| An antique book is more than a collection of pages | | | | in order to identify and appraise it. You may submit |
| by your favorite author. It is a piece of history, a | | | | photographs if you cannot see the dealer in person |
| glimpse into the past. One in which the binding was | | | | due to distance or time. They will require usually a |
| done by hand the paper often likewise and if far | | | | photograph of the title page, the back side of the |
| back enough in time, the pen was a quill. | | | | title page (also called the copyright page), the first |
| There are many factors which influence the value of | | | | and last pages of text, and the outer covers and |
| an antique book, as in all antiques. First there is the | | | | spine in order to evaluate an individual copy. It is best |
| condition of the book. The binding, the pages, | | | | to have very close up, quality photographs if you |
| whether dog-eared or torn, or God forbid, missing. | | | | must go this route. If you are not proficient with a |
| The pages may have notes written on them. (Which | | | | digital camera, ask one of your friends to do it for |
| can often be valuable in themselves if penned by a | | | | you. The popularity of digital cameras today makes |
| famous person or under unusual circumstances) or | | | | quality photos easy to accomplish. Do not try and |
| they may be damaged or stained or any number of | | | | photocopy the book! This produces very poor results |
| factors which will affect their desirability. In the same | | | | and may in fact damage the book due to the |
| way if a book is signed by it's author this usually | | | | pressure exerted upon the spine in this process. |
| increases it's price, although in the modern world not | | | | You often hear the phrase "first edition" in reference |
| necessarily as "book signings" are all too common as | | | | to books and this can influence the price of the book |
| a marketing tool and have helped to downplay the | | | | if there were, in fact more than one edition! Many |
| importance of a signed edition. All of these factors | | | | times there were not. Be careful when someone |
| contribute to the overall value of your antique book. | | | | touts the first edition status of an antique book and |
| The overall availability is a factor in price but is not | | | | attempt to determine for yourself if there were |
| necessarily the main factor as a book may be hard | | | | indeed subsequent editions. Again remember to use |
| to find but not desirable. In other words it may be | | | | all of the resources online and elsewhere to obtain |
| rare but nobody wants it! Confusing? Yes it can be. It | | | | valuable and often free information on your antique |
| is prudent to consult a dealer to appraise your | | | | book. There are several national societies of book |
| antique book whether for insurance purposes or | | | | dealers, "antiquarians" and of course appraisers that |
| because you are attempting to sell it. In the final | | | | you may take advantage of in the search for |
| analysis, antiques are always only worth as much as | | | | information. There are also book collecting societies |
| someone is willing to pay for it. | | | | that you may investigate. Take your time and learn |
| Appraisals Dealers usually need to see the book itself | | | | all you can before you buy or sell your antique book. |