How much is a box of books worth?

[norsegirl]

The missing box is 2 cubic feet. It is definitely lost never to be found. I have been asked to estimate the value of the box. All I have to go on is the movers' description "books". I have no idea how much I should claim. What is reasonable? I'm afraid of asking too little and having them accept it without arguing, but I also don't want to claim so much that they enter an aggressive negotiation. Should I just submit an amount or should I submit a list of books with their prices on Amazon as backup documentation?

I've been working on a list of books I'd like:
https://www.amazon.com/wishlist/1UZLFAWCS2B4V/ref=cm_reg_rd-upd?_encoding=UTF8&msgid=updated
Is there anything you'd recommend adding to that list?

I don't think I have a "full box" yet, though I might experiment with one of the 2 cube boxes I have left and see just how much space I reasonably have by packing it with similarly sized books.

Comments

[http://users.livejournal.com/_medb_/]

I take it you don't have any idea as to which books were in the box? I've never had to do such a claim, but I believe my parents may have used examples to show worth of items when they were broken into a few years back; it certainly doesn't hurt to do so, and I expect there would be less argument if you do include a list.

[haworth-attard.livejournal.com]

Excellent idea to use the Amazon list as a back-up.

[rectangularcat]

I've been off the internet for a bit and am in whistler right now. but I will be home late next week - I could even pack a sample box for you with dimensions and everything!

four books that I bought recently that are awesome

Cooking and Dining in Medieval England by Peter Brears (2008)

Textile conservation and research: A documentation of the textile department on the occasion of the twentieth anniversary of the Abegg Foundation (Schriften der Abegg-Stiftung Bern) by Mechthild Flury-Lemberg (1988)

Pre-Industrial Utensils, 1150-1800 by Alma Ruempol (1993) - lots of glass vessels!

Lions of Fashion: Male Fashion in the c16th, c17th and c18th by Lena Rangstrom (2003)