I came across a 1972 new edition Webster's dictionary that is only printed to page 32, after that, they are all blank pages. Have any of your experts ever seen this copy or have heard of it? And could this possibly have a value to it?I have included pictures to show somewhat that it just stops. Thank you for any info.
A misprinted book or one with binding errors etc. usually increases in value only if the original/whole version is rare or otherwise valuable. So unfortunately it's not likely that a paperback dictionary would fit this rule.
Here are the questions asked by community members. Read on to see the answers provided by the ThriftyFun community.
I've looked around. This book has a signature in the front under Webster's photograph. Can you estimate the value?
Books are not always valuable just because they are 'old' or of a certain age.
Antique/vintage books that sell for high prices are usually bought by collectors and condition means is a big part of what they look at unless it is a really rare book and this particular book is not rare and there are many for sale in much better condition.
You can find a lot of this year and other years listed for sale but an asking price is just a price the seller would like to receive for their items but only a sold item in identical condition can be considered as 'current value'.
eBay's sold listings show only one of these books have sold in the past several months. This book sold for $49.99 plus shipping but it is in much better condition than yours. Also, this particular book has been listed for sale on eBay for 2 1/2 years before it sold - yes years is correct.
www.ebay.com/
Going by this sale at $49.99 I would say the value of your book is probably somewhere from $15 to $25 and may take months/years to sell - that is not to say that it will not sell faster as sales are not predictable.
I believe the signature is preprinted as I have seen it in other version, but you could always have an expert look at it.
This is showing the same signature in a Worthpoint ad:
I am not a fan of the site so I no longer belong. They used to offer free trials. You could do the free trial and see if this one sold for more and when and maybe confirm with them it is preprinted.
If you do the trial, be sure to cancel IMMEDIATELY or they will bill you forever.
Post back what you learn!
The signature appears to be printed and not in the best condition. Typically on a regular market the value $80 to $120. The market has gone down drastically and books are not essentials in todays market , and getting a little less collectable .
I have a 1941 Webster's unabridged dictionary. This is a great dictionary with pictures and maps. But at 6inches thick, it's a bit daunting for mobile office use.
Would love someone to love it like we have.
Vintage dictionaries do still sell but it seems different years are listed online on many sites so most of the years are easily available.
To find current value, you need to find an identical item and of course that is not possible with vintage books so you just have to try and see what other years are selling for.
You can check out eBay's sold listings but I only found one 1941 year that has sold over the past several months. This one sold for $30 with free shipping.
www.ebay.com/
You can take a look and see what is selling. It appears the 1956 & 1957 are the most popular.
www.ebay.com/
It appears that $25-$40 would be a good price to ask for your dictionary. How long it takes to sell is something that is very unpredictable so be prepared to wait if necessary.
You may find more information here:
www.thriftyfun.com/
You are fortunate that it looks like there was a sold version on eBay recently at 29.99 (free shipping--which means seller paid to ship). Since it could go media mail, the seller probably netted around $20 after fees and shipping. That would be the value on that day it sold.
www.ebay.com/
Books are fairly easy for new sellers to sell on eBay. All you need is to set up a seller account with whatever payment method they are requiring--I am missing the name of it--it used to be PayPal only, but now they have their own payment system, links to your bank.
Be sure to keep it US only (if you are in the US) or if you are not, keep the sale in your country so you don't have to mess with customs.
If you are a new seller, books are a great way to jump into eBay selling. Happy to offer tips. Been selling there since 1998!!
I have a Webster's New Illustrated Dictionary, copyrighted in 1968 by books, inc. It is printed up side down and backwards. It is in good shape. It is a hard back book. I was wondering if it is worth anything and how much.
I know it has to be a relatively rare find being a double misprint. If it is worth anything, how would i go about selling it? Thanks.
I have a Universal Webster Morris Self Pronouncing dictionary. Only Copyright 1908, The John C. Winston CO. It has a preface by Charles Morris.
Leatherbound, very good condition. Is this valuable? Thank you for your time.There are Universal Self-Pronouncing Webster Dictionary 1908, but in bad condition for $19.99
www.ebay.ca/
and Universal Self-Pronouncing Dictionary Handy Edition 1914 John C Winston Co in excellent condition for $49.95
www.ebay.ca/
You have not added any pictures of your dictionary, so I assume that the condition of it is very good, but not excellent. I think the price of your Dictionary is about $35-45, but you can try to sell it for $49.
I have a 1839 American Dictionary of the English language; exhibiting the origin, orthography, pronunciation and definition of words to which were added a Synopsis of Words, and Walker's Key. It is a stereotype edition, published by White & Sheffield.
The pages are mostly okay, none are missing. You can read them all, there is some spotting, cover is intact but worn and your can't read title. There are 1011 pages. The binding loose but still attached. See photos.
Value? Probably very little as this edition is not very rare and a collector looks for a book in good to excellent condition.
There is presently one dictionary like yours (but in much better condition) listed for sale on eBay and the bidding is presently at $16.50 so you might want to place a watch on this listing to see what the final price will be.
No matter the final price it cannot be used as a 'current value' for your book as the condition is not comparable.
www.ebay.com/
ThriftyFun has a link about the value of dictionaries - maybe some of the answers may help you reach a value for your book:
www.thriftyfun.com/
Here is a link to eBay's sold listings so you can see what type of dictionaries (especially condition) people are looking for and willing to pay even a few dollars for. Very few are very valuable as the really rare books are usually sold at public auctions.
www.ebay.com/
The cover of this book is in very poor conditions and collectors are not normally interested in books in poor condition. You might be able to find a person who is interested in this book but considering there are quite a few of them available it will make it harder to sell this one. I can offer you a suggestion and that is to visit an auction house that sells books and speak with them. They are the experts and understand the market and value of this book. I would not post this online because there are so many books posted online it will make it very hard for a person to find this book.
I had recently come across this. I inherited my late friend's belongings. This isn't in very good shape. But I'm wondering if it's worth anything.
Possible value of Webster's New World dictionary, college edition 1957.
I was hoping someone might enlighten me as to the approximate value of Volume I, II and III of Webster's New International Dictionary Second Edition Unabridged with Reference History 1948.
I am trying to find the value of a 1906 edition dictionary by Noah Webster and Chauncey Goodrich. Any ideas?
From the pictures your book seems to be in very poor condition so that usually rules out collectors unless it was a genuinely rare edition and this one is not so that just leaves someone that may buy it for the maps or illustrations (if they are in acceptable condition).
Examples of recently sold Webster dictionaries on eBay:
These books all seem to be in better condition but pictures are difficult to be sure.
1900 edition - $15.00
1902 edition - $18.00
1877 edition - $15.50
Most old books are just that - old - and just being old does not necessarily make them valuable or desirable.
You might list it for $15-25 and see how it goes but be sure to show actual condition and several good pictures.
It is sad that the looks of the book is not in good condition which will drastically lower the value of this book. There are a lot of collectors out there seeking older books like this but unfortunately they will not buy this one because of the condition it is in. Hopefully you can receive a few dollars for the book and in the current condition I would say it is worth no more than $15 to $20 tops.
I have 1942 leather bound Ideal Pocket Webster Dictionary I was wondering if it was worth anything?
How much is 1948 2nd edition Webster's New International dictionary worth?
I have found one for sale on Amazon. The asking price is $75 and it has a hardcover on it. www.amazon.com/
Here is yet another link that the person is selling the same book on but the price they are asking is $1000. Keep in mind when you actually see prices like this that are posted on eBay they are not real prices but a scam. For most of the other books that are the same the asking price for these books ranges from $34-99. So you see the $1000 price is not realistic and is normally used to launder money. www.ebay.com/
Check out the link here and you will see some of the other prices people are asking for this book. Depending on the condition of your book it can range from $18-99 to start off with. Keep in mind the asking price is not the amount of money a person sells the book for. You can determine the condition of your book and price it according to the other books that are being sold online.
I have a copy of the 1927 Webster's dictionary in good to better condition. The pages are excellent, but the cover has wear. What would be its value?
I checked on the Webster Dictionary blog where people go to find out how much their dictionary is worth. According to the site they told the person that they might be able to get around $19 for their dictionary that is the same year as yours. If you look on eBay the price is very low what people are asking. They are starting off around $5 for these books.
It is always better if we see a picture of the book in question but if you check the for sale listings on eBay you can see which ones compare with yours. You can also place a watch on any listing that you wish to see if it sells.
Asking prices are only prices the seller would like to receive for their items but only a sold listing will give you an idea of the price some one was willing to pay. It is difficult with items like this because you will never find an 'exact' same item and when you see a book sell for a higher price than normal it can be a one time thing and may not happen again for a very long time.
www.ebay.com/
You can check out sold listings on eBay to see what has actually sold over the past several months. Check the condition as compared to yours.
www.ebay.com/
Maybe you could do some research for a couple of months and try selling when times improve.
There are lots of sites other than eBay so check out Craigslist, Offerup, Letgo, Facebook Marketplace.
You can always start your price higher - maybe $25 - and lower it if no one shows an interest. List on more than one site. Good pictures are a necessity.
