Enlarge Image An antique book is more than a collection of pages by your favorite author. It is a piece of history, a glimpse into the past. One in which the binding was done by hand the paper often likewise and if far back enough in time, the pen was a quill.

There are many factors which influence the value of an antique book, as in all antiques. First there is the condition of the book. The binding, the pages, whether dog-eared or torn, or God forbid, missing. The pages may have notes written on them. (Which can often be valuable in themselves if penned by a famous person or under unusual circumstances) or they may be damaged or stained or any number of factors which will affect their desirability. In the same way if a book is signed by it’s author this usually increases it’s price, although in the modern world not necessarily as “book signings” are all too common as a marketing tool and have helped to downplay the importance of a signed edition. All of these factors contribute to the overall value of your antique book.

The overall availability is a factor in price but is not necessarily the main factor as a book may be hard to find but not desirable. In other words it may be rare but nobody wants it! Confusing? Yes it can be. It is prudent to consult a dealer to appraise your antique book whether for insurance purposes or because you are attempting to sell it. In the final analysis, antiques are always only worth as much as someone is willing to pay for it.

Appraisals Dealers usually need to see the book itself in order to identify and appraise it. You may submit photographs if you cannot see the dealer in person due to distance or time. They will require usually a photograph of the title page, the back side of the title page (also called the copyright page), the first and last pages of text, and the outer covers and spine in order to evaluate an individual copy. It is best to have very close up, quality photographs if you must go this route. If you are not proficient with a digital camera, ask one of your friends to do it for you. The popularity of digital cameras today makes quality photos easy to accomplish. Do not try and photocopy the book! This produces very poor results and may in fact damage the book due to the pressure exerted upon the spine in this process.

You often hear the phrase “first edition” in reference to books and this can influence the price of the book if there were, in fact more than one edition! Many times there were not. Be careful when someone touts the first edition status of an antique book and attempt to determine for yourself if there were indeed subsequent editions. Again remember to use all of the resources online and elsewhere to obtain valuable and often free information on your antique book. There are several national societies of book dealers, “antiquarians” and of course appraisers that you may take advantage of in the search for information. There are also book collecting societies that you may investigate. Take your time and learn all you can before you buy or sell your antique book.

Antiques. Rugs. Enjoy the mystery of the past. http://www.RevelationImports.com and http://www.revelationimports.com/antiques.html

By Bill Kernodle
Published: 10/28/2006

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What Makes Antique Books Valuable?

Many people are surprised to know that collecting antique books can be an enjoyable and profitable past time. While you many think that the books are out dated or obsolete, many people are prepared to pay thousands of dollars for an antique book because of historical, sentimental and scarcity reasons.

If you think that old books are worthless, you might be throwing away a piece of treasure without even knowing it. So for individuals unfamiliar with evaluating a book’s worth, you may want to read on.

Similar to other antiques, there is no rule-of-thumb when pricing antique books. But there are general factors that are sought to when evaluating the value of an antique. First is rarity. However, this should not be the sole basis, because a book may be hard to find, yet it does not have an appeal to collectors. If collectors are not interested, the book may just be a worthless junk.

The most rare versions of books are the first editions and thus they are most often the most expensive ones to purchase.

Other rare versions are those that have typographical errors. More often than not the publisher will withdraw a book with an error and therefore they are in limited supply in the general antique market place. Other rare editions are those with autographs from famous or historical persons.

A second factor that determines the value of a book is its condition. Put simply, the more the book is in its original condition the higher its perceived value. Any stains or written remarks cause a drop in its value. Of course, if the written remarks are by famous people then the value of the book can actually increase and the more rare the books is the less affect condition has on its market cost.

Often you will find trying to value your book to be a bewildering experience as there are so many factors that can affect a books price beyond the ones already listed. That is why if you are thinking of buying or selling an antique book you should consult an expert and do plenty of research yourself.

Because the condition of a book is very important in determining its value, you really should store any antique books in a proper and book friendly place. Extreme conditions can cause paper to undergo certain chemical reactions that will damage their condition. Therefore, avoid place any old books in humid, hot, wet places or anywhere where there is direct sunlight.

Other places that aren’t book friendly include areas where collateral damage could take place, such as your basement or under waters pipes. Acidic vapors released by unsealed woods can also damage paper. Flat smooth shelves are fine for leaving your books. If you have the money you could also store them in quality archival storage boxes that will protect your books properly.

Technorati Tags: Antique Books, Effects on book values, value antique books, value collectible books, Value of books, What Makes Books Valuable