Generally its a good idea to toss out the highest and lowest numbers you find and take an average of the rest to get an idea of how much you can expect to ask for your rare book. Tthe searchable database consists of detailed reports in an evergrowing database of items in this category. Prying the chest open with a crowbar, you find a row of pristine books with gilded edges and crisp, unopened bindings. Most are not rare comic books, but still collected. Rare collectibles for sale buy vintage collectible items. If possible identify the books date of publication. How to find out how much your old books are worth sapling. We have thousands of rare and antique treasures brought to you by our network of trusted sellers from all around the world. Lacking years of experience, such lists are critical for my reference. Rare and valuable books old and not so old books worth. Discover your rare book source, featuring outofprint books and antique books. Rare books are not a highmargin or flybynight business, so if you see that this seller is wellestablished, you can trust them to appropriately value your book. If you own one of these rare books, youre sitting on a gold. When buying rare books online, it can be difficult to trust the person who is selling the book.
Here within are found books rare and ancient, starting with the earliest printed works encompassing incunabula, 15th century. Certain books are valuable just for their cultural significance, just like. Alibris is one of the premier rare and outofprint book sites on the internet. There are a number of ways that a book may, at first glance, look to be a rare collectible, but upon closer examination. Make sure that the copy you have matches the copy that is being offered. At the age of six he began with sea shells, and soon graduated to coins, the gateway drug. Another website that is excellent for finding very rare books is catawiki. A missing dust jacket, or a dust jacket that is in poor condition, can cut a collectible books value more than 50%, and make it harder to find a buyer. Even if theyre not rare comic books, they are collectible. Most rare book collectors agree that antique books are far older than vintage books, an important distinction for the purpose of collection and resale. List of most expensive books and manuscripts wikipedia.
For many book collectors, the value of their antique books is more than a specific. Rare and valuable books find rare books online at the. Well known to book collectors and booklovers, our site is an excellent resource for discovering a rough value of an old book. Vintage and antique books best price on antique books online. The humanities department has resources to help you find out. Use the search box above begin by completing the title and author fields. Cracks, chips, tears, and stains will greatly diminish the value. They also put on about 60 book fairs a year, which are a great place to find books. Whether youre a budding rare book collector or a bibliophile with an evniable collection, discover an amazing selection of rare and collectable books from booksellers around the.
Take all these figures and average them out to find an approximate value. When searching for rare books, please do not search by isbn. The best websites to buy collectible and first edition books. For best results, please search by title and author. Before the first edition of the tale of peter rabbit was released, its author beatrix potter commissioned a private publishing of the now iconic childrens book a year earlier in 1901. Find signed books, first editions, antiquarian books and more. A book in very good condition may only be worth about half of the fine value.
Look inside the book and identify the books publisher complete the publisher field. After all, rare books can be a huge investment, and if you cant see the condition of the book before you buy, you are taking a risk. Certain genres are valued by collectors, such as cookbooks. Warren, whose price guide books have been the authority on collectibles values since 1985. Explore thousands of old and rare books, including illuminated manuscripts, fine press editions, illustrated books, incunabula, limited editions and miniature books. There are old comic books on pulp paper which are highly collectible, and probably some series books and mass market books as well, but with childrens juvenile or picture books, be wary of pulp paper unless it is a collectible wartime edition. Get cozy and expand your home library with a large online selection of books at. Has every book imaginable, including many collectors rare editions.
Read more about conditions of books, music and movies in our condition guide. The dates of composition of the books range from the 7thcentury quran leaf palimpsest and the early 8th century. Links to websites to help you value, sell or find rare books. Over the past 40 years, a number of books have been published every other year or so that list the value of certain types of records. How to find, buy, and sell used and rare books by ian c.
Due to its very limited numbers, in our time is considered one of the rare books for book collectors around the world. Of course, as with anything, rare comic books hold more value than common editions. Abebooks specializes in rare books, great place to research book values. Rare and valuable books find rare books online at the best. These include most bibles, encyclopedias, textbooks printed after 1850, collected editions and reprints. Rare books, learn how to find, buy, and collect them.
Also keep an eye on the latest superhero movies when digging through your vintage comic books. Whether youre a budding rare book collector or a bibliophile with an evniable collection, discover an amazing selection of rare and collectible books from booksellers around the. We specialize in making it easier for you to get the books you need. One very simple method of finding an approximate value of a book is to search. If you have one of these rare books sitting on a shelf, get ready to cash in. A minor flaw in a hardtofind book wont affect the value nearly as much as in a more common or recent book. The name for the splotches, spots, and specks you often see on older books. Use the search box above to find fond treasures from your childhood or that one book that has escaped your collection thus far. Most useful was a list of 1001 moreorless collectible books listed by author at the back. One of the most popular and critically acclaimed books of the last two decades, yann martels man booker prize winning the life of pi is also one of the most highly collectible. As with most collectible items, the fewer copies that exist, the more valuable each individual remaining copy is. Age or scarcity alone are hardly sufficient to make a rare book also valuable. Jan 19, 2006 books this article is more than 14 years old. A rare book is not simply an old book, its not a now out of print book and its not a book that has simply been passed down because of its sentimental value.
Vinyl records value rare records rare rock, jazz and r. The private collector also acquired a number of other literary rarities, such as a christmas carol by charles. Since 1997, bookfinder has made it easy to find any book at the best price. Apparently, the canadian alfred a knopf editions are the copies that matter most to collectors. Many books were published around the turn of the last century with elaborate chromolitho covers and. Use our antique book search to find and get the best price on vintage and antique. The dust jacket is both the most decorative part of a book, and the most delicate. Some of the most popular areas of collecting today include. Apr 16, 2008 how to find out how much a book is worth. Sep 17, 2016 you never know where you will find rare books, sometimes, you might even find one in a used bookstore. Starting in the late 1970s, the easiest way to find out about vinyl records value was to consult a price guide.
This is a useful thing to have around at book sales and the like along with a good guide to first editions although not especially wieldy as provided. You never know where you will find rare books, sometimes, you might even find one in a used bookstore. Books are valued for the significance of their contents, their. Lot 5 of green shades of green old vintage antique rare hardcover random. How to search on abebooks to find the value of your book. Nearmint versions of records, for example, will go for double what a copy with a little ring wear, dinged corners, and. Global catalog of library collections antiquarian booksellers association of america. Always try to compare several copies of the book to ensure that you are getting the best value for your money.
You can visit the strands rare book room on the third floor, monday sunday 9. Values relate to first editions in very good condition. This is a dutch auction site, with books from mostly europe, but around the world. Factors such as moisture and humidity and the storage of your collection can have a significant impact on how well your books retain their value. Explore unique, collectible and unusual items from the finest booksellers in the world. Has every book imaginable, including many collectors rare editions abebooks specializes in rare books, great place to research book values mostly specializes in used textbooks if you are a student check them out. You might think its a rare and valuable book but dont know where to find its value. Justice league of america comics click for main article have peaked and then declined in value, as speculation and then profit taking around the jla movie came and went. New listing the i ching book of changes easton press leather collectors edition rare. Rare books, outofprint books online half price books. Learn how to research the value of rare books in this free book collecting video from a longtime bookstore buyer. Like any item, a book is worth what someone is willing to pay for it. The best way to find the rare book values for books you already own is to do some searching online to see what the going rate is for the book you have. Top 10 most collectible cookbooks cookbook village.
Rare books for sale, buy antique books from alibris. If you own one of these rare books, youre sitting on a. There is never a wrong time to think about how best to care for your rare books. Certain books, even very old ones, are not particularly rare. Whether you want the cheapest reading copy or a specific collectible edition, with bookfinder, youll find just the right book. How to identify, collect, and sell rare books lifehacker. Books in good condition may only be worth onesixth to onetenth of the fine value. Vintage and antique books can be extremely valuable, providing you get the.