Expert: James Edward Kelley - 9/23/2011

Question
Hello:I have a couple of older encyclopedia sets,and not knowing what to do with them,I checked Ebay to see what other people were selling them for.I was shocked to see some sets being auctioned off for hundreds of dollars.I do not understand why there is such a demand for bound encyclopedias which contain a lot of obsolete information.Is it the aesthetics of the volumes themselves? Can you explain this for me?
Thanks

Answer
Hi, Michael.

The demand for bound Encyclopedias all depends on what the bidder values and how much they value what they value.  Certain Encyclopedias have more of an intrinsic value than others.  The intrinsic value of an Encyclopedia set usually depends on how rare it is.  The intrinsic value along with the value the set may have to the bidder equals how much a set would go for.  If you feel guilty about starting your set off at, let's say, $200, don't.  If people are willing to pay that amount of money or more for it, then that is an indicator of how much they value the set.  I have a friend named Anthony who actually collects vacuum cleaners. He finds intrinsic worth in vacuum cleaners and what he is willing to pay for them depends on how much he values them.  Most people would find paying an exorbitant amount of money for a vacuum cleaner quite bizarre, if not insane.  Not Anthony. Just like beauty, the value of an object is in the eye of the beholder.  I hope this helps.

James