FAQs

How much are my books worth?

You can use a rare book search engine like ViaLibri to look up your books. Keep in mind that prices range widely based on condition, edition, scarcity, desirability, and other variables. It can take some expertise to determine how much your particular copy may be worth. If you need assistance, we can provide informal verbal opinions of value (not for IRS or insurance purposes) for a fee of $150/hr.

For more information, check out this guide from the Rare Books and Manuscripts Section of the American Library Association.

I am interested in selling my books to you. What should I do?

We selectively buy rare books and ephemera. Please take photos of your books and ephemera, and send the photos to Michele Wan, proprietor of Head to Tail Books, at info@headtotailbooks.com. If you have an idea of how much you want for the books, please include that in your email. Keep in mind that rare bookselling is a labor-intensive, low-turnover business, so we cannot offer you the full market value of a book when purchasing it from you.

We will respond to let you know if we are interested in seeing the books in-person to examine them further. We will then determine if we would like to purchase the books and how much we can offer for them. If we are not interested or cannot come close to the number that you have in mind, we will let you know. 

For more information, check out this guide from the Rare Books and Manuscripts Section of the American Library Association.

What do condition terms like Good, Very Good, and Fine mean?

We use the condition terms listed below, as defined by the rare book trade publication AB Bookman's Weekly in 1949. For books with dust jackets, we provide separate condition grades for the book and dust jacket. We also use "plus" and "minus" when they help to provide more nuance, as in "Very Good plus" or "Very Good minus."  
  • As New is to be used only when the book is in the same immaculate condition in which it was published. There can be no defects, no missing pages, no library stamps, etc., and the dust jacket (if it was issued with one) must be perfect without any tears. (The term As New is preferred over the alternative term Mint to describe a copy that is perfect in every respect, including jacket.)
  • Fine approaches the condition of As New, but without being crisp. For the use of the term Fine there must also be no defects, etc., and if the jacket has a small tear, or other defect, or looks worn, those should be noted.
  • Very Good can describe a used book that does show some small signs of wear - but no tears - on either binding or paper. Any defects must be noted.
  • Good describes the average used and worn book that has all pages or leaves present. Any defects must be noted.
  • Fair is a worn book that has complete text pages (including those with maps or plates), but may lack endpapers, half-title, etc. (which must be noted). Binding, jacket (if any), etc., may also be worn. All defects must be noted.
  • Poor describes a book that is sufficiently worn that its only merit is as a Reading Copy because it does have the complete text, which must be legible. Any missing maps or plates should still be noted. This copy may be soiled, scuffed, stained or spotted and may have loose joints, hinges, pages, etc.

How much does shipping cost, and how long does it take?

We offer free economy shipping to locations in the United States via USPS Media Mail (5 to 10 business days) on most orders of $50 or more. For orders under $50, the cost of shipping is $6. Expedited shipping is available on most orders for $15.

We offer economy shipping (1-4 weeks) to Canada for $20 and to the United Kingdom and Switzerland for $25. We ship to other countries by request and on a case-by-case basis. Any applicable customs fees, duties, and taxes are the responsibility of the buyer. 

Heavy and expensive items may require additional shipping fees.

How do I return a book?

If you would like to return an item, please contact us at info@headtotailbooks.com to let us know, and please ship the item to us within 30 calendar days of receipt. To be eligible for a return, your item must be in the same condition as sold. Shipping costs are not refundable. You are responsible for packaging the item securely and for the cost of return shipping. Unfortunately, we cannot accept returns on gift cards or special-order items.

We will notify you once we’ve received and inspected your return. If the item is in the same condition as sold, you’ll receive a refund to your original payment method for the cost of the item (shipping fees not refundable). Please remember it can take some time for your bank or credit card company to process and post the refund. If more than 15 business days have passed since we’ve approved your return, please contact us at info@headtotailbooks.com.