How do you find out if an old book you have might be worth something?

[Wallace]

Been googling but coming up with books worth a few pounds right through to a few thousand pounds. None of them are quite the same as the one I'm looking for though.

Don't really want to contact booksellers or anything because the book actually belongs to my Grandmother and is not for sale, but I'm just curious about how much it is worth.

Amazon or Ebay, too. Look for same thing. You need to check the print run numbers, figure out which publication run it was in.

Techically, there is no hard & fast rule because it depends what someone will pay for it when it's listed. Helps if you can fix the print year/run.

Try ABE books as well

You can always find someone to do you an insurance valuation and be guided by that. They tend to be a bit higher than the actual sellling price would be, as they give you an idea of replacement cost iyswim, rather than the cost a dealer would pay you for it, but there's not usually a large discrepancy.

Type the ISBN no on Abe, or contact a specialist bookshop.

I have loads that would be valuable if in tip top condition. Googled titles and compared mine to them. Collected over 20 years thru my previous job as thy were used as props. Mine are in a shocking state though.

If you find it on ABE that should give you an idea, but be cautious - occasionally book pricing is unrealistic.

I look on Amazon and Abe. Look for what has sold, not what books are on for. Some people put books on for thousands but they don't sell. Others have the same book on for £70 which is the highest value that clinches a sale.

the prices on ABE are whatever the seller wants to charge, and some people do think that just because something is old, or a first, then it has to be valuable. Or if there isn't another copy for sale when they list, they assume it's rare. You do need an expert in that particular author/genre to be sure, but like someone said, something is worth what a buyer pays you for it.

Thanks, I'll have another look at ABE, etc bearing in mind your advice

The insurance idea is a good one too. I reckon it would be worth a couple of hundred, maybe.

It is a signed first edition (will need to double check it is a first edition). I can't find any signed, first editions of the same book. Other first editions by the same author, but none of the book I have. Seems to be rather rare to have a signed one.

It's like fine wine & art, the market can fluctuate sharply & unpredictably. Worth looking after, though.