<!–[endif]–><!–[endif]–>

If you’re a parent and one of your offspring currently has their nose in a classic Ladybird book, wrestle it out of their hands at once, put it in plastic and stick it in the attic. It could be worth some sensible money.

Because on the quiet, and almost under the noses of traditional booksellers, the desirability of Ladybird books has risen over the past few years to the point that some rare and collectible copies can now change hands for around £300. Not bad for a series which for thirty years sold for 2s 6d each.

Of course, with print-runs of thousands of copies, many books are still only worth pennies, but there are some surprises around.

• Ladybird books can be worth up to £350.
• Check out some fan sites and auction websites for hints and places to buy.

How to get started

The first place to look of course is your own childhood library. Ladybirds are valuable to many who benefit from their increasing love of nostalgia and the comfort of childhood memories, a factor that could help them continue in popularity.

Most collectors either try to collect one of everything the company produced (quite a feat as there were several hundred produced between the most popular period – 1940-1980) or they specialise in a single series such as Fairy Tales and Rhymes, Animals or Adventures from History, to name but a few.

Some hunt high and low for first editions but it can be problematic as many Ladybird books often did not have any method for stating whether a book was a first edition or not.

Some collectors enjoy the books for the nostalgic childhood memories, while others like the uniformity in how great they look on shelves with the little bugs. Some are also drawn to particular illustrators and their imaginative artwork.

What to look for

Prices for Ladybird books seem to depend on two main factors – which series they are from (some are much more popular than others) and how rare they are. There is a page on The Wee Web that shows which series’ are more popular than others and which are particularly rare.

Some specific books and some whole series are now very rare and are sought by collectors all over the country. The early, six-book ‘Adventures of Wonk’ series, for example, is very hard to come by. The books, with stories about a Koala bear illustrated by Kiddell-Monroe, will sell for about £100 per copy with dust jacket and between £15-60 without.

The un-PC-sounding single book series ‘The Tinker’s Wig’ is also very hard to find. Published in 1947 it is something of an oddity as it is not only twice the size of a standard Ladybird book but it also broke Ladybird’s printing style by printing text on both sides of the pages and using fewer pictures. A copy with dust jacket would sell for £100-150, without you could get £40-60 for it.

Officially, the rarest Ladybird book – so rare, it seems, that not one collector has even seen one – is a special printing of ‘The Computer’ from the ‘How it Works’ series (series 654) which was produced privately for the Ministry of Defence in 1972.

Cinderella, a really well-loved title, was changing hands five years ago for £5 a copy. Now they’re £55 each and if you have one of the really rare copies that had a dust jacket it’s more like £250.

Generally speaking the older your book is, the more it is worth. It can be difficult identifying this on some Ladybird books as they have a tally system and each tally number corresponds to a different year. This tally chart also tells you how many books have been published by ladybird. If your book has a tally number, check below to see when it was printed.

100-1963          160-1966          220-1968         260-1969         320-1973         370-1974

120-1965          170-1966          225-1968         270-1970         330-1973

135-1965          190-1967          230-1969         280-1970         340-1973

140-1965          200-1967         240-1969         290-1971          350-1974

150-1966          210-1968          250-1969         300-1972         360-1974

Where to look

You find them in car boot sales, jumble sales, charity shops and on websites. Abebooks.co.uk and eBay are great.

Specialist bookshops often don’t know much about Ladybirds and it’s possible to get good ones at knock-down prices.

Opportunities are getting rarer, though. Ten years ago, you could get a whole box of Ladybird books for £1 at car boot sales or pick them up for 5p in charity shops.

But with the internet, and particularly eBay, prices have shot up over the last five years. People are starting to see what they can get for their old books and it’s getting harder to find the great bargains. Prices have gone up by hundreds of per cent.

The best bargains can still be found in car boot sales as many individuals don’t realise how much the books are worth. Charity shops like Oxfam, which have book experts on hand, do not sell them at the knock-down rate they used to.

There is not yet a society for Ladybird lovers but a few fans are discussing the possibility of setting one up. Once that happens, copies could be bought and sold even more energetically and prices, for the next decade or so at least, look like they will continue to rise.

Prices

From about 50p to £350 each.

Getting started

Visit these websites to buy books and find out more information on collecting:

• Abebooks.co.uk – a great way to find books
• The Wee Web – fan and bookselling site
• Ebay – find your books at auction
• www.ladybirdflyawayhome.com – fan site
• www.ladybirdbookcollector.co.uk – fan site
• www.dottybug.co.uk – fan site
• Why not share your collecting tips on our money making forum?

Caring for your books

Once you have acquired some valuable books, you really need to know how to store them properly so that the don’t get damaged, after all, if you’ve just paid £200 for a book you don’t want to store it somewhere it can start to mould.

First of all don’t store them anywhere where the temperature rapidly increases or decreases as hot, dry temperatures can dry out and crack leather bindings. But low temperatures can encourage mould to grow, so try and avoid storing books in damp places. Wrapping books in plastic bags to prevent damp is also a bad idea as it can retain heat and moisture which also leads to mould growth and mildew.

Its best to keep books away from water pipes incase they burst as well as heaters and radiators so they do not dry out. Try and keep the room temperature within the range of 16°C to 19°C (60-66°F); if you can measure relative humidity, it should be kept as within the range of 45% to 60%.

Light levels are also a hugely important element in keeping your books in pristine condition. You should never leave your books in direct sunlight as it will bleach the colours out in the spines or covers, leaving your books looking washed out and faded.

Storage

You can keep your books in boxes, but it is better to keep them standing upright on a shelf out of the way of harmful sunlight. Don’t pack books into tightly as you can risk damaging the covers when you come to take them off the shelf. Also try and keep books of the same size next to each other, otherwise you run the risk of the covers warping.

Book restoration

If a boo

If you’re a parent and one of your offspring currently has their nose in a classic Ladybird book, wrestle it out of their hands at once, put it in plastic and stick it in the attic. It could be worth some sensible money.

Because on the quiet, and almost under the noses of traditional booksellers, the desirability of Ladybird books has risen over the past few years to the point that some rare and collectible copies can now change hands for around £300. Not bad for a series which for thirty years sold for 2s 6d each.

Of course, with print-runs of thousands of copies, many books are still only worth pennies, but there are some surprises around.

• Ladybird books can be worth up to £350.
• Check out some fan sites and auction websites for hints and places to buy.

How to get started

The first place to look of course is your own childhood library. Ladybirds are valuable to many who benefit from their increasing love of nostalgia and the comfort of childhood memories, a factor that could help them continue in popularity.

Most collectors either try to collect one of everything the company produced (quite a feat as there were several hundred produced between the most popular period – 1940-1980) or they specialise in a single series such as Fairy Tales and Rhymes, Animals or Adventures from History, to name but a few.

Some hunt high and low for first editions but it can be problematic as many Ladybird books often did not have any method for stating whether a book was a first edition or not.

Some collectors enjoy the books for the nostalgic childhood memories, while others like the uniformity in how great they look on shelves with the little bugs. Some are also drawn to particular illustrators and their imaginative artwork.

What to look for

Prices for Ladybird books seem to depend on two main factors – which series they are from (some are much more popular than others) and how rare they are. There is a page on The Wee Web that shows which series’ are more popular than others and which are particularly rare.

Some specific books and some whole series are now very rare and are sought by collectors all over the country. The early, six-book ‘Adventures of Wonk’ series, for example, is very hard to come by. The books, with stories about a Koala bear illustrated by Kiddell-Monroe, will sell for about £100 per copy with dust jacket and between £15-60 without.

The un-PC-sounding single book series ‘The Tinker’s Wig’ is also very hard to find. Published in 1947 it is something of an oddity as it is not only twice the size of a standard Ladybird book but it also broke Ladybird’s printing style by printing text on both sides of the pages and using fewer pictures. A copy with dust jacket would sell for £100-150, without you could get £40-60 for it.

Officially, the rarest Ladybird book – so rare, it seems, that not one collector has even seen one – is a special printing of ‘The Computer’ from the ‘How it Works’ series (series 654) which was produced privately for the Ministry of Defence in 1972.

Cinderella, a really well-loved title, was changing hands five years ago for £5 a copy. Now they’re £55 each and if you have one of the really rare copies that had a dust jacket it’s more like £250.

Generally speaking the older your book is, the more it is worth. It can be difficult identifying this on some Ladybird books as they have a tally system and each tally number corresponds to a different year. This tally chart also tells you how many books have been published by ladybird. If your book has a tally number, check below to see when it was printed.

100-1963          160-1966          220-1968         260-1969         320-1973         370-1974

120-1965          170-1966          225-1968         270-1970         330-1973

135-1965          190-1967          230-1969         280-1970         340-1973

140-1965          200-1967         240-1969         290-1971          350-1974

150-1966          210-1968          250-1969         300-1972         360-1974

Where to look

You find them in car boot sales, jumble sales, charity shops and on websites. Abebooks.co.uk and eBay are great.

Specialist bookshops often don’t know much about Ladybirds and it’s possible to get good ones at knock-down prices.

Opportunities are getting rarer, though. Ten years ago, you could get a whole box of Ladybird books for £1 at car boot sales or pick them up for 5p in charity shops.

But with the internet, and particularly eBay, prices have shot up over the last five years. People are starting to see what they can get for their old books and it’s getting harder to find the great bargains. Prices have gone up by hundreds of per cent.

The best bargains can still be found in car boot sales as many individuals don’t realise how much the books are worth. Charity shops like Oxfam, which have book experts on hand, do not sell them at the knock-down rate they used to.

There is not yet a society for Ladybird lovers but a few fans are discussing the possibility of setting one up. Once that happens, copies could be bought and sold even more energetically and prices, for the next decade or so at least, look like they will continue to rise.

Prices

From about 50p to £350 each.

Getting started

Visit these websites to buy books and find out more information on collecting:

• Abebooks.co.uk – a great way to find books
• The Wee Web – fan and bookselling site
• Ebay – find your books at auction
• www.ladybirdflyawayhome.com – fan site
• www.ladybirdbookcollector.co.uk – fan site
• www.dottybug.co.uk – fan site
• Why not share your collecting tips on our money making forum?

Caring for your books

Once you have acquired some valuable books, you really need to know how to store them properly so that the don’t get damaged, after all, if you’ve just paid £200 for a book you don’t want to store it somewhere it can start to mould.

First of all don’t store them anywhere where the temperature rapidly increases or decreases as hot, dry temperatures can dry out and crack leather bindings. But low temperatures can encourage mould to grow, so try and avoid storing books in damp places. Wrapping books in plastic bags to prevent damp is also a bad idea as it can retain heat and moisture which also leads to mould growth and mildew.

Its best to keep books away from water pipes incase they burst as well as heaters and radiators so they do not dry out. Try and keep the room temperature within the range of 16°C to 19°C (60-66°F); if you can measure relative humidity, it should be kept as within the range of 45% to 60%.

Light levels are also a hugely important element in keeping your books in pristine condition. You should never leave your books in direct sunlight as it will bleach the colours out in the spines or covers, leaving your books looking washed out and faded.

Storage

You can keep your books in boxes, but it is better to keep them standing upright on a shelf out of the way of harmful sunlight. Don’t pack books into tightly as you can risk damaging the covers when you come to take them off the shelf. Also try and keep books of the same size next to each other, otherwise you run the risk of the covers warping.

Book restoration

If a book is damaged by general wear and tear or if some of the pages have come lose then don’t despair, there is a chance it could be restored to its original glory if you take it to a professional book binder or restorer. Don’t attempt to mend it yourself, always seek professional help if the book is valuable. Website inprint.com has a helpful list of contacts you could try, but there is probably someone in your local antiques or book shop who knows a good person to go to.

Events

The Provincial booksellers fairs association organises book fairs all over the UK. See their website for the location of their next fair.

If you’re a parent and one of your offspring currently has their nose in a classic Ladybird book, wrestle it out of their hands at once, put it in plastic and stick it in the attic. It could be worth some sensible money.

Because on the quiet, and almost under the noses of traditional booksellers, the desirability of Ladybird books has risen over the past few years to the point that some rare and collectible copies can now change hands for around £300. Not bad for a series which for thirty years sold for 2s 6d each.

Of course, with print-runs of thousands of copies, many books are still only worth pennies, but there are some surprises around.

• Ladybird books can be worth up to £350.
• Check out some fan sites and auction websites for hints and places to buy.

How to get started

The first place to look of course is your own childhood library. Ladybirds are valuable to many who benefit from their increasing love of nostalgia and the comfort of childhood memories, a factor that could help them continue in popularity.

Most collectors either try to collect one of everything the company produced (quite a feat as there were several hundred produced between the most popular period – 1940-1980) or they specialise in a single series such as Fairy Tales and Rhymes, Animals or Adventures from History, to name but a few.

Some hunt high and low for first editions but it can be problematic as many Ladybird books often did not have any method for stating whether a book was a first edition or not.

Some collectors enjoy the books for the nostalgic childhood memories, while others like the uniformity in how great they look on shelves with the little bugs. Some are also drawn to particular illustrators and their imaginative artwork.

What to look for

Prices for Ladybird books seem to depend on two main factors – which series they are from (some are much more popular than others) and how rare they are. There is a page on The Wee Web that shows which series’ are more popular than others and which are particularly rare.

Some specific books and some whole series are now very rare and are sought by collectors all over the country. The early, six-book ‘Adventures of Wonk’ series, for example, is very hard to come by. The books, with stories about a Koala bear illustrated by Kiddell-Monroe, will sell for about £100 per copy with dust jacket and between £15-60 without.

The un-PC-sounding single book series ‘The Tinker’s Wig’ is also very hard to find. Published in 1947 it is something of an oddity as it is not only twice the size of a standard Ladybird book but it also broke Ladybird’s printing style by printing text on both sides of the pages and using fewer pictures. A copy with dust jacket would sell for £100-150, without you could get £40-60 for it.

Officially, the rarest Ladybird book – so rare, it seems, that not one collector has even seen one – is a special printing of ‘The Computer’ from the ‘How it Works’ series (series 654) which was produced privately for the Ministry of Defence in 1972.

Cinderella, a really well-loved title, was changing hands five years ago for £5 a copy. Now they’re £55 each and if you have one of the really rare copies that had a dust jacket it’s more like £250.

Generally speaking the older your book is, the more it is worth. It can be difficult identifying this on some Ladybird books as they have a tally system and each tally number corresponds to a different year. This tally chart also tells you how many books have been published by ladybird. If your book has a tally number, check below to see when it was printed.

100-1963          160-1966          220-1968         260-1969         320-1973         370-1974

120-1965          170-1966          225-1968         270-1970         330-1973

135-1965          190-1967          230-1969         280-1970         340-1973

140-1965          200-1967         240-1969         290-1971          350-1974

150-1966          210-1968          250-1969         300-1972         360-1974

Where to look

You find them in car boot sales, jumble sales, charity shops and on websites. Abebooks.co.uk and eBay are great.

Specialist bookshops often don’t know much about Ladybirds and it’s possible to get good ones at knock-down prices.

Opportunities are getting rarer, though. Ten years ago, you could get a whole box of Ladybird books for £1 at car boot sales or pick them up for 5p in charity shops.

But with the internet, and particularly eBay, prices have shot up over the last five years. People are starting to see what they can get for their old books and it’s getting harder to find the great bargains. Prices have gone up by hundreds of per cent.

The best bargains can still be found in car boot sales as many individuals don’t realise how much the books are worth. Charity shops like Oxfam, which have book experts on hand, do not sell them at the knock-down rate they used to.

There is not yet a society for Ladybird lovers but a few fans are discussing the possibility of setting one up. Once that happens, copies could be bought and sold even more energetically and prices, for the next decade or so at least, look like they will continue to rise.

Prices

From about 50p to £350 each.

Getting started

Visit these websites to buy books and find out more information on collecting:

• Abebooks.co.uk – a great way to find books
• The Wee Web – fan and bookselling site
• Ebay – find your books at auction
• www.ladybirdflyawayhome.com – fan site
• www.ladybirdbookcollector.co.uk – fan site
• www.dottybug.co.uk – fan site
• Why not share your collecting tips on our money making forum?

Caring for your books

Once you have acquired some valuable books, you really need to know how to store them properly so that the don’t get damaged, after all, if you’ve just paid £200 for a book you don’t want to store it somewhere it can start to mould.

First of all don’t store them anywhere where the temperature rapidly increases or decreases as hot, dry temperatures can dry out and crack leather bindings. But low temperatures can encourage mould to grow, so try and avoid storing books in damp places. Wrapping books in plastic bags to prevent damp is also a bad idea as it can retain heat and moisture which also leads to mould growth and mildew.

Its best to keep books away from water pipes incase they burst as well as heaters and radiators so they do not dry out. Try and keep the room temperature within the range of 16°C to 19°C (60-66°F); if you can measure relative humidity, it should be kept as within the range of 45% to 60%.

Light levels are also a hugely important element in keeping your books in pristine condition. You should never leave your books in direct sunlight as it will bleach the colours out in the spines or covers, leaving your books looking washed out and faded.

Storage

You can keep your books in boxes, but it is better to keep them standing upright on a shelf out of the way of harmful sunlight. Don’t pack books into tightly as you can risk damaging the covers when you come to take them off the shelf. Also try and keep books of the same size next to each other, otherwise you run the risk of the covers warping.

Book restoration

If a book is damaged by general wear and tear or if some of the pages have come lose then don’t despair, there is a chance it could be restored to its original glory if you take it to a professional book binder or restorer. Don’t attempt to mend it yourself, always seek professional help if the book is valuable. Website inprint.com has a helpful list of contacts you could try, but there is probably someone in your local antiques or book shop who knows a good person to go to.

Events

The Provincial booksellers fairs association organises book fairs all over the UK. See their website for the location of their next fair.

k is damaged by general wear and tear or if some of the pages have come lose then don’t despair, there is a chance it could be restored to its original glory if you take it to a professional book binder or restorer. Don’t attempt to mend it yourself, always seek professional help if the book is valuable. Website inprint.com has a helpful list of contacts you could try, but there is probably someone in your local antiques or book shop who knows a good person to go to.

Events

The Provincial booksellers fairs association organises book fairs all over the UK. See their website for the location of their next fair.

17 Responses to “Collecting Ladybird books”

1. Clare says:

   January 30, 2011 at 11:42 am

   A ladybird rhyme book A B C ,9 SQUARES ON FRONT ,FIRST SQUARE HAS h,H IN AND ALL THE VOTHERS HAVE GREEN PIXIES IN,ISBN 0-7214-1114-2
   cHAMBERLAIN margaret says first edition
   How much is this worth.have 15 others
   Regards
   clare

   Reply
2. CAZ says:

   October 16, 2010 at 2:19 pm

   THE ZOO Series 563. 1960. for sale on ebay.ie!!! €40

   SEARCH THIS ITEM NUMBER:

   180575256673

   Reply
3. carole medler says:

   September 26, 2010 at 3:12 pm

   I have over 20 ladybird books to sell from, what to look for in winter 1960 with dust cover, but not in great condition. and also Prehistoric animals and fossils 1974 excellent condition, how can i sell them.. and many more..

   Reply
4. helen kingston says:

   September 11, 2010 at 6:04 pm

   i have come accross afte a good cleaout a few ole ladybird books can anyone let me know please how much these would be worth:
   Understanding numbers
   Goldilocks and the three bears
   Dick Whittingtona nd his car
   Smoke and fluff
   Picture reading
   Downy duckling
   The ladybird book of pets
   Gingers adventures
   Mick the disobedient puppy
   Mountain adventure
   Things we do – 4a
   Fun at the farm – 4b x 2
   Hannibal on the anture trail
   Hannibal on holiday
   The ambush
   Bunnys first birthday
   Ned the lonely donkey
   The discontented pony
   The gingerbread boy
   Tasseltip saves the day
   Tasseltip takes a ride
   Tasseltip and the boozle
   The first day of the holidays
   Bob bushtails adventure x 2
   People at work – the fireman
   Many thanks
   Helen

   Reply
5. maria teresa vallano says:

   August 25, 2010 at 7:20 pm

   I have the following ¨people at work¨ ladybord books:
   The Fireman-First published 1962-Wills & Hepworth Ltd.
   The Miner-First published 1965-Wills & Hepworth Ltd.
   The Soldier-First published 1966-Wills & Hepworth Ltd.
   The Sailor-First published 1967-Wills & Hepworth Ltd.
   Anybody knows how much they could be worth?
   Thank you

   Reply
   • Simon Willmore says:

     September 6, 2010 at 11:05 am

     Hi Maria

     If you go to bookfinder.com, they may be able to help. You will have to check the all of the book’s details, but they have an extensive list of books and their current potential prices. For example, The Fireman (NB – as by Vera Southgate, is this correct?) currently has a price tag of £5.95. You can use this to get idea of what your books may be worth.

     Hope this helps!

     Reply
6. simon says:

   June 1, 2010 at 12:41 pm

   I have a ladybird book that is a missprint !

   It is “South American Mammals” from 1972 –
   But some of the pages have ” Stories about Jesus the helper” printed on them by mistake.
   Would this be of interest to anyone?

   Reply
7. janine ellliott says:

   May 15, 2010 at 11:55 pm

   i have a 1976 queen victoria ladybird book how much is it worth please

   Reply
8. Peter says:

   April 25, 2010 at 6:21 pm

   Just found a couple of ladybird books lyeing outside,what a waste,knew it was collectable and hope it is of use to someone.

   Reply
9. Emma Johnston says:

   April 20, 2010 at 11:42 am

   Hi,
   We have recently been having a clearout with my mother-in-law & have found around 30 Ladybird books – mainly from the the early 1970′s.
   Would anyone be interested in these or be able to advise the best place to sell?
   many thanks,
   Emma

   Reply
   • Elisabetta says:

     June 20, 2010 at 7:46 pm

     Hello Emma,

     Have just come across this site – I grew up with ladybird books andwould now like to share them with my childredn. I have been searching to see were I can purchase them. If you still have these I would be grateful to purchase them from you.

     Would you please let me know which titles you have.

     Thank you.

     Reply
10. darren snell says:

    March 17, 2010 at 3:39 pm

    hello, i was looking on the site .and in the ladybird book section. it says that their is a book called the computer .how it works 654 edition…suppose to be very rare. and that a lot of collecters want this book i have this book.. and wouid like to get rid of it…. is it possible to find out how much this book is worth

    Reply
    • Jasmine Birtles says:

      March 17, 2010 at 4:35 pm

      Yes, go to some of the websites we’ve mentioned in the article. You should be able to find the answer there – if not, put a question on one of their forums. Other collectors will be able to tell you.

      Reply
      • lee says:

        April 8, 2010 at 1:11 pm

        Hi Jasmine,

        I may be interested in buying this book.
        Please can you email me a photo of the front and back cover.

        Regards,

        Lee

        Reply
    • tasina says:

      June 29, 2010 at 1:45 pm

      hi darren

      you most probably have the edition where there were thousands of copies made.The rariest of the books was for the ministry of defence which only had approx 100 prints made in plain books no ladybird logo on it.

      Reply
11. Dave Moore says:

    January 20, 2010 at 10:47 am

    I have some rare collectable ladybird books

    Reply
    • lee says:

      April 8, 2010 at 1:12 pm

      Hi Dave,

      Can you email me a list of what you have.

      Photos of front and back covers woud be even better

      Regards,

      Lee

      Reply