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Rare Books Neighborhood

Rare Book Buyers

by Kathleen Gagne

Okay, so you have a collection of old books that's been sitting in the basement or attic for fifty or sixty years. Grandma says that some of the books came on the boat from the old country. You think you remember seeing a very old and delicate Bible or Shakespeare manuscript in one of the hope chests. Suddenly, you think it might be a good time to see if any of the book have monetary value.

How on earth do you go about finding out if there are treasures hidden among your family's history? You can call a local rare book dealer, but how would you know if he or she is preparing an accurate appraisal of your books? What, in fact, should you do to make the books look better to an appraiser? What if you try to dust one off and ruin it? Will it cost you anything to have someone come out to the house, or should you box up the books, dust and all, and head for the bookstore?

Rare Book Buyers 101

The basement or attic scenario happens fairly often, and the questions posed above are the exact questions most people ask in that situation. Before you take any steps regarding your "collection," you might want to contact your local library for suggestions about how to handle old books. You can also go online to find a rare book dealer who buys books and/or collections and who might offer the same kind of advice.

If the books are in pretty good condition, it may be okay to box them up and take them to a dealer. If, however, they are fragile but extremely old, you might want to pay a dealer to come to your home to appraise them. You may not necessarily want to sell the books. You might just want to know how to care for them to insure that they will not be destroyed by those things that prey on old books. If you do want to sell some of the books; if you really have a great find, it's a good idea to discuss your books with several online rare book buyers to get a feel for what would be the appropriate step to take next.

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