Antique Book Values for Old Collectible Books

Antique book values ... it can be difficult to put a value on an antique book, a book that is a hundred or more years old.  Books from the 1800s and earlier didn't have dust jackets.  They are usually worn and torn and stained.  And often have been repaired.  If all the pages are intact and the boards and spine are in relatively good condition there may be some value in an antique book. 

Also, be aware that many books were reprinted many times and are relatively abundant and common.   You'll still want to look for first editions as with modern and hypermodern books.  And you'll likely want guidance from a book dealer who specializes in antique or rare books to learn the pitfalls and to get an idea where bargains may be found.

One rare book dealer that specializes in rare Wizard of Oz Books has a lot of interesting, beneficial information about antique books on his site. As well as many collectible books to sell.

Another good source of antique and rare books, antique book values and information is abebooks.com.  I have also found that wikipedia.org has very helpful information. Many authors, their backgrounds and bibliographies are listed there in chronological order.

I have no books anywhere near 100 years old.  But my brother-in-law Jim has a few hundred old books that he collected mostly in the 1980s and early 1990s. These include authors such as Charles Dickens , Mark Twain, Wilkie Collins and many others. He has shown his antique books to me from time to time.  Most aren't very impressive at first glance until you see the year and the author and know a little about the background of the book. 

Here are a few pictures of these old and rare books that you won't see everyday.  (Jim sells some of his books on-line at abebooks.com as Jim Bowling, bookseller, but these books currently are not listed for sale. If you would like to inquire about them, Jim's e-mail address is jbkwrm@sbcglobal.net).

1602   Magna Charta by Thomas Wight

This book is about the Magna Carta or great charter which was a document created in 1215.  The great charter required King John to recognize the rights of the English people and certain legal procedures.  The Magna Carta was originally written in Latin and the book shown is also in Latin.

Jim bought this book at a book show about 10 years ago.   The antique book values range from $500-600.   The book has been rebound in leather.

1675   Polygraphice

This 1675 book tells how to draw and paint.  A specific author is not noted.  There may have been several.  There actually weren't that many drawings in the book but three examples are shown in the pictures.  If you look at the last picture you'll see a drawing of a man on a grid.  I've seen modern drawing books that use this same technique for teaching people how to draw.

Jim bought this book in the 1980s.  He's not sure what the current value is.  The book appears to have been rebound many years ago.

1675   Divi Britannica by Sir Winston Churchill

This book, a history of the kings of Britain, was written by Sir Winston Churchill (1620-1688), an ancestor of the prime minister who served from 1940-1945 and 1951-1955.  He was a soldier, historian and a member of parliament.

The book's spine has been replaced.  Jim bought this at an estate sale in the 1990s.  This antique book values are $2,000+.

 1694   Opera Omnia  by Francis Bacon

This book contains the works of Francis Bacon in latin. Sir Francis Bacon was born in 1561 and died in 1626.  He was a statesman, lawyer and scientist.  He popularized the scientific method.  The book is bound in vellum (parchment) which is very durable and this appears to be the original bindings.  Antique book values are about $400 currently.

1751   Paraphrase and Notes by John Locke

This books full title is Paraphase and Notes on the Epistles of St. Paul.  The author, John Locke, lived from 1632 to 1704.  This book was published in 1707 after his death.  Jim's copy is a fifth edition published in 1751.  The spine has been replaced.

Locke was an important English philosopher whose ideas influenced other authors and the American revoluionaries in the 1770s.

Jim bought his copy for $50.

1827   Life of Napoleon Bonaparte by Sir Walter Scott

This is one of three volumes of the biography of Napoleon Bonaparte.  These are first editions.  Sir Walter Scott was a very famous Scottish author, poet and historian having written the well-known classic novels, Ivanhoe and Rob Roy. 

Jim boughtthese three volumes in the mid 1990s.  Antique book values for the three volume set are about $500.

1852   The Book of Mormon

The book, a sixth edition of the Book of Mormon was in the worst shape of any of the books Jim showed me.  The front board was detached from the spine which was in bad shape.  All the pages seemed to be intact.  Jim said he bought this from a book dealer in 1992.  I could not find a comparable book in abe.com that was this old.  Jim thinks the antique book values could be as much as $2,000.

1885   Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain

This book is very well-known children's book that was required reading many years ago.  Mark Twain is one of the most collectible authors and needs no introduction.  This is one of his best known and most desirable books. 

Jim's copy is a first edition.  He bought it at a book show in 1991.  At that time Twain's books were fairly inexpensive but that is no longer the case.  The green boards are the third state. 30,000 copies were printed. The antique book values for a Huckleberry Finn third state in this condition range from $5,000 to $6,000. 

I plan on reading up on this area of antique books and learning more ... there are definitely differences between collecting old books and hypermodern books.

One place that has information about rare and antique books is Rare Book School .

I will also look at antique book values on EBay now and then and see what types of old, collectible books are being offered. And I plan to look at the rare book areas on Powell's and ABE to learn more.

And I'll be discussing these types of books more with Jim. He says he hasn't bought many for several years due to rising antique book values. He's glad he bought them 20 years ago when there was less interest in collecting these books.

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