How to Research the Value of Rare Books

You may have found an old book in your attic during spring cleaning or you may be the lucky new owner of an abandoned storage unit with many rare books.  Rare books are obviously hard to find and if you do find them, the condition makes all the difference.  It is important to get an accurate value for rare books so you know how much money you are investing, selling or displaying.

1. Use your favorite search engine to get some information about the book.  You will want to type in the name and author of the book.  Understanding the plot or basic ideas of the book will help you determine the rarity of your book.


2. Look for the publication date, located on the first few pages of the book.  Use the copyright date of the latest publication.  This date can also be added to your online search.


3. Evaluate the book and determine its condition.  Most rare books are never in excellent condition.  Depending on the paper, bonding and ink used, a rare book may be fragile or in poor condition.  The condition of the book is important when determining the actual value of the book.  A book in fair to poor condition will be less valuable than one in good or excellent condition.  Good conditioned books have no missing pages, no tears or stains and the binding is still in tack.


4. Search for your book on Internet sites that sell new and used books.  Sites like eBay, Barnes and Noble and Amazon will allow you to search for another book similar to the book you think is rare.  If there are more than 10 books like the one you have, it is likely that it is not as rare as you think.  However, if there are no books or just one or two books similar to yours, you may have a rare book in your hands.


5. Visit a book professional to have the book formally or informally appraised.  You may be able to take it to your local bookstore and ask if someone there can give you an idea of the rarity of your book.  You can also pay to have your book professional appraised by a book specialist or antique appraiser.  The costs for such appraisals are usually less than $25.  This is a small price to pay for a book that may be priceless.