Gun book prices

[Cosmoline]

I don't know if anyone has noticed it, but the market price on a lot of out-of-print gun related books has been heading up and up. I was cruising around Amazon and noticed that used paperback copies of "Gun Notes" by Keith are selling for $128 and up each, while his "Sixguns" is going for $91. I paid about $10 each for the Gun notes used a few years ago and about $20 for the hardback edition of Sixguns.

Sam Fadala's books on the 30-30 and 1894 Winchester are likewise valued through the roof.

I'm not sure what's driving this, but it's something to keep in mind before you sell off your old dusty gun books.

 

[GunsAmerica Fan]

This is a tactic of some old book sellers. They float rare books on Amazon at crazy prices, knowing that someone who has to have that title will pay it, ignorant to the fact that it is not in demand enough to call for that price. I fell victim to this myself. I bought a book on the chemistry of making soap (I make home made farm soap) for over $200, thinking I was getting something I would never see again, but it was a fairly common and not in demand book. I later saw that this seller does this for all kinds of niche books. That isn't to say that gun books aren't collectible. They are, and those could be legitimate prices.

 

[jnyork]

I always check Alibris and ebay for books I want, vast differences in prices on most books, a little patience can pay big dividends.

 

[Cosmoline]

I'm afraid this isn't just an Amazon oddity. I've been noticing it more and more over the past few years.

Look at Alibris for example. Sixguns is starting at $90, with five different dealers and prices up over $300 for an autographed copy. Fadala's book on the 94 starts at $66 and goes up to $185. "Gun Notes", each edition, starts at $85. The hardbacks are going for hundreds. These books were still in print just a few years ago when I bought them.

Ebay runs only slightly cheaper.

 

[Two Cold Soakers]

Sometimes a first edition will push a price high, but the seller usually draws attention to such:

111AAA+++!!!RARE!RARE!RARE!!!****FIRST**EDITION****!!!RARE!RARE!RARE!!!+++AAA111

But high prices are not wholly indicative of a rare book.
Been there, paid too much for the tee-shirt.

 

[paradox998]

If you collect Lugers, the out of print reference books go for $400 and up. And they sell quickly. My references have appreciated faster than the guns.