Does anyone know the value of this 10 volume set? It is in excellent condition, published in 1958 by Angus & Robertson.
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Encyclopedias dont have value unless they are complete and over 100 years old.
Judy is mistaken. Encyclopedias are worth a lot to the right buyer. Most of the information in older Encyclopedias is lost to history. With every edition, they would cut out entries to make space for new entries. Each Encyclopedia is a snapshot in time for when it was produced. Many entries were "pared down" and older sets have more information than newer sets. Also the illustrators hired for original artwork in pre-1950 sets were often inspired and 1000s of hours went into producing original art for a set. Some of the 1930s sets are particular stand outs in this regard. Photography was not as developed and illustrators were at their peak.
A rare set of the Encyclopaedia Britannica (usually pre-1915) can be worth several hundred dollars. Obscure sets have value to collectors of rare information. If you want to sell your set, you have convey these facts - that Google & Wikipedia often don't have the same information an old Encyclopedia set has. There will be all sorts of data that are lost to history if people rely on the internet to store the knowledge. Think of all the websites that have vanished (and all the posts and comments with them) that people think will last forever. Wikipedia is constantly being edited by people with agendas whose job is to keep some information from the public and put other information in front of the public.
Selling is an art. You have to have excitement for what you are selling or the buyer will not respond. If you understand the hidden value in old books, and can convey that with enthusiasm to your buyers, you will connect with a higher sale price. If you think they are worthless, and want to give them away, why would anyone else buy them?
A little time spent in making something more appealing will give you many more returns. With Encyclopedias, you can market them to knowledgeable educators, collectors and home schooling parents who want their children to have the same benefit of a "hard book in their hands" to study and browse through for the most benefit.
Books are hands down the best educators in human history. Teachers come in a far second place. Providing children with an encyclopedia set they can browse through will expose them to FAR more knowledge than clicking around Wikipedia or Google.
Encyclopedias were also more apolitical in the past and so pre-1970 sets will have ideas and opinions not yet politicized as today's online sources are. Also, they contain viewpoints often excised later. For a balanced education, exposure to all sorts of ideas is good, even if one doesn't agree with them.
Many people would love it if all encyclopedias vanished from the Earth (and the history and ideas they contain with them). It is much easier to control and influence people who have less knowledge and history at their disposal.
Those encyclopedia sets all will be worth much more over time once the "first generation" folks who supplanted books with the internet are themselves supplanted by folks for whom the internet is boring and wonder what happened to all the books.
Imagine if the Alexandrian Library scrolls and tablets had not been destroyed? Knowledge and history, even primitive knowledge and history is priceless - especially over time. Someone willfully destroying a set of encyclopedias is doing humanity a disservice, and robbing themselves of value in more ways than one.
(Note: Portions of this post may be cut & pasted freely and added to your Ebay/Etsy or Craigslist listings to help you sell your Encyclopedia sets.)
I know to some people it is sacrilegious, but sometimes encyclopedias and other books have value when deconstructed. If you are a do it yourself-er you could sell them re-imaged three ways!
Example 1--type in Ebay search engine encyclopedia illustration ephemera and you will often (today I saw only one which is rare....usually there are bunches) of people selling the cool illustrations for artists/scrapbookers to use. Simply take a box cutter or exacto knife and carefully cut out cool pages. Bundle together and advertise to sell OR use in your own projects!
Example 2--Can't find one on ebay at the moment, but sometimes the illustrations framed sell well...esp if they are unusual flowers or cars. I have seen many a sold one being toted home from flea markets and at tag sales. See above for removal and frame in a nice matted frame!
Example 3--if you are hooked on Pinterest, type in encyclopedia lamps and it will open you up to very cool lamps made from old encyclopedia. Think the show Flea Market Flip...what would Lara do???
If you are not crafty...and want to dispose of them....some cities have places that will take potential craft items as a donation....google where to donate encyclopedia and your city.
Note at least in Pittsburgh where I am, the libraries, Goodwill, Salvation Army etc. DO NOT take them.
I like the website readingtree.org which has some interesting info on it about encyclopedia recycling. Sadly I don't live in one of the cities they feature for their programs.
I hope you find an eco friendly and/or money making way to dispose of them!
I am of a different opinion than most people when it comes to the value of any set of encyclopedias. Research shows that many sets are valuable but the time it takes to sell is usually the biggest problem.
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