How to Sell Used & Rare Books
- 1). Clean the used or rare book. You should be careful not to damage it further, but you can probably treat problems like mold growth by brushing mildew clumps away. Contact book restoration experts if there are major problems with the book.
- 2). Check the relative worth of your book. Websites like Faded Giant and Powell's Books offer a pricing guide to rare and used books. Also, you can subscribe to magazines such as "Fine Books & Collections" that compile pricing information. Research any recent sales by calling rare book libraries like the Folger Library to find out how other copies of your book have been valued.
- 3). Call local used book stores or antiquarian book shops. Used book stores will be interested in books published recently that have no particular rarity. Antiquarian book shops are interested in volumes that are at least a century old and have a rarity that interests specific collectors.
- 4). List your books on eBay or other shopping or auction websites. These websites set up a window of time for you to sell the item, and buyers can submit competitive bids on the book or purchase it outright at a price you’ve set. Most of these websites take a percentage of the sale.
- 5). Contact curators at libraries that might be interested in your book if you don’t receive sufficient bids on shopping websites. You should search for centers and libraries whose collecting emphasis is in your book’s period. For instance, the Folger Library focuses on books published in the 15th, 16th and 17th centuries, although they do pick up relevant volumes outside that period. If your book lands in that time frame, the Folger Library would be a good place to contact.