Historic Atlas and Map Valuation and Conservation

Valuation

Historic atlas and map valuation can be done by accessing relevant Web sites or contacting specialists in the field. 

Two good used book sites often list historic atlases:

abebooks.com has over 9,000 independent dealers.  Basic searching on the site is done in author, title, and keyword fields.  If you find a match with the item you wish to value, make sure to note the condition of the item for sale.  This will often affect the selling price a great deal.

Alibris allows for searching by author, title and subject.  A summary page lists how many sellers have the requested item.  By clicking on a link, the individual items by price are shown.  Again, check the condition of each item carefully to find the one that matches most closely the item in hand.

Historical map prices at auction are available on CD-ROM.

Antique Map Price Record in CD-ROM format has over 100,000 records detailing the price of individual maps sold at auction.  While not a valuation of the map in hand, it will give one an idea of the price range of  a similar edition.

Map valuations may be done over the web at a few different sites:

Oldmaps.com allows users to value their maps based upon historical map prices.  The site now has over 16,000 map prices online.  The records have been created using dealer catalogs and auction results.  Users can see all of the information about a map for free except for the price.  Subscriptions can be secured for a day, a month or a year. 

Old World Auctions has online archives of its auctions back to 1998.  The auctions can be searched one by one and are divided into geographical regions.  It is important to note that the prices listed in these auctions reflect the initial asking price, not the final purchase price for the map.

Old Historic Maps & Prints has a large number of maps for sale with online pricing.  A list of maps added in the last 30 days complements a searchable archive of all available items.  Valuations can also be done by emailing Barry Ruderman at . 

The Marketplace on the Map History/History of Cartography Web site lists map dealers; map fairs; map sales, auctions and prices; and gives directions on how to search for maps and books on the Web.  A helpful table lists Web sites for dealers selling books, atlases and maps. 

Conservation

The American Institute for Conservation of Historic and Artistic Works maintains a Web site with a database of conservators.  Click on "selecting a conservator" to select a specialist by subject and geographical area.

Compiled and maintained by Julie Sweetkind-Singer.