# Should I Have This Old Bible Appraised? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [March 22, 2011, 10:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-have-this-old-bible-appraised/575655 "2011-03-22T22:09:27Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Washoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/ecae2f/32.png) [@Washoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Washoe)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2011, 10:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-have-this-old-bible-appraised/575655/1 "2011-03-22T22:09:27Z")
Several years ago I found a [263-year-old leather bound bible](http://www.ericlevonian.com/bible.JPG) while cleaning out a house after its occupant had passed away. Can anybody tell me more about it? I’ve been Googling, but can’t find anything that matches it exactly. On the outside though, it looks exactly like [this one](http://www.liveauctioneers.com/item/7657792). Does it have any monetary value? ---
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2011, 10:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-have-this-old-bible-appraised/575655/2 "2011-03-22T22:43:29Z")
> **[Item no longer available](https://www.abebooks.com/books/search)** > > The item you are looking for is no longer available. This is the same one from a German bookseller. He wants $330. ---
**Author:** ![Edward\_The\_Head](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ce73a5/32.png) [@Edward\_The\_Head](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Edward_The_Head)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2011, 11:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-have-this-old-bible-appraised/575655/3 "2011-03-22T23:47:30Z")
Has it been written it with dates of birth, marriage and death? If so then you might be able to track down one of the modern family members of that family and see if they would like it. As for getting it appraised I don’t know the answer to that one. But you could do that and then donate it to the local historical society and write it off your taxes. ---
**Author:** ![spifflog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c5a1d2/32.png) [@spifflog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/spifflog)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2011, 12:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-have-this-old-bible-appraised/575655/4 "2011-03-23T00:13:37Z")
The problem is, there are a ton of bibles out there, and a lot of old ones. That combined with the fact that there isn’t a big market for them means that old ones aren’t worth all that much. ---
**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2011, 12:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-have-this-old-bible-appraised/575655/5 "2011-03-23T00:51:58Z")
In what location did you find it? What is its condition? It may be just me but it would be worth more personally than a few hundred dollars. I would display it in a way that it stays preserved. Not many people own books that old and I think it is cool. If you are in the U.S., I will pay you something for it just because I like it. ---
**Author:** ![thelabdude](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/dc4da7/32.png) [@thelabdude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thelabdude)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2011, 1:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-have-this-old-bible-appraised/575655/6 "2011-03-23T01:45:33Z")
There was a column in our local paper last week about a family digging up grandma because they remember the Bible they buried with her looked just like one worth $450,000. I would do some digging before disposing of it. Get the info out of the front of it and contact some rare book dealers. ---
**Author:** ![Washoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/ecae2f/32.png) [@Washoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Washoe)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2011, 3:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-have-this-old-bible-appraised/575655/7 "2011-03-23T03:21:46Z")
Bet they were digging fast and furious, too. ---
**Author:** ![Floater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/dc4da7/32.png) [@Floater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Floater)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2011, 11:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-have-this-old-bible-appraised/575655/8 "2011-03-23T11:34:01Z")
What **spifflog** said. Old bibles are thirteen in a dozen. ---
**Author:** ![Cluricaun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/bb73d2/32.png) [@Cluricaun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cluricaun)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2011, 1:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-have-this-old-bible-appraised/575655/9 "2011-03-23T13:07:09Z")
I have a really nice family bible that’s the size of a small steamer trunk that’s got all the cool leather bound, latched, and embossed stuff you could ever hope for that I got at a garage sale about 10 years ago. It’s from the early 1800’s and it’s worth…roughly what I paid for it, which was about $30 if memory serves. The bibles that are worth money are the reaaaaaaly old ones, especially if it’s a famous edition such as the Sinners Bible. ---
**Author:** ![HeyHomie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/heyhomie/32/207_2.png) [@HeyHomie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HeyHomie)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2011, 5:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-have-this-old-bible-appraised/575655/10 "2011-03-23T17:36:28Z")
A woman I work with (who is a professional antique dealer) collects old Bibles. I’ll ask her and get back to the thread before the day is out. ---
**Author:** ![HeyHomie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/heyhomie/32/207_2.png) [@HeyHomie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HeyHomie)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2011, 6:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-have-this-old-bible-appraised/575655/11 "2011-03-23T18:01:02Z")
> [@HeyHomie](#): > > A woman I work with (who is a professional antique dealer) collects old Bibles. I’ll ask her and get back to the thread before the day is out. She offered $50 due to the condition of the cover, and the fact that it’s paper instead of - something (vellum, maybe?0. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2011, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-have-this-old-bible-appraised/575655/12 "2011-03-23T18:04:10Z")
> [@Floater](#): > > What **spifflog** said. Old bibles are thirteen in a dozen. Yeah, I have my great-grandfather’s bible, printed in 1861 or so. It’s valuable to me as a keepsake, and also because it has some genealogy information written in it, but its monetary value is nil.