[Delphinium]

These books are not in the best condition so I am also trying to find out where to go to restore them?

[quidnunc]

Go to www.alibris.com

They sell used and rare books and you might be able to look up similar volumes of the same titles to get some rough idea.

[Andy from Beaverton]

http://www.bibliofind.com

[Bogey78O]

There are people who can restore books. I once came across a guy whose profession was restoring old comic books. He wqas one of only a handful nationwide. Generally it costs a good bit but for an item where the difference between Fair and Good is a few hundred it's not a bad price.

[Ruth A.]

Don't be in a rush to restore them--that can adversely affect theur value. Try to establish provenance--how the books came to be there.

[July 4th]

I believe that it matters greatly (for $ value) if the books are the first edition/printing. Searches on the previously mentioned site should help establish that.

[UnsinkableMollyBrown]

Is Personal Memoirs of U.S Grant signed by Ulysses Grant? Also, a first edition, dated 1885, contains two volumes. In bookselling, condition is everything. If there are watermarks, you can kiss the value goodbye. A first edition, 2 volume set in good condition is worth $400-500.

Your copy of Life and Voyages of Christopher Columbus is one volume of a three volume set and is not worth very much alone.

[gorebegone]

I found a 1895 copy of Rand's Banker and Lawyer Directory with color maps of all of the States at that time, for $5.00 at the Goodwill. Your books are probably more valuable though. I'd recommend watching the 9th Gate first before reading them.

[DeaconBenjamin]

http://dogbert.abebooks.com/servlet/BookSearchPL

[Held_to_Ransom]

One thing I have found hunting around for all books is that you should always be very skeptical of an old book with an author's or famous owner's signature in pencil......

[fqued]

I buy and sell antiquarian books. Many things go into value, but the basic essential value of anything is what a willing seller will pay a willing buyer.

A good place to start is AddALL http://used.addall.com/ . This is the best one stop site for a grouping of antiquarian booksellers.

Note carefully: this will give you the price that certain booksellers will sell the book for. That is NOT necessarily its value. I figure that I can sell books on eBay for about 1/3 of the price I find on AddALL.

[Porterville]

Washington Irvings first are worth about 40 dollars, if it is from 1885 it is not a first. ... The way to check prices is to go to abebooks.com and click on the advanced options. Fill in the rellevant blanks and click on first edition. I sold a first edition Hesse the last month for 200 dollars on eBay, I bought the book for 1 buck. I sold a first Fitzgerald last year I bought for 30 dollars for 200 also... what I also do is Check eBay. If it is not fetching prices on eBay, you probably won't sell the book for much money.

Hot Authors:
Hesse
Kourouac
Hemingway
Fitzgerald
Harper Lee
Twain
Ayn Rand ***very hot
Salinger ***very hot
Vonegutt fetches an OK price
Stephen King
Steinbeck
Jack London
and the classics from Huxley etc. etc.

[nmh]

Looks like others have already given you the rare and used book sites I use. There you will find what is is worth if anything. Good luck!

[Aarchaeus]

I have a brother in the book business. He deals in old and rare books. Might be able to help you with appraisals. His name is Mike Hightower. His e-ddress is alphabooks@sbcglobal.net

[Coyoteman]

No idea about restoring.

Try www.bookfinder.com


Gary S. Breschini, Ph.D.
Coyote Press / Archaeological Consulting

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Visit our website at http://www.coyotepress.com
Or, our new site at: http://www.californiaprehistory.com

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[ladyinred]

I am an antique dealer, and although I don't specialize in books, I do sell some of them. The condition is everything in most cases. I will write down the titles and ask the book dealer that I work with about them. He will know.
It is amazing to me at times that even very old books in fairly good condition aren't really worth a lot. Has to be some really rare and popular edition to command a large price.

[MarthaNOStewart]

You might want to contact Yale University Library for information, as some of those books have been used in their research, especially the Christopher Columbus one. They might have some concept of their value.
Best Wishes

[Charlie OK]

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