There is no doubt at all about the long-term value of SIAA and its potential effect on humanity. Now published, the P1 is protected like never before.

Pericles said, “What you leave behind isn’t engraved in monuments of stone, but is woven into the lives of others.” Hopefully, we are all weaving SIAA into our own lives. But what is to become of your SIAA after you’re gone? SIAA is all about building. Will it still be a tool for someone to build, or will it find itself in a used bookstore in a bad part of town? Or on eBay as some of the FEI stalwarts chose as part of their ‘estate’ plan?

If you are the proud owner of a numbered, limited first edition of SIAA from Spaceland Publications, you have a really splendid, high-quality, even beautiful set of books, along with the amazing Concordex – unique in publishing history.

With V-50, V-201, V-50X, and more, you have a critical mass of P1 never seen before, and the P1 value increases every time you open and read from a volume. But what about the P2 value? Will the set ever develop a significant monetary value? It’s probably in the back of your mind. In your care, there is potential for significant P2 value as well. It may not happen in your lifetime, but it could in your children’s lifetime, and if you are guiding them properly, they could have a collector’s set with an impressive market value.

If you are a novice or amateur book collector, here is some interesting information. You probably know that Professor Galambos was an active book collector, particularly of scientific works. In his collection could be found a first edition of Newton’s Principia Mathematica. I recall that he may have had two of them. In conversation with Bill Martin, his Literary Executor, he recommended obtaining two first editions of valuable scientific works – one to keep and one for future speculation. I assisted in valuation of his collection after his death for estate tax purposes. Since only 400 of the Principia were originally printed and very few are left, a single copy of it today could sell for $4 or $5 million. It’s not just a book. It’s a priceless relic of the Enlightenment and a supreme symbol of man’s intelligence. I was honored when he offered to sell a signature of Isaac Newton to me from his collection, and I often wondered what the FEI trustees did with his book collection and where the money went.

You could probably have, in your lifetime, picked up a copy of Darwin's Origin of Species or Descent of Man for almost nothing. A first edition now in great condition could go for $500,000 and as much as $850,000 if you were lucky enough to even find one. But 1960 wasn't that long ago, and in 1960, a reasonable price for a first edition of Darwin’s Origin of Species (1859) would likely have ranged from £5 to £25, depending on condition, provenance, and whether it retained its original binding. That’s roughly $14 to $70 USD at the time, though prices varied widely based on the seller and market awareness. The book wasn’t yet the high-profile collectible it is today. While recognized as historically significant, the rare book market hadn’t fully matured into the investment-grade ecosystem we see now. Many copies were still in private hands or university libraries, and auctions didn’t always spotlight scientific first editions unless they had exceptional provenance. By contrast, in 2009, a copy sold for £103,250 (~$174,000 CAD) at Christie’s—a staggering leap that reflects the rise of Darwin’s cultural and scientific stature. Imagine a scene in 1960—perhaps a dusty London bookshop or a university sale—it’s entirely plausible someone might have picked up a copy for the price of a nice dinner.

A first edition in very good condition of Adam Smith's first book, The Theory of Moral Sentiments, was purchased in 1992 for $6,700, and many rare book dealers think that today, $30,000 to $50,000 is a good price. But several international dealers have it listed for sale at $115,000 to $125,000, which is evidence of the book’s rich depth in philosophy and ethics – and also how speculation can suddenly drive prices through the roof. A hundred years ago you could have bought one for the price of a few beers. And a copy of Einstein's limited edition autobiography that he signed shortly prior to his death was available in a small ad in Architectural Digest for $425 in 1965, but if you want one now, you'll fork out $15,000. I just saw a book dealer that I know in Florida selling one for $25,000. This is how it happens. Slowly, then sometimes suddenly.

You can buy a first edition of James Clerk Maxwell's Treatise on Electricity and Magnetism for $15,000 to as much as $25,000 today. There were only 500 printed, and most are probably in university libraries, so hardly any are in the open marketplace. But this is widely thought the most important (Galambos' definition) book since Newton's Principia Mathematica - it made nearly everything possible that we now rely on civilizationally. Television, radio, cell phones, air travel, refrigeration, weather forecasting, navigation and ship travel, space exploration, large electric machinery for industry, automobiles, electric illumination for cities, health and medical care technology, and a lot more. I can believe that in 50 more years, this Maxwell gem could be selling for $100,000 to $200,000 with the most significant gains over a period of only 10 or 20 years. Maxwell is up there with Darwin and Newton - it's just that most people don't know it yet. But they will.

Galambos? He's up there with the other great scientists, too. The right people don't know it quite yet. Like the other works, SIAA was never meant for a mass market. And the perceived value in 'mainstream' markets will dawdle with some fits and starts for years to come, but.... at some point, there will be successful applications on a larger scale. At some point, there will be a recognition flashpoint. Then look out! The point is to let your downstream people, the trustees of your natural estate, know about this stuff - how it works -- and tell them that the most important thing - always the most important thing -- is the P1 value. In the meantime, take good care of them, don't lend them out, and wind up missing or damaging a volume. Learn what’s in them inside and out. If you don't have such a trustee yet, find one.

—Pete Caneer

September 6, 2025