I have the Student's Encyclopedia with atlas. It is a 6 volume set published by Estes & Lauriat 1883. Does anyone have an idea how much this set is worth in fair to good condition?
These books are collectable because they are over 100 years old. Often encyclopedias come up for sale, but are not offered much because they are under 100 years. This set can start at $20 per book and ranging up into the $100's -www.ebay.com/
Can you please share photos of the set, along with photos of the cover of one, the spine, the edges of the sides, and the inside page of one of them which shows all of the publishing info and details.
It is almost impossible to give a value without seeing exactly what you have.
Can you also please elaborate on the condition: are the pages all intact? Is there any cracking in the spine or covers? Are the pages tanned/yellowed/brittle? Are there any ripped or missing pages? Any ink/pencil/dirt marks/stains or water damage? Are there any smells (even if it is just the old paper smell)? Condition is VERY subjective and buyers are looking for very specific details that help determine condition. Your fair may be my poor and your good may be my excellent. It is just hard to use words like that especially about old books.
Unfortunately age has very little do with value as there are old books that are worthless and newer items that have huge value. It is all about what people collect and want, if there are many on the market or few, and most importantly about condition.
Hopefully with more info, I can point you to some sold items so we can figure out an average value in today's crazy marketplace!
Thanks!!
If the books are actually the age you are saying they are then it is advisable to go to an antique book shop to sell the books. Auction houses are also a good way to sell them because collectors are interested in buying them. I would not just take a price from online and try to sell them yourself. As long as they are in good condition allow a professional to examine them and help you sell them.
By apology for the belated response. These are really neat and look to be in good shape.
I have done a lot of digging and I am surprised there is not more about this set, which has me intrigued.
I did find this article which looks like it has some info about the original values:
books.google.com/
Because of the unusual nature of this find, I have a suggestion based on what I (as a long time book seller and general reseller) would do to learn more.
There are a number of book stores in Boston, where these were published that may be able to guide you to find market value or if there is perhaps any value in donating these to a place where they could be displayed. There may be some historical significance in this set.
I am offering two places in Boston which may or may not be able to help, but are where I would start:
Brattle is open (or at least it appears to be). Raven appears to be still closed, although you could try an email inquiry.
Please post back what you learn. These are fascinating pieces!
I will tell you one thing if there is not a value for them as books, there are a number of junk journal artists who would love to have a set like this to cut up and use and scan for their journals. Because of the age of the books, it is most likely out of the realm of copyright (which they would need to confirm with their lawyer of course) and if it is, they could freely use images and illustrations in their pieces.
Looking forward to hearing what an expert tells you! Thanks for sharing!
Here are the questions asked by community members. Read on to see the answers provided by the ThriftyFun community.
From what I gather these are the first edition Century Dictionary in 10 Volumes 1889 De Vinne Press and the Cyclopedia of Names 1894. I have looked countless hours and have never seen this style leather binding.
Do I have something special here? Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
I found on Ebay, Century dictionary/ encyclopedias year 1897, going for $675.00 in fair condition. Yours should be around that or a little more.
On E-Bay they have sets of enyclopedias from 899.00 to 20.00 dollars.You can go on E-Bay and give your e-mail and they will contact you if they get a set in.Then you can see what they are worth.Usually there not worth anything because of technology people don't want them.
Books like this in great condition should be sold through an auction house that specializes in these types of sales. There are a lot of book collectors out there that would more than likely be interested in books like this. Please do yourself a favor and contact a book autction house and speak with them. Pricing on eBay or other places like this is not the true value of these books. The only way to get a fair price for these is in an auction.
I have a complete set of Canadian 1967 Centennial encyclopedias in excellent condition. What would it be worth and what is the best way to market the set?
Any type of books like this are considered outdated and not worth much at all. Collectors seek books that are over 100 years old. Normally you should try to sell them locally and you are looking around $15 to $25 for the set.
Unless the set is complete and over 100 years old, it is virtually worthless. Donate it and take a tax deduction.
Can you please post a photo of the set, tell me how many volumes, and also show the inside of one of the books where it gives all of the publishing info?
I have asked around to some Canadian friends and they are not sure what you mean by encyclopedia related to the Centennial.
There were a lot of things published for the Centennial and related Worlds Fair events so they are curious what you have, as some still do have value among collectors.
Without seeing it or knowing more about what you have I don't want to comment on value or how to sell it.
Looking forward to learning more.
Thanks!
What is my 18 volume set of, The World Book Encyclopedia? (1959 edition), including 2 volume set Dictionary, "OUR 50th YEAR", (1966 edition), and including "THE WORLD BOOK, YEAR BOOK" (edition 1973).
I have many photos.
I have an encyclopedia that says Werner Encyclopedia, but it doesn't say Britannica. It is dated 1909 and was published in Akron, Ohio.
I was hoping to get some information on that encyclopedia.
I have a set of 1961 encyclopedias from " The American Educator " and I'm wondering how much they are worth.
By Nancy R.
The place I always start with to try to find somethings resale value, is looking on ebay, it may not be very accurate, as some things never sell, but it is free, and usually fast. If not, you can probably search for that name and year, and in the list of sites, find someone that sells that very same thing, with a price they want for theirs.
Best of luck to you in valuing your books!
I have a complete set of Odhams Encyclopedia, printed 1966 in English. Are they worth anything?
1948 set of these books, good condition, rough estimate on value? Thanks Donna
Any ideas on the value of a 16 volume, 2nd edition 1875, of the American Cyclopaedia?
The value of any book lies in the publication date and overall condition as well as how many publications are available and most importantly "does anybody want it?".
What is the value of a Modern World Encyclopedia set? It was published by Hazel, Watson & Viney, 1935.
About $20 or $30. You can wait until they're 100 years old to reach more value or find someone who will buy them for more for repurposing efforts.
I have a set of 1911 United Editors Perpetual Encyclopedia 40 volumes (I am missing 1 volume). All 39 volumes are in excellent condition.
Are they worth anything? I hate to just throw them out.Do old sets of encyclopedias have any value? Can they be donated anywhere or do they have to be recycled?
The true value is the ones that are 100+ years old. In some cases you can list them in your area and try to sell them this way. A lot of times you can earn around $50 for the set. Normally people are no longer taking donations of old encyclopedias and a lot of times people need to recycle them.
You could try a auction/bid for them to try and get the best price! Although unless they are over 100 years they do not bring in more than $50 most of the time! Maybe there is a collector out there who wants to add to there personal library!
I am trying to find the value of a complete set of the 1954 World Scope Encyclopedia.
I have a 1958 set of the World Encyclopedia in good condition. Do they have any value/
Different years/editions of encyclopedias are valued for different reasons so occasionally a set will be of value.
I am wondering what a complete set of Standard America Encyclopedias copyright 1937, copyright The University Society MCMXVI is worth?
The set was printed and bounded in the United States of America by
Many people have old books they think are valuable and would like to sell. Most old dictionaries, references etc., have very little value, a few dollars at most. Encyclopedias dated after 1923 are essentially worthless but crafters may be interested for the old pictures. Goodwill, Salvation Army, etc., receive donations of tons of old encyclopedias, dictionaries and reference books but send them to recycling centers or dumps as they cannot use or sell them.
You can check online for old book collectors, on EBay, Craigs List and other retail sites for possibilities. Everything is now online and updated constantly so old books are just that-old.
