I was gifted a book which appears to be rare and valuable, printed in 1813, and which I now wish to sell. Should I use eBay or an auction house like Southerby's or is there a better way to sell the book so that I can obtain close to its market value?
2007-01-19 11:34:33 · 7 answers · asked by Bernie M 1 in Arts & Humanities ➔ Books & Authors
My father always had great luck with eBay.
2007-01-19 11:38:02 · answer #1 · answered by ? 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Research the title and author online first. If you find no hits, you may have something of worth. I have had great success selling books on ebay; depending on the book one can get a feeding frenzy going on a book that is not necessarily that valuable but generates bids for other reasons. Like the other person said, old books do not necessarily mean great value. Something else about the book could be more valuable then the book, like colored plates (pictures). Old descriptive and colorful flower/herb books are in this category. Much as I dislike destroying a book, if the leather is worn, the spine cracked or pages falling out the pictures in the book may be worth salvaging and selling separately.
Two sites online that are good for researching books:
< www.abebooks.com >
< http://www.trussel.com/f_books.htm>
The second one is a goldmine of book lore. It is a metasearcher- you can plug in the name of your book and it will search book sellers all over the world for you.
Good luck with your search!
2007-01-19 12:02:05 · answer #2 · answered by debisbooked 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Make sure you don't do anything to it, search the title online, and ask bookstores specializing in these types of books. Also note any inscriptions in the book that could make it more valuable (like if it was signed by someone famous, etc. An old book in itself is not nescessarily valuable just because it's old. Subject, condition, and the like are all factors. I don't know if Sothebys would be interested, but you can ask. Ebay would be a good bet, but have it aappraised first.
2007-01-19 11:44:17 · answer #3 · answered by misteri 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
On eBay you can either sell it for 5 or 1,00. It depends on how much the buyer wants to cheat you out of money. I'd find a rare book collector and see how much their willing to give you. Look the net worth price of the book first.
2007-01-19 11:40:28 · answer #4 · answered by vampire_ryooshi 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I would get it assessed first by someone at an auction house to find out what its value is. They can also tell you what sort of demand there is for that title/author. That will determine if you can sell it on ebay or at sothebys.
2007-01-19 11:39:59 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
i would use a auction house or try selling it to an antique seller/buyer. i wouldn't use eBay for something like that.
2007-01-19 12:23:16 · answer #6 · answered by ~*~AmethystMoonBeams~*~ 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
EBAY!!!!!!!!!!!! Definitely, my mommy uses it all the time and is flippin CRAZZY about eBay
2007-01-19 12:46:19 · answer #7 · answered by bookworm 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋