SO MANY Leather Bound Books - What To Do?

Guest · 6 Jul 18, 01:54 PM

Hello all!

This is a longshot post...thanks for reading.

SO...my lovely DH called me from his office. They have a few (?) hundred leather bound books from the '20s and '30s - and they need to get rid of them.

DH wants to sell them to one of those "Books by the Yard" (i.e. books for "decoration") -type places. I have been trying to find somebody to buy them. Does anybody have a suggestion?

We're just outside the M25 (near Enfield).

I know ebay is an option, but DH is CERTAIN there's a firm out there who specialises in this. I have indeed found a couple - but none are nearby.

Has anybody out there been able to sell a lot like this? Help greatly appreciated!

louiseybobs · 6 Jul 18, 02:01 PM

Could they be donated to your local hospital for patients who want something to read? Xx

Apricota · 6 Jul 18, 04:03 PM

Its the decorating / interior companies whom buy these... but for peanuts.

theCMG · 6 Jul 18, 04:44 PM

What are the books?

Feebee2 · 6 Jul 18, 06:17 PM

Put them in auction, if there are any "good" ones they'll be spotted. At least you'll get a fair price, whatever that may be!

**Gill H** · 6 Jul 18, 06:31 PM

There is an auction house near me - often seen on those TV programmes, which make it look like somewhere olde-worlde with honeysuckle round the door. In reality it is on the edge of an industrial estate!

theCMG · 6 Jul 18, 06:35 PM

I have some sets of antique leather books bought off ebay, at boot sales etc. My advice is to photograph the spines in high resolution and email them to a book dealer to see if they are worth anything

gl20 · 6 Jul 18, 07:30 PM

FWIW I was a buyer of this sort of thing earlier this year ie we wanted an encyclopaedia for our new study and yes, odd as it may sound, purely for decoration. I was willing / expecting to pay around �75 for a set through eBay and there was quite a mot of choice. As said above, photos of the spines is frankly all that matters plus the height and full width of selling as a set as the buyer is likely trying to find a set that for a specific shelf and will only care what colour the spines are, do they look ok and will they fit.

Good luck

theCMG · 6 Jul 18, 09:24 PM

I'd like to point out that I buy mine by the content rather than by the yard (no offence OP

) It really does depend on the books themselves, no-one is going to turn down a hugely valuable collection of Jane Austen first editions because they're 5cm too narrow whereas the home decor market is interested first and foremost on if the books look ok for colour and height

Guest · 7 Jul 18, 08:01 AM

Thanks all.

No Jane Austen or Shakespeare among the books. All are very business-specific, which is why DH thinks the decorators are his best bet.

"Peanuts" is about what I was expecting to hear. There must be *something* that could be done with the leather bindings...but I don't know what it is!

(Clever) DS has suggested making a few of them into bookends. This I will definitely do. Again, many thanks to you all.

gl20 - your info was especially helpful.

6 Jul 18, 01:54 PM	#1
	6 Jul 18, 01:54 PM Guest Guest
Guest Guest	SO MANY Leather Bound Books - What To Do? Hello all! This is a longshot post...thanks for reading. SO...my lovely DH called me from his office. They have a few (?) hundred leather bound books from the '20s and '30s - and they need to get rid of them. DH wants to sell them to one of those "Books by the Yard" (i.e. books for "decoration") -type places. I have been trying to find somebody to buy them. Does anybody have a suggestion? We're just outside the M25 (near Enfield). I know ebay is an option, but DH is CERTAIN there's a firm out there who specialises in this. I have indeed found a couple - but none are nearby. Has anybody out there been able to sell a lot like this? Help greatly appreciated!

6 Jul 18, 04:03 PM	#3
	6 Jul 18, 04:03 PM Apricota slightly serious Dibber
Apricota slightly serious Dibber Join Date: Mar 14 Location: Surrey	Its the decorating / interior companies whom buy these... but for peanuts.

6 Jul 18, 04:44 PM	#4
	6 Jul 18, 04:44 PM theCMG Imagineer
theCMG Imagineer Join Date: Jan 15 theCMG's Reviews Hotel Reviews: 8 Restaurant Reviews: 1	What are the books? __________________ Dining & Trip Reports: 50 Shades of Beige (2022) xxl rated food DLP, EuropaPark & Efteling Roadtrip (2019) 3 parks, which is best? The Prisoner of Vineland Mall (2019) Orlando passion, romance and fine dining...ok so it's mainly eating Scream if you want to go Fatter! (2018) This report contains images some dieters may find distressing! The 12 Days of Easter (2015) Rumoured to contain up to one good joke. Let me know if you find it

6 Jul 18, 06:35 PM	#7
	6 Jul 18, 06:35 PM theCMG Imagineer
theCMG Imagineer Join Date: Jan 15 theCMG's Reviews Hotel Reviews: 8 Restaurant Reviews: 1	I have some sets of antique leather books bought off ebay, at boot sales etc. My advice is to photograph the spines in high resolution and email them to a book dealer to see if they are worth anything __________________ Dining & Trip Reports: 50 Shades of Beige (2022) xxl rated food DLP, EuropaPark & Efteling Roadtrip (2019) 3 parks, which is best? The Prisoner of Vineland Mall (2019) Orlando passion, romance and fine dining...ok so it's mainly eating Scream if you want to go Fatter! (2018) This report contains images some dieters may find distressing! The 12 Days of Easter (2015) Rumoured to contain up to one good joke. Let me know if you find it

6 Jul 18, 07:30 PM	#8
	6 Jul 18, 07:30 PM gl20 Apprentice Imagineer
gl20 Apprentice Imagineer Join Date: Jun 13	FWIW I was a buyer of this sort of thing earlier this year ie we wanted an encyclopaedia for our new study and yes, odd as it may sound, purely for decoration. I was willing / expecting to pay around �75 for a set through eBay and there was quite a mot of choice. As said above, photos of the spines is frankly all that matters plus the height and full width of selling as a set as the buyer is likely trying to find a set that for a specific shelf and will only care what colour the spines are, do they look ok and will they fit. Good luck

6 Jul 18, 09:24 PM	#9
	6 Jul 18, 09:24 PM theCMG Imagineer
theCMG Imagineer Join Date: Jan 15 theCMG's Reviews Hotel Reviews: 8 Restaurant Reviews: 1	I'd like to point out that I buy mine by the content rather than by the yard (no offence OP ) It really does depend on the books themselves, no-one is going to turn down a hugely valuable collection of Jane Austen first editions because they're 5cm too narrow whereas the home decor market is interested first and foremost on if the books look ok for colour and height __________________ Dining & Trip Reports: 50 Shades of Beige (2022) xxl rated food DLP, EuropaPark & Efteling Roadtrip (2019) 3 parks, which is best? The Prisoner of Vineland Mall (2019) Orlando passion, romance and fine dining...ok so it's mainly eating Scream if you want to go Fatter! (2018) This report contains images some dieters may find distressing! The 12 Days of Easter (2015) Rumoured to contain up to one good joke. Let me know if you find it

7 Jul 18, 08:01 AM	#10
	7 Jul 18, 08:01 AM Guest Guest
Guest Guest	Thanks all. No Jane Austen or Shakespeare among the books. All are very business-specific, which is why DH thinks the decorators are his best bet. "Peanuts" is about what I was expecting to hear. There must be something that could be done with the leather bindings...but I don't know what it is! (Clever) DS has suggested making a few of them into bookends. This I will definitely do. Again, many thanks to you all. gl20 - your info was especially helpful.