Book appraisals - General information

.If you are interested in a professional, accurate book appraisal, or have simply asked yourself, "what is the value of my book, or my book collection", then you have arrived at the appropriate site. Here you can learn all about what is involved in a book appraisal and obtain an approximate idea of the cost. If you have a significant number of books it is important for you to consider having a qualified person appraise them.

About us

Booksappraised.com is a division of Beattie Book Company which was established in 1977 for the purpose of buying, selling, and appraising old, rare and out of print books and related material (i.e. prints, manuscripts, maps, ephemera). The owner of Beattie Book Company is James W Beattie, who has been in the books busisness full time since 1977. Initially the business was established in Wayne Pennsylvania. Currently it is located in Tucson Arizona.

Mr Beattie has been performing appraisals for over 20 years. Not one his appraisals have ever been questioned.

What is involved in a book appraisal

In a book appraisal, a value is placed on each book or group of books, depending upon an estimate of their worth. In the case of individual volumes valued at over $100, the appraisal will list each volume with a value for each volume. In the case of books of lesser value, and at the descretion of the client, books may be valued by "shelf" or "lot". It is customary for the book collection to actually be viewed, although if this is impractical, the appraisal may be done from a list, as long as photographic documentation is attached.

The benefits of having us appraise your books

If you choose us for your book appraisal, Mr James Beattie will personally do the research. Because he has 25 years experience in the antiquarian book business, he will able to complete the appraisal in a more efficient and timely manner than someone with less experience. The reasons for this are simple. An inexperienced person will have to look up prices and research every book. An experienced appraiser like Mr Beattie would only have to check prices on 20-40% of the titles, thereby saving the client hundreds, if not thousands of dollars.

Who might benefit from a book appraisal

Libraries, Institutions, book collectors, lawyers, physicians, or anyone with a significant number of books who either need insurance protection or reimbursement, or who may wish to take advantage of a tax credit by donating their books to a library or other institution. In may cases it is more advantageous to donate than to sell your books to a dealer.