| The value of antique books (also known an | | | | Just open up an antique book and start reading. |
| 'antiquarian books') is no different than any other | | | | What's inside the pages? Is it an interesting topic or |
| antique in one sense - how much something is worth | | | | story, or is it perhaps written by an author who |
| depends on how much someone else is willing to pay | | | | might have some historical significance? Books by |
| for it. You have to consider things like the demand | | | | common, unknown authors about common, |
| for a particular book, the condition that it's in, and | | | | uninteresting topics are literally a dime a dozen. So |
| also how rare it is. Here is some practical information | | | | just because a book is old doesn't mean that it's |
| that can help you determine whether or not your | | | | valuable. |
| antique book is Goodwill material, or something | | | | But apart from the author and subject matter of a |
| special. | | | | book, there might be some physical characteristics |
| So you've been to a garage sale, an estate sale or | | | | that a book has which would increase its value as an |
| an auction, and you've hit the mother lode. Boxes of | | | | antique book. Does the book have an unusually |
| very old books that are obviously antiques. Since | | | | beautiful leather binding? Leather bindings tend to be |
| they're so old they must be worth something, right? | | | | more in demand than cloth or paper bindings, as a |
| Even though collecting antique books can be very | | | | rule. And even if an author or illustrator is unknown, if |
| lucrative, the truth is that just because a book is old | | | | a book has exceptionally nice illustrations it can easily |
| doesn't mean that it's valuable. | | | | fetch more money as a collectible. But if a book has |
| Relatively few books are actually still in demand, | | | | all the above characteristics and it's also by a |
| regardless of their age. There have been many | | | | significant author, then you've definitely struck gold in |
| books that were published that didn't even have a | | | | the antiquarian book world. |
| demand when they were new. We've all read books | | | | Many people have some old books around, gathering |
| that we considered basically worthless, either | | | | dust, that they continue to hang on to because they |
| because they were poorly written or edited, or | | | | believe the books might be worth something. |
| because they really weren't very interesting. Well, the | | | | Understand the qualities that make a book valuable, |
| same is true of antique books. For a very old book | | | | and you will have an idea if the books you've been |
| to still be in demand, it usually has to have something | | | | hanging on to are worth keeping. |
| special about it to begin with. | | | | |