Book Valuations
Valuation of Collections
Unicorn Books Ltd provides a leading valuation service for book and ephemera collections.
Our team have years of experience in trading and valuing rare books and ephemera worldwide, and one of our directors is a member of the Valuers Institute of New Zealand.
To complete a valuation all we require are some high-quality images via email as well as any relevant history. For larger collections we normally require to inspect the items on location.
Contact us for a no obligation fee estimate.
Book Appraisals
Single books
Unless the book is likely to be very valuable the cost is not normally worthwhile to complete a single book appraisal.
If a book is clearly not even worth spending the time appraising it we will at least tell you.
Free appraisals and valuation advice
We do not provide free market valuation advice to assist sellers with their own online sales.
Remember that a book dealer is not a local library or community service; their time and expertise is their business, just like any other trade or professional.
Honest feedback from Professionals
For people wanting to sell us their old books and ephemera.
First things first, thanks for reaching out for advice.
Unicorn Books has been in the book trade for years, from buying and selling, to valuations, as well as being offered books collections to purchase. So, this places us in a strong position to provide you sound advice.
If you seek advice from an industry professional, then trust what they say.
It astonishes us how many people tell us "I really have no expectation on price and would appreciate your guidance" – only to become indignant and instant book valuation experts as soon as we put a number on the table.
Remember, if your collection is well suited to our markets then we will always offer you as much as we possibly can on the first offer.
A bookdealer's margin is not simply the published retail price, less what they offer you.
It also astonishes us how many people, including authors, expect a dealer to pay retail prices or just a little bit under.
Remember this when your back of the envelope calculation determines the dealer will make a fortune from your books.
- A book dealer only makes their money when they sell, and used and rare books can easily take years to sell.
- Prior to any sale, a dealers' costs to purchase, ship, store, digitise and market every single item is significant—and is all money outlaid in advance.
- Books sitting unsold for years is normal in this trade—it is unusual for a book to list one week, and sell the next.
- The cost of hidden damage or items in lesser condition than we were advised, is always a factor and we have to allow this when buying collections—without exception there is always a degree of this no matter how helpful or best intended the seller is.
- On any sale a dealer then has to deduct the costs of sale that will take 35+ % straight off the top. This includes; GST, sales fees, bank card fees, AfterPay fees, courier booking fees and packaging costs.
Very quickly these sale costs deducted off the top—less all the costs paid months or years in advance from the bottom—leaves an amount in the middle for the dealer much less that most realise.
Don’t rely completely on what prices you can see published online.
Second hand sales have no fixed RRP list price. A published asking price is just that—you can ask all you like, but that doesn’t mean that you will necessarily get it.
Unicorn Bookshop is not a hobby trader, just because it is online.
We are amused by how often people insist that our prices should be much less, just because our business operates online therefore we do not have all the costs of a traditional retail shop.
The reality is that the costs to run an international ecommerce business is actually more than a traditional retail shop. The only difference is that our old shop lease has been transferred to a warehouse and running multiple digital platform(s). Every other function of our business and the costs associated is more or less the same.
Often an old book is just that, an old book.
Remember, just because a book is old and in good condition does not necessarily mean that it is valuable.
If we advise you that your books are worth little to nothing, then that is what they are really worth—supported by the fact that we are recommending that you just take them to an op-shop or the dump.
Condition and presentation is everything.
Books and ephemera are always about presentation, and the dust jacket or cover is normally the most important component that determines their value.
A rare book or newspaper can be as new, but with a damaged or missing cover or jacket its value is much less.