I have a 1976 Star Trek Concordance book in pretty good shape with an episode location wheel on the cover. I’m thinking of putting it up for auction at E-bay, but I don’t know if it is actually worth anything.
It tells all about the series then, with plot synopsis, art work and such and somewhere, I have a sister book containing the schematics for the USS Enterprise in great detail, printed the same year.
So, what do you think? Would it be worth it to put it up on E-bay or just shelve it for another 20 years or so. I’ve got an original Tom Swift book that I thought would be worth a bundle, only to discover it’s worth roughly $5, and I paid $1.60 for it in the 60s, so I don’t know what the Star Trek book might be worth.
I’ve spotted quite a few ST posts here off and on, so I thought I’d ask.
This is not a promotion to attempt to sell this item on the SDMB.
but keep on checking back. E-bay is really strange at times. I like to track stuff for several months to get a clearer picture, so start by “watching” those auctions now, and continue every week to do a search to find more.
Example: My SO wanted a copy of an old lp by Arch Obolor, called “Drop Dead”. It comes up fairly regularly. I started trying seriously to win one, it took about a month 'cause I wouldn’t pay a stupid amount of $$. The bids over the month went from around 16$ - 20, (I scored one at $15.87), but I also kept track for a while afterward. One just sold for: $101.50 I’m not kidding. and another went bidless for $10. go figure.
With books, it is all condition, and “first edition”- so is yours in absolutely perfect, like the day it was bought, and a “1st”? If no, then retail, maybe half cover, wholesale 10% of cover. (Worked at a used book store)
I would also suggest hitting a sci-fi convention in your area. There are a few smaller cons that pander mainly to the TV crowd (they’re the ones that get second-string actors on the bigger sci-fi shows, but the con consists mostly of dealer tables), but almost every major city has its own “legitimate” sci-fi convention, which usually focuses on literature and less on TV/movies. They also have dealer rooms, but also have a lot of knowledgable people and panels and activities and such.
Really ** Esprix**??
See, I figure that real down home serious fans would be at conventions. These would be people who would research the appropriate price for specific items to the nth degree.
whereas on e-bay, you’ve got everybody and their grandma. The grandma is the key.
when I’ve watched specific items on e-bay, I’ve seen wide variations on prices(in addition to the above example, I watched copies of Patrick Dennis’ “little me” for about 6 months, they varied in price from $3 for hardbound edition with dust cover to $80 for hardbound edition without dust cover) what seems to happen on e-bay is that you’ll find casual collectors or people who know their husband really is into star trek, but don’t really know about it themselves, and see an item, figure it’s their only chance and bid like crazy.
No, no, I meant check the cons out just to get a price idea, not necessarily to sell the item. eBay is probably your better bet for selling it, but it would be good to have an idea what it’s actually worth to a collector.
Wait till the next movie comes out. There is always a frenzy just before a movie opens. Have your auction end just befor the fillm opens and that should give you the best price.