The World Encyclopedia

Old encyclopedias are typically not worth much, if anything, even older sets from the 1930's or '40s. I personally have a set of World Book encylopedias from 1979 with follow up yearbooks.  Because these sets are so large and encompass so many books and so many were made, there is just not a collector market for them.  The best use is typically found in decorating.  Stagers use these to stage homes for sale, and furniture stores even use old encylopedias on their bookshelves and credenzas.  If you are really looking to sell them, you should check out a local book fair and talk to the sellers, or consider donating them for a tax benefit.

Note, I am not an expert on books, but have heard this many times and even read about this in an antique column.

Bob