What happens when you reach out
Four steps, usually two days, and you can stop at any point. Say hello, I look at what you have and give you a range, I come to you or you ship, and you get paid on the spot.
1. Say hello, however is easiest
Start a chat on this page, text (407) 494-3140, or call. If you can photograph the spines so titles and issue numbers are readable, great — that speeds things up. If the boxes are in a storage unit three hours away, or you're helping a parent and can't get to them yet, just tell me what you know. I've started plenty of deals from "there are maybe fifteen boxes and I think some are from the sixties."
2. I tell you what you have
Usually within a few hours, always within one business day. I name the books that carry the value and give you a written range, something like "$1,200 to $1,800 depending on the condition of the three Silver Age keys." I also tell you what those books have recently sold for so you can look them up yourself on eBay sold listings, GoCollect, or CovrPrice. This costs nothing and commits you to nothing.
3. Pickup, drop-off, or shipping
- 500 or more books: I pick up free anywhere in Florida, usually within a week. I bring my own boxes and do the lifting.
- Fewer than 500 books: drop them off in Winter Garden, or I'll send a prepaid, insured shipping label.
- Estate situations: I can coordinate with an executor or attorney and put a written valuation together for probate.
4. Final offer, then payment
At pickup I check the key books against the photos. If everything matches, the offer stands. If a book turns out better than expected, the offer goes up — that happens more often than you'd think. You're paid by check, Zelle, or cash before anything is loaded, and you get an itemized receipt.
If you decide not to sell
Then nothing happens and it costs you nothing. The visit's free whether you sell or not. Roughly one seller in ten holds off, usually to try an auction house first, and a good number of them call me back once they have seen the fees and the wait.
A few things that help before I arrive
- Leave the books in their bags. Cleaning or re-bagging usually costs value rather than adding it.
- Don't bother sorting by value. Sorting is the part I'm fastest at, and it costs you an afternoon.
- If the books are in a garage or attic, move them somewhere dry and cool if you can manage it. Florida humidity is the one thing that reliably destroys a collection.