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Step 1
Know your books. Finding rare books is sometimes easier than you think because someone may have a book for sale that he doesn't realize is rare. If you have particular author in mind, know if she has books that others might not know are rare. You may be able to pick these up at a very inexpensive price if you use private sellers on eBay or online used bookstores.
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Step 2
Try a rare book finder online. Abe Books and Bauman are just two examples of the vast number of resources online (see Resources below for links). Dealers of rare books have collections for you to view on a number of different authors and titles. If they do not have what you're looking for, you can contact them, and most are more than willing to search for you for a nominal fee. Sometimes this fee can be included in the sale price if the book is found.
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Step 3
Use online auction sites and other online sellers. Online auction sites are an excellent way to find autographed and limited edition books. A lot of times people will attend book signings that you may not have the ability to attend in person and they will later offer those books for sale at a reasonable price. Rare books can be found as well, but may cost more. However, the price is usually much cheaper than if you bought it at an auction or estate sale.
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Step 4
Try Amazon to find rare books. Amazon not only has new books for sale but also offers material from private sellers. You can search Amazon for what you're looking for, and a private seller may have that rare book you need. There is a wide selection of signed and rare books on Amazon that can be much less expensive, especially if you find more than one seller offering the book.
Comments
erinatpbasf said
on 5/6/2009 You can also buy rare or collectible books online through our real time bidder (your bids are submitted online as the auction occurs) with PBA Galleries. With about two auctions per month, the variety of books we offer is staggering, but you can easily search by title on the website, www.pbagalleries.com