| If you have a 200-year old family bible, or an old | | | | and also a challenge, even for some experienced |
| leather bound set of Charles Dickens, or a collection | | | | booksellers, to properly determine the edition of the |
| of leather bindings in foreign languages - you may be | | | | book and grade its condition and flaws. |
| wondering if they are worth anything in the age of | | | | Of course there is more to the value of books to an |
| selling collectibles on eBay and other venues. But did | | | | individual or family than purely their economic value. |
| you know that its age has very little to do with that | | | | Books have sentimental value, the value that comes |
| value within the collectibles market? | | | | from reading and appreciating them, and they also |
| Instead, the qualities of your book collection that | | | | have decorative value. There is almost nothing more |
| matter to book dealers and collectors are their | | | | beautiful and serene than antiquarian leather books |
| condition, how scarce they are and how in demand | | | | lined up by the foot in a home library especially when |
| they are at the time you wish to sell them. | | | | such a library contains the works of great authors |
| For example, your 200-year old family bible tracing its | | | | and literary classics. |
| roots to the German settlers in eastern Pennsylvania | | | | If you're looking to add to your collection of |
| may be of great interest to someone who is | | | | antiquarian books by the foot, you will be able to find |
| researching the Amish immigration to the Lancaster | | | | valuable books at prices below their true worth. Even |
| area. Especially if the bible is in excellent condition, all | | | | the most experienced and sharp-eyed collectors and |
| the pages are intact and your ancestors have been | | | | antiquarian book dealers miss valuable books. |
| meticulous about adding birth, marriage and death | | | | However you wish to measure the value of your |
| dates of your family members within it. Someone in | | | | leather books, it is helpful to have some assistance in |
| California, however, probably will pass it over with | | | | the process. I have helped clients catalog and |
| barely a glance. | | | | appraise their libraries to find hidden gems that can |
| If you have old leather books that you're looking to | | | | be sold to an appreciate collector. I have also helped |
| get appraised, you can go to a professional appraiser. | | | | clients realize that the true value of their leather |
| However, you should know that an appraiser's | | | | books is their decorative appeal and not the rarity of |
| services can be expensive and if you have books by | | | | their content or edition, which resulted in a better |
| the foot to appraise, the costs can stack up quickly. | | | | sale to an interior design client instead of a collectible |
| He or she will want to inspect your books in person | | | | bookseller. Many of the clients I have worked with |
| and will then need to take time to research | | | | simply want to own an impressive library of the |
| bibliographies and specialized sale records to | | | | great works and I have helped them locate |
| determine their value. | | | | reasonably priced copies of wonderful authors and |
| Alternatively, you can do some of the leg work | | | | books in leather bindings, and avoid expensive copies |
| yourself however it is difficult to look up every book | | | | that would not be a good investment. |