So, you found a stack of old books in the attic or inherited a box full from a relative and now you're wondering what to do with them.
Well first of all, you should take a look through and work out if they are simply old books or if they are rare or antique books, so before you think about throwing them out consider the fact that there may be someone out there who has spent years looking for the book or books you are about to chuck away.
In fact, we advise on never simply discarding any old book unless it is extremely badly damaged beyond repair ie falling to bits, water damaged/fire damaged etc & even then if it's extremely rare there may be some people still prepared to pay to restore it.
So, your first step would be to take note of the book title(s), then try to assess the condition - below is a guide of conditions you can use when selling them to give an indication to the buyer:
Fine/Like New (F)
This would suggest that the book is almost like new & in pristine condition - rare or antique books in this condition are highly sought after.
Near Fine (NF)
This is almost perfect with minimal wear - A 'near fine' antique or rare book is extremely collectable.
Very Good (VG)
A book in this condition would be observed as fully complete & intact with slight wear and noticeable use such as price clipping, owners' inscription etc.
Good (G)
Books rated as good once again are intact with visible signs of use & wear as above but more noticeable wear such as cracking of spine, light foxing, slight sun discoloration etc.
Fair (FR)
Fair books are pretty worn, sometimes discoloured due to sun exposure, generally with quite a few bumps, knocks, foxing & spotting due to bad storage and can sometimes have scrawls & other markings from previous owners or end plates missing.
Poor (P)
A book in 'Poor' condition is usually barely held together or has extreme damage due to damp / insects or other detrimental interaction with it, books of this condition in general are not desirable to a collector unless extremely rare such as it being one of the only surviving copies or an extremely old book, a normal book in this condition would usually hold more value to the original owner for nostalgic reasons.
Once you have listed your books & determined the condition it's advisable to do some research or get a book valuation if you have any you think are special
How do I know how much my old books are worth?
There are many things that will determine a books value including:
Once you have an idea of these things & possibly an idea of price you can begin to list them on our site - you can create an account here
Or, if you are not sure about the value and would like a professional opinion before you list your books for sale you can get a valuation here
