Where Can I Sell My Rare Book?
How much are rare books worth?
The most valuable rare books carry significance beyond rarity. They often have historical or religious influence, or they’re first editions, inscribed by supremely popular authors or otherwise noteworthy. The table below depicts auction prices paid for some of the rarest books in the world as well as a few books you might have hiding on your bookshelf.BOOK | AUCTION PRICE | AUCTION YEAR | NOTES |
$30.8 million | 1994 | Leonardo da Vinci’s original 16th century manuscript | |
$9.65 million | 2018 | John James Audubon’s illustrated masterpiece, one of only 13 still in the hands of private owners | |
$5.39 million | 1987 | One of 48 surviving copies originally printed by Joann Gutenberg. Adjusted for inflation, the price tag would be more than $12 million today | |
$662,500 | 2009 | One of 12 known copies of Edgar Allan Poe’s first book | |
$467,000 | 2016 | One of seven originals handwritten by J.K. Rowling. Another sold at a charity auction for $3.98 million | |
$321,600 | 2004 | First edition of Ernest Hemingway’s short story collection | |
$200,000 | 2015 | First edition, inscribed by J.R.R. Tolkien | |
$162,500 | 2018 | First edition, signed and inscribed by F. Scott Fitzgerald | |
$90,000 | 2019 | 500 copies originally printed with mistakes, including a misspelled title on the back cover | |
$70,715 | 2019 | Inscribed copy of Ian Fleming’s first James Bond novel | |
$55,882 | 2016 | First edition | |
$47,800 | 2007 | First edition | |
$8,750 | 2017 | First limited edition | |
$7,500 | 2018 | Second edition inscribed by Jack Kerouac | |
$4,499 | 2018 | First edition | |
$1,750 | 2017 | First edition |
Know what your book is worth
The first step toward successfully selling your rare book at the highest price is to know what you have. Knowledge is power, and when you know what your book is worth you’ll know whether potential buyers are making good offers. Start by conducting your own research to find out what your book is worth; then, you can consider taking your book to an appraiser to verify your conclusion. Book values are determined by the following criteria:Did You Know? Some Star Wars books are worth thousands. Learn more |
Location of publication – If a book is published in two places at once (for example, New York and London), the location that distributes to booksellers first is considered to be the origin of the “true” first edition. “True” first editions can be more valuable. Author – If the author is well-known to have historical or literary significance, your book will be worth more. If it features an authentic author signature, it will be worth even more. Famous ownership – If a book is documented to have been owned by a famous person, it can be worth more – especially if that person wrote in the book. Autographs – Autographed books are rarer and often more valuable, especially if they’re signed or inscribed by famous authors, celebrities and artists.
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● Very Fine or As New (VF): The highest grade describes a book that is just as it left the publisher
● Fine (F): A fine book has no visible flaws, yet has aged
● Very Good (VG): The most common collectible grade refers to a book that has minimal signs of wear
● Good (G): Despite its name, “good” isn’t considered good in the rare book market. A good book is whole, but may have a major flow such as a liquid stain
● Fair (F): A book in fair condition has significant wear, ink marks, stamps, or even torn or missing pages (but not text pages)
● Poor/Reading Copy (P): A book in poor condition has all its text pages but is otherwise damaged. Reading copies, such as those with library card holders, are considered to be in poor condition Keep in mind that even though the condition of your book will affect its price, even books in poor condition could be valuable. An exceedingly rare copy of a world-changing work could command a high price no matter its condition.
Researching book values
Once you’ve determined your book’s condition and other features, you can research its value by comparing what similar books have sold for.Want an accurate valuation? Read expert advice on how to get your book appraised |
- Both Flipsy.com and Direct Textbook let you instantly compare book prices from more than 200 reputable online vendors, including Amazon.com, eBay, and Abe Books
- Sites such as Abe Books and Biblio feature rare book search engines, though results could include non-rare editions
- Paid services like RareBookHub and American Book Prices Current provide rare book auction data, which makes it easy to see what similar books have sold for
- You can enlist the services of a book appraiser for a more definitive valuation. Find an appraiser registered with the Appraisers Association of America, the Antiquarian Booksellers Association of America, the American Society of Appraisers or the International Society of Appraisers. A professional appraisal could cost anywhere between $25 and $100 per hour
- You can also contact auction houses directly. If your book is valuable, they might want to represent you at auction and can give you a good idea for how much it’s worth. Sotheby’s, for example, offers a complementary online auction estimate
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Where to sell your rare and expensive book
Armed with the knowledge of what your book is worth, you’ll be able to set your price and find the highest available offer. There are three main ways you can sell your rare book: to booksellers, via auction houses, and to private collectors. Selling rare books to booksellers You can sell your rare book to a bookseller, but keep in mind that booksellers are operating a business and have to cover their expenses as well as earn a profit from reselling your book. That means a bookseller will most likely only offer 40 to 50 percent of your book’s actual “retail” value. Many booksellers are also appraisers; you never sell your book to the same person who appraised it. Ethical booksellers won’t allow such a conflict of interest.Have an old book without an ISBN? How to find its value |
Where to sell your rare book online
- Flipsy.com – Sell your book on Flipsy
- Direct Textbook – Get the best price offer for your book
- Ebay – Run your own book auction
- Amazon.com – Sell your rare book on Amazon
- Abe Books – Look up individual book buyers
- Auction houses: Skinner Inc., Sotheby’s and Heritage Auctions are three auction houses that represent rare books
- Private booksellers and consigners – You can sell your rare books to private booksellers and consigners. Contact members of the Antiquarian Bookseller’s Association of America for leads, conduct an online search for “rare book buyers” to find local bookstores; or, check out these online options:
- Bauman Rare Books
- We Buy Old Books
- Rare Americana
- Rare Book Buyer
- Between The Covers
- Regency Antique Books
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