Check Your Bookshelves for These 5 Old Books — They Could Be Worth Thousands
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J. Arky
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Levi Leidy
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“A room without books is like a body without a soul,” Cicero once said, though he might not have known that those books could one day be worth serious cash.
If you look around your house, whether you keep your books on shelves, in stacks or stowed away in the basement, you may find a robust section of literature. A collection compiled over the years or from used bookstores can surprise you with what it’s worth. If a book sounds like a classic and has words such as “first edition” printed inside, you could be holding a small treasure trove in your hands.
Here are five notable old books that are worth thousands of dollars.
The Diary of Anne Frank
- Estimated value: Starting around $2,000
Saila Marcos, a content marketer at Biblio — the largest independent book marketplace for used, rare and out-of-print books — notes that this book can reach prices in the several-thousand-dollar range with certain criteria attached. It must be the Dutch forest edition of Anne Frank’s diary; and it must be the original title: “The Annex: Diary Notes 14 June 1942 – 1 August 1944.”
Buyers will know it when they see it because this book includes “illustrations of the place where Anne’s family was hiding during the Nazi occupation of the Netherlands and examples of the handwriting of the author,” according to Marcos.
Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone
- Estimated value: $20,000
“The first edition of ‘Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone’ typically commands a sale price of up to $20,000, and in some cases, even more, contingent upon the copy’s uniqueness,” Marcos said. With each passing sequel that was published — followed by a franchise of major motion pictures, stage plays and theme parks — the original novel only shot up in value.
“This phenomenon elevates the work to the most expensive in the entire series and positions it as one of the costliest books available on the market,” Marcos added.
The Hobbit
- Estimated value: Starting at $40,000
Just as the ring in J.R.R. Tolkien’s world was “the one to rule them all,” this copy of the magical Middle-earth story that started it all is a collector’s trophy sought after worldwide by bibliophiles.
“A first-edition, first-printing copy of the original U.K. edition of ‘The Hobbit’ can run over $40,000. Later printings of the first edition also retain much value for collectors,” Marcos said. The value only goes up for pristine first editions sporting the original dust jackets, especially if they include Tolkien’s signature.
“Signed copies of this edition have been appraised at over $100,000,” Marcos said.
The Lord of the Rings Trilogy
- Estimated value: $200,000
The adventure in the land Tolkien created does not end with his first novel. With the right conditions, collectors will pay big money for the three classic fantasy novels that follow: “The Fellowship of the Ring,” “The Two Towers” and “The Return of the King.”
“A signed first-edition copy of the trilogy can reach over $200,000,” Marcos said. “While the value decreases for unsigned or uninscribed copies, the work remains one of the most expensive offerings in the antique and used book market.”
The Catcher in the Rye
- Estimated value: $280,000
This coming-of-age novel centering Holden Caulfield is as infamous as it is beloved. The renowned author J.D. Salinger’s book can be worth a lot of money if you manage to find a rare copy or inscription with his signature on it.
“Being one of the most reclusive authors, signed or inscribed copies of Salinger’s masterpiece can fetch thousands of dollars, with this particular one listed for over $280,000,” Marcos explained, citing that auction records show only one appearance of an inscribed first edition at Doyle in 2010.
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