Resource for determining value of old books?

Cafe Society
1

We are starting the arduous process of sorting and getting rid of books in sweetie’s parents’ basement; literally hundreds of them, mostly art books, history books in a few different languages, magazines, and some other odds and ends. We’re well aware that most old books sell for near-literally a dime a dozen and the best place for the vast majority of it is probably going to be either Salvation Army or the recycling bin, but many of these are very handsome volumes that might have value in the right market, and in the first day of emptying shelves we’ve already found one that in fact appears to be rare and collectible. The writer of this article estimates there might be 50 copies in existence. The four copies I managed to find for sale online ranged in price from $75 to $1500.

If I want to [del]waste[/del] take the time to search out the right market for a handful of potentially valuable books, can anyone recommend sites online that might be a better place to start than others, to help me quickly find the people most likely to be interested in what we have?

2

There’s probably a better way, but I would check out http://used.addall.com/ and see if something sticks out as being worth a lot.

By the by, instead of throwing books away, I can take them off your hands!!

3

I’d do a search at Abe Books ( http://www.abebooks.com/ ) and see what comparable tomes are selling for.

4

www.bookfinder.com is a metasearch site that searches not only abebooks but a couple of dozen other major sites. It’s where I always start.

The reason for the wide range of prices the OP found is that books, especially books for children, are priced entirely according to their condition. You take a huge hit for anything in less than near perfect condition.

5

Check ebay, because you just never know. If nothing else, it may give you an idea on what something will sell for.

Actually, it’s probably the best way to maximize your receipts if you want to get rid of them after you’re done your research.