Useful Links

Orchidflower · 07-16-2010, 02:06 PM

I have about 50 old vintage books--from the late 1800's to around 1944--I found that I want to sell in the basement, but some are marked up with kiddie pencil and probably not worth much.

Others have been taken from the library by someone years and years ago--obviously, not returned--and no library name on them just the "Date Due" slips they used to use (the white receipt looking things). Are these worth trying to sell?

(I couldn't trace which library or even which State the books were taken out in if I wanted to at this point, so, after 50-100 years, I figure the libraries probably have forgotten about them by now; so, please no lectures as I didn't take them.)

And then some of the books are in decent condition and privately owned, but seems as if so many have someone's name written on the inside cover. I guess people stole books from them in the old days?

I know nothing about selling old books, but have been using Abe Books to price them as best as I can or I put the title, author, date in the search column to see if I can find them priced on another site. If anyone has a better idea, please let me know. Surely, someone on this board has sold vintage books before...I hope...and can shed some light on selling them.

haha · 07-16-2010, 02:12 PM

I don't think the fact that these were once library books would keep someone from buying them, It doesn't even mean that they were stolen from the library. They might have been bought at their periodic or ongoing book sales events.

I sell books on Amazon, none are what might be called vintage, but some if out of print can fetch good prices. On Amazon at least, the seller must be very scrupulous in describing accurately, and packaging and shipping carefully. If the books smell musty, they may be hard to sell.

Ha

Moemg · 07-16-2010, 02:20 PM

I've sold a few vintage cook books on ebay . I do sell books on Amazon but not vintage ones . If you do not know their value I'd put them on auction on ebay . Collectors usually lurk there . If you put it on ebay it's better to underestimate the condition and describe and photograph any flaws . If as soon as you put it on ebay you get a lot of watchers that indicates it's a hot item .

Orchidflower · 07-16-2010, 02:37 PM

I wasn't even thinking ebay selling...thanks you two!

That's a great idea!

No musty smells at all really. My main complaint is that some little toddler scribbled on a few and everyone seemed to put their name inside the front cover.

ksr · 07-16-2010, 02:41 PM

You can also try searching the recently ended auctions in eBay and see if anything similar has sold. I've sold older (not as old as yours) and out-of-print books on eBay in the past, and it's worked out well. Ebay has made it easier to sell books by letting sellers enter books by their ISBN. You'll probably want to post photos to clarify the condition of the books, but if they are at all collectible, people will still want them even in less-than-mint condition.

**braumeister** · 07-16-2010, 02:54 PM

For real book collectors, the condition of a book is paramount. You have no idea how important it is. A hardcover book in essentially perfect condition (to us mere mortals) will have its price knocked down by a third if there is a crease in the dust jacket. What's that you say? The dust jacket is missing? Well, just take 50% off the price, and we can start from there.

Seriously. If you want to get rid of the books, you can sell them on eBay for whatever you can get for them, but in most cases, I simply donate them to the local library and take a deduction on my tax return.

Orchidflower · 07-16-2010, 03:33 PM

Hmmm...well, that's a drag to hear.

However, a bright spot: I found a 1888 book on sex for both sexes called "Talks on Nature" (yes, I know that books are to be underlined, but I don't know how to do it on the computer...believe that one or not.). I'll be reading and learning tonight...

Sue J · 07-16-2010, 05:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Orchidflower

(yes, I know that books are to be underlined, but I don't know how to do it on the computer...believe that one or not.).

Here on the message board it's easy to underline in a post. Highlight the words to be underlined and in the toolbar above the text box click the U icon.

Sarah in SC · 07-16-2010, 06:03 PM

And of course, in proper APA formatting, book titles should be in italics. LOL!

I've bought some collectible books over the years. Ebay was where mine came from, but I'd also recommend Amazon as I've bought through them as well. The ones with scribbles are worth very little, likewise ones without dust jackets. You could always try T-Al's favorite (and mine too) the paperback book exchange for the ones that don't sell.
Only really perfect books fetch any kind of money, and even those have to be very rare. My odd collection is of old John D. MacDonald novels, many of which were only printed on cheap paper paperback editions, making them both fragile and rare.

For several of the very hard to come by ones, I paid close to $100 for a tiny slim paperback. Please let my family know when I die--I can see them throwing them all out unknowingly!

Orchidflower · 07-16-2010, 07:43 PM

Underlined OMG, thank you so much, Sue J!!! All these years I wondered how to do that...good grief, and so simple. No computer books or classes. Can you tell I just got on the computer and played around to learn?

I did alot of searches on abebooks.com, tias.com, ebay.com and other sites. You are right about most books being worth zip without a dust cover and mint condition--even when they are from 1890 like alot of my books are.

However, here's a weird fact that the gals might remember: remember Nancy Drew books from the 30's and 40's? I was lucky enough to have Aunts who were given the series of mystery books and passed them to me. Some of those--no cover but in good condition--are worth $35 each. Go figure?

I went thru probably 30 or more books, and found one that I could fetch $100 for maybe and a few worth $35+/- and a few I can get $25 for. Anything worth less than $20 for sure went into the "go to auction" pile.

My mother had a set of Orphan Annie books when she was a girl. Definitely not in mint condition with scribbling on them, but I was just thrilled to find them jammed in a corner in the library/den room as I remember reading and rereading them as a little girl. Some things just are too precious to put a value on.

What a chore this was, tho...took me all afternoon...ugh. This cleaning up project I'm almost sorry I volunteered for. I feel like a Margharita...and I don't even drink..ha!