The Bible is the world’s best-selling book. It has been estimated that well over seven billion copies of the Bible have been printed, and worldwide sales continue to grow with an additional 100 million copies sold or printed each year.
Given the Bible’s astounding popularity, and the book’s importance to the Jewish and Christian faiths, it is understandable then that many Bibles have been handed down from generation to generation–preserved as family heirlooms and treasures of faith.
But do old Bibles have any real collector value? What if it’s a Swedish edition from the 1800’s? What if it’s a large, metal-latched version printed in Germany and dated 1682?
As you might expect, varieties of Bible printing and design are as varied as human history itself. From the huge King James Pulpit Bibles that were chained to every church pulpit in England, to the pocket Bibles of World War II, Bibles have been printed in virtually ever size, shape, language and typeface imaginable.
The following is meant to be a general guideline for determining if your old Bible might be worthy of further research. It is nearly impossible to determine the exact value of many versions, but the following should help you to decide if you should simply consider passing that old Bible along to the next generation, or contacting a reputable Bible dealer to prepare it for auction!
Determining publisher, version and date: In order to learn if your old Bible has any collector value, you will need to determine the book’s exact printing date, version, publisher, language and perhaps other details.
Date: Please understand that dates on some old Bibles may not be the date of actual printing. Look for the newest date you can find and indications that the book might be a reprint or later edition.
Publisher, version, etc.: Most of these details can be found on the general or New Testament title page.
Condition: If your old Bible is missing pages, is very worn or is falling apart, these facts may significantly impact the book’s potential value. But be aware that very old Bibles (1600’s or early) can still have significant value even if incomplete.
Once you have determined a possible printing date for your Bible, continue to the appropriate decade below:
The 1900’s: Because most Bibles currently in circulation were printed in the 1900’s, most Bibles printed in this decade are going to have very little, if any, collector value. Exceptions include a First Edition of the New American Standard Bible from 1901 and the Bruce Rogers Memorial Bibles, but other than those, your old Bible is probably best passed down to a friend or relative.
The 1800’s: Although the 1800’s seems like a very long time ago to many of us, it’s really not old in terms of Bible collecting. Most Bibles printed in the 1800’s aren’t going to be worth more than $50…and most will be worth less than that. Exceptions include the 1833 Noah Webster Bible and a few others, but in most cases you have a nice family heirloom rather than a valuable financial treasure.
The 1700’s: Now we are getting to an era of some more valuable Bibles. There is considerable interest in some versions of the Bible that were printed in America in the 1700’s and earlier. English language Bibles have the most chance of being valuable from this decade. If your Bible was printed in a European country or in a language other than English, it is likely not going to be especially valuable. But a book this old is probably worth some more detailed research.
The 1600’s and earlier: Bibles printed in the 1600’s or earlier tend to the be most valuable, and are certainly worth researching more completely. The possible exception might be German Bibles of the 1600’s, which seem to be in very little demand.
It should also be noted that very old Bibles don’t have to be complete: pages from the First Edition of King James Bible in the 1600’s are routinely marketed by Bible Dealers on eBay and elsewhere. Also of special note are Bibles bound in any type of precision metals or rare gems.
Of course this article should just be considered a starting point for determining the value of your old Bible. For further research, I highly recommend the following resources:
greatsite.com
biblecollectors.org
ebay.com
