One of my favourite things to find inside an old travel book is a map that unfolds to several times the size of the page. It’s easy to miss one when you skim a book, especially when it’s tucked into a pocket at the back.
Check how the map is attached
A map can be bound into the book, pasted along one edge or placed loose in a pocket. Check the contents or list of illustrations for a clue to what should be there. If you’re buying for a particular map, look for a photograph of it opened out. Tears often start at a fold or near the point where the map is attached.
Look at what else the book records
An old guidebook can be worth a look for the photographs as much as the text. Street views, station plans and period adverts can be what makes a copy interesting, especially if it covers a place you know. A later facsimile can be worth browsing too. The date of the map design and the date the copy was printed can be centuries apart, so check both if the edition matters to you.