Here are the questions asked by community members. Read on to see the answers provided by the ThriftyFun community.
How much (in 1965 dollars) did a new (1965) edition of the Encyclopedia Americana cost?
My parents spent over $700 for theirs
It was a thousand dollars for a set.You could make payments.
What is the value of an Encyclopedia Americana 1964 Limited Edition/New York World's Fair? The set is complete, with 30 volumes in excellent condition. I can't seem to find anything on the internet about this.
Thanks for any answers in advance. Have a great day.
I have a full set of 1970 Encyclopedia Americana and wanted to know if it's worth anything?
A full set consists of 30 volumes.
You do not mention condition of your set but that will be a big part of the determining factor when looking for value.
Two sets of 1970 edition have recently sold on eBay but I do not know condition of your set but you can check them out.
www.ebay.com/
www.ebay.com/
You could try listing your set on sites like Craigslist, Facebook Marketplace, offerup, letgo, etc and even offer free local pick up.
Start your price higher - $150-200 (if condition is very good) and best offer considered. Leave it listed for several weeks and lower the price if no one makes an offer.
Shipping should be by Media Mail and several boxes.
How do I find the value of my 1959 Americana encyclopedias collection?
I have a set of Encyclopedia Americana, the 1948 edition. What is it worth?
Many people try to sell their old Encyclopedias on eBay. Some sit on eBay for months on end. There really isn't a high demand for old encyclopedia. You might be able to asked $50 for the set. However, the cost of boxing these up and sending them in the mail will cost a fortune. Therefore, it is better to find a person in your area that is willing to buy them.
You can also donate these to a school. Libraries have so many I don't they they accept anymore.
Many people have old books they think are valuable and would like to sell. Most old dictionaries, references etc., have very little value, a few dollars at most. Encyclopedias dated after 1923 are essentially worthless but crafters may be interested for the old pictures. Libraries, Goodwill, Salvation Army, etc., receive donations of tons of old encyclopedias, dictionaries and reference books but send them to recycling centers or dumps as they cannot use or sell them.
Shipping is always a problem with large sets of books - expensive and difficult to pack safely.
You may be better off trying to sell on Craigslist as there would be no shipping involved. You could start your price at $75 dollars and if no takers, adjust it until you decide if they will or will not sell.
It looks like there are some books listed on Amazon but they are listing individual books for $33 and may never sell them. eBay has some sets listed (other years) but these are very, very slow movers and can be listed for months and months and never sell.
www.amazon.com/
Most thrift stores will not take them and library book sales will not take them as they cannot sell them and just have to dump them. Sometimes home schoolers will buy a set but will not pay very much.
I have the 1829 to 1954 the Encyclopedias Americana. It is a set of 30 in great shape. Copyright 1924 1922 1920 1918.
I have a set of 1955 Encyclopedia Americana books. All 30 books are in excellent condition.
I believe that I have the whole set of Americana encyclopedias, they are in great condition and the year they were made in, is 1829. Are they worth anything?
Encyclopedia sets that date before 1923 may have some value if they are complete and in good condition. You can check on online and on EBay, antique book collectors in your area or online etc.
Check this site: www.book-collecting-tips.com/
I have a complete set of The Encyclopedia Americana purchased in 1962 and also "Lands and People" Volume 1 - Volume 7, annuals from 1963-1979, Science Annual 1979, Bicentennial Almanac 1776-1976, and the Americana Dictionary. They are all in excellent condition; some have never been opened.
We also have Grolier Encyclopedia year books from 1977-1983.
Many people have old books they think are valuable and would like to sell. Most old dictionaries, references etc., have very little value, a few dollars at most. Encyclopedias dated after 1923 are essentially worthless but crafters may be interested for the old pictures. Goodwill, Salvation Army, etc., receive donations of tons of old encyclopedias, dictionaries and reference books but send them to recycling centers or dumps as they cannot use or sell them.
You can check online for old book collectors, on EBay, Craigs List and other retail sites for possibilities. Everything is now online and updated constantly so old books are just that-old.
Your encyclopedias may sell if you list them on Craigslist but probably for a low payment. These do occasionally sell on eBay but may take a very long time to do so. They are also very difficult to ship.
Here is a link that shows what some sets recently sold for on eBay:
www.ebay.com/
Your Lands and People may be more valuable so you should try these on Craigslist also. here is what some sets recently sold for on eBay:
www.ebay.com/
I think you would be better off financially donating them and taking the tax deduction. The information is outdated, and people use the internet now, not encyclopedias.
I have a set of 10 old books titled "The Americana" - A Universal Reference Library. Copyright is 1904-1906. They are not in perfect condition. How much are they worth?