According to the Guinness World Records, the largest private book collector is John Q. Benham of Avoca, Indiana. While you might not aspire to collect more than 1.5 million books and set a new record in history, you can aspire to collect a few worthy authors along the way that may actually be worth money. If you are a rare book collector, here’s why rare book appraisals help identify trending authors.

Why Do I Need an Antique Books Property Appraisal?

Book collectors often invest in costly rarities, so it is important to protect their financial investments, not only in knowing their values but having the proper documentation to insure them authentically. Moreover, valuables like rare books are passed on generationally and to non-profits, so they must periodically be valued as a part of a collector’s estate planning, taxation, and charitable gift-giving.

Most collectors today invest in a private library, which may contain a variety of books and authors. Some may be of personal interest while others are of immense value. Antique books property appraisal can also be meaningful during the buying and selling process as items will be skillfully graded, authenticated, properly documented, and precisely valued by top-notch Manzi Appraisers & Restorer.

What Makes a Book Rare?

Rare books can be dated, written by popular authors, first editions, no longer in print, in excellent condition, in great demand, have unusual subject matter, or has thought-provoking aesthetics. The first thing rare book collectors will look at is the author’s history, the title, edition, and print date. Even if it is not the first edition, a book and reprint may still have a significant value or worth if it is popular.

Authors & Books Popular with Rare Book Collectors (Market Values Listed in USD)

• Johann Gutenberg, The Gutenberg Bible (1455) $35 Million
• William Shakespeare, First Folio(1623) $6.3 Million
• Charles Dickens, A Christmas Carol (1843) $20,697
• Rudyard Kipling, The Jungle Book/The Second Jungle Book (1894-1895) Up To $5,523
• Arthur Conan Doyle, The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes (1892) $25,000
• Beatrix Potter, The Tale of Peter Rabbit (1901), $48,305
• Arthur Conan Doyle, The Hound of the Baskervilles (1902), $690.35
• A. Milne, Winnie-the-Pooh Collection (1924 to 1928) $13,798
• F Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby by (1924) $182,0000
• R.R. Tolkien, The Hobbit (1932) $82,790.70
• Ernest Hemingway, For Whom the Bells Towed (1940 Signed Edition) $17,500
• George Orwell, Animal Farm (1944) $11,500.00
• D. Salinger, Catcher In The Rye (1951) up to $25,000
• William Golding, Lord of the Flies (1953) $25,000 to $30,000
• Stephen King, The Dark Tower I: The Gunslinger (1982) $7,500
• K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone (1995) $69,030

Rare Books Appraisals of Modern Authors You Might Already Own

• Seuss, The Cat In The Hat (1957 First edition): $4000 to $5000
• Tom Clancy, The Hunt For Red October (1984) $1000
• John Grisham, A Time To Kill (1989) $4,000
• Stephen King, The Regulators (1996), $8,000
• Stephanie Meyers, Twilight Series (2005 to 2020 First Editions) $4,000+

Would you like to learn more about rare book appraisals at Manzi Appraisers & Restorer? Call our office now at 617-995-0022 or you can reach us on our Facebook page by visiting https://www.facebook.com/ManziAppraisers/. If you would like a consultation on which authors or books you should add to your library, we’ll be glad to help you create a rare book collection list.