Are old books valuable? Some are, but most old books that we see are just old and nothing more. And therein lies the greatest misconception about used books — that simply by being old, books have gained value. It’s a common thing for folks to think otherwise, maybe because “antiquarian” and “antique” sound like cousins.
We get several calls a day with people asking us if we are interested in old books. Like all other books, it depends on the condition of the book, its subject matter and its desirability in the market. A 1880 novel from a forgotten author may be worthless. A cookbook from the 1930s may be valuable.
Like most things with books, there are exceptions. We’re always glad to answer your questions about books, and if we don’t know the answer, we’ll find it.