Home / Appraisals
The appraisal desk
What is it worth?
Let’s find out.
Research you can trust: real sold prices, edition and printing checks, and an honest read on signatures. In person around Ann Arbor, at your home, or by photo from anywhere.
Quick value check
Free, answered the same day. For a handful of books. Send the cover, spine, title page, the back of the title page and any signature, and we’ll tell you what you have.
Collection appraisal
We come to you and go through the whole library, from a few shelves to a hundred boxes, and walk you through what matters.
Written valuation
A documented report with comparable sales, for insurance, estate planning or dividing a collection fairly among family.
Photo value checks are free. Collection appraisals and written valuations are one flat fee per book or per collection, quoted before we start. And if you decide to sell, we can make you an offer on the spot.
How we work
Evidence, not guesses
Every value we give is grounded in what copies of the same edition, in similar condition, have actually sold for. Asking prices aren’t sales.
We check the things that move value most: edition and printing, condition and dust jacket, completeness, and provenance. We’re careful about facsimile reprints, book club editions and printed “signatures”. Here’s one we caught.
When something can’t be confirmed from what we can see, we say so plainly.
A note on tax appraisals
If you’re donating books and claiming a deduction over $5,000, the IRS requires a qualified appraisal by a qualified appraiser. Tell us if that’s your goal and we’ll help you find the right route.
Questions
Appraisals, answered
How much does a book appraisal cost?
A quick value check by photo is free, and we answer the same day. Collection appraisals at your home and written valuations are one flat fee per book or per collection, quoted up front before we start, so there are no hourly surprises.
Can you tell me what a book is worth from photos?
Usually, yes, and it’s free. Photos of the cover, spine, title page, the back of the title page and any signature are often enough for a quick value check. We answer the same day (photos sent after 6 PM get an answer the next morning).
Do you appraise collections for insurance or an estate?
Yes. We prepare written valuations documented with comparable sales, for insurance, estate planning, or dividing a collection among family.
Can you appraise books for a tax deduction?
Donations of property valued over $5,000 need an IRS qualified appraisal by a qualified appraiser. Tell us if that’s your goal and we’ll tell you honestly whether we’re the right fit or point you to someone who is.
Will you buy the books after the appraisal?
If you’d like to sell, we can make you a fair cash offer on the spot. There’s never any obligation.
Can you tell if a signature or first edition is real?
We check edition points, bindings, paper, printing and known reprints, and we compare signatures with documented examples. We’ll always tell you what we can confirm and what we can’t.