Sell to us
HOW & WHEN WE BUY
We invite you to get in touch if you wish to sell old books and manuscripts. We're contactable at: info@christianwhiterarebooks.com or 07811 455398
You may be planning to sell books from your own collection, disposing of books belonging to a deceased family member, or keen to cash in on prized collectables. We are happy to guide you through what can be a very stressful time, as you decide how best to proceed. Dealing with a deceased estate is tough work and selling a collection of books that may have been in the family for generations can feel overwhelming - we are experienced in this delicate process and can help steer you through it.
We are based in Ilkley, just north of the cities of Leeds and Bradford, on the edge of the Yorkshire Dales. We particularly welcome enquiries from collectors and collections across West Yorkshire, North Yorkshire and into Lancashire and Manchester where we can often arrange a home visit to discuss items in person. If you are lucky enough to be able to visit Ilkley by car, then we will gladly check over your books here at 287 Leeds Road - just ring or email to make an appointment.
If the numbers of books are significant, or you're too far away, then drop us a line and a combination of phone/ Whatsapp/ emailed pictures will allow us to make an appraisal and, if appropriate, schedule a visit, or make you an offer. For single items of merit and book collections we will happily travel anywhere in the UK - or further afield: we're only a phone call or email away.
We aim to offer the highest prices for the best material, but can't do so unless you tell us about it!
May we urge you please, NOT to consign to auction without talking to us first. Unlike an auction house, we don't charge any commission - selling direct to us means cutting out the middle man with all the obvious benefits. As rare book dealers we promise to make a fair and informed evaluation of your items and will be happy to explain the thinking behind any offer. And do bear in mind that selling to a rare bookseller is very much the green option: we're not pulping books; we treat the books we acquire with respect, and over time they will join a new collection, to be appreciated and enjoyed by generations to come.
But, it's important to accept the fact that in the current marketplace there will be books that simply don't have any commercial value - cheap paperbacks, most magazines, Book Society reprints, encyclopaedias etc, and we're happy to advise on alternative approaches to dealing with these.
WHAT SORT OF BOOKS DO WE BUY?
For Printed Books we are interested in firsts editions of all periods - Tolkien, Ian Fleming, Evelyn Waugh - and other major collectable 20th century authors as well as works from the 19th century such as the novels of the Bronte sisters (from nearby Haworth), Jane Austen's works as well as early editions of Darwin's Origin of Species and similar landmark fiction and the history of ideas.
We have a longstanding interest in pre-1800 hand-press material as well as buying fine bindings and sets, illustrated works, limited edition, fine press books and signed books of all periods - especially those with interesting annotation or ownership.
Our business depends on buying from you!
Recently we sold Dr Johnson’s annotated copy of Chapman’s translation of Homer - something like that will always command a high price. We have a particular interest in the history of ideas, welcoming offers of landmark scientific publications such as Max Planck's 1900 paper introducing Quantum Theory which passed through our hands.
But we also buy all sorts of printed and manuscript material including handwritten journals, and unique sketchbooks, especially literary manuscripts and historical manuscripts. If you have old diaries or artistic sketchbooks, we can pay very high prices. Recently we have sold sketchbooks by Samuel Palmer, Stanley Spencer and John Piper - we are specialists in this area and want to acquire work by the best artists.
We also enjoy acquiring strange, off-beat and positively wierd books and manuscripts. In the era of mass digitisation, the more distinctive the better. Tattooing - yes! Magic and the occult - yes! Pre 1800 Shakespeare editions - yes! Reader's Digest, encyclopaedias, cheap paperbacks - probably not.
Do please get in touch to talk books!