Do you buy books?
Have you found some old books in your attic? Maybe you’re doing a clear-out and have realised you’re never going to read any of the books on your shelves. If you’re contemplating selling or donating any secondhand or rare books you no longer want, it is worth getting in touch with us to see if they might be of interest.
We do buy collections of books and sometimes single books if they are particularly valuable or of special interest. We are normally looking for first editions, Wisden Cricketers’ Almanacks, or large collections on a single subject. For example, some recent acquisitions include first editions of the Harry Potter books, ten volumes of Shakespeare in beautiful bindings, and a run of Wisdens.
Some of the key things we look for in books are scarcity and quality. For example, hardbacks with pristine dust jackets are very attractive to us, as are beautifully bound editions of classics. We also like first editions, children’s books from before 1970, and unusual books on niche esoteric subjects.
We realise this is a very long, very vague answer — ultimately, it’s hard to say yes or no without an idea of what might be on offer.
The best way for us to value them and decide whether we are interested in buying them is for you to send us an email (info@stmarybooks.com) which describes what you have and what condition your books are in. It can also be helpful if you send a photograph of the spines of the books. We will aim to get back to you within two weeks.
If you are interested in selling some of your books, please do not bring them into the shop in Stamford unless we have asked you to do so for a final valuation.
How much are my books worth?
We can give estimates of the value of your second-hand and rare books if you get in touch with us by email (info@stmarysbooks.com). For individual books, we will need to know the title, author, edition, and date of publication. It is also useful to have photographs of the front, title page, and spine so we have an idea of the condition of the book.
Do you only sell books?
No! We are a weird and wonderful shop in that regard. If you come to visit us in our shop in Stamford or browse online, you will see that we stock many other things besides books. While we have a massive collection of secondhand and rare books, we also sell taxidermy, maps, prints, cards, and memorabilia associated with our books.
Have you got a copy of …?
We are happy to look for copies of books that you love or which you really want to read — and we have 40,000 secondhand and rare books in the shop for you to browse. We can look them up on our online catalogue or help you by ordering copies in for you.
It really helps us if you know a few basic details about the book — for example, the title or subject, author, and/or date of publication. However, after many years in the business, we are book-sleuths and will do our best to help you find books, even if you don’t remember all the details.
St Mary's Books of Stamford Est. 1971 