Top prices for fishing-hunting books

Two weeks ago, while fishing for walleyes, several muskie books were dropped off at my guide's house for me. A man who enjoys reading my website was tired of dusting them off all the time, and four more muskie titles found their way into my burgeoning collection.

I buy books by the late Jack O’Connor (pictured above).

A week ago, a good friend stopped by, and dropped off a dozen hardcover outdoor books. "They belonged to my uncle," he said, "and I inherited them. They were taking up space, and I was doing some spring cleaning, and felt the fishing and hunting books should go to someone who wants and needs them and I thought of you."

I thanked him kindly, offered to pay for them, and he wouldn't accept any payment. He said his uncle enjoyed them immensely, and when he died, they came to my friend. He found a good home for them with me.

There is nothing mysterious about selling books. I know several book dealers who will buy every fishing and hunting book they can for a quarter each. In a few cases, that may be all they are worth.

Times are still tough, and I currently have between 500 and 600 outdoor books on my website that are for sale, and soon will list between 600 and 700 old outdoor magazines that were published between 1923 and 1960, and most of the magazines were published in the 1930s and 1940s. I'm still looking to buy fishing and hunting books.

Top rates are paid for fishing or hunting books I need.

I'm willing to pay more money for a book than any book dealer I know will give. I'm pretty picky about the books and their condition, but if they are in clean and decent shape, those I want I will pay good money.

Books are difficult for many people to judge, and they expect a person like me to offer a price. I want to see what I am buying, and will not buy books for 25 cents from you or anyone else. I don't cheat people.

I expect to pay a fair price, and this is where things become a hassle. What is fair to me, may not seem fair to you or someone else. Often, my offered price is greeted with "Pay Up!"

Most people want me to quote them a price, sight-unseen. I can't do that unless I risk a quarter like some dealers that I've known. But it's hard to tell what I'm buying unless I see it. I don't buy books with ripped pages, crayon marks, booze or water rings, pages ripped out, and I seldom buy an ex-library book.

I sold a man a decent copy of a muskie book some time ago. I'd seen far better copies, but told him that if I found a better copy of the title, I'd buy it back for what he paid me for it plus a bit more money because the new one I was selling was in much better condition. He found that arrangement most agreeable. Three months later he owned a better  copy, and as promised, bought the lesser book back.

Tough economic times now. Sell me your fishing & hunting books.

Many people feel that all fishing and hunting books are scarce and worth big money. That is far from being true. Only two of the books I was given by my friend had any value, and I offered to pay him. He was content just getting rid of them.

How much were the two books worth? Good question. One was worth about $15 on the retail market and the other was worth $10. The other 10 books were worth only a dollar or so each, and were very common.

Can you rely on a persons reputation? Of course, and my reputation for fair dealing is widely known. However, paying someone full retail price for a book doesn't make good business sense. As a rule I pay roughly 50 percent of the fair market value while many dealers pay 30-40 percent of the fair market value. If you have a $20 book I want, I will pay $10 for it. There must be some mark-up for a dealer or he will soon be out of the book business.

Books in excellent shape are far more valuable, if indeed they are truly scarce, than the same book with a tattered or torn dust jacket. There are some books I do not buy, and those are old and damp-stained or musty books, and I do not buy fishing and hunting books with covers falling off or childish (or adult) scribbling. Nor am I in the market for books with highlighted or underlined passages.

Clean and well-kept books are what I'm looking for. I'm interested in books on muskie fishing and turkey hunting, especially if it applies to Michigan turkey hunting. I also buy grouse and woodcock hunting titles, Atlantic salmon and some trout fishing books, some waterfowling titles, and old classic books on either sport. Decoy books are a favorite.

I'm honest, and I'm fair, and if I buy a book from you thinking it will sell for one price, and I sell it for much more, I've often cut another check for the seller. It certainly doesn't happen on every sale, but it happens juat often enough to make a few people happy.

Spring cleaning has come and gone, and perhaps you are tired of moving boxes pf books around in the attic, barn, basement, garage or storage shed and want to get rid of it. Get in touch with me at < dave@daverichey.com > and tell me the author's name, title, and year of publication. Try calling me at (231) 492-7038, and if I'm tied up and can't come to the phone, leave your name, phone number and the word "books." Please speak your name and phone number slowly and clearly.

Price the book if you wish or let me know where you are, and leave a phone number or your email address, and we'll discuss it. If you live fairly close to Traverse City, we could meet and it would give me a chance to personally look at the books. I'll buy one book, a dozen or a collection.

Give me a shot at your fishing or hunting books. Talking doesn't cost anyone any money, and it may lead to some money for you and some books for me. That should make both of us happy.

Posted via email from Dave Richey Outdoors