Value of 1768 Encyclopedia Britannica

If you have an actual 1768 set, it may be valuable and you can get a value estimate at an auction house. However, the 1768 set was reprinted in 1971 and was designed to look as the authentic original, stains and all. If you have the 1971 print, it is worthless.

My husband auctions part time. sadly, most books are not worth much, and often get thrown away at the end of auctions due to no one bidding on them, or if they get added into another lot, the purchaser throws them away rather than haul them home.

Meredith, the front cover date of 1768 is the date of publishing, which doesn't mean you have a First Edition set. I suggest you open the books and take a look inside, I am sure you will discover that what you actually have here is a later Edition.

Sorry, these are NOT from 1768. That is just the date of the first edition and the seal on the front of all EB from whatever year includes that date. You have to look inside on the first few pages to see when it was actually published and printed.

Your books look like they are in excellent shape. Unfortunately, they don't have much of a resale value. People are only interested in paying for books that are 100+ years old. The older the book the more valuable it is.

Actually, you have a very decent set and you may be able to sell your set for $100-$300 but the downside is that it may not sell for many months.

• Your set is the 200th anniversary (14th edition) and has more value than most vintage sets.
• 3 sets have sold over the past few months (eBay) and the selling prices were $150 -$335 but I do not know how the condition or extra books compare with your set.
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• www.ebay.com/.../i.html?_odkw=Encyclopedia+Britannica...
• There are sets listed on eBay, Amazon, Abe's Books, and other sites.
• Asking prices vary widely and number of books also vary on each listing.
• Examples:
• www.ebay.com/.../i.html?_odkw=Encyclopedia+Britannica...
• www.amazon.com/.../ref=tmm_hrd_used_olp_sr?tag=thrif06...
• www.abebooks.com/.../
• If you review some of these listings you will know how your set compares and have a better idea of the value of your set.
• Shipping is expensive and a difficult task and that is why so many sellers list their sets as "pick-up-only" so the person has to be in their area.
• Craigslist is a good local place to list as any place you list you may have to continue listing for several months to ever see a buyer.
• Most on line sellers have sets listed for months and even years and sometimes books never sell (especially at a high asking price).

If you want to sell the book for the best price possible, you'll need to go to an auction house. They are basically the only ones who can get a fair value for a set of books like yours. Considering they are in good condition except for the 2 I see on the bottom, you should receive a nice price for these. I just a little curious, did your mom purchases these as used books. I think that you might have miss typed the date on these books and instead of 1768 it should be 1968. I would check again. Because if they are from 1968 which they look like, this one could be possible then they aren't much at all.

Your book cover is not the same as the cover of a book back in 1768. However, searching online the colver of your books looks more like a book purchased in 1968.

I'm sorry but you can only get around $25 for these at the most. They are just old and not highly sought after.

Take it to an appraiser. Not an appraiser who wants to buy it. You will get a low price. Take it to one who will appraise it for insurance purposes and you will get a more accurate value. A jewelry store could probably put you in touch with one.

Are you positive this is the 1768 edition (the first year published)? According to multiple web sources about Britannica, the first edition had only 3 volumes (published in Edinburgh, Scotland); you say your edition is 30 volumes.

Taking a look at your books and seeing the cover and the condition of them, they are not from 1768. Yes, these could have information in them from 1768, but they are actually reproduced in 1971. In all reality this set isn't worth much at all. The books you have were not actually printed in 1768, but were printed in 1971.

I'm a bit surprised because on eBay people are asking $350 to $650 for this set. I'm a bit surprised to say the least. Sorry, but normally books that are reproduced don't bring such a high value as the ones from 1768. If you look up online you can see the difference in the cover and pages of these books back in 1768.

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.

If you have an entire actual 1768 set, it may be valuable and you can get a value estimate at an auction house. However, the 1768 set was reprinted in 1971 and was designed to look as the authentic original, stains and all. If you have the 1971 reprint, it is worthless.

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 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, Craigslist and other retail sites for possibilities. Everything is now online and updated constantly so old books are just that-old.

I am afraid you are confused by the date printed on the front of your Edition. Please look inside your books for more information, I do believe the white/cream covers indicate a possible 15th Edition, which is unfortunately almost worthless however, they do possess wonderful decorative charm for display.

Unless a set is 100 years old or more, it wont have significant value

Encyclopaedia Britannica : Complete 24 Volume Set (Includiwww.abebooks.com/?cm_sp=TopNav-_-Details-_-Logong Index)
Various Authors
Published by Encyclopedie Britannica Ltd/William Benton, London, 1963
Condition: VERY GOOD ( AVERAGE) Hardcover
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From J J Basset Books (Peter Tavy, United Kingdom)
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About this Item
This 24 volume set vary in condition from Very Good (AVERAGE) because of some damp stains to Very Good + (ABOVE

AVERAGE) with the exception of THE INDEX which can only described as Good (BELOW AVERAGE). The pages of the index are all fully readable, as are the excellent MAPS in the ATLAS portion of the index but the spine of this volume has been repaired with masking tape.POSTED AT OUR STANDARD RATES AND FULLY INSURED! (UK ONLY) .Please e-mail for further details NOT "Signed by the Author" Size: 4to - over 9¾" - 12". Bookseller Inventory # 000537
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Bibliographic Details
Title: Encyclopaedia Britannica : Complete 24 ...
Publisher: Encyclopedie Britannica Ltd/William Benton, London
Publication Date: 1963
Binding: Burgundy Cloth
Illustrator: Black & White & Colour Illustrations
Book Condition:VERY GOOD ( AVERAGE)
Dust Jacket Condition: No Jacket
Signed: Not Inscribed or Signed
Edition: 1963 Edition.
Book Type: HARDBACK

Dear Fellow Collector,Thank you for your interest in XXXXXXXXX
After reviewing the information you provided, we have determined thatXXXXXXXXX is not the proper venue to sell your item. There is a set of this with the atlas and in the bookcase being offered for sale on abebooks.com for $794 retail.
Unfortunately, we have a minimum requirement of $5,000 estimated auction value to accept a consignment, and therefore we cant help you sell your books (we are no longer able to accept individual books with auction values of $500 or less as part of larger consignments).
Again, thanks for your interest, and please let me know if I can help further.

The date - 1768 - is just a description noting the original date of publication and is on almost all Britannica Encyclopedias published and has no relationship to the actual publication date.

• For some reason, it seems the white/creme color bindings are not as popular as the red and of course, leather bindings will always be more desirable.
• The bookcase may make a set more desirable if the set is sold in your local area. Other wise it would be too costly to ship so it would not help if trying to sell on line.
• Here is one set currently listed on eBay that may be similar to yours and has a bookcase. This listing (seller asking $100) also has the Junior set which increases the value as the children's sets usually sell faster. But you will notice that it is listed as "pick-up only" which means it is limited to buyers in their area.
• www.ebay.com/.../292302029982?_trkparms=aid%3D222007...
• The high cost of shipping is usually why I recommend listing on local auctions (especially Craigslist) so that someone can see the set and no shipping involved.
• If you decide to sell, always start your price at a higher starting price as you can always lower it if no one shows and interest.
• A good starting price would probably be about $200 dollars and lower it when you feel like it.
• Do not get your hopes up for a fast sale as some sellers have sets like this up for sale for many, many months and may never sell it.

Keep an open mind and if someone makes a reasonable offer, decide how long you want to wait for another offer or will you wind up donating them.

Truthfully, it is even difficult to find a charity that will take any brand or year encyclopedia as they are very difficult for them to sell and take up a lot of space.