I have a 1839 American Dictionary of the English language; exhibiting the origin, orthography, pronunciation and definition of words to which were added a Synopsis of Words, and Walker's Key. It is a stereotype edition, published by White & Sheffield. The pages are mostly okay, none are missing. You can read them all, there is some spotting, cover is intact but worn and your can't read title. There are 1011 pages. The binding loose but still attached. See photos.
Value? Probably very little as this edition is not very rare and a collector looks for a book in good to excellent condition.
There is presently one dictionary like yours (but in much better condition) listed for sale on eBay and the bidding is presently at $16.50 so you might want to place a watch on this listing to see what the final price will be.
No matter the final price it cannot be used as a 'current value' for your book as the condition is not comparable.
www.ebay.com/
ThriftyFun has a link about the value of dictionaries - maybe some of the answers may help you reach a value for your book:
www.thriftyfun.com/
Here is a link to eBay's sold listings so you can see what type of dictionaries (especially condition) people are looking for and willing to pay even a few dollars for. Very few are very valuable as the really rare books are usually sold at public auctions.
Ask a QuestionHere are the questions asked by community members. Read on to see the answers provided by the ThriftyFun community or ask a new question.
I am trying to find the value of a 1906 edition dictionary by Noah Webster and Chauncey Goodrich. Any ideas?
From the pictures your book seems to be in very poor condition so that usually rules out collectors unless it was a genuinely rare edition and this one is not so that just leaves someone that may buy it for the maps or illustrations (if they are in acceptable condition).
Examples of recently sold Webster dictionaries on eBay:
These books all seem to be in better condition but pictures are difficult to be sure.
1900 edition - $15.00
1902 edition - $18.00
1877 edition - $15.50
Most old books are just that - old - and just being old does not necessarily make them valuable or desirable.
You might list it for $15-25 and see how it goes but be sure to show actual condition and several good pictures.
It is sad that the looks of the book is not in good condition which will drastically lower the value of this book. There are a lot of collectors out there seeking older books like this but unfortunately they will not buy this one because of the condition it is in. Hopefully you can receive a few dollars for the book and in the current condition I would say it is worth no more than $15 to $20 tops.
How much is 1948 2nd edition Webster's New International dictionary worth?
I have a copy of the 1927 Webster's dictionary in good to better condition. The pages are excellent, but the cover has wear. What would be its value?
I checked on the Webster Dictionary blog where people go to find out how much their dictionary is worth. According to the site they told the person that they might be able to get around $19 for their dictionary that is the same year as yours. If you look on eBay the price is very low what people are asking. They are starting off around $5 for these books.
It is always better if we see a picture of the book in question but if you check the for sale listings on eBay you can see which ones compare with yours. You can also place a watch on any listing that you wish to see if it sells.
Asking prices are only prices the seller would like to receive for their items but only a sold listing will give you an idea of the price some one was willing to pay. It is difficult with items like this because you will never find an 'exact' same item and when you see a book sell for a higher price than normal it can be a one time thing and may not happen again for a very long time.
www.ebay.com/
You can check out sold listings on eBay to see what has actually sold over the past several months. Check the condition as compared to yours.
www.ebay.com/
Maybe you could do some research for a couple of months and try selling when times improve.
There are lots of sites other than eBay so check out Craigslist, Offerup, Letgo, Facebook Marketplace.
You can always start your price higher - maybe $25 - and lower it if no one shows an interest. List on more than one site. Good pictures are a necessity.
How much is this worth in good condition?
This site lists and sell old disctionaries. it is a good site to watch for the sales of these items. Right now none have been sold that match yours. That makes it harder to give you a price for yours. www.collectorsweekly.com/
https://www.answers.com values this book between $130 to $350 depending on the collector, condition, offer details .There are a lot of collectors out there , if advertise in the right venue!
What is the value of a 1949 Websters Dictionary set in great condition?
to illustrate the perils of assuming things without taking the effort to actually look them up (time-saving though such measures might be), on ebay I saw everything ranging from $40 to $88 www.ebay.com/
it does look to be in very good condition.
of course the caveat is "are people actually BUYING these things?" That's a different question, and the answer most like is, no. These sort of commodities move very slowly.
So from a pure appraisal value the book is probalby worth at least $50. From a utilitarian standpoint (as in, can i convert it to cash straightaway) the answer is probably no, not much value there
I was wondering about the worth of the New Twentieth Century Dictionary, unabridged. 1943 is the publish date I believe.
Thank you.
My husband is an auctioneer and we often see these books at auctions. Right now, the book is bacisally not worth anything. In a few hundred years, if it is in great condition, it will be worth something. Modern printing enabled books to be mass produced, thus cutting down on the value as their are many still on the market.
What is the value of a Webster's International Dictionary from 1928 (India paper edition)?
Many people think old Dictionaries have a value. Your dictionary is from 1928. Therefore, it isn't 100+ years old.
I would like to ask if you know the value of this edition of a Webster Dictionary. I think is the 1847 edition a little bit after his death. I am not familiar with old book prices. The front page that says the publisher before the preface is missing. Also I cannot read the hand-written letters. I would really appreciate if anyone could type them down!
Thank you in advance.
I am looking to see what my copyright 1884, Webster's Condensed Dictionary may be worth? Thank you!
Although this book was published in 1884 there are still a large selection available on the market so it is not really that rare.
I have an 1855 Webster's dictionary. The pages are in good condition, but the cover is worn. It is leather bound.
You can go to an auction house for antiques and talk with them. The issue here would be the condition of the cover. I'd say that you should be able to sell this for around $100 - 150 easily. The price is always based on the supply and demand plus the condition of the book. Your best best is to talk with a person at an auction house and see what they can tell you about the price range they are selling for.
I have a 1934 Abbot's Selected Webster's Dictionary of the English Language. The cover is messed up, but how much do you think it would be worth?
As of today the books aren't worth too much at all. Today they consider books 100+ years old have value. As for yours, they are still not old enough to be worth much. You have two choices. Box them up and keep them around for a few more years or you can try selling them off. You won't get that much for them if you try to sell them now.
