eBay

southern*sweet*tea · ‎11-23-2017

I have a booklet that is 118 years old. It's in good condition for it's age, BUT it has a musty, old book smell. I have tried sunning and airing, and I have tried kitty litter without luck. Is there anything else I can try to get rid of the smell?

I've only been able to find three of these on the internet, and the prices are well over $100. The last (and only) one that I see that sold here also sold for over $100. If I can't get the smell out, should I even bother listing? Most old book people know that these books generally will have at least some odor, but I do like the ones I list to be odor free.

Thanks in advance 🙂

The easier you are to offend the easier you are to control.

We seem to be getting closer and closer to a situation where nobody is responsible for what they did but we are all responsible for what somebody else did. - Thomas Sowell

jaaron7 · ‎11-23-2017

Personally, I wouldn't list it as I, too, prefer to list odor free items to avoid any potential issues.

@southern*sweet*tea wrote:
I have a booklet that is 118 years old. It's in good condition for it's age, BUT it has a musty, old book smell. I have tried sunning and airing, and I have tried kitty litter without luck. Is there anything else I can try to get rid of the smell?

I've only been able to find three of these on the internet, and the prices are well over $100. The last (and only) one that I see that sold here also sold for over $100. If I can't get the smell out, should I even bother listing? Most old book people know that these books generally will have at least some odor, but I do like the ones I list to be odor free.

Thanks in advance 🙂

smenkveld · ‎11-23-2017

Just list it as having that old musty book smell from decades of poor storage. I have listed items like that before with no problems and I make the ad so that it sounds like it's in worse condition than it is really in. For hard to find paper and books some collectors are happy to find any surviving copies of the item in any condition.

Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work. Thomas Edison

mistwomandancing · ‎11-23-2017

I'd enclose it in a plastic zip bag with some charcoal fish filters to absorb the odor, take it out and air periodically and then do the sniff test, and keep doing that for awhile until it's *acceptable*... then list the heck out of it! BUT, stating that it's old, smells a bit musty, etc. etc. etc. but a WONDERFUL old item, etc. etc. etc.

Heck yeah, sell it. Just work a bit more on the *absorbing odor* part for awhile...

luckythewinner · ‎11-23-2017

@southern*sweet*tea wrote:
I have a booklet that is 118 years old. It's in good condition for it's age, BUT it has a musty, old book smell. I have tried sunning and airing, and I have tried kitty litter without luck. Is there anything else I can try to get rid of the smell?

I've only been able to find three of these on the internet, and the prices are well over $100. The last (and only) one that I see that sold here also sold for over $100. If I can't get the smell out, should I even bother listing? Most old book people know that these books generally will have at least some odor, but I do like the ones I list to be odor free.

Thanks in advance 🙂

If I had nothing invested in it and had no better place to sell it, I would list it here.

If I had a better place to sell it, I would sell it there.

papermoneyforme · ‎11-23-2017

@southern*sweet*tea wrote:
I have a booklet that is 118 years old. It's in good condition for it's age, BUT it has a musty, old book smell. I have tried sunning and airing, and I have tried kitty litter without luck. Is there anything else I can try to get rid of the smell?

I've only been able to find three of these on the internet, and the prices are well over $100. The last (and only) one that I see that sold here also sold for over $100. If I can't get the smell out, should I even bother listing? Most old book people know that these books generally will have at least some odor, but I do like the ones I list to be odor free.

Thanks in advance 🙂

Take a sealed tub and put non scented cat litter in the bottom.

Put a small stand so book does not come in contact with cat litter and stand the book on top. If you can open up some of the pages like a fan, all the better.

Check in about a week and if smell not gone, repeat.

I use this all the time for stamps and older notes and it works wonders.

tev4all · ‎11-23-2017

@southern*sweet*tea

I hear baking soda works well also.

campesinoplastic2014 · ‎11-23-2017

Very high risk of losing the book and your money. Ask yourself "would I give this away for free?" That will be your best answer.

duchess-at-speakeasy · ‎11-23-2017

Baking soda. Place the booklet in a clean brown paper bag with an open container of baking soda. A small bowl, not the whole box. Do not put baking soda on the booklet. Close the bag and put it aside for 24 hours, away from sources of other odors. After 24 hours, check the result and change the baking soda. Discard the "used" baking soda. Repeat as needed. ~~C~~

My Glass Duchess
Quoting Mom: In polite society, "hey" is for horses.

chrysylys · ‎11-23-2017

Just clearly state that the ambience of aging is included at no extra charge.

Forget keeping up with the Joneses. Be the Finklegrubers!
OK kids, time to get the Dodge loaded up again. I hear 'Poppy's By the Tree' calling. This trip might be a long one too.

gracieallen01 · ‎11-23-2017

If you decide to sell it, be sure - very sure - to mention the smell.

Some things are uncommon or rare enough to warrant offering to others, BUT items that smell musty or moldy can spread that (spores, contamination) to other books.

Some collectors, if they are aware, may still want it and will know to isolate or seal it up to protect their other properties.

As far as getting rid of the smell, in badly affected items, I'm not sure you can and get rid of the source, without seriously damaging the book. I gave up trying years ago.

Not saying 'NO' doesn't mean 'YES'.

The foolishness of one's actions or words is determined by the number of witnesses.

Perhaps if Brains were described as an APP, many people would use them more often.

Respect, like money, is only of 'worth' when it is earned - with all due respect, it can not be ordained, legislated or coerced. Anonymous

clearsphere · ‎11-23-2017

I would list it with the word musty in the title.

mistwomandancing · ‎11-23-2017

chrysylys wrote:
Just clearly state that the ambience of aging is included at no extra charge.

Love it!

It's like how we describe an item as having that wonderful old *patina* from weathering, use and age

beautybylynn · ‎11-23-2017

List it as an antique withthat "musty old book smell" and list the steps you took to get the small out. There might be someone who can get the smell out, and you get a sale!!!!!! Good Luck

zzydny · ‎11-23-2017

I have old sheet music listed that my cousin retrieved from his local dump. It is clean but it smelled like it had been in someone's attic for a very long time. Although I've tried to get rid of the odors, there is still a slight "pong" but I have much of the music listed with the following information:

Although I have done my best to air out this sheet music, there may be a slight musty scent from being stored for some time.

The music has been selling (very slowly but selling) and no one has complained.

I have kept the music in cardboard boxes with newspaper in between layers. Every so often I change the box and the newspapers which have absorbed the odors. It has gotten better over time.

Why not try putting sheets of newspaper in between the pages of your book--say a piece of newspaper for every four or six pages or so. Store the book in a container with baking soda, and I'd put a sheet of newspaper between the book and the baking soda so the powder didn't get on the pages. If you change the newspaper sheets every other day for ten days, the book might improve substantially.

I had to do this when I purchased a rare book that was reeky with cigarette odor. It helped. It's not perfect (maybe 85% improvement) but it's much better than it was.

And, yes, if the booklet is valuable I would list it with a disclaimer after substantial de-stinking. It's worth a try!