I have about 30 first edition books from 1890 - 1935. They are

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I have about 30 first edition books from 1890 - 1935. They are in good condition at best. I also have some 78 records in good condition and about 1000 music albums and about 1000 books in fair to good condition . What is the best and quickest way to sell these kind of items? I'd rather not spend a lot of time selling these items if they aren't worth very much. There has to be a balance between how much money I could make versus how many hours I would have to invest. I live in Los Angeles. Thanks.

Customer (name blocked for privacy)

Status: Closed Value: $10

As far as the books go, Ebay is always a good route of action. If you don't want to mess with that route, start by getting a general idea of the books values. The following links will get you started.

http://fadedgiant.net/

http://www.vintage-books.com/worth.htm

granted you may not want to spend alot of time, but a little research can go along way so you don't undercut yourself.

There is also another great site. www.craigslist.com. Some of the benefits are free listing, wide audience, & quick response. This avaenue would also be suitable for your alsums as well.

Specifically on the albums, I just sold a lot of 700+ a couple of months agao. Initally, I tried to calalog them, but after the first 200 I lost interest pretty quick. I pulled the more interesting ones, did a price check, and sold them on Craigslist. Initilly, I sold them for a couple of bucks each, than lowered the price over the next few weeks.

To research market value on your records, go here:

http://www.popsike.com/

This will acces past and present auctions for recent sale prices.

Oh, and since you are in the LA area, this store is known worldwide for buying and selling albums.

http://www.amoebamusic.com/www.amoebamusic.com2/html/home.htm

Hope this helps,

LiddyBea

Edited by LiddyBea on April 4 2006 at 10:25 PM

Reply to Jean's Post: Thank you for the quick reply. Ebay, Craig's list and Amoeba are the usual routes for selling things that most people know about. What I want to find out is if first edition books that are in only fair to good condition have any value or do they have to be in excellent condition to fetch a high price. I would like to know if a used or rare book dealer in LA would have any interest in books in this condition. The same with the 78 records. I thought perhaps these books and records might be collector's items and if they are, where would I go to sell them? For the more common books and records, is there someone that buys in bulk and would perhaps buy the whole lot at once? Thank you.

Honestly, it really depends on the book. Some books regardless of condition will fetch a high price based on the author, edition, publisher, etc.

I'd suggest extending your search area a bit. Following is a link that will provide a broader spectrum of dealers.

http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/subway/nathistbk.html#Deal

Also, the following gentleman in Sacramento specializes in antique books and Americana.

BRIAN L. WITHERELL
Witherell's
300 20th Street
Sacramento CA 95814
(916) 446-6490 (phone)
(916) 446-6190 (fax)
Brian@witherells.com

The distance is over 300 miles from you, but I'm sure he would know of local collectors and aution houses.

John Schulman is located in PA, but he has been in the business for over 20 years.

JOHN SCHULMAN
President
Caliban Books
410 South Craig Street
Pittsburgh PA 15213
(412) 681-9111 (phone)
(412) 681-9113 (fax)
CALIBAN@telerama.com

Let me know if I can be of any further assistance.

LiddyBea

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I have about 30 first edition books from 1890 - 1935. They ...

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