Old Books
Like any antique piece (furniture for example) old books can be collectibles as well as useful objects. If you happen to have some older books laying around now is the time to take a look at them, check out their condition and restore if necessary and of course read them. Some old books are worth quite a lot and are pieces of history highly sought after. If you think that the old book you found is rare then by all means consult a professional to make an estimation of book’s worth. Who knows you might just own a rare book of high historical value.
First editions of classics, historical and scientific books are rare and important and usually worth a lot. To preserve them we must keep them out of direct sunlight and extreme changes in the environment. Humidity can harm old as well as new books so it is recommended that you keep old books in a dark and dry places.
There are many antique used bookstores where you can buy and sell old books that are out of print. With frequent visits to used bookstores you can stumble upon some jewels once in a while. That is of course if you are interested in owning and/or collecting old books. If you are just interested in reading then there are some good news. Most old books are copyright free, in public domain and are freely available in digital form on the Internet. Printed old books are usually cheap and widely available at pretty much any bookstore.
If you happen to have a rare book in your possession and would like to sell it the first thing to do is contact your nearest bookseller. But do make sure your book is appraised by a professional before you offer it to any bookseller for a fixed price. You can also sell it in an auction either offline or online. Auction houses are happy to auction rare books and sometimes the higher prices can be had in live auction since serious collectors visit auctions hunting for old and rare books. If your book is appraised do not forget to set the reserve price.
Some popular books that are valuable:
- The Catcher in the Rye, 1st edition, 1st printing from 1951 published by Boston: Little, Brown in mint condition can be sold for over five thousand dollars
- The Hobbit , 1st edition, 1st printing from 1937 is worth more than three thousand dollars
- The Hitchhiker’s Guide To The Galaxy, original editions are worth more than two thousand dollars
- The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, 1st editions can fetch more than thousand dollars