Interesting Info -> Rare & Valuable Books
Rare and Valuable Books
Keep an eye out for these old books at yard sales
While trying to figure out if some old books I had were worth any money, I found some not-very-old books that are worth a surprising amount of cash.
Below I have listed a few that caught my eye, either because I have seen/owned/remember them from my childhood, or think it’s spiffy that they are worth so much.
Now I keep an eye out at garage sales and second hand stores for such books, perhaps you should too. Hope you get lucky and own (or find) one of the following:
Last update: January 2025
New! Also see: What’s My Old Book Worth?
The Hitchhiker’s Guide To The Galaxy – Rare & Valuable Editions
Book: H2G2Author: Douglas Adams
American First Edition: Harmony Books, 1979/1980. Hard Cover with dust jacket. In new condition is $300-600+.
UK First Edition: Pan Books, 1979. The original paperback and hardcover editions can fetch $2000+.
Many editions of H2G2 are worth are worth a fair sum of money. Good to look out for at book swaps and garage sales.
The Catcher in the Rye – Rare & Valuable Editions
Book: The Catcher in the Rye Author: JD Salinger Description: 1st edition, 1st printing 1951. Published by Boston: Little, Brown.Estimated Value: $5000+ for excellent condition!
Description: Value is mostly determined by condition. One with the dust jacket in good condition will fetch a great price.
Similar Valuable Books: Same as above but 1st edition, 2nd and 3rd printings valued between $100 – $300.
The Hobbit – Rare & Valuable Editions
Book: The HobbitAuthor: JRR TolkienDescription: 1937 (UK) 1st edition, first printing Estimated Value: $3500+
Similar Valuable Books:
A Northern Venture – 1923. 1st edition. – $3000+ (Almost all 1st edition books by Tolkien are fetching a good price in auctions).
Harry Potter – Rare & Valuable Editions
Book: Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone (U.K.)Author: JR Rowling Description: 1st Edition, 1st Printing. Published by Bloomsbury, July 1997. ISBN: 0-7475-3269-9Estimated Value: $3500+ Signed = $10,000+ (An unsigned copy is listed on eBay for $25,000, at the time this article is published. Yikes!)
Notes: Numbers: 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 on the copyright page. Issued without a dustwrapper. Laminated pictorial boards (not bound in cloth )- shiny-ish illustrated covers by Thomas Taylor. Only 500 of these books were published, and mostly shipped to the U.K. Library system. Very rare find.
The Cat in the Hat – Rare & Valuable Editions
Book: The Cat In The HatAuthor: Dr. Suess Description: 1957, published by Random House. 1st Edition, 1st Printing (2nd and 3rd printings are valuable too). Estimated Value: $1900 – $6000+
Similar Valuable Books: Green Eggs And Ham by Dr Suess. 1960. First edition, first printing. Value: $300. Same, but with the rare 50 Word vocabulary sticker on the front of dust jacket, and not price clipped… up to $4000.
East of Eden – Rare & Valuable Editions
Book: East of Eden Author: John Steinbeck Description: 1st. Edition, 1st Printing. Published by New York: Viking, 1952.
Estimated Value: $1500 – $2000
Similar Valuable Books: Cannery Row – John Steinbeck, 1st Edition, 1st Printing – $100-200
The Hunt for Red October Rare & Valuable Editions
Book: The Hunt for Red October Author: Tom Clancy
Description: 1st Edition, 1st Printing. 1984. Hardcover with jacket. Back cover has 6 review blurbs. No price on jacket.
Estimated Value: $300 – $1000
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I have some more rare books to write about when I have time, stay tuned.
What’s My Old Book Worth?
Update 2025 — woohoo! I finally found an expert guest author to write more about the subject of book values:
What’s My Book Worth? Think you might have a valuable book? How to figure out if your books are valuable. Information on how to get research prices and book appraisal resources.
Rare Book Resources
Suggested Books to help you value or sell books:
Links to Websites to help you value, sell or find rare books:
Amazon.com
– Has every book imaginable, including many collectors / rare editions.
Valorebooks.com – Mostly specializes in used textbooks (if you are a student check them out).
You can also use the above links to check book values — remember condition is a huge factor for price. You might also be interested in our Coin Values and Money articles here on Blifaloo, as well.
Hi Folks, I have an oddball book, and just wanted to check in with you guys to see if it has any value. it is John Katzenbach’s the Analyst. on page 24 it jumps to page 15 of Ann Rules’s book, Every breath you take, and on page 46 of that book it jumps back to page 57 on the Analyst., any comments are appreciated, thanks, Ron
I found an English-language edition of The Count of Monte-Christo (that is how it is spelled on the title page) published in Boston in 1846 by Henry L. Williams. I cannot find any mention of such an edition, let alone any comparable editions, anywhere on the Internet. There is no translator’s name. I am not a scholarly researcher and have exhausted my imagination in trying to find any more sites to search for this particular edition. Where might I look or who might I ask? Not looking for value right now–just some idea of where this edition fits in with the other early publications of this novel, and whether or not it is “rare.” It certainly seems rare to me–can’t find it anywhere!Thank you for any suggestions.
I have Harry Potter and the sorcerer’s stone ISBN 0-590-35340-3
number line 40 39 0/0 01 02
printed in the USA 12 first american edition, October 1998,excellent condition.
I have Harry Potter and the chamber of secrets ISBN 0-439-06486-4
number line 35 34 33 32 31 0/0 1 2 3 4
printed in the USA 12 first american edition, June 1999, excellent condition
Good day, I have three old books and wondered what they are worth, can you perhaps help me to find the value. They are:
1. Streams in the Desert by Mrs CHAS. E. COWMAN
2. The Oxford Book Of Modern Verse 1892 – 1935 by W. B. Yeyts
3. The First Century, Transvaal Cricket Centenery Book. 1890 – 1990