Another Side to Moe's – Rare Book Aerie

Did you know that if you climb up to the fourth floor of Moe's Books on Telegraph Avenue and walk through the glass doors to your right, there is a sizable collection of rare and antique books, each worth hundreds or even thousands of dollars? 

The Rare Books Room at Moe's Books has a familiar feel to the "Restricted Section" of the Hogwarts Library in the Harry Potter series – except for the restricted part. The books in there are rare, ancient, and incredibly valuable. Some books are so rare that they are among the last few copies remaining in the United States. 

Hundreds of people walk past Moe's Books on Telegraph Avenue, oblivious to this treasure right in the middle of Berkeley. Today, I asked the Rare Books Room clerk, who wishes to remain nameless, what some of their most expensive books are in this section. 

An old but beautiful hardcover collection of plays by Greek comic playwright Aristophanes from 1710 is preserved and priced at $1,000. A 1909 Latin-Tibetan grammar book used by Jesuit missionaries costs $500. 

Books in this room are priced anywhere from $500 to $1,250, but their online inventory has books that cost up to $5,000. 

The Rare Books Room is frequently visited by avid book collectors who will buy these books straight off the shelves. But even if you're not a book collector, it's worth visiting the fourth floor, just to be surrounded by so much history and antiquity.