How to Appraise First Edition Books

Reading can be an lifetime investment in learning; it can make good financial sense too. When making a purchasing decision, selling your collection or valuing for insurance purposes, it is important to appraise your book.

Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

Things You’ll Need:

• books
• internet
• auction house
• vintage booksellers

1. Before valuing your book, you need to determine its condition. 'Mint/As New' describes an item in absolutely pristine condition (No marks, dog ears, with dustjacket). 'Fine' should be used if your title has no defects but is not as crisp. Very good can be used for small signs of wear and tear. 'Good'describes a book with an average use of wear and tear - but all pages should be present and intact. A book that may be missing endpages or title pages would fall under the description of 'fair' and 'poor' may be soiled, stained or spotted. The binding may be loose on your copy. If the binding is detached in any way, it is called a 'binding copy'.
2. Other factors need to be considered when valuing your first edition book, such as whether it has been autographed, was a library edition or part of a book club.
3. Unfortunately, there isn't any one specific book that will pinpoint the precise value of your book. However, you may find a price range for your book in one of the following books: American Book Prices (Leab);
   Used Book Price Guide (Mandeville); A Handbook For Book Lovers (LaFontaine).
   Bookman’s Price Index (McGrath) Book Prices: Used and Rare (Zempel & Verkler)
4. You can also approximate its value online by visiting e-bay, Bookfinder, Abes Books or Bibliofind. All site links can be found in resources section. Simply run a search with your title's basic details to find out how much your title is selling for it the marketplace.
5. If you are appraising your book for insurance purposes, it is best to visit a specialist. The Antiquarian Booksellers of America Association (ABAA) have a directory of vintage book specialists - listed by state and subject matter. Simply get in touch with a bookseller directly for the information (and documentation) you require. You might need to supply them with images of the books.