Pricing my collection (using Readerware)

"LiRM" <LiRM.TakeThisOut@unicomp.com> wrote in message
news:tbsif25v0c6quq60v8mjb4ot9ugrfbp0ct@4ax.com...

> For insurance purposes and also in the event of say a house fire, I'm
> trying to get realistic prices for what my books are worth. . . .
>
> 1. I have signed and 1sts all in a database now. What site would be
> the best to use to get realistic pricing on replacement value by using
> the software to pull it from?

A. You are asking about current market prices, so presumably
you want indicators from either the largest market or the market
where you live. www.abebooks.com will meet your need.

B. "Insurance value" of a book should be higher than its
current price, in order to compensate for the time you expend
trying to locate a replacement copy.

It is not your fault that thousands of copies of Rhodes's
superb Dark Sun were remaindered for $5 (sticker $30 I think.)
The publisher printed too many i.e. forecast the market wrongly.
A generation ago the surplus might have been pulped, but
there now are convenient channels to sell remainders cheaply.
--
Don Phillipson
Carlsbad Springs
(Ottawa, Canada)
 >> Stay informed about: Pricing my collection (using Readerware) 

Check with your insurance company as to what they accept in terms of
values. I suspect that most will want an appraisal from a qualifed
independent source, such as a book dealer. Several years ago I went
through this process. I purchased a special rider to my homeowner
policy. I have my collection in a data base. I provided the database
to a book dealer with whom I've done a lot of business over the years.
He is a qualified appraiser and offers this service as part of his
business.

For a fee he appraised the books and provided me with documentation of
his credentials and his appraisal. This was accepted by my insurance
company. The appraisal should be updated every 5 years or so. The
insurance was surprisingly cheap, the appraisal can be expensive
depending on the size of your collection.
 >> Stay informed about: Pricing my collection (using Readerware) 

On 2 Sep 2006 16:13:22 -0700, "TZ1000" <turtle15.DeleteThis@cox.net> wrote:

>
>Check with your insurance company as to what they accept in terms of
>values. I suspect that most will want an appraisal from a qualifed
>independent source, such as a book dealer. Several years ago I went
>through this process. I purchased a special rider to my homeowner
>policy. I have my collection in a data base. I provided the database
>to a book dealer with whom I've done a lot of business over the years.
>He is a qualified appraiser and offers this service as part of his
>business.
>
>For a fee he appraised the books and provided me with documentation of
>his credentials and his appraisal. This was accepted by my insurance
>company. The appraisal should be updated every 5 years or so. The
>insurance was surprisingly cheap, the appraisal can be expensive
>depending on the size of your collection.

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.
 >> Stay informed about: Pricing my collection (using Readerware) 

On Sat, 2 Sep 2006 13:28:31 -0400, "Don Phillipson"
<d.phillipson.RemoveThis@ttrryytteell.com> wrote:

>"LiRM" <LiRM.RemoveThis@unicomp.com> wrote in message
>news:tbsif25v0c6quq60v8mjb4ot9ugrfbp0ct@4ax.com...
>
>> For insurance purposes and also in the event of say a house fire, I'm
>> trying to get realistic prices for what my books are worth. . . .
>>
>> 1. I have signed and 1sts all in a database now. What site would be
>> the best to use to get realistic pricing on replacement value by using
>> the software to pull it from?
>
>A. You are asking about current market prices, so presumably
>you want indicators from either the largest market or the market
>where you live. www.abebooks.com will meet your need.
>
>B. "Insurance value" of a book should be higher than its
>current price, in order to compensate for the time you expend
>trying to locate a replacement copy.

If I wanted to factor in time spent looking at books over the years,
I'd be looking at a figure in man-years, all enjoyable I might add
<g>.

But you're right - that time just wouldn't be the same to go out to
replace those lost to fire or flood and it should be worth something.
I'll have to ask them about this as well.

>
>It is not your fault that thousands of copies of Rhodes's
>superb Dark Sun were remaindered for $5 (sticker $30 I think.)
>The publisher printed too many i.e. forecast the market wrongly.
>A generation ago the surplus might have been pulped, but
>there now are convenient channels to sell remainders cheaply.
 >> Stay informed about: Pricing my collection (using Readerware) 

On 2 Sep 2006 10:23:27 -0700, "jcorn59483@aol.com"
<jcorn59483 DeleteThis @aol.com> wrote:

>You are right. So much of this is subjective but I would STRONGLY
>suggest you keep information on "going rates" if only on a yearly
>basis, for your books. I'm not sure how insurance companies appraise
>them but I would certainly suggest you ask them. That, at least, will
>be a starting point. If they suggest you take photos and get values, do
>so and then do so evein if they DON'T suggest it.
> In other words, be pro-active and that also means not
>undervaluing or overvaluing your current worth of your collection. You
>do have to keep up with prices from year to year because books, like
>any collectable item have price fluctuations. But be fair. Look as
>objectively as possible at your editions. Are there corner bumps? Any
>writing or bookplates or tears on the dustjackets? Any sunning?
> I'm sure many sellers here can recall books which they once
>sold (easily) for hundreds of dollars and which now have gone down in
>popularity...and vice versa. So value does fluctuate from year to year.
>There is a guy in California, an actor, who sells ONLY books which have
>been made into movies and does quite well. The value lies in the
>movie/book connection.
> If you want a "realistic, what you could sell it for today"
>value, I'd start with Amazon, Abe, Ebay, etc. Although people scoff at
>Ebay, I find it IS used by serious collectors and booksellers and a
>good, rare book WILL get decent bids there, IF there seller starts with
>a fair opening bid and a reasonable reserve. I had that happen with a
>rare book just recently and it happens regularly enough for me to use
>the venue.
> You are likely to find a serious discrepancy between
>what Addall and Abe and Amazon list as the price of a book and what
>Ebay sells them for. Keep in mind that anyone can ask ANY price for a
>book and the bookselling sites are not final "vetting" (valuation)
>sites. They are subject to seller bias, opinion and "guess-ti-mates",
>not to mention wishful thinking. Also, the turnover time is quicker on
>Ebay and there is some luck involved. For those who have the patience
>to wait for the BEST price, Amazon, Abe or Alibris may be a good
>place...but how you'd find the actual selling prices of those books is
>another matter. How many bought them and at what price? Is there a site
>which lists these things?

Not that I'm aware of. That would be a valuable resource, though, if
anyone knows of one.

> . Also, for your rarest books, look at some of the Swann
>catalogs and Bauman Rare books. Clip anything relevant and put it in
>archival quality bags and keep with your books. DO NOT PUT the actual
>articles in your books; they'll discolor the pages unless they were
>printed on acid-free paper. Anything you have that proves the value of
>your books is an asset. Also compare "likes to likes' - condition
>should match the books you use. After all, it wouldn't be fair to value
>your book at $2000 if it is missing a dustjacket, is banged up, has
>water stains, etc.
> It sounds like you care for your books. Do try to keep
>them protected in case of fire but I know not everyone can do that.

My major concern is a hurricane (I live in FL).

I don't care about clothes, electronics, photos (I have all of my
important ones scanned) or anything else - that can all be relatively
easily replaced. Only my books cannot. The only real solution I see
here is some kind of safe room that is basically completely water and
fire proof - and the cost of putting in something like that would
exceed the cost of my collection.

On the other hand, one of my wife's friends just had such a room built
as an extension to his home. I bet he sleeps very well at night
knowing he has literally no worry's with a storm approaching. He is
quite wealthy though, and can afford this luxury



>LiRM wrote:
>> For insurance purposes and also in the event of say a house fire, I'm
>> trying to get realistic prices for what my books are worth.
>>
>> I use Readerware software, which allows me to go to various web sites
>> and pull data on any field - one of which, of course, is price.
>>
>> I'm trying to find out what you folks use as a good source web site
>> for getting a realistic value for your books - "realistic" being the
>> key word. For instance, I just bought a copy of "Dark Sun" by Richard
>> Rhodes. I think I paid about 30 bucks for a 1st edition 1st printing.
>> Some sites are showing the value of this book at 4 or 5 dollars!
>>
>> I realize that all of this is so subjective, but in the event of a
>> fire, I obviously wouldn't want to rely on that data to give to my
>> insurance company as I'd never be able to replace my books.
>>
>> On the other hand, having to search out each and every book I have to
>> find what it's selling for would be a task that would take forever.
>>
>> So, I guess my questions boil down to a few:
>>
>> 1. I have signed and 1sts all in a database now. What site would be
>> the best to use to get realistic pricing on replacement value by using
>> the software to pull it from?
>>
>> 2. Am I going about this all wrong? Is there a better or easier way
>> to get realistic pricing so I can get this to my insurance company so
>> in the event of fire or flood or whatever, I can actually have the
>> money to replace my very prized collection.
>>
>> 3. On signed books - I realize that although they may be worth a lot
>> to me, I'll never get what I think they are worth in the event of a
>> fire. Or is there a way to figure this value in - say from an
>> appraiser - one that the insurance company would agree to that persons
>> opinion of the value of my collection?
>>
>> Any help on this would be greatly appreciated.
>>
>> Regards,
>>
>> LiRM
 >> Stay informed about: Pricing my collection (using Readerware) 

LiRM,

Where do you life in Florida? I'm about thirty-five miles of Tampa.

Two years ago, I watched the trees begin to bend in the other direction
after the eyes of two hurricanes passed directly over us. Made me think
of Yogi Berra's famous line: 'It ain't over 'til it's over."

We were lucky in that by the time they reached us, both hurricanes were
only at tropical storm strength; however, they still did quite a bit of
damage. We were real lucky when Hurricane Charley veered off into
Charlotte County at the last minute, instead of coming into Tampa Bay.
Those people weren't lucky, though.

I don't think any room can be built that would be safe enough from
another Hurricane Charley. The room would have to be a sealed box of
sorts, and I do mean "sealed," with one hell of a top.

I was checking into getting insurance for my books last year, but that
was last year. This year this bibliomaniac is selling many of his
collections instead, due to health and wealth reasons. I'll still be
keeping a few collections after the selling spress is over, and will
look into insurance again after my disabiblity retirement from the Post
Office is approved.

I had already coordinated with my insurance agent concerning the
procedures on attaching a rider to my insurance policy to cover my
books. It wasn't going to be that expensive, only a few hundred. My
insurance company did require an evaluation from a professional
bookseller. I checked with a few booksellers who were members of the
Florida Bibliophile Society, and had already chosen the bookseller who
was going to perform the appraisal before I had to change my plans
because of health reasons. We never did get to discuss the cost of the
appraisal, but he definitely wanted to do a physical appraisal, and not
just a review of the listings of my books on my websites. I believe you
will find that most booksellers will want to at least see the books they
are appraising, since they have a professional reputation to uphold.

I'll still be President of the Florida Bibliophile Society until next
January, so let me know where you live, and I'll recommend some
booksellers who do appraisals.

One final thought: During the appraisal, the bookseller will provide
his or her professional opinion on the replacement cost or value of a
particular book, using the tools of the trade. The time it takes you
to find a copy of the book does not enter into the replacement value
formula. That is "fun time."

best,
Jerry Morris,
Moi_the_Bibliomaniac


On 2 Sep 2006 10:23:27 -0700, "jcorn59483@aol.com" <jcorn59483 RemoveThis @aol.com>
wrote:
You are right. So much of this is subjective but I would STRONGLY
suggest you keep information on "going rates" if only on a yearly basis,
for your books. I'm not sure how insurance companies appraise them but I
would certainly suggest you ask them. That, at least, will be a starting
point. If they suggest you take photos and get values, do so and then do
so evein if they DON'T suggest it.
              In other words, be pro-active
and that also means not undervaluing or overvaluing your current worth
of your collection. You do have to keep up with prices from year to year
because books, like any collectable item have price fluctuations. But be
fair. Look as objectively as possible at your editions. Are there corner
bumps? Any writing or bookplates or tears on the dustjackets? Any
sunning?
                  I'm sure many
sellers here can recall books which they once sold (easily) for hundreds
of dollars and which now have gone down in popularity...and vice versa.
So value does fluctuate from year to year. There is a guy in California,
an actor, who sells ONLY books which have been made into movies and does
quite well. The value lies in the movie/book connection.
                      If you
want a "realistic, what you could sell it for today" value, I'd start
with Amazon, Abe, Ebay, etc. Although people scoff at Ebay, I find it IS
used by serious collectors and booksellers and a good, rare book WILL
get decent bids there, IF there seller starts with a fair opening bid
and a reasonable reserve. I had that happen with a rare book just
recently and it happens regularly enough for me to use the venue.
                              You
are likely to find a serious discrepancy between what Addall and Abe and
Amazon list as the price of a book and what Ebay sells them for. Keep in
mind that anyone can ask ANY price for a book and the bookselling sites
are not final "vetting" (valuation) sites. They are subject to seller
bias, opinion and "guess-ti-mates", not to mention wishful thinking.
Also, the turnover time is quicker on Ebay and there is some luck
involved. For those who have the patience to wait for the BEST price,
Amazon, Abe or Alibris may be a good place...but how you'd find the
actual selling prices of those books is another matter. How many bought
them and at what price? Is there a site which lists these things?
Not that I'm aware of. That would be a valuable resource, though, if
anyone knows of one.
                              .
Also, for your rarest books, look at some of the Swann catalogs and
Bauman Rare books. Clip anything relevant and put it in archival quality
bags and keep with your books. DO NOT PUT the actual articles in your
books; they'll discolor the pages unless they were printed on acid-free
paper. Anything you have that proves the value of your books is an
asset. Also compare "likes to likes' - condition should match the books
you use. After all, it wouldn't be fair to value your book at $2000 if
it is missing a dustjacket, is banged up, has water stains, etc.
                                It
sounds like you care for your books. Do try to keep them protected in
case of fire but I know not everyone can do that.

LiRM replied:
My major concern is a hurricane (I live in FL).
I don't care about clothes, electronics, photos (I have all of my
important ones scanned) or anything else - that can all be relatively
easily replaced. Only my books cannot. The only real solution I see here
is some kind of safe room that is basically completely water and fire
proof - and the cost of putting in something like that would exceed the
cost of my collection.
On the other hand, one of my wife's friends just had such a room built
as an extension to his home. I bet he sleeps very well at night knowing
he has literally no worry's with a storm approaching. He is quite
wealthy though, and can afford this luxury
LiRM wrote:
For insurance purposes and also in the event of say a house fire, I'm
trying to get realistic prices for what my books are worth.
I use Readerware software, which allows me to go to various web sites
and pull data on any field - one of which, of course, is price.
I'm trying to find out what you folks use as a good source web site for
getting a realistic value for your books - "realistic" being the key
word. For instance, I just bought a copy of "Dark Sun" by Richard
Rhodes. I think I paid about 30 bucks for a 1st edition 1st printing.
Some sites are showing the value of this book at 4 or 5 dollars!
I realize that all of this is so subjective, but in the event of a fire,
I obviously wouldn't want to rely on that data to give to my insurance
company as I'd never be able to replace my books.
On the other hand, having to search out each and every book I have to
find what it's selling for would be a task that would take forever.
So, I guess my questions boil down to a few:
1. I have signed and 1sts all in a database now. What site would be the
best to use to get realistic pricing on replacement value by using the
software to pull it from?
2. Am I going about this all wrong? Is there a better or easier way to
get realistic pricing so I can get this to my insurance company so in
the event of fire or flood or whatever, I can actually have the money to
replace my very prized collection.
3. On signed books - I realize that although they may be worth a lot to
me, I'll never get what I think they are worth in the event of a fire.
Or is there a way to figure this value in - say from an appraiser - one
that the insurance company would agree to that persons opinion of the
value of my collection?
Any help on this would be greatly appreciated.
Regards,
LiRM

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
 >> Stay informed about: Pricing my collection (using Readerware) 

On Sun, 3 Sep 2006 09:26:31 -0400, notjerryandlinda.RemoveThis@webtv.net (Jerry
Morris) wrote:

>LiRM,
>
>Where do you life in Florida? I'm about thirty-five miles of Tampa.
>
>Two years ago, I watched the trees begin to bend in the other direction
>after the eyes of two hurricanes passed directly over us. Made me think
>of Yogi Berra's famous line: 'It ain't over 'til it's over."
>
>We were lucky in that by the time they reached us, both hurricanes were
>only at tropical storm strength; however, they still did quite a bit of
>damage. We were real lucky when Hurricane Charley veered off into
>Charlotte County at the last minute, instead of coming into Tampa Bay.
>Those people weren't lucky, though.
>
> I don't think any room can be built that would be safe enough from
>another Hurricane Charley. The room would have to be a sealed box of
>sorts, and I do mean "sealed," with one hell of a top.
>
>I was checking into getting insurance for my books last year, but that
>was last year. This year this bibliomaniac is selling many of his
>collections instead, due to health and wealth reasons. I'll still be
>keeping a few collections after the selling spress is over, and will
>look into insurance again after my disabiblity retirement from the Post
>Office is approved.
>
>I had already coordinated with my insurance agent concerning the
>procedures on attaching a rider to my insurance policy to cover my
>books. It wasn't going to be that expensive, only a few hundred. My
>insurance company did require an evaluation from a professional
>bookseller. I checked with a few booksellers who were members of the
>Florida Bibliophile Society, and had already chosen the bookseller who
>was going to perform the appraisal before I had to change my plans
>because of health reasons. We never did get to discuss the cost of the
>appraisal, but he definitely wanted to do a physical appraisal, and not
>just a review of the listings of my books on my websites. I believe you
>will find that most booksellers will want to at least see the books they
>are appraising, since they have a professional reputation to uphold.
>
>I'll still be President of the Florida Bibliophile Society until next
>January, so let me know where you live, and I'll recommend some
>booksellers who do appraisals.
>
>One final thought: During the appraisal, the bookseller will provide
>his or her professional opinion on the replacement cost or value of a
>particular book, using the tools of the trade. The time it takes you
>to find a copy of the book does not enter into the replacement value
>formula. That is "fun time."
>
>best,
>Jerry Morris,
>Moi_the_Bibliomaniac

Thank you, Jerry. That is a kind offer to provide those names. I
live in the Fort Lauderdale area, so anyone in this general area would
be helpful. I haven't spoken to my insurance company in any depth on
this yet, but will in the coming weeks. If you could post those
names, I'd appreciate it.

Regards,

LiRM

>
>
>On 2 Sep 2006 10:23:27 -0700, "jcorn59483@aol.com" <jcorn59483.RemoveThis@aol.com>
>wrote:
>You are right. So much of this is subjective but I would STRONGLY
>suggest you keep information on "going rates" if only on a yearly basis,
>for your books. I'm not sure how insurance companies appraise them but I
>would certainly suggest you ask them. That, at least, will be a starting
>point. If they suggest you take photos and get values, do so and then do
>so evein if they DON'T suggest it.
>              In other words, be pro-active
>and that also means not undervaluing or overvaluing your current worth
>of your collection. You do have to keep up with prices from year to year
>because books, like any collectable item have price fluctuations. But be
>fair. Look as objectively as possible at your editions. Are there corner
>bumps? Any writing or bookplates or tears on the dustjackets? Any
>sunning?
>                  I'm sure many
>sellers here can recall books which they once sold (easily) for hundreds
>of dollars and which now have gone down in popularity...and vice versa.
>So value does fluctuate from year to year. There is a guy in California,
>an actor, who sells ONLY books which have been made into movies and does
>quite well. The value lies in the movie/book connection.
>                      If you
>want a "realistic, what you could sell it for today" value, I'd start
>with Amazon, Abe, Ebay, etc. Although people scoff at Ebay, I find it IS
>used by serious collectors and booksellers and a good, rare book WILL
>get decent bids there, IF there seller starts with a fair opening bid
>and a reasonable reserve. I had that happen with a rare book just
>recently and it happens regularly enough for me to use the venue.
>                              You
>are likely to find a serious discrepancy between what Addall and Abe and
>Amazon list as the price of a book and what Ebay sells them for. Keep in
>mind that anyone can ask ANY price for a book and the bookselling sites
>are not final "vetting" (valuation) sites. They are subject to seller
>bias, opinion and "guess-ti-mates", not to mention wishful thinking.
>Also, the turnover time is quicker on Ebay and there is some luck
>involved. For those who have the patience to wait for the BEST price,
>Amazon, Abe or Alibris may be a good place...but how you'd find the
>actual selling prices of those books is another matter. How many bought
>them and at what price? Is there a site which lists these things?
>Not that I'm aware of. That would be a valuable resource, though, if
>anyone knows of one.
>                              .
>Also, for your rarest books, look at some of the Swann catalogs and
>Bauman Rare books. Clip anything relevant and put it in archival quality
>bags and keep with your books. DO NOT PUT the actual articles in your
>books; they'll discolor the pages unless they were printed on acid-free
>paper. Anything you have that proves the value of your books is an
>asset. Also compare "likes to likes' - condition should match the books
>you use. After all, it wouldn't be fair to value your book at $2000 if
>it is missing a dustjacket, is banged up, has water stains, etc.
>                                It
>sounds like you care for your books. Do try to keep them protected in
>case of fire but I know not everyone can do that.
>
>LiRM replied:
>My major concern is a hurricane (I live in FL).
>I don't care about clothes, electronics, photos (I have all of my
>important ones scanned) or anything else - that can all be relatively
>easily replaced. Only my books cannot. The only real solution I see here
>is some kind of safe room that is basically completely water and fire
>proof - and the cost of putting in something like that would exceed the
>cost of my collection.
>On the other hand, one of my wife's friends just had such a room built
>as an extension to his home. I bet he sleeps very well at night knowing
>he has literally no worry's with a storm approaching. He is quite
>wealthy though, and can afford this luxury
>LiRM wrote:
>For insurance purposes and also in the event of say a house fire, I'm
>trying to get realistic prices for what my books are worth.
>I use Readerware software, which allows me to go to various web sites
>and pull data on any field - one of which, of course, is price.
>I'm trying to find out what you folks use as a good source web site for
>getting a realistic value for your books - "realistic" being the key
>word. For instance, I just bought a copy of "Dark Sun" by Richard
>Rhodes. I think I paid about 30 bucks for a 1st edition 1st printing.
>Some sites are showing the value of this book at 4 or 5 dollars!
>I realize that all of this is so subjective, but in the event of a fire,
>I obviously wouldn't want to rely on that data to give to my insurance
>company as I'd never be able to replace my books.
>On the other hand, having to search out each and every book I have to
>find what it's selling for would be a task that would take forever.
>So, I guess my questions boil down to a few:
>1. I have signed and 1sts all in a database now. What site would be the
>best to use to get realistic pricing on replacement value by using the
>software to pull it from?
>2. Am I going about this all wrong? Is there a better or easier way to
>get realistic pricing so I can get this to my insurance company so in
>the event of fire or flood or whatever, I can actually have the money to
>replace my very prized collection.
>3. On signed books - I realize that although they may be worth a lot to
>me, I'll never get what I think they are worth in the event of a fire.
>Or is there a way to figure this value in - say from an appraiser - one
>that the insurance company would agree to that persons opinion of the
>value of my collection?
>Any help on this would be greatly appreciated.
>Regards,
>LiRM
>
> 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
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
 >> Stay informed about: 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
 >> Stay informed about: Pricing my collection (using Readerware) 

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/bienes_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
 >> Stay informed about: Pricing my collection (using Readerware) 

On Mon, 4 Sep 2006 17:29:21 -0400, notjerryandlinda DeleteThis @webtv.net (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/bienes_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.
 >> Stay informed about: Pricing my collection (using Readerware) 

On 4 Sep 2006 17:22:50 -0700, palmer.william DeleteThis @sbcglobal.net 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
 >> Stay informed about: Pricing my collection (using Readerware) 

>
> 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.
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