Pricing Ex-Library Books

[Htn963]

Hello,

Is there a generally agreed upon rule-of-thumb for discounting the value
of books for resale when they are, physical condition aside, library discards?
I'm talking specifically about ex-library books that are clearly so on
inspection, having visible stamps, taped jackets, glued pockets, etc., and
which will be sold more for everyday use than serious collecting.

I've perused this newsgroup's FAQ and googled for its past threads on
ex-library books' values but haven't seen any clear guideline for pricing them
beyond the general statement that they are worth much less than their privately
owned brethren. Well, there was one post that mentioned a library copy of a
1st edition of Stephenson's _Snow Crash_ selling for only a quarter of the
value of an "untainted" one, but that is more a serious collector's book and
I'd want many more anecdotal evidence before concluding that having been in a
library reduces most books' resale value by 75%. TIA.
--
Ht

|Any man's death diminishes me, because I am involved in mankind; and therefore
never send to know for whom the bell tolls; it tolls for thee.
--John Donne, "Devotions Upon Emergent Occasions"|

[Giltedge04]

HT Wrote

Is there a generally agreed upon rule-of-thumb for discounting the value
of books for resale when they are, physical condition aside, library discards?
I'm talking specifically about ex-library books that are clearly so on
inspection, having visible stamps, taped jackets, glued pockets, etc., and
which will be sold more for everyday use than serious collecting.

...........

Personally, I would say it depends whether it is fiction or non-fiction. With
fiction, scarcity comes into play so a very scarce ex-lib First Edition might
still be worth about 30% of the price of a nice copy otherwise I would say
ex-library fiction titles are virtually worthless.

As regards, non-fiction it really depends on the subject matter with good books
which are useful research material ie on Antiques etc then you might get about
30 - 40% because are really just after the content rather than the condition or
a First Edition.

well thats my two pennyworth anyway

Stan, Giltedge Books (now in Spain)

[Francis A. Miniter]

Post by Giltedge04
HT Wrote
Is there a generally agreed upon rule-of-thumb for discounting the value
of books for resale when they are, physical condition aside, library discards?
I'm talking specifically about ex-library books that are clearly so on
inspection, having visible stamps, taped jackets, glued pockets, etc., and
which will be sold more for everyday use than serious collecting.
...........
Personally, I would say it depends whether it is fiction or non-fiction. With
fiction, scarcity comes into play so a very scarce ex-lib First Edition might
still be worth about 30% of the price of a nice copy otherwise I would say
ex-library fiction titles are virtually worthless.
As regards, non-fiction it really depends on the subject matter with good books
which are useful research material ie on Antiques etc then you might get about
30 - 40% because are really just after the content rather than the condition or
a First Edition.
well thats my two pennyworth anyway
Stan, Giltedge Books (now in Spain)

Is that true despite the condition of the book? For instance, today I
picked up at a tag sale a nearly pristine copy of "The Hunt for Red
October". It was a library book, but there is no library card holder
(nor was there ever one) and the library stamping is really minimal. If
the library treats the book with respect, and the readers also do, the
condition of the book is not much different from that of an otherwise
fine book with a gift inscription on the ffep. Should such a book
suffer a major devaluation?


Francis A. Miniter

[MindElec]

On Sat, 12 Jul 2003 19:15:42 -0400, "Francis A. Miniter"

Post by Francis A. Miniter

Post by Giltedge04
HT Wrote
Is there a generally agreed upon rule-of-thumb for discounting the value
of books for resale when they are, physical condition aside, library discards?
I'm talking specifically about ex-library books that are clearly so on
inspection, having visible stamps, taped jackets, glued pockets, etc., and
which will be sold more for everyday use than serious collecting.
...........
Personally, I would say it depends whether it is fiction or non-fiction. With
fiction, scarcity comes into play so a very scarce ex-lib First Edition might
still be worth about 30% of the price of a nice copy otherwise I would say
ex-library fiction titles are virtually worthless.
As regards, non-fiction it really depends on the subject matter with good books
which are useful research material ie on Antiques etc then you might get about
30 - 40% because are really just after the content rather than the condition or
a First Edition.
well thats my two pennyworth anyway
Stan, Giltedge Books (now in Spain)

Is that true despite the condition of the book? For instance, today I
picked up at a tag sale a nearly pristine copy of "The Hunt for Red
October". It was a library book, but there is no library card holder
(nor was there ever one) and the library stamping is really minimal. If
the library treats the book with respect, and the readers also do, the
condition of the book is not much different from that of an otherwise
fine book with a gift inscription on the ffep. Should such a book
suffer a major devaluation?

i assume it wasn't a first ed of the book? even an ex-lib of that
would be worth some money. a later printing isn't all that uncommon.



robert

"there must be one night in your life that you will remember forever.
The must be one night for everyone. And if you know that the night
is coming on and that this night will be that particular night, then
take it and don't question it and don't talk about it to anyone ever
after that. For if you let it pass it might not come again. Many have
let it pass, many have seen it go by and have never seen another like it,
when all the circumstances of weather, light, moon and time, of night hill
and warm grass and train and town and distance were balanced upon the
trembling of a finger."

[Arne Herløv Petersen]

In my experience books, which are not very expensive - say $50 or so -
are worth practically nothing as ex-library books.
For really expensive books it's another matter. Philip K. Dick's Do
Androids Dream of Electric Sheep is worth perhaps $8,000 as a fine first
ed. and perhaps $3,000 as a decent ex-library book.
For old non-fiction like travel books - say from the 18th or beginning
of the 19th Century - the difference is even smaller. A library stamp
would mean perhaps a 10-20 percent discount.

Post by MindElec
On Sat, 12 Jul 2003 19:15:42 -0400, "Francis A. Miniter"

Post by Francis A. Miniter

Post by Giltedge04
HT Wrote
Is there a generally agreed upon rule-of-thumb for discounting the value
of books for resale when they are, physical condition aside, library discards?
I'm talking specifically about ex-library books that are clearly so on
inspection, having visible stamps, taped jackets, glued pockets, etc., and
which will be sold more for everyday use than serious collecting.
...........
Personally, I would say it depends whether it is fiction or non-fiction. With
fiction, scarcity comes into play so a very scarce ex-lib First Edition might
still be worth about 30% of the price of a nice copy otherwise I would say
ex-library fiction titles are virtually worthless.
As regards, non-fiction it really depends on the subject matter with good books
which are useful research material ie on Antiques etc then you might get about
30 - 40% because are really just after the content rather than the condition or
a First Edition.
well thats my two pennyworth anyway
Stan, Giltedge Books (now in Spain)

Is that true despite the condition of the book? For instance, today I
picked up at a tag sale a nearly pristine copy of "The Hunt for Red
October". It was a library book, but there is no library card holder
(nor was there ever one) and the library stamping is really minimal. If
the library treats the book with respect, and the readers also do, the
condition of the book is not much different from that of an otherwise
fine book with a gift inscription on the ffep. Should such a book
suffer a major devaluation?

i assume it wasn't a first ed of the book? even an ex-lib of that
would be worth some money. a later printing isn't all that uncommon.
robert
"there must be one night in your life that you will remember forever.
The must be one night for everyone. And if you know that the night
is coming on and that this night will be that particular night, then
take it and don't question it and don't talk about it to anyone ever
after that. For if you let it pass it might not come again. Many have
let it pass, many have seen it go by and have never seen another like it,
when all the circumstances of weather, light, moon and time, of night hill
and warm grass and train and town and distance were balanced upon the
trembling of a finger."

[R***@webtv.net]

While on this subject....

This morning at my local library sale I picked up an ex-lib 1st edition
of Frank Herbert's DUNE (Chilton, 1965, stated 1st with DJ). The book
has been well read with normal library flaws. DJ is at least very good.
Would anyone care to offer an approximate value?

Thanks for any help.

Rose Mary


Arne wrote:

In my experience books, which are not very expensive - say $50 or so -
are worth practically nothing as ex-library books. For really expensive
books it's another matter. Philip K. Dick's Do Androids Dream of
Electric Sheep is worth perhaps $8,000 as a fine first ed. and perhaps
$3,000 as a decent ex-library book. For old non-fiction like travel
books - say from the 18th or beginning of the 19th Century - the
difference is even smaller. A library stamp would mean perhaps a 10-20
percent discount.

MindElec wrote:
On Sat, 12 Jul 2003 19:15:42 -0400, "Francis A. Miniter"
<***@attglobal.net> declared:
Giltedge04 wrote:
HT Wrote
=A0=A0Is there a generally agreed upon rule-of-thumb for discounting the
value of books for resale when they are, physical condition aside,
library discards?
=A0=A0I'm talking specifically about ex-library books that are clearly
so on inspection, having visible stamps, taped jackets, glued pockets,
etc., and which will be sold more for everyday use than serious
collecting.

[John A. Stovall]

Post by Htn963
Hello,
Is there a generally agreed upon rule-of-thumb for discounting the value
of books for resale when they are, physical condition aside, library discards?
I'm talking specifically about ex-library books that are clearly so on
inspection, having visible stamps, taped jackets, glued pockets, etc., and
which will be sold more for everyday use than serious collecting.
I've perused this newsgroup's FAQ and googled for its past threads on
ex-library books' values but haven't seen any clear guideline for pricing them
beyond the general statement that they are worth much less than their privately
owned brethren. Well, there was one post that mentioned a library copy of a
1st edition of Stephenson's _Snow Crash_ selling for only a quarter of the
value of an "untainted" one, but that is more a serious collector's book and
I'd want many more anecdotal evidence before concluding that having been in a
library reduces most books' resale value by 75%. TIA.

In my book buying habits now, unless it's a reference work, ex-library
reduces it's value to zero. I just don't buy them. The only exception
might be at a FOL where I can inspect it and it has a fine unmutilated
dust jacket and is a first and first state, I would give a couple of
bucks for it with the hope of marrying it up to fine non-DJ first.

If it's just for reading that what ILL is for if my local libraries
don't have it.


***************************************************************

"It looked like the sort of book described in library catalogues
as "slightly foxed", although it would be more honest to admit
that it looked as though it had beed badgered, wolved and
possibly beared as well."

_Light Fantastic_
Terry Pratchett

[Dick Weaver]

Post by Htn963
Hello,
Is there a generally agreed upon rule-of-thumb for discounting the value
of books for resale when they are, physical condition aside, library discards?
I'm talking specifically about ex-library books that are clearly so on
inspection, having visible stamps, taped jackets, glued pockets, etc., and
which will be sold more for everyday use than serious collecting.

Discounting? Some of my early books on computers are from the corporate
libraries
where the work was done. Isn't a book from the "Remmington Rand UNIVAC
Library"
a more interesting book than an unmarked book?

If I were to sell such a book, I'd want more, not less!

btw, I do consider my collection "serious" (I read, I do not collect
books as rocks).

dick w

[H Schinske]

Post by Htn963
Is there a generally agreed upon rule-of-thumb for discounting the value
of books for resale when they are, physical condition aside, library discards?

Well, to begin with, we take it for granted that many books are unsellable in
any condition, and that you are talking about ones with some level of demand
out there. It depends on the purpose of the book. If it is collectible for
content (people just want to read the thing or use it for reference -- this
does happen with some fiction as well as non-fiction), it still retains a basic
secondhand value (i.e., it isn't a shelf-eater unless you have such a
high-level stock that you don't keep anything around that's worth under -- oh,
say $35, just to pick a figure -- anyway). If it is the kind of thing that is
readily available in other forms, especially if the same edition is available,
the ex-library condition may reduce its value to zero. If there are many, many
ex-library copies available (as is the case with many children's books, where
the original hardcover sales were mostly to libraries), but few non-ex-library
ones, it may retain a basic value.

When you're already at the low end of the market, prices are so much by whim
that ex-library doesn't factor so much into it. Really it makes very little
difference whether you price something at $30 or $35, $10 or $12, $5 or $7, $2
or $3.

Extreme rarity in any condition changes the rules (I'm sure an ex-lib first
edition of _Jane Eyre_ would be worth quite a bit), but by definition it means
that you already have to judge that book on its own and not apply a rule of
thumb.

--Helen

[Htn963]

Ok, thanks everyone. The guidelines are much clearer now.:)
--
Ht

|Any man's death diminishes me, because I am involved in mankind; and therefore
never send to know for whom the bell tolls; it tolls for thee.
--John Donne, "Devotions Upon Emergent Occasions"|

[MindElec]

Post by Htn963
Hello,
Is there a generally agreed upon rule-of-thumb for discounting the value
of books for resale when they are, physical condition aside, library discards?
I'm talking specifically about ex-library books that are clearly so on
inspection, having visible stamps, taped jackets, glued pockets, etc., and
which will be sold more for everyday use than serious collecting.
I've perused this newsgroup's FAQ and googled for its past threads on
ex-library books' values but haven't seen any clear guideline for pricing them
beyond the general statement that they are worth much less than their privately
owned brethren. Well, there was one post that mentioned a library copy of a
1st edition of Stephenson's _Snow Crash_ selling for only a quarter of the
value of an "untainted" one, but that is more a serious collector's book and
I'd want many more anecdotal evidence before concluding that having been in a
library reduces most books' resale value by 75%. TIA.

the rule of thumb is that they are pretty much worthless, unless they
are something like snow crash. even then much will depend on
condition and how much the library use has marked and battered it.



robert

"there must be one night in your life that you will remember forever.
The must be one night for everyone. And if you know that the night
is coming on and that this night will be that particular night, then
take it and don't question it and don't talk about it to anyone ever
after that. For if you let it pass it might not come again. Many have
let it pass, many have seen it go by and have never seen another like it,
when all the circumstances of weather, light, moon and time, of night hill
and warm grass and train and town and distance were balanced upon the
trembling of a finger."

[Tony Carpentieri]

Oooh, but how about that $7 copy of Goodwin's last Rick Brant?

Post by Htn963
Hello,
Is there a generally agreed upon rule-of-thumb for
discounting the value of books for resale when they are,
physical condition aside, library discards? I'm talking
specifically about ex-library books that are clearly so
on inspection, having visible stamps, taped jackets,
glued pockets, etc., and which will be sold more for
everyday use than serious collecting.

Besides what others have said: it also depends on
the availability of the book and how far people will
go to get a copy.
I'm familiar with childrens' books, and know that
some classic (1950s-1970s) books never had
large printings and are hard to find in any state.
My own experience was with a "reader" copy of
The Christmas Cookie Sprinkle Snitcher. My copy
had torn pages, old yellowed tape repairs, fraying
to the boards, no dust jacket, etc .... and sold on
eBay for $301.99 (60%-$80 of the booksellers' prices
on ABE at that time for a much cleaner copy).
Because I do sell vintage children's books and texts,
I've found that ex-libris doesn't degrade the value
as much as some say.
But it would have to be a very rare book of another
genre before I'd bother with it.
Kris

[nobody]

I price them just like any other reading copy, then subtract anywhere from
$1 to one-half the reading-copy price. In general they are only useful as
reading copies, the only exceptions would be if they are especially rare and
budget collectors will buy them rather than the more expensive ones. I once
bought a vintage travel book on Japan at an estate auction (forgot the
title, but it was early 1930s) that was ex lib and in terrible condition.
BUT, it commonly sold for several hundred dollars. So, with nothing to lose
really, I priced it around 20 or 30 and it sold. But barring those kind of
exceptions, I would have to agree with almost everybody else's advice.
They're generally without value to collectors except as reading copies, and
I price them as such; probably around $1 or $2 for most of them. Just keep a
sharp eye out for that tiny handfull that might still have some resale value
to collectors. As a collector I dont buy them, but as a bookseller I will
take them if the price is reasonable and I think I can make a profit. For
most of us reading copies are the bread and butter that make life possible,
while the collectable and rare books make that life worth living.

--Mark.

Post by Htn963
Hello,
Is there a generally agreed upon rule-of-thumb for discounting the value
of books for resale when they are, physical condition aside, library discards?
I'm talking specifically about ex-library books that are clearly so on
inspection, having visible stamps, taped jackets, glued pockets, etc., and
which will be sold more for everyday use than serious collecting.
I've perused this newsgroup's FAQ and googled for its past threads on
ex-library books' values but haven't seen any clear guideline for pricing them
beyond the general statement that they are worth much less than their privately
owned brethren. Well, there was one post that mentioned a library copy of a
1st edition of Stephenson's _Snow Crash_ selling for only a quarter of the
value of an "untainted" one, but that is more a serious collector's book and
I'd want many more anecdotal evidence before concluding that having been in a
library reduces most books' resale value by 75%. TIA.
--
Ht
|Any man's death diminishes me, because I am involved in mankind; and therefore
never send to know for whom the bell tolls; it tolls for thee.
--John Donne, "Devotions Upon Emergent Occasions"|

[Preston]

Post by Htn963
Hello,
Is there a generally agreed upon rule-of-thumb for discounting the value
of books for resale when they are, physical condition aside, library discards?

To look at it from a buyer's, or collector's point of view, I
purchased a copy of Brando:In The Camera Eye by Sam Shaw at a book
store for $10 (canadian). I thought it was a good deal (with the
premium on my US dollar). I'm a fan of Sam Shaw's work, and Marlon
Brando's, and I had never seen the book before. I bought it for the
pictures, and the fact that it was an ex-lib never really entered into
it.

Preston
Lost Archives Cafe
http://members.aol.com/lostarchives/home.html