Thats a little more complicated than checking on Amazon, where different editions and printings get lumped together.
The American Library Associations Rare Books and Manuscripts Section hasa long FAQ on identifying rare books.
Or tryviaLibri, which aggregates search results from AbeBooks, Amazon, eBay, and a dozen more sources.
you’ve got the option to also search some auction sites to find prices realized in recent sales.
Thats why he built an entire curriculum around the study and care of rare books.
You cant crash-course your way into spotting rare books on sight.
It takes time, education, and access to a lot of research.
Ive seen Penguins from the 30s that are still going strong.
Note the identifying marks in theFellowshipcopy above, which Housing Workss rare book expert could identify.
If you suspect you have a valuable book, take it to an expert like that.
You dont have to be paranoid about getting defrauded.
Look for booksellers who belong to theAntiquarian Booksellers Association of Americaor theInternational League of Antiquarian Booksellers.
(The Library of Congressrecommendsfinding dealers through ABAA as well.)
Or it’s possible for you to get a second opinion.
And while not all old books are valuable, many of the most valuable books are old.
All of these factors affect each other.
Desirability
The word rare is a misnomer, says Dr. Belanger.
Plenty of rare books are cheap or even worthless.
(Think of a cheap, forgettable novel that only ever sold a thousand copies.
Even if you have the last remaining copy, that doesnt mean anyone wants it.)
Conversely, says Dr. Belanger, a desirable book is a rare book even if its not rare.
A high demand only increases value if combined with a low supply:
Rarity
Rarity still matters.
There are only 400 extant copies ofthe 1896 Kelmscott Chaucer; one is available on AbeBooks for$137,500.
Even particularly special reproductions of this bookare listed for thousands of dollars.
If there were 10,000 copies of this book, it would necessarily be cheaper.
(Thats why my local library used to sell decades-old copies for 5 cents a pop.)
But the complete set is now worth well into five figures.
Rarity also applies to the specific edition or even the specific printing.
Andthatswhy the earlier editions are worth more.
None of these details would make those early copies valuable, ifFellowshipwerent also highly regarded and widely read.
So they ordered a much bigger first printing than they had onThe Philosophers Stone.
Age
How old is an old book?
Depends on your purpose.
Only extremely significant and rare books can hold their value in poor condition.
Theres no formula, like one torn page=1.2% off the sale price.
(If its successful, the novel gets re-released in paperback.
When you pass down books for generations, youre stretching them far beyond their intended lifespan.
Sunlight fades the covers in just a few yearsDr.
Belanger says the reds and yellows are the first to goand varying humidity stresses their materials.
The cloth over a hardcover can shrink faster than the cardboard underneath.
Dont open it wider than it naturally bends; keep it out of sunlight and damp.
Do it for the love of the books.
Dr. Belanger always recommends that you collect books you have strong feelings for.
If you dig deeper, you might end up collecting books about collecting books.
Its this extra interest that makes a collector, not the ability to afford a book.
Itd probably cost you about 60, 70 thousand dollars, says Dr. Belanger.
