Sell Your Books, Collections & Family Libraries
Arch Books buys rare books, manuscripts and selected collections from private owners and families. Based in Richmond, West London, we welcome enquiries about individual items, inherited book collections and libraries assembled over generations.
Whether you are downsizing, handling a loved one’s estate or considering the future of your own collection, we offer a personal and informed approach. You do not need to know which books are valuable before contacting us. A conversation and a few photographs are a good place to begin.
Email Arch Books Call +44 (0) 7787 424184
Selling an inherited library or family collection
A family library can represent a lifetime of interests, discoveries and memories. Deciding what to do with it can feel daunting, particularly when you are unfamiliar with the books or dealing with a bereavement.
Some of our most rewarding discoveries have come from private collections and material preserved within families. We look carefully at the books themselves and their history, including inscriptions, bookplates, annotations and accompanying papers that may help establish their significance.
You are welcome to contact us before sorting or cataloguing everything. Photographs of the shelves can help us understand the collection and advise on the next steps.
Books and manuscripts we are interested in
We welcome enquiries about:
- Rare and antiquarian books, first editions and signed copies.
- Fine bindings, illustrated books and children’s classics.
- Travel, voyages, exploration and polar literature.
- Naval and military history.
- Historical manuscripts, letters, diaries, journals and family archives.
We consider individual items as well as larger collections. If you are unsure whether your material falls within these areas, please send a brief description and a few photographs.
Specialist knowledge and careful research
Arch Books is run by Guy Nathan and is a member of the Provincial Booksellers Fairs Association.
Our approach combines knowledge of editions, condition and the rare book market with a particular interest in provenance: the people who owned an item, the circumstances in which it was created and the history it preserves.
Books are often one part of a wider family collection. You may also be considering what to do with medals, silver, pictures or other antiques.
As part of helping with your book collection, we can recommend appropriate specialist dealers or auction houses for other items. Our aim, whilst our focus is on books, is to help you identify a suitable route for each part of the collection and make informed decisions about its future.
How to get started
Email us with a few clear photographs, your town or postcode and an approximate idea of the collection’s size. For a library, start with photographs of the shelves. For an individual book, photographs of the binding, title page and any signatures or inscriptions are useful.
We will review the information and discuss the next steps. For suitable collections, this may include arranging a visit. Where we are interested in purchasing, we will discuss an offer and any inspection needed.
There is no need to prepare a complete catalogue before getting in touch.