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I'm in possession of a book that was pegged at $10,000 + on the Antique Roadshow program, but I've also have seen it on line for as little as, [[buy now) $150 on Ebay. Where in the Detroit area can I get a fair price for this book for quick cash ?
I also have other rare books I'd like to sell.
first editions aren't the same as first printings, but I'm no expert ... talk to John King. He'll give you a fair price for quick money.
For bigger, slower money, and assuming you have truely valuable stuff, try Dumochelle's [[sp) downtown or Frank Boos in Bloomfield.
In this economy, I need the quick cash. If I could get 1/4 of the Roadshow price, I would be happy. This book would be the first American edition.
I also saw a price of $2750 for this book, I'm realistic at least.:rolleyes:
Sorry, I just don't know that much about books - except that bit about the differeence between first editions and first printings.
I have a copy of an obsure book on bartending written by the guy who invented the cocktail back in 1850 something ... I got it at an estate sale along with a bunch of other books. I do all the research and find out the bartending book is exceedingly rare and highly sought after by collectors. $50 grand range. I start planning my trip to Tahiti.
Come to find out the difference between first editions and first printings. The book I own is indeed a first edition and it's worth about 50 bucks retail; I revised my vacation plans changing them to an evening at Inskster's famed Tiki Village and ShowBar.
I planned my retirement around that Tahiti thread. Damn. Oh well , I know that the prices on Antique Roadshow are hyper inflated. Real world.
IMHO, I would ask John King to take a look at it, but would never sell to him. He'll pay you $50, then try to sell it for $10,000. Talk about hyper-inflated prices!
AbeBooks.com shows the true first edition, first American printing at around $12,000-15,000.
Any bookstore owner, like John King, is in the business of buy low/sell high - from cash-poor sellers, if he's lucky enough to find them. So, knowing that you're coming to his store because you need cash, and that he's the only person there who will buy your book right now [[you'll either walk away with what he's willing to pay or nothing), he will try to give you the lowest amount possible, and won't bite at all if he doesn't think he can eventually sell at a profit. This is not a knock on Mr. King, it's just the nature of his business.
That's why the Roadshow people always talk about prices being "at auction," because in a truly blind auction the buyers know nothing about the condition of the sellers, and instead interested buyers who desire the thing you're selling vie against one another for it. Of course, the Roadshow still inflates these prices terribly, particularly in this declining market, and, like a lot of people, you probably don't have the time to wait around for a rare book auction to come up.
As someone who wrote a collectors guide [[2,200 page on LEGO 1949-1980's), I have an Insurance Price Guide in dollars and Euros at the back of the book. Most Antiques Road Show value quotes are based either on insurance replacement value [[very high), shop resale value [[high), or auction value [[unless it's a highly desirable item, the auction value can be a crap shoot, depending on how many interested bidders there are).
I've seen one Canadian LEGO "#610 Double Wheel Toy Set" of 1963-65 sell on EBAY in excellent condition for as little as $18, or as much as $343, for basically the same identical condition item. It all depends on how many bidders are interested on a particular day... which helps make value determination such a non-exact science.
And yes, the comments about John King [[or any resaler) are spot on. Even coin and stamp collectors will not be offered anything near "book value". Only bullion coins have a high resale value, which sometimes can approach 90%.
Even precious metal jewelry is heavily discounted... usually because of the high markup when initially purchased. Also Gold is often only 10, 14 or 18 carrot [[approximately 42%, 58% and 75% pure respectively).
I think that would be carat.Quote:
Originally Posted by Gistok
Unless Bugs Bunny is involved somehow.Quote:
Originally Posted by jcole
I wouldn't sell it to John King, you won't nearly get what he'll sell it for.
Check out www.biblio.com . My husband collects old books and uses Biblio to estimate what the books he has are worth. I think you can put items up for sale also
Thanks for the info folks. Elaine, where is that first edition hand printed 1840 Hibernian book - [[Friends of Saint Patrick) that was my birthday gift ? [[Signed by a Federal Judge)? You repossessed it when we broke up.:confused: