The SellLawBooks journal

Notes on selling a law library

Practical guides on valuing, clearing, and selling English law book sets — written for the people who actually own them.

All articles

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Wanted

Law Books Wanted — We Pay Cash

A direct list of the titles we buy right now, and exactly what "we pay" actually means.

See the list →

Research

What's Happening to the UK's Physical Law Libraries

Real, cited data on court closures, law firm mergers and remote working — and what it means for the print law library behind it all.

Read the research →

Valuation

How Much Are My Law Books Worth?

A practical walkthrough for working out what your books are worth — completeness, edition, condition, and how to get an actual figure.

How Much Are My Law Books Worth? →

Timing

When New Legal Editions Are Published

How often Archbold, Current Law, and Halsbury's are actually updated — and why a new edition is usually when the old one is worth selling.

When New Legal Editions Are Published →

Law reports

Sell Law Reports UK

Every recognised English report series, bought together — The Law Reports, All ER, Weekly Law Reports, Lloyd's, and more.

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The real alternative

Landfill, Generic Bookshops, or Us?

Why landfill and general secondhand bookshops are the wrong fit for a law library, and what a specialist buyer does differently.

Landfill, Generic Bookshops, or Us? →

Before disposal

How to Manage a Law Library

Practical advice for keeping a working library current — supplements, storage, and how to tell when maintenance stops paying off.

How to Manage a Law Library →

Looking ahead

The Future of Physical Law Books

Publishers still print new volumes every year. The real shift is in demand from practices, not supply.

The Future of Physical Law Books →

Valuation

Are Old All England Law Reports Valuable?

Continuity of the run matters far more than age — a complete 1960s set can be worth more than a longer, gappier modern one.

Are Old All England Law Reports Valuable? →

Judicial retirement

Retiring From the Bench? Sell Your Law Library

Judicial retirement often means clearing two libraries at once — your pre-bench practice and your years on the bench. A discreet, practical guide.

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Digital vs print

Digital Law Libraries vs Print

Digital access won here in the UK — but it depends on reliable power and internet, which isn't a safe assumption everywhere.

Digital Law Libraries vs Print →

Start to finish

How to Turn a Law Library Into Cash

The whole process on one page — sorting, valuation, the offer, collection, and payment — with a real timeline and links to the detail.

How to Turn a Law Library Into Cash →

Businesses

Selling Law Books: Accountancy, Insurance & Banking

Insolvency practices, insurers' claims teams, and bank legal departments all hold practitioner law libraries too — here's why, and what we buy.

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Institutions

Selling a Court, Council or University Law Library

Court closures, university library reviews, and council legal teams all clear print law collections. What we buy, and how it works.

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Scotland

English Law Books in Scotland

Scots law is a different system entirely — so why do English practitioner texts keep turning up in Glasgow and Edinburgh chambers?

English Law Books in Scotland →

Selling

Where to Sell Law Books in the UK

Five routes compared honestly — specialist buyer, ISBN app, eBay, antiquarian dealer, or direct — and which suits what you have.

Where to Sell Law Books in the UK →

Valuation

How to Get a Law Book Valuation

You don't need to identify anything or catalogue anything. What to photograph, and the four details that actually help.

How to Get a Law Book Valuation →

Valuation

Are Old Law Books Worth Anything?

Age is almost never what makes a law book valuable. What completeness, edition and condition actually do to the number.

Are Old Law Books Worth Anything? →

Clearing a library

What to Do With Old Law Books

Sell, donate, recycle or bin — every option compared honestly, including the ones that don't involve us.

What to Do With Old Law Books →

Ready when you are

Submit an enquiry and get a valuation for your set.

Four details and we’ll come back with a valuation, usually within 24 hours. Nothing to catalogue or sort first, and no obligation either way.

A rough description is plenty — “three full bays” tells us as much as a count. Edition and year help if you know them, but don’t go looking.

Free collection across the UK and Ireland, boxes included. We’ll never share your details.

Prefer to talk it through? Call 0161 531 8232, any day, any hour — or use the longer form if you want to attach photographs.

Received

We’ve got your enquiry.

Your reference is your enquiry. Worth a note — quoting it saves you explaining everything again if you call.

We’ll review what you’ve sent and come back with a valuation, normally within 24 hours. If anything’s unclear we’ll ask — usually just one question.

Got photographs? Send them to info@SellLawBooks.co.uk quoting your reference and we’ll add them to the file.