8/23/2023 0 Comments Selling old library booksA good guide to book collecting and the terminology used is 'The ABC for Book Collectors' by John Carter and Nicolas Barker. Because of the variety of books, it is easily possible to start a small collection for a few pounds - or, at the other extreme, to spend millions on acquiring very rare and fine books. Others collect books as material objects, choosing them for their fine bindings, the quality of the printing, or because of their interesting former owners. Some people collect books as reading matter, buying books on a subject that interests them or by a writer they enjoy. If you have an enquiry or would like to offer us a potential acquisition, please ask a question online.ĭo you fancy yourself as a book collector? There are many different kinds of book collectors. If the book really is rare and valuable, it may be worth contacting a conservation specialist to advise on the cost of restoration. Often, rare books turn up in a worn condition. Sometimes people dispose of books because they look tatty or dirty. You may need an expert to tell the copy from the original. An example is the first edition of the poems of Robert Burns, of which there are several facsimiles. Sometimes books are published as exact, even photographic, copies of earlier, valuable books. Many people have 18th- or 19th-century Bibles these are rarely of any significant value, as so many were produced. We cannot give formal valuations as a matter of policy, but we can try to help once you have tried the options suggested above. We are often asked about the value of people's books. Even if your book seems uninteresting, there is probably someone who wants to read it! The National Library of Scotland also accepts donations which are in line with our collection development policy. Many charity shops are keen to take books, and some libraries will accept donations of books they don't already have. Nobody wants to buy your book? If you want to get rid of it, please consider other options. Many people also sell books direct online through websites such as ebay. The two main auction houses in Scotland are Lyon and Turnbull and Bonhams. If you have a large number of books to sell, you might consider sending them to auction, although you should still seek valuations first. It is a good idea to get at least two valuations. Bear in mind that bookdealers buy books in the expectation that they will be able to sell them for a higher price. children's books), and so might be better placed than others to sell your particular book. Some booksellers specialise in different kinds of books (e.g. If you decide that your book is worth selling, we would strongly recommend that you go to a professional bookseller registered with the Antiquarian Booksellers Association. For example, if it is signed by the author or in a finely-decorated leather binding, it might be worth more if it is missing pages, has been nibbled by mice or has ugly graffiti, it might be worth very little, unless it is truly rare. If you find that your book appears to be worth something, think about anything that might affect the value of your particular copy. Many bookdealers now use websites, so do some searches to see if there are other copies of your book for sale right now. This will hopefully tell you more about the book, and may give you an idea of how common it is. You could try our Library Search service or a multi-library catalogue like COPAC. Use these details to search some online library catalogues (databases of books), to see if libraries have the book. Can you find the name of the author, the title, the place where it was published and the date of publication? This information may be on the cover, on the title-page, or even on a page at the back. Have a good look at the book to see what you can learn about it. You will need to do some checking first to see if it is worth anything at all. Although there are a small number of books which can sell for hundreds of thousands of pounds, you should not expect that your book will make you an instant fortune. You may have questions about the contents of the book, or about its former owners, but you may also be interested in its value.įrom time to time there are news stories about the discovery or sale of very valuable books. You find a dusty box full of books in the corner of the attic you spot a book that looks interesting in a car boot sale you find that a relative has left you a family Bible. Many people first encounter rare books by chance.
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