Used Books

Used books are a great way to save money on the high costs of new releases. The process keeps books in circulation in the marketplace and helps save customers money, especially college students buying textbooks. From current bestsellers to vintage editions, it's quite possible to find a number of gems when searching for used books.

Used books can also include collector's items. Books that are rare, out-of-print, old, and antique can often be found--sometimes for surprisingly low prices when sellers don't realize what they're offering. These books can be very valuable and often turn a nice profit, or simply complete a collection.

If you think you've got a valuable used book, you should always have your book appraised before selling it. Typically, a reseller will offer you a third of the price they would sell it for. However, many used book dealers will sell items for half the cover price--though brand new releases can go for more. The actual value probably lies closer to the higher end of the two figures.

Appraising Used Books for Value
When appraising a book, a few things must be considered: the book's age and historical relevance, its origin, and its condition. Condition is a key factor in determining value because it is important that the piece be able to stand up to the test of time. Condition has traditionally been broken down in to several categories by book sellers: new or mint condition, fine, very good, good, fair and poor. New, fine and very good condition used books will pull in a hefty sum with the right collector, but are harder to find as books age. "Good" usually suffices with a book more than a century old or so.