They opened the Book Revue as a new book store in Boone in 1989, but competition from the rising number of chain outlets drove them out of business in 1991. After several years of working in Asheville bookstores, they decided that a used book store would be a better career move. Unless you can sell it, it doesn't matter what it's supposed the be worth. The value of a book is determined by the basic law of supply and demand. Other factors that affect potential salability and market value are scarcity, condition, and edition.
First editions are usually the most desirable to collectors.
Every bad book and every old book had a first edition. Marsha Walpole says that other pricing factors are auction records and how fast you want to sell a particular item, or in some cases, how many copies you have. She also says that the condition is important to many serious collectors, including the dust jacket, shelf wear, and whether pages are loose or missing. For valuing the books they sell, the Walpoles use a variety of sources, from printed price guides to online prices, and plain old experience and common sense. They don't reflect the actual values, which are changing all the time.