book value, signed?

Question

I have an option to buy a 1953 dutch cook book signed by the author. Edna Eby Heller. It is in good condition. Any idea of the value on this? Thanks.

Answer 1

Glad you asked before buying. I went ahead and put the link on here to the ebay listings for her cookbooks. There are a number listed, so you'll need to figure out which is the one.

If you have the ISBN, you can always check the value in a few places: I use Amazon.com a lot because I sell there, and prices have to be competitive. Sometimes, however, I need more information and I use www.fetchbook.info and/or www.addall.com. These connect to a number of on-line sites (Powell's, BAM, Alibris, Amazon) and list what's out there.

Condition can make a difference and it's possible one cookbook is bargain priced while another is going for big bucks, due to rarity or edition.

I had a kid's book from a series that I went to list and stopped in shock - it was listed for well over $200 and was from 1979. It isn't that old and the other books in the series weren't going for the same price, so it was just one of those things.

Older and signatures don't always make a book more collectible. If there are tons of copies out there, it's going to be lower. If the condition is poor (including if there's a dust jacket) or it's from a library or book club, that affects it. Edition can make a difference, too, which is why you need to check it out. Stephen King's book, Carrie, in hardback, is worth some bucks if it's a first edition, but if it's a book club in excellent condition (which is what I found-bummer) not so much, though it looks the same (including dust jacket.)

More than you wanted to read, probably. :)

Answer 2

www.bestbookbuys.com compiles inventory of a variety of online book dealers, including the big ones like half.com, powells, alibris and abebooks. You can see what other people are trying to sell their copies for. Make sure you match the edition if there is more than one. The ISBN should match.

ebay has a feature that will email you when a listing that meets your criteria is listed, so you don't have to check every few days. This way, you can see what things actually sell for, not just the asking price. You can also search the last 30 days of their auctions to see what has sold recently.

Old books can be very valuable, or practically worthless. It depends on condition and availability, and, of course, demand.

Answer 3

The $5-$10 range. There are a couple for sale on Ebay right now.

Answer 4

Is the book a first edition, and is it in demand? Those factors affect whether or not it's considered a rare book:
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