Value and disposal of signed first edition books?
July 8, 2015 10:31 PM Subscribe
I'm culling books and have discovered that I have 2 Pulitzer Prize winning books, first editions and signed by the author. Sadly, no dust covers. The books are A.B. Guthrie's "The Way West" and Allen Drury's "Advise and Consent." While the other books are getting donated to to a worthy non-profit, I think I'd want to sell these if I can pick up some pocket change. I've done a little research but hope the hive mind can help me, too.
I found a link to pprize.com (The Way West, Advise and Consent) which helps me (non-professionally) verify that these are the real deal and those pages have links to sellers on ABEbooks which suggest price ranges.
My question(s) are these: How do I go about getting professional verification for these books--especially signatures (which at first glance appear also to be the real deal)? Who can help me get a reasonably accurate valuation of these books? And, how do I find the sweet spot for selling them? I don't want to hold them forever waiting on a buyer and am willing to sell at a discount. Not looking to get rich but I don't want to undersell either. I'm in unfamiliar waters so any suggestions from those who might have a little experience in this area is greatly appreciated. Thanks!
I found a link to pprize.com (The Way West, Advise and Consent) which helps me (non-professionally) verify that these are the real deal and those pages have links to sellers on ABEbooks which suggest price ranges.
My question(s) are these: How do I go about getting professional verification for these books--especially signatures (which at first glance appear also to be the real deal)? Who can help me get a reasonably accurate valuation of these books? And, how do I find the sweet spot for selling them? I don't want to hold them forever waiting on a buyer and am willing to sell at a discount. Not looking to get rich but I don't want to undersell either. I'm in unfamiliar waters so any suggestions from those who might have a little experience in this area is greatly appreciated. Thanks!
Oh, and just looking over that old question it has some great advice for selling rare books generally.
posted by Thella at 11:02 PM on July 8, 2015
posted by Thella at 11:02 PM on July 8, 2015
Best answer: I would go to abaa.org and look for a dealer in your area. These folks are very accomplished. ABEBooks is great, but it's mom&pop stores. ABAA is the international organization for dealers and they are held to very high ethical standards. They can verify, appraise, and maybe even buy.
With that said, I should warn you that the value of any book issued with a dust jacket drops steeply if the DJ is missing or has been replaced. I (for example) always check to be sure that the wear on the book and the wear on the dust jacket match, so that I know I'm getting the original.
With that said, it is also a bit less common to find signed editions of older books. These days, author's sigs are a dime a dozen because of the pole dancing they're all required to do to promote their books. That was less true 50 years ago.
Good luck!
posted by janey47 at 10:01 AM on July 9, 2015
With that said, I should warn you that the value of any book issued with a dust jacket drops steeply if the DJ is missing or has been replaced. I (for example) always check to be sure that the wear on the book and the wear on the dust jacket match, so that I know I'm getting the original.
With that said, it is also a bit less common to find signed editions of older books. These days, author's sigs are a dime a dozen because of the pole dancing they're all required to do to promote their books. That was less true 50 years ago.
Good luck!
posted by janey47 at 10:01 AM on July 9, 2015
Response by poster: Thanks everybody. Wow, Thella, congrats on your adventure in bookselling! Very informative. And janey, I'll look into the ABAA.
posted by CincyBlues at 8:12 PM on July 9, 2015
posted by CincyBlues at 8:12 PM on July 9, 2015
This thread is closed to new comments.
I was happy with the sale because although the amount was far below the AbeBooks price, it was commensurate with what a respectable auction house thought they could get for it. Selling by eBay meant my fees were much less than selling via an auction house.
Can you find similar copies on eBay? Have they sold? Trust that sale price much more than Abebooks.
When advertising the book, I chose the auction house quote as my reserve and sold it for a few bucks more, registered post included.
posted by Thella at 11:00 PM on July 8, 2015 [2 favorites]