Hi bevel26,
To avoid further delay, here is my answer...
The answer is ... it all depends!
As you can imagine, many factors go into pricing out-of-print books,
including condition, edition, availability and desirability. It is
impossible to accurately value a book without having it in hand but I
can lead you in the right direction so you can make an informed
assessment.
Basically, fair market value comes down to the price agreed upon by a
knowledgeable seller and a knowledgeable buyer on that day. The next
day may yield entirely different results - this is a highly flexible
branch of the literary world.
1. The International Book Collectors Association (IBCA) has an
excellent website with a wealth of information for novice and serious
book collectors alike.
IBCA homepage:
http://www.rarebooks.org/
IBCA Appraise Your Own Books
"The following guide can help you determine how much a book is really
worth before you consider adding or selling a title from your
collection. Know what the books are worth."
http://www.rarebooks.org/values.htm
IBCA Introduction to Appraising
"People often ask me "What is my book worth?." It's not worth anything
unless it is collectable. Other collectors must want it for it to be
collectable and willing to pay for it to be valuable... But it is not
collectable unless others want it are are willing to pay for it."
http://www.rarebooks.org/introduc.htm
2. Your Old Books links - Q&A format
http://www.rbms.nd.edu/yob.html
3. Diana Ramsey is a bookseller who maintains a website, Littera
Scripta, which has alot of information for booksellers and book buyers
alike.
Littera Scripta homepage
http://www.litterascripta.com/index.shtml
Littera Scripta: Pricing Out of Print Books
"Pricing books is mostly a matter of research and experience. There's
no easy formula, or rule of thumb. It's one of the reasons dealers
specialize. No one can know the entire market. But if you're good, and
you're thorough, and you listen to your customers and other dealers,
you can learn a specialty area in detail."
http://www.litterascripta.com/sellers/pricing.shtml
That all said, here are what some of Bill Mauldin's books are listed
for today - bear in mind, these are prices that booksellers are asking
- they are not sold yet! It will be up to you to determine *exactly*
what edition you have and the condition - every little detail is so
important!
BOOKS (rarer titles first):
* LET'S DECLARE OURSELVES WINNERS and Get the Hell Out (1985).
Let's declare ourselves winners-- and get the hell out /
published by Novato, CA : Presidio Press
Only two on Bookfinder: $121.65 and $185.31
http://www.bookfinder.com/search/?ac=sl&st=sl&qi=Cl.vtl25F,ok8xCVlG944gi5puU_2364286804_1:61:128
* BILL MAULDIN'S ARMY (1983) published by William Sloane
2 listed on Abebooks, $50 and $200 signed copy
* MUD, MULES AND MOUNTAINS: cartoons of the A.E.F. (1944) published in
Italy
39 listed on Abebooks starting at $25
* Bill Mauldin in Korea (1952) published by W.W. Norton
4 listed on Abebooks starting at $20
* THIS DAMN TREE LEAKS, a collection of war cartoons (1945) published
in Italy
29 listed on Abebooks starting at $19.13
* NEWS OF THE 45TH (1944) published by University of Oklahoma press
13 listed on Abebooks starting at $13.45
* WHAT'S GOT YOUR BACK UP? (1961) published by Harper
19 listed on Abebooks starting at $9
* MUD AND GUTS (1978) a look at the common soldier of the American
revolution
National Park Service, 1978
3 listed on Abebooks starting at $8
* A SORT OF SAGA (1949) published by William Sloane
57 listed on Abebooks starting at $6.50
* I'VE DECIDED I WANT MY SEAT BACK (1965) Harper & Row
8 listed on Abebooks starting at $6.00
* UP FRONT (1945) published by Holt
190 listed on Abebooks starting at $5
* THE BRASS RING: a Sort of a Memoir (1971) published by WW Norton
386 listed on Abebooks starting at $1.25
* BACK HOME (1947) published by William Sloane
353 listed on Abebooks starting at $1
Here are some more used books search sites:
http://www.abebooks.com The site I used to get most of the prices
above.
http://www.tomfolio.com
http://www.bookfinder.com Searches several sites but often doesn't
show all results.
http://used.addall.com/ Also searches several sites but often doesn't
show all results.
http://www.zshops.com
http://www.bibliophile.net
http://www.bookavenue.com
http://www.choosebooks.com
Also search at eBay, both active and completed auctions.
http://www.ebay.com
Additional Links:
Bill Mauldin -- his biography:
"In 1945, Mauldin's cartoons on the Second World War won the Pulitzer
Prize. The citation read: "for distinguished service as a cartoonist,
as exemplified by the series entitled "Up Front With Mauldin".
Mauldin, the youngest person to be awarded the prize, was now one of
the best-known cartoonists in the United States."
http://www.pica.army.mil/voice2003/030214/Mauldinbiography.htm
Ask Art: Mauldin, Bill (William Henry): Biography
http://askart.com/biography.asp
rec.collecting.books - A Book Collecting Newsgroup
http://www.massmedia.com/~mikeb/rcb/
IOBA Book Terminology:
http://www.ioba.org/terms.html
IOBA Description Definitions:
http://www.ioba.org/desc.html
Fair is Fair: A Closer Look at Fair Market Value
""The price at which the property would change hands between a willing
buyer and a willing seller when the former is not under any compulsion
to buy and the latter is not under any compulsion to sell, both
parties having reasonable knowledge of the relevant facts."
http://www.che-llp.com/marketingmedia.nsf/lookup/720ADCAD79AA22B185256C320049B60E
I hope this helps. If you have any questions, please post a
clarification request before rating my answer.
Thank you,
hummer
Search Strategy:
Searched Abebooks and Bibliofind, title by title.
The links are from our own reference desk. |
