Page from a Rare 17th Century German Midwivery Book.

How often have you visited a garage or house sale and seen shelves stuffed with books you never took the time to look through? Probably, more times than you can count. I know I have. Books have always been a very secret collectible that few knew the value of. By not taking a look at the books at these sales, we might be making one of the biggest mistakes we can make in the antique business, and we just might be passing up some good solid money.

You won’t find the book dealers very talkative at house sales and estate sales, and for good reason. They can quietly enter a sale like a shadow, walk out with a fortune, and no one will be the wiser.

Granted, most books are worth very little, but not if you find medical books. Certain kinds of medical books. If you should find an old medical book, know that many of these can bring you huge profits, and you should know which ones. There are books listed on eBay for $5,000 and more, and I’m sure if you check AbesBooks, you will find many more, perhaps more expensive than this. There may have been a medical book at that last sale you attended, just sitting there, but you were in a big hurry to get into another room with all the overpriced items, while that book dealer who was standing in line behind you, breezed in and out in no time flat.

The seller of the book, “Primer of Hygiene,” listed on eBay, is asking $5,000 for his copy. I wonder what it will sell for. “Beck’s Medical Jurisprudence,” 1823, sold for $547 on eBay, and a 17th Century German Obstetrics/Midwifery book, sold on eBay for $750 early this month. “Medical Essay on Drunkenness” by Trotter, 1813, is listed for $1,250 on eBay. Given the topic, it will be interesting to see what this one sells for as well. These are they the types of books we could be keeping our eyes opened for.

It seems that the most valuable medical books are those from the early 1800’s or before, so this will give you a starting point. Interesting subject matter is usually a requirement, if we expect the books we find to have the values we’re looking for. When I realized the amount of money I could make if I found the right books, my interest in reading picked up noticeably. And that’s not all bad, is it?

By sheer chance, I had been watching an episode of the Antique Road Show, and they happened to have a woman looking for an appraisal of a very old religious book. She seemed like she would have been satisfied if they told her it was worth $100. When they gave her a price of $45,000 to $55,000 she seemed to pass into a trance. Wouldn’t you like to have that happen to you some day? Why couldn’t it?

Have you noticed how the price of Antique and Collectible Books are increasing? If not, you should take another look. I have a theory to why this is happening, and I believe there is a trend forming.

As the price of gas increases, it’s only natural that people will be spending more time at home. When they tire of watching TV, there will likely be an increase in time spent reading. Books present a cheap form of entertainment, and an excellent source of knowledge.

Why is this important to us, and what do we need to know to take advantage of this opportunity?

Books are plentiful and there are treasures there to be found, so be sure not to pass them by without a look.

We can begin our research on sites like AbesBooks, Schiffer Collector Books, and Amazon’s book store. Here you will be able to find comparable prices for the books you locate in your hunt. It will also show you the different prices based on condition, which is the most important factor in pricing books. One copy of a rare book in used condition with a library stamp and writing on the pages might sell for $50, while the same book in mint or near mint condition could easily fetch $1000 or more. Quite a difference right?

What type of books are in high demand today?

This is a question I get quite often and it isn’t an easy one to answer. Yes, signed first edition books will always top the list, but this is an ever- changing market. One year ago, you could have pick up Obama’s books for a pittance, but today they will cost you a pretty penny. Perhaps a new author writes a huge winner like Harry Potter and continues to write numerous others as sequels. These, in the first editions, signed, by the author, can put serious money in your pocket. This is one area where the contemporary tag may not affect the price.

But let’s not forget the older books. As interest grows on certain subjects due to new movies or current events, the older books, again, take on the glamour of super stars. For example, a 1976 1st edition signed “Interview With The Vampire” by author Anne Rice, is offered at $1000 at C. Dickens Fine, Rare & Collectible Books.

Historical material will always be popular, if written by the right author and signed. I went into a family member’s home recently and was amazed when I was shown sets of Civil War books and was told that these sets were worth $25,000 to $75,000 dollars each. Who would have thought it? One area of interest this year might be the Olympics.

I still love the story about the person who bought a first edition of Tarzan for $2.00 without the dust cover, only to find himself standing next to the guy who had the dust cover wrapped around a completely different book. He asked the man with the dust cover if he could buy it, and they finally agreed to a price of $1,000. I personally know the gentleman who bought this book, and he later sold it for over $18,000. There’s also a set of Tarzan Books for sale at C. Dickens.

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