The monetary value of a book, like other commodities, depends on supply and demand. Poor condition will detract considerably from, or even negate, whatever value a book might have in the commercial market. Collectors prefer a fine copy to a battered one, and a re-bound copy finds little favour, except in rare cases, since fine original condition is the collector's choice. A book is not in good condition if it is stained or dirty, if the cover is loose or detached, or if there are loose or missing leaves. The condition of a book is of great importance in determining its value, and this applies to the binding as well as the text. Association copiesĪny book may have additional value if it is an 'association copy', that is, associated with someone important by virtue of bearing a signature, dedication, inscription, annotations, bookplate or some proof that it belonged to that person's library. However, it is important to note that as every book has a first edition, not every first edition of every work will be sought after or have great monetary value. Dickens is a good case in point, because his works were published in many editions in his lifetime. Victorian fiction, for example, is unlikely to be valuable unless it is a first edition. If a work is sought by collectors it will usually be sought in its first edition.

The particular edition is important in considering the value of a book. English catalogue of books in 21 volumes.Bibliography of Australia by John Ferguson in 7 volumes and an Addenda.Library sources which are useful to check dates of publication are: A book is not valuable just because it is old, and there are some books of great value published in the last 50 years. If a date is not shown, handwritten inscriptions can be a guide, otherwise, as a last resort, an educated guess is called for. It is usually a straightforward matter to find the date in one of the standard national bibliographies or databases listed below. Date of publicationĭate of publication is usually shown on the title page or the back of the title page, or, sometimes with older publications on the last page.

Information about a published item should be taken from the title page and the back of the title page (its 'verso'), not the cover, and should include the name of the author, the exact title of the book, the name of the publisher, and the place and date of publication. examples of important developments in the craft of printing.books with illustrations by a collected artist.first or best editions of important literary or historical works.It may be desirable to keep a list of books, or a photocopy of title pages, and to separately insure valuable items over $1,000.Īs a very general guide, books that may be in high demand include: In the case of valuing for probate or insurance, people will need to check with their insurance company for their policy. As well, the government agency Artlab provides a fee-based conservation service. There are a number of book binders listed in the yellow pages under Bookbinders. Most of the resources listed here are held in the Library's Ready Reference collection near the Information Desk, and staff can show enquirers these resources without delay. This guide can assist people to determine things such as how many editions of their work were printed and when, whether copies of a particular edition have appeared on the antiquarian book market, and many other interesting pieces of information which will add to the sentimental attachment to a book. How the State Library can helpĪlthough State Library staff are not qualified or permitted to value books, just as they are not qualified to offer a legal or a medical opinion in the context of a reference enquiry, what Information Desk staff can do is assist people to discover more information about the books they are seeking to value, and whether they are indeed trash or treasure. Insurance Owners may want to seek a value on books for insurance or probate purposes, in which case this valuation must be done through an accredited valuer. Restoration Owners may want to have an idea of the value of their books in order to assess what sort of conservation work is appropriate. Sentimental value Owners may have some books which they treasure, and don't want to sell at this point, but they may require some conservation work. Or they may be moving into a smaller place and don't know what to do with their books, but would like some money for them, or failing that, advice about who might like them. Trash or treasure Owners may have been left some books which look old, and wonder if they might bring in some money. There are many reasons why people seek to value books

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