Six parts in one volume, folio (12 1/4 x 7 7/8 in. dba Miles Books at AbeBooksġ535 Coverdale Bible (First Edition of the First Printed Bible in English) - $695,000.00įrom the seller: “An extraordinarily fine copy of the first edition of the printed Bible in English. Michael Grant, The Founders of the Western World: A History of Greece and Rome (First Edition) - $700,011.00
Or, you know, today plus 3-5 business days for shipping. Most of the books on the below list don’t get anywhere near the most expensive books ever sold-but unlike any of those, the books below could be yours today. I excluded maps, manuscripts, ephemera, lithographs, and books that were primarily illustration (Audubon, etc.), as well as multiple books sold together as a lot. I also picked and chose among the most expensive books I could find, and have highlighted what was most interesting-whether because of the book in question or the history behind it (or lack thereof). To that end, I’ve collected some of the most expensive for you to look at here.īy the way, this is by no means a scientific experiment-I certainly don’t claim to have looked at every book sale on the Internet. Luckily, many of these are available on the Internet, and it’s actually pretty fascinating to see how old books and first editions are priced-it’s sort of like the art world, in that it’s not always clear why something is valuable. When you have a lot of extra cash burning a hole in your pocket, and your pocket is made of silk or gold or unicorns or something, then well-it’s probably an even better idea to spend it on a book. You never know - being a lifelong bibliophile might literally pay off.When you have a little extra cash burning a hole in your pocket, it’s always a good idea to spend it on a book. Check out 11 of the most collectible books of the decade below and then troll your own shelves or set your folks back home on a scavenger hunt through those dusty boxes of old books in their garage. Sounds a lot more likely, right? According to Abe Books, if you were lucky enough to score any of these books between the years of 20, you might just be in for a pretty decent payday. Sure, most of the books described below are still signed first-editions, but instead of something totally unaccessible like Shakespeare's Folio think more along the lines of Stephanie Meyer's Twilight or Dan Brown's The DaVinci Code.
OK, so you probably don't have a super rare Harry Potter book sitting in your parents' attic, but you might be surprised to know some books sitting on your shelves can be resold for anywhere from $300 to $10,000. Rowling's The Tales of Beedle the Bard, of which only seven gem-covered, leather-bound editions were made. You've probably read articles about all those insanely expensive and incredibly rare, collectible books - like the highly covetable first edition of J.K.