WHERE TO SELL FIRST EDITION BOOKS...

... one of life's pleasures is sorting through shelves or boxes of new or old books, so if you're wondering where to sell first edition books or are selling old books without ISBN numbers we'd love to hear from you.

HOW MUCH IS MY BOOK WORTH?

This is the question that people obviously want answered when they're thinking about where to sell rare books. There are so many variables to take into consideration that it takes years of experience to be able to accurately assess value - and then, as with so many things, there's a degree of art as well as science. Many book buying websites seek to provide answers. If you're looking to sell books in the UK then please contact us. Please bear in mind that there will always be exceptions, often dependent on the author, but not exclusively.

If you're able to send photos that can be a good first step but we're also happy to discuss by phone.

CONDITION

The majority of our books are in fine condition and that's because we love beautiful books, and want our customers to be delighted with them. However, books can still be valuable even in quite poor condition if they're scarce. We've created a guide to condition which you're welcome to view, but best to contact us so we can provide an expert assessment of condition and value.

Find out more about Book Condition Definitions

EDITION

95% of the books we sell are either first editions or limited editions.

Determining whether your book is a first edition or not can be tricky, as publishing houses like to use different conventions. In the past the words first edition often appeared on the copyright page without any subsequent impressions mentioned. Whilst some publishers still use this convention today, most simply use numbers. Many publishers use a number line (10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1). If there is a number 1 in the line it is a first edition. Alternatively, some publishing houses use a single number to designate edition - the number 1 means it's a first edition. In truth, this is just scratching the surface as there are a multitude of exceptions and conventions. If you are in doubt please contact us - a photo of the copyright page is always useful.

For limited editions there will be a limitation page - often towards the back of the book - take a look at the images on our limited editions for examples.

Find out more about Limited Editions.

SCARCITY

Often an author's first book will be the most valuable because publishers will have printed a limited print run. For example, J K Rowling's Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, first edition in fine condition is worth over £70,000. If it's signed and excellent condition double that. Whereas a signed copy of the final Potter book, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows will sell for around £3,500. Please bear in mind these are prices collectors will pay, not what book dealers can pay as both mark up and how long the book may sit on their shelves need to be considered.