The semester is over, or better, you’ve graduated. Naturally, you are asking yourself, “What am I supposed to do with my old textbooks?” They cost you an arm and a leg, so it’ll be a waste just to let them go. 

By this time, you’ve probably learned all about textbook costs and why they lose value so fast. If not, check out the blog post about book buyback prices. You may have even checked BookScouter for the best prices for your used textbooks. 

Yet, not all of your textbooks are in pristine condition; some of them may have seen much better days, others may be even torn. You may also have other books at home you no longer need. So what do you do when you’ve checked the books you want to sell, and they aren’t worth very much? Your first instinct may be to throw your books in the trash. But wait! There are better options. This article will give you insight into what to do with your used books. 

1. 1. Current Book Recycling Situation
   2. What to Do with Old Books and Textbooks?
      • Resell Your Textbooks
      • Donate Your Textbooks
      • Trade Your Textbooks
      • Recycle Textbooks
   3. Local Book Donation and Recycling Guide
      • Where to donate textbooks and used books in New York?
      • Where to donate textbooks and used books in Chicago?
      • Where to donate textbooks and used books in Los Angeles?
      • Where to recycle textbooks and used books in Los Angeles?
      • Where to donate textbooks and used books in Minneapolis?
      • Where to donate textbooks and used books in San Jose?
      • Where to donate textbooks and used books in Houston?
      • Where to donate textbooks and used books in New Jersey?
      • Where to donate textbooks and used books in Boston?
   4. Use Your Books Mindfully
      • Rent Books
      • Borrow Books
      • Buy Books

“Houston, We Have a Problem,” or the Current Book Recycling Situation

Throwing books mindlessly in the trash is honestly not the best idea. Here is why. 

We discard a lot of paper—tons of it. The most recent report on waste and recycling from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) states that of the 293 million tons of municipal solid waste (MSW) produced in 2018, the share of “Paper and Paperboard” was as much as 23.05%. 

17.2 million tons (or 11.8%) of this paper and paperboard went to landfills, books including.

The very same report specifies that “Books made of groundwood and chemical pulp amounted to approximately 690,000 tons, or 0.2% of total MSW generation in 2018.” Unfortunately, there is very little data on the waste management of books specifically apart from what was collected between 1990 and 2005. The chart looks like this:

The 2009 EPA report indicated that while 33% or so of books were recovered from the waste stream (and recycled?), about 640,000 tons went to landfills annually, with books making 0.4% of all this waste. 

Well, this data is outdated and might not be entirely relevant today. Still, if we compare the chart mentioned above with the most recent one that depicts the management of non-packaging paper, we can see that the trend must have remained:

Though we can see that the overall numbers go down, and some book recycling is definitely being done, still an avalanche of paper travels to landfills, tons of books among them. Only imagine mountains and mountains of books! Heartbreaking…

Looking at a smaller region, a survey of 570 K-12 schools in Wisconsin and Minnesota found that 37% of them store old and damaged books in the school because they do not know what to do with them. The other thousands of textbooks from K-12 schools and higher education are dumped into landfills. Spaces in buildings and landfills are both being abused by the mass amounts of discarded old school textbooks. 

So, What to Do with Old Books and Textbooks?

The amount of waste generated from old textbooks is astounding. I bet you were not expecting those kinds of numbers, right? However, all the statistics mentioned above do not mean recycling textbooks is inconsequential. Quite the opposite!

These findings demand response and radical change of behavior in our purchasing and discarding of books. What we can start with is to pause before throwing anything away, especially books. The next step is to understand is how we can dispose of them in a way that will either prolong their life or end it in an eco-friendly way.

Resell Your Textbooks

Some of the books in your possession may still be valuable and can be offered for sale on online platforms. You can make a thorough check of all your textbooks and even fiction books and try to sell them on either eBay, or Amazon, or other online platforms. 

Get extra cash for the books you no longer need, but somebody does. Various vendors offer different buyback prices on used books depending on their state and popularity. Check BookScouter.com for the best offers.

However, if your attempts to sell your books were fruitless, consider these options: textbook donation, trading, and book recycling.

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Donate Your Textbooks 

When reselling is not an option, what should you do with your books from 10 years ago? The best you can do is to pass them along to someone else. You have books that you no longer use, and there might be someone who needs them right now. If you don’t have such a person among your friends and relatives, you can donate your books. If you live in the United States, you have several options. 

Book Donation Drop-off Sites

Better World Books provides donation boxes in selected locations. Since the early days of Better World Books in South Bend, Indiana, this company has been focusing on addressing environmental and social needs through the book reselling strategy. We recommend looking into donating to their efforts first to make the greatest impact. 

From Miami to Minneapolis and Kansas City to Boston, Better World Books provides drop-off sites throughout the eastern half of the U.S. Check their search page to find a Better Books drop-off is located near you or book donation bins in other areas.

Donate to Charity Organizations

A local option is to donate your books to organizations like Goodwill, Salvation Army, and your community’s thrift store. These centers will take donations of almost any sort, but be sure to check their specific guidelines for donations. If you already donate your clothes or former household items to Goodwill or the Salvation Army, adding books that you no longer need to your “donate” pile is easy. Check our earlier article to learn more about Salvation Army book donation and other charities that take used books.

Donate to Libraries

Last but certainly not least, if you don’t know what to do with old textbooks, it is easy to find a home for your textbooks by checking your local library branch’s website for their donation process. Local libraries could use your books in their system or find another avenue for book donation on your behalf. Several library organizations, even those of small cities like the Springfield, Missouri Library, host book sales every year that serve as fundraisers for the local library branches. 

Library book sales are great places to donate used books and raise funds for your local community. 

Donate Globally

The following options are great for making a global impact if you are still wondering what to do with old books.

1. 1. • Books Through Bars and Books to Prisoners share a similar mission. These organizations re-ship your books to men and women who are incarcerated with the hope of re-introducing a love of reading and breaking the cycle of recidivism. Paperback dictionaries are in high demand here. If you have an extra one or two, consider donating those books specifically to these organizations. 
   2. • Books for Africa accepts textbook donations so that students of all ages in Africa can receive educational materials. Their goal is to eliminate the book famine across the African continent and raise literacy rates through strategic book donations. 
      • There are plenty of other organizations and companies that donate books to schools. If you want to help a specific group, check the International Donation and Shipment of Books page from the American Library Association.

Trade Your Textbooks 

If, however, you still want to make some profit off of your book, consider trading in your book for new-to-you books, movies, toys, or any other items you want.

Most likely, you are already lending or swapping books with friends. Companies like PaperBack Swap can help you expand your book-sharing network. PaperBack Swap has over one million books you can swap, ranging from popular titles to obscure books.

BookMooch uses point systems for trading in your books. BookMooch focuses specifically on trading in books. Users only need to pay for shipping books and receive points in exchange for the books they have given. BookMooch also allows users to donate their points to charities, including children’s hospitals.

Another multi-item trade site is Swap.com. Beyond books, users can also exchange collections of toys, clothes, and more on the site or the Swap App.  

Recycle Textbooks 

Prepare Your Books for Recycling

If your book is in unacceptable condition for donation, try to recycle it. We’ve already discussed the numbers behind book recycling. To help these numbers increase and make an impact, always research the recycling measures you need to take before you give your books away by looking online or calling your local recycling service. 

It is common for recycling services to require the removal of the hardback cover because of the material and strong glue that binds the pages. Yet, some recycling facilities are capable of shredding the entire book. If you have many hardcover books you want to recycle, follow this simple guide on how to prepare your hardcover book for recycling.

Where Is Textbook Recycling Near Me?

If you don’t know where the closest textbook recycling facility is, you can simply google “Where are book recycling bins near me?”, hit “search,” and get plenty of alternatives. 

You can also use the Earth911 service that provides tips on book and magazine recycling. Scroll to the bottom of their recycling locator page, where Earth911 will help you locate places to donate books based on the type of material.

Find local recycling information with the help of Berecycled. They have a special tool on their website that helps locate governmental and commercial options in your area. For instance, here is what you can find in the University of Delaware area:

Local Book Donation and Recycling Guide

1. 1. • Where to donate textbooks and used books in New York?

If you want to donate textbooks in NYC, you can do it directly to bookstores such as Freebird Books & Goods, Housing Works Bookstore Cafe, Unnameable Books, Westsider Rare & Used Books Inc., and many more. You can search the bookstores’ addresses and phone numbers in Google, call them, and ask for details. You can also offer your used books to public libraries in New York or try to resell them with the help of BookScouter if they are in good condition.

1. 1. • Where to donate textbooks and used books in Chicago?

Bookstores such as Open Books (various locations), Uncharted Books, Book Driver, Bernie’s Book Bank, and many more accept books as donations in Chicago. Depending on your district, you can check book donation drop-off locations by Better World Books or give them away to Chicago Books for Women in Prison or The Newberry (Chicago’s Independent Research Library). Make sure to call the former in advance, as they don’t accept drop-offs. With the latter, consider it as an option if you have valuable books that you feel generous to give away, as the library “donations of items that will extend, strengthen, and complement the library’s collection.” 

1. 1. • Where to donate textbooks and used books in Los Angeles?

The best places to donate textbooks in Los Angeles are bookstores such as The Last Bookstore, Sideshow Books, The Iliad Bookshop, and many others. You can also search for a “book drop-off near me” or “charities that take books near me” in Los Angeles or pass your old books to Access Books. The organization is currently accepting books for elementary school students in excellent condition. ​One more option is to donate your books to Re-Book It. Arrange the pick-up by emailing them. Plenty of other book-donating options are available in Los Angeles.

1. 1. • Where to recycle textbooks and used books in Los Angeles?

Textbook recycling in Los Angele is equally popular as textbook donations. However, before you take them to the closest recycling center, check whether books are recyclable in your area. In the LA area, policies and recommendations can vary from city to city, so always check with your municipality first whether they accept books in any state or with hardback covers and spines removed, for instance. Also, check the Textbook Agency recycling program in LA.

1. 1. • Where to donate textbooks and used books in Minneapolis?

Check the following bookstores for textbook donations in Minneapolis: Boneshaker Books or Half Price Books. Trade your books in Paperback Exchange or try to sell them via  BookScouter. Make an impact and pass your books to those who may benefit from them by joining the Women’s Prison Book Project.

1. 1. • Where to donate textbooks and used books in San Jose?

You can find the complete list of places to recycle stuff (books including) in San Jose on Recyclestuff. The service, created as a collaborative effort by Counties of Santa Clara and San Mateo, Environmental Studies Department, and San Jose State University, will direct you to the recycling services in your area. Also the Resource Directory on the official website of San Jose gives you the most accurate update on all local nonprofit agencies, thrift stores, churches, libraries, and shelters that accept donations.

1. 1. • Where to donate textbooks and used books in Houston?

The first place for book donation in Houston is Houston Public Library. Also, check Books Between Kids, Houston Center for Hearing and Speech, and Star of Hope Mission. All these places will be glad to take your books in. Just remember to make an appointment in advance; some of them may not accept drop-offs. 

1. 1. • Where to donate textbooks and used books in New Jersey?

Have grown-up kids and want to know where to donate textbooks in NJ? Bridge of Books Foundation is probably the best place to go. They welcome both individual donations and donations from publishing houses and transfer books to kids who can’t afford them. New Legacy Books also accepts books in good condition but only with IBSNs. You can also ask around bookstores (e.g., Symposia Community Book Store) if they are accepting used books and textbooks at the moment.

1. 1. • Where to donate textbooks and used books in Boston?

Apart from Goodwill drop-off Boston, you can check local bookstores in Boston. Some of them, such as More Than Words Books, do it all the time. You can also make sure that your books get a new life if you pass them to other people via Boomerangs, Cradles to Crayons, or Massachusetts General Hospital for Children.

Dealing with old books may seem like a hassle at first. However, with all the information you now have, a solution to this problem is as easy as a click or a phone call away. If you can’t sell your textbook on BookScouter, donate your textbooks to benefit education locally and abroad. Recycling textbooks keeps them out of the landfill and repurposes them. The more you donate and recycle, the more you contribute to a greater good and help the planet. Be part of the solution! The next time you feel the urge to throw a book in the trash, don’t. Give a new life for your textbook.

Go a Step Further—Buy and Use Your Books Mindfully

Now that we’ve covered paper waste statistics, used book and textbook recycling, and donation alternatives, here is something else you can think about. There is something you can do before you even have to deal with the problem of used books. You can be more conscious in the process of their purchase in the first place.

When you think you need to buy a new book, think twice whether you need a physical book, or maybe an audiobook or an ebook will suffice. If you are still positive about a purchase, consider renting, borrowing, or purchasing a used book. By doing so, you can lower the demand for printed books and help the environment just a little. 

Rent Books

Renting books is most often practiced by college students. Since the rental explosion popularized by Chegg in 2003, most college campuses are now encouraging students to rent their textbooks either through the campus bookstore or other platforms like Chegg. Bookscouter not only compares prices for selling books, but you can also compare prices for renting the books you need. 

Borrow Books

The least expensive method for using books is borrowing. You may want to read a book your friend has already finished. Consider asking them to lend you their copy. This similar concept can be used on college campuses as well. If you have trouble finding someone to lend you a book for free, offer them one of your books in exchange. When borrowing books, make sure you take extra care of your friends’ property. 

Buy Books 

Shopping second-hand is increasing in popularity, and for a good reason. To make less of an impact on the environment, we all need to shop second-hand more often for various items—books included. Make BookScouter.com your first stop when you need to purchase a book. This platform will save you money. BookScouter includes popular vendors like Amazon and SellbackyourBook, compares prices, and highlights the best offers. Once you are done with the book, you can always sell it back through BookScouter.

Typical Buyback Example

You’re going to sell textbooks and other used books on BookScouter. You want to sell books online rather than lug them to a bookstore. You’re parting with two textbooks ( Cengage Advantage Books: Law for Business and  Understanding Criminal Law (Understanding Series) , a cookbook ( Boards: Stylish Spreads for Casual Gatherings), and a well-loved, hardback copy of The Hunger Games. You enter the books’ ISBNs into the search field to learn what buyback vendors are paying:

BookScouter book buyback process illustrated

At best, your textbooks will bring $49.58 and $21.25, the cookbook, $5.67, and the fiction? Almost nothing: $0.14, and there is just one offer. You wonder why vendors don’t want to buy your book, one of the best-selling works of the past decade. Surely, someone else would like to own and read it? Could BookScouter be wrong?

The thing is that more than 23 million print and digital copies of The Hunger Games have been launched into the reading universe since the book was published in 2008. That’s enough for everyone in Georgia and North Carolina to have their own copy.

Why Your Book Isn’t a Favourite with Buyback Companies

The thing is that most of the buyback companies will send you a prepaid label so you can package and send them your books. Let’s say you paid $7 for your copy of The Hunger Games, and the buyback vendor is offering $4. The shipping cost is $4. For the buyback company to make money, it would have to charge at least $12, to recover the cost of shipping and to make some money.

Who’s going to pay $12 when he or she can find the book, as you did, for $7? Or even buy a used copy for as little as $1?

Where to Sell Fiction, Then?

By and large, fiction brings less profit than textbooks when it comes to online buying and selling books. So you can consider turning it in at a paperback exchange, donating, or recycling it. Dealing with fiction is so difficult that only one of our 30+ buyback vendors, Powell’s Books , will consider accepting some fiction.

• So, you can try Powells. They accept more books than anyone else; however, there is a catch. You should keep in mind that they only accept books in excellent condition. No bent pages, no tiny scratches, nothing. Unless your book is literally like new, Powells won’t pay you.
• Next, if you have a signed, first edition copy of The Hunger Games or another fiction title with the same characteristics, you can try Abebooks or a member of the Antiquarian Booksellers Association of America and see how much your book is worth. First editions and signed copies add value to fiction books.
• Alternatively, you can use BookScouter’s Recently Searched High-Value Books tool.

BookScouter Recent High-Value Books tool: example

The tool allows you to know what books are in high demand at the moment and look for such books within a certain price range. You can open the tool and see the list of the most expensive options first. Perhaps, you are lucky to have a copy of  Jock Sturges: Life Time, but you are not that into photography and will happily pass it to someone who does—for a reward, of course. In this case, you’ll be pleased to know that its best current buyback price is  $151.00  among all BookScouter vendors. Another example: someone has given you  Modernist Bread  as a gift, but you clearly don’t need the volumes, or you are moving. The best vendor price at BookScouter for it is  $125.00 . So what we suggest is you just check the Recently Searched High-Value Books tool for different price ranges, and perhaps, you’ll see appealing offers for the books that you have on your shelves.

The Bottom Line

Now you know why buyback companies set different prices for books and why fiction doesn’t usually cost much (and sometimes even nothing) compared to textbooks (especially STEM subjects textbooks). Next time you decide to get rid of some of your used books and textbooks, you won’t be surprised by the difference in buyback offers and will know how to deal with the books you have in the best possible way.

• What Is a First Edition Book
  • What Does First Edition Mean?
  • First Edition vs. Second Printing
  • First Edition and First State
  • Limited Edition
  • First Trade Edition
  • Advanced Reading Copy
  • Second Edition
• How To Know If a Book Is a First Edition
  • Publisher
  • Copyright Date
  • Edition number
  • Print Run Number
  • Impressions
• How Much Is a First Edition?
• Top 5 Most Searched First Editions in 2021

What Is a First Edition Book

What Does First Edition Mean?

When a new book sees the light of day, it’s classified as a first edition book. If sales take off and the book becomes popular, it goes through several re-printings, yielding multiple editions. Sometimes different publishers publish a book over a span of many years, and sometimes re-printings accommodate film accompaniments.

A “first edition” is classified as the first time a book is printed by a publishing company and distributed commercially, but the “true” first edition always refers to the book’s original printing date with the initial publisher.

Image source

First Edition vs. Second Printing

The first edition may also include a second printing. A second printing means the publisher was able to successfully promote the book. The publishing company received more requests for the book than the number of first editions printed for the first publication date. While the second printings are printed early in a book’s life cycle, they are not considered first editions.

First Edition and First State

It’s also useful to understand what the first state means with regards to first editions. Each collector is interested in the first edition, the original copy, which means the very first copy that was published before any changes were made during the production of the first printing. These changes are called “states,” so the most valuable and expensive first edition copy may bear the title of “First edition, first state.” It is the hardest thing to get.

Limited Edition

A limited edition is a publication with a restricted number of copies, meaning a smaller number of copies are ordered and no more will be printed once these are sold. The author generally signs these, and the publication is purposefully limited.

First Trade Edition

First trade editions are another type of printing distributed for general commercial sale. They fall into the category of a true first edition if they are printed simultaneously with the original book.

Advanced Reading Copy

Finally, advanced reading copies go out to booksellers and reviewers. The cover of this book will most likely be labeled as “advanced reading copy” (ARCs). These are not considered true first editions, as they are technically pre-publication printings, and they are not the copies collectors are after.

Second Edition

A second (or any subsequent) edition differs from a second printing, as it is not simply a new copy of the first edition but the copy that has changes in the text:

• There may be a new foreword.
• Chapters may be added or removed.
• Supplementary materials may be added.
• It may also be a copy that went through a very thorough revision.

Most commonly, new editions are released every 10–15 years, but many textbook publishers release new editions 3–4 years.

How To Know If a Book Is a First Edition

First editions are the most valuable, but only if they are true first editions, first printings. Therefore, if you get a book that’s marked as a first edition, don’t get excited immediately. The book could belong to any one of the aforementioned categories. Before you start making plans on how you’d sell it on eBay, you need to carry out a thorough check. So how to tell if a book is a first edition?

There are four major criteria your book must meet, be it a hardcover or a paperback, to be considered a true first edition. You can check whether “first edition” is mentioned on the copyright page, but you also need to check it for the correct publisher, date, edition number, and print run number. Different publishers arrange this information differently, so, with some books, be prepared to play a detective.

1. Publisher

Most likely, you’ve researched this information, so you know what you are looking for. For instance, Pride and Prejudice was published by Penguin books:

2. Copyright Date

If the copyright date is the same as the publishing year, you are on the right track. Here is how a copyright date looks in Wordcrime: Solving Crime Through Forensic Linguistics: © John Olsson, 2009

3. Edition number

This information may be written on the copyright page, but in some cases, publishers do not mention it in the first edition. In this case, you have to get to the next step.

4. Print Run Number

Print run number (print line) is usually the lowest (but not necessarily) number found on the copyrighting page. It can help you identify the very “first edition.” Print runs are sequences of numbers (1–10), usually printed in descending/ascending, alternating order, or even without any particular order.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

1 3 5 7 9 10 8 6 4 2

Regardless of the sequence, if you see “1” in the print run, it means the first edition. Here is the first edition of Invisible Influence: The Hidden Forces that Shape Behavior by Jonah Berger:

In the second printing, the “1” will be removed, and the lowest number seen will be “2.” Following this logic, the fifth edition may have a print run like this: 10 9 8 7 6 5.

In 100 Years of Annoying the French, the numbers alternate from left to right. This is done intentionally to keep the number line centered.

2 4 6 8 10 9 7 5 3 1

So when the numbers are removed from each side with each subsequent printing, the line stays centered, as in The Heather Blazing:

7 9 10 8

The print run number may also be accompanied by the statement about the copy being a first edition or not:

First edition

 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

(Fourth printing)

Here is the first edition, second printing of It’s Different at Dartmouth by Jean Alexander Kemley:

The print run may also look like this:

89 90 91 92 93 CC/RRD 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

The year of publication is on the left; the printing number is on the right, and in the middle—there is a code that identifies the contracting printer if the printing was outsourced. So, this print run roughly reads that the book was published in 1993, first printing, printing done by R.R. Donnelley Sons Company (presumably). 

Here is another good example from Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, which is actually the first printing made in 2011:

There might be a variation: instead of numbers, print runs may consist of letters:

A

a b c d e f g h i j k

Here, “A” indicates the first printing, and “C” would denote the third printing, and etc.

Impressions

Sometimes, you may see the following line in a book: “First edition, second impression.” In publishing, an impression is a term to denote an iteration of the manufacturing process. This is relatively the same as the second printing. Here is an example from Longman English Grammar:

You may get easily confused, given all these variations, but once you go through the steps a couple of times, you’ll be able to identify the first edition right away.

You may need to do deeper research with older books, as the print run system dates back to World War II and the books published before the 1940s will have different hints. If you are interested in the topic and want to learn more about the old and rare first editions, we recommend researching old publishers and their individual practices. Start with this list of 20th-century publisher’s book series as an example.

Now when you know how to identify a first edition book, let’s get to the point of how much you can get for it.

How Much Is a First Edition?

First edition books are a pretty specific niche and a point of interest for fans and collectors mostly. High prices behind some of the first edition copies can be explained by the fact that the first print run was small (a few thousand copies), the book was a bestseller, the author is/was popular, and also by the demand—the willingness of many people to pay the price. Also, with more time passing, these copies get harder to get, causing an increase in their value and price on second-hand markets.

Let’s have a look at a popular example. How much are first edition Harry Potter books worth? Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, published on 30 June 1997 by Bloomsbury, featuring the print run number 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1, now can be worth as much as $40,000 and even $55,000!

The book is so expensive because only 500 copies were published; 300 more went to libraries. So if your copy looks like the example below, we have bad news for you: it’s not the first edition but one of many that followed suit. Ah, disappointment.

Now let’s have a look at the most popular first editions searched this year and their prices.

Top 5 Most Searched First Editions in 2021

A Christmas Carol First Edition

A Christmas Carol in Prose, Being a Ghost Story of Christmas, is the first and the most popular of Charles Dickens’ Christmas books, and its 6,000 copies were sold out right away. It was published by Chapman and Hall on 19 December 1843. This very first edition with red and green title-page, cream endpapers, Stave One, was sold at Sotheby’s for £13,750 ($18,513) in 2019. Impressive, isn’t it?

What makes the book so fascinating is that, according to the auction’s description, it is “possibly a unique copy in this state.” It is basically the only copy dated 1843 with its title page printed in green and red inks. All other existing copies are dated a year older. Among other distinguishing features of this first edition are yellow-coated endpapers and the binding.

Don Quixote First Edition

The first edition of Don Quixote de La Mancha published in 1605, is a rare find nowadays. Written by Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra, a Spanish novelist, poet, and playwright, the book was sold on an auction in 1989 for as much as $1.5 million and hasn’t changed hands since then. It is considered “a founding work of Western literature,” bears the label of the first modern novel, and is basically one of the most-translated books in the world.

A Tree Grows in Brooklyn First Edition

A Tree Grows in Brooklyn was written by Betty Smith and published by Harper and Brothers in 1943. Regardless of its length (491 pages), the book doesn’t make you struggle through the text. The plot is simple but intriguing and raises a number of difficult social issues no less relevant today than they were in 1943.

According to the Online Guide for Rare Book Collectors, “First edition is stated on the copyright page above “D-S” and below “8-43”. Binding is green cloth with paper spine label. $2.75 price is on the upper corner of the front dust jacket flap, and “5338” is on the bottom.” The first edition copies are offered on eBay at $1,250 and on Etsy at $4,700.

Where the Wild Things Are First Edition

Where the Wild Things Are is a children’s picture book by Maurice Sendak, an American writer and illustrator. Originally published by Harper Row in 1963, the book has got several media adaptations and has sold over 19 million copies worldwide.

It’s a first edition, first printing, inscribed and signed by Maurice Sendak and containing an original drawing, is now offered on Biblio at $22,500! A less expensive first edition copy was sold at Nate D. Sanders Auctions at $3,300.

A Tale of Two Cities First Edition

Another sought-after first edition book by Charles Dickens on our list is A Tale of Two Cities, which is offered on Biblio at $17,262.50 at the moment from Jarndyce Antiquarian Booksellers. This copy is described as  “probably the most difficult Dickens first edition in cloth…and probably as good as it is possible to obtain.”

A Tale of Two Cities, originally published in 1859, is a historical novel about the French Revolution set in London and Paris. It is considered one of the most popular works of fiction as well as one of the most printed original English books. If you have an old copy in the attic, you definitely need to check it. Who knows, maybe you are lucky to have the first edition!

Conclusion

So when you decide to sell that book after you’re finished, don’t market it as a first edition unless you’re 100 percent sure. First editions are rare finds, and even if you happen to come across one, you’ll need to double-check and follow all the leads to make sure it is the one. We hope that this guide will be useful and instructive in your first edition book research.

First editions are best sold on sites like eBay or Amazon for the most profit. If you don’t have any rare books at home but plenty of used textbooks and fiction you don’t need anymore, you can also check Bookscouter for offers from various vendors and best prices.
]]> https://bsblog.wpenginepowered.com/resources/ideal-times-to-sell-textbooks/ Fri, 23 Dec 2022 23:58:13 +0000 http://bsblog.wpengine.com/resources/2016711ideal-times-to-sell-textbooks/ Taking care of your textbooks will make sure you get a good resale price. You can get more cash if you sell them at the right time of year.