Books as an investment

foundation · Mar 1, 2011

I have been looking for a book the last couple of weeks by David Stoecklein , the book is saddles of the west . Stocklein is the artist who takes all the cool photographs . Any way this book was $ 35.00 new , but apparently he does a limited number of copies and when they are gone its done .

So now I look on Amazon and the book is selling for about a $1,000 . I was blown away that any book could be worth that much .

It makes me wonder how many valuable books I have thrown away in my life , and also makes me wonder if I should be picking up any more of his $ 35.00 new books while the getting is good .

sageadvice · Mar 1, 2011

Maybe not a bad idea if you have the extra coin and especially if you like his stuff.

Try finding a first edition of the 1932 Records of North American Big Game Book. I missed one of the little gold mines by one day in a Chico Ca antique/old junk store that had a lot of books. They sold it unknowingly for $10. Many a year now and i'm still looking!

On the other hand, try selling books at a yard sale. Anything over a dollar won't sell, everyone wants to buy 10 for a buck or a quarter a copy at most.

Joey

Loner · Mar 2, 2011

Kirt Darner's how to find Giant Bucks http://www.biblio.com/details.php?d...ource=wm&utm_medium=email&utm_content=details
has come down some LOL,at one time this seller may have got the asking price.

I have a book on shooting by Mark Taylor i had in a box for the salvation army till i realized you could not find it for under 100 bucks, just went in the garage and salvaged it last week. I have several books on shooting that are out of print and can not be gotten for under 100 or 140. I guess if you had foresight, buying a case or more of those would have been a good idea, huh?

Ryan

kilbuc · Mar 2, 2011

I have a whole collection of autograhaphed limited edition books from a sporting book club. Exa. Jack o'conner, Charles Askins, Gene Hill, many authors on African books. Some are worth $500. But, as all collectables you have to have a willing buyer.

from the "Heartland of Wyoming"

foundation · Mar 2, 2011

Yup , a crystal ball would be nice . I have a little side job with a buddy where we do hauling , and clean out estate houses and foreclosures . I bet in this last year we have thrown away a semi trailer load of books . We don't have time to go through all the stuff , and several houses have just been jam packed full of books . We also don't have the time to be sorting books from other stuff , so we or some hired south of the border day workers just bag or box all the books up , and off to the dump they go .

Guess I'll have to keep my eyes some what open and look for some thing that stands out .

If I did any collecting of books , it would have to be on a pretty small scale since I can't stand clutter , or things just sitting around taking up space .

CAelknuts · Mar 2, 2011

So, Dan (Kilbuc), you collect National Sporting Fraternity books too?!?! They published some incredible stff over the years.

I think the most collectible book I ever bought was back in 1977. I was all of 18 years old, and purchased a 1923 first edition of WDM Bell's 'Wanderings of an Elephant Hunter". That book set me back $300 clear back then. I bought it to read, not because I ever thought it would amount to an investment. I wonder what it would be worth today?

2lumpy · Mar 2, 2011

foundation,
Next time you get a job where you have to get rid of a house full, hire some college kid needing money to come in, get a list of the books or stuff them in a storage unit for $50, tell the kid he gets 33% of the money off every book he finds that's worth over $20. His job is to run every title on Amazon, ebay, and Google to check it's value.

Junk goes in the can, the good stuff goes on line or in your library. He checks carefully because the more he finds the higher his income, you and your partner risk nothing but the $$ for storage unit for month.

DC