Pricing my collection (using Readerware)

Jerry Morris wrote:

[...]

LiRM,

You are going the long way around, and some
of the replies you have been getting are not
helping. The best advice I can give you
is to scrap the "readerware" and go with
ADDALL. One way of determining value
is to find the average low price that reputable
dealers are selling the same book for.
With many first editions, you will find
some bozo trying to sell a copy for maybe
$300 and then (using an ADDALL descending
list based on price), you will find several others
listing the same edition in the same condition
for between $10 and $20. I would value
such a book at maybe $15, because the
over-inflated $300 is too unrealistic to be
counted. (I also would throw out suspiciously
low prices, such as someone of little
or no repute listing the very same book
at $2. (Of couse, if no one is selling the
book you are pricing, then ADDALL won't
help you, but in most cases someone will be
selling the same book or one very similar.)
Of course, if you are valuing based on what
a dealer will PAY for the book, then the
value of hypothetical book above will be
perhaps $1.

[Memo from the upstairs office.]

..floridabibliophilesociety.org

On Mon, 4 Sep 2006 17:29:21 -0400, (Jerry
Morris) wrote:

Appraisals,

LiRM,

You should google Robert A. Hittel, a booksller in Fort Laderdale. He
does appraisals.

There is a bibliophile society in your neck of the woods as well: the
Fontaneda Society. They may be able to provide additional appraisal
recommendations:

http://www.co.broward.fl.us/library/..._fonteneda.htm

best,
Jerry Morris

Moi's Books About Books: http://www.tinyurl.com/hib7
Moi's LIbrary http://www.moislibrary.com My Sentimental Library
http://www.picturetrail.com/mylibrary Florida Bibliophile Society
http://www.floridabibliophilesociety.org


Thank's for the information. Once I finish the process of inputting
the rest of my books into a db, I'll give the man a call.

On 4 Sep 2006 17:22:50 -0700, wrote:


Jerry Morris wrote:

[...]

LiRM,

You are going the long way around, and some
of the replies you have been getting are not
helping. The best advice I can give you
is to scrap the "readerware" and go with
ADDALL. One way of determining value
is to find the average low price that reputable
dealers are selling the same book for.
With many first editions, you will find
some bozo trying to sell a copy for maybe
$300 and then (using an ADDALL descending
list based on price), you will find several others
listing the same edition in the same condition
for between $10 and $20. I would value
such a book at maybe $15, because the
over-inflated $300 is too unrealistic to be
counted. (I also would throw out suspiciously
low prices, such as someone of little
or no repute listing the very same book
at $2. (Of couse, if no one is selling the
book you are pricing, then ADDALL won't
help you, but in most cases someone will be
selling the same book or one very similar.)
Of course, if you are valuing based on what
a dealer will PAY for the book, then the
value of hypothetical book above will be
perhaps $1.

[Memo from the upstairs office.]

.floridabibliophilesociety.org

Well, the process you describe is the one I've been trying to avoid,
but perhaps what I seek isn't sitting out there - that being a single
objective price for a book on one particular web site that all have an
interest in collecting simply go to and say "Ah. Here is the one
value of this particular book".

I will most likely have to do some research as you say - or get an
appraiser to do it for me - and thus wind up with the information I
need that the insurance company will be happy with.

Dumping Readerware wouldn't make sense as it really has nothing to do
with whether or not I choose this price. Maybe I was unclear in how
it works. It can obtain a price from various web sites, or one can
enter a price in manually, which is what I would do if I follow your
advice. It still remains, IMO, an outstanding piece of software for
book collecting. It's process of simply collecting info on what books
you own via a Cue Cat is outstanding (simply scan the bar code). Other
features I've grown fond of as well.

Thank's for your advice on using ADDALL's. Even though I may not be
able to pull *one* set price in for the book, at least you've given me
a site that would serve as a good reference place for gauging the
price manually.

As a side note - thanks to *all* of you who have given me advice and
sites to check out. I very much appreciate all the help as I'm quite
new to being a "formal" book collector, even though I've been
collecting for years

Regards,

LiRM

If you don't mind saying so, can you give me a ballpark figure for
what the appraiser charged you to price your collection?

Also, does an appraiser actually have to see a collection, or would
simply sending him a copy of the database and accurate descriptions
suffice? Or would he/she want photo's of each book?

The number of signed and non-signed 1st's total about 200 books. These
are the ones I'm really interested in pricing.

On the other hand, I have literally hundreds that don't fall in these
categories, but it wouldn't hurt to put them on this special rider as
well, just so I can replace those out of this remaining collection
that I'd want to repurchase.

Thank you.

I had about 3,000 books to appraise. His usual rate was $1,000/day.
He estimated it would take 5 days to appraise the 3,000 books.
Fortunately for me, he performed the work for a substantial discount.

Yes, the appraiser will have to come and lay eyes upon the books. Much
of the research work can be done from the database, given it contains
the necessary information, but he will still have to see the books.
Like many collectors, the majority of my books are not expensive, but I
recommend having them included--they add up if there were to be a fire
or flood.