Any experience selling rare motoring books?

Hi all, as above looking for some advice on potentially selling a small part of my motoring library. I know there are a good few classic car enthusiasts on the forum so hoping someone may have done something similar before.

I have about a dozen books that are for sale currently on Amazon in the £150-300 bracket and I guess I could sell through there (I am a business seller on Amazon so no problems there). But wondered if there is a better market place for this sort of literature.

Subject matter if anyone is curious relates to Porsche, Italian car manufacturers and carrozzerie and 60s to 80s motorsport in the main.

Appreciate any tips!

Porsche books are very popular on the PCGB forum or try DDK for early stuff.

Pm me a list, my dad would be very interested in any he doesn't have.

On the other hand, I've been wondering about this very question myself, because when he pops it, I'll have hundreds (possibly a thousand) car books to sell - never mind the actual cars!

I think we need to hear more about doctorj's father and his collection.

How about one of the specialist auction houses? My father sold some rare books about BRM through Christies.

Many thanks all so far, will get a list together in the week.

Wow just looked at DDK, did a search and one of the guys mention having sold one of the books for £1K. Further research required I think!

What a fantastic forum. Will be lost there a few hours...

Contact www.hortonsbooks.co.uk

They will give you a very fair valuation of the the books and will either buy them off you or offer to sell them on your behalf, I’d imagine.

Great will contact Hortons too

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Originally Posted by unclealec

I think we need to hear more about doctorj's father and his collection.

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I think the rarest thing he has is a set of LJK Setright's 3 volume Grand Prix Car books. But he has, I think, two walls of car books. It's quite amazing.

His car collection isn't so grand. A Ginetta, couple of Davrians, couple of Midgets (all in various states), and his beloved Mk II Golf Gti.

2 walls of books? Very curious to see :-)

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Originally Posted by Mark020

2 walls of books? Very curious to see :-)

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2 walls of car books. Across the whole house he must have 6 large-ish walls fully shelved, plus another 5 or so bookcases worth.

Very interested in watching this thread. I have a few very nice books I have collected over the years. Recently I looked at what I would need to pay to buy them again. I could not afford too, put it that way.

I remember saving up to buy Driving Ambition the story of the Mclaren F1 road car, when it came out new.

It was a expensive book back then, I never put my poster came up with it either. Fantastic book.

Another thing I as surprised at was car brochures, I collected rare ones from cars I liked, that seem to be classed as icons. Glad I kept them.

The best thing is I have had my own car pictures published in few people's books. Which is something I never thought I would achieve.

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Originally Posted by Robertf

I have about a dozen books that are for sale currently on Amazon in the £150-300 bracket

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Be aware that there are a lot of books offered for sale on Amazon at unachievable/fantasy prices - not all of them rare.

(Quick example - https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/1305629647/)

It might be worthwhile finding out whether any of your books are for sale elsewhere, and at what price.

Amazon is indeed not the best indication due to algoritms bidding up against each other. Try ebay sold or (better) isbn.nu for more realistic prices. However: (very) expensive car books do exist and there are still people buying them. Like me.

And just for the fun of it my latest acquisition (car related but not a book though):
https://scontent-ams3-1.cdninstagram...18072576_n.jpg

Great model Mark! 956?

I've been looking at values for a few titles and have seen the anomalies on Amazon. But ridiculous pricing is not exclusive to them either, a vendor on Abe Books has a copy of one of the titles I am thinking of selling for sale right now for £32K! Wrong thumbnail for the 1st edition as well!

https://www.abebooks.co.uk/978190129...1901295117/plp

Will get a list together over the coming days and might share it on here as there seems to be some interest

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Originally Posted by Robertf

I've been looking at values for a few titles and have seen the anomalies on Amazon. But ridiculous pricing is not exclusive to them either, a vendor on Abe Books ...

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Abe Books is owned by Amazon. They bought it in 2008.

That Porsche is fantastic! My wife would love that in the house*


*just like she loves my collection of framed motor racing posters that currently aren't on the bare walls while we 'negotiate'...

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Originally Posted by Robertf

Great model Mark! 956?

I've been looking at values for a few titles and have seen the anomalies on Amazon. But ridiculous pricing is not exclusive to them either, a vendor on Abe Books has a copy of one of the titles I am thinking of selling for sale right now for £32K! Wrong thumbnail for the 1st edition as well!

https://www.abebooks.co.uk/978190129...1901295117/plp

Will get a list together over the coming days and might share it on here as there seems to be some interest

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Indeed a 956

R-RS-RSR in an expensive title but not that expensive. 3 prints with each its own price. First print: GBP 50-100, second and third more expensive but I think GBP 250-300 max.

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Originally Posted by Foxy100

That Porsche is fantastic! My wife would love that in the house*

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You just need to accessorise the posters and your wife will be eager to get them on the walls. You know what goes well with Motor racing posters? Airline seats...

http://forum.tz-uk.com/showthread.ph...-Airline-Seats

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Originally Posted by Foxy100

That Porsche is fantastic! My wife would love that in the house*


*just like she loves my collection of framed motor racing posters that currently aren't on the bare walls while we 'negotiate'...

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Well: the bad news is that I have basically no place for it and a 3 year old who wants to play with it badly so I guess it will sleep in the attic until we found a new house...

Where did you get the Porsche? And do they do Jaguars too? [emoji16]

M

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Apologies for butting in, but does anybody know of specialist dealers or auction houses that would deal in a collection of Jane's aircraft books?

Quick ebay search tells me that the value of older ones is limited (click). I think that it will not be easy to auction them. Dealer, if any, will pay 25-50% of this value I guess

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Originally Posted by Mark020

Well: the bad news is that I have basically no place for it and a 3 year old who wants to play with it badly so I guess it will sleep in the attic until we found a new house...

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SC is the answer!

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Originally Posted by Mark020

Quick ebay search tells me that the value of older ones is limited (click). I think that it will not be easy to auction them. Dealer, if any, will pay 25-50% of this value I guess

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Many thanks.

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Originally Posted by Foxy100

SC is the answer!

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Very funny

I've had good experience and prices selling motoring books on eBay. Audi quattro, Lotus Carlton and others achieving good prices.

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Originally Posted by 33JS

I've had good experience and prices selling motoring books on eBay. Audi quattro, Lotus Carlton and others achieving good prices.

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I sold an RX8 book on eBay, too, and got a good price.

M

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