What makes a book valuable? Condition, Age, Scarcity. What makes the price high? Condition, Age, Scarcity and what the book dealer thought that the book was worth.

   The book business is a tricky one. A book dealer buys a book at a tag sale, from a patron, or from another dealer. With what they know of that kind of book, any reference material that they can get their hands on, and knowledge of their customers, they set a price. Sometimes this price is high, and sometimes the price is low. Don't argue a price with a dealer. If the price is too low, snap that book up! If the price is too high, walk away, but write down the dealer's name and book price.

   I have read many of the stories on this problem. There was this story about a book at a book fair, that was sold 3 times, eventually priced at several times the original - BEFORE the fair opened. Each dealer purchased it because they thought that they recognized a book that was more valuable than the price originally marked. I have also read that some dealers feel that if a book sold, then it was priced too low.

   I myself found one Andre Norton book on the shelves of one of my local dealers at what I though was a ridiculously low price. I even had the courage to suggest that to the dealer. I then made sure that one of my specialty book dealer friends purchased the copy (for about $10) of STAND TO HORSE. We later discussed the 'real' price of the book to a Norton collector. The discussion went something like this: "How much is it really worth?...I bought my copy from XXX books for $$$...Is the condition of this book as good?...Probably not...How does $$ sound to you?" The real proof of that price would be if the book sold.

   Conversely, I also found my self suggesting to another of my local dealers that a book was priced too high. I think the price set on that copy of OCTAGON MAGIC was to high for his customers. However, with today's internet market, that price was probably just right.

   At this years World Science Fiction Convention, WorldCon; the perfect place to sell a rare Andre Norton book; One of my friends/book dealers asked my opinion on the price of an early Norton. [I think FOLLOW THE DRUM?] Then he started a mini auction for the book. Eventually he told me that the book sold for $$$$. Was this an inflated price? I don't know. I've already got a copy, and haven't been trying to find one. Perhaps there hasn't been a copy on the market for several years at any price.

   I have, at least once, walked away from a book that I though was to expensive. Luckily for me, I was given a second chance. At a WorldCon several years ago, I saw a copy of RALESTONE LUCK for the unheard of price of $250. I walked away, but I did take the dealers card & mark down the title and price. A few weeks later I made the one hour drive to a Science Fiction shop. He said: "How did the jacket look? You got the address? Buy it!" Well I contacted the dealer, and ordered the book. I have NEVER seen another copy of that book. Looking back I believe that the price was LOW. The only reason for that could have been that the jacket was actually in pieces, but inside a dust jacket protector it was holding together neatly.

   For many years I had looked for a copy of MURDERS FOR SALE. I had finally read the book in an inter-library loan from the Library of Congress. But, I still wanted to own a copy. I had placed several adds in AB Bookman. and had several of my book dealer friends looking. I expected a price with a comma in it, over a thousand dollars. I got lucky. One of my Book Dealer friends spotted the book in a Mystery Book catalogue. I paid the price, which didn't have that comma, and gladly paid the commission to the Book Dealer friend.

   What is the most rare Andre Norton book? What is the most expensive Andre Norton book? Well the answer to the question is not one book, but several.

   In my opinion the most rare Andre Norton book is MAID AT ARMS by Enid Cushing. Rare because it is one of those romance paper novels. Because it doesn't have Andre Norton's name on it, most dealers will lump it into those other romance novels. Also, because of it being a paper back, there isn't as good a chance of it surviving. What would a copy cost if you could find one? Probably about $1. I don't remember what I paid for my copy. I got lucky. A dealer (at a WorldCon) noticed the listing for that book in the program, and had one on their shelves in their shop. They brought it to the convention the next day, and probably had a $6 price tag on it. The rarity of the book SHOULD bring it into the $20 to $100 range, but I'm not sure that I would pay that price. [Notes, this is a Fawcett Coventry Romance #90, Gold printing on White spine]

   The most rare Andre Norton hard cover is probably MURDERS FOR SALE by Allen Weston. This is because it was published in Great Britain with a small print run, and by an 'unknown' author. Luckily for the average reader this was re-published as SNEEZE ON SUNDAY, so that everyone can get a reading copy. If you could find a copy of the first edition/printing, I would still expect a $1,000 price tag. But you might find it for more, you might find it for less. It depends on what kind of homework the dealer has done.

   The most expensive Andre Norton book would be the oldest Hard Cover. Here age gives it value, rarity gives it more value, and condition is the most important. THE PRINCE COMMANDS, being the first Andre Norton book, would be my current best guess for most expensive. In good condition, with good condition dust jacket, signed, my guess/hope would be $1,000. Recent discussions with one book dealer included that if he found a copy for me, I'd pay much more than that, and throw in my X-library copy into the bargain. [This being that same 'sharp' dealer who ran the mini-auction at this years WorldCon.] Now, if I'm lucky, someone out there in Web land is thinking; "That woman is willing to pay my next few months rent, and I will still have the paper back to read." Here's where condition, being X-library with no Dust Jacket, or paper back lowers the value and price of the books already in my collection, and raises the ante on how much I'm going to have to pay to obtain a good condition First Edition.

   In my last article, I wrote how Signature can change the price of a book for sale. For an autograph, most dealers will add $25 to the price of two otherwise identical books. For an inscription the addition could be $50 to $100. This is usually because a signed Andre Norton book is pretty rare. Andre Norton doesn't attend many conventions, and in order to get a book signed, a dealer had to either purchase it already signed, drive to Tennessee, or stand in a signing queue.

   One of my book dealer friends prides himself on getting his Andre Norton books signed. He also sells plenty of X-library (and recently some non-English language volumes). Most important, he keeps his prices low. This is unusual.

   Another of my book dealer sources seems to have only the finest quality books. Opened only once, and that time was when the author inscribed it to someone famous. I have paid his prices with a twinge of conscious, but with full knowledge that I am not over paying. In fact when other dealers use his catalogues to price books I wince because no one can match the condition of his books. I really hope that, when it finally appears, that elusive book will be in his catalogue. I'll know that I'm getting the best condition, for the right price.

   Now, I'd like to remind all of you to keep checking those tag sales, and those library book sales. Don't forget to check out the 'religion' section in a book dealer's catalogue. Don't forget to check a comic dealer's catalogue [for Dragon Magazine volume 2, Number 6]. I found a copy of STAND TO HORSE for 25 cents at a library book sale. I've found X-library editions of books on the back shelves (and behind shelves) in a book store. Do your homework. Know your books. And remember that there are still three books that I'm looking for.

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