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How to Find the Value of Old Books

Book Appraisal Associations

One of the best ways to locate a professional book appraiser near you is to consult one of the major professional appraisal trade associations.

The most well-known such organization in the U.S. is the Antiquarian Booksellers' Association of America. This 50-year-old organization includes 450 members located across the U.S., with significant concentrations in the Northeast and California. Great Britain boasts the oldest such organization with the Antiquarian Booksellers' Association, founded in 1906 [source: International League of Antiquarian Booksellers]. In France, it's the Syndicat National de la Librairie Ancienne et Moderne, which goes by the decidedly un-"ancienne" acronym of SLAM.

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The umbrella organization for the 22 country-specific book appraisal and rare book collecting organizations around the world is the International League of Antiquarian Booksellers (ILAB). This organization holds an annual international book fair in a different global capital. In 2009, the ILAB International Antiquarian Book Fair was held in Vienna, Austria.

In the U.S., book appraisers may choose to become accredited by the American Society of Appraisers, an organization that represents a broad range of professional so-called "valuers" that include appraisers of businesses, real estate, jewelry and technology, as well as personal property appraisers that handle objects like art, books and other collectibles.

Since many book appraisers have day jobs as the owners and staff experts at the country's finest independent bookstores, you might also have luck consulting the American Booksellers Association, a trade group that represents the more than 1,200 large and small independent bookstores in the U.S.

If you don't have time to track down your nearby professional book appraiser, there are ample online resources for determining the value of your literary treasure. Go to the next page for the top book appraisal Web sites.

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