Here are the questions asked by community members. Read on to see the answers provided by the ThriftyFun community.
I have a 25 volume of Funk and Wagnalls encyclopedia from 1912. They are small books (4x6). It is a complete set. How much are they worth?
I see a post on eBay that looks exactly like yours where someone is asking $189.00. If those are yours and you fetch that much, that will be today's market value.
I have never seen a set like this with the white and blue (sold or listed before) so this auction may set the current market value.
Post back how the sale goes!
Funk & Wagnalls was a lower end encyclopedia and for a couple of years you could get a free volume each week at some grocery stores and gas stations (Compton's Encyclopedias were also given away) when you spent a 'certain' amount of money.
Although your set has several things that could make it more valuable - small size books & 1912 was the first edition; but, it takes a collector to pay big money for a first edition and I do not believe very many collectors are interested in this particular name/set.
I see that you have your set listed for sale on eBay for $189.00 plus $25 dollars for shipping. You also do not mention overall condition of books in your listing.
You show this as Priority Mail shipping but most sellers ship sets by media mail as it is much less expensive, especially since USPS changed how they charge for larger boxes.
You must have done some research to find this amount but I have not been able to find any set that has sold for over $60. Perhaps you have more information than is currently available.
Please let us know if your set sells as this would be an excellent current value.
www.ebay.com/
Many appraisers as well as researchers use sold listings on eBay to set current value but I did not find any set of Funk & Wagnalls that sold for over $60.
www.ebay.com/
I did find something strange (at least strange to me) in that a seller has a 1912 set listed for sale on this site for $125:
And the same seller has the same set listed on eBay for $49.99.
Sets are listed for sale starting at $.01 and go to $500 so there is no way to even guess how these sellers have arrived at their asking prices but some sellers leave their listings up for years and maybe one day they sell??
Good luck with your set - it would be nice to see it sell for that amount.
This set is not the standard size. The prices online are for the full size books so these prices do not work for the books you are asking about. I see the full size books being sold for or should I say the asking price to sell them starts at $25 and goes up to around $200 for the books.
I was wondering if you had any idea how much a Funk & Wagnalls Standard Dictionary Standard Dictionary International Edition 1973 would be worth? I have the original box that it comes in and in mint condition.
Unless a dictionary is a signed original or over 100 years old, it is not worth more than $50.
Are you showing a 2 volume set?
Since you have the box and describe the set to be in 'mint' condition, I would venture to say the set may be worth slightly more than just the normal sets shown on eBay and other sites.
My work was giving these away. I'm wondering how much I should sell these for? I don't know how big the set is but I believe it goes up to 20 or 30 something.
Is this the 1968 set? If so, that set sells (sold prices, not asking) for about $25 on eBay. With Book Rate (US ONLY) shipping.
There is a misconception about encyclopedia sets having to be over 100 years old to be worth having/selling.
Of course, the brand of works makes a difference in the value of any set/book but there are several sets that still sell regularly and usually for several hundred dollars.
Example:
Encyclopedia Britannica 15 Edition published 1974+
www.ebay.com/
The set that you have is composed of 25 volumes but I'm not sure if the 25th volume is the index or?
There is no way (from your pictures) to tell for sure that it is the 1968-1969 edition as it appears they made several editions in the white cover. You can check the title page and see what year to look for.
I would say to start higher and lower the price if no one makes an offer.
Ship only with USPS media mail.
Interesting fact:
In 1973-1974 A&P grocery stores sold this set for $.49 each available each week so many people have parts of a set.
I have a set of 1993 Funk & Wagnalls American Eng Assiniboine Encyclopedias. They are in excellent condition. How much would they be worth?
What are these books worth and how could I go about selling them?
What is the worth of a complete set of Funk and Wagnalls New Standard Encyclopedia of Universal Knowledge published on August 11, 1910?
By Paden B.
If you still have them and are willing to sell them please contact me and let me know what your thinking for them. - J. Parker
Are Funk-Wagnalls encyclopedias from 1959 worth anything?
By Diana
Unfortunately, these old encyclopedias do not sell at any price and most thrift stores will not even accept them as a donated item. It's very sad but they went to the wayside when the internet came around.
No. You will never find anyone to take them so just put them out for the trash. Sorry.
I couldn't even get rid of my 1932 encyclopedias.
Maybe you can use them as a "safe" of sorts. Just hollow out a portion of the pages to make a "well" and glue the pages' edges together (but not the front cover or you won't be able to get in it!). Thieves will think it's just a book on a shelf, but you'll be able to hide whatever will fit in the cavities. Just a suggestion.
I have a 10 volume 1912 Funk and Wagnalls encyclopedia set. Does it have any value?
I have a set of 15, 1959-1965 Funk & Wagnalls Standard Reference Encyclopedias. What are they worth?
What is the value of a full 1979 set of Funk & Wagnalls encyclopedias including the dictionaries in perfect condition?
I have 2 sets of encyclopedias and I'm trying to find out how much they are worth. One is a Funk and Wagnalls' Universal Standard. It is a 25 volume set from 1954-55 the second one is a 12 volume Popular Mechanics do it yourself, 1st edition, from 1955. I am looking to get rid of them, but I don't want to cheat myself or anyone else. Thanks.
By B Sheftic
There is a 25 volume set of Funk & Wagnell's from 1959 selling on Ebay for $89.95. This could be a starting place for pricing your books.
I am sorry to say that your chances of selling these sets is probably zero. The information is outdated and they are not nearly old enough to be collectors items. Even if they were they wouldn't bring much. Librarys won't take them. I know because I tried to get rid of my parent's set. I put them in the trash. If you live in an area where this is allowed. put them in a box marked "free" and set them on your curb. If they are not gone in three days put them in the trash.
I had some 1932 encyclopedias that my mother used to teach with and when I tried to sell them in the 70's, I could not get anything out of them at all. It even showed the first tv in it. I hope you have better luck.
I have a full set of these books. I got them at an estate sale. How do I tell what year they were printed? Inside on the first page it says ISBN 0-8343-0025-7, Libary of Congress catalog card number 72-170933.
I have a complete set of 1975 Funk and Wagnalls encyclopedias. I was wondering if they are worth anything and how much.
What is the value of 1950's Funk and Wagnall's encyclopedia set?
By Sandra S.
1950s sets tend to not have a ton of value. They have a book from that set on eBay for $15 but no recent completed auctions to see what people have actually paid for these books.
www.ebay.com/
I would say that a set from the 50's has no value. You will be lucky to give it away. Some people make sculptures; some make lamps out of this type of book. It is not old enough to be collectible or an antique. The information is outdated. See if you can find someone who you can give it to for craft projects.
I am questioning the value of: 1939 Webster's Dictionary, good condition, 1926 Winstin's Loose-Leaf Encyclopedia, fair condition, 1948 Funk and Wagnall's new Standard Encyclopedia, good condition, and 1957 World Book Encyclopedia, good condition.
By Paula E.
Unfortunately in here I have read time and again, encyclopaedias no longer have a monetary value, no matter how old and well kept they are. Apparently even thrift stores won't accept them any longer.
This is strickly my opinion but, I think probably they would only be valuable to a collector or to your local library.
Becky H.
What is the value of a 1967 Americana encyclopedia? It is a 30 volume value with Funk & Wagnalls dictionaries and a bookcase. It is also in great condition.
By David
How much would a set Funk & Wagnalls Encyclopedia copyright 1954 - 1955 go for?
I would like to know the value of a Funk & Wagnalls encyclopedia set. It has volumes 1 -29. I cannot find a date of print on them, but I would think around the 1960s.
I have three sets of encyclopedias. One is a business encyclopedia and two are sets of Funk and Wagnalls; book sizes are approximately 4' x 6' and the dates on them are circa, 1910.
How much is a set of Funk and Wagnalls Company encyclopedias worth? The copyright is 1931 and they are in decent condition.
I have a complete set of 1948 Funk and Wagnalls New Standard Encyclopedia set that is in very good shape. Is there any value to this set? If so, where would I sell it?
By Diane
Many people have old books they think are valuable and would like to sell. Most old dictionaries, references etc., have very little value-a few dollars at most. Encyclopedias dated after 1923 are essentially worthless but crafters may be interested for the old pictures. Goodwill, Salvation Army, etc., receive donations of tons of old encyclopedias but send them to recycling centers or dumps as they cannot use or sell them.
You can check online for old book collectors, on EBay, Craigslist and other retail sites for possibilities. Everything is now online and updated constantly.
