For over a year I have tried selling an encyclopedia set that is in pristine condition on Craigslist. I have even seen ads where people are giving away their encyclopedias for FREE. Due to the internet there is nothing that you can't find that isn't in the encyclopedia except the photos. However, they like other books, seem to be a thing of the past. It really is a shame.
Unfortunately I have to downsize and one of the things I have to part with are my books, so the encyclopedias seem to be hanging around without any responses to purchase them. I will probably end up donating them if I can find someone who wants them. I guess the only value of encyclopedia is the sentimental value one has for them. I myself think it is a beautiful sight to see books lining a bookshelf.
By carol from Beverly, MA
Almost every day someone asks the value of a set of encyclopedias. Every day the answer is nothing. There is a reason for this. Information in a set of encyclopedias is almost instantly outdated. Names of countries change. Statistics change. World leaders change and it is likely that whatever information you are looking for might not be accurate.
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Any ideas of what I may be able to sell these for, either individually or as sets? Any advise would be greatly appreciated.
You will really have to research these books yourself as you have several years of each and no one can give you a really close value.
Most are selling these separately but that may take a long time and probably not gain too much in the long run.
I would suggest you list them as a group but remember that you will have to pack and ship these so think about how many books to sell at one time.
These can ship USPS Media mail so shipping will not be super expensive but books are heavy and boxes tear up easily.
You can check eBay for each type of year book to see what others are asking but this is really just 'smoke' because only a sold item will tell current value and since you will not find the same books as yours that will be difficult.
Here are links to eBay Science and the Future to give you a hint about what sellers are asking for year books.
www.ebay.com/
Here is the link to sold listings which can show what someone actually paid for some of these books.
www.ebay.com/
You can also list books on sites like Craigslist, Facebook Marketplace, etc and show them as pick up only with no shipping.
Always start with a higher price like $7-9 each and lower it if no one shows an interest (after at least 3-5 weeks).
It will probably take a long time to sell these no matter how you list them but show good pictures or they may not sell at all.
This set of Encyclopedias will only at best $25 to $50 . They do not earn a large value. Only sets that are over 100 years old , bring in a fair amount of money in good condition.
I have a set of the 1935 edition of the Book of Knowledge Children's encyclopedias. It is a full set including 20 volumes in 10 books.
It's a 25yr anniversary edition done by Grolier. I'm trying to find out their value. They are in great condition.These are neat, but unfortunately these did not hold their value.
Now there are none of this exact match sold or unsold on eBay at the moment (SOLD are the only way to know today's market value), but you can see the others are all very low selling prices...if they sell:
www.ebay.com/
I normally do not tell people values compared against like items....but in this case, the whole genre of these have taken a market hit and you can sell them, but the values will be low.
You may be better donating them and taking a tax credit, or using them to make crafts....which is one of my favorite things to look at on Pinterest...framed encyclopedia pages of neat things!!
Unless they are 100 years old or more, they are probably not worth much. People get information online. Dictionaries and encyclopedias are going the way of dinosaurs.
It is true that most sets like this are not selling for very much money and are usually very slow sellers but then, occasionally, a set will sell for $75-$125...but that is usually an exception and not the norm.
If you have these books in a convenient out of the way place then you might want to try listing them on one of your local sale sites. There are numerous places to list so check Google for sell sites with your zip code. I'm sure there is Craigslist, USA4Sale, OfferUp, LetGo and many more to choose from.
You can start your price at whatever you like - $150? - and lower it if you have no inquiries.
These listings are usually free and you can run them as long as you like so you might be able to leave them listed until the "right" person sees them.
Be sure to take several good pictures including the title page.
I have an incomplete set of the New Werner Edition Encyclopedia Britannica dated 1903. The original set has 30 books. I have 27 books are all in very good condition with some cover wear on a couple books.
The missing books are 13, 19, and 24. (Or XIII, XIX and XXIV). I need to sell them as I have no family to give them to.
The missing books will decrease the value of the set. Go to several book dealers and see what they say.
I have had this book for a long time and need to know how I can sell them.
Thanks.
By JoAnn B.
Unfortunately, most encyclopedia sets have very little monetary value. (Our library's annual book sale won't even take them, because they don't sell.) If you have a full set, you might do better to donate them to a school or youth program, and take the tax deduction.
Most schools are not interested in old encyclopedias either. In my school, we toss out the old sets. Or try to use them for crafts or something.
I am trying to sell my complete set of The Book of Knowledge, 1957, children's encyclopedia. It is the deluxe Mastercraft edition. Any advice?
By brickcity from Syracuse, NY
Do you still have this item? I'll pay you $50 for it shipped.
How much would I get for a set of Compton's encyclopedias?
By Maria
I have a 20 book, full set of encyclopedias. They are in excellent condition, copyright of 1992, hardback. I'd like to know how much they are worth. Any help?
By Megan D.
When my gran and I where cleaning out her bookcase we found 6 volumes of The New International Illustrated Encyclopaedia. We don't know if they are worth anything so any answers would be great.
By Alan
