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Your old cookbooks could be worth a THOUSANDS of dollars

How to know if you’re sitting on a fortune - by Nikki Black
  • 30 Jan 2019

We all have shelf after shelf and cupboard after cupboard filled with our beloved collection of cookbooks. But did you know you might be sitting on a gold mine?

Book collectors have revealed that early editions of many cookbooks from various generations get top dollar at auctions, fetching four figure prices in many instances. 

Your old cookbooks could be worth a THOUSANDS of dollars

Now experts are encouraging everyday people to search their collections, explaining that even the most obscure cook book can make you money. 

‘The demand for rare cookbooks is fuelled by the fact they are so hard to find, especially in good condition,’ says online book auction site, AbeBooks. ‘Once a book has gone out-of-print, it becomes increasingly difficult to find and its value increases as it becomes more collectible.

‘Condition is the key factor. Look for a pristine copy that appears to have been lovingly read rather than one that has endured the heat, liquids and dirty fingerprints of a working kitchen. Is it signed by the author or someone of note? Does it have a dust jacket? Is it a first edition? Is it out-of-print? These are all important factors to take into consideration before purchasing.

‘Although countless cookbooks can be easily found at garage sales, thrift shops, and flea markets, the Internet has become the preferred way for collectors to enhance their collections with quality rare books by purchasing from professional booksellers who put their inventories online.’

So how do you know if you’re sitting on an in-demand title? Well the most expensive cookbooks sold in recent time - see list below - include many old titles, so experts suggest looking through books that may have been handed down through the generations to see if any of these titles are in your collection. 

‘Many collectors are drawn to these older books because they catered for kitchens before electricity, microwaves, and refrigerators,’ says AbeBooks. ‘Their recipes reflect dishes, ingredients and styles of cooking that have been forgotten.’

cookbook
Image: Getty

But that doesn’t mean that modern titles catch fetch a pretty penny either. Experts say first edition cookbooks are always sought after - especially if they’re in perfect condition with no tears, food stains or discolouration. 

Some of the first celebrity chefs - including Julia Child, Margaret Fulton and Ellen Sinclair - also attract interest from collectors, due to the emotional  connection. Explains one expert: ‘People recall their mother or grandmother using the book, so there is a sentimental attraction.’

AbeBooks suggest going through your collection and cross-referencing it with titles online, to see if there’s a high demand. If you think you’re onto something, then try contacting them or have a crack on eBay. You just may make yourself thousands!

The Most Expensive Cookbooks Ever Sold on Abebooks

1. La Cuisiniere Bourgeoise

Menon
Sold for $1751.43

2. The Practice of Cookery Pastry and Confectionary 

Mrs. Frazer
Sold for $650

3. Modern Domestic Cookery and Useful Receipt Book

Elizabeth Hammond
Sold for $600

4. Soyer's Cookery

Alexis Soyer
Sold for $585

5. French Country Cooking

Elizabeth David
Sold for $452.74

6. The Alice B. Toklas Cookbook

Alice B. Toklas
Sold for $447

7. The Art of Cookery Made Plain and Easy

Hannah Glasse
Sold for $397

8. Rebecca's Cookbook

Rebecca West
Sold for $350

9. Cooking and Dining in Imperial Rome

Apicius (translated by Joseph Dommers Vehling)
Sold for $300

10. Anglo-Indian Cookery at Home: A Short Treatise for Returned Exiles by the Wife of a Retired Indian Army Officer

Author Unknown
Sold for $261

Nikki Black
Nikki Black
Nikki is obsessed with all things celebrity and dreams she is a long-lost Kardashian. You'll find her binging Netflix's latest 'must-watch' show with a jar of Nutella by her side.

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