Selling collections has always been a thing.  However as we continue to trend towards a pared-down abode, more of us find ourselves with collections we have no idea of what to do with. 

The Refreshed Home…like Realtors, Organizers, and adult children know revisiting, assessing, and divesting of possessions has been something most put off till it was an absolute necessity.  But a recent NYT article spoke to a new trend. Grabbing the bull by the horns, “Death Cleaning” showcased the comforts that’ve come to families who’ve done this proactively before they ‘had’ to.

IF you’re selling collections, specifics on the market, values, and the process are questions best to be part of a conversation between you and a reputable dealer. This mini-series is more to help those new to this hobby understand some basics to get you going in the right direction.

Selling Book Collections

Regular readers know David Greif, owner of Griffin Books in Stamford is my go-to book guy from way back. Before I met him I thought just being old, or fancy endpapers were indicators of a book’s value.  SILLY ME!  Here are some of Dave’s best tips for beginners

• Curated collections on one area of interest are thought to be more valuable than an assortment of titles.
• But singular, rare books can be a nice surprise too!
• DON’T do things that might make sense to you…like scotch-taping a torn book cover. Fine to organize by author or subject, but generally best for a book dealer to see the entire collection in its physical as-is state.
• What you see on eBay and other online sites are UNSOLD books. At the prices sellers want to get. (Sound familiar to the real estate junkies out there?)  Yes, like real estate, book dealers can back up their estimation of value with ‘comps’, recent selling history of similar items.
• Also like real estate you pay for the dealer’s knowledge, expertise, and circle of connections. Book collection, bookselling is a rarefied circle.  Book people know other book people. And those book people know other book people.

Specialized services are just that: specific and detailed.

Whether it’s books, jewelry, or home staging-the idea of anonymously getting information about something you don’t know much about, late at night online while you’re in your bunny slippers can be seductive!

An ok starting point and sure, you may feel more in control of the process. But if you want the best info, you’ve got to start a conversation. Simply, the more specifics a provider knows, and can see!-the more helpful they can be.

I Gotta Guy/Gal  is a series of posts about guys-and gals-who are specialized service providers. People who’ve heard all the questions before. More importantly, they answer them clearly, in a way that makes sense. Trusted partners of The Refreshed Home, they’re smart, nice, fair, and experts at what they do. Check them out, and keep checking back as more are added to this roster!