does anyone collect old "bibles"?

Question

we inherited my mother in laws bible. we were wondering if it is worth anything. it is, the holy bible,good leader edition,clarified. copywrite,1957. i tried a short search on the web,but could'nt find anything about it.maybe someone on here knows something about old bibles, thanks,susyq47

Answer 1

me

Answer 2

I only look at and buy bibles which have personal information relating to my genealogies. Being the family historian a lot of the family bibles have passed to me - the oldest I have was printed in the 1790's and belonged to my great great great grandmother.

I have bought a few bibles off of eBay which also had family information in them.

As for printing and antiquities values I don't know much about that. Perhaps you should pose the question to a local antiques dealer.

Answer 3

Bibles are worth what the eye of the beholder says it's worth. I would think checking on eBay or a vintage book store could garner some answers for you. I have a Bible way older than that but to me it's precious and not sell able. It's there to be read.

Answer 4

I have a really big bible that someone wrote in there with the year 1888 however you can tell it is a lot older than that. I cant find a year on it . I cant find a year on it. I would like to know how much its worth. I agree some people will pay a lot and some people wont. And to some its priceless.

Answer 5

I have a few. Thought about bidding on some on ebay. Go to ebay and you can see how they go. That'll give you a ballpark figure.

Don't want to disappoint, but a 1957 one is probably still a current Bible, not that old.

Answer 6

With Bibles Most collecters are not interested in anything from the 1900s

Answer 7

Well, older bibles are more accurate. The newer ones have people reading that Jesus died on a cross and they also took out God's trye name, Jehovah. In your old bible look in Psalms for his anem and I know that it says Jehovah in that part of the bible atleast once.

Answer 8

I give below a detailed note about rare old books which will make the popsition about the Bible edition you have clear.


1. What makes a book rare?

Over the past 500 years, millions and millions of books, pamphlets, magazines, newspapers, and broadsides have come off printing presses. Only a small portion of these pieces, however, would be considered "rare" by specialists. In simple terms, a book achieves some degree of rarity only when the demand for it is greater than the supply. Such a broad definition suggests that rarity is very subjective. Indeed it is, and this fact keeps collectors, dealers, and librarians constantly on the lookout for books previously neglected but now seen as important. Unfortunately, there are no easy formulas or unequivocal guides to rarity. In fact, there is often no one distinctive feature that will set a rare book apart from other books. In the final analysis, the most essential factor is the book's intrinsic importance, for only books with some acknowledged importance will have a consumer demand that creates market value and a sense of rarity.

2. What makes a book important?

"Of the making of books there is no end"--and the topics books cover are equally infinite. The books that are most sought are the significant editions of major works in the arts and sciences. These include early reports of discoveries or inventions, early texts of important literary or historical works, books with illustrations that give a new interpretation of a text or are the work of a fine artist and early examples of printing-imprints--within a given country or region. Books may have added interest if the text was originally suppressed or little acknowledged in its own day, with the result that few copies survive today. A book also can have physical characteristics that lend importance - a special binding, first use of a new printing process, an innovative design, an autograph or inscription.

3. Where are rare books found?

Because books are portable they turn up everywhere, from well-ordered private libraries to attics, basements, and barns. Books found in out-of- the-way places, however, often show signs of neglect. Given the importance of condition for collectors, librarians, and dealers, the book that has been well cared for has a much better chance of being valuable than a book treated
as rare
4. Are all old books rare?
The age of a book has very little to do with its value. Dealers, collectors, and librarians, however, do use some broad time spans to establish dates of likely importance: e.g., all books printed before 1501, English books printed before 1641, books printed in the Americas before 1801 and books printed west of the Mississippi before 1850. These dates are rough guidelines at best and are always subject to the overriding factors of intrinsic importance, condition, and demand.

5. What is the difference between a rare book and a second-hand book?

Books found in attics, basements, and yard sales often appear to be old, interesting, or valuable to people unfamiliar with the vast numbers of books that survive from earlier centuries. While it is always possible to find a rare book in any setting, the second-hand book is more likely to be encountered than the rare book. A gray area exists between these two categories, but for the most part, a second-hand book is a used book that is not distinguished by its edition, provenance, binding, or overall condition; its retail price generally is quite modest.

6. Does scarcity mean rarity?

A book known to exist in only a few copies may have value if it has importance and is in demand. A book without importance or demand has little value regardless of how few copies survive. The National Union Catalog: Pre-1956 Imprints, other union bibliographies, and online databases such as OCLC and RLIN, available through most libraries, will give you some idea of the number of surviving copies in major institutional libraries in North America. Determining the number of copies of a book in private hands is virtually impossible.

7. Does the number of copies printed determine a book's value?

The production figures for print runs are seldom available. Even if the number of original copies is known, this information seldom provides an idea of current worth. Exceptions occur in the case of works by noted authors that made their first appearances in editions of very small quantities. Also, some books printed in the twentieth century are finely produced on handpresses in very limited editions. A limitation statement alone does not make a book valuable, but the fact the edition is limited will be one of the factors that determines its value.

8. What about condition?

Condition is a major factor in determining a book's value along with intrinsic importance, supply, and demand. Condition refers to both the book's external physical appearance and to the completeness of its contents. A book in "fine" condition is complete in all respects, has no tears or other signs of misuse or overuse, and is in an original or appropriate and intact binding. A book that has been rebound or is in less than fine condition must be very important or in high demand to be of substantial value. Loose pages are a defect, and missing pages or illustrations are a major fault that will make most books almost valueless.

9. Will someone want my single volume of a set to fill in their set?

Single volumes of sets or incomplete sets have little appeal to booksellers, collectors, and librarians. The chance of finding a buyer with a set missing the exact volume or volumes is very remote.

10. What kinds of books are usually not rare?

Bibles

No single work has been printed more often than the Bible: therefore, an extremely small percentage of the total number has any monetary value at all. Bibles are treasured by their owners and have considerable sentimental value. Sentimental value, however, does not translate into importance or demand. Certain important editions of the Bible have long been collected. Generally recognized as important are: the earliest printed Bibles dating from renaissance times; the first authorized English (King James) version; and a variety of sixteenth- and seventeenth- century oddities such as the "Breeches" Bible, the "Vinegar" Bible, and the "Wicked" Bible, which are sought because of some misprint or peculiar wording.

Answer 9

I have one about printed in B'ham AL, in 1926 and another printed in 1881. They have to be rare and in excellent condition to have much value. Check with a seminary-

Answer 10

I do...I have about 15 or 16..I only have the one's that 100 years old or older...I have one from 1850's

Answer 11

I have one from 1938, I don't really think it's worth that much.