Book dealers are frequently asked "How
much is my old book worth?"
With a little
research on-line, you can get a good idea of your book's
value. This introduction should
set you down the right path.
What factors contribute
to the value of a collectible book?
Two things ... #1 is Demand and #2 is Condition.
#1 is
Demand... or in other words, does anyone want
it? If the book is written by a collectible
author, demand is limited to first or very early
printings of their collectible works, or books
authentically signed by the collectible author or
someone notable. A badly written novel by an
uncollected author, no matter how old, no matter how
rare has little value if no one wants it (age or
scarcity without desire and condition have little
effect on a book's value).
If your wish to sell your book on
eBay, I've found the quickest way to determine how
much a book may bring is to compare your book to the
"sold" closed auctions on eBay. The sold auction
prices may vary quite a bit from week to week and
even among sold auctions on the same day. Comparing
each book auction's condition and the auction (and
seller's) presentation may give a clue why two
virtually identical books sold for widely varied
prices on the same day.
Sometimes its surprising that some fairly recent
titles bring more that they appear they should - and
some previously ignored older titles suddenly spike
in price. Some factors that may cause a price to
spike could be recently released new titles by the
author, a recent movie or documentary based on the
book or its subject, the passing of an important
figure related to a book (or its author), current
headlines bringing new interest to the book or its
subject.
#2:
Condition. Condition has a major effect on the value of a collectible
book. Look at your book as a book collector
would. A book collector scrutinizes
a 100 year antique book for the same flaws
as a brand new book. Book
collectors and professional book sellers prefer to
use one of five categories regarding book condition:
Poor, Fair, Good, Very Good, or Fine.
Poor:
Book is in sad condition. Pages maps or boards may be missing, or torn,
book may be badly soiled or scribbled on by a child.
Fair: Loose
pages, soiled, loose spine, etc. The book is complete,
all pages & maps
present.
Good: A book that
is clean inside, complete and all pages present and
attached. Nothing torn. Spine is fairly
strong.
Very Good: A
strong, clean book, some shelf wear, perhaps only a
neatly written previous owner signature inside.
Fine: An
attractive book. Bright pages, no writing, no bumps or
wear. It looks new.
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Books to Help Research the
Book Market and Identify First Editions. If you
buy, collect or sell books, these should be your first
investment...
Antique
Trader
Book
Collector's Price Guide Richard Russell.
Paperback 2009. Organized in 13 categories,
including Americana, banned, paranormal and mystery,
this guide discusses identifying and grading books,
and provides collectors with details for identifying
and assessing books in 8,000 listings.
The
Official
Price
Guide to Collecting Books, 6th Edition
Marie Tedford. Paperback 2008.
Although used book prices fluctuate, sometimes its
good to have a book you can refer to when the
computer's not turned on :) " ... This guide
prices
everything
from
rare signed first editions of The Wizard of Oz to today's Harry Potter blockbusters.
Contains information on popular genres, care and
repair, research resources, Internet sites,
dealers, and auction houses ... "
Pocket
Guide
to
the Identification of First Editions Bill
McBride. Paperback 2000 Very useful little book.
Publishers each have their own way of identifying
the first edition (or more correctly - first printing
) of any book they produce. This little book lists
most publishers and uses a simplified code system based on the author's
experience handling actual first editions.
Points
of
Issue:
A Compendium of Points of Issue of Books by
19Th-20th Century Authors Bill McBride.
Paperback 1996. Another pocket-sized companion to
the Guide listed above, it's also very useful.
This is a list of specific books which have
details (points of issue) that determine a first
edition .
First
Editions:
A
Guide to Identification Edward N
Zempel (Editor). Hardcover 4th Edition (November
2001). More expensive but much easier to read than
the McBride books, this is a compilation of
publishers actual statements about their methods of
identifying first editions. Covers nearly 1700 trade
and academic publishers in the US, the UK, Ireland,
Canada, Australia and New Zealand. For all
bibliophiles.
Book
Finds,
3rd
Edition: How to Find, Buy, and Sell Used and Rare
Books Ian C. Ellis. Paperback 2006. A good first hand
account of book buying and book scouting. The author
drops a lot of names, but the book is an enjoyable
read. "The used and collectible book market divides
into three relatively neat categories: reading copy,
antiquarian, and modern first edition..."
The
Home-Based
Bookstore:
Start Your Own Business Selling Used Books on
Amazon, eBay or Your Own Web Site Steve Weber. Paperback 2005. A super
book, one of the best rated books by
Amazon readers regarding selling books on-line. A "must
have". " ... Selling used books
on the Internet is one of the greatest
opportunities available to small entrepreneurs
today ..."
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