If they are the same, you’ve found a hidden treasure in your garage. Bible Commentaries. For Mary Elizabeth Cole, owner of the AntiqueBooksGalore Etsy shop, rare book hunting is a family affair. Here are the furniture pieces, accessories, and decor items you should search for at estate sales, and how to fix 'em up when you bring them home. It's not enough just to go to an estate sale, you need to know what to look for, how to plan your time, how to establish a budget, and how to get the most for your money. Musical instruments that work and are $20 or less are almost always flippable for a nice profit. And, as Lorton explains, starting a collection isn’t a daunting task: “Starting an antique book collection is actually quite easy,” she says. “The librarians kept a historical section under glass near the counter and gazing through to the antiquarian maps and history books intrigued me.”, The same is true for Jennifer Sutton, owner of the VintageBookworms Etsy shop. “First edition identification varied widely among publishers until the early 1990s,” she says. Dan Brown's The DaVinci Code became a worldwide phenomenon after it was released in 2003. First Edition Books. Lorton’s early collection had an entirely different criteria. The most expensive copy of Eragon sold on AbeBooks for $2,550, and copies on sale now include a signed, self-published first edition for $2000. “F, ocus on your subject area,” says Sutton of VintageBookworms. According to AbeBooks, signed copies of Wolf Hall were already in high-demand before Hilary Mantel won the 2009 Man Booker Prize. 3. Books are one of those items that tend to accumulate in our lives because it feels like sacrilege to throw one away. “If you find electronics that are less than a year old, you’ll be able to get them dirt cheap, but they still have all… Children’s Books. The most expensive copy ever sold on AbeBooks was one of 250 signed and numbered limited editions, and it went for $1,500. A lot of children’s books are rare and valuable especially original copies of Dr. Zeuss from the 1950’s or 60’s. According to AbeBooks, If you have a signed first edition, it could fetch up to $575. “This will give you a good idea of how often the book sells, in what condition and at what price.” Be sure that you check the sold listings and not the listing price, as the listing price is often not an accurate determinate of the value of the book. According to Abe Books, if you were lucky enough to score any of these books between the years of 2000 and 2009, you might just be in for a pretty decent payday. Garage sales, it turns out, can be the sites of some seriously valuable trinkets. Turns out, they were worth a fortune. These titles indicate the year that the book was printed.”, As discussed in the introduction, estate sales can be a gold mine for bibliophiles. As Rowling's fame skyrocketed, her book tours became much shorter, and spots in her signing lines became much harder to come by. ... picking up for cheap at thrift stores and garage sales. Books Look for first editions and author signatures. You never know — being a lifelong bibliophile might literally pay off. “. Look for belts from high-end designers or ones made from animal skin, like lizard, crocodile or ostrich. This is true for Sean Grybos, owner of the, I have fond memories of going with my grandmother to the local library in Mt. Yaroslav MikheevGetty Images. This means those books that were published in or before 1998 are vintage.”, The Antiquarian Bookseller’s Association of America defines as first edition as all “of the copies printed from the first setting of type; can include multiple printings if all are from the same setting of type. is an excellent resource that I utilize daily,” she says. This past July I was in the local thrift store and came upon an inscribed and signed copy of The Plains of Passage by Jean M. Auel and just about fainted. Rather than look through all of the books, focus just on the over-sized, coffee table books. One of the most acclaimed books of the decade, Alice Sebold's The Lovely Bones was published in 2002 and adapted for film in 2009. The first comic that Superman appeared in resold for $3.2 million, and others can go for hundreds of thousands of dollars. If you've got one of the special numbered deluxe editions (of which only 75 copies were made) you can make up to $4,500. There can be multiple printings of a first edition. Don’t judge a book by its cover. See a special edition of a classic book? All rights reserved. According to AbeBooks a signed first edition was sold in May of 2006, the year the movie came out, for over $4,000 — the highest price ever paid for a copy of this bestselling thriller. A signed first edition of Twilight is on the site for $700 right now. It’s not uncommon to find large stacks of books at garage sales and yard sales. People nearly give away books at garage sales. Published by Boston: Little, Brown.Estimated Value: $5000+ for excellent condition! “I stopped there later that day and I purchased boxes of books.”. I have noticed when people having sales (yard, estate, garage, benefit sales) see someone scanning, it tips them off to jack the price up as many people don’t put prices on books at sales (at least our local sales). Worm holes are another thing to look for, but this is less of an issue if the book is more than 200 years old as they are likely to have at least a few. “Start your collection with an idea or theme in mind to help you guide your choices,” she says. The most expensive copy on AbeBooks went for almost $4,000, and you can find editions on sale now for almost $2,000. Check out these valuable items to look for at garage sales that sold on eBay for thousands of dollars! “From quiet picnics with Laura Ingalls Wilder to late college nights with Edgar Allan Poe, my recollections are all based on my favorite author of the time.”, Both accomplished antique book collectors, Grybos and Sutton identify estate sales as one of their most successful spots for hunting down rare books. While a signed first edition is best — according to Abe Books, one of the fifth book in the series, Order of the Phoenix sold for $7,657 in 2007 — autographed copies of various Harry Potter books are being sold on the site right now for anywhere from $850 to $2000. “Focus on your subject area,” says Sutton of VintageBookworms. As others have noted, it is unlikely you will discover a priceless museum piece, or an original manuscript of a previously unknown work by Shakespeare. There is a big market for Bible Commentaries. Some of those stacks could be hiding a highly valuable book. When perusing comic book piles at garage sales, it's a good idea to keep your eyes open for The Man of Steel. Because there are so few first edition copies available, they can be resold for a lot of money. If you are a lover of books and a lover of antiques, antique book collection might be a thrilling pursuit for you. Copies of the book are on sale now for $550 to $4000. However, the most universal number I have found is 20 years. “Almost anywhere in the United States has a book shop or book dealer nearby,” says Grybos. “, I classify an antiquarian or antique book as one that is at least 100 years old and collectible—in good enough condition to be read or resold,” says Grybos. “Any one of these elements could significantly diminish a book’s value.”, Grybos of VintageBooksToRead focuses on three criteria when determining the market value of a book: “rarity, condition and collectibility,” he says. The sold price shows you what someone actually paid for the book in the end, while listing price is the seller’s early determination of the book’s value (which may or may not be accurate). But you don’t need much of either to start a promising collection.”, Most any accomplished book collector will suggest that new collectors let their passions and interests drive the development of their antique book collection. Jeffrey Eugenides' Middlesex was published in 2002 and went on to win the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 2003. Every printed book has a first edition, many never have later editions.”, Sutton warns that identifying a first edition book can be a major challenge. Does it have any mold spots?”, Mold can be a major problem in older books. Stand-alone books aren’t worth much to resell; however, if you have a bit of spare time and are slightly organized you can build up your book collection to resell later. One of the most popular and critically acclaimed books of the last two decades, Yann Martel's Man Booker Prize winning The Life of Pi is also one of the most highly collectible... if you've got the right edition. “Keeping books in as best possible condition for your enjoyment and for future transactions means everything.”, Water, moisture and humidity are all enemies of the book, so if you are at a sale and see boxes in a basement that have not been moved for months, be careful and give a close look over the items before purchase,”  says Grybos.Â, A missing page can easily destroy a book’s value,” says Sutton. Book: The Catcher in the Rye Author: JD Salinger Description: 1st edition, 1st printing 1951. Sometimes you can get a book cleaned and restored even if there is mold damage, but be sure not to store a moldy book with other mold-free books, as the fungus can (and will) spread. This means those books that were published in or before 1998 are vintage.”, The Antiquarian Bookseller’s Association of America defines as first edition as all “, of the copies printed from the first setting of type; can include multiple printings if all are from the same setting of type. Cornelia Funke's Inkheart first editions are actually super in demand with collectors of fantasy fiction. Avid book collector Adrienne Lorton admits there is some discrepancy among collectors about what qualifies as vintage. Most rare book collectors agree that antique books are far older than vintage books, an important distinction for the purpose of collection and resale.  Similarly, identifying first editions within the Nancy Drew series requires a dust jacket so that you can view the list of titles on the jacket. You are out of luck. “For example, I only purchased vintage hardback collectables with dust jackets if I liked the title or the cover. These days, signed first editions are on sale for up to $575 on the site. “There was no question in my mind,” she says. “This will truly make the experience enjoyable. “Basically, how many copies are left, how good of a condition is the book in, and is it important enough to be valued by others for that time when you might want to resell it.”. This is true for Sean Grybos, owner of the VintageBooksToRead Etsy shop. As Cheryl Rambo of AntiqueBookHunters explains, “Some books can be very old and still very cheap because there were many printed or the author was somebody that nobody knew.”, Condition is a fact that will dramatically affect the market value of any book, but can also affect your ability to enjoy the book as well (thus altering the intrinsic value). “Take your time in evaluating the book before making the purchase.”, A Guide to Finding the Perfect Vintage Valentine, Everything You Need to Know About Buying Antique Appliances. 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