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In my opinion, George Orwell is often under-appreciated by readers. People tend to remember him for his two most famous works - "Animal Farm" (with the famous quote "all animals are equal but some are more equal than others") and of course the famous "1984," which introduced us to "Big Brother" and painted a bleak picture of the future in which the world exists as a totalitarian police state.
But I feel many people overlook Orwell's other books, which are just as good, including his account of the Spanish Civil War in "Homage to Catalonia," and my personal favourite, "Down and Out in Paris and London" in which he writes an amusing story about being a dishwasher in Paris and London. Being a former dishwasher myself, I could identify with some of the story!
Orwell was initially a Communist sympathizer until he went to Spain to fight in the civil war. The horrors he witnessed shifted his opinion. He showed his distaste towards Moscow by writing Animal Farm in which the animals represented the Soviet authorities. When the Cold War started, Animal Farm was an instant hit.
The tragedy about Orwell was that he never lived long enough to see the full success of his work. He died of tuberculosis in 1950 and before he died, he finished "1984" from his hospital bed.
Average Selling Prices
English-language editions (including even mass-market versions) are extremely popular on German eBay. Mass-market versions can go for up to 10 Euros (around $11) as Orwell appears on the reading lists for most German students studying English. On eBay.com, a first edition hardcover copy of Animal Farm, printed in 1945, is selling for almost $2000! http://digbig.com/3smq. Elsewhere on eBay.com, trading is very brisk with most Orwell titles being bid on. On eBay.de, you have a good chance of selling an Orwell if the book is in good enough condition.
Tips
Funny enough, there is a mass-market version that is turning into a collectible set. In the early 1980's, Penguin brought out a set of Orwell books with black covers, and these versions collect impressive prices especially on eBay. I would normally say to avoid all mass-market versions of books, but Orwell seems to be an exception to this rule. At the very least, eBay Germany is a good venue to sell any mass-market versions of Orwell that you may have as the English students will snap them up.
As you can see though, the older the book, the more it is worth - just see that 1945 version going for almost $2000, and prices like this are very common from what I'm told by booksellers. To get good money, aim for the older first editions and second editions. From what I can find out, Orwell signed some books and tried to be conscientious with answering his fanmail, but I don't know how much value is added to a signed book. Maybe someone out there can tell us.
Related Web Sites
Since Orwell was British, the number of English-language sites out there are too many to count. However some of the best ones in my opinion are:
http://www.k-1.com/Orwell
http://orwell.ru
http://www.orwelltoday.com
This column is to help advise on which kinds of authors to watch out for and which ones to avoid when it comes to reselling. Please feel free to write to me at camelotbooks@gmx.de and disagree with me, share your opinions, or nominate authors you think should be included. While not an "expert," I have a basic understanding of good authors, especially the kinds of authors to acquire or to avoid when it comes to reselling. By working together, perhaps we can compile a list of good-selling authors in the op market. Also feel free to post in the Book Forum at http://www.auctionbytes.com/forum/phpBB/viewforum.php?f=5.
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