Rare Book Appraisals

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Private collectors and estate sales.

Richard and Carol Avol have a long, deep history in the book business. Before coming to Washburn in 1995, they built the successful Avol's Books in Madison, Wisconsin. For over 30 years, they have bought and sold books, assisted libraries, and done countless appraisals for private collectors and estate sales. They are frequently contacted by wholesalers who are aware of what the bookstore is looking for. The Avols have a reputation for fair dealings and they still get inquiries from the Madison area for their specialized assistance.

Richard has a talent for the "detective work" it takes to find unusual books and documents. At one Minneapolis book fair, he was approached by someone who wanted to sell an entire collection, stored in a warehouse. So Richard ended up, for an entire week, in an unheated warehouse in November, going through thousands of books all boxed and stacked on pallets! He purchased almost 500 boxes which included hundreds of 1960s counter culture documents.