Sunday Focus: Book$

A first edition of To Kill A Mockingbird sold for $16,000 this year, and another is being offered for sale for $38,000 at the same website: Abebooks.  In all, there may be a dozen TKAM copies listed.

     The one that sold was among the highest priced items sold there in 2016.

     What makes one book worth 38k and another of the same volume worth jut a thousand?

Early Alabama Financial Books at the Treasure's office

From the website:

Key Factors That Influence Book Values

• Condition is very important and will greatly influence value. A beaten-up old book that is falling apart will have little value.
• First editions are sought-after by book collectors and a first edition is usually more valuable than a later printing. A first edition signed by the author will have even greater value.
• Scarcity influences value.
• For hardcover books published from the 20th century onwards, the presence of a dust jacket and its condition also greatly affect value.
• If you are having difficulty understanding some of the terms used by rare booksellers, refer to our glossary, which also includes a guide to used book conditions and book sizes.

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