We started a thread on the eBay Bookseller's Forum to identify higher value children's books sold on eBay, with $300 being the 'bottom' threshold. The thread can be found here: Valuable Children's Books Sold on eBay. The thread covers a broad range of children's books, from a $12,000 Hardy Boys first edition book to a $400 pop-up book.

Prices realized on eBay auctions tend to be closer to wholesale than retail, so perhaps 30%-50% below a 'book store' price. Often first edition books sell at eBay auctions which do not surface regularly in the regular book market (ABE , Alibris, Amazon, Bookfinder, live auctions, etc...), therefore it's difficult to make an analogy from an 'eBay price' to 'market value'.

Many booksellers and book collectors do not seriously consider eBay a venue for collectible books. On the other hand, many do. We know of several ABAA booksellers who source some of their inventory from eBay auctions, including some of the premier childrens booksellers in the country.

We have been active book buyers on eBay for over a decade, and have purchased 100's of first edition childrens books, often at very good prices relative to the market. In addition, the knowledge we have gained is invaluable through the thousands of collective hours searching and investigating possible first edition books. We do have a fair idea of the frequency with which certain first edition books surface on eBay, providing a barometer for the book's scarcity.

eBay Booksellers Forum

The Booksellers Forum on eBay is one of the better learning centers for experienced and new booksellers, and contains valuable information for book collectors. The non-moderated forum does have its share of political and various ranting threads, but the concentrated book related information is unmatched on the internet. Some helpful threads:

• Helpful Links For The Bookseller
• Library links once again from the top
• Terminology, Identifying, Dating and Grading Books...
• Bibliography Thread

If you do not want to take the time to page through the thread on the eBay Booksellers Forum, you can download a PDF of the thread from our website.

Completed eBay Childrens Book Auctions

The following is a list of some completed eBay auctions for first edition children's picturebooks. From our experience, the eBay auctions tends toward wholesale prices rather than retail prices. Tends toward; every auction is different with a different group of bidders, so this is not a hard and fast rule.

This list is dominated by Dr. Seuss books. Notice the recent activity in Little Golden Books, complete with punch outs.

We will update this list monthly with completed auctions we think you might find of interest.

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#	Title	Additional Info	Pub	Amount	Bids	Ending	Auction
1	Where The Wild Things Are	1st; w/DJ	1963	$ 8,900.00	46	02/01/04	3582581195
2	Where The Wild Things Are	1st; w/DJ	1963	$ 6,500.00	22	04/01/02	1526942066
3	Cat In The Hat	1st; "200/200"; w/DJ	1957	$ 4,272.00	9	07/18/01	1446174229
4	And To Think That I Saw It On Mulberry Street	1st; w/DJ	1937	$ 4,062.00	7	01/02/01	1401040039
5	Green Eggs And Ham	1st; w/dj sticker	1960	$ 3,383.00	15	11/10/02	1578437920
6	Cat In The Hat	1st; "200/200"; w/DJ	1957	$ 3,383.00	18	12/15/01	1494897695
7	Cat In The Hat	1st; "200/200"; w/DJ	1957	$ 3,262.00	25	02/14/01	1412886488
8	Mike Mulligan And The Steam Shovel	1st; w/DJ	1939	$ 3,000.00	10	04/02/05	6954466390
9	And To Think That I Saw It On Mulberry Street	1st; w/DJ	1937	$ 2,900.00	25	02/19/01	1409878275
10	Green Eggs And Ham	1st; w/dj sticker	1960	$ 2,255.00	15	06/17/06	7039248974
11	McElligot's Pool	1st; w/DJ	1947	$ 1,775.00	25	01/25/03	2907643511
12	Green Eggs And Ham	1st; w/dj sticker	1960	$ 1,682.00	10	05/04/01	1426510000
13	Cat In The Hat	1st; "200/200"; w/DJ	1957	$ 1,630.00	17	12/02/00	51203410
14	James And The Giant Peach	1st; w/DJ	1961	$ 1,526.00	21	04/23/04	4206947242
15	Eloise	1st; w/dj	1955	$ 1,247.00	14	04/14/02	1528845272
16	Cat In The Hat	1st; "200/200"; w/DJ	1957	$ 1,035.10	11	11/18/00	496526690
17	James And The Giant Peach	1st; w/DJ	1961	$       898.00	9	10/23/04	6933458966
18	Poo-Poo And The Dragons	1st; w/DJ; signed	1942	$       782.00	17	05/16/06	7030268919
19	Marvin K. Mooney, Please Go Now	1st; w/DJ	1972	$       765.00	7	09/03/02	1559012101
20	If I Ran The Zoo	1st; w/DJ	1950	$       688.00	16	01/08/01	1402027005
21	How The Grinch Stole Christmas	1st; w/dj	1957	$       575.00	1	06/12/06	7037825311
22	Cat In The Hat Comes Back	1st, w/DJ	1958	$ 575.00	3	07/15/06	190002319906
23	The Lorax	1st; no DJ	1969	$       555.00	10	07/24/02	1550851569
24	The Lorax	1st; no DJ	1969	$       536.00	34	09/19/02	1563127460
25	Dr. Seuss's ABC	1st; w/DJ	1963	$       485.00	12	05/02/01	1426771225
26	Secrets Of The Deep (Seuss)	1st	1934	$ 440.00	8	07/15/06	220001860457
27	How The Grinch Stole Christmas	1st; w/DJ	1957	$       409.04	18	12/17/00	523860097
28	Walt Disney Annual	1st; w/dj	1937	$       400.00	1	06/11/06	7038463628
29	The Shape Of Me & Other Stuff	1st; w/DJ	1973	$       380.00	11	11/11/01	1482378665
30	Cat In The Hat Comes Back	1st; w/DJ	1958	$       375.00	1	12/30/99	223503986
31	Little Red Riding Hood	LGB; 'A'; w/punch outs	1959	$       356.00	16	06/17/06	8074393576
32	The Seven Lady Godivas	1st; w/DJ	1939	$       355.00	6	02/12/99	64798717
33	Dr. Seuss's ABC	1st; w/DJ	1963	$       343.00	16	11/02/00	477947918
34	Ginger Paper Doll	LGB; 'A'; w/punch outs	1957	$       331.00	19	06/17/06	8074399826
35	Fox In Socks	1st; w/DJ	1965	$       330.10	7	12/24/98	50039418
36	Elisabeth The Cow Ghost	1st; w/DJ	1936	$       313.00	6	11/30/01	1489037864
37	The White Goose (Tasha Tudor)	1st; w/DJ	1943	$ 289.99	1	07/09/06	230003849148
38	The Paper Doll Wedding	LGB; 'A'; w/paper dolls	1954	$       278.03	18	06/20/06	8075362926
39	Hop On Pop	1st; w/DJ	1963	$       275.00	4	11/13/00	488828169
40	Frog Went A Courtin'	1st; w/dj	1955	$       269.00	5	06/20/06	7041325493
41	Nurse Nancy	LGB; 'A'; w/punch outs	1952	$       263.88	16	06/20/06	220007723810
42	How The Grinch Stole Christmas	Clipped; w/DJ	1957	$       260.00	7	06/25/06	8076567167
43	The Gremlins (Dahl/Disney)	1st; w/dj	1943	$       257.52	5	06/18/06	8073631623
44	Story About Ping	1st; w/dj	1933	$       255.00	4	06/25/06	7043169558
45	Nurse Nancy	LGB; 'A'; w/punch outs	1952	$       255.00	19	06/13/06	7038999226
46	The Phantom Tollbooth	1st; w/dj	1961	$       250.00	1	06/15/06	7039568121
47	Poky Little Puppy	LGB; 1st; w/dj	1942	$       230.00	10	04/27/02	1532630044
48	Uncle Remus	LGB; Disney; 'A'	1947	$       227.50	35	06/12/06	7038636243
49	I Had Trouble In Getting To Solla Sollew	1st; w/DJ	1965	$       209.50	25	12/03/00	511027040
50	Nurse Nancy	LGB; 'A'; w/punch outs	1958	$       207.50	11	06/22/06	7042055399
51	One Fine Day	1st; w/DJ	1971	$       203.50	11	05/06/01	1427560114
52	Uncle Remus	LGB; Disney; 'A'	1947	$       202.50	20	06/12/06	7038717706
53	Happy Birthday	1st; w/DJ	1957	$       202.50	5	11/10/02	1578482664
54	The Lorax	1st; no DJ	1969	$       200.00	2	03/01/00	276796851
55	The Lorax	1st; no DJ	1969	$       177.50	11	04/25/02	1531799502
56	One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish	1st; w/DJ	1960	$       172.50	6	12/28/01	1400185156
57	One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish	1st; w/DJ	1960	$       158.05	10	11/16/00	494437345
58	Dr. Seuss's ABC	1st; w/DJ	1963	$       150.00	5	02/09/00	251842941
59	I Can Lick 30 Tigers	1st; no DJ	1969	$       150.00	2	05/01/99	95587678
60	The Lorax	1st; no DJ	1969	$       150.00	4	05/01/99	95588861
61	Snowflake Bentley	1st; w/DJ	1998	$       124.01	16	05/06/01	1427557387

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We are "serious collectors having fun with fun books." We have collected children’s picturebooks for over sixteen years, and spent six years combing bookstores, libraries, and the internet acquiring data for the Children's Picturebook Price Guide.

The information offered on the website and blog is offered free of charge. If you find the information useful, then kindly share the link with a parent, teacher, librarian, bookseller, or collector. Thank You.