Unique Signatures

These chefs have some of the most creative signatures we've seen to date:

Raymond Oliver

Michel Richard

Alfred Portale

Graham Kerr

Dom DeLuise

Daniel Orr

Louis Szathmary

Frank Davis