How Much Is My Old Book Worth?
You've been thinking about cleaning out that dusty old attic for a long time. And now, at last, you're ready! You decide to begin by inspecting that carton of old books that belonged to your Uncle Fred. As you blow the dust off them, the thought occurs to you: "I wonder if these books might be worth something?" Although we do not provide appraisals, the
Humanities Department can help you with useful print and Internet resources that can be of assistance in researching the value of an old book.
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- Q. I have a book that's 125 years old. Does that mean it's worth a lot of money?
A. Not necessarily. The value of a book depends on several factors, including condition and scarcity. Another important element in estimating the value of a book is demand. If the title and edition you own is one that interests collectors, the value of the book would be enhanced.
Q. We have a Bible that has been in our family for more than 150 years. Is it worth anything?
A. Your Bible may have little, if any, monetary value for book collectors, but there are exceptions. For example, if your Bible originally belonged to the family of a historical figure, it could be quite valuable. If the Bible contains information on several generations of a family, it may be useful for genealogical research.
Q. My grandmother gave me her copy of Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell. I think it might be a first edition, so I'd like to know how much I might get for it from a bookseller.
A. To answer your question, you need to consider several items.
- The first thing you'll want to do is determine whether or not your copy is a first edition. This can be a very complicated process. In the end, you may need to have the book evaluated by a specialist. One resource that we have in our reference collection is First Editions: A Field Guide for Collectors of English and American Literature by K. Anthony Ward (Aldershot, England: Scolar Press, 1994). This book can furnish useful information that can help in identifying a book as a first edition.
- Generally, when book dealers list a book as a first edition, they mean the first printing of a book. It's possible that you may have a copy that was printed later in the same year as the book's original publication.
- After determining whether or not you own a first edition, you need to look at the condition of your copy. The overall condition of a book is a prime factor in determining its value regardless of the age. For example:
- Does your copy still have the original dust jacket? A modern first edition lacking the dust jacket has substantially less value than a first edition with original dust jacket.
- Is the binding tight?
- How does the paper look?
- Are there any stains or pencil marks?
- Is your copy signed by the author?
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- American Book-Prices Current: a Record of Literary Properties Sold at Auction in England, the United States, and in Canada. New York: American Book-Prices Current, annual. XZ1000.A51
- Compiles information on rare books sold by some of the best known auction houses including Christie's and Sotheby’s.
Available to use in the Central Library Humanities Department.
- Bookman's Price Index. Detroit: Gale, published three times a year. XZ1000.B7Q
- Consists of information taken from the sales catalogs of several hundred British, Canadian, and U.S. antiquarian booksellers.
Available to use in the Central Library Humanities Department.
- Collected Books: the Guide to Values, 2002 Edition. New York: G.P. Putnam's Sons, 2001. XZ1033.F53A39 2002
- This price guide lists approximately 20,000 books and features a concise section for identifying first editions by publishers.
Available to use in the Central Library Humanities Department. -
- Comic Book Checklist & Price Guide, 1961--Present, 15th Edition. Iola, WI: Krause Publications, 2009. XPN6714.C655Q 2009
- The latest edition provides listings and updated prices for more than 130,000 comics; a grading guide; details about characters' first appearances; and facts about thousands of variant editions.
Available to use in the Central Library Humanities Department.
- Huxford's Old Book Value Guide. Paducah, KY: Schroeder Publishing, 1998. XZ1000.5.H89Q 1998
- This guide differs from others in that it focuses on “old books” rather than on rare items. As a result, the prices of most of the approximately 25,000 books listed fall between $20 and $50.
Available to use in the Central Library Humanities Department.
- Overstreet, Robert M. The Official Overstreet Comic Book Price Guide. New York: House of Collectibles, 2009, annual. XPN6725.A1 O8 2009
- A well-illustrated and comprehensive guide to comic book prices that also offers a detailed discussion of grading standards for comic books. In addition, the guide includes a state-by-state directory of dealers and a glossary of comic book terminology.
Available to use in the Central Library Humanities Department.
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- Readers who want to sell their books to dealers are cautioned not to expect more than fifty percent of the listed values for these books. The exact amount can often depend on whether the dealer has a specific buyer in mind or if the book is in high demand.
Search the Library Catalog for the location and current status of these titles, or for other books in Pratt libraries.
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- Antiquarian Booksellers' Association of America
- This well designed site has a variety of features. Among the most useful is the "Learn About Rare Books" link with its introduction to book collecting, frequently asked questions, and glossary of trade terms. You can search the inventory of ABAA member booksellers or find dealers by name, state, or specialization.
- Digital Librarian: Book Collecting and Book History
- You can spend days exploring the fascinating links on this page. The Web sites listed include book search engines such as AddALL, Bibliofind, and Used Book Search. You can also access Christie’s International, Sotheby’s, and eBay from here. Or, you can choose to spend time browsing Stanford University's delightful collection of Dime Novels and Penny Dreadfuls.
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Your Old Books - This Web page traces its descent from a pamphlet originally published by the Rare Books and Manuscripts Section of the Association of College and Research Libraries. It provides authoritative answers for many of the most commonly asked questions regarding rare books. Also featured is a brief bibliography of useful resources.
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- Now that you have inspected your books, noted the essential bibliographic information, and made a bona fide attempt to assess their physical condition, you are ready for the next step. At this point, you may feel that your books are merely used books and that a professional appraisal is not necessary. Why not try one or more search engines and see if you can discover a range of prices for the treasures you have unearthed? Here are several of the most popular search engines for old, rare, and used books:
AddALL - A comprehensive resource that covers new books as well as old, rare, and used items. As with many of the book search engines, AddALL also includes old magazines, CDs, VHS tapes, and DVDs in its database.
- Advanced Book Exchange
- Gives book collectors access to millions of books offered by booksellers from around the world. In addition to being very easy to use, this site has a "Rare Book Room" for rare, valuable, and highly collectible books.
- Alibris
- Probably the best known of these search engines, Alibris offers book, music, and movie searches and also links to helpful guides to book collecting.
- Bibliofind
- Now part of amazon.com, Bibliofind allows advanced searches by publisher, ISBN number, format, reader age, and language in addition to author/title.
- BookFinder
- An easy-to-use search engine that includes new books in addition to used, rare, and out-of-print items from booksellers worldwide.
- ComicsPriceGuide.com - The Online Price Guide
- For comic book collectors, this site allows searching by title, keyword, or publisher, and has links to grading guidelines, sales, and forums. Please note: you must sign up for a free account to view the listed prices.
- eBay
- This popular auction site carries listings for collectibles of all types. It includes antiquarian and rare books as well as first editions and magazines. It’s important to remember, however, that the prices for items listed on eBay can often run higher than the normal market value as the result of a bidding war.
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- So you've tried the price guides and the book search engines and you’re still not satisfied. Or, maybe you have several modern first editions in nearly pristine condition complete with dust jackets and you would like a professional to look at them. Perhaps you own a limited edition of a title and you’ve located prices for it. Unfortunately, the condition of your copy does not match the condition of any of the copies described in the price guide. How do you find an expert to appraise your old books?
The answer may be as simple as going to your local Yellow Pages and looking under the heading “Book Dealers - Used & Rare.” You need to use caution, however: booksellers who specialize in used books are not necessarily experts in rare books and may lack the tools needed to provide accurate appraisals. You’ll also want to know how much your local used and rare bookstore charges for appraisals.
The Antiquarian Booksellers' Association of America Web site is of great value for anyone looking for expertise in old and rare books. A search engine allows collectors to search for reputable dealers by specialty and geographic location. A geographic search for antiquarian book dealers in Maryland currently returns twelve listings. Booksellers who are members of the Antiquarian Booksellers Association of America subscribe to a code of ethics and are expected to be “established, knowledgeable, and of excellent reputation.”
Another possibility if you are seeking a professional evaluation of your treasures is the Appraisals Department of Sotheby's. To have your books appraised, you may send them a list, which should include title, author, publisher, place and date of publication, and any special information relating to binding, illustrations, and condition. This is a fee-based service.
If you have an old book that you would like us to research, or if you have any other questions regarding old books, e-mail us through our Ask-A-Librarian service. Or, you can mail your questions to:
Humanities Department
Enoch Pratt Free Library
State Library Resource Center
400 Cathedral Street
Baltimore, MD 21201
