What is the monetary value of a 1909 complete set of the New International Encyclopedia?

Answer 1

The monetary value of a 1909 complete set of the New International Encyclopedia can vary depending on factors such as its condition, edition, and rarity. In general, these sets can range in value from $100 to $500 or more, with pristine copies or special editions fetching higher prices. It's best to consult with a rare book dealer or appraiser for an accurate valuation.

Answer 2

In the past, an encyclopedia set was one of the most expensive and most valuable assets a family could own. Not only was owning a set a sign of wealth but of prestige. Only the most educated could afford the cost of these expensive books. This remained true for the majority of families through the 1960s-1970s.

Then, economic situations changed dramatically for many families. Owning a full encyclopedia set became more affordable with higher-paying jobs. By the 1970s-1980s, even the top two American encyclopedia publishers offered extended pay methods, where the customer paid each month for one new book. Or, an entire set was put on the family's charge card.

By 2010, the prestige of owning an encyclopedia set is much reduced from the prestige sought and found by owners of the early 1900s. Online copies and CDs have each further reduced the value of paper-printed encyclopedias.

As well, paper-print publications has become drastically less expensive over the last 100 years. This has opened the market for more families to own these materials.

At the same time, it has become much easier for companies to change, add, or delete information from the new year's print-run of encyclopedias. This has made information in previous years become obsolete much faster than what these books contained at the turn of the century in 1900. Obsolete information is less valuable to parents, children, and educators. Even 5 years can invalidate what was once a valuable book set of knowledge.

So, just the age of an encyclopedia set does not make it valuable, unlike age affects pricing on other "antique" items. A set bought for over a $1,000.00 in 1985 has very little value today. A comparable set bought in 1900 to 1910 might only garner a few dollars--if a buyer even considers buying the books.

You might find a buyer interested in collecting encyclopedia sets. But this would be a needle in a haystack.

You might try putting a notice on free internet sale sites, just to judge interest.

You could try selling the books at a yard sale.

If you find an extremely interesting typo or topic, with national or international interest, you might find a "rare book seller" who'd be interested, especially if the set was a 1st Edition of the print-run in 1909.

You could see if a homeless shelter or an impoverished region might use them if you donated the set. You can claim part of the original purchase price as a tax off-set for donated items. But even if donating them, the "value" of the knowledge contained in the books is fairly low because of how much the world and all disciplines have changed since 1909. Students need current information, not info that is 101 years old.

If all these ideas fail to bring you monetary return or are unsatisfactory, the only other options are to put them into a recycling bin.... or... glue a few together as 'sets' and use these as doorstops, because they really have low value. Even libraries would reject these books if donated.